Prince Florian

PRINCE FLORIAN

After a long series of 2D Mario platformers that all felt just a little too same-y, in 2023, Nintendo released a brand-new platformer that completely changed the game, introducing a cartoony new artstyle, and multiple different features that changed up play in a number of chaotic ways, including the Wonder Flower that caused a strange effect on the stage for a time and badges the players could attach to their character that let them move around just a little bit differently. The story saw Mario and his friends going to visit the Flower Kingdom.

The Flower Kingdom is ruled by a small caterpillar named Prince Florian. He would act as the Mario characters’ primary companion throughout the game, using his special crown to activate the badges used in the game.

As a fighter, Florian will be fast and small, able to avoid most attacks that come his way. His moveset will pull almost entirely from the badges that he makes use of.

Likelihood rating: Piranha Plant clause.

Character Sheet: Prince Florian

PRINCE FLORIAN

And now, we have six brand-new characters to add in to the Mario rosters, including those from the Mario + Rabbids DLC and Super Mario Wonder. They are:

1. Elephant Mario

2. Prince Florian

3. Allegra

4. Poplin

5. Spark Hunters (split from Edge)

6. The Phantom

Next up, we have Prince Florian, not to be confused with Snow White's prince of the same name, a little caterpillar and prince of the Flower Kingdom, who accompanies Mario and the gang as they try to retrieve his castle and separate it from Bowser. He seems to be the main provider of the badge abilities, so we will make that our main movepool here.

First, we have several types of jumps, including the Floating High Jump, the Boosting Spin Jump, the Crouching High Jump, and the Timed High Jump. More unique moves include the parachute cap, a grappling vine, a dolphin kick for swimming, a wall jump, a safety bounce, a coin magnet, the ability to turn invisible, and spring boots. There's also the fast dash and the jet run for speed. I'm sure we can make plenty out of that.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Grappling Vine

Florian will shoot out a vine which will latch onto another player or wall and pull him toward them, like Spider-Man's web.

Side B: Jet Run

He will put on a burst of speed and shoot across the stage at high speed.

Up B: Boosting Spin Jump

We could get more complicated, and have all four depending on extra inputs and such, but I think this one works for a solo.

Down B: Safety Bounce OR Invisibility

Either one would be fun. I could see the really techy players getting a lot of good usage out of that safety bounce.

Final Smash: Bowser Castle

Bowser in Castle Form will rise behind the stage, breathing fiery piranha plants onto it and attacking with his claws.

Entrance: He will appear on the stage with a flourish.

Taunts: Up, the top of his head will burst open with confetti as he cheers. Side, he will shoot out grappling vines trying to look cool. Down, he will sniff a talking flower.

Kirby Hat: His little flower crown.

Kart: Based on a roller-skating Wiggler.

Special Move: He will shoot out a grappling vine and pull himself toward anything ahead of him.

Spirit Battle: Him, accompanied by one of the twelve players picked at random, on Flower Kingdom. (Spirits, or whatever is equivalent in this game, allowed)

Victory Screen: He will spin and hold up a large wonder seed.

Losing Screen: Dark wonder flower energy and smoke will spill across the screen, and he will look terrified.

Color Swaps: His normal green look, a red look, a green and blue look, a pink look, a yellow and orange look, a blue look, a yellow look, and a pink and red look.

Thanks for reading! Next up, a new friendly rabbid from the second DLC pack.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the newest 2D Mario game and the first appearance of Kevin Afghani as the new voice of Mario and Luigi since Charles Martinet's retirement from the role. The game features Mario and friends visiting the Flower Kingdom, when Bowser accidentally makes contact with a Wonder Flower, a plant with some seriously trippy reality-bending powers, and ends up fused with Prince Florian's castle.

Our playable characters in this game include Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, both the blue and yellow Toads, Toadette, four colors of Yoshi, and Nabbit. All play more or less the same, though the Yoshis and Nabbit all act as the game's easy mode. This includes running and jumping, with powerups including the Fire Flower and Super Star, and the new Elephant Fruit, Bubble Flower, and Drill Mushroom. The Elephant Fruit specifically turns the player into an elephant who can charge, butt bash, flick with their trunk, and carry and shoot water.

Also of note is our new badge mechanic, provided by Prince Florian, which gives you an added ability that you can equip from the start of any level. These include, as specific actions: the Parachute Cap, the Floating High Jump, the Boosting Spin Jump, the Wall Jump Climb, the Crouching High Jump, the Grappling Vine, the Dolphin Kick, the Timed High Jump, and the Fast Dash. Others give you some form of boost, such as a safety bounce, becoming a coin magnet, an item sensor, and just having certain items automatically, and others are expert level boosts, including invisibility, a jet run, and spring boots.

As for other allies, we have the Poplins, Florian's people, who can break up rocks and build bridges, some work as anglers, and others can teleport. It might be fair to attach things like the propeller flower to them as well. Then we have Captain Toad who pops up now and then, and the Talking Flowers, who are just great and comment on random things going on in each level.

Bowser is our main villain. He can breathe fire and flies around in his Klown Kar. After being merged with the castle, he shoots out fireballs that move like chomping piranha plants, attack with giant hands, and throw spike balls. Bowser Jr. pops up as a boss frequently, rolling around in his shell and butt bashing for most of his boss fights, but also using Wonder Flower power to grow, shrink, and alter the stage in some way. Kamek also appears, typically calling in airships to act as mid-level boss fights and such.

Our returning enemies include: Koopa Troopas, Koopa Paratroopas, Dry Bones, Goombas, Goombrats, Bone Goombas, Boos, Piranha Plants, Fire Piranha Plants, Bone Piranha Plants, Munchers, Nippers, Ninjis, Cheep Cheeps, Urchins, Bullet Bills, Bob-Ombs, Hotheads, Pokeys, Buzzy Beetles, Spinies, Lakitus, Spikes, Hammer Bros, Mechakoopas, Thwomps, and even King Boo in one level. Newcomers include: flying Anglefish, rolling Armads, Blewbirds, inflated frogs called Bloomps, charging Bulrushes, Condarts, Gnawshers, fat Hoppos, jumping Hoppycats, Thwomp-like Konks, eating Maw-Maws, Missile Megs, unwrappable Mumsies, kicking Outmaways, Pokipedes, Blaarghs that fall from the ceiling called Raarghs, Revvers, Robbirds, Bullet Bills that heat-seek, Shovas that push things, Skedaddlers that run and spit projectiles, Smackerels, Smogrins, rolling Snootles, Sproings, Tailies that hang from the ceiling, blobby Wubbas, and a bunch of guys that don't have names yet, like little green snails, mimic doors, owls, turtles, snakes in pots, walking fireworks, and a shadowy Mario that follows you around.

The whole game takes place in the Flower Kingdom, with its local Beach-themed area Petal Isles as the central hub connecting you to Pipe Rock Plateau, a grassy/mountainous region; Fluff-Puff Peaks, a sky region; Shining Falls, a strange polygonal mountainous world; Sunbaked Desert, a desert of course; Fungi Mines, a forest-y cave area filled with mushrooms; and Deep Magma Bog, a lava world. Each one of these has an access to the Special World, not unlike the one from Super Mario World.

And I think that's about it! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Elephant Mario/etc.: charge, butt bash, trunk, shoot water

Prince Florian: Parachute Cap, Floating High Jump, Boosting Spin Jump, Wall Jump Climb, Crouching High Jump, Grappling Vine, Dolphin Kick, Timed High Jump, Fast Dash, safety bounce, coin magnet, item sensor, invisibility, jet run, spring boots

Poplins: break up rocks, build bridges, anglers, teleport, propeller flower

Spawny

Madame Bwahstrella

Kanya: Mecha King Bob-Omb

Allegra: Dorrie, tuning fork, musical blast, flip, water spit, vibrations

Rayman

Phantom: vanish, invulnerable spotlight, musical blast, sonic wave, sets

Stages: 

Tower of Doooooom!

Melodic Gardens

Phantom Show

Flower Kingdom

Petal Isles

Pipe Rock Plateau

Fluff-Puff Peaks

Shining Falls

Sunbaked Desert

Fungi Mines

Deep Magma Bog

Special World

Thanks for reading! Next up, we technically have another new game coming out this Friday, but we're not there yet, so we'll start with our newcomer characters, starting off with the hefty boy himself.