Character Sheet: Yoshi (Original Sidescrollers)

YOSHI

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

Today, we will cover Yoshi, who, up to this point, has only appeared in Super Mario World so far. Despite this, given that whole gimmick of the game was built around Yoshi's moveset in tandem with Mario, this gives us quite a bit to work with going forward.

Naturally, Yoshi will be a quick and powerful fighter, with a solid jump to him as well. His moves in Super Mario World were generally based off of what color Yoshi he was, be it green, red, blue, or yellow, (all easy color swaps) or what he had in his mouth at the moment. His main attack was eating enemies or items with his long tongue, though this did not come with the ability to pop them back out as eggs. Instead, he simply swallowed the item. He could also breathe fire, fly with a pair of wings, and slam on the ground to kick up a damaging cloud of dust. He also had a baby form that swallowed everything in its path, but I'm not sure entirely how to incorporate that part.

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Swallow

Yoshi will stick out his tongue and eat an opponent. As he cannot lay eggs yet, this move will act more like King Dedede's standard B, and he will spit them out after a moment or two.

Side B: Fireballs

Yoshi will spit three fireballs, which will spread out in three different directions. They will deal heavy damage and inflict burns.

Up B: Wings

Yoshi will sprout wings and use them to fly up briefly. This attack is non-damaging, but can carry him a good distance.

Down B: Ground Pound

Yoshi will slam on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that damages anyone touched by it. This move is fairly similar to Yoshi's current Down B.

Final Smash: Super Dragon

Considering Yoshi's original final smash was clearly based on these two abilities, I supposed for now it is only fitting to combine his fireballs and wings together, allowing him to fly and breathe fire at his opponents.

Entrance: He hatches from an egg.

Taunts: That cute little dance he does when he completes a level would be a pretty good one.

Next up: We will cover Bowser, everyone's favorite Mario bad guy.

Character Sheet: Toad (Original Sidescrollers)

TOAD

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

Today, we will be covering Toad, Princess Toadstool's faithful bodyguard and friend of Mario and Luigi. Much like the Princess, Toad doesn't really do a whole lot in these five games, acting as a living goal post at the end of each world in Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, not appearing at all in Super Mario World, and acting as a sort of minigame host in Super Mario Bros. 3, leaving us with only Super Mario Bros. 2 to work from.

For the time being, Toad's moveset will be based almost entirely on Super Mario Bros. 2, and as such he will act as a semi-clone of Peach for now, albeit with different proportions, greater strength, and without the ability to float. So, think Toon Link to Link if that makes sense. Just like Peach, in SMB2 he could hop on top of enemies and pick them up to use as a projectile, pluck vegetables and other items from the ground, perform a special super jump if held down long enough, throw bombs around, and hitch a ride on various items such as autobombs and flying carpet. You can also count the possibility of his minigames from SMB3, which included offering a set of chests to choose from, a memory matching game, and a slot machine.

Here is the moveset I came up with, largely based on Peach's:

Standard B: Pick Up and Throw

Toad will pick up the characters faster and throw them forward farther for heavier damage, reflecting his increased strength.

Side B: Ride

Rather than an Ostro, Toad will ride around on an Autobomb which will fire projectiles forward for heavy damage.

Up B: Super Jump

Toad will crouch for a second, start to glow, and then launch into the sky like a rocket, just like Peach, though it won't take him as high.

Down B: Treasure Chest

Toad will pull a treasure chest from the ground, which can be thrown at enemies itself, or opened to reveal a random item for Toad's personal use. Can be any item within reason. (Will not be Smash Ball).

Final Smash: Slot Machine

Toad's slot machine game from Super Mario Bros. 3 will appear above the stage, each section stopping upon command from Toad's player. Whatever it lands on has a chance of dealing heavy damage to players or dropping an abundance of items.

Entrance: He enters through a Subcon door.

Taunts: "Thank you, Mario, but our Princess is in another castle."

Next up: We will cover Yoshi, Mario's steed from Super Mario World.

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 World

SUPER MARIO WORLD

Super Mario World was the Mario series' first major title for the SNES system, and its only mainline game depending on how you count Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. The game, much like many Mario mainline games, is considered to be among the best games ever made and introduced many important concepts that would persist in the Mario series for years to come, the most important of which has to be the introduction of Mario's dinosaur pal, Yoshi.

Once again, Mario and Luigi return as our protagonists, once again both bearing the same abilities and movesets as each other. They retain moves such as jumping, throwing fireballs, and invincibility from a Starman, alongside newer abilities. First, of course, they can ride Yoshi, but I think Yoshi deserves to be his own character. Then comes the Super Cape, which is fairly similar to the Raccoon ability from before, allowing the player to fly and flick enemies with the cape. This becomes the basis for Mario's forward B move in Smash, so I'd say it's fair to include. We also see the introduction of the spin jump, the basis for Luigi's and Dr. Mario's (and once upon a time, Mario's) Down B. Finally we have the Power Balloon, which can inflate Mario and allow him to float across the stage.

As for Yoshi, he gives us several abilities to work with. First up is his iconic maneuver of eating his enemies with his long tongue, although his ability to turn them into eggs hasn't been conceived of quite yet. He then has three additional abilities, each represented by his alternate color palettes in the game. First is the ability to breathe out a trio of fireballs, second, the ability to fly using a pair of wings, and third, the ability to hit the ground, kicking up a damaging cloud of dust. And of course, we can't forget Baby Yoshi, which is little more than an item Mario can use to eat all enemies before him.

Princess Toadstool and Bowser both return for this game, the princess once again doing very little in terms of anything we can actually work with for our purposes. Bowser, however, debuts the use of his Koopa Klown Kar, an item which will eventually form the basis for Bowser Jr.'s moveset in current Super Smash Bros. The Klown Kar allows Bowser to fly around above the stage, drop a cannonball called a Big Steelie, toss out Mechakoopas, and reign down fire upon the stage. All of this gives us strong possibilities.

All seven Koopalings return, each offering up potential moves, but still not enough to warrant them being separated out as individuals. Iggy and Larry's fights consist of them charging at Mario to knock him off the platform, spinning in their shells, and breathing fire. Ludwig's fight uses much of the same moves. Roy and Morton demonstrate the ability to walk up the wall before slamming back down on top of Mario, and Wendy and Lemmy travel between pipes and have a set of doubles of themselves to trick Mario. All of this gives us a lot of options.

As for the enemy characters, we have a number of returning veterans. First, we have the Goombas, or at least what might be a separate species called Galoombas, but which are functionally the same, and their winged offshoot Paragoomba returns as well. Koopas return, as well as their offshoots, such as Paratroopas and Dry Bones, alongside Hammer Bros., who can now float around on winged platforms, Sumo Bros., capable of kicking up fire blasts with a stomp (sounds like a Down B if I ever saw one), and Magikoopas, tricksters able to teleport and cast spells that turn blocks and items into enemies. Simply because of Kamek's existence, I will say yes to the Magikoopas, even though they don't have enough to work with yet. (I seem to be racking up a lot of those).

Lakitus return, this time with the ability to hide in pipes instead of floating around on a cloud, and the ability to fish using an item. Buzzy Beetles return as well, with a skeletal, spiky offshoot in Bony Beetle, and the Spike Top, which I'm pretty sure is the missing link between them and Spinies. Ninjis from Super Mario Bros. 2 make a surprise return, still just jumping really. Boos also return, doing much the same as before, but now with abilities such as flying in lines or circles and turning into blocks. Not much to work with but its there. Piranha Plants can fly up into the air now, surely the basis for their Up B in Ultimate. Cheep Cheeps still simply swim forward, though they might have cousins in the Blurps (which also just swim) and the Rip Van Fish (which sleeps until awoken). They also get a skeletal offshoot in the Fishbones. Bob-Ombs are still Bob-Ombs, Pokeys are still Pokeys, Bullet Bills are still Bullet Bills (though sometimes massive), and Thwomps have little babies called Thwimps now.

Now for the new enemies! Being set in Dinosaur Land, apparently, the game comes with a grand total of THREE dinosaur based enemies: Rex, a carnivorous dinosaur that walks forward, Dino Rhino, a triceratops-y creature that walks forward (but with babies that breathe fire), and Reznor, a bigger triceratops-y creature that stands in one place and breathes fire.

After them, we have the introduction of Chargin' Chuck, another possible Koopa offshoot, who did surprisingly well at offering up a moveset this time around. He can barrel forward with a shoulder thrust, demolishing anything in his path, toss baseballs and footballs around, jump in the air and clap his hands, and use a shovel to dig up large boulders. Weirdly enough, Koopa's sports-loving cousin is surprisingly versatile. Then we have Monty Moles, which are similar to Rocky Wrenches in that they are moles who pop out of the ground, except that Monty doesn't throw wrenches. He just kind walks around. Eeries are a new kind of ghost creature that doesn't do much. Wigglers are giant caterpillars that walk around but get angry if stomped on. Swoopers are basically bats. Fuzzies are little black fuzzy things that circle a platform or follow a line, and Lil' Sparkies and Hotheads are basically the same thing except on fire. Torpedo Teds are Bullet Bills but underwater, I guess. And finally Blarggs are giant lava monster that like to lunge at anything close by.

As far as stages go, Super Mario World's levels, much like Super Mario Bros. 3, are separated out into seven easily definable zones: Yoshi's Island, which is pretty basic fare and the basis for the Yoshi's Island stage from Melee; Donut Plains, which is also fairly basic fare; Vanilla Dome, which is literally a volcano; the Twin Bridges area, which speaks for itself; the Forest of Illusion, which I think may be the Mario series' first foray into a jungle theme; Chocolate Island, which is a kind of chocolate-colored canyon area; and Castle of Bowser, your standard Bowser's Castle type area. And of course we can't forget Star Road, the collection of bonus stages. I think all of these are acceptable.

Mostly, the items are mainly standard Mario fare. Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, and Starmen return, while Koopa Shells can now be used as items without the Koopa attached to them. We also see the introduction of the Feather, which gives Mario his cape, and the Power Balloon, which inflates Mario. All are fun.

Now, let's see what we've got.

Characters:

Mario: Jump, Fire Flower, Starman, Axe, Springs, Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, Raccoon fly, flip tail, leap, swim faster, throw hammers, turn into statue, p-wing, ride Yoshi, flight with cape, flip cape, spin jump, inflate

Luigi: Echo of Mario, Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, Raccoon fly, flip tail, leap, swim faster, throw hammers, turn into statue, p-wing, flight with cape, flip cape, spin jump, inflate

Bowser: Jumping, fireballs, hammers, minions, slamming down, Koopa Klown Kar, mechakoopas, rain fire, Big Steelie

Princess Toadstool: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, P-Wing, warp whistle, music box

Yoshi: eat enemies, fly, breathe fire, dust cloud, baby Yoshi

Toad: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, chest, card game, slot machine

Wart: spit bubbles, Phantos, reference character?

Koopalings: spin in shell, slam down, magic spell, bouncing ball, magic ring, climb walls, pipes, doubles, breathe fire

Birdo: jump, spit eggs, fireballs, drop crystal ball, Mask Gate

Boom Boom: swing fists, spikes, drop key, fly

Koopa: Shell Tuck, Shell Spin, Paratroopa Wings, Hammers?, outside of shell

Dry Bones: Echo of Koopa

Hammer Bros.: Jump, throw hammers, boomerangs, fire, sledgehammer, slam down, float on blocks, sumo stomp

Goomba/Galoomba: walk forward, Paragoomba, Mini-Goomba, pick up block, parachute

Shy Guy: Beezo wing, Beezo trident, Snifit pellet, ride Ostro, ride Autobomb

Lakitu: Float on cloud, throw Spinies, hide in pipes, fish

Magikoopa: teleport, magic spell, enemies into items

Chargin' Chuck: charge forward, baseballs, footballs, jump and clap, dig up boulders

Piranha Plant: Bite, walk, ptooie, breathe fire, float in the air

Buzzy Beetle: Para-Beetle, Buster Beetle, Bony Beetle

Blooper: float, fly, string of babies

Cheep Cheep: jump, Boss Bass, Big Bertha, Rip Van Fish, Porcu-Puffer

Spike: Cough up spike ball

Boo: swoop, turn invisible, move as a group, turn into block, Big Boo

Wigglers, Pokeys, Bob-Ombs, Rexes, Dino Rhinos, Reznors, Tweeters, Ninjis, Cobrats, Monty Moles, Rocky Wrenches, and Chain Chomps all tentative


Bosses:

Mouser: Throws bombs

Tryclyde: Breathes fire

Fryguy: Breathes fire, splits into smaller fryguys

Clawgrip: Throws rocks


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 (SMB1)

Sky Stage

World 9 (Weird Stage)

World 1 (SMB2)

World 2 (SMB2)

World 3 (SMB2)

World 4 (SMB2)

World 5 (SMB2)

World 6 (SMB2)

World 7 (SMB2)

Grass Land

Desert Hill

Ocean Side

Big Island

The Sky

Iced Land

Pipe Maze

Bowser's Castle (SMB3)

Yoshi's Island

Donut Plains

Vanilla Dome

Twin Bridges

Forest of Illusion

Chocolate Island

Castle of Bowser

Star Road


Items:

Super Mushroom

Life Mushroom

Fire Flower

Starman

Fire Bar

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bill Blaster

Spring

Poison Mushroom

Vegetable

POW Block

Bomb

Bob-Omb

Shell

Timer

Door Potion

Egg

Rocket

Super Leaf

Frog Suit

Tanooki Suit

Hammer Suit

Kuriboh's Shoe

Warp Whistle

Music Box

P-Wing

Feather

Power Balloon


Thanks for reading! Next time, I'll be analyzing, and in some cases re-analyzing, every character we have so far, starting with an analysis and re-analysis of Mario, combining his new moves with his old moveset already established.

Super Mario Bros. 3

SUPER MARIO BROS. 3

Super Mario Bros. 3 is the third (read: fourth, or more, kinda, sorta, moving on) major installment of the Super Mario Bros. series, continuing on the standard gameplay mechanics from the original Super Mario Bros. and its sequel Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, while incorporating a brand new game engine and all new mechanics while bringing in a few of the elements introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2., most notably the updated appearance of Princess Peach and Toad, as well as a few enemies such as Bob-Ombs.

To start off with, we have our player characters, Mario and Luigi. Luigi returns to his status of being more or less an exact copy of Mario that he had in previous games. This game gives the pair the same mechanics as before, running and jumping being their main ability, with additional abilities being gained from the fire flower and starman. However, this game also adds in a number of other abilities tied to specific items, those being:

Super Leaf: gives Mario the power to fly briefly and flick things with a raccoon tail.

Frog Suit: allows him to leap a little higher and swim faster

Tanooki Suit: more or less the same powers as the super leaf, while also letting him turn into a statue, protecting him from harm and allowing him to crush enemies beneath him.

Hammer Suit: allows him to throw hammers, which are stronger than fireballs.

Kuriboh's Shoe: allows him to cross hazardous floor and crush enemies.

P-Wing: lets him fly for an unlimited time (see: cheat item)

All of these add a great deal to Mario's, and by extension, Luigi's repertoire, while also giving us items to work with. I was tempted to start considering making a complete Mario offshoot (probably Tanooki Mario) to represent all of these moves, as we will eventually have to do so for characters such as Dr. Mario, Baby Mario, and Paper Mario, but I don't think I will quite yet.

Next, we have Peach and Toad, the main supporting good guys in the game. Peach returns to her role from previous games of being mostly a living goalpost, so most of her moveset will still need to be pulled from Super Mario Bros. 2. However, in this game, she is the one who supplies Mario with the P-Wing, so there's that I guess. Possibly the warp whistle too. Toad, however, no longer serves as the level end goalpost as before, that role now being taken up by the Seven Kings, who pretty much do just that, while Toad becomes something of an item vendor/casino owner, providing Mario with either a set of chests, slot machine, or matching game through which Mario can win items to use in-game. Most of these don't seem particularly plausible for Smash, but I'll see what I can come up with.

Now for the main villains. Bowser returns, this time joined by his seven children/generals/whatever, the Koopalings, who serve as the level end bosses, and Boom Boom, who serves as a miniboss. Bowser returns, jumping and breathing fire as before, but now also slams his butt into the ground, a move that serves as the basis for Bowser's Down-B move in every Smash game. That obviously joins immediately.

The Seven Koopalings: Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig, are another matter. While none of them have enough moveset on their own to get by yet, I think I will take a leaf out of Smash's book and lump them into one character with each being a different color swap. Between the seven of them, they can spin in their shells (similar to Bowser's Up-B move), cast spells with a magic wand, slam down hard, and ride around on a bouncy ball and toss a large ring courtesy of Lemmy and Wendy. This is plenty to work with for now.

Boom Boom, I feel, falls into the Birdo category for me. There is not enough to work with now to make a full moveset, but I know later games will offer up plenty more options, so I will give Boom Boom a yes, but currently incomplete. For the moment, he can swing his fists, put out a shell of spikes, and fly. Not terrible, just not all there.

Now we come to our enemy characters. Goombas, Koopas, Piranha Plants, Hammer Bros, Lakitus, Buzzy Beetles, Bloopers, Cheep Cheeps, Bob-Ombs, and Bullet Bills all return from previous games, sporting their same abilities from before, but many of them have also developed a number of offshoots that give them plenty of Smash potential. Koopas mostly remain the same, with the ability to tuck into their shells and spin toward people and their offshoots Paratroopas giving them wings, however, most of their other offshoots tend to be distinct enough on their own to be their own characters.

By this, I specifically mean Hammer Bros and Lakitus. Hammer Bros gain three variations, being Boomerang Bros, heavyweight Sledge Bros, and Fire Bros, all of which do as you imagine, lending Hammer Bros their own unique options for moveset potential. Lakitus, however, did not change much from the previous games, doing much the same as before; they simply just are incredibly versatile enemies and offer up a lot of options for a moveset. Of course, Spinies come with. Strangely enough, Buzzy Beetles did get a couple of offshoots this time around, being winged Para-Beetles, and brick-chucking Buster Beetles, both of whom add something to Buzzy Beetles' potential, but not enough yet.

Now, I did say that Goombas would eventually give me enough to work with to give me a possible skill set, I didn't quite expect them to give me so much already. One primary addition is the Paragoomba, which adds wings just like the Paratroopa, on top of the ability to create Micro-Goombas which parachute down from the Paragoomba, and are also shown picking up bricks and throwing them or hiding underneath them. That's a surprising amount of ability there for Mario's most basic enemy.

Bloopers don't change much, aside from the ability to now lead a trail of baby Bloopers behind it. Cheep Cheeps however gained two offshoots in the form of Boss Bass, a giant fish with a large mouth that follows Mario and tries to eat him, alongside Big Bertha, another large fish that can open her mouth to release a smaller fish. Not enough to give Cheep Cheep a workable moveset, but it's there at least. Bob-Ombs and Bullet Bills have not changed. They still do exactly as they do. Piranha Plants, however, have at least gained some of the abilities that landed them a spot in Super Smash Bros. They can now breathe fire, walk around on little feet, and blow a spike ball into the air and toss it. Not enough for a full moveset yet, but definitely on its way.

We do have a few new guys of note to talk about though. These include Dry Bones, Spikes (both Koopa offshoots), Boos and Stretches, Rocky Wrenches, Thwomps, Chain Chomps, Fire Chomps, Fire Snakes, Lava Lotuses, Jelectros, and the Angry Sun. Many of these will go on to become staples of the Mario series and some of his most recognizable foes, while a couple others offer up little of value and will be mostly forgotten.

Let's start with the Koopa offshoots, shall we? Dry Bones are iconic, being undead versions of Koopas. While there is not much difference between them and their living counterparts, I felt they deserved to at least be given an Echo Fighter slot rather than simply be meshed into a Koopa's moveset. Spikes on the other hand are rather rotund possible cousins of the Koopa race famous for belching up spike balls and chucking them at people. Not enough to work with yet, but with enough coming in the future to lump them in with a number of other characters already mentioned.

Boos definitely fall into the category of Mario's most famous enemies, being ghosts who will stalk Mario and hide their face when he turns to look at them. In this game, that is simply all they do, unless we want to include their offshoot Stretch's ability to rise up from a platform, but simply considering how prolific they are in the Mario series as a whole, they are a 100% yes for a slot.

Thwomps simply rise up and crash down on an enemy. They clearly belong as assist trophies or stage hazards and would fit in perfectly on a Bowser's Castle stage, but I can't for the life of me imagine any way they could function as playable. Chain Chomps feel like they might be someday workable, but for now, they just pull on their chains and snap. Also a good assist trophy. Rocky Wrenches pop up from the ground and throw wrenches. Not much to work with, but if combined with Monty Moles, then maybe someday. Fire Chomps and Fire Snakes mostly just jump around and . . . be on fire, so no for now, while Lava Lotuses and Jelectros mostly just exist in a couple of water levels, the Lotuses tossing out fireballs sometimes. No. The angry sun, obviously, needs to be a stage hazard. Speaking of which . . .

As opposed to the original game and The Lost Levels, which only had loose themes within the Worlds, but were really just kind of a random assortment of world types, Super Mario Bros. 3 is divided nicely into eight worlds, each with their own specific theme. The first is Grass Land, which is more or less a standard generic Mario world, followed by Desert Hills, home of the aforementioned Angry Sun, then Ocean Side, a beach level, Big Island, a world where everything is much bigger than normal, The Sky, a sky-themed world, Iced Land, a snow-themed world, and Pipe Maze, a series of complex, puzzle-like levels, all finishing off with Bowser's Castle, which is exactly what it says on the tin.

As for items, we've already basically covered most of them, although Bob-Ombs and Bullet Bills should be counted here, as well as Anchors, Warp Whistles, The Music Box, and Kuriboh's Shoe.

Now, let's see what we've got:

Characters:

Mario: Jump, Fire Flower, Starman, Axe, Springs, Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, Raccoon fly, flip tail, leap, swim faster, throw hammers, turn into statue, p-wing

Luigi: Echo of Mario, Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, Raccoon fly, flip tail, leap, swim faster, throw hammers, turn into statue, p-wing

Bowser: Jumping, fireballs, hammers, minions, slamming down

Princess Toadstool: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, P-Wing, warp whistle, music box

Toad: Pick up, pull vegetables, climb vines, super jump, dig, bombs, ride autobomb, ride carpet, chest, card game, slot machine

Wart: spit bubbles, Phantos, reference character?

Koopalings: spin in shell, slam down, magic spell, bouncing ball, magic ring

Birdo: jump, spit eggs, fireballs, drop crystal ball, Mask Gate

Boom Boom: swing fists, spikes, drop key, fly

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

Dry Bones: Echo of Koopa

Hammer Bros.: Jump, throw hammers, boomerangs, fire, sledgehammer, slam down

Goomba: walk forward, Paragoomba, Mini-Goomba, pick up block

Shy Guy: Beezo wing, Beezo trident, Snifit pellet, ride Ostro, ride Autobomb

Lakitu: Float on cloud, throw Spinies

Piranha Plant: Bite, walk, ptooie, breathe fire

Buzzy Beetle: Para-Beetle, Buster Beetle

Blooper: float, fly, string of babies

Cheep Cheep: jump, Boss Bass, Big Bertha

Spike: Cough up spike ball

Boo: nothing

Pokeys, Bob-Ombs, Tweeters, Ninjis, Cobrats, Rocky Wrenches, and Chain Chomps all tentative


Bosses:

Mouser: Throws bombs

Tryclyde: Breathes fire

Fryguy: Breathes fire, splits into smaller fryguys

Clawgrip: Throws rocks


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 (SMB1)

Sky Stage

World 9 (Weird Stage)

World 1 (SMB2)

World 2 (SMB2)

World 3 (SMB2)

World 4 (SMB2)

World 5 (SMB2)

World 6 (SMB2)

World 7 (SMB2)

Grass Land

Desert Hill

Ocean Side

Big Island

The Sky

Iced Land

Pipe Maze

Bowser's Castle (SMB3)


Items:

Super Mushroom

Life Mushroom

Fire Flower

Starman

Fire Bar

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bill Blaster

Spring

Poison Mushroom

Vegetable

POW Block

Bomb

Bob-Omb

Shell

Timer

Door Potion

Egg

Rocket

Super Leaf

Frog Suit

Tanooki Suit

Hammer Suit

Kuriboh's Shoe

Warp Whistle

Music Box

P-Wing


Thanks for reading! Now, I said earlier that I would only be covering the NES main line games, but after serious consideration, I have decided to include Super Mario World as well, as that is really the only main Mario game during the SNES's lifetime that doesn't fall into another category (for instance, Super Mario World 2 is more of a Yoshi game than anything else), so join me next time for Super Mario World!