Character Sheet: Kamek (New Series)

KAMEK

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

Alright, first up, the most important item of note here is the character's name change. Before it was Magikoopa, as only the minion version of the character had appeared so far. Kamek is more or less the lead Magikoopa and Bowser's advisor, positioning him as among the core villains of both the Mario and Yoshi franchise, and yet he hadn't appeared yet in any of the games covered so far. Now, he appears in both New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U as a part of the game's ensemble of villains, typically helping out Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings by sprinkling some magic to shake up the fight, while also fighting Mario himself once NSMBU. Of course, he and the other Magikoopas who appear act more or less as they always do, teleporting and casting spells to either damage Mario or transform a block into an enemy, with Kamek flying around on a broom and casting more effect magic over the field. I considered making Kamek and Magikoopa separate or echoes, but there's not enough visual or moveset difference to justify it, so Kamek can simply represent them as a whole.

Here's his moveset:

Standard B: Magic Spell

Side B: Broomstick

Up B: Teleport

Down B: Transform

I'm going to make it specifically that he summons a Buzzy Beetle or occasionally a Spike Top to the stage, that way they can get some representation too.

Final Smash: Boss Battle

Makes a small enemy into a giant. Not sure which one yet though.

Entrance: He will teleport onto the stage. Or, now that it's Kamek, he may swoop in on his broom and do his little chuckle, like at the beginning of most boss battles.

Taunts: Hold up his wand and wave it around for a second, is a good one. His chuckle, as mentioned before. Maybe cast a little magic and surprise himself.

Next up: It's finally time to cover the Koopalings again.

Character Sheet: Magikoopa (Main 3D Games)

MAGIKOOPA

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

The Magikoopa species primarily appears in the Super Mario Galaxy games, doing pretty much what they did before, teleporting around and casting damaging spells. They also gained, not Kamek, but Kamella, a large boss version of their species. Kamella can throw fireballs as well and can summon Koopa shells out of thin air. Let's see what this brings us.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Magic Spell

Side B: Broomstick

Up B: Teleport

Down B: Transform

I think this is where the Koopa shell bit came from for Kamella, so perhaps the Magikoopa can simply summon an enemy to the stage without it connecting with an item. Though, I might like transforming items better.

Final Smash: Boss Battle

This one is probably far more iconic, so I'm going to keep this instead of switching out for Kamella. Kamella most likely could work as a color swap, just as Kammy Koopa could.

Entrance: He will teleport onto the stage.

Taunts: Hold up his wand and wave it around for a second, is a good one. Still the only one really.

Next up: Time to start in on our new characters, starting with an echo fighter: Toadette!

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!

Super Mario Galaxy

SUPER MARIO GALAXY

Next on our list is Super Mario Galaxy, the major 3D Mario entry for the Nintendo Wii, to be followed not long after by a sequel. Super Mario Galaxy is notable for its incredible level design and its physics engine that pushes the limit of almost anything that had ever been designed before. The game follows Mario as he traverses the cosmos with the help of newcomer Rosalina and her Lumas in order to rescue Peach from Bowser. As such most of the levels are set out in the middle of space, opening the games up for ridiculous levels of creativity in regards to their design.

First up, we have our characters. Mario and Luigi both return, alongside Princess Peach and Princess Rosalina, a space princess who travels the galaxy and rules over a race of star beings called Lumas. A number of Toads also return, the main red-spotted Toad now taking up the mantle as their captain and leader. Finally, Bowser and his son Bowser Jr. return and act as the main villains of the game.

Mario acts as the protagonist of course, being able to do much of what he could do before, with all sorts of jumps and acrobatic moves and the like. However, with the introduction of the Lumas, they add new dimensions and gimmicks to his moveset (most of which will be likely worked into a moveset for Rosalina and the Lumas, much as they are in Smash already, having Rosalina act as the representative of the game's gimmicks much like F.L.U.D.D. from the last game). The abilities they give include the ability to shoot star bits at enemies from above, spin (which comes in really handy in this game), and give him access to warp stars and pull stars which allow him to get from place to place. He also has a number of power-ups in this game, which include:

1. Bee Suit: he can fly around, climb on honey, and stand on things like flowers and clouds that he couldn't stand on before.
2. Boo Mushroom: he becomes a Boo, which allows him to float around, turn intangible and pass through walls.
3. Ice Flower: which allows him to skate across water and lava.
4. Fire Flower: which of course gives him the ability to throw fireballs.
5. Red Star: which allows him to fly.
6. Spring: which allows him to bounce around like a spring and jump really high.

Luigi also acts as an alternate playable character, specifically in the post game. Before that, he tends to visit various worlds and find stars for you. Another notable character is Cosmic Mario, a strange clone of Mario that likes to race you through certain levels.

Princess Peach once again acts as an NPC, held hostage by Bowser for the bulk of the game and not offering us much to work with. Rosalina also mainly acts as an NPC, acting as your guide throughout the game, while offering you the help of the Lumas. The Lumas, as covered before, offer up most of the game's gimmick for Mario's moveset, allowing him to spin while spitting star bits from above and becoming warp stars and pull stars for him to use to get around. They are also shown capable of eating large amounts of star bits, transforming into new planets and all sorts of things, and transforming into bunnies and hopping around for Mario to chase.

There are also a number of NPC races this time around, acting much as the Piantas and Nokis did in Sunshine. The Toads mainly act as NPCs, though they have a spaceship now, and the captain has a headlamp. From there, we also have Honeybees, Gearmos, and Penguins. The Honeybees presumably can do much of what Mario's bee suit can do, which surprisingly gives them a good amount of a headstart for playable. Gearmos are implied to be good at tech, but we never see it much. They do have big wrench things though. Penguins act pretty much the way they did in 64, being good at swimming and sliding around on the ice. The Honeybees have a queen who mostly just floats around and lets you crawl on her, while the penguins are also friends with a Manta Ray you can ride and an orca named Guppy who likes to challenge you to swimming speed tests.

Bowser and Bowser Jr. return with a great deal to add to their movesets. In battle, Bowser is shown capable of breathing both fireballs and meteors, punch in a spinning circular fashion, jump and make shockwaves much like 64, curl up into a boulder and roll around, and spin around inside of his shell. Outside of battle, he is shown to have an armada of airships at his disposal, including a flying saucer or too. Bowser Jr. is shown to have a mini airship of his own from which he can fire bullet bills and cannonballs. He also has a few Magikoopa directly under his command, as well as bosses such as Megaleg.

There are a number of bosses to contend with this time around. Dino Piranha, and Fiery Dino Piranha by extension, is basically Petey Piranha but with a dinosaur's body and a coconut for a tail that Mario can use as a weapon. King Kaliente is a giant octopus that lives in lava who can spit out coconuts and fireballs and make waves with his tentacles. Bugaboom is a giant Mandibug that flies around and slams on the ground. Megaleg is a giant robot that acts more as a stage than an enemy. Kamella is a large Magikoopa who can do mostly everything other Magikoopas do, including casting spells to summon enemies and items and teleporting. Tarantox is a spider-like enemy that crawls around on a web and spits acid. Topmaniac is a large Topman who spins around and juts out spikes. Bouldergeist is awesome, just putting that out there, a ghostly being made of rock who can thrust a large fist forward and slam his hand down, jut up a row of spikes from the ground, and summon up rocks to throw at Mario, sometimes spawning Bomb Boos. Major Burrows seems like a giant Monty Mole who can dig around in the ground before popping out and rampaging around the stage. Baron Brrr is a giant Ice Bubble who can toss out ice, freeze Mario, and slam down to make a shockwave. And finally, Bonefin is a large skeletal shark that mostly swims around and sends smaller drones to attack you.

We have a number of returning enemies, including Koopas, Goombas, Piranha Plants, Boos, Bloopers, Cheep Cheeps, Monty Moles, and many others, including offshoots. Koopas mostly just walk around and tuck into their shells, although their shells are frequently used to help Mario swim better and as projectiles. Their offshoots include Dry Bones, Magikoopas, and Mechakoopas. None are much different than previous incarnations. Dry Bones walk around and fall apart when stepped on. Magikoopas cast spells and teleport. Mechakoopas walk around, breathe fire, and explode on occasion. Goombas are still pretty basic, walking around and spinning like a top if hit. They also come in mini and giant sizes and have taken to headgear such as helmets and pumpkins. They also have a maybe cousin called the Electrogoomba (later called the Octoomba), which seems like an alien variant of them that can shoot projectiles from its mouth.

Piranha Plants chomp as usual, though they now come with a spiky variant. Boos still float around and hide when looked at, however, they now come with an exploding variant, the Bomb Boo, and can be swung around as a blunt weapon when Mario grabs onto their tongue. There is also a large Boo in this game who likes to race you. Bloopers and Cheep Cheeps mostly just float around in this game, while Clams open and close like they did before. Monty Moles are once again out here representing, popping out of holes and throwing wrenches like their cousins, the Rocky Wrenches, while also gaining new cousins in the Undergrunts who can dig around underground and pop up or drive a fixed artillery cannon that launches bubbles at their enemies.

Sadly, Wigglers still just walk around and charge when angry (if you can't tell, I'd really like to make Wiggler playable, but this is literally all it's giving me). Pokeys still mostly just stand around, slamming their head down when you get to close and have small single-head variants. Chain Chomps now roll around as giant balls. Thwomps rise up and slam down as always. Amps float around an electrocute you, Cataquacks throw you into the air, Bullet Bills and Torpedo Teds fire toward you, and Bats just swoop around.

New enemies include Mandibugs, large beetle-like insects with mandibles that like to charge toward you, and their tiny offshoots, the Flipbugs, who can fly. We also have Spoings and Spranglers, spider enemies that either jump high into the air and drop on you from the ceiling. Topmen and Topminis are mostly tops that spin around at you, while Sentry Beams fire lasers at you and Jump Beamers launch a cirle of laser at you. Ice Bubbles and Li'l Cinders are tiny rock things that spout ice and fire respectively. Urchins roll around at you and jut out spikes. Octopuses pop out of barrels and shoot coconuts at you. Crabbers mostly just scuttle around and attack with claws. Cluckbooms are chickens that float around and drop bombs, and Tweesters are literally living tornadoes. Slurples are little blue things that look like Slimes and attach themselves to you. Down underwater, we now have Gringills, the new Eel species to join the Unagi, and Jellyfish and Jammyfish, both basically jellyfish.

Stages are accessed through various points on the game's hubworld, Rosalina's Comet Observatory (which would be an excellent stage itself). On the observatory, you can access different worlds through the terrace, fountain, kitchen, bedroom, engine, and garden domes respectively, each one granting you access to two or three full-sized worlds with multiple stars to collect, one or two smaller worlds with only one star to collect, and a Bowser or Bowser Jr. boss world. For the purposes of keeping things simple, I will limit the stage selection to only the full-sized worlds and only one Bowser world representing the whole of them (most of them aren't all that different).

The main full-sized stages include: Good Egg Galaxy, a basic grassland type stage; Honeyhive Galaxy, our first introduction to the Honeybees; Space Junk Galaxy, a galaxy most made up of, well, junk; Battlerock Galaxy, a fully armed military fortress in space; Beach Bowl Galaxy, a beach level; Ghostly Galaxy, a haunted level; Gusty Garden Galaxy, a level that uses a heavy wind gimmick; Freezeflame Galaxy, a level based on a fire and ice gimmick; Gold Leaf Galaxy, a level that bears an eerie resemblance to Honeyhive Galaxy; Sea Slide Galaxy, another beach level; Toy Time Galaxy, a level made up of giant food and toys; Deep Dark Galaxy, another water level but with more of a creepy vibe this time; Dreadnought Galaxy, a giant battle station; and Melty Molten Galaxy, a lava level. All of these could work, given a focus on their most iconic sections.

Last but not least, we also have Toad Village from the beginning of the game and the Gateway Galaxy, the world you first find yourself on. Both are iconic in their own right, so can also be considered.

As far as items go, we have all of the powerups as listed above, plus the stars, the invincibility star, pull stars, warp stars, star bits, coins, and so much more.

Alright! Now, 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
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
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
Bowser Jr.: transform, paintbrush, flying machine, shoot bullet bills, mini airship, cannonballs, magikoopas, Megaleg
Shadow Mario: run, jump, paint, paintbrush, tongue, fiery paint trail, command Mechabowser
Pianta: nothing
Noki: nothing, tuck in shell
Honeybee: fly, climb on honey, spear, butt bash
Goombas: walk around, spin like a top, minis, giants, helmet, pumpkin
Koopas: run away, pop from shell, race, Snooza Koopa, Electrokoopa, tuck into shell, used as projectile
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
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
Shy Guy: Fly Guy, fire, Snufit float, fire pellets
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
<Tentative> Chain Chomp, Wiggler, Whomp, Strollin' Stu, Il Piantissimo, Gearmo, Penguin

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

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

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

Thanks for reading! Check us out next time for the game's sequel: Super Mario Galaxy 2!

Character Sheet: Magikoopa (Original Sidescrollers)

MAGIKOOPA

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

For these last three, it's going to be a bit of a struggle, first and foremost because these three characters are included on the list, not entirely for anything they do in the games we have covered so far, but because of their longevity in the Mario series as a whole. For today's character, we'll be covering the Magikoopa, who gets an automatic yes, purely because of the importance of Kamek in the larger series as a whole. In fact, when Kamek is introduced, the character name will likely be changed to his and the character will represent the species as a whole. (Perhaps with Kamella and Kammy color swaps).

Magikoopas will be tricky fighters, known for their magical skill and chaotic movesets rather than for brute strength. Right now, they only appear in Super Mario World, where they cast damaging spells, spells that change an item into an enemy and vice versa, and can teleport. That's not a lot to work with, so I may have to cheat and pull something from later games. Let's see.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Magic Spell
This one is a projectile move, and is pulled directly from their most famous move in the games. He will toss out a spell made up of simple shapes that damage opponents.

Side B: Broomstick

This one is pulled from later games, specifically Kamek's iconic mode of transportation. The Magikoopa will hop onto a broomstick and speed forward across the stage, slamming into opponents.

Up B: Teleport

This one will function similarly to Zelda's and Mewtwo's Up B, allowing Magikoopa to teleport away from harm, taking him up and over in any direction for some distance.

Down B: Transform

Magikoopa can cast a spell that, if it contacts any item on the field, will transform it into an enemy, most likely something like a Buzzy Beetle or other enemy that didn't quite make the cut. The enemy will then wander the stage until it is defeated.

Final Smash: Boss Battle

This one is also pulled from Kamek's appearances in later games. Specifically, a small enemy will appear on the stage. The Magikoopa will hop on its broom and fly across the stage, sprinkling magic dust and making the enemy grow to massive size. The one I'd like to include most is Naval Piranha, but Raphael Raven may work better as being more iconic.

Entrance: He will teleport onto the stage.

Taunts: Hold up his wand and wave it around for a second, is a good one.

Next up: Let's get on to our minibosses, starting with Boom Boom Koopa from Super Mario Bros. 3.