#but a bit more dangerous. like doing jobs for bowser dangerous

[cozystars]

tee hee

#cosmo creates #doodles #jp&e #captain syrup is like wario where she takes odd jobs #but a bit more dangerous. like doing jobs for bowser dangerous #which I really need to find a way to Like. drawing lol #anyways :) they’re being very normal #a bit of a Daisy redesign as well #I’d make her hair shorter but she’s already so far from her og design #suggestive #cause of the language #OH ALSO #the ends of syrups hair #looks like wicks #as a reference to black beard lighting his hair on fire to intimidate #:)!!! #smoking

[volcanicdynamo]

Super Mario Odyssey Travelogue - Sand Kingdom

Home of Red Sands and Lively Locals

We've arrived in Tostarena, the gateway to the stark beauty of the desert. A lively and colorful community is the sole thing between us and a vast desert of orange sand. Massive ruins dot the landscape, chief among the the Inverted Pyramid that holds the famed Tostarenan Binding Band. Much like the in-game brochure states, there's quite a lot of beauty among the dunes, so let's dive right in!

Super Mario Odyssey director Kenta Motokura was the driving force behind Tostarena's Mexican influence - his own trip to the nation left a strong impression on him, and that led to the typically Egyptian style desert to instead pull from Mexican culture. This is evident as early as the initial visit to the Tostarenan Town, filled with colorful architecture and populated by the calavera-like Tostarenans, but also shows in the architecture of the many ruins. Having them so grounded in Mexican and Mesoamerican culture not only differentiates the setting from the typical Mario desert but reinforces the global nature of the adventure. Many Odyssey locations are inspired by places around the world, including the previous kingdoms, but the Sand Kingdom is one of the more blatant examples.

One of the things I appreciate about Odyssey is, when Mario comes to these different kingdoms, he never feels like he's a stereotypical rude or uncourteous tourist. Mario helps the locals with their problems alongside stopping Bowser. A moment such as Mario playing guitar with the Tostarenans is played as the locals inviting Mario to wear their wares - ones he directly purchases from the locals themselves - and celebrate with them, rather than Mario forcing himself into these traditions. Tostarena is perhaps the most obvious sign of this because it is so heavily based on Mexico, but these little moments happen throughout the game. Of course, I say this as someone who is not Mexican, so I recognize that my perspective is limited. I remember near Odyssey's launch, there were mixed feelings about seeing Mario wear a poncho and sombrero, with some finding it inappropriate and others loving it. I would love to hear other perspectives on this matter.

Whereas the last two kingdoms delivered compact level design reminiscent of Super Mario 64, the Sand Kingdom is one of Odyssey's largest locations, both in level design and in Power Moon count. The story missions do a strong job of guiding the player through this massive location. Starting from town, we move through the main ruins and their round tower, contending with platforming and the Bullet Bill capture. Then we make our way to the Moe-Eye Habitat, presenting us with a slower and more puzzle-focused capture. This leads us to the Inverted Pyramid for more platforming before a showdown with the second Broodal, Harriet. And then you're done, right? Well, not quite, as these larger kingdoms have a two-act structure. Reach a milestone and collect the first Multi Moon, and then the world changes and a new threat emerges. In this case, nightfall comes to Tostarena, and Mario needs to go deep down into the icy depths to calm Knucklotec in a fight that uses the mechanics of the Bullet Bill capture for a satisfying finale.

Of course, there's plenty of spots to check out outside of the story. The Desert Oasis, which thaws out once the story is finished, is a calm respite away from the more dangerous ruins. Numerous sub areas test both Mario's platforming skills and the use of the kingdom's two captures, the Bullet Bill for careful yet speedy maneuvering and the Moe-Eye to reveal hidden secrets. There's a giant, realistic looking sphinx But the most memorable optional aspect in the Sand Kingdom is the Jaxi, a jaguar-like statue that barrels through the desert at blistering speed. It's a mechanically interesting form of travel, certainly a fast way to get through the desert, but what I appreciate more is the small bits of characterization he gets when you take him to the other stone statues. He shows fondness for his family, appreciation for Mario taking him to see them, but also enjoys the freedom to roam around, not content to stand still as a statue. It adds a lot to what would otherwise be a wild ride across the dunes, and it's this care and attention to the world that I love to see brought back to Mario thanks to Odyssey.

We get a choice of where to go next, but after all this sand, I could use a swim. We'll be going to the Lake Kingdom next!

#Super Mario Odyssey #Super Mario #Tostarena #Sand Kingdom #Mario

[hostess-of-horror]

Phantom X Peach (again)

Me: "Alright, let's get right back into my current project!"

[sees posts of Phantom and Princess Peach]

My Brain:

Me: *defeated sigh* *clicks Create New Post*

Welp, here we are again! Another Phantom X Peach story! I can't help myself, I absolutely adore this ship. 💜

Since the last story was hurt/comfort themed, I figured I'd continue this trope by switching the roles! Both Princess Peach and Phantom have their bad days, and this time it's poor Phantom.😔

For @salamifuposey​, @kindpopstar​, @strawbunniiee​ and everyone else who wants to read it!

[Content Includes: Themes of Depression and Anxiety and Suggestive Flirting (no smut!)]

---

It was a slow day at the Mushroom Kingdom. Nothing special was happening. At least there were no surprise kidnappings from Bowser or any other signs of danger. Princess Peach, not wanting to sit around all day, decided to take a walk outside. She ensured the people within her castle that she will be safe and will be only admiring the land. Of course, this was partially true. She will be safe, but not while within her own kingdom. Instead, Peach followed the path that led all the way to Spooky Trails. When she arrived at Phantom's theater, she was greeted by a familiar face.

The red-haired woman at the masquerade. The peasant woman from that very night.

---

Peach: "Hello?"

[The red-haired woman notices Peach, gives her a warm smile, and waves.]

????: "Good afternoon, your highness. I wasn't expecting you to come over. My name is Salome. I didn't get to properly introduce myself to you last time we met."

Peach: "It's nice to meet you, Salome." *bows* "May I ask if Phantom is inside?"

Salome: "Yes, he is. In fact, I'm so glad you came! Our master has become terribly upset all of a sudden."

Peach: "Oh no! What happened to him? Is he alright?"

Salome: "I'm not exactly sure. He has had these moments before, but almost none of us know exactly how to completely help him out. Our master was last seen entering into his boudoir. He didn't say a word to any of us. I don't believe he is physically ill, but it is some sort of sickness. Perhaps you can help him? No, wait - I shouldn't do that to a guest, especially one that's royalty."

Peach: "No. No need to apologize. If Phantom is distressed, then I'll do my best to help him feel better."

Salome: "Ah, you're so kind, Princess. Just like how he describes you."

[Salome invites Peach into the theater, entering down into the underground lair where Phantom and his theater troupe reside. Once again, Peach is inside the large and luxurious hallways of the lair, this time going down to Phantom's Boudoir. The door to this room is just as massive as the Ballroom entrance. Salome knocks.]

Phantom: *from behind the door* "Leave me be!"

Salome: "Master, is there something wrong?"

Phantom: "I'll be fine... I just need some peace and quiet."

[Peach approaches the door and knocks gently.]

Peach: "Phantom? It's me. Salome told me what happened... are you sure you're okay?"

Phantom: "Princess?"

[A moment of silence.]

Phantom: "Salome, if you don't mind, would you kindly let the Princess in? I want to see her in private."

Salome: "Yes, Master."

[Salome pushes the door just slightly, so that Peach can enter the Boudoir. The door closes behind and Peach is inside the room. The Boudoir is just as beautiful as the rest of the lair. Lavish decorations fill the walls, from portraits to curtains to ornamental decals. A multitude of candles light the darkness, all of them leading up to a massive pile of pillows and blankets. There lying in this pile is Phantom, his head placed in between his crossed arms. His cobalt blue coat and red vest are gone. The only thing he’s wearing is his ivory poet blouse, slightly unbuttoned, revealing his shoulder and upper chest. Peach couldn’t help but stare. She has never seen Phantom without his coat and vest before. As she approaches him, Phantom lifts his head to look at his guest, revealing his weary, tear-stained eyes. Peach stops. She recognizes those red eyes from the first night they reunited.]

Phantom: “Ah, my love... Do forgive my appearance. I should have freshened up a bit before you came in.” *softly chuckles*

Peach: “Phantom, what’s wrong?���

[Phantom slowly rises from his position. Peach walks up to him, reaching out for his cheek.]

Peach: “Have you been crying?”

Phantom: *takes a deep breath* “Oh, just a little bit, that’s all...”

[Peach awaits his answer. Phantom looks into her eyes, taking another deep breath.]

Phantom: “... I had another breakdown. I was outside before you came here, to get some fresh air. This place gets stuffy once you’ve spent many days inside. I thought maybe I could venture outside Spooky Trails for inspiration. But instead, I found... memories.”

Peach: “Memories?”

Phantom: “Reminders, more like it. They mock me, even after all this time. They appear in my mind every now and then, but... this time was worse than before.”

Peach: “Tell me about them.”

[Lifting her arms up, inviting Phantom to come into her arms, Peach gives him a pitiful expression. Phantom slowly crawls, wrapping his arms around her and placing his head onto her lap.]

Phantom: “These memories... they remind me of my loneliness. My strangeness. How I was - is - met with rejection by my fellow Rabbids. When I was outside, I found a few Rabbids playing, mindlessly causing havoc as usual. I could do the same, but in the end, I found such activities to be senseless. I find no real purpose doing those things. But, as I was watching them, I could not help but yearn for such a connection. Yes, I have my theater troupe, but...”

[Phantom pauses. He looks up at Peach.]

Phantom: “Oh, I don’t believe I’ve told you about them.”

Peach: “What about them?”

Phantom: “They are not real, exactly. I made them.”

Peach: “Wait... you made these people?”

Phantom: “Yes. Along with making masterpieces, I study magic on the side. Since the... battle years ago, I discovered that I have more powers than I initially thought. I guess it makes sense, considering that I am not only part Rabbid, I am also part Boo.”

Peach: “Hmmm... Boos do have many magical abilities, but it varies from each individual Boo. I learned about them when I was a little girl. I agree, it does make sense.”

Phantom: “Dolores, Stefan, Natasha and Ophelia, Salome... all of them are not real. They’re actually mannequins - puppets controlled by my magic.”

Peach: “So my eyes weren’t deceiving me back then! I was going to ask you after that masquerade performance, but... well...” *blushes*

Phantom: *lifts one eyebrow* “Hehe... but you were overwhelmed?” *caresses her cheek down to her chin* “With passion?”

[Peach’s face becomes even redder. Phantom softly laughs at her bashfulness.]

Phantom: “You are so precious! Ah... I could just kiss you!”

[Suddenly, Peach is pulled into Phantom’s embrace, her lips being locked into his. She melts, sinking deeper into his kiss. Then Phantom rolls over, landing on top of her. He finally stops, taking a moment for both of them to catch their breath.]

Phantom: “My apologizes... I... got carried away.”

Peach: “I see you’re feeling much better.”

Phantom: “I am.”

Peach: “Phantom...” *holding his face close to her* “You are not alone. You may be different, but I would not say you’re ‘strange.’ ‘Unique’ would be a better term. Others may not understand you, but I do. I understand you, even if there’s plenty of things I haven’t learned about you yet, Like your magic. In fact, if they give you a chance, I believe you would be accepted outside Spooky Trails.”

Phantom: “....”

Peach: “What you call ‘strangeness’ is what I call ‘wonderful.’ Amazing... Alluring... Beguiling... Captivating... Enchanting.”

Phantom: “Ah, Princess! Now you’re making me blush! That is supposed to be my job!”

[Peach laughs, a huge smile across her face.]

Peach: “Don’t you know? I hold magic abilities as well! I can make even the most powerful gentlemen fall to their knees.”

Phantom: “Oh?”

Peach: “Yes, and I just did.”

Phantom: “Well, how can I disagree? How can I be so powerful when you make me so weak?”

[They lock themselves into a passionate kiss again.]

#phantom of the bwahpera #phantom #tom phan #Phantom x Peach #Princess Peach #mario rabbids kingdom battle #mario rabbids #Mario +Rabbids kingdom battle #OTP #ship #my writing

[thekoopacosmetologist]

What’s your biggest fear?

Also what’s your favorite thing to do while you’re not cutting hair?

"Anything bad happening to my friends or family. My mom's a reporter, and even though she's getting up there in years, she still insists on doing field work. One of these days I'm afraid she's gonna bite off a bit more than she can chew... My coworkers aren't nearly as risky, thankfully, but I still care about and worry for them."

"And Mowzie... Oh Stars, Mowzie... I don't know about everything about her personal life, but I know that it can sometimes be dangerous. If anything were to happen to her... I... I'd..."

The koopa paused for a moment, wrestling with some dark thoughts before forcing them to the back of her mind. No one needed to hear about that, least of all a kid like Bowser Jr.

"A-Anyway... Outside of my job, I do enjoy reading and watching movies. Mostly romance stuff. I like to travel when I'm actually able to take more than a day or two off from work, and I've also been meaning to take up some creative hobbies as well; painting or learning an instrument or something like that. The salon may let me express my creativity in its own way, but being able to explore my artistic side without the responsibilities of a job would be nice."

#Ask #bowserjrthecoolkoopa #[[Sorry I've been gone for so long - I'll try to respond to the RP and answer your other question soon!]]

[repentantsky]

Top Games I’m Looking Forward To in 2021 (Part 1)

2020 was a horrible year, but the thing that kept me and many other sane were the slue of great games that came out, or in my case, a combination of that and buying older games for my handheld consoles. However 2021, has a lot more games that are my style, so I’m much more excited for it than I was for most of this year. Allow me to have my longest list yet in celebration of this fact, and do so in parts as there is a lot to talk about, as I look at 8 upcoming games in 2021, that I can’t wait to play. To make things fair, and hopefully to keep this list as accurate as possible, I will only be counting games that have a release date as of my writing this. Also, my lists aren’t usually ranked by how much I want to play a game, as much as they are how much I want to talk about a game, so my most anticipated game for next year could easily be the first entry. With those explanations out of the way, let’s talk about games. 

8. The Medium. 

The Medium is a horror game made in a similar vain to Silent Hill’s Midwich Elementary, in that there are two realities existing at once, and you are constantly switching in between them. The idea is always one that has fascinated me as a horror fan, but the Medium really looks to amping up the scares by using the visuals that we can currently attain to increase the fear factor, instead of making everything pretty to try and sell people on that end of it. The gross, disgusting, and frightful looking world we are presented with in The Medium is one I cannot wait to explore, even if I don’t have an Xbox Series X to play it on. Regardless of anything, it looks like it might be my personal favorite horror game of 2021 when it comes out, barring no delay, on January 28th. 

7. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. 

The Ys series is honestly one of the more underrated long running series in JRPG history. If you need proof of that, just play Ys Origin, Memories of Celceta, or Ys VIII for confirmation. These games are incredible. YS IX looks to be taking the series in a darker direction than most, if not all the previous entries in the series, and not only is that super compelling, but it seeing YS in a darker light, might actually go a long way in helping it become the franchise it deserves to be in the eyes of fans everywhere. The combat looking more refined than ever, on top of the best visuals the franchise has seen to this point only add to the excitement, and the characters, from what we’ve seen so far, also look like they’ll stand out in a series full of fantastic characters throughout. YS IX, probably won’t be my JRPG of the Year, but darn if it won’t be up in the top 5.

6. Little Nightmares 2.    

Did I make it clear that I love horror yet? I hope so because this might not even be the last horror game on this list. The original Little Nightmares was honestly my favorite horror experience when it released, because no other game really did a better job of making you feel isolated, alone and weak, which is the prefect setting for horror. While Little Nightmares 2 won’t be doing the isolation aspect as much as the first because of a second playable character, with the danger ramped up enough, which the demo seems to show that it will be, it should be more than capable of bringing out the fear that made the first so memorable. There’s almost nothing scarier than being a small child in an adult world that seems to want you dead, and Little Nightmares 2 has all the vibes set up for freaking everyone out. I doubt many in the horror genre will be able to do it as well as this game will. 

5. Persona 5 Strikers. 

Finally we are out of horror and darker games and all that, for a bit, as Persona 5 Strikers is easily looking to be my favorite warriors games of 2021. Not only do I love the concept of Warriors titles, but the Persona universe is one that fits that genre well by default, having a near endless slue of famous enemies to turn into either fodder for the thousands of kills we’ll get, or bosses that will gave fans a sense of nostalgia, espeically if they are fans of Shin Megami Tensei and older games in the franchise. I’ll admit, I’m a little bummed it’s not Persona X Shin Megami Tensei, where characters from both the original franchise and the spinoff can get together to cause mayhem, but it’s the next best thing, and I am all here for it. The story promises to be incredible, and the gameplay fantastic, with that Atlus special touch added in. There’s no reason not be excited about what they put out there. 

4. NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139...

Gawd, that name though. Crazy name aside, NieR on the PS3 was a brilliant game, that was sadly underrated due to the time of it’s release, a lack of marketing, and people generally not knowing who Taro Yoko was at the time. His history speaks for itself though, with the brilliant yet weird Drankengard series, and NieR itself really being a shining example of what he can do. To see Replicant, a game that never made it to the West, be remade with combat done in the style of NieR Automata, is such an exciting prospect that I can hardly contain my hype. Not only does the title look better than the original by miles, which was visually fascinating to begin with, but the wonderful and odd music, and everything that can really be expected of Taro Yoko is there in full swing. We are looking at an upcoming masterpiece I am certain.

3. Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury

I’m not always the biggest fan of Mario mainline platformers, but seeing as I really found myself enjoying his most recent Switch and 3DS exploits, I cannot help being excited for the chance to play a Mario game I haven’t had the chance to previously, with some extra content to boot. Car Mario looks like a lot of fun to play, and the chance to play with up to four people is something I can’t pass the chance to play. I know very little of the game, other than it’s massive popularity and high praise upon release, and sometimes, it’s nice to go into a game as blind as possible, even if the story isn’t likely going to be anything to write home about. Whatever the title brings, it will be enjoyable to say the least, and possibly the most solid of platformers for 2021. 

2. Bravely Default II.

I won’t lie, I have a complicated history with Bravely Default as a series. While I did manage to power my way through the first game, it took some time to make it happen, and honestly, despite it’s great characters and even better story, the gameplay left me wanting. However, Bravely Default: End Layer was and still is one of my favorite JRPG’s on the 3DS, so here’s hoping enough of the good that came from that game, finds it’s way to Bravely Default II. Regardless of if it does or not, I always willing to give a format a second go, and I’ve already found myself completely in love with the playable characters, just from the two demos alone, so all signs point to a fantastic game that I cannot to wait to experience. 

1. Poison Control.

The best part of doing a list like this, is throwing something in there that no one expects, and may not have even heard of. Without a doubt, the most anime shit style game on my list, Poison Control is a game that might be more about the story, than the gameplay. The basis is you are stuck in another world, with two characters bound to one soul, and you’re goal is to remove the poison from people’s minds, by invading their brains and literally clearing it out. You might monsters and run over the poison in their heads, to hopefully make them better people. Despite the dark sounds setting, and even the slightly darker visuals, this is probably one of the most light hearted games on my list. I have to say though, there’s always something to these sorts of games despite their obvious lack in certain quality, that I enjoy. The game doesn’t actually have a Western release date either, so I’m cheating a bit, but with a catchphrase like “Purge Poison, Raise Hell” how can you not be at least a little bit excited for what’s to come of this game. 

And that’s my list. Did I miss anything you’re super excited for? Let me know in the notes below, and be ready, because part 1 of this list will be all about games without a release date, and that’s where the hype can really begin.  

#2020 #2021 #video games #poison control #bravely default #super mario 3d world #nier replicant #persona 5 #persona 5 strikers #little nightmares #ys ix: monstrum nox #ys ix #the medium #ps4 #ps5 #xbox #xbox series s #xbox series x #xbox one #nintendo switch

[anomander-dragnipurake]

Haunted Castle Chapter Six: Dungeon

After freeing Kamek, they had no more leads on where to go and thus went back to going through and methodically clearing out rooms until Luigi got another call from E. Gadd. Intel from the boo squad pointed them in the direction of another portrait. It was just some goombas that weren’t even super well-guarded but it was conveniently close by and they still needed saving even if doing so wouldn’t lead to finding King Boo.

Eventually, after a few more portraits, intel from the boos as well as that just being the direction, they were going anyway lead them to the dining hall. Where even with E. Gadd’s warning about how much ghost activity was going on inside, Luigi was surprised by the sheer number of ghosts that greeted him when he opened the doors. It was like a party in there and unfortunately, they noticed Luigi’s entrance right away, meaning he had little time to prepare before the fight started.

Things got a little dicey but ultimately thanks to Gooigi, he made it out on the other side only a little battered. Bowser Jr. ended up helping too via being a distraction and stunning ghosts with his flashlight either to defend himself or to help in taking them out. It was reckless and dumb, he should’ve run but he handled himself well. Enough so that once all the ghosts were cleared out, Luigi refrained from scolding him, thanking him for the help instead.

In the portraits, five of them, hung up along the walls, were an assortment of all the various kinds of minions Bowser employed. None of them were boos, though the dry bones were a bit iffy and scary because they were undead but as long as they weren’t ghosts it was probably fine.

Once they were all free, Bowser Jr. addressed them, telling them what was up and where to go and stuff. Luigi didn’t pay much attention, instead focusing on playing fetch with Polterpup for a bit. It was a welcome break that was unfortunately over all too soon because…

“I have good news and bad news,” E. Gadd reported over the communicator as soon as Luigi answered its ring. “Which do you want to hear first?”

“Uh… bad news?” Best to get that out of the way first.

“Most of our boo friends seem to have been caught and recaptured. Only the Captain and one other remain, though considering how long it’s been, the latter might’ve been captured too.” Surprisingly that wasn’t too bad, not good, they were helpful even if they were scary – and not totally trustworthy as far as Luigi was concerned – but not the end of the world either.

“And the good news?”

“While you were dealing with the dining hall ghosts, the Koopalings’ portraits were spotted being brought down to the dungeon. However, trying to investigate further is what lost us most of our boo friends so we don’t know what’s down there. It’s big though, I can tell you that based of the scanner’s reading. Both that and losing most of the boo squad when they went down there is what leads me and Kamek here to suspect it may be a trap.”

“How is that good news then?”

“If it’s a trap, that means it might be King Boo himself down there. Capturing him again should make the rest of the ghosts surrender or at least damage to moral enough to make capturing them easy.”

“But… it’s a trap!”

“Yes, but you’ve beaten him three times before so I’m sure you’ll be fine… probably anyway, there’s always a first time for everything, including losing. I’m rooting for you though sonny, you got Gooigi with you and you two are a fantastic ghost busting team. So, go and investigate, if nothing else you’ll at least save some kids.” With that he hung up, leaving Luigi floundering.

Going willing into a trap was not his idea of a smart move even if there was a good chance he’d be able to get out of it. There was always the chance that King Boo might finally best him either through a mistake he’d made or just being outsmarted. But… he didn’t have much choice; he’d come here to save everyone in general but the fact that they were kids made saving them even more important. And if King Boo was in the dungeon, he’d have to go down there eventually no matter what because the problem wouldn’t be solved until King Boo was taken care of. So what should he do? …

“What did E. Gadd have to say?”

He looked up to see Bowser Jr. and Gooigi had approached. The minions were gone now, presumably ordered to go somewhere safe for now.

After taking a deep breath to clear his mind, Luigi relayed to them what E. Gadd had told him, including the fact that it might be a trap.

“Hmm… a potential trap is worrying,” Bowser Jr. said when he was finished. “I don’t know if we have much choice though, we have to save them. But uh…” he glanced around the room before leaning in a bit more, his voice lowering to a near whisper, “still no sign of my dad?”

“No, sorry. He’ll be fine though, I promise. We’ll save him.” Luigi could almost guarantee that, right? Because Mario had always ultimately ended up fine every time he’d been taken by King Boo. He understood the worry though because there was always that ‘what if?’ in the back of one’s mind when a loved one was in danger.

Bowser Jr. shifted nervously but seemed to take some comfort in the promise as he nodded. “Yeah, we’ll save him eventually, I’m not worried. Let’s go save my siblings now. They’re going to be so jealous I got to help hunt ghosts with the pros and that I got to befriend a real-life goo person.” With a good facsimile of excitement, he took off towards the dining room’s exit.

Gooigi made a pleased sound as they followed. Feeling quite pleased as well that being allowed to help hunt ghosts with him was apparently something to be jealous of, Luigi stood up and hurried to catch up. Before deciding to head into a potential trap, they had to go back to E. Gadd and empty the Poltergust first anyway so he had some time to think about it. … He would probably end up going though, wouldn’t he? Because he wouldn’t be allowed to say ‘no’, he never was in these ghost hunting ‘adventures’.

~

The dungeons were of course in the basement, further down past Kamek’s lab. Unfortunately, there weren’t any secret passages heading to them, allowing entrance from an unexpected avenue, so they just had to make do. Polterpup had shown up again at least, trotting along only a short distance ahead, he’d warn them if he sensed anything too dangerous ahead of them… hopefully anyway.

As their little group made their way down the hall, the air seemed to get colder and tighter with each step forward. Luigi was shivering but he soldiered on anyway because he’d said he would and because Bowser Jr. trailed after him, depending on and expecting him to save his family. Gosh, babysitting really was the worst, wasn’t it?

Soon, up ahead, Polterpup slowed to a stop, raising his hackles to growl at something, allowing Luigi and company to catch up to him. The narrow hallway ended, opening up into a room, lined with jail cells. It was dark and their flashlights couldn’t penetrate far but of all the cells that were visible, they all appeared empty. There was no way they were though. Luigi and Gooigi would have to check every single one to root out the ghosts and whatever Polterpup was upset enough to growl at. And to make matters worse, Luigi’s flashlight was vibrating, indicating the presence of a hidden boo nearby. Which was just great because now he had to hunt down the boo’s hiding spot and get jump scared by it when it inevitably popped out at him.

How could he have possibly ended up in this situation? The only thing scarier than a haunted castle or mansion was a haunted dungeon deep underground – it wasn’t really that deep underground but it sure felt like there were miles of earth above them with how heavy the air seemed.

“What are we waiting for?” Bowser Jr. whispered, his voice barely audible but still enough to make Luigi startle. “My siblings are down here somewhere, we have to save them so let’s go.” He sounded scared too though and doing a poor job of hiding it.

“Let’s a-go,” Gooigi agreed in a whisper as they pointed into the room, eager to get going. At least they weren’t scared, they just wanted to hunt ghosts. And that was what they were here for so… with a sigh, Luigi took the lead again, silently gesturing Bowser Jr. to stay back at the entrance.

Maybe it was the jail cells and the strange shadows their flashlights cast into them through their bars but despite being more open, the room felt just as claustrophobic if not more so than the narrow hall had. It combined with the heavy atmosphere and knowing at least one boo hid somewhere within the darkness made Luigi wish more than ever he were almost anywhere else in the world right now. But that was pretty standard with these ghost hunting ‘adventures’. This was the last time though, after this he was going to make sure E. Gadd kept King Boo contained permanently. All he had to do was capture King Boo one last time.

Before he and Gooigi could take more than a few steps into the room, Polterpup barked and rushed forward to stand in front of them. He growled at something ahead of them a little way and to the left. There wasn’t anything visible there which could only mean one thing. Before Luigi or Gooigi could switch on their dark lights…

“Stupid traitorous dog, shut up,” a voice growled accompanied by a large thud as if someone with heavy shoes stomped the ground, “You ruined everything.” The spirit orbs dispersed, revealing what they’d been hiding. It was…

“Bowser?” Luigi asked, taking a step back. But no, actually there was something wrong with him.

“Papa! You’re okay.”

Luigi looked back to see Bowser Jr. rushing over. He barely managed to catch him as he passed by, grabbing him by the back of the shell and pulling him back.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Bowser Jr. struggled as Luigi desperately tried to hold him back.  

‘Bowser’ chuckled, his laugh strange and wrong but confirming Luigi’s fears. His mane, normally red was bleached white, his eyes glowing purple matched the glow of the crystal crown on his head. A less dramatic transformation than the last time Luigi had seen him possessed by a ghost but still just as unmistakable.

“Wow, you really are babysitting the brat, how cute?” King Boo said, smirking with Bowser’s face. “You’re even softer than I thought. Whatever though, you’ve saved me the trouble of having to hunt him down on my own. Your dumb dog ruined my surprise but I don’t even need it.”

“What?” Bowser Jr. said as he thankfully gave up on trying to reach his father. “What do you mean? What’s going on? Papa?”

Luigi’s heart bled for him but now wasn’t the time to for condolences or explanations. King Boo’s crown atop Bowser’s head flashed, tendrils of light yanked the still growling Polterpup out of the way as he took a deep breath. That meant fire!

Luigi reached over to grab Gooigi’s wrist to yank both them and Bowser Jr. back just in time to avoid it. It came far too close for comfort, seemingly almost signing the tips of his mustache. If he’d been even a few seconds slower to respond… Whatever though, he turned and ran, pushing Bowser Jr. ahead of him and pulling Gooigi along as well. How the hell was he supposed to fight King Boo when he was possessing Bowser?

#My writing #super mario bros #Luigi's Mansion #Luigi #Bowser Jr. #Gooigi #King Boo

[digindydig]

Indy’s Stories

Part 4: A Night at Bowser’s

Indy sat back in her chair as she read the article. She sipped her warm tea slowly, trying to ease her hangover. She scrolled down as her laptop showed a picture of the sole survivors of the Endurance. Lara being one of them. It was past noon when Indy awoke from her slumber and the first thing that came to mind aside from her pounding headache, was of none other than Lara Croft. She spend a good hour searching the web before she found what she was looking for.

“So you’re ‘that’ Croft.” She said out loud, seeing the names of those who perished and photos of the original crewmen. But her headaches were making it difficult to pay attention to important information, she decided to give up the searching for now. Closing the laptop,Indy stood from her seat before her phone dinged as a text came through. It was from Lara. Indy had text her back when she awoke. Would a friend like Croft be good for Indy? Or would it be problematic? After all Indy was a thief, she wasn’t an archeologist like Lara or her grandfather. She was just a person with dumb luck and fast thinking. Some of Indy’s finds where based off of pure luck alone. She may not share the title of an archeologist but she was the highest paid raider. She knew her stuff and she was bloody good at it. Indy wanted to continue their conversation on Lara’s field of studies. She wanted to know how extensive Lara’s knowledge for history was, what places had she seen? What mysteries had she uncovered? But why was Indy so interested? Indy had to think on that. Why was Lara so interesting? They did share the same interests. Or was it that there was something else. Indy remembered the feeling she had when around Lara. Relaxed but intimidating.

‘Have to be careful around Croft.’ Indy would probably talk to Felicity about it.

She texted Lara back before she walked into the bathroom for a shower.

Later that night, Indy peered over the balcony, cold wind blowing through her hair, her green eyes focused on the busy street. Instinctively she was scanning the area, mapping out all the possible escape routes, her mind playing out scenarios. Something she found herself doing a lot, it had gotten worst after she came home. Her senses going into hyper drive even when she was out of danger. Adrenaline rushing, her mind racing. She knew that feeling.

“Heal that wound Indy.” She said to herself, she had a week of thinking and now it was time to do what she came to do. Lara had told her to get it done just like Felicity. She had no choice at this point, it had to be done if Indy wanted answers.

“Shit! Easier said than done.” She said out loud, she hung her head in frustration. She kept telling herself it was for a greater cause, too not let her anger get ahold of her when she saw the man. How would she feel when she see’s her sister or Cedric? It will only be a matter of time before Indy’s past is revealed. It will come to bite her in the ass later and she knew it. Indy wasn’t particularly the favorite in the tomb raiding business. Definitely will have a target on her back if news got out on who she was. She was screwed both ways. Was all of this really worth it? To Indy it definitely was worth it. She will pay a visit to the manor in the morning. The side door behind Indy opened. Felicity joined Her on the balcony. She leaned on the railing looking out into the city. In the far distance stood the Millennium Wheel, London’s big Ferris wheel illuminating. It was breathtaking for those who weren’t locals. it still amazed Felicity in how beautiful it looked at night. She still considers it a death trap but she can admit it was nice to look at. Sound of a ding caught her attention, she watched Indy smile at her phone as she’s texting back. ‘Interesting’

“Thought your weren’t the texting type? What’s the special occasion?” Felicity spoke and it broke Indy’s concentration. She snapped her eyes away from the phone to look at her partner. oddly enough she felt like she’d just been caught, like a child with their hands in a cookie jar. Strange for Indy to feel but she ignored the feeling and went to answer Felicity’s question. She knew Felicity was going to tease her to it if she didn’t tell her. ‘Might as well clear the air I suppose.’ She thought to herself.

“Well if you must know, I took you advice yesterday and made a friend.” Indy said. But was Croft a friend? Or will she become a foe? Indy was a bit unease about telling Felicity about her time with Lara. Was it a wise decision to tell Felicity everything? Yes, no doubt, Indy had to tell her even if she did want to keep Lara as a separate friend away from her already crazy ones. But her and Felicity where best friend’s and best friends don’t keep secrets. To Felicity it was a surprise to see Indy interact with people she didn’t know. Normally if It was work related or if you hadn’t met Indy before, she was cold and distant. That was her defense Mechanism. She didn’t blame the kid though. It was good to see her get out of her shell.

“Is that so? So who’s the unlucky girl?” Felicity had a smirk on her lips. Rolling her eyes at Felicity.

“Funny. But how do you know it’s not a guy?” She shot back. Sure she was going to tell Felicity but doesn’t mean Felicity will get her answer the simple way not after that comment anyways. Letting out a small tsk she knew Indy was lying.

“Because you don’t smile when a man texts you. So nice try.” Felicity said. She playfully punched Indy’s arm. Sometimes Indy forgets that Felicity knows a lot about her. After a few more playful bickering about who was person. The balcony door opened again only this time it was the youngest member of their crew. Another Aussie by the name Jai, he announced that their pizza had arrived. They joint the rest of the crew. The warmth of the apartment was welcoming and the smell of fresh food was enough to make Indy’s mouth water. After being out in the wilderness for so long Indy had to survive off the land, only time she would have something decent to eat was when Indy was in some town. She didn’t realize how much the familiar taste of pizza would make her relived to be back home. Moaning as the favor hits her taste buds.

“Do you have any idea how fucking good this taste.” Indy sign happily.

“Careful Pup, don’t burn yourself.” Said Dutch. Dutch born and raised in Fort Willams Scotland. He was the oldest of the group and one of Indy’s mentors. For a man in his fifty’s he was well kept, ex military along with Elias. Dutch was a man that really didn’t care about a persons feelings. In her younger years Indy often butted heads with Dutch but because of that, Dutch respected her for it. Dutch would had knocked someone’s lights out if they had talked to him in any ill form but Indy was special to him. Elias was more easy going. After Indy was old enough to tag along with them, Elias began to rely on Indy intuitions and that’s when they found out what made Indy so special. Photographic memory, the kid remembered everything. It was like hitting a gold mine. Over the years their relationship flourished and they gained more people, those Indy considered trustworthy and loyal. Jonathan Becket or Bowser for short, met Indy in the most unexpected and unforgettable time. Rumors where going around about a rookie who’s been picking up hard jobs and coming back loaded, going by the name Indy. Long story short Bowser took a job to steal an artifact from a museum in the middle of a civil war. Getting in was the easy part until Bowser ran into Indy or more into a heavy cast iron skillet Indy had in her grip. That it self started a game of cat and dog. In the end they turned out working better together. Calum Was Jai’s older cousin, they met through Felicity. Calum unlike the others pushed Indy’s buttons and often questioned her judgments on jobs which infuriated Indy at times but his loyalty showed in the end. He was there because Indy needed Jai. The kid was a technical wizard and a hacker to boot. The kid was still in college and stayed with Calum. Indy had no choice but to deal with man.

They all made small talk throughout the night, had a couple of beers. It was nice and relaxing.

“So what are you going to do about your problem, Pup?” Dutch stood next to Indy. He knew why Indy had to go talk to her family and it annoyed him that Amir wasn’t making things easy for her either. Dutch had become very protective over the years. Shaking her head, Indy chugged her beer before she answered.

“Not so sure, At this point I’ll just go with the flow. I’m going to stop by the manor in the morning to get this all over with.” She said. Once more her attention was taken away by her phone. Felicity placed her hand on Indy’s shoulder.

“Do you need me to go with you?” She offered because she knew this was going to be difficult for Indy.

“Or invite that new friend of yours.” She playfully teased but it made Indy chuckle a bit.

“No, This is something I have to do on my own. And I hardly doubt bringing Lara into the mix would help.” She didn’t know why she let Lara’s name slip from her lips but it was too late to take it back now. Much to Felicity’s delight to finally know the person taken Indy’s attention throughout the night.

“Lara? Hmmm sounds like a girls name to me.” She stated. At what joy did Felicity get out of teasing Indy, Indy didn’t know.

“Yes, Her name is Lara and she’s an archeologist to boot.” She didn’t want to say too much about Lara because she didn’t know the her. They had texted all day about little things unrelated to her family situation. It seemed that Lara was avoiding the conversation only telling Indy to go for it. But it seemed Lara was just as interested as Indy was. She asked about Indy’s line of work and other things. Of course Indy played it smart, not telling Lara too much. But sometimes Indy’s curiosity broke through when Lara spoke about history. She only met Croft last night, she was just a stranger whom Indy was curious about. Indy told Felicity and Dutch about her night at the pub where she met Lara but she left out the part about Yamatai.

“Could be a good asset to the team.” Dutch said but Indy shook her head.

“No, keeping her at a distance is the best for now. Until I can find out more about her.” Indy said. she did think about it but there was something in the back of her mind waving red flags and she took that into consideration, maybe now isn’t the right time.

“Smart. Keeping her at a distance until she can be trusted.” Felicity’s said. Dutch and Indy both agreed. The rest of the night was a blur to Indy. She knew when the morning came she will no longer be safe. But her training had to continue if she wanted to truth, she just hope that she doesn’t lose herself in the process.

It took longer then expected. I don’t own Tomb Raider or its characters. I do own mines. I know I didn’t get into details with the other characters but I’ll try to get to them.

#tomb raider #lara croft #lara croft reboot #orginal character #fanfic #gaming #just bored #lara croft x reader

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #352: The Original Meets His Clone (Super Smash Bros Ultimate)

Kamikaze: (Screeches Happily Like He Normally Does)

???: Well I'll be damn. K. Rool was actually right for once.

Kamikaze: ??? (Turns to see the original Ridley make his way towards him)

Ridley: (Gives Kamikaze a Cocky like Grin) Sooooooo I take it that you're supposed to be my clone, yes?

Kamikaze: (Nodded while Screeching)

Ridley: Interesting......(Takes a look at Kamikaze from front to back) Your appearance is almost flawlessly similar towards mine. That Ludwig kid sure did an impressive job on this one that's for sure.....Tell me, clone. What's your name?

Kamikaze: (Screech Lightly)

Ridley: (Understood Kami's Language Perfectly) Wait, Seriously? You're name's actually "Kamikaze"?

Kamikaze: (Screech while Nodding)

Ridley: Wow....... Can't believe I'm actually saying this, but your name is even better than mines.....But back on topic, it's a somewhat pleasure to meet you in person.

Kamikaze: (Screech Happily)

Ridley: So, Kamikaze, how's life been treating you since you were created?

Kamikaze: (Screech)

Ridley: I see.....Not bad. Not all Space Pirates could start out destroying their enemies the moment they wake up from their slumber.....(Starts Becoming Diabolical).....And Become the most Deadliest Creation IN THE ENTIRE UNI-huh?

Kamikaze: (Tilt his head and Screech in a very confused matter)

Ridley: Oh. I take it you have...no idea what I'm talking about here, do you?

Kamikaze: (Shook his head)

Ridley: ('Sigh') Yeah. I figured as much....Well, don't worry about it. You're a clone. So I guess it's understandable why you don't understand stuff like that, you know?..... Buuuuut......there is one thing I need to ask of you.

Kamikaze: ???

Ridley: Tell me, Kamikaze, have you....by any chance....Met a Bounty Hunter, known as Samus Aran.

Kamikaze: (Nodded Rapidly while Screeching Loudly)

Ridley: Ohhhh! So you have met her, have you?

Kamikaze: (Screech More Happily)

Ridley: (Starts Grinning Evilly) Excellent.... Give me some details, if you don't mind, my good man. What was she like? Did her glare gave you an impression? Did you two perhaps....fought before?

Kamikaze: (Screech to Ridley of who Samus is to him, forming a conversation in his own language)

Ridley: (Listening to what Kamikaze is telling him) Hmmm....Yes....Uh-Huh... Wait.......What?.....No....It can't be.....A-Am I hearing this correctly?

Kamikaze: (Nodded Happily While Screeching)

Ridley: (Eyes Widened in Complete Shock) WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU MEAN THAT BOUNTY HUNTER IS YOUR-

???: HEY!!!

Ridley Turns to see Samus Dangerously Glare at him.

Ridley: Ah shit- I-I mean.....Samus!! How's it going, my old..... emotionally scarred friend? (Chuckles Awkwardly)

Samus: (Glaring at Ridley) ...................

Ridley: Y-You might be wondering why I'm talking to your...uhh...son, Kamikaze, alone here. W-Well it's simple really. I was wanted to talk to him, get to know him a little. You know.....since he is my clone and everything.

Samus: (Making her way towards her Kamikaze in Complete Silence)

Ridley: I mean it's not like I was trying to talk him into joining me into destroying any Space Pirates who gets in my way, including yourself. (Chuckles Awkwardly) That would be ridiculous! (Laughs Loudly and Awkwardly) (This is absurd..... There's no way Samus of all people, would be a some doting mother to this-)

Samus: (Softly Stares Towards, Kamikaze, hugs him, and kiss him on his forehead)

Ridley: (Eyes Widened and Jaw Dropped) (Holy shit.......He wasn't lying......)

Samus: (Turns Back to Ridley with a Piercing Glare)

Ridley: (Jumped a few inches back in fear) !!

Samus: (Took A Deep Breath before Speaking) I'm only going to tell you this once, Ridley.....(Pulls out her Plasma Gun and points it at Ridley) If I EVER catch you with my baby again, I WILL end you. Got it?

Ridley: (Rapidly Nodded in Fear)

Samus: (Put her Plasma Gun back in her pocket) Good. (Turns back to Kamikaze while a Soft Smile) Kami sweetie?

Kamikaze: (Screech Happily)

Samus: How about we go flying for a while? (Make her way towards the door) Just you and me.

Kamikaze: (Happily Nodded and Screech while Following Samus)

Ridley: ...............Well..............That was.......... something. (Starts Walking Away) I should probably see what Bowser's doing just to clear my mind for a bit.....

@keyenuta

@floralianspiderboynova

@26shann

@cyber-wildcat

@chompycroc

@ink-correctsmashbrosbloo

#super smash ultimate #ridley #kamikaze #ridley (clone) #samus aran #humor #protective fluff #samus still hates the original ridley with a passion though #samus is low key best mom

[theultimateegghead-blog]

Top 10 best first bosses!

The first boss of any game has an important job. They are meant to set a tone for what is to come and serve as a tutorial for players who are still adjusting to the game’s mechanics. As such first bosses tend to be quite easy, laughably so in some cases. Sometimes games can go astray and have a first boss that is far to challenging in an unfair manner, such as Deus Ex Human Revolution’s first boss. These first bosses that I bring to you are not bad. They all serve a purpose and serve it well, whether that be easy, a challenge or serve a more passive role in the series, these are my top 10 first bosses that I think are the best.  One rule is that no two entries can come from the same series.  Finally, as always, this is my opinion, you are free to agree or disagree, but respect my opinion and I will respect yours in return.

10 - Garland - Final Fantasy

Garland is a very simple boss. Being the first ever final fantasy boss is what gets him a spot on this list. Inherently there is nothing special about Garland. He is simply just a hard-hitting physical attacker with decent hit points for the point of the game he is in. Once your party’s average level exceed level 5 Garland is a pushover. He has no special abilities to speak of. What makes him special is that Garland was the start of a legacy, a first impression for the many bosses to come. The original Final Fantasy was going to be Square’s final game, luckily this was not the case. So, Garland has secured the number 10 spot not for a intense or unique fight, but for being the start of one of the game industries largest franchises.

**************

9 – Doctor Robotnik’s Flame Craft – Sonic 3

Another simple boss. This boss was the first boss fight I ever fought. After setting the entire first level on fire and pursuing Sonic with a massive airship, Robotnik chases Sonic and Tails down to a cliff in front of a waterfall. Robotnik will destroy the bridge to the cliff and then proceed to shoot fireballs at Sonic and Tails. He will duck behind the waterfall to move around, only emerging to fire. He leaves plenty of windows to hit him and is overall a very easy boss. If Sonic has the flame shield this boss becomes almost impossible to lose against. What puts this boss on the list is its nostalgic impression it has left on me.

**************

8 - King Bomb-omb – Super Mario 64

The first boss of the first 3D Mario game. King Bomb-omb is a simple foe. In fact, he has no direct means of harming Mario other than throwing him off the mountain. This boss serves as a tutorial to fighting larger enemies and has a weakness similar to Bowsers. All you need to do is get behind him, pick him up and throw him. Just make sure you don’t throw him off the mountain or the battle resets. Yeah, its ok for him to throw you off but you can’t throw him off, what a villain. King Bomb-omb falls into the same category as Garland does, as in it was the start of something. Being the first 3D Mario boss, king Bomb-omb secures a spot on this list.

**************

7 – Darkside - Kingdom Hearts 1

The first boss of kingdom hearts is the giant Darkside Heartless. The Darkside is one of the most recurring bosses in the series. What puts it on the list is that it is a great tutorial boss. The Darkside is not very difficult to defeat, even the souped up end game version is not very hard either. Its attacks are simple and easy to read and avoid. It does not have a complicated or many dangerous moves and those that are dangerous can be seen coming a mile away. The Darkside is a great way to introduce the combat mechanics of Kingdom Hearts and also serves as a lesson on how to deal with big bosses.

**************

6 - Cleric Beast - Bloodborne

The Cleric beast is an optional boss but can be the first boss the player will encounter in Bloodborne. Most players who are aware of the beast will opt to challenge it first, as the other boss, father Gascoingne is INCREDIBLY difficult for new players. The Cleric beast is not easy, but it is forgiving in some ways. It serves as a tutorial for players to get used to fighting big monsters. The other boss serves as to how to fight human foes. The Cleric beast has a dynamic entrance and an intimidating presence. It will howl and trash about on the bridge. Luckily, it is not extremely strong, you will be able to survive a hit or two from this thing in the early game. Its limbs break easily, and it can be stunned for massive damage. The Cleric beast is one of the easiest bosses in Bloodborne, but it is no cakewalk so be prepared.

**************

5 - Gohma - Ocarina of Time

Gohma, like Garland and King Bomb-omb is a historically critical boss fight. Being the first 3D Zelda boss, Gohma does a good job in setting the standards for what’s to come. Gohma is a simple boss with only a few moves and is overall not very difficult. In fact, a more skilled player can down her in a manner of seconds. What makes her great is that her boss is a solid early game fight, pitting the young and small Link against a much bigger foe. She has a specific weakness that can be exploited to stun her, and she is moderately built up before the actual fight. Gohma is by no stretch difficult, and yet she can be a pretty fun boss to fight against.

**************

4 - Iudex Gundyr - Dark Souls 3

Gundyr is arguably the hardest boss on this list. He is fought very early in Dark Souls 3 and sets the stage of what is to come. He is encountered so early that the player will not yet be able to level up. This means he must be fought at the default starting level. Gundyr is a two-stage boss fight, with his first phase he is essentially a large human foe. His attacks are slow, and he seems to be a bit sloppy, but will punish players who overextend their attacks. He has a long reach as well, so he will test a player’s defense. If there is a flaw in your defense, he will relentlessly pummel you. His second stage involves him transforming into a large black mass. In this form he is even fiercer. His attacks cover a wider range and he does more damage. This boss will test you severely and may cause some to quit all together.

**************

3 - Poseidon - God of War 3

Poseidon is a very cinematic boss. He sets the stage for God of War 3 nearly flawlessly and pulls out all the stops. The first boss is the god of the sea, a giant made of water riding upon a watery horse like creature. Armed with his signature trident, you fight him upon the moving body of the titan Gaia. Multiple stages and an assortment of lesser enemies to pester Kratos. After multiple stages and some brutal beat downs, Poseidon is finished off in a very over the top manner and it sets the tone for what is to come. You know I would feel sorry for Poseidon if he were…well a good person.  But let’s be honest, Poseidon was NOT a good person.

**************

2 - Metal Gear Ray - Metal Gear Rising

Now this is a cinematic boss fight. The whole Metal Gear line is designed to be nearly unstoppable war machines, with Ray being introduced in the same game as Raiden. So, for a metal gear to appear in the opening level was crazy, what’s even more crazy is how it is fought. Within the first 10 minutes of the game you are throwing a 70-foot-tall robot into the air, jumping on it and slicing its arm off to the amazing song ‘rules of nature’. Eventually it returns to defeat Raiden after seemingly being destroyed, and the epic battle continues. Raiden rides a missile and runs down a vertical wall to ultimately cut it in half. This boss perfectly sets the stage of the truly epic gameplay that is Revengence.

**************

1 - Toriel - Undertale

Toriel is the first main boss of Undertale. She is not fought immediately, and in fact she serves as a mentor of sorts to the player. A bond is formed and depending on what type of run you are going for, she will either be killed or sparred. Many players killed her on accident, not understanding the games mechanics. What makes this boss great is that unlike all the other bosses on this list, this boss has an emotional connection with the player. She is surprisingly difficult for new players, with a somewhat sporadic pattern. If she is sparred, then she will let the player go. If she is killed she will show sorrow… However, if she is killed in a no mercy run, she laughs manically and dies. So, what will you do? Spare her or not? FYI – Napstablook is a mini-boss, Toriel is the first main boss.

**************

Well, those are my top 10 personal favorite first bosses. They all served their purpose well. Tune in next time when we will be looking at some more weapon specialist! See you then!

#video games #boss battle #garland #final fantasy #Dr. Robotnik #Eggman #sonic #super mario #heartless #kingdom hearts #bloodborne #gohma #the legend of zelda #ocarina of time #Gundyr #dark souls #poseidon #god of war #metal gear ray #raiden #metal gear rising #toriel #undertale

[rose-of-pollux]

Now and Then (Super Mario oneshot)

Title: Now and Then Rating: G Summary: [Slice of life, post-Odyssey] A simple question from Cappy gets Luigi reminiscing about his and Mario’s unique friendship with Princess Peach. Notes: This is my entry for @bossmedley​ for @mariosecretsanta2018​; the prompt was “Mario, Luigi, and Peach at a picnic at the castle.”  Hope you enjoy!

Cross-posted to ff.net if you prefer reading there, can’t link due to the new linking restrictions…

The two brothers had been carrying the largest picnic basket full of food they could find; it was rather heavy, prompting Luigi to complain about it. But Mario cheerfully encouraged him to keep his chin up—after all, how often did they get to enjoy a peaceful picnic, uninterrupted by Bowser or any other villain du jour?

Peach, assisted by Tiara, was putting the final touches on a cake as she glanced out the window to see Mario and Luigi arriving at the castle garden. Mario saw her and waved (releasing his end of the picnic basket, causing Luigi to scramble to keep it from tipping over), a big grin on his face (and an exasperated look on his brother's).

"Hello, Peach!" he called.

"Hey, you two!" she called back. "I'll be right out!"

"Okay; we'll get all this set up in the meantime!" Mario returned. "C'mon, Little Bro!"

Luigi rolled his eyes slightly as Cappy now hopped off of Mario's head to assist him with the picnic basket.

"He gets excited really easily, doesn't he?" the Bonnetor observed. "I seemed to observe as much when we traveled through all of those kingdoms. I thought it was the thrill of the adventure, but it seems he's like that even when things are normal."

"Yeah, he's always been like that. You get used to it," Luigi said, with a shrug. He smirked in spite of himself as he began to set up things on the picnic table once Mario had spread the tablecloth over it.

Cappy chuckled and helped out as Mario now also finally began to help out arranging things—at least until Peach and Tiara arrived with the cake, upon which he promptly dropped everything to help carry the cake.

Cappy watched in interest—Toads that were attending to things in the garden stopped to bow to Peach as she walked past. And yet, Mario hadn't bowed to the princess—had he just been overly excited for the picnic? …Come to think of it, Cappy couldn't recall Mario ever bowing to Peach, even during the times they had met up in the various kingdoms after her rescue. At any rate, she didn't seem to mind.

"I know Mario admires the princess very much," he said to Luigi. "He wanted to propose before Bowser interrupted him."

"Uh-huh," Luigi agreed.

"And you see the princess as a friend, too."

"Of course!"

"But neither of you bow to her like the other Toads do," Cappy observed. "I don't mean to pry, but is there a reason?"

Luigi paused for a moment.

"Actually, there is," he said. "Mario did bow to Peach once—a long, long time ago, when we were all very young. We used to play together as little kids—it didn't matter that Peach was a princess and Mario and I weren't royals… Kamek had predicted that my brother and I would bring trouble for the Koopas, and when Peach's father, the King, found out, he wanted us to remain close with Peach. Our papa thought it was great that we had royal connections, but… Mama was more concerned about Kamek having his eye on us. And then there was an alien invasion…" He shuddered; thanks to E. Gadd's time machine, they got to experience the Shroob takeover twice.

"Oh, I see!" Cappy said. "Because you grew up together and went through all that, no one saw the reason for you two to bow to her?"

"Well, actually, no…" Luigi said. "After the alien invasion, Mama insisted that we leave the Mushroom Kingdom. She'd been making plans with Papa without letting the King find out, but then, one day, while all this planning was going on, Bowser—still a prince at the time—showed up at the castle to cause trouble again while Mario and I were there… I'd gotten a bit battered in the fight, and there's no quicker way to make Mario mad than to do that to me…"

                                         **************************************

At that age, there had been little that Mario could have done to avenge his brother, but angrily chasing Bowser around the throne room with a fire flower had apparently been enough to keep young Bowser on the run.

Luigi had been sniffling on the floor as he had sat up, more shaken than hurt, but still on the verge of tears; Peach had been looking from him to Mario, but before she had been able to say or do anything, all four youngsters had nearly leaped out of their skins as the throne room burst open—revealing a very angry woman shrieking in Italian.

Their mother had been angrier than the brothers could have ever imagined—though, in hindsight, she'd had good reason. In an instant, she had raced across the room, gathering Luigi in her arms and now heading for Mario and Bowser.

Bowser had quickly realized he was in a great deal of danger and leaped out the window to get away from the angry mother; Mario had hastily hidden the fire flower behind his back, but before she could question him, the king had chosen that moment to enter the throne room, and she turned her wrath on him instead.

"Is this how you raise children!? My sons and your daughter were attacked by un piccolo demone! Look at what that beast has done to my little Luigi!"

She certainly hadn't bothered to bow, and neither the king nor Toadsworth had been brave enough to remind her of protocol.

"The Shroobs—they came, and you learned nothing!" she had ranted on. "You have had your chances; my boys are not safe here! Si—we go! Ciao!"

"Er… Yes, of course," Toadsworth had said. "This won't happen next time; you have our word-"

"Next time?" she had replied, incredulously. "No! No next time! We are leaving this kingdom! I have been planning this since the Shroobs attacked—but now we must go earlier!"

Luigi had looked at his mother, and then across the room at his brother, who had dropped the fire flower in shock. Leave the Mushroom Kingdom? Leave their friend Peach?

Peach had obviously arrived at the same conclusion, for she immediately started to wail; Mario had tried to get her to cheer up, but it was difficult when he himself was close to tearing up.

The King and Toadsworth had tried to get the brothers' mother to reconsider, but her mind had been set, and they knew that trying to dissuade a protective mother would be a battle they would not be able to win.

Realizing that they had backed down, she had turned to her other son.

"Mario! Vieni, stiamo andando!"

But Peach was still crying, and Mario didn't want to leave her.

"Mario!" his mother said, again, sternly.

Gently, Mario had taken Peach's hand and bowed; she had been surprised and pleased enough to stop crying, managing a small smile. It was short-lived, however; Mario soon found himself being taken by the hand and leaving with his mother and brother, and as the throne room doors closed behind them, they could hear Peach starting to cry all over again…

                                          *************************************

"…And that was what happened," Luigi finished, back in the present. "The only time Mario ever bowed to Peach."

"But you made it back to the Mushroom Kingdom," Cappy said.

"Not intentionally," Luigi admitted. "As we got older, being raised away from all this, we sort of… forgot about the Mushroom Kingdom and Peach and everything as we grew up—I think Mama wanted it that way… She wanted us to have quiet, normal lives where nothing ever happened. She was so happy when Mario and I wanted to get into a normal, everyday career like plumbing. …But then, while on the job, we found the warp pipe back to the Mushroom Kingdom just as Bowser had kidnapped Peach. We still didn't remember her or the Kingdom, but you know how Mario is—if someone needs help, then he's just gotta go help them. Pauline can back me up on that."

"Yes, of course," Cappy said. "He helped me find my sister, even though he had Peach to worry about."

Luigi nodded.

"Mario led the way, and I followed, and we found Peach… We still didn't remember her, but Mario… I remember he just walked up to her and introduced us, saying that we were getting her out of Bowser's castle, and I was kinda embarrassed at first, since the Toads had told us she was their princess, but… Mario thought that the last thing she needed was someone who wasn't going to be open and honest and wouldn't get caught up in all those protocols. Looking back, I think he was right; we'd have been nervous trying to stick to all those rules, and that wouldn't have helped her feel better at all."

"Ohh, so that's why?"

"Partly," Luigi said. "The real decision came right after the rescue, when Peach wanted to formally thank us for the rescue—with a picnic just like this, actually…"

                                                ****************************

Luigi had been staring absently into the window of a store in Toad Town when he had been jolted from his thoughts by his brother calling his name.

"There you are, Luigi! What's up, Little Bro?"

"I'm just thinking about the picnic this afternoon," Luigi had replied. "We need to buy something to wear."

"We do?"

Luigi had given him a look.

"…You don't expect us to go to the princess's castle dressed like this, do you?" he had asked, indicating their work shirts and overalls. "That warp pipe that brought us here seems to be closed now; we can't exactly go back and get our Sunday best. I think we have enough coins to get something nice, though."

"Hmm, I think we'd be better off saving our coins for food and a place to stay," Mario had replied. "With that warp pipe being closed, we might be here a while."

"Oh… Well, that may be, but if we turn up looking like this, we could get thrown out! If we're embarrassed, it'll be harder finding a place to stay…"

"I don't think the princess is like that," Mario had said. "She seemed nice enough when we found her in that castle."

"We did just free her…"

"Trust me on this, Little Bro; it'll be fine—you'll see!"

Mario seemed to have put all doubts behind him, but Luigi had continued to be nervous as they arrived at Peach's castle later that day. Mario strode in with the same confidence he always had, but Luigi had been looking around, noticing the looks from the Toads—and hearing the whispers.

He had known exactly what they were saying—whispering about how these two battle-damaged plumbers were daring to meet the princess dressed in those old rags. Normally, Luigi was never bothered with the fact that he and his brother were maintenance men; life in a big city meant crossing paths with those of a higher standing, and both he and his brother had learned to look white-collar folk in the eyes without being intimidated (not hard when their usual interactions were said white-collar folk begging them to save their backed-up sinks or busted pipes). But this situation had been nothing like that—strangers in a new land, meeting royalty? Luigi couldn't help but feel self-conscious.

Peach, in an elegant gown, had been there in the throne room to greet them—the same throne room where they had been separated all those years ago, and now formally reunited (though they hadn't realized it yet). She had extended her hand like any royal lady would, having been trained to put up with guests kissing her hand, whether or not she was comfortable with the idea.

Mario wasn't going to have any of that; why should she be forced to have her hand kissed just because she was a princess? And, anyway, he had been determined to put the cards on the table and present himself as he was, no false airs or anything like that.

And so, instead of kissing her hand, he shook her hand, as though greeting a friend.

The reaction had been instantaneous; quiet gasps and murmurs from the Toads about how clueless Mario must be began to fill the room, and Toadsworth had been facepalming. And Luigi had begun to blush in secondhand embarrassment at all of this.

But the only ones who hadn't seem embarrassed were Mario and Peach. Mario had been continuing to look her in eyes with a friendly expression, and Peach, though initially surprised by the handshake, had suddenly looked genuinely pleased.

"Mario, I want to formally thank you and your brother Luigi for risking your lives to rescue me from Bowser."

"We always try to help out," Mario had said, with a grin. "And we thank you for this kind gesture of a picnic."

"The pleasure is mine, my friends."

It had been those two words—'my friends'—that had reassured both Mario and Luigi that everything would be fine. And Peach had been reassured, as well, for she had found friends who would treat her without dancing around her and her royalty, as so many others had done.

                                        ********************************

"And that's why we're here, able to be all casual with the princess," Luigi finished. "She's been a great friend to us all these years, the fact that she's a princess and we're just plumbers was never an issue at all." He smiled as he watched Peach gently chide Mario for trying to sneak a taste of the cake before it was time for dessert. "It's also why their friendship can survive the rejection of a wrongly-timed marriage proposal—at the end of the day, they will always care about each other."

"And you," Cappy added.

"And me," Luigi agreed. "And you and Tiara, too—you pretty much joined our circle of friends when you helped Mario out."

"…I'm honored," the Bonnetor said, sounding rather touched.

Luigi smiled.

"C'mon, let's eat!"

Luigi and Cappy caught up to the others and dug in, enjoying the food and company as they ate, all of them grateful for their circle of friends, and being a part of it.

#Mario #Luigi #Peach #Super Mario #mariosecretsanta2018 #fanfics

[heloflor]

Finally saw the Mario movie last Thursday (I like to wait a week so that the theatre is emptier) and here are my 2 cents on it (very long post + spoilers ahead) :

- First of all note that I’ve seen many spoilers before going in because I didn’t know what to expect so I wanted to know what people thought of it, but it’s one of those movies where knowing things in advance doesn’t ruin the enjoyment for me. Hell I intended to go with no expectations whatsoever and reading spoilers actually got me a bit more excited about it.

- Overall, it was fun. Like many people here already said, the movie really could’ve used more time in order to be more character-focused, and I’ll admit I got a bit bored by the time the third act rolled in. But if you just want to have a good time, it’s a good movie for that. Nothing groundbreaking, but fun enough.

- As an adaptation as in “bringing the world into the big screen regardless of the story”, I do think that it does a fantastic job at it ! Absolutely everything feels like it comes straight out of the games. And while some references are a bit in your face, most of them flow very naturally with the world they created. It’s especially impressive how they managed to make a small Toad Town work while mixing it with platforming elements.

- The story is simple like you’d expect but sometimes simple is effective, and I do think this is one of those times. Only issue is that simple stories are meant to be carried by the characters, and there was a heavy lack of character-focused moments. On top of this you have the weird pacing, in particular the promise of a great adventure only to have a 15 seconds montage and boom, Kong Kingdom.

- The action was honestly very good all around ! They knew how to idolize both the power-ups and the environments, and it looked really cool !

- At first I thought people were exaggerating when saying there was too much slow-mo but after the 6th time or so…yeah, there was too much of it.

- Loved when the music used were remixes from the games or songs like the Mario Cartoon theme/DK rap ! Not so much when it was random pop music…

- Usually when I see people gush over characters I tend to view it as exaggeration but OH MY GOD I CANNOT OVERSTATE HOW MUCH I LOVE BOWSER IN THIS !!! As someone who grew up with Super Paper Mario I can assure you he is 100% in character and he is literally the best thing about the movie ! They managed to bounce off of both his menacing and goofy sides in an amazing way and I cannot get enough of him ! Kinda wish we saw his kids tho : /

- As someone who doesn’t ship it, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the sexual tension scene between Bowser and Luigi as much as I did but damn that scene is gay ! Love it !

- The humor was something I was really afraid going in and I was honestly surprised by how medium-good it was actually ! Can’t say I laughed every time but the bros shenanigans definitely was fun.

- On that note I could’ve watched an hour long movie of just the two bros doing Brooklyn stuff. This whole sequence was adorable.

- Speaking of Brooklyn, the ending was…weird on that front. First of all I’m surprised Mario didn’t expect the Bullet Bill to arrive in Brooklyn and literally kill everyone (like dude, do you realize how dangerous that thing is ???) and second of all those people are surprisingly calm to see the invasion of a whole other species. Seriously, why are these people so chill about it ?

- I guess I could also mention the fact that there’s no dialogue related to Mario and Luigi deciding to settle into the Mushroom Kingdom but considering the lack of development in everything else, I’m not surprised they went so fast on that.

- I’d also add that the ending of the Rainbow Road scene felt a bit jarring in how dramatic it was, though I don’t know how to explain it other than saying it felt like the movie didn’t “deserve” to have such a dramatic moment ? Really not sure how to explain it better… And on that note, the whole “fake death/everyone think they’re dead” moment with Mario and DK felt very unnecessary, but at least they didn’t drag it out.

- Last negative comment on the story itself because it is so true : I saw the review of a French youtuber (Mayo-Lek) and he pointed out how the whole story is about Mario and Peach going to the Kong Kingdom for help, only for the Kongs to get kidnapped a few minutes later. So…what was the point in asking for their help if they ultimately don’t do anything ?

- Going back to the characters, Luigi was great ! And like everyone else here, I do wish he would’ve had more screen time. But other than that, love his character for what we saw of him.

- The Luma that is apparently divisive amongst people was very funny in my opinion. Also at some point they literally get out of their cell for a second there ! Tells you all you need to know about their character (low-key surprised they didn’t jump into the lava by themselves but then again it’s a kids movie).

- That blue-shelled koopa dude clearly loves his job. Good for him. Weirdly enough, his enthusiasm in trying to kill Mario makes him very fun and a pretty compelling character for the small screen time he had.

- Toad was…there. At least he was entertaining instead of annoying. So that’s a plus.

- Btw the fact that they didn’t have Toadsworth was already a bit sad but THEY HAD ANOTHER TOAD WHO HAD THE EXACT SAME ROLE AS HE DID WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL NINTENDO ??!!! WHY DO YOU HATE ORIGINAL DESIGNS SO MUCH ???

- Kinda random but I don’t know the reference for that Kong who drove Mario and co to Cranky Kong, so my only thought was “it should’ve been Funky Kong”. I mean he had the glasses ! And yes I know Funky is in the movie in the background.

- I cannot fucking stand Donkey Kong. Not exactly sure what kind of personality I expected them to give him since he doesn’t really have one in the games, but I absolutely hate what they did with him. “Boastful douchebag with nothing in their brain who tries to be the center of attention constantly and annoy the hell of everyone around him” is a type of character, and on that note a type of person, that I can’t fucking stand. That being said giving him a power up for a minute was really cool and made for a great action scene ! Same for his fight with Mario in the arena, but again the action in general was really good.

- Peach. Oh Peach. Peaches. Peachounette as he calls her in French. Look how they massacred my girl !

- More seriously, my biggest issue by far with Peach is just how much she was willing to throw hands all the goddam time. I’m sorry but to me that’s just not Peach ! While she can absolutely spring into action, her constantly wishing to fight as a first solution is just not something she does. Hell why do you think her people are so weak and pacifist in the games ! Peach is a diplomat who only fights herself if there’s no other option.

- On that note, I have no issues with her knowing how to parkour, how to use power-ups or how to drive. It makes sense she would given she was raised in this world. Her being athletic isn’t an issue, she’s always been athletic (just look at any sports game). Plus in the games where she’s playable she’s capable of keeping up with the others.

- My second biggest issue with her is her body language. Again, most of it didn’t feel like Peach. She had none of the delicateness and elegance of the games. Literally the only moment her body language felt like her was during the fight between Mario and Dk, and even then it was only when the movie wasn’t focusing on her (aka when she wasn’t talking to Mario but just reacting). Her face was also unsettling to look at sometimes, I think it has to do with her eyes. Idk, sometimes some of her facial expressions made her look old and I can’t explain why. 🤷‍♂️

- (Also it’s incredibly funny how some youtube thumbnails have edits of Peach moments but as Daisy and that body language fits Daisy perfectly. That being said, I wouldn’t call Movie Peach a clone of Daisy, as Daisy is a very spunky tomboyish character who gives a “I don’t care all that much about ruling my kingdom” vibe. So while movie Peach has a body language that fits Daisy, their personalities are still completely different.)

- A good example of my issues with her behavior and body language has to be the way she addresses Cranky and the rest of the Kongs. Peach in the games would have a completely different behavior when asking for their help, regardless of how dire the situation is.

- And on that, the only scene where she felt in character personality-wise was when she confronted Bowser and he threatened to hurt her people if she doesn’t marry him. This scene was absolutely *chief kiss* for both of them (then again every scene with Bowser is amazing; I can’t get enough of this guy !). But then she started becoming a martial-artist and suddenly we were back to her being OOC (you can have her use the power-up and manage to stall the cages + trap Bowser without having her look like a professional fighter, Smash Bros apparently already does it).

- I guess I could also mention how overly sassy she is, which again doesn’t feel like Peach as, while she does have some sassiness in the games, it’s not to this extent. The fact that the Toads made her their princess doesn’t make much sense either, like why electing some random person who comes from another world ? What about the government before her ? (note that I’m a big fan of the “she’s a toad wearing a super crown, in this case her blue gem” headcanon so I might be biased) But yeah those two issues are kinda minor for me compared to her behavior and body language.

- All this to say if they wanted Peach to have a more action-oriented role, they should’ve taken inspiration from Super Paper Mario in which she’s incredibly sweet to pretty much everyone but can still easily get angry and has no issues throwing hands when needed (thinking of her confrontation with Mimi in 8-2, and even then, like I’ve seen people point out, the first thing she does after the fight is trying to save/befriend Mimi).

- I guess there’s also that one comic people keep bringing up but the fun thing about Peach in it is that she’s all bark and no bite. She keeps getting angry like she can actually do anything but then gets captured very easily, spends most of the fight scenes running around, only gets away from Wendy’s tower by sheer luck (finding the cape) and does nothing when Wendy calls her bluff with the bombs. The most she does in this comic to defend herself, outside of when she outsmarts the Koopalings (which I’ll admit was pretty badass) is throw furniture around. In a way, it’s pretty reminiscent of the 1986 anime/movie in which she gets angry on several occasions, defends herself by throwing shit around and manages to outsmart Bowser at some point, but ultimately doesn’t stand a chance against him.

- (Btw if you haven’t read this comic you need to ! Everyone is an absolute dumbass in it but in a funny way and it’s great ! Can’t say I know much about them but reading it low-key feels like watching an absurd play. Nothing and nobody take itself seriously in this comic and I love it !)

- On an unrelated note since I mentioned the wedding, I really liked the pink tones on her wedding dress ! The ice dress did look a bit weird tho in the sense that it makes me think too much of Frozen, though I’m not sure what they could have done about it since ice = blue and white colors so I can’t blame the movie for this one 🤔 (also fireflower Peach didn’t have her ponytail, 0/10 /j)

- And since I’m talking about clothes, not much to say for the most part as it’s all stuff the characters wear in the games but still I really liked the look of DK using the fire flower, plus the Koopas wearing helmets was a nice touch.

- Last thing about Peach and then we move on to the others, apparently Miyamoto said this version of Peach is what he’s always imagined the character to be and honestly, I’m having a hard time believing him. Like, I can definitely see it when it comes to the old comic and the 86 anime, since in both Peach is very temperamental (the comic especially). Paper Peach is also not one to sit idly and tends to have a lot more agency, at least in the first trilogy. But if you look at more modern depictions of her…Luigi Mansion 3 ? Mario Odyssey ? The online ads and shit ? Mario and Luigi ? The second Paper Mario trilogy ? The Rabbids games ? Hell in the first Rabbids game she had a gun but in the second they went back to her parasol.

- What I’m trying to say is that if Miyamoto had always wanted Peach to be written this way, why didn’t he write her this way ? Isn’t he one of the most higher-ups at Nintendo, at least when it comes to Mario games ? How come her older depictions are closer to her movie self in terms of temper than her modern depictions, to the point where people need to dig up some old comic to “prove” that Peach had always been this way instead of using modern material ?

- And for those who might say it’s because the goal of the games is almost always to save her, it’s not like she can’t both get angry easily and be the damsel in distress. In the first two Paper Mario games and the comic/86 anime, she was the one in need of saving but still had some agency. The two aren’t mutually exclusive (and like I said the humor with her in the comic is the difference between how much she wants to throw hands and how weak she actually is). Hell, on the opposite end Super Paper Mario had her as an active hero but portrayed her as sweet and kind + a diplomat. So yeah, I’m having trouble believing that this whole “this is how I always imagined her” is anything other than a publicity stunt.

- And on the other end of the body language, Mario was absolutely fantastic as a character, especially when it comes to his reactions to things ! Best example I can give because it amused me a lot was when Luigi mic-dropped his phone and Mario hid his face behind his hat in embarrassment, made even cuter due to him jumping to Luigi’s defense a second later. But yeah, overall, I really liked Mario’s character, not just his body language but his personality as a whole.

- They kinda tried to give a few hints that Peach and Mario like each other but honestly I found it to be very clumsy. Basically you could tell they were planting the seeds for a possible romance but were using moments that you’re used to see in a movie where the characters end up together. And since they never truly commit to them ending up together, while it does make perfect sense as they just met, it still makes the whole thing feel weird. Also the scene with DK teasing Mario about it and Toad jumping in was cringe af.

- Not really any opinions about Mario’s family. They were there. It’s nice to acknowledge them being Italian-americans and how they feel about the bros’ new job in regard to their upbringing, but other than that, I don’t really have anything to say about them.

- I watched the movie in French and the voices were pretty good ! Different from the game voices, but fitting enough for the characters. Only issues were Peach sounding too deep but then again that’s not my biggest issue with her character, and the second issue is the song “Peaches” where the French voice just…doesn’t sound all that good in some parts ? Though I think it might have been on purpose to accentuate the comedy of that scene ? Idk, I need to listen to the English version. Maybe the fact that people kept hyping up this song led me to believe it sounded genuinely good instead of people liking it for the comedy and how out of left field it was (on that note, I was surprised by how short this scene was due to how much people talked about it; this song is actually the one thing I regret being spoiled about).

- (also you have no idea how much I hope someone will make an edit/animation of Bowser playing the piano but with “You’re the Greatest” from Wander Over Yonder)

- And since we’re talking about voice actors, obviously Charles Martinet was 100% robbed and the only valid reason that I can accept is “Martinet himself said he didn’t think he had it in him to voice Mario and possibly Luigi as well for over an hour, given he’s getting rather old; especially if he does it in several languages”. If that’s not why he wasn’t casted, then he was robbed ! He’s literally the main reason why Mario and Luigi have the personalities that they have in modern games ! (at least I think that’s the case ?)

- Overall, favorite character has to be Bowser, with Mario and Luigi not too far away. Least favorite character is DK. It could’ve been Peach but my issues with her stem from how different she is from her games counterpart. If you take her movie character as a brand-new character rather than a game adaptation, she’s actually pretty great as a guide and strong mentor. But DK, regardless of whether or not he’s faithful to his game counterpart, is just a character I can’t stand.

- Favorite scene is either the beginning at Brooklyn with the bros being bros because it’s adorable (granted the whole dog thing wasn’t very funny. I have no issue with them doing slapsticks but the fact that they used some random dog just doesn’t do it for me), or the scene where Bowser proposes to/blackmails Peach because finally Peach is in character and that whole interaction is really great ! Least favorite scene is by far the insides of the eel with Mario and DK. I just don’t give enough of a shit about DK to feel invested in an emotional moment focused on him.

- And lastly because I realized I forgot : the movie was really pretty, with the decors and animation being absolutely fantastic. Only issue is that it’s not the type of stuff that sways me into liking a movie. I’m the type of person who finds retro games to look great so yeah… Same for the references btw. Like if you ask me about a detail in the movie I liked, instead of mentioning a reference, I will mention something like that confrontation/confession between Bowser and Peach and how, when Peach threatens Bowser with her weapon, the koopas around her immediately raise their spears, ready to protect their king. Like I said, this has literally nothing to do with references, it’s just a random detail I really like. I still really enjoyed all the references but it’s just not the type of stuff that makes me like a movie. I’m here for the story, the characters and the emotions first and foremost.

Final verdict : either 5.5/10 or 6.5/10 The simple plot makes it seem like a character driven story but outside of the bros’ adorable relationship and Bowser being Bowser, there wasn’t much character here. Also Peach and DK were pretty bad, the former due to being OOC most of the time and the latter because he’s just annoying as all hell.

I’d also add that, in my opinion, the biggest mistake Nintendo made with this movie was trusting Illumination with it. While I’m very much aware that Nintendo likely had a very strong grip on the team working on it and that Nintendo also isn’t known for liking deep Mario stories (*cough* modern Paper Mario *cough*), I still think that the lack of character development and interesting dialogue interactions (+ pacing issues) are due to Illuminations, given their track record.

Weirdly enough since I’ve only seen a few of their movies, I feel like Dreamworks would have been the best at handling this property. Like we’re all quick to jump on the Disney/Pixar bandwagon (and tbf Disney does know how to write female characters that are considered princesses) but in that case I can’t help but think that Dreamworks would have been the better choice. Maybe it’s due to Disney and Pixar being not so great recently. 🤷‍♂️

In any case, I do think that making it an animated movie was 100% the right call. Mario is a bright and colorful world filled with imaginary creatures, something animation excels at. Also Nintendo already tried Live-action once and failed miserably so maybe that’s why they took the animation direction.

#Mario Movie #Super Mario Bros Movie #mario movie spoilers #Video Games #I need a Mario tag eventually #Flor talks #long post #fun fact : I actually started writing this last week as soon as I came back from watching it #but everyday would add something new to it; hence why it took so long to post #also I love how 1/3 of this post is a rant about Peach because of course it is #kinda sad how Peach as a character has TONS of potential in regards to her role as a monarch; her relationships; #and the magic she supposedly has according to the RPGs; but Nintendo doesn't do shit with that potential #and that movie doesn't tap in this potential either #Super Mario

[pitchingmoundideas]

Super Smash Bros. Character Suggestion 03: PICO

Name: Pico Universe: F-Zero First Appearance: F-Zero (1990, SNES) Latest Appearance: F-Zero Climax (2004, GBA)

We’ve been off for a while, but it’s time to head back to some new Smash Bros character suggestions! This time around I decided to toss my hat into the ring with a character from the forgotten gem of a racing franchise, F-Zero! 

It’s been a LONG time coming for this series to get a newcomer to join Captain Falcon, but who? The series has dozens of racers to choose from, all with varied looks and personalities. Some want Samurai Goroh to make the upgrade from assist trophy, many want the dark and mysterious Black Shadow from X-onward. But for me, i’m going with a character that like Cap and Goroh has been around since the beginning, and actually has in-universe knowledge that makes him a perfect candidate for smash: The Poripoto Soldier and supposed hit man, PICO!

Who Is He?

Pico first appeared in the original F-Zero as one of the four playable racers alongside Captain Falcon, Samurai Goroh and Dr. Stewart. A mysterious alien racer, Pico is a member of an unnamed turtle like species. Aged somewhere in his mid-120s, his past is mysterious and unclear, always changing with every F-Zero game (the best example would be his homeworld being Death Wind in F-Zero, but Toritz 3 in F-Zero X). His vehicle is known as the Wild Goose.

A veteran who used to be a soldier for the Poripito Army’s Special Fighting Unit, having carried out many dangerous missions, he currently works as a hit-man and assassin, seemingly traveling the galaxy for his next pay alongside F-Zero racing. He’s aggressive and erratic, but manages to keep a cool head when the time comes and a job must be done. Most that mess with him usually don’t survive. He is also disliked by general F-Zero race fans due to having caused an accident on the track from his reckless driving, however this never stopped him from continuing to drive in said reckless ways. 

Why Pico?

Pico is a character that i’ve never seen suggested for Smash, which is odd. Like Samurai Goroh and Black Shadow he has in-universe skills that would make him perfect for a fighting game like Smash, and he’s also somewhat iconic, having been of the original racers from F-Zero on SNES. He’s also a very unique character appearance wise. A green alien with a beak, long head and turtle like shell with a high pitched voice and an “off his rocker” personality. 

Lastly (and most obviously) it would finally give F-Zero a 2nd representative in Smash Bros. Captain Falcon is great but he seriously needs someone to join him, and if Nintendo themselves won’t give F-Zero love with a new game, maybe Smash Bros can help.

How Would He Play?

Pico is a very unique character compared to Captain Falcon. Using a mix of long range army weaponry and his own powerful melee attacks, Pico is a beast at all angles though best up close (with melees) and from far away (with his special moves). In terms of air game he’s somewhat weak, not having a traditional recovery move. His own erratic behavior also plays into his general playstyle, with strange body movements and varying strength that would make him one of the more interesting “power” characters in Smash. But onto his special moves!:

B: Dual Pistols- Unlike Cap, Pico actually has a few moves that he’s preformed within F-Zero itself! For his standard special, Pico whips out a pair of pistols that he quick fires at opponents. While traditional bullet-based guns in his home game, Pico instead uses laser guns for the more E rated Smash. The pistols act similarly to Fox and Falco’s Blaster and Mii Gunner’s Laser Blaze, dealing fast attacks with a bit of knockback. Pico can fire up to six blasts at once before having to wait and let his guns cool down. While firing, players can tap the control stick left and right to make Pico quickly turn around and change where he’s firing, surprising opponents from behind. 

Side B: Sniper Rifle- Another move pulled from F-Zero GX’s pilot profiles, Pico takes out a sniper rifle (once again a laser one) and gets into position, before firing a strong blast forward at opponents. The Sniper is slow, as Pico needs to actively charge it up for a few seconds (by holding Side B) before firing. As it charges, players can position a reticle on nearby fighters by moving the control stick to decide who to shoot, which is where Pico will aim his gun to fire. This offers a bit of strategy to decide who you want to target, as a strong enough snipe can send players flying. One downside to this move is Pico having to sit still as he charges and aims, leaving him wide open to attacks from others. For those that don’t want to charge, a simple tap of Side B will cause Pico to quick fire a Sniper Laser, which does less damage but can be used to slowly build damage.

Up B: Grenade Toss- The first of two original specials in Pico’s arsenal, this move has Pico toss a grenade up into the air, hopefully landing to blow up nearby any unlucky fighters. If the grenade manages to hit someone in mid-air it will instantly explode, while if it misses it will sit on the ground for a few seconds before exploding. While acting similarly enough to Snake and Sheik’s grenades, Pico can specifically aim his. By either tapping or holding Up B, Pico can toss the grenade close or far away from him, letting him set up an attack by luring an opponent near one that landed or trying to hit someone mid jump. Additionally, Pico does a short hop when he tosses a far away Grenade, giving him a very small bit of recovery. 

Down B: Shell Drop- Another original move (that Pico would supposedly use while in the army), this special sees Pico jump high into the sky before dropping down Shell first onto enemies. Acting similar to other ground pound special moves (though mainly Bowser’s), Pico’s is quite strong and can even bury people if he manages to land square on top of them. If preformed in Mid air, Pico will simply drop straight down, while when preformed on the ground he will high jump first. This, in a way, is both his strongest recovery option as well as his worst, as if players miss they will fall straight into the abyss. 

Final Smash: Wild Goose- Pico’s F-Zero vehicle, gifted to him by the General Repeat of Death Wind with a focus on combat as a special unit in the Polipoto military. For Pico’s final smash, which at first glance is a “clone” of Captain Falcon’s, the Wild Goose zooms in from off screen with a battle cry from Pico, with any racers hit landing on a futuristic race track (though a different one from Falcon’s). Suddenly, a large amount of F-Zero cars fly at the player in a massive pile up, exploding and crashing into people. Pico zooms by and drives away, laughing maniacally at the accident he just caused. This Final Smash is actually a stronger variant of Blue Falcon (doing double the damage), and is a reference to an event from F-Zero GX’s backstory. 

Anything Else?

Entrance Animation: The Wild Goose slams to a halt onto the stage, with Pico jumping out 

Victory Pose 1: Pico preforms a variety of flips while shooting his Dual Pistols, before firing one last shot at the camera. He then blows the smoke coming off the gun.

Victory Pose 2: Pico throws down a grenade which causes an explosion. When it clears, we see him walking off into the distance.

Victory Pose 3: Pico hops into the Wild Goose, closing the cockpit and saying “I have some assassinations to take care of!” before zooming off.

Up Taunt: Pico laughs maniacally, asking “Who can stop me?”

Side Taunt: Pico points out his finger, saying “THIS will be an easy kill...”

Down Taunt: Pico swings around his pistols like a gunslinger before re-holstering them.

Victory Theme: The same as Captain Falcon’s, which is a cover of the theme that plays when you win a race in F-Zero GX (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPtIOxdAclY)

#ideas #super smash bros #fighter #Pico #f-zero

[iamlordmeatwad]

Mama Mia!

“Alright, we need to get this done quick and easy. No foul-ups.”

Waluigi cackled as he coolly pulled up the collar to his trench-coat, leering at his brother, Wario.

Wario smiled, twirling his mustache, as he gazed at the Poison Mushroom Gun a shadowy figure had just handed him.

“You got dat?” the shadowy figure wheezed.

“Oh yeah!” Wario cheered. Waluigi laughed softly under his breath and offered polite applause for his brother.

“Good,” the shadowy figure smiled, lazily tossing a Poison Mushroom Gun to Waluigi. “Let’s ice this pesky plumber.”

“Come enjoy our natural wonderland! To which we’ve added the world’s finest resort facilities, spectacular amusement parks, and…succulent seafood.”

Mario moaned in his sleep as grandeur visions of fine fish swarmed his mind. His sweaty arms clutched his body tighter, smearing black greases and oils on his pink silk pajamas. The brothers had to resort to plumbing once again to keep their house afloat.

Peach had done a marvelous job at hiring a new guard that could better defend her from Bowser. But what that also meant is that Peach rarely went by Peach now. Say that name in front of her and Toadsworth was sure to chew you out. It was Princess Toadstool 24/7 now.

At long last, she possessed a firm control over the whole Mushroom Kingdom and was too busy to hang out with the Mario Bros.

And aside from the occasional threat from Fawful or Wart, there was no commercial need for an adventuring duo, hence the plumbing gig. It took a long time for the brothers to adjust to normal life. Luigi spent most of his time gardening.

Mario however, had a secret obsession. Traps. He couldn’t get enough of them. Reading about the exploits of others birthed a love he never knew he had in him. Luigi knew what Mario was really up to but chose not to say anything as Mario rigged traps all around their home. For Luigi had a secret obsession too: his brother’s happiness.

Awwww…how wholesome.

But dear reader, this is unfortunately not a wholesome story. What you are about to read observes death as a cold-hearted “fuck your parents, fuck your friends, fuck everybody” truth.

Are you ready? Alright then, well fuck your parents and fuck your friends, let’s-a-go!

Mario turned over in his sleep.

Falling…

F =A ==L ===L ====I =====N ======G

=======P ========E =========N ==========G ===========U ============I =============N ==============S

“That is no son of mine,” Mama Penguin told Mario as he shivered at the base of Cool Cool Mountain. He had vaulted across broken bridges, scaled up a mountain, murdered countless evil snowmen, and sacrificed his very being to find Mama Penguin’s baby son who had gotten lost on the mountain.

“Mama Mia,” Mario forced through blue lips. Placing the incorrect penguin at his side, he implored the mother for better details as to which penguin was hers for they all looked the same to him.

“My son is my son,” Mama Penguin scolded. “I know him.”

Mario scratched his head. This was no help at all.

And then he heard it.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

The bird had flown the coop. Or rather, walked to its deathbed by accidentally sliding off the mountain. Mario ran to the edge of the floating island, watching the baby penguin throttle into an endless abyss. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Mama Penguin staring blankly ahead of her.

“You find my son,” she ordered.

This was not Mario’s first scrape with death. He had stomped many a Goomba, stomped them so hard in fact that the coroner wasn’t able to properly ID them. Yes, Mario had done many fucked up things in the past, but this was a baby!

Hm. Okay, Petey Piranha was a baby too and he kinda killed him a few times but still! This was a bonafide “goo goo ga ga” styled baby!

What was a plumber to do? Rescue the baby? Impossible. He needed Mama Penguin’s Power Star so he could access the upper floor of the Castle and rescue his dearest Peach.

His Peach who no longer spoke to him…

“M-M-M-M-M-MARIO!”

Mario snapped awake. Something was wrong. Three shadows were taking up space in his bedroom, two of them stooped over the third. Looking down from his top bunk, he saw a Poison Mushroom Gun being pointed at the head of his brother.

Mario grimaced and jumped off the bed, pivoting in midair until his butt faced straight down, and plummeted into the head of the tall shadow.

“WAAAAAAAAH!” the tall shadow yelped in a sharp voice. Of course. Walugi. Who else would stoop to such tremendously low levels?

Mario swung his bare foot into the air, kicking the stouter shadow in the nose. The pesky plumber’s sheer strength managed to send the shadow lumbering backwards into the wall. As he slammed into the wall, light danced across his face, revealing him as the ever vicious Wario.

What a surprise.

Wario pinched his nose and aimed his Poison Mushroom Gun.

Mario jumped over Luigi’s cowering body and punched Wario right in the gut. The greedy glutton groaned and doubled over, accidentally firing his Poison Mushroom into Luigi’s bed. Worthless.

“D’oh, I missed!” Wario cried out helplessly.

Mario considered taking out the gangly creeper behind him, but instead launched into a backwards long jump through Waluigi’s legs. As Mario soared over Luigi’s body, the two brothers grabbed hold of each other and flew backwards together.

Hitting the staircase to the living room with pinpoint accuracy, Mario was able to launch into a stream of backwards long jumps that warped them through the whole house in a second.

Mario could never explain these sorts of events; he just knew that if he did the right thing at the right thing, some sort of seam would be ripped throughout reality that he could take advantage of.

Mario swung open the front door, scanning the front lawn for signs of danger. Nothing out of the ordinary except that the Warp Pipe that could have lead them to Toad Town had been blocked by the head of a massive snowman.

They wouldn’t be leaving here any time soon, that was for sure.

Mario felt the ground move from under him as he was suddenly swept away, tossed to the grass beside the porch. He struggled to free himself for the clammy grip around him, but found himself being tugged under the porch.

“Shhh…” Luigi urged, rubbing Mario’s stomach. Mario cooed and let himself sink into the moist earth below their porch.

Luigi looked up as two pairs of feet stumbled across their porch, little bits of dust and dirt flying down like snowflakes.

Mario patted Luigi on the back and pointed between the cracks of the steps.

Waluig’s Poison Mushroom Gun was still loaded.

Luig’s eyes widened. He shook his head at Mario, hunching his shoulders, dipping his chin into the dirt.

Mario crawled up to Luigi’s spot in the muck, tracing out a strategy with his finger. Mario would come from the West side, Luigi from the East, and they would both Long Jump past Wario and Waluigi, confusing them, then spin jumping to the center where they could—

Luigi slapped a hand against the mud, turning Mario’s magnificent bastard strategy into two dimensional space, and shoved off of the ground, blindly charging at Waluigi.

Mario gritted his teeth, boosting himself up so his back was against the floor of the porch, but he couldn’t leave his spot. He couldn’t be as bold as Luigi.

It happened so quickly.

Wario and Waluigi gasped as they saw Luigi.

Luigi wildly leapt into the air, soaring through the darkness.

Luigi’s feet firmly planted into Waluigi’s smug face.

The two of them rolled about in the grass like lovers reunited.

And as Luigi stood up from the tussle and brushed himself off.

Waluigi aimed his gun at the back of Luigi’s head.

And Mario got out from under the porch.

And Luigi heard Mario shuffling and turned to face him with a smile on his face.

A smile that shone even from underneath his gigantic mustache.

And then Waluigi fired.

And Luigi died.

More specifically, Luigi’s eyes widened as his body shot six feet into the air only to intangibly drop through the Earth below them.

Mario tried thinking of something that could adequately express his grief, but only managed to come up with the war cry of “MAMA MIA!”

Mario vaulted across the lawn and landed at Waluigi’s feet. Waluigi arched his arm to snap the empty gun against Mario’s neck but he was too late; Mario grabbed ahold of Waluigi’s foot.

That was all he needed. Mario twirled Waluigi around in huge rotations by the ankle, gritting his teeth as he prepped his aim. Just outside of the perimeter of his property, Mario had set up some spiked bombs he saw being sold at low, low prices in a magazine he liked.

Releasing Waluigi with tremendous gusto, Mario watched the purple man fly out into the distance only to collide with a spiked bomb and explode.

Waluigi fell at the feet of Mario, screaming and writhing in agony, until he began twirling. Twirling so fast Mario couldn’t keep track of what he even looked like. Twirling so fast he blended in with the air around them.

Twirled so fast it was hard to notice when he disappeared from this world completely.

Mario licked his lips to taste the innards of his mouth. He needed proof that he was real and that this had just happened. He had just murdered Waluigi. A vile man though he was, and undeniably great at Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix, this still didn’t feel right.

But soon Mario found himself licking dirt and grime from his lips as he caved into the weight of Wario. Mario struggled and writhed, but he couldn’t combat with Wario’s sheer strength. Maybe if Mario had eaten more garlic he could have competed.

Or maybe if Mario didn’t have to look into Wario’s tear-streaked eyes as he rubbed Mario’s face into the dirt.

“Waaaaaaah!” Wario whined in his usual manner.

Mario clamped his eyes shut, a tightness building in his chest; he was going to die but he was okay with it. Luigi and him could do some good plumbing for the Big Toad Up in the Sky.

Then lightness, a lightness that Mario had never known.

He reached up to touch his head but all he felt was hair. That wasn’t right. Where was his cap? Looking across the lawn, he saw Wario leaning against a tree and with the oil of Michael Jordan, casually spun Mario’s famous cap on his finger.

Hark! What a wretched fiend!

What was a man without his heart?

What was a plumber without his trusty cap?

Wario knew this chink in Mario’s armor and was being a cheeky garlic-ball about it!

That’s okay. Wario was only a long jump or two away. He could reach him.

Mario crouched down to launch into long jump, but screamed as his body pinched together. Nerves snapped all over. His vision faded.

He took one step towards Wario and groaned as the life was sapped from him, becoming vacuumed away by some phantasmal force. Dragging one foot behind him, Mario grimaced, the distance between him and Wario being larger and larger.

Falling again…the chest emptied itself, crumbling away into dust. A heart beat becoming slower and slower…

A baby penguin screaming for its mother as it fell to its death.

Chunks of cake sloshing about his mouth. Moist frosting sticking to the roof of his mouth.

Dear Mario…Please come to…

Piantas and Nokis dancing in the sunlight. An entire paradise bathed in glory, Shine Sprites twirling around Shine Sprite Tower.

…the castle. I have baked…

All the galaxies in the world united into one. A baby Luma making one last effort to let him live and succeeding. Sacrifice.

…a cake for…

After seven bad runs with different castles, finally the one that she truly resides in.

…you. Yours truly, Princess Toadstool.

Soft lips pressed up against his plump cheek. All the trouncing faced by Goombas and Koopas and Chain Chomps vanished as if they had never even touched him.

Peach!

Mario looked up, tugging down his imaginary hat, and threw himself on the spot of ground before him, bones cracking as he did so. He covered the spot as if he were trying to protect others from a grenade. And then he vanished.

“WAHAHAHAHA!” Wario laughed, wiping a happy tear from his eye having witnessed the death of his nemesis. And now good fortune was on his way; a whole mountain of gold had been promised to him for this bounty.

“It’s a-me! Mario!” a cheery voice decreed beside him. Wario raised an eyebrow in response and turned to face the source. Mario smirked as he yanked his precious cap from Wario’s weak grip, slapping it on his head.

While the pain did not go away, the gradual loss of life did. Mario was going to need to heal up with some coins after this battle, but his sheer force of will was going to carry him through this.

He had used a hidden warp pad hidden on his lawn you see, for Mario had a fascination with traps now. It was sort of his thing.

Maybe he would have to take up gardening now.

Because Luigi was dead after all. Wario killed Luigi so now Mario had to kill Wario I guess.

Mario grimaced and punched the tree beside them. Holding out his hand, a Mega Mushroom dropped into his waiting palm.

Wario gasped and tried to make a break for it, but Mario’s foot easily sunk Wario’s squishy behind into the grass. Holding Wario down with ease, Mario tossed the mushroom into his mouth and grew ten times his size.

As he grew, he made sure to lighten the strength of his stamping so as to not kill Wario. Yet. For Wario’s death needed to be a masterpiece.

“NO!” Wario shouted, trying to push Mario’s foot off of him, but as he became a mere ant to the gigantic Mario, Wario threw his hands in the air and shouted, “Don’t do this! He’ll kill you! Let me live and I’ll help you kill him!”

Mario blinked.

How strangely coherent of Wario.

Then spasms all over. A giant ball of ice had crashed into his head, cracking like a coconut on him. Mario fell from the sky, shrinking back to his normal size. And as the green grass rushed towards him, he saw a white painting getting curiously closer and closer to his face…

Mario tumbled into Snowman’s Land like a lazy no-good husband cast into the streets. The giant living Snowman Mountain stared down at him. While surely the mountain had no desire to hurt him, Mario still felt uncomfortable under his gaze. He plodded softly to the right, looking around at the old familiar terrain.

Before him was a lake of ice so cold it would scorch the bottom of the man who dared hop in for a swim. And directly above that lake was a sheet of ice that the Big Ice Bully used to challenge people on. But now the Big Ice Bully was dead and gone and hopefully, no adventurer had come here since and accidentally got stuck in the death trap below the ice.

“WAAAAAH!”

Wario had materialized behind him suddenly, scrambling across the snow. Shoving Mario to the side, he pinched his nose, leaping into the lake.

Mario tried to stop him but it was too late. Once one’s keister made contact with that ice, you were done for. Wario howled as he rocketed up into the sheet of ice only to bump his head and fall back into the burning lake.

This continued until Wario’s lifeless body made it to the other side of the lake, only to then slink back into the lake and dissolve slowly.

The night had begun with four. Now there was only one.

Then a pain like no other seared the side of his skull.

Darkness.

Mario’s eyes fluttered open to see a stretch of thin ice supporting him. He knew this place all too well, the bridge that hovered before the mouth of Snowman Mountain. Mere yards behind him were the lips of the Snowman who would blow a mighty gust of air that would sweep Mario right off the mountain.

And if he was there…and the giant Snowman was there…that could only mean…

“You!” Mario painstakingly pointed, voice cracking from such foreign vocabulary.

Two flippers slapped against each other softly.

“So you finally figured it out,” Mama Penguin sneered. “Yes, I hired Wario and Waluigi to eliminate you and of course, they failed.”

She gazed off the mountain, taking a quiet moment to embrace the amount of distance between them and the ground. That was fine. Mario needed time to think…

But he had no traps at his disposal and he was even weaker than before.

“You killed my son, Mario Mario,” Mama Penguin shook her head.

Mario froze mid-planning. What? he wanted to say, but such foreign words to him were too much of an effort to spout.

“Yes, I realized it years later, I was looking at my child and I realized that—he was no son of mine,” she said stoically.

But this was ridiculous! She told him that was the wrong penguin! She didn’t even care when he throttled to his death.

Oh if only Mario said more than “Mama Mia!” and “It’s a-me, Mario!” It would make this situation much simpler to navigate. His throat tightened as he tempted to explain his side, but lost all gumption as Mama Penguin began waddling towards him.

If he stayed put, she would push him into the Snowman’s breath and he would be hurled off the mountain. If he were to jump off the mountain to escape, he would surely perish.

He leaned to his left, right shoulder falling slack.

“Now I will kill you for what you did to me and my son, Mario Mario,” Mama Penguin explained coldly as she pushed Mario closer and closer to the wind.

Mario tried pushing her back but it was no use: she was too big for him.

Then it hit him. He had one last trick left. Running away from Mama Penguin, he approached the wind quickly and just as he was about to collide with the torrent, he turned on his heel, banged a U-ie, and charged at the deranged mother, ducking into a crouch and sliding right between her legs.

As she slowly turned to face him, Mario rolled to the edge of the bridge, his body failing him. It didn’t matter that he had his cap back on him; too much damage had been done.

Mario jumped as high as he could and crashed back into the ice with a mighty Ground Pound.

Fortunately his butt still had enough strength left in it to shatter the bridge and send Mama Penguin tumbling to her death.

As Mama Penguin throttled to the ground below, she felt the cold wind rush past her, brushing her cheek. This was how Junior must have felt.

Her son was but a baby when he died; she knew nothing of him beyond his demise.

Finally, she shared something with her son; the agony of having to helplessly watch your death unfold before you. At least Mario had given that to her in her death.

Mario strained to spit one of his catchphrases out as he watched Mama Penguin explode into bloody guts, but his chest prevented him. His whole body was caving inwards. He gritted his teeth and tried to pull himself up the cliff but it was no use. There was no getting out of this.

Remembering the taste of Peach’s cake in his mouth, he let go of the cliff, falling into his beloved’s arms, and she carried him to the spiky rocks down below.

Rolling green, twirling, thundering, screaming, spiraling all around. A sudden thud, his brain’s rotation lagging behind, reorienting itself with this new gravity.

Mario got to his feet, feeling completely rejuvenated, and saw Luigi touching up the lawn.

Mouth dry from screaming, Mario walked over to Luigi and put a hand on his shoulder.

How could this be? How could he still be alive?

He died. He remembered seeing the sky get farther and farther away.

Yet at the same time, he only knew he died. He couldn’t remember what it felt like.

His eyes narrowed in deep focus.

War. Death. Legacy. Rebirth.

Mario.

…

Another Mario.

That wasn’t him that watched Wario burn to death. That wasn’t him that held Luigi’s hand so tightly.

That was someone who gave his life so that he could be.

Somewhere out there, Wario and Waluigi were out there scheming again. They would be back.

Mama Penguin was a goner though. Surely she had no access to the Extra Lives System like the brothers did.

Luigi gently punched Mario in the jaw, taking off his sunhat to better look Mario in the eyes.

Mario saw the pain in Luigi. He must have felt it too.

Luigi reached out and grabbed Mario’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

“Mama Mia,” Mario finally let out.

#mario #luigi #wario #waluigi #cool cool mountain #super mario 64 #super mario sunshine #mario fanfic #mario fanart #fanfiction #fanfic #super mario bros #nintendo #snowman's land

[cerastes]

Sir Percival Is Very Nice And Disconcertingly Gullible Part 1

HELLO citizens. Today, I want to share with you the story of a certain Knight of the Round Table who knows how to maneuver his foot around people’s asses, looks like a prim and proper lady in a skirt, and also doesn’t know what a penis is. I am talking about the one and only Sir Percival. But before Sir Percival was a Sir or Percival, he was a lady, a cute girl, an adorable toddler. No, there’s no magic involved, no magic transformation, it’s just that he was raised as a girl (culturally speaking, in relation to the time) by his mother, and he never really questioned it, because to question things, you need life experience, and you get more life experience from cleaning dirty fingernails than you do cooped up in a caslte. Oh yeah, by the way, his mother kept him cooped in a castle and he was ffffffforbidden from ever leaving it. Also, I’ll have to split this in parts because it is TOO LONG.

LET’S ELABORATE: Percival was the prince of certain lands, and his father was either King Pellinore or Alain le Gros, and in either case, the father is a celebrated warrior. Point is, Percival is of noble lineage and the son of a warrior king, which of course means he has superpowers, because this is Arthurian mythos. Regardless of who his father was, he also had at least four siblings, all four of them Knights of the Round Table. Now this is the part where you expect his family to be proud of how many fine warriors it has produced. Except you are WRONG, because my man’s mother was actually Not Too Happy With The Family Business, so when Percival was born, Mom, who is unnamed because being a woman in Arthurian mythos sucks because you either die or are a huge asshole, said “mmMMMM NO” and raised Percival away from everything that could be considered “manly” back in the day (read: knights) and without letting him ever learn of dangerous stuff like “swords” or “holy grails”. Accounts vary whether Mom took Percival and his sister away from their castle and to live in the forest or if she simply raised Percival in the castle proper, but for all intents and purposes, what matters here is that Percival looks better than you and I in a dress, can knit a fierce sweater, weaves the meanest baskets, and can sew a whole dress from the ground up using only dirty curtains and positive thoughts.

So Mom, Sister, and Percival are having fun, living a soft and cute life, when SUDDENLY, knights appear. Mom was busy watching Star Trek reruns and this distracted her long enough for Percival to notice them and ask “MOM HOLY FUCK WHAT ARE THOSE METAL DUDES”. Mom realized too late that He Had Been Exposed, so she acted fast on her feet and said “Ah, Percy, those are... Angels. They are servants of God, so don’t look at them too much, because you see them when you die or when you are close to something that could result in your death!”, so the first thing Percival does is ask his sister if she can tie a sturdy noose, nice and cozy, so he can hang himself immediately to become an angel, they look SO COOL, and his sister, with all the delicacy of a car accident, shuts him the fuck up and asks him to stop being a weirdo for one second.

Since his UNCOOPERATIVE family was made of unreasonable asses out of nowhere, P-Diddy sneaks out of the castle (which is also the first time he ever gets out of that castle WOW LOCKING YOUR KIDS IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA) and approaches the angels, trying to not be seen by them because he doesn’t want to die, but during his Sneaking Operation, he steps on the loudest,most scandalous tree branch in history and mythos because it lets out a CRRRRRCCCKKK SO FUCKING LOUD the knights’ horses go apeshit, one of them kicks a knight in the face, and another straight up runs into a river and drowns, which makes you think what in the fuck are these horses on the field of duty for if a kid in a dress can scare them into Escort Mission AI-levels of idiocy. Well, that aside, the knights obviously freak the fuck out and are like “WOAH HEY WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT STOP!” which quickly turns into “WHY ARE YOU WEARING A DRESS!” and honestly, Parsee was kinda weirded out because angels are supposed to be more solemn than this, and definitely not as loud. P-kun voices these concerns, and the knights have themselves a gigglesnort, quickly and politely explaining that they are knights, not angels, and that yelling, questioning, and killing was part of their job. Then they explained it was a lie, because they never ask questions, only yell and kill, which you guys and gals at home probably think is just me making a joke, except Knights of the Round Table killed each other a SHITLOAD of times simply because they didn’t know who the other guy was, because there was this understanding, this covenant back in the day where, if you were a knight and the other guy was a knight and yelling was involved, as it usually is in the field of battle, you most likely were enemies and had to murder each other, and apparently no one fucking recognized each others’ armor or anything.

What I am trying to say is that people in Arthurian mythos are MORONIC BRUTES and that Britain is a PvP-enabled zone, which is why shit like Camlann happens.

Anyways.

Percival was apparently pretty ok with these metal dudes being professional loud murderers because he immediately asks if he can become a professional loud murderer, but he gets turned away because he is still a kid at this point, and kids can’t be knights, BUT, as soon as his hormones start going nuts and awkward, solitary strands of hair start growing on his moles and around his nipples, he’s old enough to become a knight. He’s content enough with this answer, and so he heads home and gets turbo-grounded the moment his mom catches him. In the process of being turbo-grounded, Percy let out to his mom that he wanted to become a knight, which turned this into an ultra mega turbo grounding instead because he said The Forbidden Word and now Mom’s angry.

Even being his mom and everything, however, Mom knew she couldn’t really oppose the wishes of his son like this, so what did she do instead? What every normal person in a front of a situation that requires cooperation from both ends and that demands maturity and sensibility would do: Lie.

She outright kept telling Percival that he was still 12 years old, even as the years passed. More concerning is the fact that P-kun didn’t question this at all. Well, whatever floats your boat, weirdo Arthurian family.

Percival turns 17 or 18 years of age, depending on the source, which is the age where kids are considered men and can thusly start screaming and killing [for honor], but he is still convinced he is 12 years old because Mom Sucks. All is well as usual in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber Castle WHEN SUDDENLY, a knight appears, except this one is a BAD KNIGHT, his first thought upon seeing the castle was “my, what a NICE and GORGEOUS door, I bet ramming it down and raping whatever girl I find inside would make this an even better day! : )“ so he gets to work and, sure enough, just solo-decimates the entire castle door and is getting ready to Bad Touch Mom and Sister when Percival, now no longer a kid, but rather, a powerfully built, ripped, 24 pack abs superwarrior (remember what I told you about lineage and mythos?) appears before him all like “hey can you maybe not do that shit to my family? It is rude”.

The Bad Knight takes one look at this body building champion, and lets out a “WHY ARE YOU WEARING A DRESS”. Ah, yeah, Percy was still wearing the dress. So the Bad Knight is kinda laughing because this kid, he can be SSJ Broly all he wants, he’s still in a dress. The laughing, however, ceases immediately when Percival grabs the dude, who is encased in armor and that knocked down the castle door all by himself, and just sorta casually throws him past the castle walls and breaks his entire body. Again, Percival, who never has trained his muscles in any way or learned anything more violent than embroidery, just gave this dude the So Long Gay Bowser throw from Mario 64, from the courtyard, launching him ABOVE the castle walls, and right into the ground outside. That huge “CRASH BOOM!” you heard just now was not the knight falling down, it was his self-esteem crashing after having a kid in a dress ragdoll him. No, wait, no, never mind, it was his body, because DEAD PEOPLE can’t feel shit.

“so, uh, mom” “no” “I just threw a fully armored man” “nope” “I think uh” “nu uh” “I might be an adult” “Grounded”

So P-kun is grounded, fine, and more time passes, when SUDDENLY, a cockatrice attacked the castle. Now, what is a cockatrice? It’s a two-legged serpent with a rooster’s head, and it kills you by looking at you and petrifying you. Basically, a gorgon with a funny hat. Sometimes, because the “petrifying” bit is something of a conjecture by latter authors or analyzers of mythology. The cockatrice actually just kinda sorta outright killed you when it looked at you. So this thing is wreaking havoc in the Censorship Castle, shooting rude glares and crying loudly in the morning, and this Deeply Annoys Percival. The young man simply walks out, uproots a whole a tree, as you normally do, and swats the cockatrice with a flick, sending it DBZ-style flying against the nearest wall. When he saw THAT didn’t kill the very confused monster, Percival, with his bare fucking hands, rips the tree he uprooted into a thinner form by legit ripping the bark layer by layer with his unreasonable strength, fashioning a spear with the tree by doing this (what the wtf?) and using that to stab the shit out of the cockatrice, who probably was already dead as fuck the moment it saw this dude just outright manhandling the tree and turning it into a spear with his bare hands.

“mom” “no” “mom I just uprooted a tree and killed an instakill monster with it’’ “NO’’ “I’m no scientist because those still don’t exist but I am pretty sure I am an adult now” “no sweetie that was just a stray dog” “mom I know dogs and that wasn’t a dog. No dog of ours ever shot laser beams out of its eyes or looked like a dragon wearing a chicken hat” “it’s a breed that comes from Scotland” “MOM”

So Percival more or less has enough of Mom’s shit, and finally gets her blessing to leave the castle. Immediately afterward, Mom dies. Because being female in Arthurian mythos means you ei-- Oh, I already made that one. Well, yeah, there you go. Also the sister also died. But Percival is on his way to become a knight!

What exciting adventures are in store for Percival? Stay tuned for PART 2, in which Percival enters a dysfunctional relationship, makes bad business decisions, and headbutts Sir Lancelot du Lac right in the face, and yes, this is all shit that happens on the exciting Road To Knighthood.

#Part 2 is where this gets really good but you sorta need to KNOW PERCIVAL'S UNORTHODOX ORIGINS

[barbosaasouza]

What the New Mario Movie Can Learn From Mario RPGs

After 25 years, it looks like Mario is ready to try again on the big screen. It's a move that certainly makes sense. Video game movies, regardless of quality, have been a constant in the years since 1993's Super Mario Bros. movie. The number of game adaptations has noticeably increased in recent years, with Warcraft, Ratchet & Clank, Assassin's Creed, and Tomb Raider all getting movies.

And let's face it, for Nintendo, this is a chance at redemption. It's a chance to make people forget about...

Okay, nobody's forgetting that. But still, it's a chance to make something good. The first positive step is opting to go the animated route with Illumination, arguably the best non-Disney studio in the game. There's a lot more about the Mario universe that can be explored through an animated movie.

Most people will think about what elements of the classic Mario platforms would best translate to the big screen. However, let's not forget that since the last movie came along, Mario has made a successful transition to RPGs, as well. And it's in those RPGs that filmmakers might find the pieces to craft an entertaining story. Let's look at exactly what aspects of the Mario RPG games can translate to a Mario movie.

The Mario/Bowser Relationship

The key word with this is "relationship." In the core Mario platformers, Mario and Bowser are often at odds. Bowser acts as the final boss. He's the big bad. He's the ultimate villain. But the Mario RPGs will sometimes paint the battle with the King of the Koopas as something else.

In Mario RPGs, the conflict with Bowser comes across as something more akin to old "Tom & Jerry" cartoons. The stakes don't feel so high, but kidnapping the princess and trying to take over the Mushroom Kingdom just comes across as something Bowser does because... well... it's Bowser. They're just things he does and the RPGs do a great job of playing this up to comedic effect.

Look at Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars or Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Bowser's presented as a much more lovable goofball. Yes, at their core, Mario and Bowser are enemies, but they're arguably more entertaining as grudging allies.

As long as I'm touching on this unique dynamic between a plumber and his main antagonist...

Don't Make Bowser the Main Villain

This might sound crazy, especially to anyone who has mainly stuck to Mario platformers. But the best Mario stories are the ones where Bowser isn't the central villain. One of the big reasons that it works is because the newer baddie is presented as some outside force that's more powerful, more focused, and more serious than the Koopa King. There's a sense that the stakes are higher because Mario doesn't know what he's up against and doesn't know what lengths this new villain will go to in order to achieve his or her goals. It leads to a more compelling narrative, like in Super Mario RPG or in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

There's another good reason to make Bowser take a back seat to another bad guy, though, and that's because he absolutely hates it. Bowser in the Mario RPGs is an incredibly egotistical figure. He can't fathom that anything out in the cosmos or beyond could be badder than him. So it sticks in his craw when some outsider tries to usurp his normal role. And the result is often high comedy.

In Super Mario RPG, it resulted in the very first time that Mario and Bowser teamed up. It perturbed Bowser to no end to be forced to team with his greatest enemy, yet it led to some of the game's most hilarious moments. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Bowser's position as top bad guy was threatened again and it forced Bowser to go on the worldwide journey and explore his own place in Mario's world. There's even Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, when Bowser doesn't take kindly to taking a back seat to... himself.

That isn't to say Bowser can't show his comedy chops if he's the key villain. There were some laughs to be had at his expense during Super Mario Odyssey. But the RPGs have shown the character's true range, expressing him as both an intimidating villain and also cartoonishly insecure about his place as the Mushroom Kingdom's number one bad guy. Nothing brings out the best in Bowser like some other jerk trying to steal his spotlight.

Make Luigi the Comedy Relief

As much as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars holds a place as my favorite game of all-time, I have nothing but love for AlphaDream's Mario & Luigi series. Part of the reason for that is that they gave Luigi a true personality. He's the younger brother who wants to be the same kind of hero that Mario is, but because he's Luigi, he'll never get top billing. And it shows often throughout this series.

A lot of the series' jokes come at Luigi's expense. Half of the NPCs don't recognize him. He's the one who takes the pratfalls. He's often the first one sent into danger. And he plays his role to a tee, gesturing and flailing wildly over his predicaments. He protests to no avail. And he's often the recipient of cartoonish pain.

There's no more universal rule in an animated presentation than physical, absurd cartoon pain equals funny. It's why Looney Tunes thrived for a generation. Luigi in the Mario & Luigi series is the closest thing to a Looney Tunes character. My hope is that Illumination will grasp this, too.

Luigi can be every bit as heroic as his brother, but he was never meant to be an interchangeable version of him. He stands out because he's the more imperfect of the two. He's endearing because he can be the bumbling fool. And that kind of thing deserves its day in theaters.

Expand Mario's World

Even while the Mario 2D and 3D platformers introduced new worlds and new kingdoms, the Mario RPGs are where I first truly felt like Mario's world was truly expansive. A big part of that is because there were multiple characters, both series staples and one-shot NPCs, that felt like they had a place and a function in that world.

Let's bring up Super Mario RPG again. Yoshi lived on an island full of other Yoshis, where they have a full-blown culture centered around racing. There's an entire refuge devoted to reformed Mario bad guys, who dedicate themselves to rest and relaxation and occasional martial arts. There's a cloud kingdom that was missing their prince for years, where the royal advisor was plotting a hostile takeover. There's a sunken ship, an old concept in Mario games, but one manned by a crew led by a treasure hunting shark man.

Mario's world is rich for these possibilities. It's actually something that Mario's platformers eventually picked up on. Super Mario Odyssey was one of the first core Mario games to come closest to feeling like there's a living, breathing world where multiple NPCs come together and function on a daily basis. Each world felt like it had distinct qualities and personality. That was something I originally got from Mario's RPGs and it's something that I hope the movie will pick up on, as well.

Beyond the core cast, there needs to be a world to embrace, as well. Mario is more than just a quest to save a princess, a bad guy to beat, or even a supporting cast to spend time go-karting with now and then. Super Mario Bros. has gone far beyond that in the last 25 years and the RPGs were the first to truly express that. An animated movie has all the tools to express that, too.

Is there anything else the Mario movie should look to add? Join the conversation and let us know in the comments.

What the New Mario Movie Can Learn From Mario RPGs published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[takenews-blog1]

Super Mario Odyssey evaluation

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/super-mario-odyssey-evaluation/

Super Mario Odyssey evaluation

I guarantee you that after enjoying his newest journey, Tremendous Mario Odyssey, the sudden profession pivot of Nintendo’s most iconic character makes lots of sense. After all Mario isn’t a plumber, or at the least not simply a plumber. As a result of professionally talking, Mario wears many hats.

He’s a physician. He’s the lead in a mariachi band. He’s a constructing inspector. He’s wanting to fill no matter position the event requires. Tremendous Mario Odyssey expands on Mario’s chameleon-esque nature by giving him a brand new, all-encompassing skill: the ability to take over and management different characters and enemies by tossing his hat upon their noggin.

So now, with the zip of his cap, Mario can be a Goomba. Or a Bullet Invoice. Or a wierd woodland creature that may prolong its legs to achieve untold heights. Or a classy statue with the power to see invisible platforms.

That’s the pitch, the hook to Tremendous Mario Odyssey: that Mario will be no matter you want him to be. However that’s actually only a reiteration of what Mario has at all times been to each Nintendo and his followers (he’s beforehand been a professional golfer, kart racer, time traveler and rather more), and maybe that’s why the brand new cap-slinging mechanic appears like such a pure match. Tremendous Mario Odyssey is an prolonged riff on the legacy of its hero, a mustachioed man who started life as a humble plumber earlier than changing into a bona-fide professional in virtually every part.

And so what initially looks like an oddball centerpiece (the ghoulish skill to own the world round him) involves really feel like a completely apparent and important addition to this historic canon.

This can be a two-person evaluation. Polygon evaluations editor Phil Kollar and deputy information editor Allegra Frank each spent the final week enjoying as a lot Mario as they might cram into each waking hour.

I do know that is going to make me sound historical by Allegra requirements, however a lot of my earliest gaming recollections contain the unique Tremendous Mario Bros. for NES — a recreation that, I at all times wish to level out, was launched on or simply earlier than the day I used to be born. Thanks, Nintendo!

These recollections of Tremendous Mario Bros. are tinged with a profound sense of chance. Clearly this was an early 2D platformer, and it’s very primary by at the moment’s requirements. However as a baby, I keep in mind being stuffed with awe as I found every new factor I might accomplish with the sport’s restricted transfer set. I keep in mind getting my first hearth flower and really leaping from my seat in celebration of my newfound flame-spitting powers.

The latest time a Mario recreation captured that very same feeling of discovery was when Tremendous Mario 64 first took the collection into 3D. Then this week, as soon as once more, I felt that shock and pleasure with Tremendous Mario Odyssey. There’s a lot on this recreation; Mario himself has so many strikes and skills, after which on prime of that over a dozen completely different enemies or allies will be taken over with Cappy, his new ghostly hat companion. Every of those “captures” has new strikes of their very own.

The entire recreation is mainly structured like a large playground. Spend as a lot time as you need messing round; likelihood is you’ll be rewarded for it. And, similar to I keep in mind from my youth, this emphasis on exploration and discovery serves as a bottomless properly from which to attract buckets of excellent emotions. I can say with confidence that there hasn’t been one other recreation this 12 months that has so constantly had me grinning.

So Allegra, as somebody with out my old-man fondness for the Mario collection, how have you ever appreciated Tremendous Mario Odyssey?

My relationship with Mario began from a extra unconventional place: I realized to like the Mushroom Kingdom by means of Mario’s aspect adventures. By the point I first checked out the collection, Mario was already a kart racing champ, big-time partier and tennis star. Ultimately I acquired round to the core Mario video games, and whereas I beloved adventuring round kingdoms and islands and galaxies as Mario, I nonetheless credit score his expansive record of extracurriculars with sustaining my endearment to his quirky crew.

Whilst I’ve at all times identified Mario to carry quite a lot of jobs, one factor remained the identical: He was nonetheless Mario. Cappy might as soon as once more give Mario a brand new hat to put on, however the core distinction right here is that with these hats comes a rediscovery of how each the sport and Mario himself work — he’s nonetheless punching blocks and ground-pounding, however he isn’t bodily the Mario we’re used to. Rediscovering how Mario works is a serious a part of what makes Odyssey a pleasure, in addition to one thing particular.

I’ll say that the unconventional departure from Mario’s typical ability set does nonetheless take some critical getting used to, although. Did you discover something to be disappointing and even irritating with how a lot the gameplay deviates from the standard Mario type? Or did you would like it went even additional?

I had one single and minor frustration: the controls. Let me be clear right here that the controls aren’t dangerous by any means, however given the sheer variety of doable strikes at Mario’s disposal, there’s, uh, rather a lot to be taught. Sure advanced strikes can require finally holding down three or extra buttons, all pressed with excellent timing, or letting go of buttons on the proper time. And most annoyingly, a couple of choices require the usage of movement controls.

In the event you’re enjoying with the Swap’s Pleasure-Con controllers, the movement management strikes are fairly straightforward. However as somebody who nonetheless frequently experiences desyncing issues with the Pleasure-Cons, I most popular utilizing the Professional Controller or enjoying in handheld mode. Whereas movement controls nonetheless work with each of these setups, they’re awkward as hell to tug off.

I can not stress sufficient, nevertheless, that it is a minor quibble. There are a restricted variety of factors all through the sport that require movement management; even spots that appear like they want it typically have a workaround should you’re actually determined to not waggle your controller. That freedom is absolutely Tremendous Mario Odyssey’s best power, too.

We’ve talked rather a lot about how the sport permits Mario to step into the footwear of all these completely different creatures, however we haven’t but defined how the sport places all of these choices to work.

The place different Mario video games have ranges or worlds for our hero to discover, Tremendous Mario Odyssey has kingdoms, every one outlined by a central theme and unified by a story thread. There’s the Woodland Kingdom, which is all pastoral and plush; the Snow Kingdom, during which Mario shivers if he stands nonetheless for too lengthy; and, after all, New Donk Metropolis, aka the Metro Kingdom, amongst others.

For as bare-bones as Odyssey’s storyline is, it’s nonetheless clear how and why every of those worlds suits into it. Mario and Cappy are each on quests to rescue crucial girls of their lives — Princess Peach and Tiara, respectively — who’ve been kidnapped and thrown into Bowser’s absurd marriage ceremony plot. The pair boards the great ship Odyssey to journey from kingdom to kingdom, chasing after Bowser and his pack of rabbit marriage ceremony planners whereas additionally on the lookout for moons, collectible objects that energy their vessel.

The Odyssey takes the place of a central hub world, which is a bit disappointing; it is a small ship, its cramped inside seemingly designed to make us need to return outdoors and run round. That’s tremendous, as a result of every kingdom is wealthy with issues to do and locations to discover. Each kingdom includes a new set of enemies with wildly various powers, and it’s a pleasure to be taught the patterns of every new kingdom and remedy assorted puzzles, unlock secrets and techniques, and take down enemies with a unique, easy-to-learn set of skills.

Claims that Tremendous Mario Odyssey is a contemporary, open-world entry within the collection (like what The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was for Zelda) are overstated, however once I say that this recreation has actually, actually, actually large ranges, I imply it. Though I recognize how the primary marketing campaign retains Mario on a linear observe, I’m extra impressed by how a lot the sport invited me to discover the place and the way I needed.

Yeah, I’m 100 % in settlement with you that Tremendous Mario Odyssey just isn’t an “open-world” recreation in any conventional sense. What it shares most with Breath of the Wild just isn’t the dimensions of its worlds, however the density of them. Moons are much less like the valuable stars of Mario video games previous and extra corresponding to Breath of the Wild’s ample korok seeds. There are a whole bunch of them, rewarded liberally for duties each main and minor, whether or not it’s finishing a platforming problem, answering riddles for a sphinx or discovering a deviously hidden space in a retro 2D sequence.

The extra moons you collect, the additional a visit the Odyssey will have the ability to take, opening up increasingly more kingdoms as you go. It’s a satisfying loop, one which consistently motivated me to maintain exploring.

Nintendo can be good at urging gamers to revisit already-explored kingdoms. In your first journey by means of a kingdom, earlier than you’ve solved no matter main storyline conundrum is aggravating its individuals, you’re solely capable of entry a fraction of the full variety of moons accessible. Once you return to the dominion, new areas and challenges can have opened up, and dozens extra moons together with them. After which, after you “full” the sport and watch the credit, you’ll be able to unlock much more moons in each kingdom, prompting a worthy return tour of the the entire recreation.

Particularly good is that for each apparent method of finishing a puzzle or amassing a moon, there are different hidden options (and skills) to tinker with as the sport expands. This makes what can generally really feel like a formulaic journey — journey to a kingdom, gather moons, beat a boss; repeat — keep contemporary and, as you mentioned, free.

Yeah, there’s simply a lot to do right here. In the event you’re aiming to get each moon within the recreation — all 800-plus of them — it will probably simply refill 50 hours or extra, which properly exceeds my expectations from a Mario recreation. To perform all of that with none of the content material coming throughout as filler is fairly astounding, however Nintendo has pulled it off. And it’s pulled it off with a tremendous quantity of character.

I feel what you’re referring to right here — this pervasive sense of confident type — is my favourite side of the sport. It drips everywhere in the kingdoms; it’s intrinsic to the Cappy mechanic, as every captured being instantly infuses Mario with its personal particular taste. Small particulars like traditional Mario character sigils stamped across the worlds are pretty surprises.

There’s additionally loads of type within the boss battles, though maybe to much less successful impact. Boss battles really feel pure and particular to the worlds during which they exist; after all it is smart gigantic octopus monster, for instance, can be fought utilizing Mario’s newly inhabited tremendous jet stream consciousness.

The battles do generally interrupt the extra free-flowing nature of the sport’s collectible-hunting segments. Whereas it’s novel to see Mario’s new powers examined on a grand scale, difficult a boss normally feels much less satisfying than discovering all of these many, many moons — like a obligatory evil that’s getting in the way in which of the larger good.

For what it’s value, I feel the bosses are wildly profitable, and wouldn’t describe any of them as dragging on — as much as maybe the elective post-credits boss rush, which fully destroyed me many occasions over. The factor I like about Mario bosses generally, and these bosses particularly, is that Nintendo is so good at signposting what it’s worthwhile to do to succeed.

I by no means felt like I entered a boss encounter set as much as fail, or like I needed to die a few times simply to determine patterns. For instance, once I went up towards a large stone head with huge fists, it solely took a fast look on the battlefield to comprehend that there have been small pockets of ice arrange throughout. By getting the monstrous opponent to smash his fists into the ice, I used to be capable of swing my cap onto the fingers and rocket them again into my enemy’s face. If I used to be paying consideration and enjoying properly sufficient, I used to be capable of beat each boss within the recreation on my first attempt.

These boss encounters are additionally aided by a few of Tremendous Mario Odyssey’s most frantic music tracks. For a collection identified for its iconic tunes, among the best components of Odyssey is the way it takes probabilities with its soundtrack. From the jazzy riffs of the Woodland Kingdom to this weirdly catchy lounge track with precise lyrics, the music is simply as filled with little surprises as every part else within the recreation.

And whereas we’re speaking about aesthetic parts, I’ve acquired to notice one thing that’s apparent should you’ve ever watched a trailer for this recreation: Tremendous Mario Odyssey is completely attractive. For no matter individuals would possibly take into consideration the Swap’s comparatively underpowered , it doesn’t present for a second right here. Whether or not enjoying on my 4K-capable 65-inch TV or having fun with the sport in handheld mode on the Swap’s display, I’m consistently impressed by how crisp and colourful its worlds are. In lots of fashionable video games, I discover it straightforward for visuals and music to type of fade into the background; in Tremendous Mario Odyssey, they play practically as necessary a starring position as Nintendo’s mascot himself.

For a personality nearing 40 years outdated, it’s wonderful that Mario has remained not solely a beloved character however one whose video games are typically anticipated to be nice. From that perspective, it’s no shock that Tremendous Mario Odyssey is, sure, a fantastic recreation. However greater than that, it’s a implausible, even basic addition to Mario’s legacy. From a plumber to a physician to a tennis star to, uh, a Goomba, Mario has endured. No, this is not going to be the final Mario recreation, however it’s virtually sure to be lauded as one in every of his finest.

Tremendous Mario Odyssey was reviewed utilizing ultimate “retail” Nintendo Swap obtain codes offered by Nintendo. You will discover further details about Polygon’s ethics coverage right here.