Pionpi

Their first three games a success, and the NES firmly establishing Nintendo as the current kings of games, they soon branch out into the newly developing technology of handheld gaming, releasing the brand-new Game Boy system players could take on the road. With it came Super Mario Land, a Mario game but in the palm of your hand. Rather than rescuing Bowser from Peach however, this time you were tasked with saving a new princess from an evil alien invader. You fought your way across four different worlds, each based heavily on an ancient civilization, each with enemies fitting of the theme. As you reached the fourth world, a world heavily based on ancient China, you found it populated by strange purple zombies dressed in stereotypical Chinese tunics.

These were Pionpi, the most prominent minions of the alien Tatanga and invaders of the Chai Kingdom. Though they will not see much life past Super Mario Land, they do enjoy a significant presence in the comics released around the time, most of which followed the game’s story in order to advertise for it. Most significantly, Pionpi played the role of Tatanga’s lead enforcer and right hand man in the Herman Smirch trilogy of comics.

In game, Pionpi will be moderately slow and a bit on the medium side in terms of weight, but with solid jumping and aerial abilities. Their movesets will pull from their appearance in the game, the comics they starred in, and the other enemies that appeared around them and followed their commands.

Likelihood rating: Never gonna happen

Super Mario Roster, Updated

SUPER SMASH BROS. UNIVERSE

SUPER MARIO BROS.

And now, for what is probably our last major character update for this specific roster, at least until Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope gives us that goth-looking Rabbid or Mario Party Superstars does something to surprise me.

1. Mario
2. Jumpman
3. Fursuit Mario
4. Dr. Mario
4e. Dr. Luigi
5. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
6. Cat Mario
7. Builder Mario
8. Luigi
9. Vacuum Luigi
9e. Professor E. Gadd
10. Princess Peach
10e. Peachette
11. Princess Daisy
12 Rosalina and Luma
13. Pauline
14. Cappy
15. Toad
15e. Toadsworth
16. Captain Toad
16e. Toadette
17. Bowser
17e. Dry Bowser
18. Bowser Jr.
19. Shadow Mario
20. The Koopalings
20e. Koopa Kid
21. Foreman Spike
22. Wart
23. Tatanga
24. Mario Kart
25. Robo Mario
26. Wanda
27. Plum
27e. Kid
28. Alex & Nina
28e. Ace & Clay
29. Tumble
30. Brighton & Twila
31. MC Ballyhoo & Big Top
32. Mini Marios
33. Perry
34. Sprixie Princess
35. Rabbid Mario
36. Koopa Troopa
36e. Dry Bones
37. Goomba
38. Piranha Plant
39. Boo
40. Buzzy Beetle
41. Bob-Omb
41e. King Bob-Omb
42. Cheep Cheep
43. Blooper
44. Pokey
45. Lakitu and Spinies
46. Ninji
47. Beezo
48. Flurry
49. Pionpi
50. Monty Mole
51. Spike
52. Rex
53. Hammer Bro
54. Chargin' Chuck
55. Wiggler
56. Chain Chomp
57. Thwomp
57e. Whomp
58. Mr. Blizzard
59. Mechakoopa
60. Mini Donkey Kong
61. Ghost
62. Honeybee
63. Ziggy
64. Nabbit
65. Boom Boom
65e. Pom Pom
66. Birdo
67. Mouser
68. Tryclyde
69. Petey Piranha
70. King Boo
71. The Broodals
72. Rabbid Kong
73. Super Team

Thanks for reading! Next up, three more additions to the multimedia roster!

Character Sheet: Pionpi

PIONPI

Now that we're finished with the western comics of the Mario series, let's go through and cover our assorted newcomers. We have four this time, one appearing in the regular Mario roster, the other three in the multimedia roster. They are:

1. Pionpi

2. Mushroom King

3. Herman Smirch

4. Dirk Drain-Head

Now, Pionpi we have seen before. They are the common enemy appearing in the Chai Kingdom, the fourth world of Super Mario Land based heavily on ancient China. They are little purple zombie creatures dressed in traditional Chinese tunics that would mostly jump forward with their arms extended. In the trilogy of comics centering on Herman Smirch, there was only one Pionpi, and he acted as Tatanga's right hand man, commanding his forces while riding on a Yurarin. He could cast spells of his own, but he could also command the various minions to do his bidding, and that re-contextualizes the character quite a bit.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Gunion

He will point his sceptre forward as a Gunion enemy (octopus thing) appears shooting off a fireball in three directions.

Side B: Pionpi Leap

Based on his own famous move from the game, he will extend his arms forward and leap forward at high speed, colliding with anyone in his way.

Up B: Yurarin

His primary steed through the comic, a Yurarin (the sea horse) will appear under him and swim upward, generally the way a sea horse would move.

Down B: Genkotsu

He will point forward as a large rock fist appears, punching downward and squashing anyone caught underneath it.

Final Smash: Forces of Tatanga

Pionpi will spread his arms to call upon his armies. A game boy will appear at his feat, glowing with light before bursting open and spilling hordes of enemies from Super Mario Land all across the stage, wreaking havoc before shortly disappearing.

Entrance: He will emerge from the Game Boy.

Taunts: Up, he will try to rein in his Yurarin for a second. Side, he will extend his arms in his signature pose for a second. Down, he will take on his squashed look from the game when Mario steps on him.

Thanks for reading! Next up, Peach's often absent father, the Mushroom King!

The Herman Smirch Trilogy

THE HERMAN SMIRCH TRILOGY

The Herman Smirch trilogy is a threesome of comics released by Valiant Comics, technically as part of the Nintendo Comics System but also with its own world and continuity. They include the issues "In the Palm of Your Hand . . .", "It's a Small World After All", and "Team Play." They are set in the real world, where Mario is simply a fictional video game character, and loosely center on a man named Herman Smirch.

Herman Smirch is a selfish, arrogant man who works in a video game store and regularly shoplifts the games he sells. Because of his twisted and self-serving spirit, Tatanga from the game Super Mario Land manages to open a portal between the Mario world and the real world using a Game Boy he stole, unleashing his armies into the real world to take it over. The first issue then follows two children who figure out how to summon Mario from the game so that he can defeat Tatanga and put him back in the game.

The next two issues follow Herman Smirch once again coming into contact with a Game Boy and being once again used as a conduit to release Tatanga into the real world once again, Smirch being forced to act as his henchmen and new children and "good" adults having to summon Mario to defeat him.

Obviously, Smirch is our first option for a potential character. Though he is a regular human, the stolen Game Boy releasing enemies from Super Mario Land certainly gives us some stuff to work with, as does the actions he is forced to take both in servitude to Tatanga and while trying to avoid getting roped into the schemes. I should also note that this does give us some material to work with for Tatanga as well, and the enemy character Pionpi is given a bit of an upgrade as Tatanga's right-hand man, even acting as the main villain in "Team Play." He regularly rides around on a Yurarin and seems to be in full command of all the various enemies, with Tatanga letting him lead the troops.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario

Link

Kirby

Luigi

Princess Peach

Toad

Yoshi

Bowser

Tatanga

Koopalings

Herman Smirch: Game Boy, gun, hijack, flying car, Tatanga's minions

Mushroom King: go-kart, portable throne, magic wand, dog, chameleon, "Sacred Cylinder of Cheese," Green Gecko Gem, garden, mattress of clouds, Wooster, Stopwatch

Dirk Drain-Head: wrench, plunger, cape, Snakey, Pipe Ooze, Muck

Pionpi: Yurarin, spell, minions

Stanley the Talking Fish

Friendly Floyd: salesman, items

Stages:

Super Mario World locations

Nintendo Hotel

Real World locations (Disneyland being one of them)

Thanks for reading! Next up, we have two Mario vs. Wario comics to cover!