When it comes to their most popular characters, Nintendo adheres to a strict, family-friendly outlook. However, things get a little darker when you place Nintendo’s much loved characters into pulpy crime-ridden and space-blasting settings

Painter and illustrator Ástor Alexander has designed three pulp-magazine influenced covers featuring timeless Nintendo characters. The set is titled “Pulp Nintendo.” See if you can identify all three of these video game icons.

If you are having trouble placing the faces the answers are below.

• The first one is Samus with a smoking ray gun standing over the corpse of an alien.
• The second one is a contemplative Link with Midna playing the classic femme fatale.
• The last one is, of course, Mario, who looks to be taking revenge while wearing his timeless red and blue overalls and Princess Peach.

Unfortunately, these stories do not exist, but the prints do! You can buy these twisted covers at Society6. Which one is your favorite? Which character do you want to see next?

My Opinion:

I absolutely l love these and will keep checking back for the newest pieces. I just wish I knew these existed before my Christmas shopping because I would have bought a couple. My favorite might be the Mario and Peach cover. In my head I picture a crime novel with an elaborate con where Bowser kidnaps Peach and then demands ransom from Mario. After many twists and turns Princess Peach escapes with the money and runs away to another castle.

Nathan Reid is an Associate Writer at MONG who would easily fall for a Femme Fatale version of Princess Peach.