Idolator

Ed. note: Once again, Idolator intern Kate Richardson scours the video sites, looking for the best fan-made music videos. In this entry, she looks at two clips that honor the Super Mario Bros. games:

The Super Mario Bros. soundtrack is without a doubt the most recognizable video game music ever produced (and arguably the best). Images of the game have been forever associated with the very familiar melody—until now! The tribute-video community has never tolerated image-appropriate music, and it makes no exception for even the most ingrained music-image combos. I hope Nintendo is taking notes, because teen ABBA cover bands and neo-soul songstresses just might be the future of the Mario franchise. It's-a me! Freaky tribute video!

Song: "Mamma Mia" by A*Teens
Concept: Super Mario Bros. as good old-fashioned Swedish fun.
This video isn't actually as bafflingly strange as I usually like. The use of the boppy A*Teens cover instead of ABBA's original diminishes its weirdness quotient considerably, and the song choice itself indicates sly humor, not tragic earnestness. But after sifting through weirder videos set to the likes of Linkin Park and 3 Doors Down, I couldn't help but enjoy the sheer spunk of this one. The others, while exceedingly bizarre in concept, lacked spark in execution, while this video practically dares you to not be stimulated. Part of its success is the use of clips from the newer, flashier Mario games, which fit well with the music, but clever editing is another key element. The only things that don't quite work are the Princess Peach-centric segments, which are visually boring and irrelevant to the sports theme.
Best music-to-image sync-up moment : About 50 seconds in, as the characters run on a crumbling bridge during the chorus. Something about the pace of the image and the music at that moment just really works.
Silliest music-to-image sync-up moment: 2:45. For some reason the shot of Donkey Kong running up the side of a castle to catch a baseball is especially amusing when juxtaposed with the music.

Song: "There's Hope" by India.Arie
Concept: Yoshi as a young dinosaur who gets some perspective.
And you thought I'd leave you without a completely incongruous video. This truly exemplifies everything a tribute video can be: unexpected, thoughtful, fun, and, above all, very strange. You don't need me to explain how damn odd the Super Mario Bros./India.Arie combo is, but I guess I'll mention it anyway. Boy, is this weird! It's also very sweet: The shiny, sappy, sort of irritatingly preachy song combined with the round, cheesy animation is the very definition of well-intentioned. What India.Arie's message of hope and perseverance has to do with Mario's trusted pet dinosaur, I'm not sure. But I do know that beyond all logic and reason, it seems somehow appropriate in this video.
Best music-to-image sync-up moment: The most ingenious part of this clip comes at the break midway through, for the star super power music during Mario and Yoshi's touchdown.
Silliest music-to-image sync-up moment: At the very beginning, the video synced up to look like Yoshi is saying, "Back when I had a little, I thought that I needed a lot," further implying that Yoshi represents India.Arie in this video.

Verdict: Though both videos this week were about as equally interesting in different ways, only one can advance to Bowser's castle for the ultimate battle. Due to a superior sense of novelty, the India.Arie video defeats the King Koopa and saves Princess Peach, making it the winner of this week's match-up.