Character Sheet: Princess Toadstool (Original Sidescrollers)

PRINCESS TOADSTOOL

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.

This time we have several, many of which can be fully developed right now, many who do not have a full moveset yet but have been pegged for their role in the series, and many with only half a moveset. We'll start with our main cast for now:

1. Mario
2. Luigi
3. Princess Toadstool
4. Toad
5. Yoshi
6. Bowser
7. Koopalings
8. Wart

Princess Toadstool (or Peach, as she would come to later be known), is the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's new love interest, replacing Pauline. Throughout these five games, the Princess actually doesn't do a whole lot, simply being there waiting for Mario at the end of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World respectively, meaning she doesn't give us much to work with on those and leaving us with Super Mario Bros. 2 only to work with.

Unlike Mario and Luigi however, whose moveset was made up almost entirely of references to the other games, Princess Toadstool's can be directly pulled from Super Mario Bros. 2's moveset. In that game she could hop on top of enemies and pick them up to use as a projectile, pluck vegetables and other items from the ground (a move that would become her Down B in Smash itself), perform a special super jump if she held down long enough, throw bombs around, and hitch a ride on various items such as autobombs and flying carpet. Technically, you could also count the P-Wing and Music Box items from Super Mario Bros. 3 as possible movesets for her, considering she was the supplier of said items in-game. Beyond that, although her iconic parasol has not become a thing quite yet, her ability to jump and float in the air came straight from Super Mario Bros. 2.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Pick Up and Throw

Peach will pick up and throw the nearest character, using them as a projectile toward other characters. This isn't quite a grab, as the move will be one single action of her upending the player and tossing them forward, disorienting the player and doing moderate damage.

Side B: Ride

Princess Peach will hop on top of an enemy (possibly one of those from SMB2 that are not likely to ever see playable status (I'm thinking Ostro)) that will run around the stage briefly, damaging anyone in its wake.

Up B: Super Jump

Peach will crouch for a second, start to glow, and then launch into the sky like a rocket, reminiscent of the super jump ability from Super Mario Bros. 2. This move will do damage on takeoff.

Down B: Vegetable

Peach will perform her Down Special from Super Smash Bros., plucking a vegetable from the ground which she can then throw at any enemies. This differs from her Standard B as she can carry the vegetable around for a second before throwing it. Also has the random chance of plucking a bomb.

Final Smash: Music Box

Peach uses the Music Box item that she supplies in Super Mario Bros. 3, which allows Mario to put all enemies on the map to sleep for a short time. This functions in the same way as her final smash, Peach Blossom, as I suspect it was part of the inspiration for the move.

Entrance: She floats down from the sky.

Taunts: Her kiss of Mario at the end of many games could be one.

Next up: We will cover Toad, Princess Toadstool's faithful bodyguard.

Character Sheet: Mario (Original Sidescrollers)

MARIO

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.

This time we have several, many of which can be fully developed right now, many who do not have a full moveset yet but have been pegged for their role in the series, and many with only half a moveset. We'll start with our main cast for now:

1. Mario
2. Luigi
3. Princess Toadstool
4. Toad
5. Yoshi
6. Bowser
7. Koopalings
8. Wart

First up, we have Mario, our main playable character and a returning veteran from the arcade titles. For Mario, many of his abilities in the NES and SNES titles have become far more synonymous with the character than almost everything he does in the arcade titles, so I expect most of his moveset to be replaced.

Mario remains a jack of all trades with middling stats and an above-average jump. Throughout most of his sidescrollers, Mario's weapons come from items he picks up, including, but not limited to: a fire flower that grants him the ability to throw fireballs, the Starman, which makes him invincible, the raccoon leaf and Super Cape feather, which both give him the ability to fly and flick enemies, the Tanooki Suit, Frog Suit, and Hammer Suit, all three of which add unique abilities, and the Power Balloon, which inflates Mario like a balloon. Much of his moveset will likely be based upon all of these.

Here is the new moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Fireball

Mario tosses out a fireball. The fireball bounces along the ground and does minimal damage. This move is his Standard B in Super Smash Bros. already.

Side B: Cape

Strictly speaking, this move is based upon the flick ability given to Mario by both the Super Cape and the Raccoon Leaf. I am tempted to include both, but as the cape forms the basis for the move in Super Smash Bros., I will go along with it.

Up B: Raccoon Tail

Since the Side B was based on the cape, it seems only fitting that the Raccoon Tail be the one to represent his flight capabilities. This move acts much like the move from SMB3, carrying him aloft for a short period and damaging anyone who touches the tail.

Down B: Tanooki Statue

This move is based on the ability granted by the Tanooki Suit, which lets Mario turn into a statue and crush enemies beneath him. The move will act much like Kirby's Down B and deal heavy damage.

Final Smash: Starman

Mario would gain the power of a Starman, which would both make him invincible to damage while also allowing him to KO any opponent on contact. He can then run around the stage at will.

Entrance: Pops up from a warp pipe.

Taunts: Mostly based on Mario's victory screens in the games. For sure his two-fingered peace sign he often flashes.

Next up, we'll tackle Luigi, who will no longer act as Mario's echo, but will instead be something of a semi-clone.

Super Mario Bros.

SUPER MARIO BROS.

Today, it's time to dive deep into the very first Super Mario Bros. game, a launch title for the original NES system and a major part of Nintendo's ultimate success. There's a lot to say about this game, but I think we should start by introducing our principal players.

To start with, we have five "plot" characters to work with, meaning characters who are directly involved in the plot of the game, those being: Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Princess Toadstool, and Toad. Mario and Luigi are our protagonists, journeying across the land to rescue the princess from Bowser. Luigi acts as a color-swapped second player version of Mario, so for now, he is still an echo fighter. Their primary moves for the game are simply jumping and moving forward, while all additional abilities are supplied by the game's items: the Fire Flower gives them the ability to throw fireballs, while the Starman makes them invincible for a time. Also of note is the axe used at the end of each zone to cut the bridge Bowser stands on in order to drop him into the fire. All of these could make for a strong, though incomplete moveset.

Bowser is our main boss, a giant turtle-dragon-thing who kidnapped Princess Toadstool. Mario and Luigi face him eight times over the course of the game, and during those fights he is shown with three abilities: jumping really high, breathing blasts of fire, and throwing hammers at the brothers. He also of course has minions to serve him.

Princess Toadstool and her bodyguard Toad are another matter. While they will go on to do more in later games, in this game, they mostly exist to greet Mario after he beats Bowser each time and do nothing else. I will put them both in the tentative category for now, but nothing can be built off them yet.

With the inclusion of Piranha Plant, it's fair to say we cannot overlook the possibility of minion characters being included. This game gives us about eleven minion-type characters to work from: Goombas, Koopas, Piranha Plants, Paratroopas, Bloopers, Cheep Cheeps, Hammer Bros, Lakitus, Spinies, Buzzy Beetles, and Bullet Bills.

Koopas, for now, probably have the best bet at getting in. While their primary move in the game is simply walking forward, they can tuck into their shells and be sent rocketing forward as a projectile, an easy B move. Paratroopa can also be merged in with them, as they are simply Koopas with wings. This gives us a possible Up B move. Hammer Bros also seem related, so hammers can be included, but considering later games, Hammer Bros will probably function best as their own thing.

Some few that, currently have nothing going on for their favor, are Goombas, Piranha Plants, Buzzy Beetles, and Bullet Bills. While I think Goombas and Piranha Plants at least will go on to have strong options, right now, most of these only do one thing, simply presenting a basic challenge to Mario and Luigi. If anything, Bullet Bills or Bullet Bill Blasters work better as items. Bloopers and Cheep Cheeps also don't offer up much for the time being.

Lakitus (and Spinies by extension) on the other hand are another story. Lakitu is a notorious enemy in the game, floating around on a cloud at the top of the screen while dropping spinies below. This already gives us something to work off of, though later games will certainly give us more. If any enemy presents a strong moveset potential, it is the Lakitu.

Now for the stages!

There are multiple options for the stages here, most of which have been done by the Super Smash Bros. games already. A stage could be made to mimic the style and imagery of the levels, much like Mushroom Kingdom and Kingdom I from the 64 and Melee games, or a stage could entirely recreate a level, like Mushroomy Kingdom in Brawl. Either way, the possibilities are endless.

So that we don't simply have 32 stages based on each level of the game, I thought it best to instead sort each world by type. First we have our basic grassland stages: Worlds 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-1, 5-1, 5-2, 6-1, 6-2, 7-1, 8-1, and 8-2. These are more or less the kinds of stages you think about when you think about this original game. They are long stretched with grassy floor, standard blocks and pipes, and so on. They are the type that Mushroom Kingdom and Kingdom I recreated, so a stage like them would suit it just fine, maybe with Mushroomy Kingdom as well, since World 1-1 is so iconic.

Next, we have Underground Levels: World 1-2 and 4-2. The alternate version of Mushroomy Kingdom represents this well, so we'll keep that one around. Next we have what I like to call the Sky Plateau stages: World 1-3, 3-3, 5-3, and 6-3. These stages are sort of like the grassland stages, except they are broken up and require a lot of aerial platforming. A stage based on these would not go amiss. (In fact Mushroom Kingdom U's base form looks very similar to this). Then we have the water levels: 2-2 and 7-2. A Mushroomy Kingdom style recreation of 2-2 would probably be our best bet. Both of these are followed by a Fishing Bridge style level: 2-3 and 7-3 respectively. These stages are made up of long stretches of what looks like a wooden bridge while Cheep Cheeps jump incessantly from the water. A stage based on this might be frustrating but fun. Then we have the Sky Mushrooms: World 4-3, which is similar to the Sky Plateaus, but I felt the mushrooms were iconic enough on their own to warrant their own. The same goes for World 8-3, which seems like the outside walls of a massive fortress. Could have potential.

Finally, we have the Bowser's Castle stages, basically the fourth level of every world. Now, I have always felt that a Bowser's Castle stage has been a long time coming for the Super Smash Bros. games, so this is a natural yes! Each level contains many similar features, such as fire pits, fire bars, podobos, and a bridge section at the end where Mario would fight Bowser. A stage that incorporated these elements could be seriously legit.

Obviously, every item that comes from an item box could be incorporated as items, including Super Mushrooms, Life Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, and Starmen, while Fire Bars, Bullet Bills, Bullet Bill Blasters, and Springs also work just fine.

Now, lets look over everything we've got:


Characters:

Mario: Jump, Fire Flower, Starman, Axe, Springs

Luigi: Echo of Mario

Bowser: Jumping, fireballs, hammers, minions

Princess Toadstool: Nothing

Toad: Nothing

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

Lakitu: Float on cloud, throw Spinies

Goomba: Nothing

Piranha Plant: Bite

Hammer Bros.: Jump, throw hammers

Buzzy Beetles, Bloopers, and Cheep Cheeps all tentative


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


Items:

Super Mushroom

Life Mushroom

Fire Flower

Starman

Fire Bar

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bill Blaster

Spring


Thanks for reading. Next up, we cover the game's Japanese sequel Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.