S.S. Teacup

The first two Wario Land games followed Wario’s rivalry with the pirate queen Captain Syrup, whose crew was holed up at their hideout on Kitchen Isle, their ship, the S.S. Teacup docked in the bay.

The stage will take place on the Teacup as it sails around the island. The layout will match the Teacup’s design, differing it from other ship-based stages like Gangplank Galleon. In the background, players will be able to see numerous familiar locations of Wario Land.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj5xiJvT_Pk

Captain Syrup

Wario’s huge success following his introduction saw him replacing Mario as the protagonist of the next Super Mario Land game, now titled Wario Land. The plot would find him adrift after being ousted from Mario’s castle, coming to an island a band of pirates had made their hideout.

These pirates were led by a woman named Captain Maple Syrup. She would menace Wario in this game and return in Wario Land II, seeking revenge for her defeat in the previous game. After that, she fell off the map for a while before returning in Wario Land: Shake It!

As a fighter, she will have decent speed and strength to her, and will also dabble in sneaky moves from time to time. Her moveset will pull from her two games as the main villain and her supporting role in her third game.

Likelihood rating: Could happen

Picross NP

PICROSS NP

Picross NP is technically a series of eight games distributed through Nintendo Power and featuring characters from various Nintendo properties. The only ones we need to be worried about are volumes two, six, seven, and eight, based on Yoshi's Story, Super Mario 64, Wario Land II, and Donkey Kong Country respectively. Outside of all that, they're really just standard Picross games.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario: hammer, bombs, drop drum, golden hammer, pink (enemy), blue (block), yellow (metal plate), green (brick), Kanbank, throw Koopa shells, chisel

Luigi: same

Princess Peach

Bowser

Foreman Spike: push, best option for a gimmick character, see all above

Wario: chisel

Koopa Troopa

Eggplant Man: run around

Gotchawrench: run around

Onigiri

Onnanoko

Oyazi

Dogu

Stages:

Wrecking Crew

High Rise Building

Mario Paint

Clash House Tower

Items:

Hammers

Bombs

Drums

Blocks

Shells

Thanks for reading! Now, let's cover Mario no Photopi!

Character Sheet: Captain Syrup (Original Handhelds)

CAPTAIN SYRUP

Now, let's quickly go over the few new characters and those who need revision. It's probably no surprise that there are only a few of both in total:

1. Mario (Revision)
8. Koopa Troopa (Revision)
10. Goomba (Revision)
11. Piranha Plant (Revision)
12. Boo (Revision)
35. Princess Daisy
36. Wario
37. Tatanga
38. Captain Syrup

Today, let's go over that swashbuckling mistress of the seas, Captain Maple Syrup, better known as Wario's nemesis from Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 and Wario Land II. Captain Syrup is the captain of the S.S. Teacup, with a hideout for herself and her crew set up on the distant Kitchen Isle. She acts as the final boss in the first Wario Land, and as a recurring boss and antagonist all throughout Wario Land II, with plenty to work with over the course of both.

In her first battle, Captain Syrup relies on an enormous genie on whose shoulder she rides, throwing out bombs as it fights with fireballs and a bunch of mini-genies. In her multiple battles across Wario Land II, Captain Syrup instead makes good use of a number of flying machines rigged to pull off certain effects on the battlefield. She throws bombs once again, so that's obviously part of her moveset. She can send up pillars of fire from the floor and fire electric beams at the ground while sending out balls of electricity. She could also control a giant mechanical Goom, and blast fire from below her machine. Throughout the cutscenes of Wario Land II, she is also constantly in the company of a trio of Pirate Gooms, who help her pull off her heist against Wario. It wouldn't be hard to imagine a character concept where these three characters were following her around much like the Pikmin. Let's see what we can do.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Giant Bomb
Captain Syrup throws out one of her enormous bombs that explodes after a number of seconds, doing heavy damage. These bombs can also be thrown back at her.

Side B: Pirate Goom
She sends out one of her faithful minions to jab an opponent with its spear. This can work whether or not the Gooms are following her around in her character model.

Up B: Fire Burst
She jumps into a flying machine that shoots a short blast of fire from below, launching her into the air and doing damage from below.

Down B: Electric Beam
She jumps in a different machine that fires downward a beam of electricity that stuns any enemies caught by it.

Final Smash: Genie
She rubs a lamp and summons her genie, which she then hops on the shoulder of. The genie floats around, throwing fireballs and summoning mini-genies to wreak havoc.

Entrance: Maybe her first appearance laying on a bed in her throne room from the first game. OR maybe running onto the stage, followed by her gooms, reenacting the comedic bit of the last one bumping into the others by mistake.

Taunts: Her little arm pumping animation from the cutscenes of Wario Land II. Maybe Shake It! gives a few more things.

Thanks for reading! Now, let's get a good look at our updated roster.

Character Sheet: Wario (Original Handhelds)

WARIO

Now, let's quickly go over the few new characters and those who need revision. It's probably no surprise that there are only a few of both in total:

1. Mario (Revision)
8. Koopa Troopa (Revision)
10. Goomba (Revision)
11. Piranha Plant (Revision)
12. Boo (Revision)
35. Princess Daisy
36. Wario
37. Tatanga
38. Captain Syrup

Hoo boy, we have some stuff to get through, and I can't even rely on the currently existing moveset to help sort it out, considering I'm pretty sure not a darn thing in Wario's moves was lifted from these games. So, I guess I'm pretty much out on my own with this one. Wario appears in Super Mario Land 2 as the villain, before completely hijacking the series and turning it into four total subsequent games entirely starring him. In Land 2, his boss battle consisted of him mimicking Mario's moves from the game, while the first Wario Land gave him a seemingly beefed up version of Mario's moveset with roided-up versions of the previous power-ups before Wario Land 2 and beyond gave him a new game concept of transformations occurring as a result of certain enemies' actions upon him.

In general, Wario is heavier and stronger than Mario. Rather than using skill and acrobatics, Wario often relies on brute strength to get the job done, including an elbow rush seen in all four Wario Land games, as well as the ability to ground pound and cause an earthquake. He is also incredible durable, and tends to use the effects of other's attacks and turn them to his own gain. This can make him quite the versatile foe. I think, as he originated as a dark mirror to Mario, I might be able to use Mario's current moveset to sort out everything Wario brings to the table.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Shoulder Rush
Wario suddenly charges forward with his elbow, knocking everyone and everything out of his way. This is based on his most common offensive moves in the game.

Side B: Enemy Effect
This move mirrors Mario's current Side B, which allows him to access a number of power-ups that cause different effects on him. These can include Fiery (which lights Wario on fire for a time), Fat (which makes him heavier and more powerful), Drunk (which surrounds him in a cloud of noxious gas), Vampire (which lets him flutter around the stage as a bat), and Zombie (which makes him impervious to harm). An enemy known for inflicting these states will appear briefly to cause it.

Up B: Spring
Wario will gain the bouncy state that he often receives after being smacked with a hammer and bounce high into the air. (This is probably the closest to anything in his current moveset, so it works).

Down B: Earthquake
Wario will do a heavy butt bash, shaking the stage and burying anyone in the immediate vicinty.

Final Smash: Boss Rush
Big Bird, Sewer Rat, the Witch, and the Octopus from Super Mario Land 2 will appear on screen, Sewer Rat, speeding back and forth across the stage, Big Bird swooping from above, the Witch casting fire on the stage, and the Octopus spawning smaller octopi to attack, all together creating massive havoc for the players. Yeah, that sounds fun.

Entrance: crashing in his jetplane from Wario Land 3?

Taunts: maybe I should have saved the drunk stage for this. Also, his seemingly bashful expression when Mario approaches him in Land 2. And maybe when he throws a shoe at the end of the battle.

Thanks for reading! Next time, let's check out the long forgotten villain of Super Mario Land: Tatanga!

Wario Land II

WARIO LAND II

Now, it's time to head on into Wario Land II, the sequel to the first Wario Land game, and the first game to drop the whole Super Mario Land thing entirely, making it entirely Wario's franchise now. I supposed he'd be happy about that. The game pits Wario once again against Captain Syrup and her crew, who are back from their defeat determined to undermine Wario at every turn.

Obviously, Wario and Captain Syrup are our main characters this time around, the game making a more concerted effort to create a rivalry between them in this game, with the pair squaring off several times over the course of the game, rather than her just sitting on top of her genie in one battle the way she did in the last game.

Wario comes with most of the same basics of his moveset from the last game, his abilities focusing much more heavily on brute strength than Mario's. His most common move is to charge forward and barrel through blocks. He can also jump, he can pick up and throw enemies, he can butt bash, and he can roll when going down an incline. Rather than using power-up items though, this game introduced the interesting mechanics of having his power-ups come from the effects certain enemies have on him. For instance, Flames with light him on fire until he burns up into a fireball and can burn through certain blocks. Cooks will feed Wario until he becomes fat, making him significantly heavier. D-Bats will flatten Wario, allowing him to get into tight spaces. Zombies and Ghosts will turn Wario into a zombie, making him invulnerable. Bees will make his head inflate and allow him to float. Yukimarus will freeze Wario in place. Wizards will shrink him. Apes will smack him with a hammer and make him bounce around. The boss Dunk will turn him into a ball. And finally, Penguins will make him drunk and useless.

As for Captain Syrup, we see her in several cutscenes running around, generally accompanied by three Pirate Gooms. Over the course of her many boss battles, she makes use of several high tech flying machines, throwing Bomb Gooms at Wario, shooting up pillars of fire, controlling a giant robotic Goom, shooting a beam of electricity, and later shooting a ball of electricity, blasting fire from the bottom of her craft, and throwing regular non-living bombs. Definitely more to go on than we had before. I'm going to miss her in the next two games.

As far as bosses go, we have several: a giant snake that bites Wario and turns him into an egg; Bobo returns, guarding the S.S. Teacup once more, flying and swooping and whipping up strong winds; a giant bee that will try to impale Wario on its stinger and send other bees after him; Dunk, a basketball-playing rabbit that will jump on Wario, turn him into a ball, and, well, dunk him; Cave Master, a bull that will try to knock Wario off the platform; Big Kamukamu, a giant fish that will try to eat Wario; Awabo, a living bubble that captures Captain Syrup, inflates, bounces around, and splits into two; and a ghost that will swoop down and try to grab you.

Now, for our enemies! Those that return include the Pirate Gooms, D.D.'s, Gaugaus, Pecans, and White Puffs. Gooms still walk around and carry spears, though they now come in giant versions. D.D.'s still throw boomerangs. Gaugaus now lean out of windows and throw beer bottles at you. Pecans spit fish at you. And White Puffs still inflate. For our new enemies, we have: Grunts, monkeys who throw maces; Punches, little football helmets with fists; Chutas, mice that run from their holes when scared; Tobis and Sawfish who swim; Eels that pull Wario under the water; Birds; Tsuriuos, fisherman who lure you in with fake coins; Inamazu, who shoot electricity from their heads; Togemen, spiky little bouncy balls; Gugis, who go into a frenzy when touched; Kotsuheri, basically Gordos but pinker; all alongside an alarm clock that rings endlessly, a rooster and hen that Wario owns, albatrosses that Wario can use as platforms, and a helpful Owl and Turtle that can get Wario where he's going.

The story takes place across several story-based chapters, though each chapter generally has a theme to it. The first is in Wario's Castle, naturally. The second traverses Syrup's pirate ship, the S.S. Teacup. The third travels through a forest area called the Maze Woods; the fourth is simply titled "In Town," and has a city theme. And the final chapter sees Wario invading Syrup's castle. The game also has a sizeable post-game featuring another trip into Wario's Castle, his underground Cellar, some ruins at the bottom of the sea; a haunted Uncanny Mansion; and a Mysterious Factory. All of these open up stage possibilities.

The game doesn't have much in the way of items apart from the coins and treasures Wario collects, as most of his power-ups come from the effects enemies have on him.

Let's see what we've got:

Characters:
Mario: run, jump, super balls, submarine, plane, downward spin, grow, fireballs, fly with bunny ears, helicopter
Wario: get bigger, bunny ears, fireballs, slam down, knock down globes, booby traps, Wario balls, throw shoe, elbow, charge forward, stick in ceiling, dragon fire, jet propulsion, pick up and throw, roll into a ball, fireball, fat, flatten, zombie, inflated head, frozen, bounce around, become a ball, get drunk
Tatanga: fly ship, three energy balls, swoop, crescent, ball
Captain Syrup: army of pirates, Bobo, Genie, throw bombs, genie's lamp, fireballs, mini-genies, flying machines, Bomb Gooms, bombs, pillar of fire, steal treasure, electric beam, electric ball, mechakuri, fire blast, electricity.
Daisy: not much, unless reference character
Koopa: explode, walk forward, spikes, float, spin, burrow
Goomba: walk forward, ghost, Paragoomba, scuba helmet, maybe Gooms
Piranha Plant: bite, nippers
Boo: hide, float

Bosses:
King Totomesu
Dragonzamasu
Hiyoihoi
Biokinton
Big Bird
Sewer Rat
Witch
Three Little Pigs
Octopus
Spiked Koopa
Bifun
Hinyari
Funfun
Bobo
Zenisuki
Genie

Stages:
Birabuto Kingdom
Muda Kingdom
Easton Kingdom
Chai Kingdom
Tree Zone
Space Zone
Macro Zone
Pumpkin Zone
Mario Zone
Turtle Zone
Mario Castle
Rice Beach
Mt. Teapot
Sherbet Land
Stove Canyon
S.S. Teacup
Parsley Woods
Syrup Castle
Wario's Castle
Maze Woods
In Town
The Cellar
Ruins at the Bottom of the Sea
Uncanny Mansion
Mysterious Factory

Items:
Super Ball Flower
Mushroom
Fire Flower
Carrot
Heart
Treasure
Coins
Bull Helmet
Dragon Helmet
Jet Helmet

Thanks for reading! Next up, Wario takes on Rudy the Clown in Wario Land 3!