#my own koopa lore

[thedepressedweasel]

Carmine Koopa (my Koopa OC):

Resides in the Koopa Manor somewhere in the Garden Kingdom

Born into a wealthy family

Grew up in high society

Holly Koopa may be her cousin

Is very kind-hearted

Behaves like a proper lady

Is calmer than Lieutenant Jasper "Eyepatch" Koopa

Is deeply in love with Jasper (and vice versa)

Carries a parasol by summer and a hand-muff by winter

Dresses in Victorian garb

Loves Christmas

Can perform magic (she's half-Magikoopa, mind you)

Her great-grandmother was a Magikoopa

When she finds out Lieutenant Jasper's disinterest for Christmas, she does her best to help him heal from his pain that he experienced as a result of his childhood friend Penny Koopa dying from tuberculosis on Christmas (which she's able to do with the help of the Boos of the Christmas Past, Present and Yet-To-Come)

Likes to visit the Christmas market every winter

Is a huge bookworm

Loves to drink tea (especially Earl Grey)

Loves sweets

Loves the snow

Dislikes Bowser and, therefore, considers him and his Koopalings (Junior included) "uncouth"

Loves flowers

Has a secret love for dogs (especially poodles, corgis, Bichon Frisés, Shih Tzus, King Charles spaniels and Cocker spaniels)

Unlike Lieutenant Jasper, however, she doesn't like that KISS-style Koopa rock band because she thinks they look terrible

Loves Classical music

Can play a piano very well

Can also sing well (even going so far into singing Lieutenant Jasper to sleep on Christmas Eve)

Can also play a violin very well

Can dance the waltz very well (and is willing to teach Lieutenant Jasper about it as well)

(May update more if necessary)

I'm thinking about also drawing her in addition to writing fanfics about her interactions with Lieutenant Jasper.

[error-dark]

Princess Alice Koopa (new Koopa OC)

Pronouns: she/they

Bowser's younger sister/sibling (is 31 years old, so 3 years younger)

Is 8'4" tall

More forgiving and calmer than Bowser most of the time

Anger issues is 10x worst than Bowser (if she gets very pissed)

Is in love with Spiny (Koopa General)

Shares very similar chaotic and deranged energy as Spiny and Bowser

Can perform Dark/Black Magic (Kamek taught them)

Is Bisexual

Not a regular aunt, she's a cool aunt

Junior & the Koopalings loves calling her "Auntie Alice"

Literally lets the kids get away with shit (unless they all get caught by Kamek and then they have to deal with his scolding)

Dated Daisy when both of them were teens (both kingdoms were allies for 2 years)

Broke up with Daisy when they found out that she hates the Koopa species (both kingdoms are sworn enemies since then. literally nothing can change that) (took a break from the love life for a while before their crush for Spiny begun)

(Will update this if necessary.)

I'm planning on adding her into my future Mario fanfics and possibly make some art of her.

[skyburger]

its possible that mario (from super mario) has even less screentime of him doing his alleged job than professor layton (from professor layton) does. we see so little of mr layton being a professor OR an archaeologist (much less a professor of archaeology!) but like... think about it. how often do you see mario actually being a plumber

[mushroom-for-art]

Mario oc character species go brr, thus far unnamed

So character lore conceptually they have a common ancestor with whatever species Bowser is known as, I've seen someone call them Kaiju Koopa so I'm going with that!

Of course ancestor is probably quite a ways back along the family tree, the only common traits the two species share is the defined Koopa nose, massive size, strength, some degree of armor scaling, fire breathing and general audacity.

While Koopa developed shells and the Kaiju variants like Bowser horns and spikes this species developed without shells instead getting robust defined wings which probably implies the ancestor had the capacity for both they just probably couldn't physically afford both features cause big wings heavy shell that's a lot of energy burnt so certain individuals had one or the other due to gene expression ect and then they'd probably go on to mate with those sharing traits with them or with individuals that didn't express either passing on the genes for either shells or wings thus becoming more specialised and splitting off from each other ect whatever look im starting to doubt my own fake lore sh sh.

From there others likely developed like how Bowser has Koopa Troopers and Para Troopers ect, there's likely smaller wingless versions as to grow the wings was still difficult it took a lot of energy and some individuals likely had faulty or wing genes that were recessive and didn't show leading to needing less food and diversity within the species and creating subspecies ect.

Some likely became specialised in their claws turning to digging up roots and tubers ect so theres Koopa Trooper sized individuals with powerful claws for slashing and kicks, there's likely a hammer bros type variant that is bigger than the Trooper like ones but is just more muscular bulky that hunted prey and capable of taking down bigger prey items to grow bigger than the clawed variant that stuck to fruit and probably a more stealthy shy variation that grows spikes from their back in defence displays as although they don't have the genes to create a full shell the genetic makeup to create spikes was still there.

These spike back individuals becoming with time the equivalent of magikoopas as they likely would guard food supplies with magical properties scaring away prey and predator with the threat of spikes and ultimately becoming magical from eating the magic plants fruits roots ect cause mushroom world magic rules idk. They would in modern day still need to eat magic plants to replenish their inner magic levels.

Being that they're probably the smallest and meekest looking of the bunch they were permitted closer to the large wing variant as they saw them as no challenge in fact spike backs were very good for scaring away predators from the nest when their chicks were small and both parents were away foraging so the spike backs were allowed to stay and were provided for in return for protecting the nest and naturally became the winged rulers advisors and overseers as the species developed.

As for the winged variant only the largest more aggressive ones with access to food and intellect managed to thrive using their flying privileges to access new food sources the others could not allowing them to continue producing offspring with the wing gene and the other genes resulting in their vast powerful appearance as they have access to the claws for slashing the gene that makes them muscular and the spike gene. They're the ultimate accumulation of their species really they hold all the cards.

They essentially become as the species and subspecies grew in intellect the Royals as more food and more care input from parents and probably being slower growing with longer life spans made them smarter and also generally biggest strongest is the leader.

Of course I imagine historically there was horrible bloody territorial battles between this species and the Koopas. While the territory they both developed in originally were likely vast and fruitful during the development of the defined species and the shifting of the world the Koopa territory started to grow barren while the territory this species resided remained lush with vegetation and complex ecosystems that they'd evolved to be apart of. And they weren't going to allow Koopa to come in and take their hunting grounds or threaten their nesting spots.

Due to the access to magic plants the spike back variants at this stage were likely far more intelligent than those around them, the two species during these territorial battles had not yet developed cultures or civilisations so they weren't going to communicate and work it out peacefully a peace treaty trade was not something that would occur for many years they were still young animalistic species even if future hierarchies of what would become Royals and citizens were clearly established within them.

They used their magic to separate their home from the rest of the world almost like putting it into a bubble, I feel like what they did was somewhere between straight up putting the whole area they considered their territory between dimensions so it just poofed but also making a copy of it so their civilisation could live in peace in an almost other world a powerful magical veil around their territory that separates them from the rest of the world while the forest and lush area still exists in the original world. If one went to the edge of the kingdom they could see the shimmering veil and see out into it the other world that was likely taken over by Koopa or destroyed by natural world stuff, though if they were to leave they may not return. Someone could stand right next to the veil on the other side in the actual world and they may sense the magic but would not be able to access their kingdom.

To some degree it was purely selfish reasons from the spike backs they didn't want to share their magic resources and potentially see the giant winged variants that they gain protection through be potentially slaughtered and have to hide flee and provide for themselves once more.

Their civilisation grew in this magic veil held up by the many generations of spike backs, they gained Royals they managed to survive in their territory creating a thriving town of their species.

Of course I'm awful and this character here was a princess and could've been next in line for the throne. Could've be. But unfortunately an illegitimate child of her grandfather and of the muscular strong man subspecies of their kind challenged that, hes smaller than a true full grown winged Royal but he's much larger than any of the other subjects, he grew claws and spikes but his wings are insufficient as he cannot fly with them and thus he has no claim to the throne. Had he had viable wings he would be accepted as a potential heir despite not having both winged parents, ya know prevents inbreeding since a lot of the times the winged variant genes are dominant and will produce a valid heir so they can marry who they like. The drawn characters father was likely a clawed variant while her mother had the full winged and extra genes.

However he wouldn't accept this long standing tradition and accepted system of inheritance believing it his birth right as most others born of a winged royal had the acknowledged traits to be next in line and he was bitter he was one of the rare few who did not. So he took it into his own hands. Or claws. He slaughtered the other viable potential heirs, he killed the then king and Queen and destroyed their brood.

Save for one egg. A spike back who had been with the Royal family for many year as council and guide descended from one of the original spell casters of the veil and even believed to be descended of one of the first few spike backs to begin cohabiting with winged variants had taken one of the eggs before the brute got to the nest. She would have taken more but she could only grab one in her hurry and he knew there was a nest full had she taken it all he wouldn't have stopped until he'd smashed them all. Being unable to stop him from slaughtering her Royals and being helpless to save more than one of their young is one of her biggest regrets.

She took the egg through the veil as it would not be safe in their kingdom, being one of the first of their kind to step foot in the mushroom kingdom world for many many years. She raised them hidden in one of the dense thick unexplored jungles of the world that no other species toad Koopa or otherwise had yet adventured. The feral plants and brutally cruel wildlife quickly got rid of any that did manage to get through the vegetation. The area along with its unusual fruit remeniscent of the original kingdom territory in its youth, so the old spike back was quickly able to readjust the instincts still residing inside her old bones on what to do. Though it was still incredibly dangerous for a curious hatchling.

For now they remain there hidden, the princess knowing hardly anything of her origin of her home or the outside world and the old spike back her only family. The old magic one terrified of what will happen should the other kingdoms learn of their presence, it could easily spark a war especially with the brutal Koopa King, she knows he is powerful and she doubts the king would take well to the Princess likely triggering some deep rooted territorialism maybe even seeing it as a direct challenge to his authority, she doesn't want him finding out about her and killing her. As for the other Princesses of a much different kind, smaller and soft,,, their kingdoms are powerful with many citizens and she has heard tales of them having unstoppable immortal warriors, they may see her young royal and simply regard her as another Koopa a threat and have her destroyed.

Or if the self proclaimed new king were to ever become aware of their existence outside the veil. He may break the veil rip back the curtain that once separated them from this world to hunt them down and would no doubt trigger assault from both the Koopa and Toadstools potentially destroying completely the civilization her ancestor worked to hide and protect due to his arrogance.

Basically it's straight up not a good time and she doesn't want Peach or Daisy knowing of their existence in case the Mario bros are sent to destroy them as she doesn't know that they'd probably be pretty alright and maybe even helpful as I feel like Peach would recognise that yea this isn't a Koopa they've never threatened us you're in danger we'll protect you. However Bowser probably would see the winged royal and it set off a deep instinctual territorial behaviour especially as she's not yet full grown but I think she will challenge him in size so I doubt he's gonna want something that'll potentially become bigger than him around for long especially as he may perceive her whole existence as a threat against his young as well what if she beats him and then kills his young so there's nothing to take over from him and challenge her in future. Pure animal logic there but understandable.

Of course eventually the secret will come out what is hidden cannot remain that way forever and they will meet and interact with the outside world one way or another by their choice or not. Me thinks Bowser Jr may accidentally fall in a fight into the dense uncharted jungle scared alone hurt and unable to call for help he's just a kid I think it would reduce him to tears and really luckily for him Bowser Jr shares enough traits with the young of the princess' kind that she'd see him and go "Oh that's a baby" and instinctually want to protect him and make sure he's safe even if he looks a bit strange. Baby instinct yall could save your life. Of course the old spike back is gonna have a heart attack when she sees the princess feeding and cuddling the offspring of THE KING BOWSER in their nest because oh they are so doomed and so dead. She knows bowser will be looking for his child and he may rip them apart, if they release the child to find his own way home he'll tell on them to his dad. This poor old lady cannot catch a break bout to have a heart attack.

I will attempt to when I have time draw the other species individuals so clawed, muscle and spike backs and hopefully name the species to give them proper classifications. For now I'm thinking of naming the old spike back caregiver of this oc Kamit keeping the kam theme of Kammy and Kamek two magikoopas cause hey they were related once a long long time ago and cause she's going to Kamit treason against the false monarch. Typical I name the character I didn't draw

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Neo Bowser City (aka Koopa City in PAL regions)

Debut: Mario Kart 7

Do you ever think of all the weird locations we only ever see in Mario Kart games? Despite being the biggest of all of Mario's spin-off franchises, when you really get down to it, remarkably few Mario Kart courses are actually based on established Mario locations!

It's not none, there's the occasional Donut Plains and Tick-Tock Clock and Airship Fortress, but most of the courses are these weird one-off locations we never see outside the context of that specific racetrack.

But have you ever taken a moment to step back and like, think of the Lore Implications of some of these places?

Like okay! Bowser just owns this whole dang cyberpunk city and we only ever see it in the context of Kart Racing! How messed up is that?!

One day Mario and Friends were looking for new places to race, and Bowser must have said something like "Gwah-hah-hah! I bet you puny punks could NEVER beat me in a race in my cyberpunk metropolis!" and right then and there it was established that Bowser owns a cyberpunk metropolis. Neo Bowser City is a city that exists in the Super Mario World and aside from returning in other Mario Kart games, it hasn't been acknowledged before or since.

Neo Bowser City first appeared in Mario Kart 7, as the third course in the Star Cup. Despite its flashy visuals, it actually doesn't really have a whole lot going on. It's a difficult track with some tight turns made more difficult by the rain making things more slippery, but besides that it doesn't really have any of the Wacky Obstacles that define so many Mario Kart courses.

Then it returned in Mario Kart 8 looking more gorgeous than ever! The bright colors really pop out, and the whole track is just oozing with detail that really emphasizes the scale of this city!

But like, the emphasized scale really only further raises the question of where this exists in the Mario World. Clearly, the fact that Bowser is plastered all over the billboards and the fact it's named "Neo Bowser City" helps us deduce that this city probably belongs to Bowser. Is this located in Bowser's Kingdom? Just how big is Bowser's Kingdom? And why does he own so many separate castles?

Maybe Neo Bowser City exists in the future? Is this a bad timeline? I mean, Mario Kart is allowed to have time-travel shenanigans. There's a Splatoon battle arena and that exists thousands of years in the future so sure, dust off Mario's Time Machine and head to the bad future where Bowser wins. Should've pressed that New Super Mario Bros. big yellow P-Switch!

I asked my friend Mod Chikako for their input and their theory is that Neo Bowser City isn't the future of Mario's world, but of our world. Clearly Bowser just couldn't take Wreck-It-Ralph losing the Oscar vote!

But in that case I guess it's a cooler cyberpunk future than the one we're living in right now. Corporate monopolies that run mass-surveillance with little government intervention due to their extreme wealth giving them extensive political power? No thank you! Neo Bowser City has bright neon colors, and flying cars! If I'm going to live in a dystopia, I want it to be a fun one. The only advertisements I want to see plastered everywhere are ones advertising Bowser!

Boo! That's the bad guy! Thumbs down!

The course returns again in that pitiful mobile game with another redesign, this time letting us see his Coney Island Disco Palace off in the distance. Does Bowser live in his Neo City? Is this worldbuilding we've been missing out on for decades, finally answered by a kart racer? Is this the capital city of Bowser's Kingdom? Am I once again falling victim to my perpetual hubris of overthinking the Mario franchise?

Really, I can't offer too much in terms of wacky fan theories, because I'm still thinking about this location existing in the first place. I'd love to know the Lore and worldbuilding here, but I guess the nature of Mario's canon is that it doesn't need to be over-analyzed. Bowser simply owns a cyberpunk metropolis, we'll only ever see it in the context of kart racing, and maybe that's okay.

Of course, this post wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Dinohattan from the 1993 Super Mario Bros. Movie, which we've barely talked about on this blog somehow. You see, when the meteor hit, some of the dinosaurs escaped into a parallel timeline where they then evolved into humans, and then they built Dinohattan instead of Manhattan. Get it? Yeah, that movie is all sorts of bonkers. I wouldn't say it's very good, but I kinda love it. I'd recommend checking it out, if only to see a vastly different take on Mario than you'd be used to.

Anyway I bring this up because it's a completely separate instance of a version of Bowser building a large cyberpunk metropolis, and it actually predates Neo Bowser City! Do you think they could be connected? Are Dinohattan and Neo Bowser City one and the same...?

[johnbleepingzoidberg]

WELL.

evil weegee.

idea where luigi becomes evil one way or another (i’m into the idea of it being a wish-turned-curse-situation) and mario and bowser have to team up to figure out wtf happened and to stop luigi from causing mass destruction.

bowuigi bonus: relationship is pre-established meaning luigi is ruling koopa kingdom alongside bowser. perhaps luigi is self-conscious and feels like he isn’t seen as a leader, leading luigi to make a well-intentioned wish to be taken more seriously. the wish is warped and turns into a curse, turning him into a wicked ruler that takes over koopa kingdom, and his subordinates follow him out of fear rather than respect, when deep down respect is really all he wanted. it starts internally by luigi kinda turning against bowser (confusing the hell out of the poor guy) and just gets worse from there. bowser’s dismayed because both his husband and his kingdom have been yoinked away from him, so he begrudgingly has to team up with mario and peach and whoever else to get everything back.🤠

i kinda wanna write a whole fic now but i honestly am not as well-versed in mario lore as i used to be and haven’t played any of the games in years 😭😭 but ngl drawing evil luigi was fun. low key been in love with luigi since i was 8 years old so it was quite cathartic for me

EDIT: guys i know Mr L exists 😩 i knew of him when i drew this but not exactly who he was/what he did. but i still wanna try to make my own thing here/try to differentiate them LOL. there can be multiple flavors of evil right

flats under the cut because i’m not entirely happy with how the lighting turned out 😩

[anomaly1003]

So… Will we have lore for the Dark Wonder AU?

Sure! It’s a simple lore. Simple but dark.

Also I’m still brainstorming on it so bare with me.

As you have already seen from my recent work, Dark Wonder takes place in a world where Mario and Luigi (along with Val’s mother) get transported to the Darklands where they start off as prisoners at first but then eventually become official citizens of the Darklands.

Luigi ends up marrying Bowser and rules beside him. Together they have four kids. Luca, Ember, Ash, and Giulia. (Bowser already had Junior and the koopalings when the humans arrived.)

Mario becomes a soldier in Bowsers Army eventually becoming head general of said army. He marries Val’s mother and the two have four kids as well. Val (obviously) and young Koopa triplets (all boys, adopted.)

Obviously, the Mushroom Kingdom and the princess are sworn enemies to the Darklands but I’m still thinking on this feud.

Now it gets dark.

Canon Mario and Luigi get accidentally to that universe’s future.

A broken apocalyptic future caused by King Boo. Who is hunting down the Royal Koopa family, an act of revenge from being beaten and imprisoned multiple times from Luigi.

Boo had enough and declared an unfair war.

Bowser was the first to be targeted. Junior was crowned king shortly after.

Mario was slain next after leading an attack on the phantom king.

One by one, the koopalings met the same fate.

Luigi was imprisoned in a portrait his frame hanging in the throne room as mockery and cruelty for the kids.

Junior was the last to be killed after leading what remained of his family to safety from another surprise attack from the Boos. Luca was next to take the throne.

The rest of the kingdom were transported to another castle, isolated and hidden in hopes that King Boo would never find them. A magical shield was cast around the kingdom. No one was allowed to leave.

In desperation, Ash casted a spell to open another dimension in search for help to bring end to the war.

He stumbles upon Canon Luigi. Reminded of his own father who has been imprisoned in a portrait for years, Ash impulsively brings Luigi into his world. Canon Mario went in after them.

This is as far as I am with this AU.

Thanks for the ask!

[seandwalsh]

What do you think that the advertisements in Mario kart indicate for the Mario universe?

I've already talked a little bit about this in my previous post on the lore of the Mario Kart games, but I'd be happy to discuss this specific topic a little more in-depth by going over some highlights of the brands, businesses and sponsors seen throughout the Mario Kart games!

It's likely that given Super Mario Kart was the first tournament, Mario and his friends hadn't amassed enough of a viewership to have sponsors backing the Grand Prix. Mario Kart got its first sponsors in Mario Kart 64 in the form of trackside banners on certain courses.

Most of these sponsors are quite non-specific in what they represent and are associated with a specific character or item, such as Mario Star (Marioro in the Japanese version), Luigi's (Luigip in the Japanese version) or Koopa Air. Mario Star may have originally been a tobacco company, but it appears this has been retconned. Luigi's may have been an oil company, but as of Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Tour the sponsor merely represents N64 Luigi Raceway. Koopa Air is likely an airline owned or endorsed by Bowser.

Nintendo is also a sponsor, which is interesting given they also sponsored Mario and Formula 1 in Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race, as well as the Mario Bros. in Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally before this.

It seems they were advertising the Famicom through sponsoring Mario. Perhaps it was even a "Famicom Racing Team" of sorts.

Mario can also wear his Mechanic Outfit from Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally in Super Mario Odyssey, where we can see the patches on it feature several brands from the Mario Kart series. This outfit also ends up being depicted in the logo of Mario Motors from Mario Kart 8 onwards. This first appeared in Mario Kart Arcade GP, and it's certainly one of my favourites.

Mario Motors appears to be a chain of garages that likely builds or repairs vehicles, as we can see two locations in Mario Kart 8's renditions of Wii U Mario Circuit and GCN Yoshi Circuit. In the GCN Yoshi Circuit location several Standard 8 karts and a Yoshi Bike can be seen in the shop. They appear to use Mushroom Piston engines and Fuzzy Battery batteries, also having a pair of fuel pumps outside. Fuzzy Batteries also produce primary (disposable) batteries, as we see in Yoshi's Crafted World.

Of course, Mario can't have all the fun. Wario had to go and make his own company, Wario Motors, which presumably acts as a rival. Wario Motors seemingly built the trucks with Dash Panel ramps on the back that can be seen in courses like Mario Kart 8's rendition of N64 Toad's Turnpike.

Speaking of Wario, in Mushroom City from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! we can see a store called Wario Pharmacy. Perhaps this is a chain Wario opened after stealing the Megavitamins from Mario in Dr. Mario 64.

Mario Work Gear is another brand from Mario Kart 8 that presumably sells dungarees, gloves, etc. like the ones Mario and Luigi wear. Perhaps this company is even the supplier of the clothing we see Mario and Luigi buy from the various shops throughout the Mario & Luigi series.

There are so many things to say about all of the sponsors in the Mario Kart games, and I've barely scratched the surface here! I'm sure I'll feature them in many more posts in the future. Thank you for your question!

[pixies-and-poets]

In which I dare to rant about Paper Mario

So there's this discourse going around twitter right now about Paper Mario being an AU and Paper Mario not being the "real" Mario and if ANY of the PM games happened in "the real Mario world" or have parallels, do the characters exist outside of the Paper World, etc etc

And all I can think is like, damn, how unfortunate is it that Intelligent Systems deciding to use a charming and timeless art style back on the N64 led to this. The idea to use 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds to create a storybook feel eventually spiraled into the series' ENTIRE IDENTITY. Gameplay does not unite the whole Paper Mario series, depth of story does not, shared characters do not, only the art style and the idea of 2D vs 3D.

And it's a shame because the first PM was a lovely fairy tale that clearly followed in the footsteps of SMRPG as an extrapolation of what the Mushroom Kingdom could be, and how Mario's world works. It was also my first Mario RPG and had tremendous influence on me. Friendly Koopas and Goombas, the Star Spirits, wishes. It was called Mario Story in Japan and the paper aspect mattered nothing to the actual narrative. And then TTYD got a little cheekier with the paper abilities (with them being a fourth-wall-wobbling joke tacked on to what was clearly supposed to still be a Mario Story). And then SPM, much as I love it, bases its entire hook around 2D/3D in a way that's hard to reconcile with Mario's "normal" existence. And by Sticker Star they just said screw it, reboot it, everyone is 100% aware they are made of paper and that's like the series' whole deal now. And it has stayed there ever since.

For the last three games, you can say maybe there's a "real" Bobby out there or a "real" Captain T. Ode but it's impossible for their plots to take place in a world divorced from the craft universe unless we substitute in a lot of body horror and viscera (and even then, what of the Things? Etc). And that's ok for these games, they work within their own context and can be fun for what they are. But it's now got people thinking the first three games fold into this same AU. And you can blame Paper Jam for this but the PM series did it to itself. PJ just clearly spelled out the dual reality that Sticker Star and its follow-ups obviously necessitated. And now the whole series has retroactively been wrapped up into this Paper Universe.

Look, I know "Mario lore" doesn't actually matter, and most RPG characters never show up again even in their own series, and as long as you enjoy each game in a vacuum that's what matters. But it's frustrating that we've reached a point where PM characters have to be the odd ones out who may or may not "actually exist" or have actually met the "real Mario". Mallow is definitely real, Cackletta is definitely real but Chuck Quizmo- WHOA SLAM THE BRAKES, IDK ABOUT THAT ONE CHIEF. Thankfully most people don't give a shit about this drudgery and it won't stop people from drawing Vivian and Geno interacting, because it's just fun and good.

But my point is, I don't think the people working on the first PM (and TTYD) really could have foreseen the series evolving into what it is today, and it's unfair to wipe out their lovely narratives and relegate them to some kind of side universe not worthy of The Real Super Mario(tm) [especially because, taken in sum total of characters and vignettes, TTYD is the greatest Mario narrative there has ever been IMO]. SPM, so strange in both its style and its entire concept, is in some kind of weird limbo where I don't even really care what people think of it anymore, just let me enjoy my game that makes me cry every time in peace lmao

I can't think of another example of a series where an arbitrary stylistic gimmick (not a gameplay or story gimmick but a STYLISTIC gimmick) consumes it and becomes its entire thematic identity. Can you? It's Flanderization on the scale of a franchise, not just a character. Closest is perhaps the Yoshi series, where Yoshi's Island had a childlike crayon look to stand out on the SNES and fit the theme of Baby Mario, which got expanded to Yoshi's Story being a storybook and now we have craft themed Yoshi games. But it's still not entirely the same thing because the gameplay has remained somewhat consistent, if getting rather easier.

Anyway peace and love I just want Johnny Jones and Cortez to hang out

[arkus-rhapsode]

Video Game Hot Take of The Day: Metroid Other M would've actually been more warmly received if it had nothing to do with Metroid.

Nintendo is one of those rare companies where they've got such appealing characters and worlds for a general market, that they can take a lot of their existing franchises and expand them out into other genres to get players to try. Nervous about buying a tennis game? Well don't worry we have Mario in it. Wanna play a rhythm game? Well we got theses Bongos with that Donkey Kong plays along to. However, a lot of these are still general and broad appealing genres. What about more diverse styles of gameplay?

This is certainly more of a gamble. Sure Mario and Zelda transitioned in big 3D worlds fine. They're basically the same core mechanics but in a different dimension. Metroid Prime is still a search adventure style game but they move it into an FPS perspective and make it more about gathering info. But in terms of massive genre shift you get all the Mario RPG series, something that almost completely ditches the gameplay of Mario and becomes a completely different experience. Now Mario and Luigi and Paper Mario are generally well liked and for some the only RPGs they'll play, but then you get something like Star Fox Adventures, a game that wasn't intended to be a star fox game and has very little things sections that have original star fox gameplay. Now Adventures has its fans, people who would say they'd never try a Star Fox game due to the fact its a flight sim, but others will argue it strays too far from the series identity. So it often makes you wonder what it be like if Dinosaur Planet did come out instead. Would it still be considered a Ocarina of Time clone? Or would it be see as standing on its own merits?

And what about something like Pikmin? Some of Pikmin's earliest prototyping phases had it as a Mario game. But it was ultimately made into its own franchise with its own identity. But what if it was just other Mario game. Mario isn't some small man needing to flee this foreign world on a time limit before he dies, he's just be leading a bunch of goombas or koopas or something collecting mushrooms. Would it be as fondly remembered? Would it be consistently released across Nintendo consoles?

Now of course we can debate on the merits on what direction to take a franchise in or if we can balance releases of a franchise with two distinct types of gameplay like 2D and 3D Mario plus its various spin offs. But in the case of Metroid Other M, a lot of the hostility is often due to the story. A game that seemed to both contradict lore and ruin the mystique of a beloved character. However, the actual gameplay was done by, of all people, Team Ninja. A group known for character action games. The actual exploring and arena combat in Other M is actually pretty fine. Yes it was the Wii so there was Wii Remote shenanigans, but in terms of the actual combos and supernovas you could do, it was pretty alright. Its no DMC, but I could see it being something that would get people into DMC.

Its also important to remember at the time, Nintendo didn't really have their own unique character action game. Meanwhile, Sony was just cleaning up with stuff like God of War. Now of course Nintendo has Bayonetta and they even have a franchise they own that's also a character action game in the form of Astral Chain. But that leaves me wondering what could've been had Metroid Other M just had nothing to do with Metroid? What if it really was just some different sci-fi story about a moody girl with a chip on her shoulder as she smashes up aliens and robots? Not having at all to worry about an existing canon or timeline?

Honestly, I have no real answer. People could've still acted the story, the wii was still mostly known as a general entertainment system so maybe it would've do too well. Its would just be speculation on my part and I highly doubt at this point we'd see Other M 2. But I do at least think as an actual gaming experience, Other M isn't that bad. But it absolutely is a bad Metroid game.

[redybearsent]

Paper Mario: the Heirlooms of Doom (Extras 1)

Here´s a little continuation to the Paper Mario: the Heirlooms of Doom concept I made a while ago, I added lore for some new and already known characters and the way the play a role on the story! This is first part of two extras for the concept.

-Characters:

Princess Peach: "Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom (You know her).

Once again kidnapped by Bowser, will try to uncover the mysteries of

the Heirlooms and aid Mario on his journey by sending letters to him. And yes, she´ll have her own playable intermissions just like in TTYD."

Luigi: "The green brother himself! He'll try to help his brother on his mission by gathering clues and "trying" to solve stuff before him.

As well as Peach, he'll have his own playable intermissions! (Imagine Bowser´s intermissions in TTYD but instead of playing like Bowser you play like Luigi)"

Bowser: "The King of the Koopas is back at being the quote on quote main antagonist of the story. With the help of his new acquaintance, Cordelia, he'll use the power of the Heirlooms to bring havoc wherever he comes across. "Today, the Mushroom Kingdom, tomorrow, the entire World!" And don´t worry, he´ll switch sides eventually in the same fashion he has done in past games, just give the plot some time... "

Cordelia: "A mysterious puppet with knowledge on the dark arts and the power of the 6 Heirlooms of Doom. Everything about her is unknown, she's a shady character with the power to turn everyone on her puppets

with her strings. This mysterious witch seems to have a relation to Orbert and the mystery of the Heirlooms..."

Bowser Jr. & Kamek: "Bowser's head honchos when it comes to bringing trouble to Mario and co. They'll try to stop you every now and then, being a recurring mini bosses."

Kammy Koopa: "Former crooked witch of Bowser's army (She´s back!). She's been retired since a couple games ago. She'll aid Peach at

traversing Bowser's Castle since she doesn't fully trust on Cordelia... "Now, now sweetie, leave me alone, it´s gonna be my nap time soon" "

Check out the Deviantart post:

https://www.deviantart.com/redybearsart/art/1093996028

[norosesnolife]

Oftentimes I adore having maladaptive daydreaming disorder, because it allows me to formulate plots for my hyperfixations, such as Mario Lore [created by DinoGraveyard and LoveBunny Cosplays].

[Keep in mind, this is merely a daydreamed scenario for Mario Lore, I have no expectations of it happening!!]

┊ ➶ ｡˚ 　　°

This scene occurs between the moments in Act One where Luigi and Mario rescue Toadette from Bullet Bill’s harassment; and when Bowser discovers his wife’s affair.

After being thwarted by the Mario Brothers, Bill and his gang [known simply as B.U.L.L.E.T.] run off with Toadette’s basket and crown. Mario stays behind with Toadette while Luigi is told to chase them down. They climb a fence and dart off into wooded territory, which Luigi does not know is Koopa Kingdom territory.

He chases them until he is caught by the guards and brought before the council of King Boo, Prince Bowser, and Princess Peach. Luigi explains himself, yet, he is almost subjected to punishment by King Boo until Toadette returns to her princess’ side, exclaiming that Luigi was one of the men who saved her.

Princess Peach convinces King Boo to lessen the punishment for trespassing, subjecting Luigi to only a week’s imprisonment in one of their guarded quarters.

During the time he is imprisoned, Bowser takes a keen interest in the plumber and visits him occasionally. He finds that Luigi is a good listener, and is quite patient, despite Bowser being a “monster” in his own eyes.

After Bowser finds out about the affair, he uses Luigi as a way to vent his frustrations, talking, yelling, or smashing things without being seen as ugly [Luigi is still scared, but he is more understanding than his brother may have been].

If Bowser were to have an affair with Luigi, it would not be sexual; more so, I feel as though his ‘affair’ would contrast Peach’s, in that he wants emotional comfort and stability [with occasional kisses], whereas Peach wanted the physical aspect and the thrill of the affair’s risk.

Neither of them are right for it, of course. This would merely add a layer of tension and complexity to the story, with each royal party seeking something they thought they could not find in their partner in another person due to past traumas and bad habitual cycles.

Bowser is still in love with Peach; but having Luigi there to provide an emotional layer of comfort is something which he would be ashamed of yet constantly seek out despite his better judgement. [Luigi would also be having conflicting feelings; on one hand, he is imprisoned in a castle, on the other, he truly emphasizes with Bowser and wants to help him].

Peach is in love with King Boo and the power he stands for, yet she does not want to lose the stability and love of Bowser. She feels trapped and afraid of being sent back to her home. Now that Bowser has discovered their affair, she does feel guilt, but it is overshadowed by fear and desperation to maintain her position to avoid returning to the abuse of her family. She now has to deal with her conflicting feelings for the two men in her life who give her a sense of purpose, without risking herself.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ 　　°

[stingraywipe]

What’s your top three beloved Pokemon? And if you have them— your top three most hated Pokemon?

omg hi Sofie!! :0 Get ready because I have a whole lot to say about this.

Most Beloved:

Number 1: Squirtle

My absolute favorite is squirtle. What's funny about this is I can't really pinpoint a specific reason why I like him so much. My first pokemon game was alpha sapphire, and I didn't play gen 1 until Let's Go Eevee, so it's not a nostalgia factor. I think my brain just subconsciously selected him back when I was watching the Indigo League anime in middle school. The squirtle squad showed up and my brain was like "Yeah. This guy. He's awesome. This is the one." And he has been my number 1 favorite fella ever since then, and as a consequence he is the pokemon I have the most merch of and it isn't really close.

Please keep in mind this is just what I have in my apartment where I live for college, and that I have even more stuff in my bedroom back at home. Now that I think about it, Koopa Troopa is my favorite mario character, so maybe I have an affinity for characters that are just little turtles. Either way, water is also my favorite type, which means even more bonus points for squirtle.

Number 2: Riolu

Riolu's high ranking has been somewhat of a recent development for me. I've always liked lucario, but I didn't see the light that was riolu until after I watched Pokemon Journeys. Ash's riolu was so silly and adorable, and I always felt so bubbly inside when he was on screen. This shift in my preference is probably due to me developing a major soft spot for cute characters/creatures over the past few years. Most of my favorite pokemon at this point are just little guys because of it. Anyways, the reason I like him so much is because of the aura control him and lucario are capable of. I've always loved aura as a power system; the idea of being able to harness one's own life energy and see it in others is just so cool to me. I especially like how it's established as its own concept outside of moves in pokemon, making it something super unique that only riolu's evolutionary line can take advantage of. I have a lot of lore/worldbuilding ideas for PMD that would utilize aura. For example, Milo, the protagonist of the PMD verse I've been brainstorming, on is a riolu with much stronger aura than normal due to him being a pokemon with a human soul. I have a lot of ideas for how I could use this concept to drive plot points or character arcs, and I might share more in the future if I ever get time to start solidifying a story.

By the way, Milo's partner, Lilly, is a squirtle. No way I don't give both of my two favorites the spotlight.

Number 3: Sprigatito

My love of sprigatito is really quite simple. I love cats. So much. They are easily my number one favorite animal of all time. My Instagram feed is covered in them. So imagine my excitement when I saw that one of the new generation 9 starters was a kitty. My violet team is my favorite team I've ever used in a pokemon game, and the sprigatito line is a massive part of why I love it so much. Sprigatito is adorable, and my meowscarada was so much fun to use after he evolved. On top of that, sprigatito's depiction in Pokemon Horizons makes me love it even more. It's literally just a cat. It loafs. It makes biscuits.. It gets annoyed at the mildest inconvenience. Liko squishes its beans. Plus it releases a super sweet scent when you cuddle it as a bonus. It's so perfect. It's like Game Freak was like "Yeah this is the perfect pokemon for Ray, put it in the game." I have a sprigatito character in my PMD verse named Mayple, but I can't share much about her because it would mean dropping pretty big spoilers for a plot point I have planned.

Honorable Mentions: Greninja and Ceruledge

I love ninjas. I love frogs. Greninja is both. And ceruledge is just objectively one of the coolest pokemon designs ever.

In terms of behated pokemon, I don't have many that I personally despise. It's more so that I feel indifferent about them, and I would simply prefer not to use them on my teams. Usually I don't have any real reason to dislike the ones I do hate; I think it just stems from a gut feeling. The biggest one off the top of my head is the tepig line. I don't know what it is, something just feels off about them. I also dislike incineroar. I like litten and torracat a lot, but they really dropped the ball with the final evolution for me.

That's about all I have. This was really fun to do! Thank you so much for submitting this ask. I look up to you and your work a lot, and it made my night when I got the notification. I'm still pretty new to Tumblr, so I don't know exactly how I'm supposed to do things around here. I want to try to meet more people here, but my social anxiety and tendency to overthink online interactions usually shuts down anything before it can happen. Because of that, being able to answer something simple like this means a lot!! Thank you!! :D

[echoeternally]

Happy Bowser Day!

Did anyone want a gay feelings fanfic starring Bowser and Mario? Yes? No? Here's one anyway.

This is something of a character study and development based on the idea of Bowser and Mario as they progress their relationship. Bowser pines and wonders about the future while he thinks Mario is asleep. (Spoiler: Mario isn't sleeping, lol.)

Also, if you've read my Mario fanfic works before, it can be read as related to Eternally Never Yours, because it's nice like that.

However, I specifically added lore at the beginning, for those that are new or simply want Bowsario without having to read 1000s of other words from elsewhere.

Just a fluffy piece. Read the excerpt for more:

...

Quite early one morning, before the sun even attempted to break through the skies of the dark lands where the Koopa Kingdom castle rested, Bowser stirred from his slumber and shook his head. Rising from his bed, the Koopa king took a moment to stretch, and then rub his face, taking away the last shreds of rest from his eyes. He peeked at Mario, who was faced away from him, body rising, and then falling. Chuckling softly, Bowser held his breath and leaned over, kissing the plumber's bare head. He waited a moment, and then pulled away, rising from the bed.

"If you were awake, this would be a good time for tail chasing jokes."

Bowser chuckled again, putting his spiked collar and armbands on. Unknown to him, a smile crept onto Mario's face, and the plumber barely cracked open his eyes, glancing at the door that lead out to the castle halls. Faint torchlight was all that could light much of the room at the moment. Outside from the window, the darkness obscured more of the surroundings than usual. Bowser groaned as he dragged his hand back over his face.

"It's still too damn early," muttered the Koopa King. "If I could just get back to sleep for once…"

He sat back down on the bed, prompting Mario to close his eyes again. Sighing, Bowser stared out his window, and stared out at the ashy black sky, surveying the territory he held, the dark wastelands that never knew Peach's reign; it wasn't a habitable home for her Toads. To them, it had been a devastating landscape; to Bowser's people, it was an escape, and somewhere to survive, at least for the time being. Over time, they had made a home of the lands, as best as they could. Though, many Koopas and their allies still craved to see clear blue skies.

"Relocating some day might be nice." Bowser rolled his arm and neck around, grunting. "If this wasn't such an ideal defensive location, it would be easier."

Shifting, the Koopa leaned back and glanced down at Mario. He grinned again, and then scooted back onto the bed. A slight weight came down on the plumber's body as Bowser massaged him lightly, smiling as he traced the hero's shape.

For a little while, he remained quiet, gently rubbing around Mario's back and shoulders. Lingering for a moment more, his claws then traced around the muscles in the hero's arms, Bowser smirking a bit at the strength there. Sliding down to his belly, Bowser patted it gently, giggling a bit at the roundness from the weight. He hummed a bit, sliding back up and massaging Mario's back.

Though Mario shifted a bit, almost melting at the sensation of the gentle rubdown, he held back on revealing himself. Something left him curious about Bowser's actions and words.

...

Just a sample of the piece posted here.

Since we're on Tumblr, I can also add that this is based on a much older piece from years ago, found here. I wanted to touch it up, add extra build-up to what brought the pairing to that moment, and post it as a story for fanfic archives.

If you'd like, click both links, and see if you can compare the changes. Hopefully it was polished up enough to do it justice as a longer fanfic.

It still has some relationship to Eternally Never Yours, so, there's that too. Because it's a long story, I wanted to keep this much separated. After all, the point is that it can be canon for that fanfic, or a standalone piece as well.

Enjoy reading if you have, and thank you for reading this too!

[koopzilla]

Has running this blog made you have to research things about turtles? I don't know if this is just a "me" thing, but I find eventually as you write an animal muse you just naturally start to question things about their physical body. It helps you put yourself in your muse's shoes in a way. Even if your muse has a different personality than your own.

// Not really. Turtles and koopas have differences between them and Bowser is even further from those, being a weird dragon/tortoise whatever hybrid. Most of my anatomy assumptions come from game lore.

He behaves like a fairy tale dragon in a lot of ways, so I'd probably look more into those to understand his traits.

[carlzy-berryz]

I decided to split the post into two and focus on Hazel here an the koopalings on the next one!

This is mostly lore about Hazel and a bit of info about her family!!

So in a post before, I mentioned how she was really good at fire breathing and I think Bowser would be really impressed by it because koopas who aren't royalty usually aren't that good at it!!This is also a reason why Bowser wanted her on his side, I guess he saw some potential.. he doesn't do that often...

...but on the other hand.... she's not great at using magic, especially since she's just starting out with it.. I'd like to imagine that Kamek is her teacher (he also taught the koopalings) but he can be pretty harsh sometimes.. Which is why she'd rather practice with Lud as he's more calm in situations like that..

I'll put the rest under the cut, so it's not too long!! And to not bore people XD

I also wanted to explain how her pendant works since it's kinda a main part of her character design..

So like I said in the pic, its main gimmick is that it glows when she's in danger.. this happens a lot in my au (and in a comic I've been planning for a while hmmm?) But yeah, she's always thought it was pretty when it glows.. ig she also wonders why bad things always happen after..XD

It's also made of a special type of ruby (it's magical) one shard was given to each of her ancestors (her mothers side) and its been passed down for generations...

Some stuff about her parents...

Hazel's mother (Hailey) passed away when Hazel was very young (around 3-ish) her death had something to do with Bowser's troopas, but nobody ever found out what actually happened... Hazel rarely thinks about her mother, since she didn't really know her for very long, however, she does still miss her from time to time...

Her death affected Hazel's father in a very different way though... When Hailey died, he changed... he grew very overprotective of Hazel, making her promise to always be by his side.. and that was okay... until her teenage years, when she wished to be more independent, this broke him, he was terrified something would happen to her... Hazel, on the other hand, while she loved her father, she didn't like how controlling he was sometimes... (even if she knew he only did it because he didn't want to lose her too) So she began to sneak out while he was sleeping... that's when she started to love walking, she would walk for hours, it helped her forget her problems (that's how she walked into Bowsers territory that time)

But... if her father found out she was even interacting with Bowser, he would be LIVID!! (He holds a grudge against him because of what happened to Hailey....)

I also designed him too, he's pretty basic and looks similar to Hazel..

Oh!! And his name is Burtram (Ik it's kinda silly but it's an inside joke I have with a friend XD)

Here's some common info about him..

He's kind of a snob.. he's really rich and owns a wine business, he has multiple locations back in Cloud Kingdom (where they used to live before they moved to the border of Darkland for convenience) like I said above he HATES Bowser, since he was involved with Haileys death, and idk if he'll find out about Hazel "working" for him but, God, I wouldn't want to imagine.... Anyways that's about all I have on her family for now..

I'll design her mother sometime in the future ^^

Au stuff part 1/2 ill post the next one in a bit ^^