Live-Action Plot: Consumer advocate David Horowitz pays the brothers a visit to investigate their claim that they can unclog any drain in three minutes or less with Mario Bros. Clog Cleaner.

The cleaner (which is a powder that’s not even combined with water) fails to alleviate the clog, but the brothers buy themselves some time by accidentally knocking Horowitz out. That’s when the real magic happens, with Mario and Luigi applying plant food on the drain.

The clog ultimately leaves the sink, restoring the brothers’ honour, but in the form of a giant hairy monster. Horowitz is chased by the creature and disappears without explanation, I think he might have died.

Very Special Guest: David Horowitz is a real life consumer advocate who featured in a program called Fight Back!, which tested products.

Animated Plot: Mario and company travel to an ancient Roman styled city of the Toads of old. Amazingly, it’s still populated by at least one original resident, the great Hercufleas. He minds a temple housing an ancient and powerful weapon, the Great Balls of Fire.

Of course, Koopa sends his henchmen to grab the balls, and they easily do so, Hercufleas having long gone fat and soft.

Mario’s crew are able to retrain Herc and take the fight to Koopa, but it’s Toad who ends up as the real hero of the adventure. During the brawl with Koopa, Toad grabs a Fire Flower and engages in wizardly combat with the green and spiky one. Koopa eventually uses up his great balls and is forced to retreat.

Why the Balls of Fire are so Great when they are apparently less useful than the common Fire Flower is left unexplained.

Horrible Stereotype Alert: Mario strains to lift a mighty sub sandwich. He eventually gets it up to his mouth and is able to take a hefty bite.