The Ten Koopmandments

The Ten Koopmandments
Koop Tut, the alias used by King Koopa during the episode
Chronology
Season	1
Episode	34
Information
Production no.	141
Writers	Perry Martin
Airdate	October 31, 1989
Navigation
Previous episode	"The Mark of Zero"
Next episode	"The Koopas are Coming! The Koopas are Coming!"

"The Ten Koopmandments" is the thirty-fourth animated episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. It is paired with the live-action segment "The Artist."

Synopsis

Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad arrive in Pyramid Land where King Koopa has declared himself Pharaoh and has forced the inhabitants to live under his ten Koopmandments. The group finds the Koopmandments and learns that King Koopa now calls himself Koop Tut. Outraged by the Koopmandments they go to the village only to find that it is nearly deserted. Only The Three Mushrooms—Cooie, Murrie, and Moma—are left. They inform the Marios that Koop Tut has turned all other mushrooms into bricks to construct the Koopinx.

Meanwhile, Mouser informs Koop Tut that there aren't enough bricks to complete the Koopinx. Enraged by this news, Koop Tut decides to go back to the village and find the last of the mushrooms. Upon his arrival he and the Koopa Pack are bombarded with pies thrown by the Three Mushrooms, and ambushed by the Marios. The Three Mushrooms miss the Koopa Pack with their pies and accidentally hit the Marios instead. The Mushrooms are turned into bricks by Koop Tut's magic staff and the Marios are captured.

Looking to get rid of his enemies, Koop Tut seals them away in a Pyramid and goes to complete his statue. Inside, the Marios are attacked by a Goomba Mummy, a Cobrat and a Phanto. They run but are soon cornered. Fortunately, they find an emergency exit and escape the pyramid.

With his Koopinx completed and thinking that his enemies are dead, Koop Tut decides to sit down and take a nap. While he sleeps, Mario sneaks in and steals the magic staff. Back at the Koopinx, Mario uses the power of the staff to turn the bricks back into Mushrooms. With the Mushroom people restored, the Marios lead them to the Red Sauce Sea which Mario parts using the power of the staff. Koop Tut, who had been informed of the loss of his Koopinx gives chase but doesn't manage to catch up till every Mushroom has already crossed the Red Sauce Sea. Mario waits till Koop Tut and the Koopa Pack are deep into the sea then tosses the staff into the sauce ending its power and causing the sea to close on his enemies. With Koop Tut defeated and the Mushroom People restored, Mario decides they should have a feast since they already have the sauce.

Trivia/Goofs

• The "Ten Koopmandments" is an obvious parody of the 1956 Charlton Heston film, The Ten Commandments, which in turn is based on Moses in the Book of Exodus.
• The three Mushrooms that helped the Mario Bros. and their friends against Koop Tut are parodies of The Three Stooges.
• King Koop Tut is a spoof of the name of Tutankhamen (commonly known as "Tut"), who lived around the time period of the Exodus.
• The Plummer's Log, "1000 B.C." is a close reference to the time that the Israelites left Egypt during the Exodus, which occurred either in ca. 1446 B.C. (traditional) or ca. 1290 B.C (modern interpretation).
• This episode is the only episode to parody a biblical event.
• While there are supposed to be ten Koopmandments, there are only three identified:
  • 1. Thou Shall Give Koop Tut All Your Gold Coins
  • 2. Thou Shalt Hire No Plumbers
  • 6. Thou Shalt Eat No Pasta
• In one scene, the Koopinx is completed and the building apparatus has been removed. However, nearly every scene shown afterwards shows it incomplete with the apparatus still put up.
• When the three Mushrooms introduce themselves, all their mouths move when they each give their names.
• As the people walk through the parted sea, the three Mushrooms' shoes are white.
• After being caught in the Red Sauce Sea, the Koopa Troopa's head turns white.
• "Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangles is one of two featured songs sang by women. The other is "He's a Rebel" by Donna Summer, in "The Koopas are Coming! The Koopas are Coming!."

Availability

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Volume 2 (DVD, 2006)

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!: Mario's Adventures Out West (DVD, 2009)

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Volume 2 (DVD, 2012) (NCircle Re-release)