Birdo

Reaching the end of their first level, Mario and friends encounter a strange dinosaur firing eggs from its mouth, that seems to be the guardian of the Eagle Gates that serve as portals to the next level. They would go on to face this creature many times, every time they approached one of said gates.

This is Birdo, or perhaps Birdetta or Catherine, possibly one of video gaming’s first trans characters, if Nintendo ever develops any consistency on the character. Although she would never take up her Subconian role as Eagle Gate guardian again, she would become a staple of the Mario series, cropping up as playable in sporting games, acting as a boss here and there, or simply having random appearances that only loosely tie into the story of the game.

In game, she will be a bit on the heavy and slow side, though only moderately so. Her moves will have a dramatic feminine flair to them, mirroring her typical characterization. Her moves will pull from her egg-shooting first appearance, her various boss fights, and her various musical performances seen in RPGs. She also has wings, according to the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! so those will likely come into play as well.

Likelihood rating: Strong

Mario Party Superstars

MARIO PARTY SUPERSTARS

For as big a deal as this game was and as hype as it is, this blog is actually going to be really easy. Literally everything in it comes from something that we covered before. Our playable characters include Mario and Luigi, Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina, Yoshi and Birdo, Wario and Waluigi, and Donkey Kong. We have only five game boards pulling from the first three Mario Party games, specifically Peach's Birthday Cake and Yoshi's Tropical Island from 1, Space Land and Horror Land from 2, and Woody Woods from 3. Then we have a bunch of minigames brought back from every game in the series. Toad returns as the host, Boo returns in his old mechanic, Bowser plays the boss and Bowser Jr. fills the Koopa Kid role, Koopa acts as your tutorial, and Toadette holds the stars. That's pretty much it.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario

Luigi

Peach

Daisy

Rosalina

Toad

Bowser

Donkey Kong

Diddy Kong

Dixie Kong

Cranky Kong

King K. Rool

Yoshi

Birdo

Wario

Waluigi

Mushroom King

Wooster

Toadofski

Stages:

Kero Sewers

Tadpole Pond

Kongo Jungle

Kremling Isle

Peach's Birthday Cake

Yoshi's Tropical Island

Horror Land

Space Land

Woody Woods

Thanks for reading! Now, this would be the point I'd do a bunch of character sheets. We have no characters to add though, so . . . on to the merchandise!

Fortune Street

FORTUNE STREET

Fortune Street is a console sequel to Itadaki Street DS, and once again a crossover between Mario and Dragon Quest. The gameplay is mostly the same, and largely part of a different series entirely, one we will cover at a later date. All eleven characters on both sides return, plus two more for each: Diddy Kong and Bowser Jr. on the Mario side, and Patty and Stella on the Dragon Quest side (Again, don't really know who they are, but my assumption is party members). Many of the stages return with a couple of newbies: Starship Mario and Good Egg Galaxy from the Super Mario Galaxy games (I'm guessing it was a recent release at the time), and the Observatory and Alltrades Abbey from Dragon Quest.

That's about it! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario: hammer, bombs, drop drum, golden hammer, pink (enemy), blue (block), yellow (metal plate), green (brick), Kanbank, throw Koopa shells, chisel, pinball, dance

Luigi: same, dance

Princess Peach

Bowser, dance

Foreman Spike: push, best option for a gimmick character, see all above

Wario: chisel, dance

Toad

Yoshi

Donkey Kong

Daisy

Waluigi: dance, steal music keys

Birdo

Diddy Kong

Toadette

Toadsworth

Bowser Jr.

Petey Piranha

Koopa Troopa

Goomba

Shy Guy

Boo

Cheep Cheep

Bob-Omb

Lakitu

Pokey

Chain Chomp

Monty Mole

Ukiki

Eggplant Man: run around

Gotchawrench: run around

Slime

Platypunk

Bianca

Angelo

Jessica

Alena

Kiryl

Carver

Pudding/Princessa

Yangus

Dragonlord

Stella

Patty

Onigiri

Onnanoko

Oyazi

Dogu

Tutankoopa: float, spell

Stages:

Wrecking Crew

High Rise Building

Mario Paint

Clash House Tower

Fun Fair

Frosty Frontier

Grassy Greens

Shifting Sands

Fiery Stage

Truffle Towers

SS Brass

Corkscrew Hotel

Wario Carnival

Snowy Peak

Bowser's Castle

Yoshi's Island

Bowser's Castle

Mario Stadium

Mario Circuit

Peach's Castle

Delfino Plaza

Mushroom Kingdom

Castle Trodain

Mt. Magmageddon

Colossus

Ghost Ship

Slimenia

Alefgard

Robbin' Hood Ruins

Starship Mario

Good Egg Galaxy

Observatory

Alltrades Abbey

Items:

Hammers

Bombs

Drums

Blocks

Shells

Mahjong Tiles

Pinball Machine

Music Keys

Thanks for reading! Now, let's cover Super Mario Maker!

Itadaki Street DS

ITADAKI STREET DS

Itadaki Street DS is a crossover game between Nintendo's Mario series and Square Enix's Dragon Quest series. The game itself is a part of the Itadaki Street series of games which is sort of a mishmash between Monopoly and Mario Party. Basically, you have a board loaded up with shop squares that you can buy, and then charge others rent for if they land on them, mixed in with a bunch of other squares that mix the game up a bit. For instance, some boost the money you can make from a square, some let you draw a chance card, some make a square inactive for a turn so that the owner can't charge rent, some that let you move to a new location, and casino spaces that let you play a quick minigame to earn some cash. If you've played Monopoly, it's basically that, but EXTREME!

Much like the Mario and Sonic series, the game features an equal roster of representatives from both series, eleven respectively. The Mario side includes: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Yoshi, Birdo, Donkey Kong, Wario, Waluigi, and Bowser. On the Dragon Quest side, we have Slimes and Platypunks, Bianca, Angelo, Jessica, Alena, Kiryl, Carver, Pudding, and Yangus, and the Dragonlord. I'm not particularly familiar with the Dragon Quest, so I'm only vaguely recognize some of those names and designs (like Slimes, Bianca, Angelo, and Jessica), but I'm fairly certain that Slimes and Platypunks are both common enemy types, the Dragonlord is either a villain or the series villain, and the rest are all party members from various games. Either way, this game is not really about any character's specific playstyle, so there's not really a whole lot to cover in that regard.

We have a few stages, mostly images and scenes from the two series with the monopoly board hovering in the air above. On the Mario side, we have Yoshi's Island, Bowser's Castle, Mario Stadium (baseball), Mario Circuit, Peach's Castle, Delfino Plaza, and Mushroom Kingdom (the original Super Mario Bros. game). On the Dragon Quest side, we have Castle Trodain, Mt. Magmageddon, Colossus, Ghost Ship, Slimenia, Alefgard, and Robbin' Hood Ruins. Once again, I'm not particularly familiar with any of these locations, but, hey, when I get to Square Enix and Dragon Quest specifically, I can say "Hey, I know that place!"

That's pretty much it! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario: hammer, bombs, drop drum, golden hammer, pink (enemy), blue (block), yellow (metal plate), green (brick), Kanbank, throw Koopa shells, chisel, pinball, dance

Luigi: same, dance

Princess Peach

Bowser, dance

Foreman Spike: push, best option for a gimmick character, see all above

Wario: chisel, dance

Toad

Yoshi

Donkey Kong

Daisy

Waluigi: dance, steal music keys

Birdo

Diddy Kong

Toadette

Toadsworth

Bowser Jr.

Petey Piranha

Koopa Troopa

Goomba

Shy Guy

Boo

Cheep Cheep

Bob-Omb

Lakitu

Pokey

Chain Chomp

Monty Mole

Ukiki

Eggplant Man: run around

Gotchawrench: run around

Slime

Platypunk

Bianca

Angelo

Jessica

Alena

Kiryl

Carver

Pudding

Yangus

Dragonlord

Onigiri

Onnanoko

Oyazi

Dogu

Tutankoopa: float, spell

Stages:

Wrecking Crew

High Rise Building

Mario Paint

Clash House Tower

Fun Fair

Frosty Frontier

Grassy Greens

Shifting Sands

Fiery Stage

Truffle Towers

SS Brass

Corkscrew Hotel

Wario Carnival

Snowy Peak

Bowser's Castle

Yoshi's Island

Bowser's Castle

Mario Stadium

Mario Circuit

Peach's Castle

Delfino Plaza

Mushroom Kingdom

Castle Trodain

Mt. Magmageddon

Colossus

Ghost Ship

Slimenia

Alefgard

Robbin' Hood Ruins

Items:

Hammers

Bombs

Drums

Blocks

Shells

Mahjong Tiles

Pinball Machine

Music Keys

Thanks for reading! Now, let's cover the game's sequel Fortune Street!

Mario Party 9

MARIO PARTY 9

Mario Party 9 is the next game in the series, rather notorious for being the introducer of a certain very unpopular game mechanic, but more on that later. The game also tosses out the whole stepping stone roster thing it had going, shaking up and building on the previous roster every two game, with only Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Wario, Waluigi, and Toad returning, Toadette, Boo, Dry Bones, Hammer Bro, and Blooper being dropped, and Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy, and Magikoopa (or Kamek) being added in. The game follows the story of the characters watching shooting stars before they see Bowser sucking them all up and going after him to get them back.

Now for the elephant in the room. Rather than letting the characters move around the board on their own, this game introduced a special car that all four characters had to ride in together. Much and more has been said on this topic since its introduction, so I won't go into it here. The spaces are a bit different, with green, red, blue, and other such color spaces appearing, but with a slight variation on it. Blue spaces generally just mean something good for the player, reds are something bad, greens are pure neutral, yellow spaces cause minigames, and white spaces give you stars, generally speaking. While items this time are basically narrowed down to different dice blocks that help or hinder your progress.

Our stages this time include: Toad Road, a more-or-less basic Mario level; Bob-Omb Factory, a factory level; Boo's Horror Castle, a haunted house level; Blooper Beach, a water level; Magma Mine, an underground lava level; Bowser Station, an outer space level; and DK's Jungle Ruins, a more DKC Returns-themed stage. Each of these comes with both a mid-level boss and final boss: Lakitu and Wiggler for Toad Road; Whomp and King Bob-Omb for Bob-Omb Factory; Dry Bones and King Boo for Boo's Horror Castle; Cheep Cheep and Blooper for Blooper Beach; Spike and Chain Chomp for Magma Mine; Bowser Jr. and Bowser for Bowser Station; and Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong for DK's Jungle Ruins; against whom you'll have to play a specialized minigame.

Across the 78 minigames, you will: bounce on clouds, chop wood, roll balls, launch rockets, count Goombas, fly Bullet Bills, swim, climb a chain, platform, skip rope, avoid Mechakoopas, put together a jigsaw puzzle, grow vines, ride dolphins, butt bash, climb a wall, pull vegetables, play cards, hide, slip on ice, bowl, escape a haunted house, fire cannons, float in a bubble, paint, drive snowmobiles, feed Piranhas, open treasure chests, fish, balance, avoid Thwomps, look through binoculars, eat pizza, control fire jets, draw in sand, roll boulders, play football, drive cars, whack Monty Moles, sled, drive a mech, pop balloons, run a maze, climb on a cage, play Bumper Cars, and pedal. The boss minigames see Lakitu throwing Spinies, Whomp slamming down, Dry Bones playing cards?, Cheep Cheep just kinda swimming around, Spike tossing spike balls, Bowser Jr. piloting a giant robot, Diddy Kong shooting barrels, Wiggler storming around, King Bob-Omb throwing bombs, King Boo playing Bejeweled?, Blooper swimming around, Chain Chomp rolling, Bowser throwing blocks, and Donkey Kong collecting bananas. Most of that's pretty standard.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Gimmick Rep: play music, fight in a giant bubble, run on a conveyor belt, run up a tower, collect coins, snowboard, make a picture, look for ghosts, collect honey, shoot targets, smack Pokeys with a hammer, zap opponents, drive karts, pop a balloon, stop a clock, throw darts, do math, avoid bombs, spray water, shoot balloons, avoid a spinner, drive tanks, use a flashlight, use a slot machine, use a pickaxe, bounce on a pogo stick, run on a wheel, box with a giant robot, avoid a shark, avoid Bullet Bills, fly a bug, ground pound, work through a maze, play cards, pull crops, hop around, fly, roll a ball, shoot Piranha Plants, match puzzle pieces, shoot Piders, fly helicopters, avoid getting smacked by Monty Mole, get through a maze of pipes, drive a boat, avoid Cheep Cheeps, squash Goombas, run from Ukikis, jump across platforms, make smoothies, row a kayak, jump rope, throw hammers, ride rocking horses, fix pipes, play hot potato with a bomb, jump over barrels, climb vines, slide down a slide, collect bananas, roll on barrels, avoid Mechakoopas, open treasure chests, climb a wall, play air hockey, fight Bowser, capsule, spacesgraffiti, playing baseball, punching a statue, water skiing, raising a flag, cleaning a Chomp, driving karts, steering a leaf, platforming, shaking soda, setting a clock, driving a scooter, protecting an Ukiki, snowboarding, walking a tightrope, catching coins, dropping bombs, flying a plane, shooting snow, jumping rope, playing football, playing bumper cars, rowing, shooting paint, decorating a cake, playing King on the Mountain, shooting Boos, stealing plants, shooting cards, flying a flying saucer, getting a boat's attention, swinging a lasso, driving a minecart, slaloming in a space station, shooting lava, building things, balancing on a ball, blowing up King Bob-Omb, running around a Mr. I, shooting basketballs, snipping a rope to not get flung by a catapult (my favorite), trying to stay on an iceberg, stamping, and fighting Bowser, vehicle, bounce on clouds, chop wood, roll balls, launch rockets, count Goombas, fly Bullet Bills, swim, climb a chain, platform, skip rope, avoid Mechakoopas, put together a jigsaw puzzle, grow vines, ride dolphins, butt bash, climb a wall, pull vegetables, play cards, hide, slip on ice, bowl, escape a haunted house, fire cannons, float in a bubble, paint, drive snowmobiles, feed Piranhas, open treasure chests, fish, balance, avoid Thwomps, look through binoculars, eat pizza, control fire jets, draw in sand, roll boulders, play football, drive cars, whack Monty Moles, sled, drive a mech, pop balloons, run a maze, climb on a cage, play Bumper Cars, pedal

MC Ballyhoo and Big Top: second block, third block, slowing the roll, spring, zap opponents, turn into a vampire, 8-bit version, tornado, trio of tiny clones, ball, stone block, Bullet Bill, Bowser, fiery dueler.

Mario: fireball

Luigi: fireball

Peach: flower

Daisy: flower

Wario: vacuum

Waluigi: vacuum

Yoshi: egg

Birdo: egg

Toad: mushrooms

Toadette: mushrooms

Boo: magic wand

Dry Bones: magic wand, play cards

Hammer Bro

Blooper: swim

Koopa

Shy Guy

Magikoopa

Diddy Kong: barrel cannons

Donkey Kong: bananas

Koopa Kid

Bowser Jr: giant robot

Bowser: throw blocks

Lakitu: throw spinies

Wiggler: charge

Whomp: slam

King Bob-Omb: throw bombs

King Boo: play Bejeweled

Cheep Cheep: swim

Spike: throw spike balls

Chain Chomp: roll

Stages:

MSS Sea Star

Grand Canal

Pagoda Peak

Pyramid Park

Neon Heights

Windmillville

Bowser's Enchanted Inferno

DK's Treetop Temple

Goomba's Booty Boardwalk

King Boo's Haunted Hideaway

Shy Guy's Perplex Express

Koopa's Tycoon Town

Bowser's Warped Orbit

Toad Road

Bob-Omb Factory

Boo's Horror Castle

Blooper Beach

Magma Mine

Bowser Station

DK's Jungle Ruins

Items:

Capsules

Candies

Dice Blocks

Thanks for reading! Next up, Mario Party 10!

Mario Party 8

MARIO PARTY 8

Here's where we start to mix things up a bit. Mario Party 8's roster all returns, exactly as they stood in the previous game, but this time with Hammer Bro and Blooper added in. The plot of the game is built around a special Star Carnival coming to town, hosted by the magical imp MC Ballyhoo and his talking hat Big Top. Bowser ends up stealing the Star Rod that acts as the final reward, and you then have to fight him for it. You know, pretty standard.

The spaces in this game are now big pavement blocks of various color instead of the little buttons from before, but they still serve the same functions, with blue, red, event, duel, challenge, Bowser, and DK spaces, alongside the new Lucky space that takes you to a special Lucky Area where every space is a blue space and a free star. Items and capsules this time are traded out with special magic candies. Red candies affect the dice block, including adding a second and third block and slowing the roll. Green candies transform the player for a single action, allowing them to spring to new areas, lets you zap opponents and make them lose coins, and turn you into a vampire to take others' coins. Yellow candies transform the player for a full turn, turning them into an 8-bit version, a tornado that blows opponents back to start, a trio of tiny clones, and a ball. Blue candies are more offense-oriented, turning them into a stone block to run through opponents, a Bullet Bill, Bowser, and a fiery version that automatically gets into duels. I think we can feel comfortable in saying what a moveset for Ballyhoo would pull from.

Our stages include: DK's Treetop Temple, a Donkey Kong-themed stage; Goomba's Booty Boardwalk, a beach stage; King Boo's Haunted Hideaway, a haunted house level; Shy Guy's Perplex Express, set on a train; Koopa's Tycoon Town, very Monopoly-inspired; and Bowser's Warped Orbit, set on a space station orbiting a sun. Outside of that, we have the carnival and the various tents within.

We have 73 minigames here this time, featuring our characters doing: graffiti, playing baseball, punching a statue, water skiing, raising a flag, cleaning a Chomp, driving karts, steering a leaf, platforming, shaking soda, setting a clock, driving a scooter, protecting an Ukiki, snowboarding, walking a tightrope, catching coins, dropping bombs, flying a plane, shooting snow, jumping rope, playing football, playing bumper cars, rowing, shooting paint, decorating a cake, playing King on the Mountain, shooting Boos, stealing plants, shooting cards, flying a flying saucer, getting a boat's attention, swinging a lasso, driving a minecart, slaloming in a space station, shooting lava, building things, balancing on a ball, blowing up King Bob-Omb, running around a Mr. I, shooting basketballs, snipping a rope to not get flung by a catapult (my favorite), trying to stay on an iceberg, stamping, and fighting Bowser.

That's about it! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Gimmick Rep: play music, fight in a giant bubble, run on a conveyor belt, run up a tower, collect coins, snowboard, make a picture, look for ghosts, collect honey, shoot targets, smack Pokeys with a hammer, zap opponents, drive karts, pop a balloon, stop a clock, throw darts, do math, avoid bombs, spray water, shoot balloons, avoid a spinner, drive tanks, use a flashlight, use a slot machine, use a pickaxe, bounce on a pogo stick, run on a wheel, box with a giant robot, avoid a shark, avoid Bullet Bills, fly a bug, ground pound, work through a maze, play cards, pull crops, hop around, fly, roll a ball, shoot Piranha Plants, match puzzle pieces, shoot Piders, fly helicopters, avoid getting smacked by Monty Mole, get through a maze of pipes, drive a boat, avoid Cheep Cheeps, squash Goombas, run from Ukikis, jump across platforms, make smoothies, row a kayak, jump rope, throw hammers, ride rocking horses, fix pipes, play hot potato with a bomb, jump over barrels, climb vines, slide down a slide, collect bananas, roll on barrels, avoid Mechakoopas, open treasure chests, climb a wall, play air hockey, fight Bowser, capsule, spacesgraffiti, playing baseball, punching a statue, water skiing, raising a flag, cleaning a Chomp, driving karts, steering a leaf, platforming, shaking soda, setting a clock, driving a scooter, protecting an Ukiki, snowboarding, walking a tightrope, catching coins, dropping bombs, flying a plane, shooting snow, jumping rope, playing football, playing bumper cars, rowing, shooting paint, decorating a cake, playing King on the Mountain, shooting Boos, stealing plants, shooting cards, flying a flying saucer, getting a boat's attention, swinging a lasso, driving a minecart, slaloming in a space station, shooting lava, building things, balancing on a ball, blowing up King Bob-Omb, running around a Mr. I, shooting basketballs, snipping a rope to not get flung by a catapult (my favorite), trying to stay on an iceberg, stamping, and fighting Bowser.

MC Ballyhoo and Big Top: second block, third block, slowing the roll, spring, zap opponents, turn into a vampire, 8-bit version, tornado, trio of tiny clones, ball, stone block, Bullet Bill, Bowser, fiery dueler.

Mario: fireball

Luigi: fireball

Peach: flower

Daisy: flower

Wario: vacuum

Waluigi: vacuum

Yoshi: egg

Birdo: egg

Toad: mushrooms

Toadette: mushrooms

Boo: magic wand

Dry Bones: magic wand

Hammer Bro

Blooper

Donkey Kong

Koopa Kid

Bowser

Stages:

MSS Sea Star

Grand Canal

Pagoda Peak

Pyramid Park

Neon Heights

Windmillville

Bowser's Enchanted Inferno

DK's Treetop Temple

Goomba's Booty Boardwalk

King Boo's Haunted Hideaway

Shy Guy's Perplex Express

Koopa's Tycoon Town

Bowser's Warped Orbit

Items:

Capsules

Candies

Thanks for reading! Next up, Mario Party 9, and, as I understand it, everyone's least favorite mechanic introduced to the franchise!

Mario Party 7

MARIO PARTY 7

Alright, Mario Party 7, let's do this! Mario Party 7 follows the previous trend in the series by having every odd-numbered game shake up the roster a bit. This time around, our original five Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and Wario all return, as well as Daisy and Waluigi from numbers 3 and 4, and Toad, Boo, and Toadette from 5 on 6. Koopa Kid sadly does not return, shifting over to a board space like Donkey Kong before him. I'm also fairly certain this is the last time we will ever see the character. (Barring any handhelds that came prior. I mean real world chronologically, not "this blog" chronologically). Birdo and Dry Bones are added in as brand-new characters, giving everyone in the game a go-to partner. The game takes place on a cruise ship hosted by Toadsworth, who takes you to various islands to partake in the games.

Our red, blue, event, duel, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and character spaces all return, alongside a Mic space for mic minigames and a Koopa Kid space where Koopa Kid will challenge you to a game. The Orbs return as items, with Mushrooms, Super Mushrooms, Slow Shrooms, Metal Shrooms, Flutter, cannons, Lakitu, bones, Hammer Bros, Piranha Plants, Kamek, Toadies, Mr. Blizzard, Spinies, Amps, Tweesters, Thwomps, Warp Pipes, and Bob-Ombs all returning, alongside Spear Guys who take money, Bandits who steal from a windmill (?), and Pink Boos who steal stars. There are also character-specific orbs for each of the partner pairs. Mario and Luigi throw fireballs, Peach and Daisy will use a flower to avoid traps, Yoshi and Birdo will turn obstacles in their path into eggs, Wario and Waluigi will use a vacuum to suck up coins from other players, Boo and Dry Bones will use a magic wand to turn invisible, and Toad and Toadette will use three mushrooms. A Koopa Kid orb will cause more Koopa Kid spaces to appear.

Our stages this time, besides the MSS Sea Star you'd be traveling around on, include: Grand Canal, an oceanside level; Pagoda Peak, a mountainous, stereotypically Chinese-themed stage; Pyramid Park, a desert level; Neon Heights, a futuristic sci-fi stage; Windmillville, a picturesque Yoshi's Island type of stage; and Bowser's Enchanted Inferno. You get that one.

Across Mario Party 7's 88 minigames, we see our heroes: play music, fight in a giant bubble, run on a conveyor belt, run up a tower, collect coins, snowboard, make a picture, look for ghosts, collect honey, shoot targets, smack Pokeys with a hammer, zap opponents, drive karts, pop a balloon, stop a clock, throw darts, do math, avoid bombs, spray water, shoot balloons, avoid a spinner, drive tanks, use a flashlight, use a slot machine, use a pickaxe, bounce on a pogo stick, run on a wheel, box with a giant robot, avoid a shark, avoid Bullet Bills, fly a bug, ground pound, work through a maze, play cards, pull crops, hop around, fly, roll a ball, shoot Piranha Plants, match puzzle pieces, shoot Piders, fly helicopters, avoid getting smacked by Monty Mole, get through a maze of pipes, drive a boat, avoid Cheep Cheeps, squash Goombas, run from Ukikis, jump across platforms, make smoothies, row a kayak, jump rope, throw hammers, ride rocking horses, fix pipes, play hot potato with a bomb, jump over barrels, climb vines, slide down a slide, collect bananas, roll on barrels, avoid Mechakoopas, open treasure chests, climb a wall, play air hockey, and fight Bowser.

That should be about it! Here's all we've got so far:

Characters:

Gimmick Rep: play music, fight in a giant bubble, run on a conveyor belt, run up a tower, collect coins, snowboard, make a picture, look for ghosts, collect honey, shoot targets, smack Pokeys with a hammer, zap opponents, drive karts, pop a balloon, stop a clock, throw darts, do math, avoid bombs, spray water, shoot balloons, avoid a spinner, drive tanks, use a flashlight, use a slot machine, use a pickaxe, bounce on a pogo stick, run on a wheel, box with a giant robot, avoid a shark, avoid Bullet Bills, fly a bug, ground pound, work through a maze, play cards, pull crops, hop around, fly, roll a ball, shoot Piranha Plants, match puzzle pieces, shoot Piders, fly helicopters, avoid getting smacked by Monty Mole, get through a maze of pipes, drive a boat, avoid Cheep Cheeps, squash Goombas, run from Ukikis, jump across platforms, make smoothies, row a kayak, jump rope, throw hammers, ride rocking horses, fix pipes, play hot potato with a bomb, jump over barrels, climb vines, slide down a slide, collect bananas, roll on barrels, avoid Mechakoopas, open treasure chests, climb a wall, play air hockey, fight Bowser, capsule, spaces

Mario: fireball

Luigi: fireball

Peach: flower

Daisy: flower

Wario: vacuum

Waluigi: vacuum

Yoshi: egg

Birdo: egg

Toad: mushrooms

Toadette: mushrooms

Boo: magic wand

Dry Bones: magic wand

Donkey Kong

Koopa Kid

Bowser

Stages:

MSS Sea Star

Grand Canal

Pagoda Peak

Pyramid Park

Neon Heights

Windmillville

Bowser's Enchanted Inferno

Items:

Capsules

Thanks for reading! Next up, Mario Party 8!

Mario Sports Superstars

 MARIO SPORTS SUPERSTARS

Now, going off the name, you'd think this game would be a sequel to Mario Sports Mix, maybe with more sports on top of the four already featured, maybe more Mario and Final Fantasy/Square Enix characters, so on. You would be wrong. In reality, it's more like a big combination game between all of the other Mario sports franchises. You know, the ones with sequels. You have tennis, golf, baseball, soccer/football, and . . . horse racing? Where you have to raise and train your own horse? Um . . . okay. I'm not sure where that one came from, but I guess I'm not complaining. Each sport plays pretty much the way each sport was played in the series proper, with special attacks and other fantastical elements that you would have come to expect from each. The horse racing, I guess, you could compare to Mario Kart, but much slower and generally more focused on avoiding or jumping over obstacles, as well as the simple raising and training mechanics within the pasture.

Our playable characters this time around include Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Wario, Waluigi, Rosalina, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Boo, Bowser, and Bowser Jr., with Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach as unlockable. For the team sports like football and baseball, you also have a number of sidekicks to fill up the team. These include Toads, Koopas, Magikoopas, Shy Guys, Goombas, Hammer Bros, Spikes, and Boom Boom and Pom Pom as goalies.

Each sport has four different stages that they can be played on. Tennis has a Grass Court, Hard Court, Clay Court, and a Night Court, most of which should be pretty familiar to Mario Tennis players. Golf has Emerald Woods (a standard course), Gold Links (a rougher course), Crystal Beach (a beach), and Wild Valley (the toughest course). Baseball has a Country Field, Town Park, Big Field set in a city, and a Harbor Park. Football has a Village Stadium, City Stadium, Kingdom Stadium, and a Grand Stadium. Finally, horse racing has Green Farm (where you start out), Cobalt Lake (going around a lake), Yellow Leaves Hill (set during Autumn), and Sky Peak (a mountainous course).

That's about it. Most of the items are mostly just accessories, like the balls, baseball bats, golf clubs, tennis racquets, and clothes for the horse.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario: fireball, Super Mario

Luigi: green fireball, tornado, Super Luigi, vacuum

Peach: heart ball, Freeze Frame

Daisy: flower ball, Crystal Smash

Yoshi: egg ball, rainbow ball, Egg Roll, flutter jump

Birdo: weird ball, suction, Extreme Egg, egg shot

Donkey Kong: banana ball, barrel, Thunder Wham, dunk, ground pound

Diddy Kong: boomerang ball, banana, Red Card, rocketbarrels

Wario: phony ball, Gas Mask, butt bash, bomb

Waluigi: liar ball, Wall-Luigi, cyclone spin, electricity machine

Bowser: killer ball, fire breath, Fire Storm

Bowser Jr.: killer jr. ball, paintbrush, Sonic Roar

Pianta

Noki

Monty Mole: Dirt Drill

Toad: Fire Meteor, mushrooms

Toadette

Toadsworth

Baby Mario

Baby Luigi

Shy Guy: Bullet Bill Blast

Dixie Kong: barrel cannon

Goomba

Paragoomba

Koopa: Shell Smash

Paratroopa: fly

Boo: Possess, teleport

King Boo

Petey Piranha: Mud Slinger, act as hoop

Magikoopa

Hammer Bro: Hammer Throw

Dry Bones: Shocker

Lakitu: hold hoop

Piranha Plant

Klaptrap

Chain Chomp

Thwomp

Baby Peach

Baby Daisy

Baby Donkey Kong

Funky Kong

Tiny Kong

King K. Rool

Wiggler

Blooper

Kritter: goalie

Super Team: football, goalie (Robo-Kritter), electric walls, items, Super Shots, Mega Strikes, Special Abilities, metal ball

Fly Guy: electric spear

Moogle: dance, teleport

Cactuar: needles

Ninja: leaf veil, shadow clones

White Mage: holy magic, light beam

Black Mage: meteor, lightning

Mii: energy ball

Slime: duplicates

Rosalina

Boom Boom

Pom Pom

Spike

Metal Mario

Pink Gold Peach

Boss:

Behemoth

Stages:

Mario Stadium

Peach Garden

Yoshi Park

Donkey Kong Jungle

Wario Palace

Bowser Castle

Toy Field

Baseball Kingdom

Peach Ice Garden

Wario City

Luigi's Mansion

Daisy Cruiser

Bowser Jr.'s Playroom

The Palace

Pipeline Central

The Underground

Konga Coliseum

Crater Field

The Battle Dome

Bowser Stadium

The Vice

Thunder Island

The Sand Tomb

The Classroom

The Lava Pit

The Wastelands

Crystal Canyon

The Dump

Stormship Stadium

Galactic Stadium

Mario Stadium

Koopa Beach

Peach Field

Sunset Beach

DK Cruiser

Luigi's Mansion

Daisy Garden

Malboro Garden

Wario Factory

Jr. Street

Bowser's Castle

Glare Desert

Sherbet Land

Bloocheep Sea

Pirate Ship

Rainbow Ship

DK Dock

Toad Park

Western Junction

Bowser Jr. Boulevard

Waluigi Pinball

Ghoulish Galleon

Behemoth's Domain

Grass Court

Hard Court

Clay Court

Night Court

Emerald Woods

Gold Links

Crystal Beach

Wild Valley

Country Field

Town Park

Big Field

Harbor Park

Village Stadium

City Stadium

Kingdom Stadium

Grand Stadium

Green Farm

Cobalt Lake

Yellow Leaves Hill

Sky Peak

Items:

Bat

Glove

Green Shell

Fireball

Mini-Boo

Bob-Omb

POW Ball

Banana Peel

Lightning Bolt

Red Shell

Blue Shell

Spiky Shell

Chain Chomp

False Panel

Freezie

Mimic

Mini Mushroom

Thanks for reading! Now that we're done with all of that, let's go over our character updates one more time!

Mario Super Sluggers

 MARIO SUPER SLUGGERS

Today, let's cover the sequel to Mario Superstar Baseball, and last full baseball game made. (Which is really a shame. I'd love to see a more modern game with Rosalina, a few Lumas, Nabbit, Pauline, Peachette, the Koopalings, a few Wario Ware characters and so on. This would be the game for it.) This game was made for the Wii, and as such made use of the Wiimote motion controls and all that, but all things considered, it was mostly the same game, same basic baseball mechanics if a little updated.

Our twelve captains all return, with much the same super moves except that Luigi now uses tornadoes instead of fire (not totally sure why, but okay), Yoshi's pitch uses rainbows, Birdo uses her sucking in and shooting abilities from her odd little mouth, Donkey Kong uses barrels now, Bowser uses his fire breath, and Bowser Jr. uses paint like in Super Mario Sunshine. All of the support characters return, alongside Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Baby Donkey Kong, Funky Kong, Tiny Kong, King K. Rool, Wiggler, Blooper, five more Yoshis, and four Kritters.

The story mode of the game takes place in the Baseball Kingdom, an island that features all of the main fields. These include: Mario Stadium, the same from before; Peach Ice Garden, an ice rink that someone had the bright idea to play baseball on; Yoshi Park, much the same; Wario City, a big Vegas-style city fitting of Wario; DK Jungle, very similar; Luigi's Mansion, a Luigi's Mansion-themed field; Daisy Cruiser, taking place on an ocean liner; Bowser Jr. Playroom, a giant toybox playroom type of level; and Bowser's Castle, very similar to the original.

There are a few more "item" items that you can use in gameplay, including a Green Shell, a Fireball, a Mini-Boo to turn the ball invisible, a Bob-Omb, a POW "Ball," a Banana Peel, and a Lightning Bolt. Most of these function the way you would think they do in a Mario game.

That's all we've got for now! Here's what we've got:

Characters:

Mario: fireball

Luigi: green fireball, tornado

Peach: heart ball

Daisy: flower ball

Yoshi: egg ball, rainbow ball

Birdo: weird ball, suction

Donkey Kong: banana ball, barrel

Diddy Kong: boomerang ball, banana

Wario: phony ball

Waluigi: liar ball

Bowser: killer ball, fire breath

Bowser Jr.: killer jr. ball, paintbrush

Pianta

Noki

Monty Mole

Toad

Toadette

Toadsworth

Baby Mario

Baby Luigi

Shy Guy

Dixie Kong

Goomba

Paragoomba

Koopa

Paratroopa

Boo

King Boo

Petey Piranha

Magikoopa

Hammer Bro

Dry Bones

Lakitu

Piranha Plant

Klaptrap

Chain Chomp

Thwomp

Baby Peach

Baby Daisy

Baby Donkey Kong

Funky Kong

Tiny Kong

King K. Rool

Wiggler

Blooper

Kritter

Stages:

Mario Stadium

Peach Garden

Yoshi Park

Donkey Kong Jungle

Wario Palace

Bowser Castle

Toy Field

Baseball Kingdom

Peach Ice Garden

Wario City

Luigi's Mansion

Daisy Cruiser

Bowser Jr.'s Playroom

Items:

Bat

Glove

Green Shell

Fireball

Mini-Boo

Bob-Omb

POW Ball

Banana Peel

Lightning Bolt

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's tackle the Mario football games, starting with Super Mario Strikers!

Mario Superstar Baseball

 MARIO SUPERSTAR BASEBALL

Take me out for a video game! Take me out for a round! Buy me a headset and controllers. I don't care if I ever get done. For it's root-toot-toot for the development team; if they messed it up, it's a sham. For it's one-two-three lives, you're dead in this old video game!

Press start!

Ahem, sorry about that. Couldn't resist. Today, we're covering Mario Superstar Baseball, one of the Mario series' two (full) forays into the sport of baseball. For the most part, the mechanics are all there, exactly what you'd expect from a baseball game. You have batters, pitchers, catchers, outfield, and infield. If you've watched a baseball game, you get the gist. Honestly, the most depressing thing here is that out of all the sports we've covered, baseball probably has the most to offer in terms of a Smash moveset but there's no real stand-out "Mario baseball" reps: no original characters like the RPG characters from the Golf and Tennis series. (That's okay though. It's not like this is the last time we'll encounter baseball in this blog series).

Speaking of characters, we have a butt-ton here, enough to make six full teams if you wanted. There are only twelve captains, each in pairs as the heads of the respective six teams. These include Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Wario, Waluigi, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. From there, the rest of the characters fill out each team, but can be mixed around any way you want them. On Mario and Luigi's team, we get three Piantas, three Nokis, and a Monty Mole. On Peach and Daisy's team, we get five Toads, Toadette, and Toadsworth. On Yoshi and Birdo's team, we have Baby Mario and Luigi, and five Shy Guys. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's team features a Goomba, Paragoomba, two Koopas, two Paratroopas, and Dixie Kong. Wario and Waluigi's team features a Boo, King Boo, Petey Piranha, and four Magikoopas. Finally, Bowser and Bowser Jr.'s team is filled out with three Hammer Bros. and four Dry Bones.

The captains all have special moves while pitching or batting, but most are pretty standard here. Mario and Luigi use fireballs, Peach and Daisy use hearts and flowers, Yoshi and Birdo's make it bounce around all weird (like an egg), Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong use bananas to make it rebound like a boomerang, Wario and Waluigi's make the ball go a different direction than you expect, and Bowser and Bowser Jr.'s turn the ball into a Bullet Bill. A lot of what you'd expect from most of these characters.

We have a number of stages, each correlating to a respective team. First we have Mario Stadium, a standard course that takes some inspiration from Sunshine (hence his team full of Piantas and Nokis). Then we have Peach Garden, a field set in her castle's shadow, with blocks floating in the air that disrupt the ball's course. Next is Yoshi Park, based on Yoshi games, with Piranha Plants cropping up here and there. We also have Donkey Kong Jungle, a jungle course with a river flowing through it and Klaptraps crawling out sometimes. Wario's is Wario Palace, a desert level with a Chain Chomp hazard. Finally, we have Bowser Castle, full of fireballs and lava and Thwomps that crush balls and players alike. There's also the Toy Field, a special field for practicing where you can collect coins based on where the ball lands.

There are items in the game, but they're mostly special bats and gloves you can purchase with coins rather than in-game items like in Mario Kart.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario: fireball

Luigi: green fireball

Peach: heart ball

Daisy: flower ball

Yoshi: egg ball

Birdo: weird ball

Donkey Kong: banana ball

Diddy Kong: boomerang ball

Wario: phony ball

Waluigi: liar ball

Bowser: killer ball

Bowser Jr.: killer jr. ball

Pianta

Noki

Monty Mole

Toad

Toadette

Toadsworth

Baby Mario

Baby Luigi

Shy Guy

Dixie Kong

Goomba

Paragoomba

Koopa

Paratroopa

Boo

King Boo

Petey Piranha

Magikoopa

Hammer Bro

Dry Bones

Lakitu

Piranha Plant

Klaptrap

Chain Chomp

Thwomp

Stages:

Mario Stadium

Peach Garden

Yoshi Park

Donkey Kong Jungle

Wario Palace

Bowser Castle

Toy Field

Items:

Bat

Glove

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover the game's sequel, Super Mario Sluggers!

Character Review: Mario Golf series

MARIO GOLF SERIES

There's not too much to say here. We'll have our golf gimmick reps, which we'll cover next, but outside of that we don't even really have any specialized individual moves to talk about (which is a surprise, I would think that that kind of mechanic might go hand in hand with this series). So let's just run through them, and that will be that.

Mario and Luigi both appear, alongside Mario variants such as Baby Mario, Metal Mario, and Gold Mario. Peach has always been a mainstay, and so has Daisy, and Rosalina made her debut in World Tour. Toad, strangely, got a bit of the short end of the stick with this series, being relegated to a mere support character for most of it until World Tour. (Sounds like his Smash representation all over again, except World Tour hasn't happened yet). Toadette joined him as DLC pretty shortly after.

Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Wario have all been pretty much a constant, with their partners such as Birdo, Diddy Kong, and Waluigi following not too far behind. As for our villains, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are constants, with Bowser Jr.'s Shadow Mario form also cropping up in Toadstool Tour. Petey Piranha has shown up once, as has Nabbit, and even Kamek in a rare playable appearance. Koopas, Boos, and Paratroopas are the only enemy characters to appear as playable so far.

As for that, our only "guest" character is the Miis this time around, but at this point, they're to be pretty much expected. A number of other random characters appear here and there, mostly as background and obstacles and such (like a Thwomp in the middle of the course that will crush your ball if it lands on it), but most of that is pretty basic stuff we've seen a million times before.

Thanks for reading! Next up, we will get into our newcomer gimmick reps, starting with Plum!

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

 MARIO GOLF: TOADSTOOL TOUR

Today, let's cover Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, the series' entry for the Game Cube. The game gets a bit more complex with its golf mechanics, allowing you to give the ball topspin or backspin, determining the direction it rolls once it lands, and gives you power shots under certain conditions. It also adds in a number of hazards such as wind and rain, pipes that transport your ball somewhere else, mushrooms that bounce your ball away, and enemies like Thwomps and Whomps that stomp on your ball and flatten it, or Piranha Plants that eat the ball and spit it somewhere else.

Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser all return from the previous game, with Daisy, Waluigi, Birdo, Diddy Kong, and Koopa joining on the base roster, and Bowser Jr., Shadow Mario, Petey Piranha (noticing some big Sunshine representation here), and Boo appear as unlockables. Like before, the RPG protagonists of the game's handheld counterpart can be transferred to the game, but we'll talk about them next time.

Our stages this time include Lakitu Valley, a generic course; Cheep Cheep Falls, a wooded area with a waterfall; Shifting Sands, a desert region; Blooper Bay, a beach area; Peach's Castle Grounds, featuring her castle in the middle; Bowser Badlands, a lava-filled course; and Congo Canopy, a DK-themed course.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:

Gimmick rep (Plum/Charlie/Sonny/Harry/Maple): swing club, hole, sand traps, hazards, topspin, backspin, power shot, more fantastical hazards

Kid/Sherry/Joe/Azalea (maybe the others): same

Mario

Luigi

Peach

Yoshi

Donkey Kong

Wario

Bowser

Baby Mario

Metal Mario

Daisy

Waluigi

Birdo

Diddy Kong

Koopa

Bowser Jr.

Boo

Shadow Mario

Petey Piranha

Toad

Stages:

Toad Highlands

Koopa Park

Shy Guy Desert

Yoshi's Island

Boo Valley

Mario's Star

Luigi's Garden

Peach's Castle

Marion Club

Palm Club

Dune Club

Links Club

Peach's Castle

Golf Guru's Pitch & Putt

Lakitu Valley

Cheep Cheep Falls

Shifting Sands

Blooper Bay

Peach's Castle Grounds

Bowser Badlands

Congo Canopy

Thanks for reading! Next up, we will cover this game's counterpart, Mario Golf: Advance Tour!

Mario Tennis (N64)

 MARIO TENNIS

Now, let's cover what most would consider the real start of the Mario Tennis franchise, the Nintendo 64 entry. The tennis in the game is a bit more complex than the tennis in the previous entry, adding in common tennis moves such as slices, drop, flat, and smash shots, and charges that give you a power-up (though not unique to any character at all). I'm not particularly an expert on the sport of tennis at all, but I think I got the general gist.

Our playable cast includes a bunch of Mario series regulars, most generally paired up with a built-in partner similar to Double Dash, given the whole singles and doubles thing to tennis, although its a bit looser than Double Dash. Mario has Luigi, Peach has Daisy, Donkey Kong has Donkey Kong Jr. (his only 3D appearance to my knowledge), Wario has Waluigi (created specifically for this game), Yoshi is paired up with Birdo for the first time, and then we have Toad, Baby Mario, Bowser, and the enemies Boo, Shy Guy, and Paratroopa without a super clear partner. We then also have the main RPG characters from the Game Boy game who can be transferred over if you have both games: Alex and Nina, and their partners Harry and Kate. (If you had any question as to the possible gimmick rep I've been considering . . .) We'll get to them in the next blog.

We don't really have any unique stages per se, as tennis courts come pretty standard, just with differences in the type of turf played on, which may impact the way the ball bounces off and such. These include open, hard, clay, grass, and composition courts, alongside courts with the various characters artwork displayed on them. There is also a Bowser Stage, where you play on a tennis court suspended over lava that tips from time to time.

This game features a few items as power-ups much like in the Mario Kart games. The banana peel will be deposited by your next ball wherever it lands, causing a potential hazard. The mushroom will give you a burst of speed on your shot. The lightning bolt will daze your opponent. The star will give you a power boost. The green shells will send three projectiles following the next hit, and the red shell will act as a homing missile. Generally, if you understand the Mario Kart items, these aren't too far off.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Tennis gimmick rep (Alex/Nina/Harry/Kate): serve, lob, top-spin, singles, doubles, slice, drop shot, flat shot, smash shot, charge shot, Banana, Mushroom, Lightning Bolt, Star, Green Shell, Red Shell

Mario

Luigi

Princess Peach

Toad

Yoshi

Koopa Troopa

Donkey Kong Jr.

Daisy

Baby Mario

Birdo

Donkey Kong

Wario

Waluigi

Bowser

Boo

Shy Guy

Paratroopa

Piranha Plant

Stages:

Tennis Court

Open Court

Hard Court

Clay Court

Grass Court

Composition Court

Bowser's Stage

Thanks for reading! Next up, we will cover the game's Game Boy counterpart!

Character Sheet: Birdo (Revision)

 BIRDO

This will largely be our last run of revisions, for the Mario series at least. Now that the RPGs are over, pretty much every game left is either something we've already covered for the most part (Remakes, etc.), or run on a core game mechanic not unique to any one character (the Sports games). So, once these are done, I will do character sheets for new characters added and just a general sum up for everyone else. With all that said, let's get into it:

1. Mario 
2. Luigi 
3. Professor E. Gadd 
4. Princess Peach 
5. Toad 
6. Toadette 
7. Bowser 
8. Dry Bowser 
9. Bowser Jr. 
10. Koopalings 
11. Koopa Troopa 
12. Dry Bones 
13. Goomba 
14. Piranha Plant 
15. Boo 
16. Cheep Cheep 
17. Blooper 
18. Bob-Omb 
19. Lakitu 
20. Monty Mole 
21. Spike 
22. Hammer Bro 
23. Chargin' Chuck 
24. Wiggler 
25. Chain Chomp 
26. Birdo 
27. Petey Piranha 
28. King Boo 
29. Paper Mario
30. Yoshi 
31. Baby Mario 
32. Baby Bowser 
33. Kamek 
34. Shy Guy

Alright, Birdo! The character they can't quite figure out what to do with, so she makes random cameos that almost make no sense. This time, she shows up in the Rubber Band boss's stage show and puts on a show with Mario in Origami King. Also, in Superstar Saga, she acts as a decoy for Peach and then later just becomes Popple's new sidekick for some reason. I don't know why, but hey, she's fun when she does it.

Here is her moveset:

Standard B: Egg

Side B: Egg Hop

Up B: Pidgit

Down B: Blow a Kiss

Final Smash: Eagle Gate

Entrance: She will descend on the small platform she appears on in Sticker Star and Color Splash.

Taunts: Maybe her tendency to pace back and forth, also blowing a kiss, doing her whole cabaret musical performance thing.

Next up: Let's cover Petey Piranha!

Character Sheet: Birdo (Paper Mario+)

BIRDO

Today, let's let the floodgates burst forth. The RPGs, being RPGs, have proved a wellspring of brand-new characters and possible major revisions of pre-existing characters. Since there are so many, I will start by covering all of the revisions first. Here they are:

1. Mario
2. Luigi
3. Princess Peach
4. Toad
4e. Toadette
5. Bowser
6. Bowser Jr.
7. The Koopalings
8. Koopa Troopa
8e. Dry Bones
9. Goomba
10. Piranha Plant
11. Boo
12. Blooper
13. Lakitu and Spinies
14. Monty Mole
15. Hammer Bro
16. Wiggler
17. Chain Chomp
18. Birdo
19. Petey Piranha
20. Yoshi
21. Kamek
22. Shy Guy
23. Bandit

Oh, Birdo, you strange little creature, you. Birdo appears in Super Mario RPG, Sticker Star, and Color Splash, each time in an increasingly out-of-nowhere cameo appearance. (The trend appears to continue in Origami King). Super Mario RPG is reasonably tied to the plot, as she hatches from an egg Valentina was using as part of her evil scheme, but she doesn't really do a lot during the fight outside of shooting eggs at you. Later in Sticker Star and Color Splash, she puts on a sudden performance at one point and that's about it. I don't know what else there is to say, really.

Here is her moveset:

Standard B: Egg

Side B: Egg Hop

Up B: Pidgit

Down B: Blow a Kiss

Final Smash: Eagle Gate

The gate Birdo stands before will fly into the background, before opening its mouth wide and rushing the stage, swallowing up any enemy caught in its mouth.

Entrance: She will descend on the small platform she appears on in Sticker Star and Color Splash.

Taunts: Maybe her tendency to pace back and forth, also blowing a kiss, doing her whole cabaret musical performance thing.

Next up: Let's cover Petey Piranha, or Petea Piranha, I guess!

Character Sheet: Birdo (Wario Miscellaneous)

BIRDO

It's time to cover the Wario characters. We will be making a new roster for Wario, although it will not be populated by the most iconic of Wario characters quite yet. We may also get some new additions to the Mario rosters. Here's who were working with this time around:

1. Mario (Revision)
2. Luigi (Revision)
3. Princess Peach (Revision)
4. Toad (Revision)
5. Wario (Revision)
6. Captain Syrup (Revision)
7. Birdo (Revision)
8. Yoshi (Revision)
9. Wanda
10. Count Cannoli
11. Carpaccio
12. Terrormisu
13. The Shake King

Birdo makes a . . . random appearance (she does that) in Wario's Woods, doing, well . . . I'm not actually sure. Basically, during boss rounds, Wario sits up in one corner of the screen watching Toad solve the puzzle, and Birdo takes up that spot in non-boss rounds. I think she's supposed to be helping you or something but I don't know exactly.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Egg

Side B: Egg Hop

Up B: Pidgit

Down B: Blow a Kiss

Birdo tends to blow a kiss in most of her appearances and it frequently seems to do damage, so I figure I'll just change it up here while its on my mind. (This ability is a bit more prominent in the RPGs)

Final Smash: Eagle Gate

The gate Birdo stands before will fly into the background, before opening its mouth wide and rushing the stage, swallowing up any enemy caught in its mouth.

Entrance: She will emerge from an Eagle Gate.

Taunts: Maybe her tendency to pace back and forth, also blowing a kiss.

Next up: Let's cover Yoshi!

Wario's Woods

WARIO'S WOODS

Wario's Woods is another puzzle game featuring Wario that appeared on both the NES and the SNES. The game featured Toad playing a semi-tetris-style game inside giant hollow trees (hence the Woods part) to defeat Wario and his troop of baddies with help from Birdo and a fairy, of all people. Different sources disagree on whether or not this is Wanda or just a generic fairy. I choose to believe it's Wanda, but that's just me.

Toad will walk around the bottom of the puzzle screen, picking up and putting down the little creatures that act as blocks, similar to his picking up motion in Super Mario Bros. 2. Wanda/The Fairy will fly around the top of the screen dropping bombs of various colors that Toad will have to match to a line of creatures in order to clear them. Birdo, I think, just kind of sits up in a top panel and supervises you as far as I can tell. During boss rounds, she'll be replaced by Wario, who kinda just does the same.

A number of bosses appear in the game, standing in the middle of the stack of creatures, occasionally teleporting around and trying to attack you, while you try to line up the bombs and blocks of their color with them. Wario acts in this manner a couple of times, firing off a weird blast at you from time to time. He also flies a plane in the cutscenes. The two versions of the game have completely different bosses, though most act pretty much the exact same. I don't really know the reason for the change. The only real differences are their look and their name, each with their own weapon to attack you with. These include Fauster, Boom, Mad, Goro, Seizer, Drago, and a Wario Impostor for the NES, and Katsini, Galrog, Harley Q, SamSpook, Sven, Parrotor, Mssr Boo, Aqualea, Razor, Tad Rock, Thak, Lizardon, Sarissa, Mangylox, Dedar, Carlton, and Harry H for the SNES.

A stage for this one would probably take place inside the tree with the general set up of the game as shown.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:
Mario
Luigi: remove bucket
Princess Peach
Yoshi
Toad: pick up and put down
Wario: drop bucket/items, fly in plane, teleport, inflate, shoot blast, thwomp
Wanda: smack with hammer, break blocks, turn around, create blocks, fly, springs, drop bombs
Birdo

Stages:
Stage based on Mario & Wario
Stage based on Wario's Woods

Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll cover Wario Blast: featuring Bomberman!

Character Sheet: Birdo (Original Sidescrollers)

BIRDO

Now that we have all of the original sidescrolling Mario titles for the NES and SNES under our belt, I think it's time we go through and evaluate every character we have picked so far as being playable.

Now let's move on to the enemy characters. I have narrowed down the field to all of the enemies that have an immediate yes, even if they might not have a moveset just yet. My final count is twelve:

1. Koopa Troopa
1e. Dry Bones
2. Shy Guy
3. Goomba
4. Piranha Plant
5. Boo
6. Lakitu
7. Hammer Bro.
8. Chargin' Chuck
9. Magikoopa
10. Boom Boom
11. Birdo

And now, we come to our very last character for this round. Birdo doesn't really have much to work with yet, only acting as a midlevel boss several times through Super Mario Bros. 2, but the character will go on to be an important figure in the series, so we'll do what we can with what we have.

Birdo will have similar stats to Yoshi, except moving a little slower, and being just a little heavier. In Super Mario Bros. 2, she is shown to be able to jump, spit eggs and fireballs, and generally just stand guard in front of an Eagle Gate. Let's see what we can do with that, huh?

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Egg
Birdo will fire an egg from her mouth, which will fly forward as a moderately damaging projectile. Occasionally she will spit a fireball as well.

Side B: Egg Hop

This one is a bit more drawn from what the player characters can do with her eggs than what she can. Birdo will hop aboard an egg that will then fly forward in the same manner, functioning more or less like Villager's forward B.

Up B: Pidgit

Birdo will hop aboard a Pidgit's flying carpet that will then carry her upward and away from danger.

Down B: Dig Up

Birdo will dig into the ground, unearthing a number of items, including bombs, vegetables, and Koopa shells. Basically the same down B as Peach and Toad.

Final Smash: Eagle Gate

The gate Birdo stands before will fly into the background, before opening its mouth wide and rushing the stage, swallowing up any enemy caught in its mouth.

Entrance: She will emerge from an Eagle Gate.

Taunts: Maybe her tendency to pace back and forth.

Next up: We'll finish up characters for now and move on to the major Mario 3D Titles, including Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, and Super Mario Odyssey! See you then!

Super Mario Bros. 2

SUPER MARIO BROS. 2

Next up, we have the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2, a reskin of the game Doki Doki Panic, a promotional game developed for Fuji TV for their Yume Kojo '87 event. After Nintendo of America decided the real Super Mario Bros. 2 was too difficult for American audiences, Nintendo chose to change the main characters to Mario and his friends and release it in the West, so as not to create confusion when Super Mario Bros. 3 came out a year later.

The game plays quite differently from almost all other Mario games, but it's inclusion led to a number of features that became staples of the Mario series, including Luigi's higher jumping ability, Shy Guys, Pokeys, Bob-Ombs, and so on.

The game features Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad taking the place of Imajin, Sister, Mama, and Papa respectively. Each use the exact same abilities, the only differences being their stats such as speed, strength, and jumping ability. The abilities made available to the characters include jumping on top of and picking up enemies and items, an extra-high jump after crouching long enough, digging into the ground, plucking vegetables and items from the ground, climbing vines, and riding around on items or enemies in order to reach out-of-reach areas. They can also access the Starman invincibility for a short time. Most of these abilities could easily be worked into a Super Smash Bros. skillset.

Next, we have six major boss characters to consider: Birdo, Mouser, Tryclyde, Fryguy, Clawgrip, and Wart. As Birdo, we know, will go on to have a larger role in further Mario games, I will say yes now to her inclusion, although her moveset for the time being is limited to moving back and forth, jumping, and firing eggs and fireballs from her mouth. She also stands guard outside of an Eagle Mask shaped Gate, which later comes alive and attacks, meaning it could be incorporated into her moveset.

As for Mouser, Tryclyde, Fryguy, and Clawgrip, we may have our first characters who work better as bosses then characters. I will still hold out as tentative for them, but as this is one of their only games, I doubt they will give us enough to make a full moveset. Mouser is a large shades-wearing mouse who throws bombs. That's about it. Tryclyde is a giant, three-headed serpent who breathes fire at you. Fryguy is a giant ball of fire who spits fire at you and splits into smaller balls of fire. Clawgrip is a giant crab who chucks rocks at you, and who replaced a third Mouser fight from the original game. All work well as solid boss fights, so I think I can be okay with that.

Then we have Wart, the main villain who kidnapped a bunch of fairies called Subcons in order to rule the dream world. For his boss battle, all he really does is spit bubbles at you, which doesn't seem like he then would function as a character, however, Wart has the unique advantage of being the main villain, meaning his moveset can be made up of references to the game as well, and he can incorporate many of his minions into his moveset. For instance, his throne room is decorated with Phantos. All he has to do is make use of them. He also has Bob-Ombs he can throw, Autobombs he can ride and so on. He's not without potential.

Now for our enemy characters. Super Mario Bros. 2 features eighteen enemy characters: Shy Guys, Tweeters, Ninjis, Hoopsters, Pidgits, Beezos, Snifits, Phantos, Trouters, Sparks, Cobrats, Pansers, Pokeys, Ostros, Porcupos, Albatosses, Bob-Ombs, and Flurries. Shy Guys, Snifits, Pokeys, Bob-Ombs, and Sparks are the main enemies that have carried on into later Mario games so its fair to start with them. Shy Guys fall in alongside Koopas, Goombas, and so on as some of Mario's most iconic enemies and have also proven versatile enough to say that they will in fact be included, as even in this game they have moveset potential if you factor in Snifits and Beezos as their offshoots and their ability to ride Ostros and Autobombs. Pokeys mostly just wiggle in place and for now probably work best as obstacles on a desert-themed stage, and Sparks mostly just circle platforms. Bob-Ombs I won't write off entirely as characters, as they do have a few variants in later games, but they probably work best as items. (Dropping from an Albatoss would be a solid entrance animation though).

As for the rest, the main thing acting against them is their lack of appearance in later games. For this game, Tweeters simply bounce forward, Ninjis jump in place or toward the player, Hoopsters crawl up and down on vines, Pidgits ride flying carpets, Beezos fly forward, Phantos come to life and chase you when you pick up a key (they'd be a great stage hazard), Trouters jump, Cobrats jump and spit pellets, Pansers launch fireballs, Ostros give rides, Porcupos crawl, Albatosses drop Bob-Ombs, and Flurries slide around. None of them particularly give you much to work with as playable characters, so for now, no.

Next up are the stages. As they are divided into seven distinct worlds with individual themes, we can easily make a stage out of all seven with not much difficulty. World 1, 3, and 5 are all mostly grassland types, but 5 is set at night, and 3 is set in a waterfall/cave area. World 2 and 6 are also both deserts, so it might be reasonable to combine similar worlds, but seven stages is perfectly manageable, so I don't think there's much need.

As for items, we see the return of Mushrooms, 1-Ups, Starmen, POW Blocks, and Koopa Shells, most of which can perform the same function. We also see vegetables, bombs, timers that freeze time, potions that make doors (because that makes sense), and rockets that carry you higher into the stage. All of these can be easily incorporated.

Now, lets see what we've got!

Characters:

Mario: Jump, Fire Flower, Starman, Axe, Springs, Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet

Luigi: Echo of Mario, Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet

Bowser: Jumping, fireballs, hammers, minions

Princess Toadstool: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet

Toad: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet

Wart: spit bubbles, Phantos, reference character?

Birdo: jump, spit eggs, fireballs, drop crystal ball, Mask Gate

Koopa: Shell Tuck, Shell Spin, Paratroopa Wings, Hammers?

Shy Guy: Beezo wing, Beezo trident, Snifit pellet, ride Ostro, ride Autobomb

Lakitu: Float on cloud, throw Spinies

Goomba: Nothing

Piranha Plant: Bite

Hammer Bros.: Jump, throw hammers

Buzzy Beetles, Bloopers, Cheep Cheeps, Pokeys, Bob-Ombs, Tweeters, Ninjis, Cobrats, and Flurries all tentative


Bosses:

Mouser: Throws bombs

Tryclyde: Breathes fire

Fryguy: Breathes fire, splits into smaller fryguys

Clawgrip: Throws rocks


Stages:

Mushroomy Kingdom

Mushroom Kingdom

Kingdom I

Mushroomy Kingdom (Underground)

Sky Plateau Stage

Mushroomy Kingdom (Underwater)

Fishing Bridge Stage

Giant Mushrooms Stage

Fortress Wall Stage

Bowser's Castle

Sky Stage

World 9 (Weird Stage)

World 1 (SMB2)

World 2 (SMB2)

World 3 (SMB2)

World 4 (SMB2)

World 5 (SMB2)

World 6 (SMB2)

World 7 (SMB2)


Items:

Super Mushroom

Life Mushroom

Fire Flower

Starman

Fire Bar

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bill Blaster

Spring

Poison Mushroom

Vegetable

POW Block

Bomb

Bob-Omb

Shell

Timer

Door Potion

Egg

Rocket


Thanks for reading! Join me next time for Super Mario Bros. 3