Okay, before I make my first post since November of last year, I'd like to make a confession: OKAY, yes, I AM ripping off the Waluigious blog. It's pretty obvious. Thing is, I love Artemendo's writings. The guy rocks. Some of what I write in here are rebuttals of sorts to the topics he writes about. Why not apply as a writer for Waluigious, then, you ask? Because I have the attention span of a goldfish and am easily distracted. Then why even keep my own blog, you inquire further? My answer to that is: quiet, you, there is no such thing as logic in my domain. Get used to it.
Okay, so here's the topic today: exactly what it says in the title, Bowser Jr. versus the seven Koopalings. Bowser Jr. (hereafter known as "B.J.") has been appearing at Bowser's side since Super Mario Sunshine. At that time, I didn't think he was annoying. I just thought he was cute - a little kid trying to protect his "mama" and be just like his dad. But then he kept on appearing... over and over... with no signs of letting up. Then he grated on my nerves. But it's not his frequent appearances that bothers me so much, nor is it the fact that he seems to replace his older siblings. No... what bothers me so much is that he has no personality.
After Super Mario Sunshine, B.J. became nothing more than a preschool version of his father. And nothing more than that. Just a little spoiled brat who acts like his dad. He has no depth to his personality whatsoever. On that note, though, he's not much better than the Koopalings.
"But, Melissa!" you cry, "What about the Mario cartoons?" Puh-lease! First of all, the cartoons are anything but canon. Second of all, you all know deep down in the pits of your stomachs that the cartoons sucked Yoshi eggs (they don't call them the Poop of Youtube for nothing). The games the Koopalings appeared in gave them no personalities whatsoever, mainly because they didn't talk at all. And no, the quotes they have from the SMB3 manual don't count. Nintendo of America put them there to make them seem interesting. I seriously doubt Nintendo of Japan took any notice (and even if they did, they likely don't care). Besides, NOJ didn't even give the Koopalings their names, NOA did! Originally, the Koopalings were all reffered to as "Koopa Jr." (Bowser is simply known as "Koopa" in Japan), which even appeared in the text of the original English translation of SMB3. As much as I hate to admit it, B.J. has more personality than his siblings, even if not by much.
I realize that the Koopalings are near and dear to Mario veterans such as myself, but really, they're just as much of young Bowser clones as B.J. is. Not that I don't like the Koopalings; I adore them, but it's only because I grew up with them.
Although... I suppose one can derive personalities for the Koopalings AND B.J. based on their actions in different games. For instance, in the rare jewel that is Yoshi's Safari, Iggy invented all the robot mechas that the Koopa clan pilots. I think it's safe to assume that he's the egghead of the family (funny story, I used to call Iggy "Egghead" whenever I played SMB3 as a young'un, since I didn't know his real name; I blame the giant glasses on his sprites). Although, I'm not totally sure if that's just info from the manual, as I've never played the game. Perhaps a better example would be that Roy and Ludwig have got to be the two eldest siblings, because they were the biggest Koopalings in SMB3, plus they were the only ones that sent shockwaves when they jumped up and down - ergo, size plus weight equals older Koopalings. You might argue this isn't so because younger siblings can be bigger than their older ones; just look at Mario and Luigi. But the Marioverse is a very cartoony world, and while many rules of logic do not apply because of this, there are certain strict guidelines: Bowser is a huge Koopa, and he is an adult. In more current games, he too sends shockwaves when he jumps. Ludwig and Roy are almost his size (see SMB3 sprites), and they send shockwaves. Badda bing bang boom, they're the eldest. Because in a game series aimed for children, you need to keep certain things simple. And don't give me any Lemmy's Land arguments. I do not, nor will I ever, accept Joe Lemmy's vision of the Marioverse. (Eldstar help me for sending my Scribble to that website... never again.)
I guess my point to all this... is this: until NOJ gives B.J. an actual personality, I'll continue to find him as annoying as Petey Piranha (who, incidentally, has continued to appear in every Mario game since Sunshine, exactly like B.J.). And until NOJ gives real personalities to the Koopalings, they will not be much better than B.J. as far as their purpose. I love the original seven, and I love making up my own personalities for them, but the truth still remains.
To end this article on a positive note, imagine what it would have been like if Iggy were in Luigi's place during that infamous scene from the Super Mario World cartoon:
Magikoopa: Watch where you're going, Egghead!
Iggy (or "Hip"): Who are you calling an egghead, eggface?!
Magikoopa: You! *raises wand*
Hip: KING DAD!!
King Koopa: *pops up out nowhere* Magikoopa, you're fired.
Magikoopa: Aw, crap.
... If you didn't think that was funny, it's okay - I know I'm not a funny person. But at least I try.
EDIT: Great galloping Goombas! Looks like I DID make a previous post this year... but I saved it as a draft by mistake! *slaps forehead* Oh well, I'll just go publish it now...
EDIT2: ... AND it turns out I never finished the stupid thing. Darn it. Maybe in a future article...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Monday, November 19, 2007
The Donkey Kong Debate!
So I was reading an article at Coin Heaven, discussing various villains in the Marioverse. On the list was Donkey Kong, and the article happened to mention the subject that has become an everlasting debate between Mario fans and DK fans alike: was Cranky Kong the original Donkey Kong from the arcade game, or is our current red-tie-wearing DK the original?
In the game Donkey Kong Country, and even in the game manual, there are references to Cranky being the original Donkey Kong that Mario faced off against to save his then-girlfriend, Pauline. In fact, there were continuing references throughout the DKC series that Cranky was the original DK. Also, right up until Donkey Kong 64, Cranky was the current DK's grandfather. However, in DK64, Cranky refers to DK as his son.
Now, here's the thing: DK64 and the DKC series was developed by video game company Rare, Ltd. Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong and Mario's creator, didn't appreciate what Rare had done to DK. Donkey Kong was originally meant to be a villain, and making him a hero was not at all appealing to Miyamoto. Back when he first came up with the Donkey Kong arcade game, the concept was inspired by the comic / cartoon, "Popeye," which he even made a game for. In those days, Mario was known as Jumpman - a regular, everyday guy who happens to possess a special ability. For Popeye, it was super-strength, enhanced by eating a can of spinach. For Jumpman, it was the ability to jump really high, and to become more powerful by wielding a hammer. Pauline was in the role of Olive Oyl - both women were girlfriends of the protagonist and were soon-to-be damsels in distress. As for Donkey Kong, he was in the role of Bluto - both man and ape were big, brutish characters who kidnapped the leading lady, and it would be up to the protagonist to get them back.
So Miyamoto's beef with Rare's concept of DK was, quite simply, that DK being a hero was like making Bluto a hero!
As if that weren't enough, the praise for Donkey Kong Country's graphics - pre-rendered sprites, a first for the SNES - caused pressure against Miyamoto to create a Mario game with similar graphics. However, Miyamoto didn't think very highly of the game, stating, "Donkey Kong Country proves that players will put up with mediocre gameplay as long as the art is good." (Though he later apologized for this comment, it could very well be that it was influenced by his resentment of what they did to his character.) So instead, he retaliated by creating a crayon-like theme for the graphics in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. As one might imagine, the whole incident could not have helped Shigeru's opinion of Rare.
So, after Rare was bought out by Microsoft, Nintendo got to keep all the characters in the Donkey Kong universe, since DK was originally Nintendo's character. Possibly as a means of straying from the Rare continuum, games such as Mario vs. Donkey Kong had claimed that the current Donkey Kong was, and always has been, the original. However, in Mario Superstar Baseball, DK's bio states that Cranky Kong is DK's ancestor, and Cranky was the original Donkey Kong. It's not impossible that Miyamoto tried to make current DK the one and only DK. But why, then, would he not uphold this policy for Mario Superstar Baseball? A question that will probably not be answered for a long time.
Adding to the confusion is the ever-mysterious Donkey Kong, Jr. DK Jr. first appeared in Donkey Kong Junior, where Mario was the villain, and DK Jr. had to rescue Donkey Kong, his father, from a cage. What makes DK Jr. so mysterious is that no one knows exactly who he is! If Cranky was the original Donkey Kong, and the current DK was his grandson, then DK Jr. would be current DK's dad! Which, incidentally, would make DK Jr.'s appearance alongside DK in Mario Tennis pretty awkward. However, if Cranky was the original DK, and current DK was his son, then DK Jr. would be a younger version of current DK! This makes the Mario Tennis thing less awkward, seeing how Baby Mario, Mario's younger self, also appears in this game. It would also make more sense, seeing how DK Jr. appears in Super Mario Kart in 1992, two years before current DK first appeared in Donkey Kong Country. DK could have easily matured a bit since SMK and swapped the unitard for his snazzy tie. On still another hand, if current DK is the original Donkey Kong, the DK Jr. is his son! But if that was true, who is the mother? Candy Kong? (Not with that skinny body!)
And then there's the newest addition to the DK crew, Baby Donkey Kong. In Yoshi's Island DS, Yoshi and his fellow Yoshies, along with Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby DK, Baby Wario, and Baby Bowser, go on a mission to rescue Baby Luigi. The big debate over Baby DK is whether he's the baby version of Cranky, or the baby version of current Donkey Kong. It may very well be the latter - the red, monogrammed bib around Baby DK's neck gives it away - but even if it was, we still wouldn't know if Baby DK grew up to become DK Jr. or not!
It's quite a conundrum, wouldn't you agree?
So, let me present to you my opinion on this matter.
Cranky is simply too old and wrinkled to be DK's father. As for Cranky's now-deceased wife, Wrinkly, she was always too old to be DK's mother. Besides, if Cranky and Wrinkly were really DK's parents, why doesn't DK ever call them "Dad" and "Mom?" Not even in the DKC animated series, where Cranky is reffered to as DK's father, does DK ever call him "Dad." Besides, how can an ape age so fast when Mario is as young as he was when he and the original DK first appeared? I'd prefer to think of Cranky and Wrinkly as DK's grandparents. And yet... the idea of someone as bitter and cynical as Cranky being DK's father would be funny. And it would certainly clear up the idea of who DK Jr. was. As for Baby DK, I think he's the current DK as a baby. Come on, the bib, the tie? The original DK didn't wear a tie, or anything else that was monogrammed. While I'm on the subject, DK Jr.'s unitard has a big red "J" monogrammed on the front, which he's always had. It could very well be that current DK has always had a penchant for monogramming his clothes. But why would DK change between his initials and "J?" Maybe for the same reason Baby Bowser was called King Bowser in Yoshi's Island and Prince Bowser in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
So, in summary: I believe Cranky is the original Donkey Kong. Baby DK is his son, who grew up to be DK Jr., who grew up to be the current Donkey Kong. Cranky probably aged quickly for the same reason Kid from Mario Golf GBC and Mario Golf Advance aged so quickly compared to Mario and the other characters.
Whatever you choose to believe on this matter is entirely up to you. Well, I hope you appreciated that mess of text and hyperlinks, because this took me hours to write! Goodnight, everybody!
In the game Donkey Kong Country, and even in the game manual, there are references to Cranky being the original Donkey Kong that Mario faced off against to save his then-girlfriend, Pauline. In fact, there were continuing references throughout the DKC series that Cranky was the original DK. Also, right up until Donkey Kong 64, Cranky was the current DK's grandfather. However, in DK64, Cranky refers to DK as his son.
Now, here's the thing: DK64 and the DKC series was developed by video game company Rare, Ltd. Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong and Mario's creator, didn't appreciate what Rare had done to DK. Donkey Kong was originally meant to be a villain, and making him a hero was not at all appealing to Miyamoto. Back when he first came up with the Donkey Kong arcade game, the concept was inspired by the comic / cartoon, "Popeye," which he even made a game for. In those days, Mario was known as Jumpman - a regular, everyday guy who happens to possess a special ability. For Popeye, it was super-strength, enhanced by eating a can of spinach. For Jumpman, it was the ability to jump really high, and to become more powerful by wielding a hammer. Pauline was in the role of Olive Oyl - both women were girlfriends of the protagonist and were soon-to-be damsels in distress. As for Donkey Kong, he was in the role of Bluto - both man and ape were big, brutish characters who kidnapped the leading lady, and it would be up to the protagonist to get them back.
So Miyamoto's beef with Rare's concept of DK was, quite simply, that DK being a hero was like making Bluto a hero!
As if that weren't enough, the praise for Donkey Kong Country's graphics - pre-rendered sprites, a first for the SNES - caused pressure against Miyamoto to create a Mario game with similar graphics. However, Miyamoto didn't think very highly of the game, stating, "Donkey Kong Country proves that players will put up with mediocre gameplay as long as the art is good." (Though he later apologized for this comment, it could very well be that it was influenced by his resentment of what they did to his character.) So instead, he retaliated by creating a crayon-like theme for the graphics in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. As one might imagine, the whole incident could not have helped Shigeru's opinion of Rare.
So, after Rare was bought out by Microsoft, Nintendo got to keep all the characters in the Donkey Kong universe, since DK was originally Nintendo's character. Possibly as a means of straying from the Rare continuum, games such as Mario vs. Donkey Kong had claimed that the current Donkey Kong was, and always has been, the original. However, in Mario Superstar Baseball, DK's bio states that Cranky Kong is DK's ancestor, and Cranky was the original Donkey Kong. It's not impossible that Miyamoto tried to make current DK the one and only DK. But why, then, would he not uphold this policy for Mario Superstar Baseball? A question that will probably not be answered for a long time.
Adding to the confusion is the ever-mysterious Donkey Kong, Jr. DK Jr. first appeared in Donkey Kong Junior, where Mario was the villain, and DK Jr. had to rescue Donkey Kong, his father, from a cage. What makes DK Jr. so mysterious is that no one knows exactly who he is! If Cranky was the original Donkey Kong, and the current DK was his grandson, then DK Jr. would be current DK's dad! Which, incidentally, would make DK Jr.'s appearance alongside DK in Mario Tennis pretty awkward. However, if Cranky was the original DK, and current DK was his son, then DK Jr. would be a younger version of current DK! This makes the Mario Tennis thing less awkward, seeing how Baby Mario, Mario's younger self, also appears in this game. It would also make more sense, seeing how DK Jr. appears in Super Mario Kart in 1992, two years before current DK first appeared in Donkey Kong Country. DK could have easily matured a bit since SMK and swapped the unitard for his snazzy tie. On still another hand, if current DK is the original Donkey Kong, the DK Jr. is his son! But if that was true, who is the mother? Candy Kong? (Not with that skinny body!)
And then there's the newest addition to the DK crew, Baby Donkey Kong. In Yoshi's Island DS, Yoshi and his fellow Yoshies, along with Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby DK, Baby Wario, and Baby Bowser, go on a mission to rescue Baby Luigi. The big debate over Baby DK is whether he's the baby version of Cranky, or the baby version of current Donkey Kong. It may very well be the latter - the red, monogrammed bib around Baby DK's neck gives it away - but even if it was, we still wouldn't know if Baby DK grew up to become DK Jr. or not!
It's quite a conundrum, wouldn't you agree?
So, let me present to you my opinion on this matter.
Cranky is simply too old and wrinkled to be DK's father. As for Cranky's now-deceased wife, Wrinkly, she was always too old to be DK's mother. Besides, if Cranky and Wrinkly were really DK's parents, why doesn't DK ever call them "Dad" and "Mom?" Not even in the DKC animated series, where Cranky is reffered to as DK's father, does DK ever call him "Dad." Besides, how can an ape age so fast when Mario is as young as he was when he and the original DK first appeared? I'd prefer to think of Cranky and Wrinkly as DK's grandparents. And yet... the idea of someone as bitter and cynical as Cranky being DK's father would be funny. And it would certainly clear up the idea of who DK Jr. was. As for Baby DK, I think he's the current DK as a baby. Come on, the bib, the tie? The original DK didn't wear a tie, or anything else that was monogrammed. While I'm on the subject, DK Jr.'s unitard has a big red "J" monogrammed on the front, which he's always had. It could very well be that current DK has always had a penchant for monogramming his clothes. But why would DK change between his initials and "J?" Maybe for the same reason Baby Bowser was called King Bowser in Yoshi's Island and Prince Bowser in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
So, in summary: I believe Cranky is the original Donkey Kong. Baby DK is his son, who grew up to be DK Jr., who grew up to be the current Donkey Kong. Cranky probably aged quickly for the same reason Kid from Mario Golf GBC and Mario Golf Advance aged so quickly compared to Mario and the other characters.
Whatever you choose to believe on this matter is entirely up to you. Well, I hope you appreciated that mess of text and hyperlinks, because this took me hours to write! Goodnight, everybody!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Mario Galaxy Release! Mario and Sonic Release and Commercials!
Well, "Super Mario Galaxy" has been released, and not only that, but people who pre-registered their copies with Gamestop received a phonecall from Charles Martinet as Mario! The link will lead you to Kotaku.com with details about the phonecall, as well as a recording of the message! A friend of mine was fortunate enough to receive this call... which is why I am seriously considering pre-registering games from now on. -_-;
I don't have "Super Mario Galaxy" yet... mainly because I don't have a Wii! I am among the poor, unfortunate souls who have to wait until Christmas to receive the game. And the Wii, for that matter. ;_; When I do get it, expect a full, personal report. Of course, you'll find many reviews on the game already, all of which are giving the game outstanding ratings - according to GameRankings.com, its statistics have even topped the Zelda game "Ocarina of Time." (You can thank Waluigious for that link.)
Speaking of recent Mario releases, "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games" is also out, and with it, some funny commercials. The only one I've seen on television for myself is one featuring the song "Final Countdown" by Europe. Sadly, the only video for it I could find on YouTube is not the full commercial, and it's low-quality. I'll update later when a better version is uploaded.
Other commercials for the game are based around brief interviews with Mario and Sonic:
Hey, hey! No squish-a my head!
I'll be in my trailer! Uh, you don't have a trailer.
HEY! What's-a matta for you?!
Mario sounds really funny when he's mad. "SONIC, THIS IS THE LAST-A TIME!" XD Seriously, though, it takes a lot for Mario to get mad like that. Can you imagine the fights he and Sonic must have?
Mario: "You may have-a speed and-a youth, kid, but I've got lots-a experience under my belt!"
Sonic: "Oh, is that experience I see? I thought it was your old man potbelly!"
Mario: "Who are-a YOU calling-a old?! I'm-a not old!"
Sonic: "Oh, right, you're just youth-challenged."
Mario: "OH!! Oh, yeah?! Well, at least-a I know how to swim!"
Sonic: "You call what you do swimming? I played Super Mario Sunshine. The swimming mechanics in your game SUCK."
Mario: "Funny how that-a doesn't offend me. I know they-a suck."
Sonic: "Oh. Well... you're... you're a fatty-fat-fat-fat!"
Mario: "And you-a big, blue jerk with a bad-a hairdo!"
Sonic: "Hey, I was born with these spikes! And by the way, Princess Peach is UGLY!"
Mario: "Wha--what-a you say?!" *eye twitches*
Sonic: *takes a step back* "Uh-oh... I think I pushed a red button there..."
Mario: "Ooh, I'm-a kick-a you right in the tail, you!" *takes out his hammer*
Sonic: "WOAH!" *speeds off*
Mario: *chasing Sonic* "Come-a back-a here! You-a gonna win-a the gold medal for MOST BRUISES!" *starts cursing in Italian*
Sorry, Sonic lovers. I like Sonic, but nobody insults Peach without getting caught in Mario's warpath.
Speaking of Peach, and as a bonus to you, check out this Sega trailer for "Olympic Games." You get a nice close-up of her in the beginning... while she's swimming. Behold and drool, fanboys:
Peach is a mermaid! :D
I think it's cute that the competitors shake themselves off after being in the water. Look at Shadow when he does it! Emo Boy gets to be cute! He reminds me of a furry, black kitten after being out in the rain. Okay, so kittens don't shake, but could you honestly mistake Shadow to be a dog? Didn't think so. (By the way, if any of you have a pet named Shadow, I'd love to see a picture of it! A dog or a cat would be great, but any pet will do. I'm an animal freak. :3 ) I'm pretty excited about the swimming event, if only to see the flotation device strapped to Sonic's back. *snickers*
... I really, really need a Wii. ;_;
I don't have "Super Mario Galaxy" yet... mainly because I don't have a Wii! I am among the poor, unfortunate souls who have to wait until Christmas to receive the game. And the Wii, for that matter. ;_; When I do get it, expect a full, personal report. Of course, you'll find many reviews on the game already, all of which are giving the game outstanding ratings - according to GameRankings.com, its statistics have even topped the Zelda game "Ocarina of Time." (You can thank Waluigious for that link.)
Speaking of recent Mario releases, "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games" is also out, and with it, some funny commercials. The only one I've seen on television for myself is one featuring the song "Final Countdown" by Europe. Sadly, the only video for it I could find on YouTube is not the full commercial, and it's low-quality. I'll update later when a better version is uploaded.
Other commercials for the game are based around brief interviews with Mario and Sonic:
Hey, hey! No squish-a my head!
I'll be in my trailer! Uh, you don't have a trailer.
HEY! What's-a matta for you?!
Mario sounds really funny when he's mad. "SONIC, THIS IS THE LAST-A TIME!" XD Seriously, though, it takes a lot for Mario to get mad like that. Can you imagine the fights he and Sonic must have?
Mario: "You may have-a speed and-a youth, kid, but I've got lots-a experience under my belt!"
Sonic: "Oh, is that experience I see? I thought it was your old man potbelly!"
Mario: "Who are-a YOU calling-a old?! I'm-a not old!"
Sonic: "Oh, right, you're just youth-challenged."
Mario: "OH!! Oh, yeah?! Well, at least-a I know how to swim!"
Sonic: "You call what you do swimming? I played Super Mario Sunshine. The swimming mechanics in your game SUCK."
Mario: "Funny how that-a doesn't offend me. I know they-a suck."
Sonic: "Oh. Well... you're... you're a fatty-fat-fat-fat!"
Mario: "And you-a big, blue jerk with a bad-a hairdo!"
Sonic: "Hey, I was born with these spikes! And by the way, Princess Peach is UGLY!"
Mario: "Wha--what-a you say?!" *eye twitches*
Sonic: *takes a step back* "Uh-oh... I think I pushed a red button there..."
Mario: "Ooh, I'm-a kick-a you right in the tail, you!" *takes out his hammer*
Sonic: "WOAH!" *speeds off*
Mario: *chasing Sonic* "Come-a back-a here! You-a gonna win-a the gold medal for MOST BRUISES!" *starts cursing in Italian*
Sorry, Sonic lovers. I like Sonic, but nobody insults Peach without getting caught in Mario's warpath.
Speaking of Peach, and as a bonus to you, check out this Sega trailer for "Olympic Games." You get a nice close-up of her in the beginning... while she's swimming. Behold and drool, fanboys:
Peach is a mermaid! :D
I think it's cute that the competitors shake themselves off after being in the water. Look at Shadow when he does it! Emo Boy gets to be cute! He reminds me of a furry, black kitten after being out in the rain. Okay, so kittens don't shake, but could you honestly mistake Shadow to be a dog? Didn't think so. (By the way, if any of you have a pet named Shadow, I'd love to see a picture of it! A dog or a cat would be great, but any pet will do. I'm an animal freak. :3 ) I'm pretty excited about the swimming event, if only to see the flotation device strapped to Sonic's back. *snickers*
... I really, really need a Wii. ;_;
Monday, November 12, 2007
First Post! Mario Hybrid Baddies Discussion!
Hello! It's-a me, Melissa Mario Sister! Or just plain Melissa, whichever you prefer. Welcome to the blog. I'll make my self-introduction as brief as possible: I've been in the Mario online fandom for quite a few years now, as far back as 1999 or previous. I was a total n00b in those days, submitting crappy fanfiction left and right, yelling at smart-aleck mailbag staff at certain Mario sites (I'm looking at you, SM128 Central!), and even whining about how we couldn't submit our game ideas to Nintendo. Not to mention how disgusted I was at the time for how perverted some fans were - I wrote an article for NintendoLand ranting over this Luigi porn site I once found and how sick it made me. Yeah, I was kind of an idiot. ><; But, I have matured and hopefully have become a far better person than I was then. I wasn't intentionally an annoying runt who flared up whenever someone criticized Nintendo. Far from it. I was just trying to be a good Mario fan. Now I don't take things quite so seriously anymore. But I still love the Super Mario series to bits (and pixels, har-har), and I intend to be as big of a Mario fan as I can for years to come.
So, why did I make this blog? Well, it's because of this place: Waluigious, also a Mario blog. Am I trying to copy Artemendo's idea? Absolutely... not! The fact is, I love Waluigious. Its articles are great. But I have my own thoughts on the Mario series, too, stuff I often jot down in my humongous collection of spare notebooks. These thoughts are often scribbled out, or their pages are torn out and lost. And when I put my thoughts on the computer, they get lost among the numerous Microsoft Word and Notepad files I have. It's quite a jumbled mess. So when I saw Waluigious, I said to myself, "Self, what better way to get your thoughts about Mario organized than a blog?" So this little blog was born. Tada!
Well, now that I broke my promise about keeping my introduction brief, I might as well move on to today's topic. I was skimming through the archives of Waluigious when I happened upon an article that mentioned an enemy from Super Mario Land 2 - namely, Terekuribo. This critter is a cross between a Goomba and a Boo; essentially, a Goomba ghost (and you were wondering what happened to all those Goombas that Mario squished). Teresa is the Japanese name for a Boo, and Kuribo is the Japanese name for a Goomba, hence the name, and thus the assumption that Terekuribos are a hybrid species.
After thinking about it for a while, I remembered another hybrid enemy from the Mario series: Nokobon. While it is not implied anywhere that Nokobons are, in fact, a cross between a Koopa Troopa and a Bob-omb, they might as well be: Nokobons are turtles, they move back and forth on platforms just like a Red Koopa Troopa, and when you step on them, they retract into their shiny black shells and look not much more like a black orb... and then they explode. Bob-ombs are typically black-colored orbs, and of course they explode. In many of the Mario games, they typically explode if you jump on them, the exception of course being the USA version of SMB2, where they explode on their own after a certain period of time.
The Super Mario Wiki also reveals that the Nokobon has a cousin in Super Mario Land 2, Noko Bombette. While their descriptions are the same - turtles with bombs on their backs - and they could very well be the same creature with different names due to poor localization, the sprite for Noko Bombette looks less like a Koopa Troopa and more like a Buzzy Beetle. Noko Bombette could very well be a Buzzy Beetle/Bob-omb combination.
And then you have the conundrum that is Rocky Wrench from SMB3. What the heck is he?! He looks like a cross between a Koopa of some sort, and a Monty Mole. Only thing is, Monty Mole didn't even appear until Super Mario World! It may be that Rocky Wrench inspired the creation of Monty Mole. Their attacks are similar: Rocky Wrench pops up out of Doomships and throws wrenches at Mario or Luigi, then ducks back down. In games after SMW, Monty Mole throws rocks at Mario before ducking back down into the soil. They even looked similar in the beginning: in SMW, Monty Mole and their Mega Mole counterparts wore sunglasses, just like Rocky Wrench. Monty Mole eventually lost the sunglasses, revealing its slitted, Brock-from-Pokemon-like eyes. So if you wanted to explain Rocky Wrench in terms of the Marioverse, my theory would be that Rocky Wrenches are Monty Moles who have sworn allegiance to the Koopas, and therefore wear shells as a symbol of that... making them not really hybrids at all. More like... posers. As for Monty Moles and Mega Moles themselves, I would say that due to their mischievous nature, most of them don't work for Bowser, but are just wild creatures looking for a few laughs by attacking middle-aged plumbers. But that's just my impression.
So where am I going with this? Well, I was originally going to write down some of my own ideas for hybrid Mario enemies... but I honestly can't think of any right now, and I would say this entry is long enough already. Just take all this as something to ponder. Oh yeah, about all those Mario Wiki links - I promise I won't link to simple enemies like Goombas and Boos in the future, but you never know who may stumble across this blog, know who Mario is, and not know what a Goomba is. I swear, there are people who actually don't know. It's scary.
So, until next time - be like Mario and keep reaching for the stars! Ciao!
So, why did I make this blog? Well, it's because of this place: Waluigious, also a Mario blog. Am I trying to copy Artemendo's idea? Absolutely... not! The fact is, I love Waluigious. Its articles are great. But I have my own thoughts on the Mario series, too, stuff I often jot down in my humongous collection of spare notebooks. These thoughts are often scribbled out, or their pages are torn out and lost. And when I put my thoughts on the computer, they get lost among the numerous Microsoft Word and Notepad files I have. It's quite a jumbled mess. So when I saw Waluigious, I said to myself, "Self, what better way to get your thoughts about Mario organized than a blog?" So this little blog was born. Tada!
Well, now that I broke my promise about keeping my introduction brief, I might as well move on to today's topic. I was skimming through the archives of Waluigious when I happened upon an article that mentioned an enemy from Super Mario Land 2 - namely, Terekuribo. This critter is a cross between a Goomba and a Boo; essentially, a Goomba ghost (and you were wondering what happened to all those Goombas that Mario squished). Teresa is the Japanese name for a Boo, and Kuribo is the Japanese name for a Goomba, hence the name, and thus the assumption that Terekuribos are a hybrid species.
After thinking about it for a while, I remembered another hybrid enemy from the Mario series: Nokobon. While it is not implied anywhere that Nokobons are, in fact, a cross between a Koopa Troopa and a Bob-omb, they might as well be: Nokobons are turtles, they move back and forth on platforms just like a Red Koopa Troopa, and when you step on them, they retract into their shiny black shells and look not much more like a black orb... and then they explode. Bob-ombs are typically black-colored orbs, and of course they explode. In many of the Mario games, they typically explode if you jump on them, the exception of course being the USA version of SMB2, where they explode on their own after a certain period of time.
The Super Mario Wiki also reveals that the Nokobon has a cousin in Super Mario Land 2, Noko Bombette. While their descriptions are the same - turtles with bombs on their backs - and they could very well be the same creature with different names due to poor localization, the sprite for Noko Bombette looks less like a Koopa Troopa and more like a Buzzy Beetle. Noko Bombette could very well be a Buzzy Beetle/Bob-omb combination.
And then you have the conundrum that is Rocky Wrench from SMB3. What the heck is he?! He looks like a cross between a Koopa of some sort, and a Monty Mole. Only thing is, Monty Mole didn't even appear until Super Mario World! It may be that Rocky Wrench inspired the creation of Monty Mole. Their attacks are similar: Rocky Wrench pops up out of Doomships and throws wrenches at Mario or Luigi, then ducks back down. In games after SMW, Monty Mole throws rocks at Mario before ducking back down into the soil. They even looked similar in the beginning: in SMW, Monty Mole and their Mega Mole counterparts wore sunglasses, just like Rocky Wrench. Monty Mole eventually lost the sunglasses, revealing its slitted, Brock-from-Pokemon-like eyes. So if you wanted to explain Rocky Wrench in terms of the Marioverse, my theory would be that Rocky Wrenches are Monty Moles who have sworn allegiance to the Koopas, and therefore wear shells as a symbol of that... making them not really hybrids at all. More like... posers. As for Monty Moles and Mega Moles themselves, I would say that due to their mischievous nature, most of them don't work for Bowser, but are just wild creatures looking for a few laughs by attacking middle-aged plumbers. But that's just my impression.
So where am I going with this? Well, I was originally going to write down some of my own ideas for hybrid Mario enemies... but I honestly can't think of any right now, and I would say this entry is long enough already. Just take all this as something to ponder. Oh yeah, about all those Mario Wiki links - I promise I won't link to simple enemies like Goombas and Boos in the future, but you never know who may stumble across this blog, know who Mario is, and not know what a Goomba is. I swear, there are people who actually don't know. It's scary.
So, until next time - be like Mario and keep reaching for the stars! Ciao!
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