Mecha-Bowser

MECHA-BOWSER

Mario's pursuit of his shadowy doppelganger leads him to the island amusement park of Pinna Park. There he finds himself accosted by a gigantic robot version of Bowser that attacks him with fire breath and Bullet Bills.

This is Mecha-Bowser, a giant robot patterned after Bowser. Mecha-Bowser would appear here and there throughout the Mario series, including its origin in Super Mario Sunshine, the Mario Kart Arcade GP games, multiple Mario Party games, and a questionable version from Super Mario Galaxy.

As a fighter, Mecha-Bowser will be big and heavy, using its mechanical components and attacks from its various boss battles to built its moveset.

Likelihood rating: Probably not.

Delfino Plaza

With Mario 64 and Galaxy represented, we need to represent the main 3D game that came between them. The game takes place entirely on the tropical island of Isle Delfino, with the island’s capitol, Delfino Plaza, acting as the hub world.

Now, in this instance, I would not mess with its representation already existing within Super Smash Bros. I believe that a traveling stage touring the city was the best possible way to represent it and it should not be changed. If I did touch anything, I would fill the city with its NPC residents, its current version feeling just a little too empty.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3tkgU0pQmQ

Bowser Jr.

Mario fights his way across the island, cleaning up all of Shadow Mario’s mess and coming face to face with the figure in the middle of an amusement park. After a roller coaster fight with a giant robotic Bowser, the shadowy being finally decides to reveal his true identity.

He is, in reality, Bowser Jr., Bowser’s son and heir who believes Peach to be his mother. After this first game, he becomes a permanent and constant presence in the Mario series, a built-in partner for Bowser in sports games, and a natural mini-boss throughout most adventure games. Although his relationship with the Koopalings has yet to be truly nailed down, he even found himself a nice niche working with them in the series as well.

As a character, Bowser Jr. will be constantly piloting a Klown Kar, as many of his boss battles make use of the vehicle or other vehicles like it. He will be lighter and more floaty as a result, and his moveset will pull from all of his boss battles, as well as the abilities demonstrated by the Klown Kar itself.

Likelihood rating: Already in

Petey Piranha

Accused of Shadow Mario’s crimes by the island government and sentenced to clean up all the mess, Mario sets out with FLUDD in tow to get it done. His journey leads him first to a pristine mountain village called Bianco Hills, currently under threat by a monstrous Piranha Plant that has taken over the village windmill.

This is Petey Piranha, who would soon firmly establish his place as the Mario series’ favorite boss fight, seeing appearances in adventure games, RPGs, and sports games, in playable and non-playable appearances alike. Unlike many of his species restricted to pipes, he spends all of his time walking around on land, with large leaves that let him fly and a big head with a mouth full of teeth.

In game, naturally he is a big, strong bruiser, with lacking speed but decent aerials. His moveset pulls from all over the Mario series and from every boss battle he has ever taken part in.

Likelihood rating: Could happen

FLUDD Mario

Befuddled by the mysterious slime destroying the island, Mario searches for a solution only to encounter a strange contraption used to contain and fire water at high speed. With no time to waste, Mario strapped the device on his back and set to work cleaning up the mess.

The device introduces itself as F.L.U.D.D., or the Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device. It can fire water forward in a powerful stream, spray two streams downward to lift itself into the air, and can fire off a blast like a rocket. Mario will rely heavily on the device for the remainder of the game, making it a distinctly different experience from most other Mario games.

As a playable fighter, FLUDD Mario will be a bit heavier and slower than regular Mario, weighed down by the weight of the pack. His moves will make use of the water from his pack and the various nozzles that grant him different abilities.

Likelihood rating: Could happen

Shadow Mario

As the video plays out, Peach can’t help but notice a strange shadowy figure moving around in the background. She doesn’t have too much time to wonder about it though, as the landing strip her plane is supposed to land has been covered in some sort of toxic goo sapping the light from the island.

The perpetrator behind all of this is Shadow Mario, a strange figure that looks nearly identical to Mario, and has been busy using his goo to pollute and desecrate the island. His true identity, we will come to in a minute, but as a result, has not seen too much life of his own outside of his game of origin.

As a playable character, his attributes will be similar to Mario, though more fast and agile thanks to his slippery nature. His moves will pull heavily from the goop he spread all over the island and the paintbrush he used to do it all, as well as the multitude of other tricks he pulled throughout the game.

Likelihood rating: Probably not

Pianta

As Peach’s plane approaches its destination, Mario, Peach, and Toadsworth are greeted by a welcome video from their tropical island’s inhabitants, a group of rather rotund creatures with palm trees on their heads and hula skirts around their waists.

These are the Pianta, the primary residents of Isle Delfino and Mario and Peach’s hosts during their stay. Following this game, Pianta won’t see too much life, though just enough to have regular appearances at least in the background of many games alongside their fellow island residents, the Noki.

As playable characters, they will be large and slow, with fluid movements that pack a surprising amount of power behind them. Their moves will pull from both their own actions within Sunshine as well as all the many features of Isle Delfino that they take part in, including their companions, the Noki.

Likelihood rating: Probably not

Toadsworth

One year later, Nintendo put out their next mainline Mario game, a unique departure from the standard formula by the name of Super Mario Sunshine. The game begins with a shot of Princess Peach’s personal jet flying through the air, taking Mario and Peach to a tropical vacation. Inside the plane, we see the pair relaxing, accompanied by an older Toad with a mustache and a walking stick.

This is Toadsworth, Peach’s personal steward and caretaker. Immediately following this game, he would see frequent appearances all over the series, filling a distinct role within Peach’s hierarchy. Sadly, his appearances seem to have petered out, I fear in part due to the developers digging in their heels on “de-complicating” the series, most notably seen in its effects on the RPG series.

In game, he will be an echo fighter of the regular Toad character. He will be heavier and slower, but with far more powerful magical attacks. His moves will pull from the same pool as the Toads.

Likelihood rating: Probably not

Monty Mole

As you fight your way through Dinosaur Land, fighting off dinosaurs and Koopalings and football players of all sizes, you will soon come to rougher areas of the island, full of rocky hills and cliffsides that line your path. Be careful where you step though, as you might find a big, furry mole suddenly bursting from the earth to your left and slashing you with its big old claws.

This is a Monty Mole, a burrowing resident of Dinosaur Land and the Mushroom Kingdom. They have a more mechanically inclined cousin, the Rocky Wrench, that appeared before as the crew of Super Mario Bros. 3’s airships, but this is where Monty’s make their first proper appearance. They will soon become staples of most Mario games, popping up in the most inconvenient of locations and causing trouble from below, sometimes even commandeering tanks and using Bob-Ombs and Bullet Bills to their advantage.

In game, Monty Moles will likely be driving around these tanks, giving them solid speed and a good line of defense at the cost of speed and weight. They will make use of the Bullet Bills that did not see a place on the roster, as well as their cousins’ throwing wrenches and their own propensity to tuck down and hide when times get rough.

Likelihood rating: Piranha Plant clause

Blooper

Disappointed by your lack of princess, you move on to World 2, where you encounter your first water stage. Not more than a few seconds in and you are faced by a white squid swimming around in an erratic fashion difficult to predict.

This is a Blooper, originally known as a Blooper, a species of squid native to the Mushroom Kingdom. Though often just the erratic swimmers of the first game, later games have also shown them capable of spraying toxic ink, surfing at high speeds, and launching themselves high into the air. A particularly large member of their race, a giant squid named Gooper Blooper, has made multiple appearances as a boss and will certainly be represented here.

As a player, Bloopers will be slow and difficult to work with on the ground, but swift naturals in the air, swimming through it as if it were water. Their moveset will make use of their tentacles and their ink, as well as their intense speed in the air and water, alongside the extra abilities demonstrated by Gooper Blooper.

Likelihood rating: Piranha Plant clause

Character Sheet: Petey Piranha (Main 3D Games)

PETEY PIRANHA

Now, let's move on to all newcomers to the roster, either by being introduced in these last five games, or by finally gaining enough source material to be upgraded to the status of playable character. In the end, my count is thirteen new characters, two of whom are echo fighters.

8e. Toadette
17e. King Boo
24. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
25. Rosalina & Luma
26. Cappy
27. Bowser Jr.
28. Shadow Mario
29. Pianta
30. Blooper
31. Monty Mole
32. Honeybee
33. Petey Piranha
34. The Broodals

Next we have Petey Piranha, the boss character introduced in Super Mario Sunshine and has since been featured as a playable character or as a boss in multiple other games (including Super Smash Bros. itself). Although he fits the bill of "giant version of common enemy featured as a boss" just like Goomboss, Gooper Blooper, Big Boo, and many, many others, Petey has much more to offer in terms of moveset that makes him radically different from other Piranha Plants, so I figured he deserved a spot of his own.

Petey is definitely a heavyweight and a bit slow-moving. He can trot around on his stubby legs or fly with the leaves he uses for hands. In Sunshine, he was shown to be able to fly long distance, roar loud enough to stun those around him, spit loads of goop everywhere, cough up giant Piranhabons (basically detached Piranha Plant heads covered in goop), divebomb from above, and create small tornadoes by flapping his leaves. Of course, I suppose I should mention Dino Piranha, Fiery Dino Piranha, and Peewee Piranha, as all were clearly based upon Petey, though mostly they just charge around, Dino and Fiery Dino having club tails that can be used against them. Doesn't give much, but I guess it's still worth noting. Let's see what we've got.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Piranhabon
Petey will cough up a Piranhabon that will roll across the stage, flattening opponents and leaving behind a trail of toxic goop that damages those in contact with it.

Side B: Tornado

Petey will flap one of his leaves hard enough to create a small cyclone that will float forward and send opponents spinning up into the air.

Up B: Fly

I thought this one should be obvious. Petey flaps his giant leaves hard enough to lift himself high into the air. This move isn't as fast as many other Up B moves, but it can still carry some distance.

Down B: Divebomb

Petey will flip up into the air and come down in a diagonal trajectory, crushing any opponent caught underneath him.

Final Smash: Emissary Cage Match

This is fairly similar to Piranha Plant's current Final Smash, with Petey whipping out a pair of giant cages and catching two opponents inside. He will hop around for a bit before slamming the cages together and sending both opponents flying.

Entrance: He will wake up from a nap.

Taunts: His roar, maybe with a bit of a stunning effect. His belly button poking out and his rolling over on the floor. Napping, maybe.

Next up: Let's tackle Bowser's new minions appearing in Super Mario Odyssey, the Broodals!

Character Sheet: Monty Mole (Main 3D Games)

MONTY MOLE

Now, let's move on to all newcomers to the roster, either by being introduced in these last five games, or by finally gaining enough source material to be upgraded to the status of playable character. In the end, my count is thirteen new characters, two of whom are echo fighters.

8e. Toadette
17e. King Boo
24. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
25. Rosalina & Luma
26. Cappy
27. Bowser Jr.
28. Shadow Mario
29. Pianta
30. Blooper
31. Monty Mole
32. Honeybee
33. Petey Piranha
34. The Broodals

Today, let's check out another common enemy of the Mario series who wasn't included in the previous run of characters, but has since earned himself a place among the fighters, that being Monty Mole, large furry mole known for popping out of the ground and throwing rocks at Mario. Monty appeared previously in Super Mario World, and has now appeared in Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2. There are a couple of offshoots to mention as well, being Rocky Wrenches and Undergrunts, but I struggle to know what exactly the difference is, as all three seem to do the same job at different points in time.

Monty Mole would be a heavyweight but rather quick for his size. He will probably drive around in a tank, considering most of his tank appearances are where a lot of his moves will come from. This is also a bit of a sneak way for Bob-Ombs and Bullet Bills to be included as playable characters, as neither offer up much to work with otherwise. Obviously, in many games, he is known for popping out of the ground and throwing rocks (or out of manholes and throwing wrenches, as done by Rocky in SMB3 and by Monty in the Galaxy games (see?)). He is shown to be able to drive a tank from which he can throw Bob-Ombs just like his rocks and fire Bullet Bills from a turret. He is also known to have a unique move where he pops straight up into the air, rather than just out a bit to throw something. An Undergrunt also pilots a tank-like vehicle (see?) in the Galaxy games, firing bubbles from it. They also burrow around underground quite a bit in those games.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Bob-Omb
This one pays homage to Monty and Rocky's standard attack of throwing rocks or wrenches, but he will specifically throw out a Bob-Omb, allowing Bob-Ombs to be represented as a character as well. (Though I suppose its possible he could randomly throw out rocks, wrenches, and Bob-Ombs, similar to how King Dedede's Standard B worked originally)

Side B: Bullet Bill

Monty points his cannon turret straight forward and fires off a Bullet Bill that flies forward and targets opponents. This allows Bullet Bill to be represented as well.

Up B: Pop Up

This one is based on Monty's move of popping out of the ground and leaping straight up into the air as seen in World, 64, and the Mario Kart games. It's possible his tank will self-destruct as he does this, similar to Bowser Jr.'s, or simply stay or fall where it is. Either way.

Down B: Tuck In

Monty will tuck down inside of his tank, protecting him from harm. The tank's cover will be resting on top of his head, flat just like the manhole covers on top of Rocky Wrenches.

Final Smash: Monty Tank

I rather like the boss fight in New Super Mario Bros. wherein you fight a three-tiered tank that moves back and forth with swiveling turrets firing off projectiles in every direction. This move would mirror that, with Monty's Tank gaining turrets and then wreaking mayhem across the stage.

Entrance: Burrow out of the ground, I think.

Taunts: Crouch down inside the tank and glance around. Maybe make his little squeak noise.

Next up: The Honeybees from the Galaxy games. You know, the ones with the giant queen who got into Mario Kart 7 somehow . . . You'll see.

Character Sheet: Blooper (Main 3D Games)

BLOOPER

Now, let's move on to all newcomers to the roster, either by being introduced in these last five games, or by finally gaining enough source material to be upgraded to the status of playable character. In the end, my count is thirteen new characters, two of whom are echo fighters.

8e. Toadette
17e. King Boo
24. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
25. Rosalina & Luma
26. Cappy
27. Bowser Jr.
28. Shadow Mario
29. Pianta
30. Blooper
31. Monty Mole
32. Honeybee
33. Petey Piranha
34. The Broodals

Today, let's cover the Blooper, the squid-based enemy who frequented Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and Super Mario Bros. 3. However, they did not make the cut when characters were chosen for that game, simply because they really mostly just floated around in those games. However, the Blooper can thank its inclusion today almost entirely to their appearance in Super Mario Sunshine, including the boss Gooper Blooper, without which they would have nothing to work off of, including their appearances in the Galaxy games, which went back to their classical appearances.

In Super Mario Sunshine, the Bloopers themselves have newer designs that allow them to crawl around on the ground, though their floating abilities might be worked into the moveset as well. Mario uses a more classical version of them to surf around at high speeds. They can also spit ink, which seems to be tied to the paint used by Bowser Jr. Gooper Blooper can likewise spray ink, including a move where he jumps into the air and sprays the ink in a wide circle, and can slap his tentacles down hard, making them stick to the ground. I think this gives us plenty to work with.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Ink
The Blooper charges up and spits a high-powered shot of ink that acts as a projectile, but also leaves a splatter of ink on the ground that then acts much like Inkling's or Shadow Mario's ink.

Side B: Surf

This one acts as a bit of a combination between the Inkling's dash and Squirtle's side B. The Gooper will flatten out like the ones Mario would surf on in Sunshine and jet forward, a wave of water carrying him forward.

Up B: Inkjet

This is almost an exact recreation of Inkling's up B, with the Blooper taking up its classical look and jetting straight up into the air, a spray of ink spraying out from beneath him.

Down B: Tentacle Slap

The Blooper will slap a long tentacle down hard, doing heavy damage to any opponent it hits and sticking to them. However, if the hit misses, it will leave Blooper vulnerable as the tentacle will be stuck for a short time.

Final Smash: Gooper Blooper

Of course, you have to go with the boss on this one. Gooper Blooper will appear, but almost more in his Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door appearance, looming in the background as his tentacles wreak havoc on stage.

Entrance: Maybe float onto the stage, referencing how they can fly in The Lost Levels.

Taunts: Ink a little the way they do in Mario Kart. Wave a tentacle around. Float upward in the same animation from the original games.

Next up: Monty Mole, who also got an upgrade this time around.

Character Sheet: Pianta (Main 3D Games)

PIANTA

Now, let's move on to all newcomers to the roster, either by being introduced in these last five games, or by finally gaining enough source material to be upgraded to the status of playable character. In the end, my count is thirteen new characters, two of whom are echo fighters.

8e. Toadette
17e. King Boo
24. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
25. Rosalina & Luma
26. Cappy
27. Bowser Jr.
28. Shadow Mario
29. Pianta
30. Blooper
31. Monty Mole
32. Honeybee
33. Petey Piranha
34. The Broodals

Next up is Pianta, the local population of Isle Delfino and the most prominent NPCs in Super Mario Sunshine. They make a reappearance in Super Mario Galaxy 2 as residents of the beach-themed levels. I originally was not going to include the Piantas, as they didn't really seem to do much on first glance, however, upon further consideration of what little they are seen doing, and a few things unique to Sunshine than can easily be applied to them, making them a semi-reference character, I figured they were actually quite suited to being playable characters.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Fruit Juice
This one is primarily borrowed from Yoshi's unique move in this game, which is to spray a stream of juice from his mouth upon eating a fruit. As the move is likely to eventually be replaced in Yoshi's moveset (he has other abilities far more iconic), it seems fitting for the Pianta to take it up.

Side B: Watermelon

This move comes from the notorious sidequest in Super Mario Sunshine involving Mario rolling a giant watermelon a long distance. Basically, the Pianta will roll the giant watermelon which will then barrel through opponents before eventually splattering.

Up B: Chuckya

This is one of the few abilities actually demonstrated by the Piantas themselves. A second Pianta will appear on stage, grabbing the player Pianta and chucking them as hard as they can in the direction indicated.

Down B: Noki

The Pianta will toss out a Noki shell, which will spin and do damage to those around it. This doubles as representation for the Piantas' fellow island inhabitants, who unfortunately did not offer up enough to base a moveset on.

Final Smash: Shine Sprites

This one is the same as F.L.U.D.D. Mario's final smash, with the Pianta holding a giant Shine above his head as it glows and a bunch of smaller Shines circle around it.

Entrance: Maybe their animation when they're freed from the paint goop and shake themselves off?

Taunts: Definitely a hula dance. Maybe their angry animation too. And of course, their mumbling noise must be included as well.

Next up: The Blooper, who can thank Sunshine for its upgrade to playable.

Character Sheet: Shadow Mario (Main 3D Games)

SHADOW MARIO

Now, let's move on to all newcomers to the roster, either by being introduced in these last five games, or by finally gaining enough source material to be upgraded to the status of playable character. In the end, my count is thirteen new characters, two of whom are echo fighters.

8e. Toadette
17e. King Boo
24. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
25. Rosalina & Luma
26. Cappy
27. Bowser Jr.
28. Shadow Mario
29. Pianta
30. Blooper
31. Monty Mole
32. Honeybee
33. Petey Piranha
34. The Broodals

Shadow Mario is the alter ego of Bowser Jr. as seen in Super Mario Sunshine, and as far as I recall, no other game else. Shadow Mario functions in story to get Mario blamed for vandalizing the entire island of Delfino, but in gameplay, he primarily appears and runs around an area for a bit with Mario chasing him. He frequently leaves behind a little "M" that damages Mario if he crosses it, and in later races between the two, he will leave behind a trail of fiery paint. He is also shown to be really quick and agile, so that will determine his stats, and he is shown to have a long tongue, though he doesn't use it for anything. From there, just about anything Bowser Jr. can do, he can do.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Tag
Shadow Mario will whip out his paintbrush and graffiti opponent, leaving them with a poison damage effect. If you pause and zoom in, you can see he left his "M" artist tag on the player's body.

Side B: Paint Trail

Shadow Mario skates across the stage leaving behind a trail of fiery paint. This move will function similar to Inkling's Paint Roller, but will be significantly more damaging.

Up B: Warp

Shadow Mario will break apart into tiny particles and teleport, similar to the ways he makes his escape in Shadow Mario, teleporting through paint.

Down B: Transform

Shadow Mario will revert to his form as Bowser Jr., reflecting Bowser Jr.'s own Down B.

Final Smash: Mechabowser

Mechabowser will rise from behind the stage, Shadow Mario on top of it, before it launches an assault on the other players with Bullet Bills and fire breath. This plays out exactly like Bowser Jr.'s final smash.

Entrance: He appears out of a spot of paint, the same way F.L.U.D.D. Mario does.

Taunts: Painting a tag on the screen, or on the ground. His weird chuckle.

Next up: Let's cover the Pianta, the peaceful denizens of Isle Delfino.

Character Sheet: Bowser Jr. (Main 3D Games)

BOWSER JR.

Now, let's move on to all newcomers to the roster, either by being introduced in these last five games, or by finally gaining enough source material to be upgraded to the status of playable character. In the end, my count is thirteen new characters, two of whom are echo fighters.

8e. Toadette
17e. King Boo
24. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
25. Rosalina & Luma
26. Cappy
27. Bowser Jr.
28. Shadow Mario
29. Pianta
30. Blooper
31. Monty Mole
32. Honeybee
33. Petey Piranha
34. The Broodals

Now, here's a difficult one, purely due to how the Super Smash Bros. series currently has chosen to present the character, making him part of a package with the Koopalings, as well as making him ride around in a Koopa Klown Kar, effectively making it more of a "Koopa Klown Kar" moveset more than an actual Bowser Jr. moveset. So, what do I do? Do I keep going with that? It was a good idea at the time. I already have a decent moveset for the Koopalings based on their battles outside of a Klown Kar, and we have not yet seen Bowser Jr. or the Koopalings in one. That said, in his appearances throughout Sunshine, Galaxy, and Galaxy 2, Bowser Jr. has appeared in some form of combat vehicle, being his little machine in the Sunshine final battle, his mini-airship in Galaxy, and his big round couch-ship in Galaxy 2, so it's not a bad suggestion to stick Junior in some kind of vehicle. So I think this is what we're going to do: We will have two slots, one being the Koopaling's moveset and representing all battles with them or Bowser Jr. on their feet, and the other representing Bowser Jr. (and the Koopalings) in battles where they use some kind of vehicle (primarily the Klown Kar). As the Koopalings are more regularly on their feet, I will call that slot "Koopalings," and as Bowser Jr. is almost always in a vehicle of some kind, I will call that slot (this one) Bowser Jr. I think that should work out nicely. Will they still be the eight as color swaps in both slots or should I just give Bowser Jr. a full range of colors of his own?

Now that we have that somewhat disentangled, let's dive into his moveset. In Sunshine, he spent most of his time as Shadow Mario, who warranted his own moveset, though they can function as transformations of each other just like Zelda and Sheik, if we wanted to bring that back. He also wields the same paintbrush as Shadow Mario. In Mario's final battle with Bowser, Junior helps him out in his little flying machine, shooting Mario with bullet bills. In Mario Galaxy, he rides around on a mini-airship that fires cannonballs, and he has a few Magikoopas that help him out. He can also control Megaleg, a giant mech that stomps around and fires off bullet bills. In Galaxy 2, he can also attach his couch-ship-thing to Megahammer, a giant robot with giant hammers for fists that can also fire off bullet bills, and the Boomsday Machine, a giant tank/tower that fires off all kinds of energy balls and stuff and can suck in everything around it. I feel like this gives us some to work with. (When they day comes he does use a Klown Kar, I'm sure everything connected to that can be worked in too.)

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Bullet Bill
Bowser Jr. fires off a bullet bill from the front cannon of his flying machine. As Bills appear in almost all of his boss battles, this seemed inevitable.

Side B: Giant Hammer

Bowser Jr. produces a giant hammer reminiscent of his boss battle controlling Megahammer and slams it down for heavy damage.

Up B: Eject

Bowser Jr.'s flying machine will start to explode. Junior will eject, launching high into the air while the blast from the machine catches any around it. This is basically his current Up B.

Down B: Transform

Although it can be replaced with the suction capability seen in his Boomsday Machine battle if we don't want them to be connected characters, for now, Bowser Jr. will simply paint himself and turn into Shadow Mario.

Final Smash: Mechabowser

Mechabowser will rise from behind the stage, Bowser Jr. on top of it, before it launches an assault on the other players with Bullet Bills and fire breath.

Entrance: I think he could float down in his flying machine.

Taunts: His famous snicker has to be involved somehow. Maybe hopping out and painting in the air with his paintbrush. His tendency to put his hand over his eyes and look around. So on.

Next up: Let's cover his Sunshine alter ego, Shadow Mario!

Character Sheet: F.L.U.D.D. Mario (Main 3D Games)

F.L.U.D.D. MARIO

Now, let's move on to all newcomers to the roster, either by being introduced in these last five games, or by finally gaining enough source material to be upgraded to the status of playable character. In the end, my count is thirteen new characters, two of whom are echo fighters.

8e. Toadette
17e. King Boo
24. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
25. Rosalina & Luma
26. Cappy
27. Bowser Jr.
28. Shadow Mario
29. Pianta
30. Blooper
31. Monty Mole
32. Honeybee
33. Petey Piranha
34. The Broodals

Today, we cover the first "alternate" version of a character, which will likely be followed by at least Doctor Mario, Paper Mario, and Vacuum Luigi, each one being a completely new moveset attached to ostensibly the same character. This character also sits alongside Rosalina & Luma and Cappy as being representative of a different game's specific gimmick. I initially thought about maybe separating F.L.U.D.D. from Mario, maybe sticking the device on a Pianta's back or having it move on its own, but neither option seemed quite right.

In the game Super Mario Sunshine, Mario could still do much of what he could do before, running and jumping and performing a number of acrobatic maneuvers, but F.L.U.D.D. brought a whole new dimension to his abilities. First of all, I just want to add Mario's belly slide from the game as his automatic dash animation, similar to Banjo & Kazooie's talon trot. I imagine F.L.U.D.D. would also incorporate a refill mechanic similar to the Inklings. With various nozzles attached to F.L.U.D.D., Mario could spray a stream of high-powered water directing in front of him, use two streams to hover in the air like a jetpack, rocket forward at high speeds, and spin in the air spraying water everywhere. Later games also featured small bubble and missile-shooting heads that looked awfully similar to F.L.U.D.D.'s, so I guess they're worth mentioning too. Let's tally it all up and see what we get.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Squirt Nozzle
Mario will lean down and charge up F.L.U.D.D. to spray a stream of water directly before him, just like Mario's current Down B and his basic move in the game.

Side B: Turbo Nozzle

Mario will jet forward at high speed, skating back and forth across the stage and splashing anyone in his way, doing moderately heavy damage.

Up B: Hover Nozzle

I could have gone with the Rocket Nozzle as well, having him launch up into the air, but I felt the Hover Nozzle was much more iconic. Mario will blast two streams of water and the ground, raising himself off the ground and damaging anyone who gets caught in the path of the streams.

Down B: Refill

Mario will take a second to refill F.L.U.D.D., a light sprinkler appearing out of the ground behind him. He will also have a small meter by his damage percentage showing him how much water he has left and looking just like his meter in the game.

Final Smash: Shine Sprites

This one will mimic Rosalina's final smash, with Mario holding a giant Shine Sprite over his head, with a number of Shines dancing around it, as it's light blinds and blasts away any around it.

Entrance: Mario will form from a glowing ink "M" just the way he does in the game.

Taunts: Use some movements of F.L.U.D.D., seeing as the little robot is the unique feature here. Probably incorporate the "Mario" voice clip.

Next up: Let's check out everyone's favorite intergalactic princess, Rosalina!

Character Sheet: King Boo (Main 3D Games)

KING BOO

Now, let's move on to all newcomers to the roster, either by being introduced in these last five games, or by finally gaining enough source material to be upgraded to the status of playable character. In the end, my count is thirteen new characters, two of whom are echo fighters.

8e. Toadette
17e. King Boo
24. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
25. Rosalina & Luma
26. Cappy
27. Bowser Jr.
28. Shadow Mario
29. Pianta
30. Blooper
31. Monty Mole
32. Honeybee
33. Petey Piranha
34. The Broodals

Alright, next up is King Boo, who, although having a larger role in other games, only has one appearance as a boss in Super Mario Sunshine, in which he doesn't even really look like himself. I included King Boo here as an echo fighter, primarily because although there is not much difference really between King Boo and his ordinary minions, I do feel he is distinct enough as a character on his own to warrant a separate slot.

King Boo will be slightly larger and heavier than regular Boos, with larger hitboxes and so on. His boss battle on top of a giant roulette table and slot machine should be considered in this, as they were for the regular Boos before, but that's about it.

Here is the moveset as based upon Boo's:

Standard B: Vanish
King Boo does the same vanishing trick as the regular Boo, becoming intangible and impervious to harm.

Side B: Jalapeno

This will function more or less like Bomb Boo, but instead he will swing out a jalapeno, the pepper used to defeat him in his Sunshine boss battle.

Up B: Boo String

Same as Boo's up B, but more fitting, I suppose. King Boo will call upon a number of Boos to stretch out and grab a ledge for him. His string will likely be longer as he can command all Boos to do his bidding.

Down B: Slot Machine

Basically the same as Boo's down B, except instead of a block, King Boo will turn into his slot machine, slamming down with much heavier force.

Final Smash: Roulette

King Boo's giant roulette table will take up the screen, just like the regular Boo's final smash, except King Boo himself will be on top of the slot machine instead of Big Boo.

Entrance: Emerge from a painting (Come on, what else are you going to do?).

Taunts: I think it might be fun to have his face momentarily become that of his Sunshine incarnation. Also he might warp himself and the air around him, mirroring the way he takes Luigi into their final battle in Luigi's mansion.

Next up: Let's start covering the gimmick-representing characters for each game, starting with F.L.U.D.D. Mario, an entirely new moveset based upon Mario's appearance in Sunshine.

Character Sheet: Boo (Main 3D Games)

BOO

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

Today, let's check out the Boo, which appeared in every single entry of this section except for Super Mario Odyssey. In this go around, Boos kept their basic abilities to float around, hide their face when looked at, pass through walls, and turn into blocks or platforms on occasion. They also gained a few offshoots in various forms, the only one bringing something new to the table being the Bomb Boos, which could be flung around by their tongues before exploding on contact. We also saw in Sunshine this project's first introduction to King Boo, who hung out over a giant roulette wheel and slot machine, spitting bubbles, fruit, enemies, and even other Boos at the player. Even though King Boo is notable enough to act as his own character (at least an echo fighter), I felt his moveset should still be considered here.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Vanish
Same as before

Side B: Bomb Boo

The Boo will fling out a Bomb Boo in a circle, the Boo exploding with the first thing it intercepts.

Up B: Boo String

Same as before, I can't see it working many other ways so far.

Down B: Block

Same as before, but combined with the platform transformations present in Super Mario World and Sunshine, basically, Boo will turn into a giant platform that players can stand on, but he can harm them after a short time.

Final Smash: Roulette

King Boo's giant roulette table from Super Mario Sunshine will appear, with his slot machine rolling and causing various effects to the stage. The Boo will simply turn into a Big Boo during this.

Entrance: Appears out of nowhere

Taunts: Just the basic cover-your-face animation. That screech of theirs needs to be included too. When they flash and show off a blue coin for sure.

Next up: Let's go over Lakitu once again.

Character Sheet: Piranha Plant (Main 3D Games)

PIRANHA PLANT

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

Today, let's cover the Piranha Plant, which appeared in all five games, each one mostly acting as Piranha Plants do, but frequently bringing something new to the table at the same time. In Mario 64, they could be found sleeping in a patch of flowers, an iconic image that is currently used as an idle animation in Smash. In Sunshine, Piranha Plants got a bit of a remix, seeming to be heavily linked to the toxic paint used by Bowser Jr., large paint-covered versions frequently serving as mini-bosses, and getting a massive bipedal member named Petey. Petey is distinct enough from regular Piranhas to warrant being his own character, but the paint connection is still strong. In Galaxy and Galaxy 2, they were pretty basic again, though with some large spiky variants. Finally, in Odyssey, they could spit large circles of toxic sludge and eat Cappy, unless they are forced to swallow a rock first, at which point they can be captured.

Here is the moveset updated for now:

Standard B: Fireball
Same as before.

Side B: Ptooie

Same as before.

Up B: Fly

Same as before.

Down B: Paint

This one combines the Piranha Plant's aspects from Sunshine and Odyssey and starts to come close to the Piranha Plant's current side B, having him spit a large puddle of toxic goop on the floor that will then act in a similar manner to the Inkling's paint, while racking up damage at the same time.

Final Smash: Paint Piranha

Since Petey can function as his own character, I thought we could use Sunshine's miniboss version of the Piranha Plant instead. A massive pile of toxic sludge will cover the stage, with a large Piranha head popping up out of the middle and snapping at people while Swoopin' Stus start to form and attack players.

Entrance: Pops out of a pipe.

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

Next up: Let's check out Boo for what it's worth.