Live-Action Plot: Mario’s no mere plumber, but a genius inventor who is about to unleash his most incredible invention yet: a pizza transformation machine. Unfortunately, this breakthrough technology is never used for its intended purpose, as Mario and Luigi’s bumbling leads to the transfer not of pizza flavour, but of human and dog minds.
Very Special Guest: Mario ends up sharing his brain with a very special dog, one belonging to “Cher,” or a wandering crazy person who happens to think she is Cher, anyway. Fake Cher is an embarrassing parody of real Cher, she talks funny and makes references to Sonny and plastic surgery. It’s raw lameness put to film.
Animated Plot: Mario and crew are trekking through an ice world as they flee from the evil Koopa Khan when the brothers suddenly start to miss Brooklyn. The team runs into Salvador Drainado, another Brooklyn-based plumber who has become trapped in the Mushroom Kingdom. He’s spent years plumbing his way back to freedom, and he’s ready to escape with just a little help from the bros.
A few wrench twists and the awesome power of water is unleashed upon solid rock, where it promptly opens a gateway back to reality. Sal is ready, and Princess Toadstool insists the brothers have done enough for her and her kingdom, but when Koopa Khan nabs her and Toad, Mario and Luigi decide to stick around.
Horrible Stereotype Alert: The plumber brothers are their usual stereotype selves this episode, sporting insatiable pizza lust and using phrases like “leapin’ lasagna.” The fact that Salvador Drainado, another Italian American plumber, happens to be exactly like them, only confirms the strength of the belief in the stereotype for the writers. He even has a mustache! It’s like a plumber of any other background could not even be conceived of.