‘Pop-Fiction’ Proves Mario Can Jump Over the Flagpole

If you’re a child of the ’80s, you’ve heard the myth. With a combination of the right speed, trajectory, and skill, you can jump over the flagpole in the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES.

No doubt you knew someone at your elementary school, who knew someone else at another elementary school, who completed the Arthurian task to become revered by his peers and crowned king of all Nintendo. Or you lied. After your sore fingers and calloused thumbs could endure the repetitive chore of trying no longer, you told people you had done it yourself. And that it was awesome. Still, whether or not it could be done at all remained a mystery. Until now.

The meticulous video game junkies at GameTrailers.com are debunking and verifying some of the biggest video game myths of all time. In their brand new series, Pop-Fiction, urban legends whispered in the halls of E3 are posited, explained, and then put to the test. It’s basically “what would happen if Mythbusters aired on G4 instead of Discovery.”

With a wonderful blend of niche and pop culture nostalgia and empirical evidence, the three episodes of Pop-Fiction have amassed over 600,000 views on GameTrailers alone. Check them out to see if you can play as Master Hand, find Zelda‘s fabled Chris Houlihan room, and get Mario enough ups to clear that flagpole.