Hammer Bro

Having survived their harrowing encounter with Lakitu, players will soon find themselves struggling against another of Bowser’s more annoying minions to fight, this time in the form of a pair of heavier set Koopas wearing armor and helmets, jumping up and down and throwing lines of hammers that can be a nightmare to try to predict.

These are the Hammer Bros, elite forces of the Koopa army who frequently act as lines of defense before you reach Bowser’s final hideout. Though the hammer-throwing variant is their most common form, they have been seen to branch out into throwing boomerangs, fireballs, iceballs, bulking up and throwing bigger hammers, and even becoming sumo wrestlers and learning to stomp the ground hard enough to send fire and lightning through it.

As a fighter, Hammer Bros will be heavier and stronger than their Koopa cousins, though still quite speedy with solid jumping abilities. Though they will carry the moniker of Hammer Bro, their moveset will use the abilities of the Boomerang, Fire, Ice, Sledge, and Sumo Bro, and any other Bro you happen to meet along the way.

Likelihood rating: Could happen

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!

Character Sheet: Hammer Bro (Revision)

 HAMMER BRO

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

Honestly, coolest thing to happen for this group was that they got Yo-Yo-wielding, Chain Chomp-throwing, and Limbo variant. Cool beans.

Here is the moveset so far:

Standard B: Hammer Toss

Side B: Boomerang

Up B: Sledge Jump

Down B: Sumo Stomp

Final Smash: Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bro

Entrance: Floats down on its platform

Taunts: Jumping around and tossing a single hammer would fit maybe. Maybe something reflecting how hyper they are in Odyssey.

Next up: Let's cover Chargin' Chuck!

Character Sheet: Hammer Bro (Paper Mario+)

HAMMER BRO

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

Not much to say for this one really. Hammer Bros and their alts appear in pretty much every game here, but are pretty basic. One interesting note though is that they tend to use thick wooden hammers instead of the smaller black ones we're used to seeing.

Here is the moveset so far:

Standard B: Hammer Toss

Side B: Boomerang

Up B: Sledge Jump

Down B: Sumo Stomp

Final Smash: Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bro

Entrance: Floats down on its platform

Taunts: Jumping around and tossing a single hammer would fit maybe. Maybe something reflecting how hyper they are in Odyssey.

Next up: Let's cover the Wiggler enemies.

Character Sheet: Hammer Bro (Side Character Spinoffs)

HAMMER BRO

Today, we begin our next round of character sheets, with updates for every major character who appeared in the Luigi's Mansion series, Super Princess Peach, or Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker. Most of these should be fairly simple, with only four newcomers to speak of. They are:

1. Mario
2. Luigi
3. Princess Peach
4. Toad
4e. Toadette
5. Bowser
6. Koopa Troopa
6e. Dry Bones
7. Goomba
8. Piranha Plant
9. Boo
10. Blooper
11. Lakitu
12. Hammer Bro
13. Chargin' Chuck
14. Wiggler
15. Chain Chomp
16. Petey Piranha
17. King Boo
18. Kamek
19. Shy Guy
20. Vacuum Luigi (New)
20e. Professor E. Gadd (New)
21. Perry (New)
22. Ghost (New)

Another one in the general vein of being pretty easy. They're main role this time around is in Super Princess Peach, where they are surprisingly plot-relevant, being the main captors of Mario and Luigi, and one has a whole boss battle against you at one point. Outside of that, it's a pretty basic Hammer Bro.

Here is the moveset so far:

Standard B: Hammer Toss

Side B: Boomerang

Up B: Sledge Jump

Down B: Sumo Stomp

Final Smash: Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bro

Entrance: Floats down on its platform

Taunts: Jumping around and tossing a single hammer would fit maybe. Maybe something reflecting how hyper they are in Odyssey.

Next up: Let's work with Chargin' Chuck once again.

Character Sheet: Hammer Bro (New Series)

HAMMER BRO

Settle in, folks, we've got a lot of revisions to get through for this one. The "New" series featured most of the series favorites, almost all of which have been included here already and most of them brought at least something new to the table. In fact, we only have four new characters to include this time. They are:

1. Mario (Revision 4)
2. Luigi (Revision 3)
3. Koopa Troopa (Revision 3)
3e. Dry Bones (Revision 2)
4. Goomba (Revision 3)
5. Piranha Plant (Revision 3)
6. Boo (Revision 3)
8. Princess Peach (Revision 2)
9. Toad (Revision 2)
10. Yoshi (Revision 2)
11. Bowser (Revision 2)
13. Lakitu & Spinies (Revision 2)
14. Hammer Bro (Revision 2)
15. Chargin' Chuck (Revision 2)
16. Kamek (Name change, Revision 2)
20. The Koopalings (Revision 1)
22. Boom Boom (Revision 1)
25. Rosalina & Luma (Revision 1)
27. Bowser Jr. (Revision 1)
30. Blooper (Revision 1)
31. Monty Mole (Revision 1)
33. Petey Piranha (Revision 1)
11e. Dry Bowser
22e. Pom Pom
39. Fursuit Mario
40. Sprixie Princess

Hammer Bros, and their variants, are kind of a delight in this series. They're so easy to categorize and work with, and it was a genuine delight seeing all the various types come back this time around. We had Hammer Bros, Boomerang Bros, Fire Bros, Sledge Bros, and Sumo Bros all return, all acting more or less the way they did before, with the exception of Sumo being upgraded to a boss and sending out electricity when he stomps instead of fire. We also got to see a brand new type introduced: the Ice Bro. Sadly, however, none of this adds really anything to the moveset, as Fire hadn't been included in the previous lineup, and Ice likely will not either, both probably being worked into some of his standard and smash moves, rather than his specials. (And of course, we have color swap options with all of these).

Here is the moveset so far:

Standard B: Hammer Toss

Side B: Boomerang

Up B: Sledge Jump

Down B: Sumo Stomp

Final Smash: Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bro

Entrance: Floats down on its platform

Taunts: Jumping around and tossing a single hammer would fit maybe. Maybe something reflecting how hyper they are in Odyssey.

Next up: Let's work with Chargin' Chuck once again.

New Super Mario Bros.

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.

Today, let's start in on the "New" series of Mario games, specifically covering New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, Super Mario 3D Land, and Super Mario 3D World, or as I like to call them: "The Developers Messing Around with Super Mario Maker for Six Games before Releasing It to the Public." These games are more or less six games that simply follow the basic Super Mario format while not bringing very much new to the table. They were a bit concerning for many fans when no major mainline 3D games were being released at the same time, but now that Odyssey is out, I think everyone's settled on them being a nice, charming little piece of the Mario series.

The first of these games included the basic story of Princess Peach being grabbed by Bowser Jr., leading to Mario pursuing the pair across eight worlds, ending in a showdown with Bowser himself.
So, obviously, Mario is our main character, with Luigi acting as an alternate or second player, able to do everything Mario can do. Of course, the brothers can do the basic run and jump mechanics standard for Mario games, alongside a number of power-ups including the Fire Flower, Super Mushroom, and Starman, alongside a Mini Mushroom that makes the brothers miniature, a blue Koopa shell that lets them tuck inside, impervious to damage, and the Mega Mushroom that shoots them up to colossal size, able to plow their way through every obstacle in their path. (Methinks I smell potential Final Smash material).

Peach doesn't give much, as is pretty standard, while Toadsworth acts mostly as Toad himself did in Super Mario Bros. 3, living in a Toad House, and giving Mario the chance to win a power-up. He can definitely be a color swap of Toad at any rate. Bowser Jr. and Bowser act as our main villains. Bowser Jr. fighting Mario at the midpoint of every world, with Bowser acting as the final boss of World 1 and the true final boss of World 8. Bowser Jr.'s boss battles have him out on his own two feet rather than in a flying machine, making his boss battles more akin to the Koopaling fights than his own (and cementing that he could be an eighth color swap for their moveset, just as they are for his). Across these fights, he will charge forward, jump, hide beneath his shell, and throw Koopa shells. As for Bowser, his boss battles return to their original model, with him standing on a bridge over lava, charging, jumping, and breathing fire, with his final battle adding a bright blue fireball, and a fan shape of fireballs. Another feature to consider is Dry Bowser, the initial final boss of World 8, Bowser but as a skeleton, whose boss fight plays out in the same way, with the addition of his throwing his own bones. Dry Bowser will likely work well as either a color swap or an echo fighter, but I'm not quite certain yet.

Each world features a boss at the end, most of which work mostly as their own boss fight than as a character. These include: Mummipokey, a mummified Pokey that spits balls of tape and burrows underground; Cheepskipper, a very large Cheep Cheep; Mega Goomba, a really big Goomba; Petey Piranha, returning once again to fly, hop around, and dive bomb the stage; Monty Tank, a Monty Mole in a tank that drives around and fires Bullet Bills, adds a turret with every hit, and one occasion will throw out Bob-Ombs; and Lakithunder, a large Lakitu that can shoot lightning from his cloud. Obviously Petey is already here, and most of the others give some options to the enemies they represent, but aren't much on their own.

For enemies, almost all are returning and act mostly the same as they always have. These include Goombas, Koopas, Piranha Plants, Dry Bones, Cheep Cheeps, Pokeys, Lakitus and Spinies, Swoops, Hammer Bros (with Fire, Boomerang, and Sledge variants), Fire Snakes, Bullet Bills, Bloopers, Boos, Whomps, Scuttlebugs, the Unagi of all things, Wigglers, Bob-Ombs, Thwomps, Spike Tops, Moneybags, Buzzy Beetles, Chain Chomps, Fire Chomps, and Amps, all more or less in tact the way you classically remember them. Those that are already playable obviously still are, and those that aren't, well, don't have anything new.

As for new enemies, we have: Sushi, a shark that darts forward; Spike Bass, Cheep-Chomps, and Deep Cheeps, which might as well be Cheep Cheeps except they like to follow you; Blockhoppers, who pretend to be blocks; Skeeters, who dump mines from their bellies; Splunkins, walking pumpkins; Balloon Boos, who start inflating when looked at (something to consider for Boos); Snow Spikes, wintery variants of Spikes who cough up snowballs; Snailicorns, spiky mollusks that charge at you; Broozers, musclebound ghosts that like breaking things; Squigglers, little baby Wigglers; Crowbers, crows that swoop toward you; and Kab-Ombs, Bob-Ombs but they have some kind of moss on them, I think? Not a whole lot.

As for the eight worlds, each of them follow a basic climate zone common to Mario games. World 1 is a Grassland, World 2 is a Desert, World 3 is a Beach, World 4 is a Jungle, World 5 is a Snowland, World 6 is a Mountain Range, World 7 is in the Sky, and World 8 is a Lava Land. We also have Ghost Houses sprinkled here and there, and a Tower and Castle at the end and midpoint of every level.

Items include our Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Starman, alongside the Blue Shell, Mini Mushroom, and Mega Mushroom, and of course the Life Mushroom.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:
Mario: run, jump, fireballs, invincibility, get mini, grow gigantic, Koopa shell armor
Luigi: run, jump, fireballs, invincibility, get mini, grow gigantic, Koopa shell armor
Princess Peach: not much
Toadsworth: give items, cast spells
Bowser: jump, breathe fire, charge, blue fireball, fan of fire
Dry Bowser: jump, breathe fire, charge, throw bones
Bowser Jr.: grab, charge, tuck in shell, jump, throw Koopa shells
Petey Piranha: fly, hop, divebomb
Goomba: walk forward, fly
Koopa: walk, tuck in shell, fly
Piranha Plant: rise, chomp, breathe fire
Dry Bones: walk, fall apart
Lakitu: float around, throw Spinies, lightning
Hammer Bro: throw hammers, boomerangs, fire, jump around, slam down
Blooper: dart up
Boo: hide face, float around, puff up
Monty Mole: drive tank, fire bullet bills, throw Bob-Ombs

Bosses:
Mummipokey
Cheepskipper
Mega Goomba
Monty Tank
Lakithunder

Stages:
World 1 - Grassland
World 2 - Desert
World 3 - Beach
World 4 - Jungle
World 5 - Snowland
World 6 - Mountains
World 7 - Sky
World 8 - Lava Land
Ghost House
Bowser's Castle

Items:
Fire Flower
Super Mushroom
Starman
Blue Shell
Mini Mushroom
Mega Mushroom
Life Mushroom

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll be covering New Super Mario Bros. Wii!

Character Sheet: Hammer Bro (Main 3D Games)

HAMMER BRO

Now that we're done with all of the major 3D Mario titles, I think we need to now go through and update our characters, starting with revisions for any characters included so far that appeared in any of these games. Out of the 24 so far, 17 need revision:

1. Mario
2. Luigi
6. Pauline
7. Princess Toadstool
8. Toad
9. Yoshi
10. Bowser
13. Koopa Troopa
13e. Dry Bones
14. Shy Guy
15. Goomba
16. Piranha Plant
17. Boo
18. Lakitu
19. Hammer Bro
20. Chargin' Chuck
21. Magikoopa

Today, we're talking about the Hammer Bro, or an amalgamation of the Hammer Bro, Boomerang Bro, Fire Bro, Sledge Bro, and Sumo Bro. The Bro enemies appear in both Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario Odyssey (specifically, the Hammer, Boomerang, and Fire varieties), and all function in the exact same way as before. As such, this will be the first character with no change to their moveset.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Hammer Toss

Side B: Boomerang

Up B: Sledge Jump

Down B: Sumo Stomp

Final Smash: Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bro

Entrance: Floats down on its platform

Taunts: Jumping around and tossing a single hammer would fit maybe. Maybe something reflecting how hyper they are in Odyssey.

Next up: Let's check out Chargin' Chuck, who only had one appearance this time around.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2

Alright, next up, we have Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to the landmark Super Mario Galaxy, and rightfully acclaimed in its own right. I have a feeling that Super Mario Galaxy 2 was created for largely similar reasons to Breath of the Wild's upcoming sequel in that the creators just had too many ideas for additional content that they had to create an entirely new game for it all. And you can see evidence for this throughout much of the game: it runs on the same engine, most of the unique mechanics and enemies work their way back in, much less effort was spent on the opening sequence and other cutscenes, the way different worlds are accessed is heavily simplified and plays out more like one of the 2D Mario games, and so on. But hey, it's a good game, so who's complaining.

Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Rosalina and her Lumas, Bowser, Bowser Jr., and the Toad Brigade all return, serving much the same functions as they did in the previous games. Mario acts as the player character using all the moves from the first game as well as the Bee, Boo, Spring, and Fire powerups from before, on top of new forms such as Rock Mario, that allows him to roll up into a boulder and spin at high speed, Cloud Mario, that allows him to create temporary cloud platforms beneath him when crossing great distances or trying to get up high, and the Spin Drill, a drill that lets him dig through certain areas.

Luigi acts as an alternate character to play as, so can do everything Mario can. Princess Peach is captured once again, so doesn't do much. Rosalina only appears at the end of the game this time, her observatory struggling to escape Bowser's galaxy generator. However, the Lumas all still play an important role and do everything they could before. The Toad Brigade act as your basic NPCs throughout the game, though they are joined by others. Finally, we have Bowser and Bowser Jr. Bowser spends most of the game giant-sized, floating around a small planetoid while breathing fire, tossing giant meteors at it, or punching it and causing shockwaves. Bowser Jr. spends most of his time in a little, really comfortable-looking flying machine that he can then plug into mechs such as the Boomsday Machine and the Megahammer.

Two more major characters appear in this game, the first being Yoshi, returning after not making an appearance in the first game, and the second being Lubba, a heavyweight Luma who bears an odd resemblance to a certain cartoon starfish, and generally takes the place of Rosalina in the first game, being your main exposition hound throughout your journey. Yoshi can do much of what he does in other games, with his flutter jump and his penchant for eating enemies, but he can also spit out certain enemies as projectiles, flip around little flower things with his tongue, and eat three different fruits that give him different abilities, namely: a red pepper that sends him running at top speed, a blue fruit that inflates him like a balloon and carries him up high, and a yellow fruit that lights him up and makes him able to see and stand on invisible platforms. Lubba is really just an NPC.

Speaking of NPCs, we have a few to cover this time around. The Chimp is a shades-wearing monkey who likes to challenge you to complete certain tasks, though he never partakes in them himself. Fluzzard is a giant bird Mario hangs onto and flies great distances with. Piantas, Honeybees, Gearmos, and Penguins all make a return, functioning generally the same as before, alongside the Pink Bob-Ombs of Super Mario 64 fame. Whittles (little figures made of wood) and Jibberjays (talkative little birds) also enter the fray, also mostly just acting as NPCs. And finally, we have Star Bunnies, who do what all bunnies seem to do in Mario games, run around until Mario catches them. Basic stuff.

We have a few new bosses this time around. Peewee Piranha is a baby version of the last game's Dino Piranha. King Lakitu is a giant Lakitu who can blast lightning from his cloud as well as throw spinies. Digga Leg is a smaller version of Megaleg who hops around on a small round planet and fires Diggas through the dirt. Gobblegut, and by extension Fiery Gobblegut, is a large eastern dragon who makes train sounds and eats through dirt, often burrowing all the way through a planet. Rollodillo is a large armadillo creature who can roll up into a ball. Sorbetti is a giant snow version of the Tap-Taps from the Yoshi series (we'll get there). Glamdozer is a giant version of the Pupdozer who can crawl around and spit lava. Squizzard lives in the sand and likes to throw rocks, spiky rocks, and bombs at you. Prince Pikante is a large octopus that drives around in a tank, shooting and spitting melons and meteors at you. The Whomp King returns from Super Mario 64, jumping up and slamming down to crush you. Megahammer and the Boomsday Machine are both mechs piloted by Bowser Jr., the first firing Bullet Bills from its chest and slamming its hammer arms down on you, while the Boomsday machine fires electric balls, swings around massive firebars, drives around on treads, and sometimes sucks things in. Finally, we have Bugaboom, Dino Piranha, King Kaliente, Major Burrows, Bouldergeist, and Fiery Dino Piranha all returning and functioning effectively the same.

Now for our regular enemies! Koopas return, bringing with them Dry Bones, Lakitus, Spinies, Hammer Bros, Boomerang Bros, Magikoopas, and Mechakoopas, each of which function more or less the same as before, although Dry Bones seems to now have a variant that can eat through literal matter. Goombas also return, bringing Paragoombas with them as well as the Octoombas, who are now called Octoombas instead of Electrogoombas. Piranha Plants and their spiky variants (including the black-headed one famously known as Fire Piranha) return, as do Boos and Bomb Boos, alongside what look like Boo versions of the Octoombas. They all act mostly the same. Bloopers and Cheep Cheeps return, acting mostly as basic swimming enemies, though Cheep Cheeps now have a spiky variant. Monty Mole doesn't appear, but the Undergrunts and Undergrunt Gunners do. Bats, Wigglers, Pokeys, Fuzzies, Skeeters, Chain Chomps, Bullet Bills, Bob-Ombs, Whomps, and Thwomps all do exactly as they are famous for. Blaargs don't quite return but they do have a couple variants in the Magmaarghs, who do the same thing.

From the first Galaxy game, we also have the Mandibug, Octopus, Topman, Crabber, Flipbug, Sproing, Sprangler, Cluckboom and Gringill enemies all return, all functioning in the same way, alongside new enemies such as: Choppah, a fat green enemy that flies around like a helicopter; Smeech, who latches onto Yoshi; Twirlip, a flower that spins around; Digga, a living drill; Pupdozer, a slow dinosaur creature that walks back and forth; Swaphopper, a robotic enemy with a spike on one side and a weakpoint on the other; Flaptack, which seems to be a relative of the Cluckboom, but it divebombs its enemies with its headspike instead; Tongari, a hermit crab; Kleptoad, a frog that runs around and steals things; Fizzlit, a purple enemy that melts into a puddle of electricity; Bee Eater, a spiky plant that lunges at you; and Snoodle, a wavy polyp-like enemy that doesn't like light. None of them particularly scream playable.

Next up, let's tackle the stages. This game is centered on the Starship Mario, a hubworld shaped like Mario's head. I'm not going to lie, a stage set here would be awesome. After that, we have an assortment of 49 worlds, none of which are quite as well divided between full-on stages and one-offs like the first game. However, in general, each group of levels is divided into four levels with six possible stars to collect, and two more with only four, plus a final world to fight either Bowser or Bowser Jr. I think my best bet is to pick the six-star worlds and leave it at that, with a Bowser world to represent the whole, like last time. The six-star worlds are:

1. Sky Station Galaxy: a basic starting stage
2. Yoshi Star Galaxy: another basic stage and your introduction to Yoshi
3. Spin-dig Galaxy: a rocky, dirt-based stage and your introduction to the spin drill
4. Fluffy Bluff Galaxy: a cloud-themed world and your introduction to Cloud Mario
5. Puzzle Plank Galaxy: a stage based on different puzzle-themed elements
6. Boulder Bowl Galaxy: a rocky stage and your introduction to Rock Mario
7. Hightail Falls Galaxy: a waterfall stage that makes great use of the Pepper ability for Yoshi
8. Cosmic Cove Galaxy: a water level
9. Cloudy Court Galaxy: another cloud level
10. Tall Trunk Galaxy: a large tree level with a slide
11. Haunty Halls Galaxy: a ghost level
12. Freezy Flake Galaxy: a snow level (with some lava)
13. Supermassive Galaxy: a level where everything is gigantic
14. Flipsville Galaxy: a house-themed level where you're constantly flipping perspective
15. Starshine Beach Galaxy: a beach level
16. Chompworks Galaxy: a factory-themed stage where they apparently produce Chain Chomps
17. Space Storm Galaxy: sorta like Dreadnought Galaxy from the last game
18. Boo Moon Galaxy: another ghost level
19. Slipsand Galaxy: a desert level
20. Shiverburn Galaxy: a fire and ice level just like Freezeflame from the last game
21. Melty Monster Galaxy: a lava level with an awesome theme song
22. Clockwork Ruins Galaxy: a really creative level set in constantly moving ruins
23. Throwback Galaxy: a recreation of Super Mario 64's Whomp's Fortress
24. Battle Belt Galaxy: a gauntlet of various enemies throughout the game

There we go, that cuts it down at least a little.

Next up, we have most of the items of the first game returning, as well as the Spin Drill, the Cloud Flower, and the Rock Mushroom. Seems pretty solid.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:
Mario: multiple different types of jumps and punches, wing cap, metal cap, pixel cap, ride on shell, fire from cannon, slide on belly, use F.L.U.D.D., spin, shoot starbits, warpstar, pull star, fly as a bee, cling to honey, pass through walls (Boo), skate across ice, throw fireballs, fly, invincibility, spring, rock, cloud, drill
Luigi: clone of Mario
F.L.U.D.D.: spray forward stream, jetpack hover, rocket nozzle, spin and spray, launch missiles, shoot bubbles
Peach: nothing, parasol, jet
Toad: nothing, give star, spaceship, headlamp
Toadsworth: nothing
Yoshi: hop around, flutter jump, egg, tongue, spray fruit juice, spit enemies, flip around flowers, run really fast, inflate, glow
Rosalina: nothing
Luma: spit star bits, eat star bits, transform into warpstars, pull stars, planets, spin, and become bunnies
Bowser: tromp around, breathe fire, charge, tip stage, create shockwaves, hang out in hot tub, breathe meteors, spinning punch, curl into boulder, spin in shell, command airships, fly, be giant, throw meteors, punch with shockwaves
Bowser Jr.: transform, paintbrush, flying machine, shoot bullet bills, mini airship, cannonballs, magikoopas, Megaleg, Megahammer, Boomsday Machine
Shadow Mario: run, jump, paint, paintbrush, tongue, fiery paint trail, command Mechabowser
Lubba: not much
Pianta: nothing, chuck you
Noki: nothing, tuck in shell
Honeybee: fly, climb on honey, spear, butt bash
Goomba: walk around, spin like a top, minis, giants, helmet, pumpkin, Paragoomba
Koopas: run away, pop from shell, race, Snooza Koopa, Electrokoopa, tuck into shell, used as projectile
Dry Bones: fall apart, eat matter
Piranha Plant: sleep, bite, spit paint, bob around, spiky
Petey Piranha: fly with leaves, roar, spit goop, Piranhabons, create tornadoes
Boo: float around, Big Boo, turn into blocks, pass through walls, hide face, explode, swing around by tongue, turn invisible
King Boo: roulette wheel, slot machine, spit bubbles, fruit, enemies, Boos
Blooper: crawl around, surf, spit ink, swim
Gooper Blooper: slap tentacles, spray ink, spin and spray
Lakitu: float, drop Spinies, use camera, blast lightning
Shy Guy: Fly Guy, fire, Snufit float, fire pellets
Hammer Bros: throw hammers, throw boomerangs, hop around
Magikoopa: cast spell, summon shells, throw fireballs, teleport
Monty Mole: jump, throw rocks, drive tank, throw Bob-Ombs, fire Bullet Bills, pop up, throw wrench, dig in ground, fire bubbles
Bob-Omb: explode, fire cannons, pick up and throw (Big Bob-Omb)
Cheep Cheep: swim, spikes
<Tentative> Chain Chomp, Wiggler, Whomp, Strollin' Stu, Il Piantissimo, Gearmo, Penguin, The Chimp

Bosses:
Big Bob-Omb
King Whomp
Big Boo
Big Bully
Eyerok
Chill Bully
Gooper Blooper
Manta Ray
Wiggler
Dino Piranha
King Kaliente
Bugaboom
Megaleg
Tarantox
Topmaniac
Bouldergeist
Major Burrows
Baron Brrr
Bonefin
Peewee Piranha
King Lakitu
Digga Leg
Gobblegut
Rollodillo
Sorbetti
Glamdozer
Squizzard
Prince Pikante

Stages:
Princess Peach's Castle (Melee)
Princess Peach's Castle (Inside)
Bob-Omb Battlefield
Whomp's Fortress
Jolly Roger Bay
Cool Cool Mountain
Big Boo's Haunt
Hazy Maze Cave
Lethal Lava Land
Shifting Sand Land
Dire Dire Docks
Snowman's Land
Wet-Dry World
Tall Tall Mountain
Tiny-Huge Island
Tick Tock Clock
Rainbow Ride
Bowser's World
Delfino Plaza
Bianco Hills
Ricco Harbor
Gelato Beach
Pinna Park
Sirena Beach
Noki Bay
Pianta Village
Corona Mountain
Toad Village
Gateway Galaxy
Comet Observatory
Good Egg Galaxy
Honeyhive Galaxy
Space Junk Galaxy
Battlerock Galaxy
Beach Bowl Galaxy
Ghostly Galaxy
Gusty Garden Galaxy
Freezeflame Galaxy
Gold Leaf Galaxy
Sea Slide Galaxy
Toy Time Galaxy
Deep Dark Galaxy
Dreadnought Galaxy
Melty Molten Galaxy
Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Starship Mario
Sky Station Galaxy
Yoshi Star Galaxy
Spin-Dig Galaxy
Fluffy Bluff Galaxy
Puzzle Plank Galaxy
Boulder Bowl Galaxy
Hightail Falls Galaxy
Cosmic Cove Galaxy
Cloudy Court Galaxy
Tall Trunk Galaxy
Haunty Halls Galaxy
Freezy Flake Galaxy
Supermassive Galaxy
Flipsville Galaxy
Starshine Beach Galaxy
Chompworks Galaxy
Space Storm Galaxy
Boo Moon Galaxy
Slipsand Galaxy
Shiverburn Galaxy
Melty Monster Galaxy
Clockwork Ruins Galaxy
Throwback Galaxy
Battle Belt Galaxy

Items:
Wing Cap
Metal Cap
Pixel Cap
Green Shell
Bob-Omb
Bullet Bill
Coin
Star
Box
F.L.U.D.D.
Shine Sprite
Fruit
Star Bits
Invincibility Star
Fire Flower
Ice Flower
Red Star
Bee Mushroom
Boo Mushroom
Spring Mushroom
Warp Star
Pull Star
Spin Drill
Cloud Flower
Rock Mushroom

Thanks for reading! Next up, we finish up our mainline 3D games with Super Mario Odyssey!

Character Sheet: Hammer Bro (Original Sidescrollers)

HAMMER BRO

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

Today, we're going to talk about the Hammer Bro, or rather an amalgamation of the Hammer Bro, Boomerang Bro, Fire Bro, Sledge Bro, and Sumo Bro, all of which are more or less different variants of the same subset of enemies, being a relative of the Koopa decked out in armor, famous for chucking various projectiles at you. As Hammer Bro was the first, and easily the most iconic, it seems fitting that the Hammer Bro is your base model, with the others likely as color swaps. Hammer Bros and their cousins appear throughout all games but Super Mario Bros. 2.

Hammer Bro will be a heavy but quick character, probably not unlike Donkey Kong, capable of doling out significant damage. In game, Hammer Bros are best known for tossing a ton of hammers in an arc, generally while jumping around, making life difficult for Mario. In Super Mario World, they also gained the ability to fly around on a winged block while throwing out their hammers. Boomerang Bros came around in Super Mario Bros. 3, and toss out boomerangs that fly back to them. Fire Bros are basically Hammer Bros with the fire flower. Sledge Bros are heavyweight Hammer Bros that throw bigger hammers and shake the ground when they jump to a new location. Finally, Sumo Bros are known for stomping on the ground with one heavy foot, hard enough to send up a plume of fire, not unlike Ike's current Standard B.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Hammer Toss
This one is exactly what you think it is. The Hammer Bro will toss a stream of hammers, just like his most iconic move. On occasion it will have the potential to toss out a sledgehammer in reference to its Sledge Bro relative.

Side B: Boomerang

The Hammer Bro will toss forward a Boomerang, that will fly forward, doing minimal damage, before flying back and hitting opponents on the return trip.

Up B: Sledge Jump

This one is based on the Sledge Bro's ground pound when it moves to a new location. The move will function similar to King Dedede's Up B, launching him into the air before slamming back down hard on the ground.

Down B: Sumo Stomp

This one is based on the Sumo Bros from Super Mario World. Hammer Bro will lift his foot into the air and slam down so hard that he sends up a plume of fire a few inches in front of him, damaging anyone it connects with.

Final Smash: Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bro

The Hammer Bro will hop onto a winged platform that will fly above the stage as he tosses out hundred of hammers that will rain down on the opponents below, dealing heavy damage with every hit.

Entrance: Floats down on its platform

Taunts: Jumping around and tossing a single hammer would fit maybe. Uncertain from there.

Next up: I'll be covering the enemy I didn't expect to be including, but hey, the more the merrier. It's Chargin' Chuck!

Super Mario World

SUPER MARIO WORLD

Super Mario World was the Mario series' first major title for the SNES system, and its only mainline game depending on how you count Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. The game, much like many Mario mainline games, is considered to be among the best games ever made and introduced many important concepts that would persist in the Mario series for years to come, the most important of which has to be the introduction of Mario's dinosaur pal, Yoshi.

Once again, Mario and Luigi return as our protagonists, once again both bearing the same abilities and movesets as each other. They retain moves such as jumping, throwing fireballs, and invincibility from a Starman, alongside newer abilities. First, of course, they can ride Yoshi, but I think Yoshi deserves to be his own character. Then comes the Super Cape, which is fairly similar to the Raccoon ability from before, allowing the player to fly and flick enemies with the cape. This becomes the basis for Mario's forward B move in Smash, so I'd say it's fair to include. We also see the introduction of the spin jump, the basis for Luigi's and Dr. Mario's (and once upon a time, Mario's) Down B. Finally we have the Power Balloon, which can inflate Mario and allow him to float across the stage.

As for Yoshi, he gives us several abilities to work with. First up is his iconic maneuver of eating his enemies with his long tongue, although his ability to turn them into eggs hasn't been conceived of quite yet. He then has three additional abilities, each represented by his alternate color palettes in the game. First is the ability to breathe out a trio of fireballs, second, the ability to fly using a pair of wings, and third, the ability to hit the ground, kicking up a damaging cloud of dust. And of course, we can't forget Baby Yoshi, which is little more than an item Mario can use to eat all enemies before him.

Princess Toadstool and Bowser both return for this game, the princess once again doing very little in terms of anything we can actually work with for our purposes. Bowser, however, debuts the use of his Koopa Klown Kar, an item which will eventually form the basis for Bowser Jr.'s moveset in current Super Smash Bros. The Klown Kar allows Bowser to fly around above the stage, drop a cannonball called a Big Steelie, toss out Mechakoopas, and reign down fire upon the stage. All of this gives us strong possibilities.

All seven Koopalings return, each offering up potential moves, but still not enough to warrant them being separated out as individuals. Iggy and Larry's fights consist of them charging at Mario to knock him off the platform, spinning in their shells, and breathing fire. Ludwig's fight uses much of the same moves. Roy and Morton demonstrate the ability to walk up the wall before slamming back down on top of Mario, and Wendy and Lemmy travel between pipes and have a set of doubles of themselves to trick Mario. All of this gives us a lot of options.

As for the enemy characters, we have a number of returning veterans. First, we have the Goombas, or at least what might be a separate species called Galoombas, but which are functionally the same, and their winged offshoot Paragoomba returns as well. Koopas return, as well as their offshoots, such as Paratroopas and Dry Bones, alongside Hammer Bros., who can now float around on winged platforms, Sumo Bros., capable of kicking up fire blasts with a stomp (sounds like a Down B if I ever saw one), and Magikoopas, tricksters able to teleport and cast spells that turn blocks and items into enemies. Simply because of Kamek's existence, I will say yes to the Magikoopas, even though they don't have enough to work with yet. (I seem to be racking up a lot of those).

Lakitus return, this time with the ability to hide in pipes instead of floating around on a cloud, and the ability to fish using an item. Buzzy Beetles return as well, with a skeletal, spiky offshoot in Bony Beetle, and the Spike Top, which I'm pretty sure is the missing link between them and Spinies. Ninjis from Super Mario Bros. 2 make a surprise return, still just jumping really. Boos also return, doing much the same as before, but now with abilities such as flying in lines or circles and turning into blocks. Not much to work with but its there. Piranha Plants can fly up into the air now, surely the basis for their Up B in Ultimate. Cheep Cheeps still simply swim forward, though they might have cousins in the Blurps (which also just swim) and the Rip Van Fish (which sleeps until awoken). They also get a skeletal offshoot in the Fishbones. Bob-Ombs are still Bob-Ombs, Pokeys are still Pokeys, Bullet Bills are still Bullet Bills (though sometimes massive), and Thwomps have little babies called Thwimps now.

Now for the new enemies! Being set in Dinosaur Land, apparently, the game comes with a grand total of THREE dinosaur based enemies: Rex, a carnivorous dinosaur that walks forward, Dino Rhino, a triceratops-y creature that walks forward (but with babies that breathe fire), and Reznor, a bigger triceratops-y creature that stands in one place and breathes fire.

After them, we have the introduction of Chargin' Chuck, another possible Koopa offshoot, who did surprisingly well at offering up a moveset this time around. He can barrel forward with a shoulder thrust, demolishing anything in his path, toss baseballs and footballs around, jump in the air and clap his hands, and use a shovel to dig up large boulders. Weirdly enough, Koopa's sports-loving cousin is surprisingly versatile. Then we have Monty Moles, which are similar to Rocky Wrenches in that they are moles who pop out of the ground, except that Monty doesn't throw wrenches. He just kind walks around. Eeries are a new kind of ghost creature that doesn't do much. Wigglers are giant caterpillars that walk around but get angry if stomped on. Swoopers are basically bats. Fuzzies are little black fuzzy things that circle a platform or follow a line, and Lil' Sparkies and Hotheads are basically the same thing except on fire. Torpedo Teds are Bullet Bills but underwater, I guess. And finally Blarggs are giant lava monster that like to lunge at anything close by.

As far as stages go, Super Mario World's levels, much like Super Mario Bros. 3, are separated out into seven easily definable zones: Yoshi's Island, which is pretty basic fare and the basis for the Yoshi's Island stage from Melee; Donut Plains, which is also fairly basic fare; Vanilla Dome, which is literally a volcano; the Twin Bridges area, which speaks for itself; the Forest of Illusion, which I think may be the Mario series' first foray into a jungle theme; Chocolate Island, which is a kind of chocolate-colored canyon area; and Castle of Bowser, your standard Bowser's Castle type area. And of course we can't forget Star Road, the collection of bonus stages. I think all of these are acceptable.

Mostly, the items are mainly standard Mario fare. Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, and Starmen return, while Koopa Shells can now be used as items without the Koopa attached to them. We also see the introduction of the Feather, which gives Mario his cape, and the Power Balloon, which inflates Mario. All are fun.

Now, let's 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, Raccoon fly, flip tail, leap, swim faster, throw hammers, turn into statue, p-wing, ride Yoshi, flight with cape, flip cape, spin jump, inflate

Luigi: Echo of Mario, Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, Raccoon fly, flip tail, leap, swim faster, throw hammers, turn into statue, p-wing, flight with cape, flip cape, spin jump, inflate

Bowser: Jumping, fireballs, hammers, minions, slamming down, Koopa Klown Kar, mechakoopas, rain fire, Big Steelie

Princess Toadstool: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, P-Wing, warp whistle, music box

Yoshi: eat enemies, fly, breathe fire, dust cloud, baby Yoshi

Toad: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, chest, card game, slot machine

Wart: spit bubbles, Phantos, reference character?

Koopalings: spin in shell, slam down, magic spell, bouncing ball, magic ring, climb walls, pipes, doubles, breathe fire

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

Boom Boom: swing fists, spikes, drop key, fly

Koopa: Shell Tuck, Shell Spin, Paratroopa Wings, Hammers?, outside of shell

Dry Bones: Echo of Koopa

Hammer Bros.: Jump, throw hammers, boomerangs, fire, sledgehammer, slam down, float on blocks, sumo stomp

Goomba/Galoomba: walk forward, Paragoomba, Mini-Goomba, pick up block, parachute

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

Lakitu: Float on cloud, throw Spinies, hide in pipes, fish

Magikoopa: teleport, magic spell, enemies into items

Chargin' Chuck: charge forward, baseballs, footballs, jump and clap, dig up boulders

Piranha Plant: Bite, walk, ptooie, breathe fire, float in the air

Buzzy Beetle: Para-Beetle, Buster Beetle, Bony Beetle

Blooper: float, fly, string of babies

Cheep Cheep: jump, Boss Bass, Big Bertha, Rip Van Fish, Porcu-Puffer

Spike: Cough up spike ball

Boo: swoop, turn invisible, move as a group, turn into block, Big Boo

Wigglers, Pokeys, Bob-Ombs, Rexes, Dino Rhinos, Reznors, Tweeters, Ninjis, Cobrats, Monty Moles, Rocky Wrenches, and Chain Chomps 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 (SMB1)

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)

Grass Land

Desert Hill

Ocean Side

Big Island

The Sky

Iced Land

Pipe Maze

Bowser's Castle (SMB3)

Yoshi's Island

Donut Plains

Vanilla Dome

Twin Bridges

Forest of Illusion

Chocolate Island

Castle of Bowser

Star Road


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

Super Leaf

Frog Suit

Tanooki Suit

Hammer Suit

Kuriboh's Shoe

Warp Whistle

Music Box

P-Wing

Feather

Power Balloon


Thanks for reading! Next time, I'll be analyzing, and in some cases re-analyzing, every character we have so far, starting with an analysis and re-analysis of Mario, combining his new moves with his old moveset already established.

Super Mario Bros. 3

SUPER MARIO BROS. 3

Super Mario Bros. 3 is the third (read: fourth, or more, kinda, sorta, moving on) major installment of the Super Mario Bros. series, continuing on the standard gameplay mechanics from the original Super Mario Bros. and its sequel Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, while incorporating a brand new game engine and all new mechanics while bringing in a few of the elements introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2., most notably the updated appearance of Princess Peach and Toad, as well as a few enemies such as Bob-Ombs.

To start off with, we have our player characters, Mario and Luigi. Luigi returns to his status of being more or less an exact copy of Mario that he had in previous games. This game gives the pair the same mechanics as before, running and jumping being their main ability, with additional abilities being gained from the fire flower and starman. However, this game also adds in a number of other abilities tied to specific items, those being:

Super Leaf: gives Mario the power to fly briefly and flick things with a raccoon tail.

Frog Suit: allows him to leap a little higher and swim faster

Tanooki Suit: more or less the same powers as the super leaf, while also letting him turn into a statue, protecting him from harm and allowing him to crush enemies beneath him.

Hammer Suit: allows him to throw hammers, which are stronger than fireballs.

Kuriboh's Shoe: allows him to cross hazardous floor and crush enemies.

P-Wing: lets him fly for an unlimited time (see: cheat item)

All of these add a great deal to Mario's, and by extension, Luigi's repertoire, while also giving us items to work with. I was tempted to start considering making a complete Mario offshoot (probably Tanooki Mario) to represent all of these moves, as we will eventually have to do so for characters such as Dr. Mario, Baby Mario, and Paper Mario, but I don't think I will quite yet.

Next, we have Peach and Toad, the main supporting good guys in the game. Peach returns to her role from previous games of being mostly a living goalpost, so most of her moveset will still need to be pulled from Super Mario Bros. 2. However, in this game, she is the one who supplies Mario with the P-Wing, so there's that I guess. Possibly the warp whistle too. Toad, however, no longer serves as the level end goalpost as before, that role now being taken up by the Seven Kings, who pretty much do just that, while Toad becomes something of an item vendor/casino owner, providing Mario with either a set of chests, slot machine, or matching game through which Mario can win items to use in-game. Most of these don't seem particularly plausible for Smash, but I'll see what I can come up with.

Now for the main villains. Bowser returns, this time joined by his seven children/generals/whatever, the Koopalings, who serve as the level end bosses, and Boom Boom, who serves as a miniboss. Bowser returns, jumping and breathing fire as before, but now also slams his butt into the ground, a move that serves as the basis for Bowser's Down-B move in every Smash game. That obviously joins immediately.

The Seven Koopalings: Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig, are another matter. While none of them have enough moveset on their own to get by yet, I think I will take a leaf out of Smash's book and lump them into one character with each being a different color swap. Between the seven of them, they can spin in their shells (similar to Bowser's Up-B move), cast spells with a magic wand, slam down hard, and ride around on a bouncy ball and toss a large ring courtesy of Lemmy and Wendy. This is plenty to work with for now.

Boom Boom, I feel, falls into the Birdo category for me. There is not enough to work with now to make a full moveset, but I know later games will offer up plenty more options, so I will give Boom Boom a yes, but currently incomplete. For the moment, he can swing his fists, put out a shell of spikes, and fly. Not terrible, just not all there.

Now we come to our enemy characters. Goombas, Koopas, Piranha Plants, Hammer Bros, Lakitus, Buzzy Beetles, Bloopers, Cheep Cheeps, Bob-Ombs, and Bullet Bills all return from previous games, sporting their same abilities from before, but many of them have also developed a number of offshoots that give them plenty of Smash potential. Koopas mostly remain the same, with the ability to tuck into their shells and spin toward people and their offshoots Paratroopas giving them wings, however, most of their other offshoots tend to be distinct enough on their own to be their own characters.

By this, I specifically mean Hammer Bros and Lakitus. Hammer Bros gain three variations, being Boomerang Bros, heavyweight Sledge Bros, and Fire Bros, all of which do as you imagine, lending Hammer Bros their own unique options for moveset potential. Lakitus, however, did not change much from the previous games, doing much the same as before; they simply just are incredibly versatile enemies and offer up a lot of options for a moveset. Of course, Spinies come with. Strangely enough, Buzzy Beetles did get a couple of offshoots this time around, being winged Para-Beetles, and brick-chucking Buster Beetles, both of whom add something to Buzzy Beetles' potential, but not enough yet.

Now, I did say that Goombas would eventually give me enough to work with to give me a possible skill set, I didn't quite expect them to give me so much already. One primary addition is the Paragoomba, which adds wings just like the Paratroopa, on top of the ability to create Micro-Goombas which parachute down from the Paragoomba, and are also shown picking up bricks and throwing them or hiding underneath them. That's a surprising amount of ability there for Mario's most basic enemy.

Bloopers don't change much, aside from the ability to now lead a trail of baby Bloopers behind it. Cheep Cheeps however gained two offshoots in the form of Boss Bass, a giant fish with a large mouth that follows Mario and tries to eat him, alongside Big Bertha, another large fish that can open her mouth to release a smaller fish. Not enough to give Cheep Cheep a workable moveset, but it's there at least. Bob-Ombs and Bullet Bills have not changed. They still do exactly as they do. Piranha Plants, however, have at least gained some of the abilities that landed them a spot in Super Smash Bros. They can now breathe fire, walk around on little feet, and blow a spike ball into the air and toss it. Not enough for a full moveset yet, but definitely on its way.

We do have a few new guys of note to talk about though. These include Dry Bones, Spikes (both Koopa offshoots), Boos and Stretches, Rocky Wrenches, Thwomps, Chain Chomps, Fire Chomps, Fire Snakes, Lava Lotuses, Jelectros, and the Angry Sun. Many of these will go on to become staples of the Mario series and some of his most recognizable foes, while a couple others offer up little of value and will be mostly forgotten.

Let's start with the Koopa offshoots, shall we? Dry Bones are iconic, being undead versions of Koopas. While there is not much difference between them and their living counterparts, I felt they deserved to at least be given an Echo Fighter slot rather than simply be meshed into a Koopa's moveset. Spikes on the other hand are rather rotund possible cousins of the Koopa race famous for belching up spike balls and chucking them at people. Not enough to work with yet, but with enough coming in the future to lump them in with a number of other characters already mentioned.

Boos definitely fall into the category of Mario's most famous enemies, being ghosts who will stalk Mario and hide their face when he turns to look at them. In this game, that is simply all they do, unless we want to include their offshoot Stretch's ability to rise up from a platform, but simply considering how prolific they are in the Mario series as a whole, they are a 100% yes for a slot.

Thwomps simply rise up and crash down on an enemy. They clearly belong as assist trophies or stage hazards and would fit in perfectly on a Bowser's Castle stage, but I can't for the life of me imagine any way they could function as playable. Chain Chomps feel like they might be someday workable, but for now, they just pull on their chains and snap. Also a good assist trophy. Rocky Wrenches pop up from the ground and throw wrenches. Not much to work with, but if combined with Monty Moles, then maybe someday. Fire Chomps and Fire Snakes mostly just jump around and . . . be on fire, so no for now, while Lava Lotuses and Jelectros mostly just exist in a couple of water levels, the Lotuses tossing out fireballs sometimes. No. The angry sun, obviously, needs to be a stage hazard. Speaking of which . . .

As opposed to the original game and The Lost Levels, which only had loose themes within the Worlds, but were really just kind of a random assortment of world types, Super Mario Bros. 3 is divided nicely into eight worlds, each with their own specific theme. The first is Grass Land, which is more or less a standard generic Mario world, followed by Desert Hills, home of the aforementioned Angry Sun, then Ocean Side, a beach level, Big Island, a world where everything is much bigger than normal, The Sky, a sky-themed world, Iced Land, a snow-themed world, and Pipe Maze, a series of complex, puzzle-like levels, all finishing off with Bowser's Castle, which is exactly what it says on the tin.

As for items, we've already basically covered most of them, although Bob-Ombs and Bullet Bills should be counted here, as well as Anchors, Warp Whistles, The Music Box, and Kuriboh's Shoe.

Now, let's 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, Raccoon fly, flip tail, leap, swim faster, throw hammers, turn into statue, p-wing

Luigi: Echo of Mario, Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, Raccoon fly, flip tail, leap, swim faster, throw hammers, turn into statue, p-wing

Bowser: Jumping, fireballs, hammers, minions, slamming down

Princess Toadstool: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, P-Wing, warp whistle, music box

Toad: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, chest, card game, slot machine

Wart: spit bubbles, Phantos, reference character?

Koopalings: spin in shell, slam down, magic spell, bouncing ball, magic ring

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

Boom Boom: swing fists, spikes, drop key, fly

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

Dry Bones: Echo of Koopa

Hammer Bros.: Jump, throw hammers, boomerangs, fire, sledgehammer, slam down

Goomba: walk forward, Paragoomba, Mini-Goomba, pick up block

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

Lakitu: Float on cloud, throw Spinies

Piranha Plant: Bite, walk, ptooie, breathe fire

Buzzy Beetle: Para-Beetle, Buster Beetle

Blooper: float, fly, string of babies

Cheep Cheep: jump, Boss Bass, Big Bertha

Spike: Cough up spike ball

Boo: nothing

Pokeys, Bob-Ombs, Tweeters, Ninjis, Cobrats, Rocky Wrenches, and Chain Chomps 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 (SMB1)

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)

Grass Land

Desert Hill

Ocean Side

Big Island

The Sky

Iced Land

Pipe Maze

Bowser's Castle (SMB3)


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

Super Leaf

Frog Suit

Tanooki Suit

Hammer Suit

Kuriboh's Shoe

Warp Whistle

Music Box

P-Wing


Thanks for reading! Now, I said earlier that I would only be covering the NES main line games, but after serious consideration, I have decided to include Super Mario World as well, as that is really the only main Mario game during the SNES's lifetime that doesn't fall into another category (for instance, Super Mario World 2 is more of a Yoshi game than anything else), so join me next time for Super Mario World!