#is it okay to think he could appear as DID in luigi. bro was literally an entirely different person.... well i have been thinking about it.

[peacheenie]

my brain is so full of things rn it is driving me crazy. i am thinking abt. labu. i am thinking about god of war + ragnarok. i am thinking abt. luigi and his doggies and i am thinking about ocs and art trades and and and 💥💥💥💥💥💥

[just-3d-mario-things]

Verdict: I liked it!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was absolutely a love letter to fans. Yeah, I’ll admit that if you didn’t grow up with Mario, there’s not much for you in terms of story. It’s your basic Family Member Goes Missing, gotta save them and also Save The World I Guess kinda movie. I won’t give a comprehensive review, but I’ve got some thoughts about it :)

Positive

- Deep cuts! Foreman Spike from Wrecking Crew, as well as Charles Martinet cameoing as classic Mario’s design, was a nice touch

- Yeah, it’s an isekai, but isekais aren’t inherently bad. Mario has a lot of different continuities, and in some it is an isekai. They obviously care a lot about the Super Show, doing the jingle and all. They manage to respect their audience’s intelligence, and don’t provide much exposition (which is awesome!)

- Diversity! There were so many Mario enemies and races in the movie, it was great. Shyguys kidnap Luigi, Dry Bones chase him through a swamp reminiscent of Luigi’s Mansion, the penguins from 64 have their own kingdom, all kinds of Koopas and Spinies make appearances, Goombas look like Goombas, there are like a hundred unique Kong designs, and we get a Luma! I’m not sure if it’s meant to be Lumalee or not, though they do bear a striking resemblance to them. The writers did their homework.

- The jokes for we the fans were genuinely pretty funny. There’s a part when Mario is fighting DK and has only tried one type of Power Up thus far, a regular mushroom to make him bigger. Mario grabs a blue Mini Mushroom, unaware of its effects. The audience gets to see Mario triumphantly grab the mushroom, thinking it’ll make him stronger. There’s a good moment for the audience members who know exactly what’ll happen, but those unaware of the Mini Mushroom won’t until it happens and Mario goes tiny.

- A good Power Up selection! I was afraid only the Fire Flower would be used, but we got Cat Mario, Tanooki Mario, Fire Peach and DK, Ice Flower Peach, and Super Star Mario and Luigi. Here’s hoping the sequels will use Bee Mario, Penguin Suit Mario, and Frog Mario. Oh! And the Feather Cape is kinda cameoed in their plumbing commercial, when they’re posing on the stools wearing capes. That was pretty neat.

- A solid mix of games’ soundtracks and elements. I didn’t notice much from Sunshine unfortunately, no FLUDD or Bowser Jr or anything. Come to think if it, does Bowser Jr exist in this continuity? How about the Koopalings? Evidence of Ludwig exist: the piano Bowser plays is Ludwig von Koopa brand, which was really funny.

- Bowser. Bowser Bowser Bowser. I think he was perfect, honestly. We all knew it when Jack Black stepped up to the plate, but seeing the piano scenes. And him dressed in his suit with the top hat. Man. I’m so glad they went for a mix of dopey lovesick Bowser from Odyssey and super powerful firebreath Bowser from Galaxy. I really like that if you censor his Peaches song correctly, you could make it sound like he’s saying “bitches”, which is objectively funny. No bitches :’(

- The Jungle Kingdom was a super fun segment. Literally a rollercoaster. I really enjoyed the showdown between DK and Mario, the sound effects and music were on point. They play the opening riff that plays in the original Donkey Kong when he bends the girders, and then. The DK rap plays. It was so unexpected that I had to laugh aloud. DK uses it as like his personal anthem, kinda like how professional wrestlers have a signature song they play when they come out into the ring. The unique Kongs were really cool to see too, like in the stands and the dude who drives them into the kingdom. At one point Diddy in the stands has the bongoes from Donkey Konga, it’s all a blast.

- Speaking of, Seth Rogen’s DK is surprisingly strong. Like, dang, I didn’t expect the “Seth Rogen laugh” to actually fit DK’s character, but it does!

- Okay, fine, Crisp Rat did a passable job. I never forgot it was him, but they eased into the voice by having him do a fakey Italian voice at the beginning. Still waiting on the dub featuring English cast + Italian dub Mario with no subtitles. Considering how low in content the story is, it would be a perfectly fine movie if you muted him completely :)

- The animation! I mean, you’ve seen the trailers, this is the best work Illumination has done, no question. I really like how they partially modelled the characters after their VAs. Bowser is just dripping with Jack Black’s chaotic energy, and Luigi and Mario are eerily reminiscent of Charlie Day and Crisp Rat despite being 100% Luigi and Mario. Toad is pretty solid as well, Key does a really good Toad voice without it being incredibly grating. Jack Black’s smile and Parks & Recreation-era Crisp Rat seem to be some inspiration behind the way they emote.

- Peach is pretty good. I like her voice, Anya Taylor Joy understood the assignment. She isn’t too “girlboss-y”, and she’s actually kind of a weirdo. I love that for her. Makes sense, she was raised by Toads and all. She only brings Mario along to help him, and she isn’t really saved by him at all. She’s delightfully pink and pretty, and oooh her wedding dress, Fire Flower dress, and Ice Flower Dress are all soo pretty. Like seriously, I want that wedding dress. She only gets to hover exactly once during the training montage, and she doesn’t get her parasol, but otherwise I quite liked her. She doesn’t have any groundbreaking character development or anything, or even much for flaws, but she’s just peachy in my opinion :)

- I think the Question Blocks serving as Toad ATMs was really funny. Also, I liked that Pauline was on the TV in Brooklyn. And the brothers’ family was fun to see, they absolutely captured the Italian-American family dynamic. Also, acknowledging the white gloves was pretty funny. We got to see Mario’s actual hands, too, which was… unsettling. Luigi’s ringtone is the Gamecube startup sound, Mario’s playing Kid Icarus on his home TV, Satoru Iwata features in the credits, and the little retro shop in the Mushroom Kingdom was neat. I feel like they referenced all throughout Mario’s history, unlike the Sonic movies where they only focused on the golden years of the Genesis games (no shade to the Sonic movies, I actually really liked them too)

- Oh the score. Ohhhh the score. Just… the score. Not enough Galaxy rep, but it’s forgiven. They use the themes from Mario games so well, it’s actually incredible. Just, like, go watch it and see how many you can recognize. I think I got most of them, though I wish they used the Wii Rainbow Road music since that’s the RR I’m most familiar with. Ah, well. I’m not sure if they used a Mario Kart theme for that scene or nor, someone who’s played the other Mario Karts will have to tell me

Negative

- crisp rat >:(

- Lack of Sunshine rep :( I can’t remember if there were any musical references, but I didn’t detect any, anyway. No Shadow Mario, Bowser Jr, Piantas, or FLUDD. Maybe we’ll get to Isle Delfino in the sequel?

- No Funky, Birdo, Rosalina, Daisy, Wario, or Waluigi. I can’t expect to get all of the fun side characters, but when I saw the Kong kingdom and the Luma I had a few shreds of hope that Funky and Rosa would show. I have a feeling Miyamoto doesn’t really like Wario/Waluigi, which is fair but sad. There wasn’t much room for Daisy and Birdo since the movie was so quick-paced. With the Yoshi egg teased at the end, it is possible Birdo will appear in the sequel? Maybe? And since it is an isekai, it’s revealed that no humans are native to the Mushroom Kingdom/Peach’s world, so maybe Daisy just doesn’t fit in this narrative. Ah, well.

- I have a feeling other reviews will remark on this, but Cranky is kinda weak :( I expected him to get better dialogue/direction, since I think Fred Armisen is generally a good actor. He just wasn’t… cranky enough? I dunno. Every time he spoke, I just pictured a voice actor in a booth instead of Cranky Kong.

- The story was… a Shigeru Miyamoto story. That is, no real intense story beats. They don’t really try anything new, but hey. You don’t walk into the Mario Movie expecting Miyazaki, y’know? It was all a bit too fast-paced for me, but I get it, it’s better than senseless filler. Illumination likes cheap movies, so the short runtime might cover for the quality animation.

- The licensed songs aren’t abysmal, but I wish there were fewer where Mario songs could have taken their place. I dunno, as much as I love Take on Me, I feel like there’s a better song out there for introducing the Jungle Kingdom.

Aaand those are my thoughts! I have more, but I’m sleepy and it’s 1:58 AM for me at the mo’. I’m sure I’ll be MarioMovie Posting in the future :)

[heiressofdoodles]

I posted 173 times in 2022

That's 145 more posts than 2021!

77 posts created (45%)

96 posts reblogged (55%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@pmseymourva

@itsquakey

@miniiieevee

@mario-incorrect-quotes

@intensepokerface

I tagged 148 of my posts in 2022

Only 14% of my posts had no tags

#kirby - 45 posts

#kirby series - 41 posts

#kirbytober - 31 posts

#galacta knight - 23 posts

#kirbytober 2022 - 19 posts

#mario - 17 posts

#super mario bros - 15 posts

#meta knight - 15 posts

#reblog - 14 posts

#luigi - 14 posts

Longest Tag: 126 characters

#i know that the designated couple sharing a kiss for the purpose of informing their audience that they're a thing is pretty eh

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

You ever think about how lonely life must be for ordinary people that became powerful warriors because of how the situation played out around them? How many nights they must spend staring at the ceiling, asking if they ever had a choice? The disconnect they must feel from even their closest friends and family, because no one could feel the same pain that they do? The deafening cheers of the people that knows nothing about them, save for their heroics?

A one man army can only fight for so long. And when they grow old or die on the job, there might not be someone that can take their place. In the place of a mid afternoon nap in the sun, there is a constant, quiet apology to those they care for that they might never come home every single time they fight. A fear that they might die anytime they leave their house because of how dangerous the world is becoming.

For us, it’s only a fiction. We close the book or turn off the game once the heroics are done, but the story continues for them regardless. It’s their reality, and they can’t just hit the pause button. It between the heroics we see, I wonder if those heroes and villains feel doubt, self loathing or endless tears. If they go days at a time with sleepless nights, afraid to close their eyes.

50 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

#4

So, the fandom all joked about how Ridley was too tall to be in Super Smash Bros, but I think we should remember that Kirby is canonically 8 inches call, and even though Meta Knight is an adult version of Kirby’s species, he doesn’t appear to be very tall in comparison.

So if someone were to make the sizes of the Smash fighters accurate, two of the most powerful entities of their universe wouldn’t even be a foot tall. A literal incarnation of an omnipresent, pan-dimensional God, and he’d be shorter than Mario by over four feet.

51 notes - Posted May 6, 2022

#3

Born to be a hero, yet doomed to wallow in darkness.

Alternate version below

Please someone give this borb a hug. A hug and a hot chocolate.

52 notes - Posted February 27, 2022

#2

Behold! It is finally complete! This is probably the longest that I’ve spent on a drawing, and I love how it came out. @kallulily​ really did make a drawing that was a challenge to do, and I enjoyed participating. It was nice working with these characters, most of them for the first time. I would’ve added Jerca and Garlude if I had a bit more space and patience, but oh well. Good luck to everyone that joins the contest!

56 notes - Posted September 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Okay, so a while ago, I beat the main story mode of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and while I was looking through the post game things, when I got to the Side Concert, I found out the name of Meta Knight’s boss theme is “Sword of the Surviving Guardian”. And while this song is amazing, and perfectly captures Meta Knight's strength and determination, I can't help but be disturbed by the name.

"Sword of the Surviving Guardian". It seems way too ominous for it to be a one off. What did he go through to be THE Surviving Guardian? How many people had died for him to be THE Surviving Guardian, instead of A Surviving Guardian? Was this event recent, or long ago? Was this incident what inspired him to attempt a coup back in Super Star Ultra? Or is this related to the anime, in which he was presumed to be the last surviving veteran Star Warrior until very recently?

I'm pretty worried about what this new epithet, if it really isn't a one off, could mean in regards to Meta's origins and backstory.

100 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[milfspiggy]

Let’s Rank Snifits!

Hello! Snifits are my favorite Mario enemy! To share my love for them, I’m going to go through the entire extended Snifit family, and score them all on a scale from 1 - 10 for your reading pleasure!!

The OG Snifit

Perfect! 10/10!! How could you improve upon such a great design?? Well, you’ll see soon enough, but Snifits are the ultimate being in any form. They’re like Shy Guys, which are already great and wonderful - but Snifit benefits from the addition of a little snoot!!! All creatures could be improved with a snoot, I think. Snifit’s snoot especially looks both boopable and smoochable. I wish I had a Snifit plush. Anyway, let’s move on to some of their friends and get started under the cut!

Spookum

So, weirdly, to start things off, Snifits aren’t called Snifits in Super Mario RPG!! They’re called Spookums! I’m not sure why, but it’s kind of cute, I guess?? This is still pretty much just a Snifit, just with a less cute and evocative name. 9/10.

Snifit, Again

So, I lied!! Sorry!! There actually are enemies called “Snifit” in Super Mario RPG, but they aren’t your standard rank and file Snifits in this game! There are only eight of them, and they’re minibosses!! At least, that’s my understanding from the mario wiki. I haven’t actually gotten that far in Mario RPG yet! I’m bad at video games. Snifits four through seven are actually promoted in-game from Spookums to Snifits if you lose to them in battle, though! That’s a really cool mechanic, and I’d love to see things like that more often in video games. I also like the idea that the colour of the Snifit denotes rank, with black being the strongest. Overall, despite just being a black variant of a normal Snifit, I like these ones just a little bit more than your average Snifit! I just think they’re neat! 10.5/10!!!

Whistle Snifit, Slurp Snifit, and Spike Snifit

Sorry, I lumped these guys all together because they’re kind of just normal Snifits wearing accessories!! They’re all from Paper Mario: Colour Splash. 6/10 for the whole set. I love them all very much but they could stand to be a bit more adventurous!! I like the Spike Snifit the most because they’re wearing a cute little hat and also don’t have something stuffed into their snoot. Why would you put something into an already perfect snoot?? It looks uncomfortable. I like that the one with the straw is called a Slurp Snifit, though!! Slurp is a fun word. Also, these guys all come in red, blue, green, yellow, and pink! Yellow and pink are my favorite colours though, so I used those ones to make up for them being kind of boring :3

Chariot Snifit

Hey, this one is just in a car!! That’s somehow both worse and better than the last few from Colour Splash. It gets half a point though for teaming up with a Chain Chomp, which is another favorite of mine. 8.5/10!!!

Snifaro

Aaaaaaaa!!!!!! Look at these two pals!!! I love them!! The Snifaro is actually just a regular sized Snifit with a cool pharaoh mask standing on top of a regular Snifit inside of a sarcophagus!! The Super Mario Wiki says that one of their attacks features Snifit hopping on top of Snifaro’s sarcophagus and riding it like a surfboard. That’s wonderful and perfect! Take notes, Colour Splash Snifits!! This is how you accessorize!!! 10/10!!

Ice Snifit

Take a look at these two!! They are so adorable and look so warm in their little winter coats!!!! I like the walking head version used in the original Mario+Luigi Superstar Saga a lot, but the more standard looking version in the remakes are impossibly adorable. I would give the original Ice Snifit a 10/10, and the revamped one a 11/10!!! It’s quite possibly my favorite Snifit design.

Ice Snifit, Again

For some reason, this is the only image of these guys on the Mario Wiki, but they’re just as adorable as the previous Ice Snifits!!! Yoshi’s Wooly World is, aesthetically speaking, one of the best Mario games of all time. Possibly the best game ever? It’s too bad that it’s such an easy game. Regardless, this Snifit is on par with the last Ice Snifits, but for whatever reason I like the redesign in Superstar just a liiiiitle bit more. 10.5/10!

Toy Snifit

Absolutely lovely!! I’m not sure if these pals come in different colours, and I’ve never played the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, but this Snifit makes me want to check them out!!! I’d like a real life wind-up toy of this Snifit. Let’s make it happen, Nintendo!! 9/10!!

Scorchit

Very cute! Kind of plain though. Sorry, Scorchit, but simply spitting out fire won’t put you on the same level as Ice Snifit!! It’s also apparently called “Zeus Guy” in the manual for Yoshi’s Island DS? That’s a cute name! I feel like it would fit better if this Snifit spat out lightning bolts instead of fire, though! I like that it’s pink. 7/10

Laser Snifit and Gunner Guy

Ohhhhhohohohohoho!!!!! Ohohoho!!!! This is where the real fun begins!!! Look at these friends!!!! I love them!!!! This is what Slurp Snifit up there should have been!! The snout is the defining trait of Snifits, and these two have bumped it up to eleven!!! Apparently Gunner Guy can’t move on his own, though, which is heartbreaking. Also, he might not actually be a Snifit??? He might be a Shy Guy with a gun on his face! Is that what all Snifits are? Are they the same thing? I choose to believe they aren’t, and the snout is somehow biologically part of their face along with the rest of the mask. I’m rambling, though. Laser Snifit earns an 11/10 from me, while Gunner Guy gets an 8/10 for making me feel sad while still somehow being delightful.

Propeller Mucho

What the heck?!  What a whimsical name!! Unfortunately, this is the only image of them on the Mario Wiki, but they still look pretty cute to me! I imagine they’re the same as Fly Guys, but like. Snifits. I love the idea that Shy Guys and Snifits are kind of mechanical or toy-like in nature. Maybe that’s why they live in the toy box in Paper Mario??? Anyways, 6/10. I wish I could see them better! They would have scored higher, but they’re outdone by.......

Flying Snifit

A friend with a way less whimsical name,  but a way more whimsical appearance!! Look at those wings!!!! Most Mario enemies, when given the gift of flight, have cute little angel wings slapped onto them - but not Flying Snifit!! No, instead, this little garden buddy sprouts a pair of adorable cartoon butterfly wings!!  I adore this Snifit!! They’re going to get a whopping 11/10 from me! We aren’t done with Flying Snifit just yet, however, because they also show up with a couple of friends!!

Flifit and Sneed

I told you our garden party wasn’t over yet!! These are also easily some of the most inventive varieties of Snifit!! There are only a couple of others that stray from the general Snifit body plan, and these two are both some of the weirdest and cutest!! God, I love them. Flifit spits out Sneed, which in turn spits out (presumably inanimate) seeds! I love whatever the heck Sneed is doing in that animation. I choose to interpret it as a little butt waggle. Shake it, Sneed!! For both of these friends, I’m handing out a solid 10/10!!!

Snufit

So, like I said before, there are only a couple of Snifit-adjacent friends that change up the general body plan that is Snifit! Snufits are ghost Snifits that live in Hazy Maze Cave in Super Mario 64!! They’re very cute, but when I was little I was actually kind of afraid of them? I’m not sure why! In the original game on the Nintendo 64, Snufit was round and shaped like a Boo, which is pretty cute! I love the idea that all ghosts in the Mario universe are just big round balls of ghostliness. This version of Snufit gets an 8/10! It’s pretty cute, but the redesign of Snufit in the DS version is so much more appealing to me, for some reason! I think it’s the floppy little sleeves. As someone who always wore sweaters that were much too big for me and always seemed to have “puppy paws” as my mom would call them, this new Snufit just calls to me. Also, shouldn’t these guys have been called Spookums?? I guess Mario RPG did come out before Mario 64, but it wouldn’t be the first time some weird name shenanigans had gone down in the Mario universe. Anyways, the redesign of Snufit gets an 11/10 from me!! It’s up there with Ice Snifit and Flying Snifit as one of my favorites!!

Spider

Hey, these guys aren’t even in any of the games!! I think that should change though. I like them a lot!! Pretty creepy, and bizarre, though! I used to watch The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! a fair amount when i was little, but I must have missed whichever episode these guys appeared in. I think I would have remembered them for the rest of my life if I had!! I used to be really afraid of spiders when I was little. I think they’re really neat now though!! Still, I’m only going to give these guys an 8/10 for virtue of never being used in a game, and also for being kind of creepy and also for not having eight legs. I know that stuff isn’t their fault! It’s just the way things are sometimes. Life is cruel, especially to spiders.

Spiky Snifit

Okay, these guys are the last of the official Snifit friends! I probably should have put them up with Flifit, but I wanted them to stand on their own. I love cacti a lot, being from a desert, and saguaro cacti are just the best!! I also love how Flifit seems to have their mask organically growing from their stem, but Spiky here could easily just be a normal cactus with a Snifit mask slapped onto it!! Does it have a face underneath?? Is it literally just a cactus??? Could you make anything into a Snifit by putting a mask onto it??? Spiky Snifit here raises a lot of questions, and answers literally none of them, and for that I love them. 9.5/10!! 

Finally, I would like to give an honorable mention to one other Mario enemy that I think has been unfairly left behind and forgotten. Let’s take a moment to remember a dear friend....

Tweeter

Tweeter is an enemy that debuted in Doki Doki Panic/ Super Mario Bros 2 alongside Shy Guy, Snifit, Bob-omb, Birdo, and many other friends that we all know, love, and continually see in Mario games even today!! Unfortunately, unlike many of the other enemies from Mario 2, Tweeter hasn’t really ever shown up again! They make the occasional cameo here and there, but even those are few and far between!! Why haven’t Tweeters ever shown up again?? It’s unclear, but they’re also pretty high up on my list of favorite mario enemies! It turns out I just love masks and snoots, especially if that snoot is also a beak. If I were to give these guys a score, and I will, I would give them a 100/100!! Gone, but never forgotten (by me).

If you read all of this, thank you for your time!! I love you, and so does Snifit and all their many friends!! Feel free to shoot me a message telling me your favorite Mario enemy, and check out the blog @weirdmarioenemies​​ !! I’ve been binge reading their entire archive, and as you could probably guess, it heavily inspired me to make this post! I just love Snifit so much, and wanted to spread the love!! I hope you all come to love them as much as I do. Also, @nintendo​, please bring back Tweeter and also make Snifit a playable character in Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario Tennis, your next main Mario platformer, et cetera, et cetera... In fact, let’s ditch Mario and make the games all about Snifit!!!

New Super Snifit Bros!! Coming soon to a store near you!!

[vedj-f-bekuesu]

2019 in Retrospect

2019 has been fairly quiet, so I decided to start off this year by looking back on it. I’ll be dividing it by main fandoms/characters/ships because this year there were actually some new ones. That hasn’t been the case since, like, 2013. 

Sonic the Hedgehog

It was an...alright year for Sonic. TSR was fine but too light on content, Mario and Sonic Tokyo felt like a step down from Mario and Sonic Rio but was still alright, and I have not played SEGA Heroes (and haven’t bothered with the Chao in Space short). Lowest spot for me was the IDW comic; the Zombot arc has had one interesting story so far, but the rest has had either bad writing (primarily aimed at Shadow’s turn) or it’s just been wallowing in its bleakness in a way even Shadow the Game didn’t. Then again, I find zombie stories uninteresting to begin with, so no duh I’m not interested in a Sonic take on it. 

Chaotix kind of mirror that. Vector’s managed to get a good showing in, batting 3 for 3 on the game front, and having a key role in two of them. And like I said before, the Chaotix have genuinely had the most interesting stories within the Zombot arc, although with Vector and Charmy turned this may become more limited. Speaking of though, Espio and Charmy have had weaker presences. Espio managed to get into all three games in some form but to a lesser extent (one just by name), and Charmy was really left behind. 

As for Vecpio, it’s been pretty bare for canon material stuff. Espio got mentioned in TSR as contributing the report that reveals Dodon Pa’s true role (with him and Vector being the key to making everyone shut up about him being suspicious, proving they’re best as a team). And Mario and Sonic Tokyo has something if you headcanon some stuff; when Vector talks about the medals, Espio is the first person you’re directed to. Nothing is said by Vector about Espio in text, but you can implicate that Espio was chosen first because of his strong link to Vector, being the first one Vector would trust to compete at a gold level. Other than that? Dry. And with no announcements for Sonic games in 2020, this may just continue. 

Crash Bandicoot

On the reverse side, we have Crash Bandicoot having a really strong year. CTR:NF came out (which is a remake of my favourite Crash game) and has been doing gangbusters. On top of this, it has been going out of its way to revive pretty much every dead character in the franchise, to the point that we have RIlla Roo back in the fold (something I genuinely didn’t think would happen 19 years beforehand). 

Skipping straight to the shipping for this, I wouldn’t have imagined it for Crash ever, but there’s actually some in-game material for me to latch onto for DingodileXKomodo Joe! Dingodile has been pushed into a more jovial character since N-Sane Trilogy, being even more doubled down on in CTR:NF. However, for the past 20 years Komodo Joe has managed to avoid being given traits closer to Espio. This game finally catches up to him, and does it hard. Seriously, his character took a hard turn for the stoic badass Espio did after Heroes, and when did Joe ever use Martial Arts magic ever? Aside from making that dynamic naturally more matching, Slide Coliseum joins in the fun with the visual upgrade. It has holographic projections of a trophy girl repping a couple of racers dancing each, and guess who the devs felt could be paired up for how they go together rhythmically? That’s right, my reptile boys. Man. 

Super Mario Bros

What a weak year for Mario for me. What Mario got for new games this year were Luigi’s Mansion 3 (which I’ve not played), Mario Maker 2 (which isn’t new story content and doesn’t interest me in the slightest), Yoshi’s Crafted World (which I forgot was a thing) and Mario Kart Tour/Dr Mario World (which...um). 

Because of this set-up, Bowser hardly got anything to do so he’s really been on the backburner. Considering how he’s been pushed in the rest of the decade that’s saying something. In fact, the most character stuff he got was in Mario and Sonic Tokyo, and even that was mostly just alright (I think Bowser Jr got the best deal out of that).

Spyro the Dragon

Spyro was alright, but this one’s more understandable. With 2018 being the big year for Spyro’s return, 2019 was a rest for the little guy. That being said it wasn’t completely quiet; Spyro Reignited Trilogy finally got its port on the Switch, and to tie in with that Spyro got an appearance in CTR:NF. 

Because of the latter point, Gnasty Gnorc got a surprisingly strong year. Not only having more people learn about his glow-up in SRT, but bringing over that petty and angry character to CTR:NF. Seriously, his bit in the grand prix intro video is great, and he has more lines in his racing quips than any other game. 

OK KO

I don’t think I made a post about OK KO on Tumblr (or maybe I did one, I can’t remember). But I did manage to get into this just before it got cancelled so there’s that. 

I maintain that the Sonic crossover (aka the first thing I really knew about OK KO) didn’t give me a good impression of the show.It just seemed like “here’s the Sonic and Eggman dynamic but with more cartoon shenanigans*” and it spent more time making endless Sonic references. While some were deeper cuts which actually were impressive, most were references I could see in pretty much any Sonic-referencing material. It wasn’t until I decided to look up more info on Lord Boxman sometime after because I wanted to check if N.Gin was an influence that I found out the plot of the actual show (crossover notwithstanding) was pretty nuts and way more up my alley. 

Speaking of, there’s Voxman. Whereas other ships on here I have to dig through material to construct nuggets from them, this was literally in the text. And why not, they have a good dynamic and are usually the most fun to watch bounce off each other. And I still like the fact that if KO and Lord Boxman were the Sonic and Eggman parallel, the story ends with Eggman becoming Sonic’s stepfather. Let’s see IDW tell a story like that, it’d be better than the Zombot stuff. 

*I think that was the point but still. 

LEGO

Man I wouldn’t have thought they would have remade LEGO Racers but the one they made this year was gre--

Okay no, this year basically reignited another flame that I thought was snuffed out like 16 years ago. For a brief history of me and LEGO, when I was six I had a freestyle box which I used to make an elemental superhero persona. I played with this until I was 11. Before then, my sister got some LEGO Harry Potter sets (which we still have in the loft), I played LEGO Racers a lot (and wasn’t very good at it), and I owned two random other LEGO sets (the trike from Life on Mars and Lava from RoboRIders). 

After that, I only dabbled in LEGO when there was a Sonic set done for LEGO Dimensions. I did try to play more into it, but it was really prone to crashing in certain worlds so I eventually got frustrated enough to stop playing it. Sometime in the interim though my sister started enjoying LEGO films without me knowing, so when February came around I was dragged to see LEGO Movie 2 when all I wanted to see in 2019 was Toy Story 4. Dad insisted on it since we rarely have family outings. In retrospect; 

LEGO Movie 2 hit me in a way a piece of media hasn’t for years, or even decades. It’s shot up to be my third-favourite film of all time. And it’s revealed to me that LEGO is shockingly good at making endearing characters. So much so that breaking it down (pun not intended) has to be done by theme.

LEGO Movie: Part of the reason why I didn’t get into LEGO earlier was because I did see LEGO Movie back in 2014 when my sister was given it on DVD (she wasn’t into LEGO then) and I wasn’t impressed with it. In retrospect, I can appreciate what it did more, and I bring it up because it’s what makes Unikitty, Benny and Metalbeard so endearing when combined with what happened in TLM2. Lucy’s okay (moreso in the sequel), Emmet’s cute, President Business is fun but the MVP is definitely Rex Dangervest, who’s this feral monster but with Emmet buried away deep inside ready to flesh him out. When I make LEGO stories, I just have Rex change his mind on rescuing himself after getting the dinosaurs, and instead wreaking havoc in the present. This kills Emmet off in any story I do but it’s a worthy sacrifice. 

LEGO City Undercover: As a video game person I’m kicking myself for not getting into this before. Frank Honey is the best; he’s adorable and weird yet still feeling very much human and basically the Emmet of his city. Rex Fury has grown on me lots since my initial assessment of him,it’s infectious how much fun he has with being a criminal (while Vinnie is more fun when not doing criminal stuff and Chan seems to be more focused on doing criminal stuff as a job. I also think his calmer side is criminally (no pun intended again) overlooked). Also Ellie is underrated, she is the best straight man you could ask for. 

LEGO City Adventures: As I’ve said before, pretty much everyone in LCA is adorable, especially Duke and Harl. Still hoping for more Daisy time in the second season, she could be a riot if played properly and not just a Fendrich stooge. 

Ninjago: Coming in with the hot take here; I prefer the movie version of Ninjago to the series. I think the problem with the series is that it has so much baggage from before the series started to iron out some of its issues and cliches that it’s kinda hard to get into as a new person, whereas movie Ninjago is a lot more approachable and written better off the bat (although I do see why it wouldn’t go down well with existing Ninjago fans). This all just makes me think of that moment in series 11 where Nya sees her worst fear of being normal in an artefact and it shows her movie self, almost as a take that. It just makes me think the show writers are salty about movie Nya kicking show Nya’s ass in being a better character. Also shout outs to Kai, Cole, Zane and Lloyd for being great characters as well (Jay is cute in the movie, his show self can be punted off a cliff for all I care). And I am with the movement to have Cole come out as gay (or at least bi if they want to keep Tournament of Elements I guess). 

Nexo Knights: This show is regarded as another Ninjago wannabe, but it feels very different to Ninjago to me. So much so, there’s not a single one of the heroes I don’t like and they all need to be cherished. Macy gets props for being the best female character to me, Aaron is probably my favourite now and this is a house of Clance for future reference. 

So, with all that being said, what do I think of the prospects for 2020? I think it’s going to be quieter than 2019 to be honest, since there’s a lot winding down, and on the game side there’s been zero announcements. Crash and Spyro having a rest is understandable, Sonic’s going to have to get past the movie before gearing up for 2021 probably (for the record I have no interest in the movie) and Mario just needs to try harder. And with OK KO dead, only LCA is holding the fort for guaranteed new content I want to engage in right now. 

You know what would be fun though? Series 20 of the minifigures theme is due at the end of this year. Wouldn’t it be awesome to use the occasion to give some phsical minifigures to characters who never got them before? LIke, Rex Fury somehow still has enough demand to be a persistent feature in the customs market, give him an official figure (especially since he’s the only character from LCU that’s not Chase that’s even appeared in merch outside the game). Or let Sky Lane get her LEGO Universe look in physical form to go with her LIXS look. Or heck, finally give Rocket Racer his original look, that’s how I discovered the minifigure world in the first place!

[stcrred-m]

okay, now that i’ve had the time to calm down, i’m gonna list my thoughts on today’s direct, game by game:

first off, i don’t have a 3DS, so i definitely won’t be getting any of the games coming onto there . still, here’s what i think .

- warioware gold . i’ve never been a big fan of the games, but it does seem like a perfect fit for the series . maybe it can come to the switch in the future . - that armadillo game . only exposure i’ve ever had with dillon is as an assist trophy in smash 4 wii u . looks cool but not my style . - mario & luigi: bowser’s inside story remake . okay, so the only m&l game i’ve ever really played was superstar saga, but i know bis is a fuckin great game && that i’m missing out . i’m happy it gets a remake, but ... this soon ? it originally came out on the past ds, after all . - detective pikachu . i wouldn’t be interested in this game at all if it were not for the fact that my dad && the va for detective pikachu were actually friends back in school [ there’s an infamous story that he tells people every so often involving a bear && a few ziploc bags on a camping trip ] . looks good, && ryan renolds surprisingly fits the role of detective pikachu pretty well . - luigi’s mansion . if only this came to the switch instead . at this point, the 3DS is literally at the end of it’s lifecycle, so this is kinda weird to be on a dying system . i can’t deny it looks good, though, but perhaps this is hype for a possible lm for switch ?

&& onto the switch games . ooooh, boy, time to gush .

- kirby kirby kirby that’s the name you should know --- ok, but the dream friends . i am . so hyped for star allies now, more so than ever . i could easily predict that triple d, meta knight && bandana waddle d would be coming back, but the animal friends from dream land 2 ??? gooey from dream land 3 ??? why is marx the jester here ?!?!?!?!? they all look amazing && i can’t wait . - okami hd . eh, i’m not really interested . i like the idea but it doesn’t really catch my eye . gonna be passing on this one . - sushi striker . the only proper way i can express my complete lack of me wanting this game is through the twitch emote residentsleeper . - octopath traveler . now this is a game that i’ve got my eye on . i adore the art style && how it meshes 2D pixelart with a 3D space . the voice acting so far is pretty damn solid && i really like the combat . plus, the apothecary kid is my son, ok . - travis strikes again: no more heroes . kinda interesting, but i won’t pick it up . i’ve never had any experience with the no more heroes series . - dark souls . i value my sanity a lot, thank you very much . don’t wanna lose my mind over fighting the first boss of the game . though i did find some humor in that amiibo . praise the sun, you memelords ! \[T]/ - mario tennis aces . never had any interest in the mario sports games . well, unless you count mario kart as a sports game . though i am glad that we get to see our fashionable boy waluigi again in high definition [ i mean, him && that rose, though ! ] . looks very decent, but i’ll pass . - captain toad: treasure tracker . i’m actually looking forward to this port, surprisingly . i never played it on the wii u, so seeing it on the switch is a welcome treat . plus, new odyssey levels !!! hopefully i’ll be able to get it on my birthday, or something ! - fucking . undertale . toby . toby toby toby . why ... ? just why . i get that you’re a dog && all, but this bone is getting a bit stale to chew . i don’t like how undertale was handled on the ps4 [ except for the dog shrine, that was gold . ] so i’m hesitant to see how it works on the switch . plus, it’s 2018 . i think undertale has been driven into the ground, unfortunately [ not the game’s fault --- that lies more with the fandom . ] . - crash bandicoot: n.sane trilogy . couldn’t be bothered, didn’t grow up with it . i bet the game is great, but it’s just not my thing . &&, again, pretty attached to my sanity, thanks . - little nightmares . not buying it, but good god, that’s a great game for the switch . it’s a game that is an amazing horror experience, && i highly recommend it to those who haven’t played it . it’s got a good plot twist or two as well ! - south park: the fractured, but whole . not my style of humor, not my kind of game . never watched the show, not planning on it . begone, thot . - hyrule warriors . hgdsjhdgdhgdghjehgejhgdgdg no . - arms . cool ! good ! glad to see that game is still being supported && pushed by nintendo ! god knows there needs to be more people in the fandom && playing this game [ && if you’re considering making an arms muse, talk to me . i will die for you . ] ! i honestly need to play this game more, but something else has been eating up my switch time . which brings me to ... - splatoon 2: update && dlc . i am so happy for the upcoming stuff . my thoughts on update in short: can’t really care abt the new gear, camp triggerfish hype, rank x ?? really ?? i’ve just gotten to a- in one mode, i’m scared now . the octo expansion: new singleplayer stuff ?? three words . oh . god . yes . please give it to me . let me go through that subway, dammit ! new levels !! potentially new bosses !! octolings in multiplayer !!! agent 8 is adorable !!!! going to get this after i buy kirb, if i have money left over . && finally on the list: - super . smash . bros . ok, for a quick second, imagine the og, melee, brawl && ssb4 themes blaring at full blast at the same time . then imagine my voice yelling along with the music . that would accurately describe my reaction when that ball appeared in the inkling girl’s eye . it’s on it’s way, && i could not be more excited . new game or port, i don’t care . super smash bros for the nintendo switch . 2018 . get that hype train a - chuggin’ . choo choo !!!!

[abunchofbooloney]

Concept Babble

Given this plot got finished, I’ve been wanting to like... Babble about my thought process for it and the changes it went through as it went on (bECAUSE IT CHANGED A LOT.)

So if you want a big text wall babble detailing various scrapped parts and the like, feel free to read on.

Okay, so starting off, back when I started the plot I had an entirely different idea as to Karolyn’s role in the story. Heck, I think in an early draft, the Conquerors didn’t even exist. It was just Karolyn using KB’s crown to boost her own magic.

That being said, when I just had point A and point C, how I usually start the skeletons for my stories, Karolyn was actually going to make this huge ol’ castle from magic. 

In this draft of the story, which I’m dubbing ‘Version Tiny,’ KB actually goes small because he’s not with his crown--kind of similar to how I HC his eyes go to normal when not wearing it. Except in my sketches, his eyes remain normal. For some reason.

Karolyn kidnaps the Boo kids, Booloney, and Boommer, who were literally the only other Boos I had planned (Booshful was added last second AS I WAS WRITING the post in which he got turned to stone) and keeps ‘em locked up in the castle.

So KB--small, powerless, and now without his fellow Boos--Seeks help from the last people you would expect: The Mario Bros.

Here’s an idea! You two help me and I WON’T try to kill you for once!

That Magikoopa did this! She turned my subjects to stone and broke my crown apart! Without the Boo’s presence and the crown’s power, I shrunk.

They can’t know I’ve escaped, so I’m hiding in your hat!

I should also mention: Starlow is there. For some reason. Because I like her tbh.....

And she and KB totally get into a small sass-fest

So you’re a Star Sprite. Big deal!

Okay, I agree with Luigi. We can’t trust this guy farther than we can throw him!

And how can you throw me without any arms?

Eventually it leads to them finding the Boos, but KB just doesn’t want to leave his subjects behind, even when they’re supposed to find a way to take down Karolyn.

W-Wait! I know those voices!

Booloney, Trouboole, and Ribboon!

We’ll get you out of there! Just hold tight!

We’d better find what powers the shield.

(M-More Boos?)

Starlow, off-panel:  It doesn’t look like it’s in here. Let’s try a different room. Come on, KB!

What?! I’m not leaving them!

We can’t just leave you, though! There are guards everywhere. If one spots you, we’re done for!

There was also going to be a part about how Karolyn was making illusions due to the crown having those powers (before I developed different concepts/headcanons), and how KB was going to help the brothers navigate the area by guiding them through.

You’ve been looking with just your naked eyes? IDIOTS.

You’re lucky all ghosts can see through illusions. I will show you where to go.

So, that just about wraps up that concept because I decided adding the Bros. would be a bit too complicated for me. I don’t like having too many canon characters involved in my stories, and in the long run KB was just enough for me.

But that’s not the end of scrapped concepts, ooooooh no.

This next one I don’t really have a whole lot of sketches on, primarily because I did a lot of my concept doodling in class, and it was my senior year, so more focus on school work.

But shortly after making the Conquerors (specifically when starting to shift Pink Tiara into being the main focus), I had a small idea for how Tiara was going to get control of the situation.

Rather than draw a weak-willed order out from Karolyn, I briefly considered Tiara would actually try and form a manipulative relationship with her. 

However, due to many reasons (1. I felt Tiara needed to tone things down just a little bit, 2. The setup I had in place didn’t really give me proper time to develop that without it being a mess, 3. In the end it felt superfluous and sometimes I need to kick myself in the butt because not all of my stories need That Kind Of Asshole), this was scrapped very quickly, and I went the route of Tiara just trying to pull at the strings in her own fashion.

Another couple of concepts I had, around the time that Chrome had been introduced, involved the Boo kids and their group of mortal friends.

First off, though it probably wasn’t clear with Chrome and Gilda, I wanted to try and make it so each of the Boo kids connected to a particular mortal.

Douboole to Chrome

Trouboole to Gilda

and Ribboon to Roswell.

In early drafts of the kids meeting Chrome, he was going to be more of an ass, and more itching to fight than being cautious about things.

And Douboole would help him channel that energy into helping them out.

Gilda, meanwhile, was more about singing, like an actual Dayzee, before I decided she wanted to dance more. I was originally planning a bit of a 20s-esque scenario with big bands and mobsters and all that... And Gilda would teach the kids how to sing and help Trouboole be more comfortable with talking to people.

The part with Roswell actually remains relatively unchanged from my original concept, HOWEVER

In early drafts of the story I was planning for the entire group to travel together, rather than the kids going from place to place meeting the ‘character of the day.’ 

KB actually possessed Chrome and Gilda got captured as well just so I could get them there at the final scene and not have it just be Roswell--otherwise they would have felt pretty pointless in the long run.

I even went so far as to come up with ways for the kids to fly with their friends:

Douboole would use his multiple copies to hoist chrome into the air

Trouboole carried Gilda along with his psychokinesis

and Roswell would hang on to Ribboon’s ribbons.

Naturally, I never got to use this since the group never really traveled, but... Perhaps it’ll make an appearance in the future. Who knows. I just like the concept that much.

Another smaller thing I considered was Douboole and Chrome fighting to the point Douboole accidentally possessed Chrome... While I ultimately decided KB would do that, I still couldn’t resist doodling a funny little thing:

As for the rending of the story... I pretty much planned Karolyn to die from the start. For various reasons. But the method and what happened afterwards tended to fluctuate.

One concept, still in the whole castle thing, had it crumble down on top of her. Another had her use her Ancient Law to fight back the Conquerors, but she would end up using so much energy she kind of... Burnt out.

There was even a concept in which Shellton survived and I had him stand at the crossroads of choice: He could either go down the same path Karolyn did, blaming the Boos for her death and turning to magic, or he could learn from her actions and choose to forgive.

However, I ended up designing this little guy:

He started out as a hypothetical ‘only because I like the color purple so much’ character, to remain on my personal blog, but then... Well, I considered the scenario in which the Conquerors were defeated and decided to make use of that. 

Speaking of the Conquerors, there’s not a whole lot in terms of concepts that I didn’t make use of, so... Have some drafts of the moment when Tiara makes use of the others’ gems. I was originally gonna paint it but like... It didn’t turn out so hot, so...

I think that’s all I really have to blabble about? If you’ve read this far, I’d like to thank you. This story is far from over, but this arc was supposed to be everything starting off with a bang.

I miiight as well give you some doodle previews of the next arc (whcih won’t be for a while) as a bit of a reward for sticking through to the end xcfdgfhfgh