When we’ve compiled a list of all the video game movies in history and ranked them from worst to best, Super Mario Bros. ranked 24th out of 37 titles. But what if the version we saw wasn’t the best it could be? What if there was a top cut somewhere just waiting to be discovered?

We may now have an answer to that question. In May 2019, a group of fans claimed to have “discovered a tape containing a rough long cut from the cult 1993 film.” super mario bros. “The cut is about 15 minutes longer than the theatrical release; its additions include” Previously unseen deleted scenes include the Mario Bros. clashing with plumbing firm Scapelli (presumably linked to the Mafia), with Koopa murdering a technician in turning him into a slime, and Iggy and Spike rapping about the overthrow of King Koopa at the Boom Boom bar. There are more Lena, Daniella and the Brooklyn Girls. Many scenes that previously existed are now also expanded.

The VHS tape was understandably in poor condition, so fans turned to filmmaker Garrett Gilchrist to restore it. He used a combination of programs such as Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, and EBSynth to produce what they collectively dubbed “The Morton Jankel Cut” for directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. You can now see the full results of their efforts at Archives.org.

There is also a YouTube video where Gilchrist compares the cuts and explains the restoration process:

Is this new version superior to the original? I haven’t watched it yet. I admit that I never thought about the problem with the original Super Mario Bros. cut was that it was too short. But I’m curious enough about this extended and restored version to check it out before it goes down a green pipe, maybe forever.

[H/T IGN]

Every video game movie ever made, ranked from worst to best