Underground

Not to be confused with “The Underground” above, Underground is the last of our biome-themed levels for this roster anyway. It is based on the second level theme ever seen in Super Mario Bros., being set underground in a cave crawling with Buzzy Beetles and Piranha Plants.

This stage will be a standard underground stage, possibly similar to the underground version of Mushroomy Kingdom. It will feature a line of blocks across the top that can be broken with just a hit and platforms moving up and down on conveyor belts.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0SuIMUoShI

Buzzy Beetle

As you near the end of the very first Super Mario Bros. game, you will finally encounter one last enemy, similar in appearance to Koopa Troopas or Spinies, with bigger shells that nearly cover their entire bodies. To your surprise however, the fireball you have been so reliant on up to this point to handle any situation proves to be useless, as those big shells turn out to be completely fireproof.

This is a Buzzy Beetle, the quiet defense-based cousin of the Koopa Klan. They don’t make too much of a mark in the grand scheme of the Mario series, but you can be sure to always find them, typically in the deep dark underground levels, hiding in their big shells, safe in the knowledge your fire will never get through to them. You may even encounter their cousins, the Spike Tops, who like to cling to the ceiling and drop down on you with their single wicked spike.

In game, Buzzy Beetle’s strongest skill is in its defense. Though with few strong attacks to speak of and only moderately fast, you will find yourself struggling to rack up any amount of serious damage on it, even with your strongest of attacks. Its moves will be similar to its Koopa counterparts, using its shell as both defense and a projectile, pulling also from its Spike Top cousins and even lasers fired by a papier-macho replica seen in a Paper Mario game.

Likelihood rating: Piranha Plant clause

Koopa Troopa

Descending into the sewers on their first big gaming adventure together, Mario and Luigi would find the place infested with both crabs, called Sidesteppers, and turtles, called Shellcreepers. If they wanted to effectively handle these creatures, the brothers would have to hit them from below, flipping the Shellcreepers onto their backs before jumping up to their level and kicking them away before they could right themselves.

These turtles would later reappear in the Mario brothers’ first console adventure, this time under the name of Koopa Troopa, the primary minions of the evil king Bowser. These Koopas liked to tuck into their shells to protect themselves from damage and were likewise known to sprout wings and fly. They would go on to appear across the Mario series, more often than not menacing Mario as his enemies, but sometimes helping him out as his allies, such as Kooper and Koops, Mario’s party members from the first two Paper Mario games, who will be represented among the color swaps.

As a playable character, Koopa Troopas are light and speedy, with high defense owing to their tough shells, though not much in the way of power. Their moves will pull from their shells’ defensive capabilities, their wings as Paratroopa, their utility as a projectile when hiding in their shells, and other tertiary abilities demonstrated in various games.

Likelihood rating: Good possibility

Classic NES Series

CLASSIC NES SERIES

Today, let's cover the Classic NES Series, a series of special edition emulations of old NES games released for the Game Boy Advance. While these games covered the full gamut of the NES's library, for our purposes today, we're only covering six of those. Donkey Kong, Dr. Mario, and Super Mario Bros. were released internationally, and Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and Wrecking Crew were only released in Japan. Generally speaking, they largely seem unchanged from their original versions, so today's blog was pretty easy.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario: handstand, jump, crouch, spin, spin on bar, hammer, spring, key, pick up and throw, giant, float, fly

Luigi: invisible

Wario: metal

Yoshi: fire breath, tongue

Donkey Kong: punch, barrel, stomp, jack, grow giant, throw enemies

Donkey Kong Jr.: hop, throw switches

Pauline

Birdo: Robirdo

All characters appearing in SMB2, SMW, SMW2, and SMB3

All characters appearing in the DKC series

All characters appearing in SM64

Bosses:

King Bob-Omb

Goomboss

King Boo

Chief Chilly

Stages:

Construction Site

Big City

Forest

Ship

Jungle

Desert

Airplane

Iceberg

Rocky-Valley

All stages appearing in SMB2, SMW, SMW2, and SMB3

All stages appearing in DKC series

Palm Beach

Poison Swamp

Secret Factory

Ice Area

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover Diddy Kong Racing's DS remake!

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!

Character Sheet: Lakitu & Spinies (Original Sidescrollers)

LAKITU & SPINIES

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

Next up, let's cover the Lakitu, and by extension, the Spinies too. Lakitu are small diminutive cousins of the Koopas, bedecked in glasses and riding around on fluffy little clouds. They are most famous for acting as referees and cameramen in other games, but in the core games, for being obnoxious little twits who follow you around everywhere and bombard you with Spinies, spiky little Buzzy Beetle offshoots that curl up into balls. Lakitu appears in every game so far (the exception of course being Super Mario Bros. 2), and have developed quite a few moves to work with, though it might be a bit of a struggle.

Lakitu will obviously have a bit of a floaty quality to him, though I imagine he will be a bit heavier than the Boos. His core move of course is throwing out Spinies, who might be able to stick around the stage and assist in later moves. He can also throw out Spiny Eggs that do not hatch and simply stick around the stage. Of course he can float around on his cloud, but courtesy of Super Mario World, he can also now hide out in pipes and use the fishing rod that will become famous for its uses in later games.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Spiny
This is his basic move, tossing out a Spiny that will damage anyone it hits and will then walk around on the ground, doing damage to anyone it contacts.

Side B: Spiny Egg

If a Spiny is on the field, it will roll up into its Spiny Egg form and roll around doing heavy damage. If a Spiny is not on the field, the Lakitu will toss it out similar to its Standard B, except that the egg won't hatch.

Up B: Cloud Poof

This move is mainly borrowed from Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings' Up B move, where they will launch themselves from their Kar into the air. Lakitu will do the same, popping up from their cloud, while the cloud bursts in a damaging poof.

Down B: Fishing Rod

This move will function as a partial grab, but can also serve the function of grabbing the Spinies and pulling them back toward Lakitu. This move can be comboed with Side B, so that the player can control where the egg rolls.

Final Smash: Lakithunder

I guess we're back to using boss characters who haven't appeared yet as the playable character's final smash, but really, what other Final Smash could you use for a character that rides around on a cloud than to upgrade that cloud to a full on thunderstorm?

Entrance: Floats down from above with its iconic sound.

Taunts: We haven't covered the Mario Kart series yet, but it's 3-2-1 opening makes a lot of sense, or maybe waving the flag at the end of a lap. Also tucking down behind his cloud for a second.

Next up: Let's cover the Koopa's burly projectile-throwing cousins, the Hammer Bros. (which is really a combination of Hammer Bro, Boomerang Bro, Fire Bro, Sumo Bro, and Sledge Bro, but who's counting)

Character Sheet: Piranha Plant (Original Sidescrollers)

PIRANHA PLANT

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'll be covering the Piranha Plant, a common enemy found in most Mario games and is now most notable for its surprise playable appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. So far it has appeared in all of the games we're covering, barring Super Mario Bros. 2, for much of the same reason as most of the other enemies out there. As much as its basic function is to rise up out of a pipe and bite its enemies, it has surprisingly shown many of the abilities that it uses as a moveset in the game.

So, the Piranha Plant will be quick and light, much as it is in Ultimate, running around with a pot or pipe at its base and moving on tiny little feet. The ability to walk around on the ground has already been demonstrated, though technically by its offshoot, the Nipper Plant. Piranha Plant's also have shown the ability to breathe fireballs, blow a spike ball up into the air, and fly into the air using its little leaves as wings. Let's see what we can do with this.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Fireball
Although the Ptooie ability takes this slot in Ultimate right now, at the moment I feel the fireball makes more sense here, considering it is probably the most iconic move of a Piranha Plant outside of its standard up and down in a pipe.

Side B: Ptooie

The Piranha Plant uses its strong breath to make a spike ball float in the air for a second before spitting it to either side for heavy damage. This move will go on to be the character's standard B, but for now, I'm sticking it here.

Up B: Fly

The Piranha Plant will float up into the air using its tiny little leaves, much as it does in Super Mario World. This was likely the inspiration of the Up B used in Smash, so it's only fitting.

Down B: Tuck into Pipe

This move is more like the first half of what is currently the creature's down B move in Ultimate. He will tuck into his pipe or pot, which will protect it from damage. So far, I haven't seen anything like the second half of the move yet, so we're omitting it for now.

Final Smash: Pipe Maze

Now, I know I cheated a little with characters like Dry Bones and Goomba, including characters as their final Smash that have not yet appear in any of the games I have covered, so in theory I could just use Petey Piranha in the same way. However, that was due to a lack of moves that would serve as a meaningful substitute in the meantime, and, well, Piranha Plant doesn't have that problem. Think back to a few stretches of World 7 in Super Mario Bros. 3, where the player was surrounded on all sides by Piranha-infested pipes. Now imagine dozens of pipes emerging all over a Super Smash Bros. stage, each with a Piranha Plant popping out of it, biting at and breathing fire at any surrounding opponents and doing heavy damage. There you go.

Entrance: Pops out of a pipe.

Taunts: Chomping around the way he does now. Doing the iconic up and down movement.

Next up: Let's cover the Piranha Plant's ghostly counterpart, Boo (or Boo Diddly, as I'm apparently told they were originally named).

Character Sheet: Goomba (Original Sidescrollers)

GOOMBA

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, let's talk about the Goomba, the walking little mushroom (which is actually apparently supposed to be a chestnut) who serves as the most basic enemy in any Mario game. Now, in general, the Goomba on its own is by design supposed to do nothing, however, it has seen enough variants in its lifetime to eke out just enough moveset potential. It appears primarily in Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and Super Mario Bros. 3, and doesn't exactly appear in Super Mario World, instead being replaced by Galoombas, their cousins who are clearly closer to the chestnut tree than they are. I figure Galoombas count well enough, and might even serve as a color swap or two.

So, the basic Goomba move in any game is to simply walk forward and do nothing. However, in Super Mario Bros. 3, we see the introduction of the Paragoomba, which is a Goomba with wings, as well as the Mini-Goomba, a tiny Goomba which can be dropped from the Paragoomba and can also hide under a brick before picking it up and tossing it. The game also introduces us to the Kuribo's Shoe, an item that Goombas can hop around in and stomp on opponents. This gives us at least a little to work with.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Headbutt
This one is actually drawn straight from Goombario and Goombella's moveset in the Paper Mario games. Goomba will jump into the air and come down on top of an opponent, bashing them with their own head for moderate damage.

Side B: Kuribo's Shoe

The Goomba will hop into a Kuribo's shoe, which will allow it to jump around across the stage and bury any enemies it lands on, while also allowing it to cross hazardous areas it couldn't normally cross. 

Up B: Paragoomba

Goomba will sprout a pair of wings that will allow it to fly up and up while dropping Mini-Goombas by parachute as it goes. The wings will disappear after a short time, while the Mini-Goombas will last until they hit an opponent.

Down B: Brick

The Goomba will pick up a large brick, just like their mini counterpart, and carry it around for a time, protecting it from harm, before chucking it at the nearest opponent, doing heavy damage and shattering the brick in the process.

Final Smash: Goomboss

I know this guy doesn't come around until Paper Mario, but I literally could not think of anything else that would work as a Goomba's final smash. Basically, Goomboss will pop out and tromp around the stage erratically, crushing any opponent it comes across and send them flying.

Entrance: Descends by parachute

Taunts: "I'm a lonely Goomba, stuck between two pipes." Okay, not really. But that would be fun, wouldn't it? Maybe have him play a little Game Boy for a second anyway.

Next up: Let's cover the Piranha Plant, the character literally no one saw coming but turned out to be really fun anyway.

Character Sheet: Koopa Troopa (Original Sidescrollers)

KOOPA TROOPA

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

We'll start out with the Koopa Troopa, Bowser's main minion among his forces and probably the most recognizable enemy of the series. They appear throughout Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World, and at least their shells appear in Super Mario Bros. 2 as well. Their role in the series is mainly as a basic enemy who won't die by being stepped on, instead tucking into their shells and becoming a possible projectile.

Now, Koopa will be a small and quick fighter, probably fairly similar to Squirtle in terms of stats. Of course they have their first and most famous move, tucking into their shells to escape from harm, after which their shells can be kicked forward at high speeds. In Super Mario World, they can also step outside of their shells and use it as their own projectile. They have many offshoots, most of which are versatile enough on their own to warrant their own slot (see: Lakitu, Hammer Bro., etc.), but one offshoot, the Koopa Paratroopa, is literally just a Koopa with wings, so that can simply be merged into the character. Other moves can be borrowed from his other offshoots, but we'll see what we can do.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Hammer Throw
This one's mostly a place filler, borrowing a move from the Koopa's cousin Hammer Bro., at least until later games introduce some more moves specifically iconic to Koopa himself.

Side B: Shell Spin

Koopa tucks into his shell and spins forward at high speed. This move functions similarly to Koops and Kooper's primary moves from the Paper Mario series. The shell can be moved back and forth across the stage and can be unwieldy.

Up B: Paratroopa

Koopa sprouts a pair of feathery wings and floats upward, allowing him to hop onto opponents' heads and damage them.

Down B: Shell Tuck

This one falls into the more defensive move category. Basically, the Koopa will tuck into his shell and remain there for a time, making him impervious to harm. It is possible for an opponent to kick the shell and send it spinning in this state.

Final Smash: King Koopa

Bowser's original 8-Bit sprite from the original Super Mario Bros. game will appear, defending his minion by spitting fire everywhere and jumping up to slam down on the ground, causing an earthquake.

Entrance: Starts out in his shell, before emerging using the standard animation

Taunts: Giving a thumbs up and making the iconic Koopa sound, stepping outside of his shell and looking it over while in his underwear, don't know about a third one.

Next up: We will cover the character that was an easy echo fighter for the character, Dry Bones.

Character Sheet: Bowser (Original Sidescrollers)

BOWSER

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

Next up, we have Bowser, the main villain of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World. For the most part, he only appears at the end of each game, so his moveset will be drawn from those battles and those battles only.

Bowser will be a heavy fighter, with strong, powerful moves, but not a lot of speed. In the first two games, he will stand on a bridge over some lava, jumping into the air, spitting fireballs, and throwing hammers. As the main villain, he also has the possibility of sending out his minions to fight for him. In Super Mario Bros. 3, he will instead stand on a series of blocks, jumping into the air and slamming down with enough force to break the blocks (the obvious inspiration for his current Down B). In Super Mario World, we see the introduction of the Koopa Klown Kar. Now, this of course, will go on to serve as the basis for Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings' moveset, but Bowser is the only one who can use it for now. He can fly around in it, drop giant cannonballs, toss out Mechakoopas, and rain fire from above.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Fire Breath

Bowser will breathe heavy fire at his opponents, which is his current standard special. The move will do heavy damage, but no knockback.

Side B: Mechakoopas

For this move, I combined the ideas of him sending out minions to fight for him with the mechakoopas from Super Mario World. He will send the mechakoopa forward and it will explode, knocking away an enemy.

Up B: Koopa Klown Kar

Bowser will use the Koopa Klown Kar to fly up into the air. The airship's girth will be enough to knock opponents away if they get hit by it.

Down B: Slam Down

Bowser will flip up into the air and slam down hard, just like his current Down B and his boss battle from Super Mario Bros. 3. This move will do heavy knockback.

Final Smash: Rain Fire

This move mimics his strongest move from his boss battle at the end of Super Mario World. First, he will hop into his Klown Kar, which will swoop toward the screen, damaging anyone in its path, followed by fireballs raining down from the sky and setting fire to the stage.

Entrance: Bowser will land in his Koopa Klown Kar.

Taunts: Uncertain, he doesn't express much in these.

Next up: We will cover Bowser's seven children, the Koopalings!

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: Luigi (Original Sidescrollers)

LUIGI

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

Now let's go over Luigi again. As before, Luigi exists in these games as pretty much an exact carbon copy of Mario. Even Super Mario Bros. 2, which introduced the major differences between him and his brother, still had them playing more or less the exact same. However, thanks to the sheer number and variety of their moveset from both the arcade titles and the sidescrollers, Luigi can now exist as a separate entity from his brother.

Just like Mario, he can make use of all the items these five games have made available as well as all moves presented in previous titles. He has retained a few of the moves left over from the original title and could incorporate several elements that Mario passed over in his moveset. And of course, thanks to Super Mario Bros. 2, he is also be slightly lighter and faster than his brother.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Fireball

Luigi tosses out a green fireball, a direct copy of Mario's standard B move, while also Luigi's own standard B from the games.

Side B: Hammer

Unlike Mario, Luigi keeps the hammer used in the arcade games, except this time it has been updated to reflect the Hammer Suit used in Super Mario Bros. 3, meaning he will swing forward with the hammer first before throwing it in an arc, dealing heavy damage.

Up B: Raccoon Tail

This move copies Mario's up B, allowing him to flutter into the air for a brief period (though longer than Mario) while damaging any opponents that touch the tail.

Down B: POW Block

Luigi keeps his POW Block from his original moveset, which he can use to cause an earthquake and knock all in the vicinity off of their feet.

Final Smash: Starman

Luigi retains the same Final Smash as Mario, grabbing a Starman and gaining temporary invincibility and the power to KO anyone he touches.

Entrance: Enters through a Warp Pipe

Taunts: Most of the same taunts as Mario

Next up: We will cover Princess Peach, or as she's currently known, Princess Toadstool!

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.: The Lost Levels

SUPER MARIO BROS.: THE LOST LEVELS

Today, we will be covering the sequel to the original Super Mario Bros. game, known as Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan, but due to, apparently, Nintendo believing American gamers couldn't handle the game's ramped up difficulty level, it was not released there, and came to be known as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

For the most part, there's really not a whole lot to add from this game, as it ran on the same engine as its predecessor and used nearly all of the same assets, except with some slightly upgraded graphics. The game still featured the same five core characters of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, and Toad, all serving the same function as before, as well as the same eleven enemy types, all also serving the same function. (Except that Bloopers can fly now, apparently).

Likewise, most of the levels were similar to before, with Grassland, Underground, Underwater, Sky Plateau, Fishing Bridge, and Bowser's Castle motifs returning. Most could simply be represented by the same stages as before with maybe one or two notable exceptions. World 8-3 gave us our very first fully Sky-themed stage, with clouds as platforms, something that would become a staple of later games. World 9, on the other hand, stands out as four worlds specifically designed to be nonsensical and random, following very little of the rules established in the previous levels. Stages based on both of these would be perfectly welcome in Super Smash Bros.

There is only one new item of note, that being the Poison Mushroom, an item that kills anyone it touches. It already has been an item in Smash, so there you go.

Now, let's see where we're at.


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 (Bloopers can FLY?!)


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

Sky Stage

World 9 (Weird Stage)


Items:

Super Mushroom

Life Mushroom

Fire Flower

Starman

Fire Bar

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bill Blaster

Spring

Poison Mushroom


Thanks for reading. Next up, we will cover America's version of Super Mario Bros. 2!