User blog comment:DarkClaw3/PE Proposal: Turbo Mecha Sonic/@comment-27960787-20200131021844/@comment-30634893-20200131141648

I think if SMBZ was less popular and influencial than it was, it would probably fall under fanfiction, much like how most other Newgrounds animations of Mario/Sonic would. But given how insanely reputable it became during it's initial run, how it pretty much changed flash and sprite animation as we know it today, the fact it has it's own KYM page, etc, it falls under web original.