Did you know Nintendo has some extremely strict rules about how media outlets use the official art they give them? For example, you’re not allowed to flip character art. Apparently, if that were allowed, all hell would break loose. Link might be spotted holding his shield in the wrong hand, Luigi might be caught sporting a cap with a backwards “L,” and… well, those are pretty much the only things we can see going horribly wrong if Nintendo let gaming sites and magazines flip their officially distributed images all willy nilly.
 

Above: Don’t even think about flipping an official image of Link
 
The point is that there are rules attached to “official” art, lots of rules - and fans need not follow them. Perhaps that’s why when we try to think of our favorite Nintendo-related images, official art is the last thing on our mind.
 

Above: Mario drives an imaginary vehicle while failing to keep his eyes on the imaginary road in this image released to promote Mario Kart Wii
 
Instead, we think unforgettably freaky stuff like this…

Title: Super Real Mario World
Artist: pixeloo

Above: We doubt that we’ll ever see Nintendo release anything like Pixeloo’s “real life” renditions of game and cartoon characters

Funny and morbid images like this…

Title: N/A
Artist: Bill Mudron

Above: Bill Mudron has done work for Disney, EGM, and Hudson. But he’s most famous for his off-the-wall fan art, like this depiction of what happens when Mario dies
 
And beautiful matte paintings with subtle digital tweaks like this…

Title: Mario World
Artist: Mikael “Orioto” Aguirre