Character Sheet: Wario (Original Handhelds)

WARIO

Now, let's quickly go over the few new characters and those who need revision. It's probably no surprise that there are only a few of both in total:

1. Mario (Revision)
8. Koopa Troopa (Revision)
10. Goomba (Revision)
11. Piranha Plant (Revision)
12. Boo (Revision)
35. Princess Daisy
36. Wario
37. Tatanga
38. Captain Syrup

Hoo boy, we have some stuff to get through, and I can't even rely on the currently existing moveset to help sort it out, considering I'm pretty sure not a darn thing in Wario's moves was lifted from these games. So, I guess I'm pretty much out on my own with this one. Wario appears in Super Mario Land 2 as the villain, before completely hijacking the series and turning it into four total subsequent games entirely starring him. In Land 2, his boss battle consisted of him mimicking Mario's moves from the game, while the first Wario Land gave him a seemingly beefed up version of Mario's moveset with roided-up versions of the previous power-ups before Wario Land 2 and beyond gave him a new game concept of transformations occurring as a result of certain enemies' actions upon him.

In general, Wario is heavier and stronger than Mario. Rather than using skill and acrobatics, Wario often relies on brute strength to get the job done, including an elbow rush seen in all four Wario Land games, as well as the ability to ground pound and cause an earthquake. He is also incredible durable, and tends to use the effects of other's attacks and turn them to his own gain. This can make him quite the versatile foe. I think, as he originated as a dark mirror to Mario, I might be able to use Mario's current moveset to sort out everything Wario brings to the table.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Shoulder Rush
Wario suddenly charges forward with his elbow, knocking everyone and everything out of his way. This is based on his most common offensive moves in the game.

Side B: Enemy Effect
This move mirrors Mario's current Side B, which allows him to access a number of power-ups that cause different effects on him. These can include Fiery (which lights Wario on fire for a time), Fat (which makes him heavier and more powerful), Drunk (which surrounds him in a cloud of noxious gas), Vampire (which lets him flutter around the stage as a bat), and Zombie (which makes him impervious to harm). An enemy known for inflicting these states will appear briefly to cause it.

Up B: Spring
Wario will gain the bouncy state that he often receives after being smacked with a hammer and bounce high into the air. (This is probably the closest to anything in his current moveset, so it works).

Down B: Earthquake
Wario will do a heavy butt bash, shaking the stage and burying anyone in the immediate vicinty.

Final Smash: Boss Rush
Big Bird, Sewer Rat, the Witch, and the Octopus from Super Mario Land 2 will appear on screen, Sewer Rat, speeding back and forth across the stage, Big Bird swooping from above, the Witch casting fire on the stage, and the Octopus spawning smaller octopi to attack, all together creating massive havoc for the players. Yeah, that sounds fun.

Entrance: crashing in his jetplane from Wario Land 3?

Taunts: maybe I should have saved the drunk stage for this. Also, his seemingly bashful expression when Mario approaches him in Land 2. And maybe when he throws a shoe at the end of the battle.

Thanks for reading! Next time, let's check out the long forgotten villain of Super Mario Land: Tatanga!