The 'Shroom:Issue 200/Fun Stuff
Director's Notes
Beautiful 'Shroom readers, here we are.
200 issues of any publication is already a rather remarkable milestone, nonetheless for a passion project by a specific corner of the internet. And yet, through years of ups and downs, extreme activity and limited engagement, we made it to the big 2-0-0. This is truly a special moment for this community, with an energy that you feel just by scrolling through the front page. The Mario series deals a lot with magic, particularly magic that comes from the stars. This motif of cosmic wonder has permeated throughout all sorts of community projects and experiences. This issue, though, it has that magic infused into its code. It's creative, frenetic, and fulfilling. Thank you to everyone who supplied their own star magic to this wish - it is a pure delight.
The 'Shroom is an integral part of my history in this community. I first submitted an application before Issue LXVII (67) - all the way back in October 2012! Over 11 years now has this paper been at the forefront of my mind, and never has it lost its luster. 133 issues later, and I still get to contribute to The 'Shroom, be it as Fun Stuff Director or during my time serving in the Sub-Director chair. I have seen all sorts of growth in that time, be it new sections, creative coding innovations, or community events - and still, this paper continues to grow! I'm thankful that The 'Shroom stands as a testament to these people and their passions.
Personally, in celebration of this occasion, I think we should return to Roman numerals.
Fun Stuff is not only stacked this month, but bonus-stacked! Four pioneers of the Fun Stuff team have returned to these offices, to great acclaim. Welcome back, Meta Knight (talk), Ninja Squid (talk), Henry Tucayo Clay (talk), and Andymii (talk). It's nice to see you all around these parts, with all of your own legacies in tow. Please, feel free to visit again anytime. With a special section from Hooded Pitohui (talk) under his wing, as well as our other Fun Stuff staples - BBQ Turtle (talk), MarioMorty (talk), Shoey (talk), and Waluigi Time (talk), and even yours truly... This is certain to be, well, a fun time!
The fireworks are still going off outside, and I intend to return to the show soon. Stick around as long as you'd like, and know that after you're done here, there is so, so much more content and passion for you to delight in. Thank you, truly, for reading this star-studded issue. Much love to you all <3
Section of the Month
Congratulations to Shoey (talk) and Waluigi Time (talk) for their shared first place position, and FunkyK38 (talk) for bringing in second! We've got a lot of sections to vote between this month, folks, so make sure to check out that poll at the end of the team!
| FUN STUFF SECTION OF THE MONTH | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Section | Votes | % | Writer |
| 1st | Trivia | 11 | 28.21% | Shoey (talk) |
| 1st | Hiding Koopa | 11 | 28.21% | Waluigi Time (talk) |
| 2nd | Where in the Marioverse is Carmen Sandiego? | 10 | 25.64% | FunkyK38 (talk) |
Anagrams
Written by: BBQ Turtle (talk)
Hello everyone, and welcome to a special edition of anagrams in an extra special issue of the 'Shroom! I really can't quite believe that we've made it all the way to issue 200- I only joined in issue 128, but it's quite incredible that we're now at 200 issues, with goodness knows how many sections and writers we've had over the years! Anyone who's written, supported or read the 'Shroom over all these years deserves a pat on the back and then some- thank you to each and every one of you! And on that topic, that leads us into this set of Anagrams' theme- writers of the 'Shroom! As a bit of a hint, they're more current writers- please don't be too upset if you haven't made the list though- it's purely a technical thing, some names/phrases/etc. don't really make great anagrams and you can't really anagram numbers! And there's a few in here that don't usually have spaces in their names, but I've put them in here to give you a bit more of a fighting chance- I wouldn't want to just set you up with a whole row of blank squares! :P But all of you writers are great, and I would love to have all of you in this list- but then you'd be here all day- much like this rambling opening! But before I leave you alone, as per usual, if you'd like to suggest next month's theme, or a Mario-related anagram I could incorporate into one, please let me know on my talk page or in a PM to me on the forums- oh and now apparently I need to add a T&C that you aren't allowed to mind-read the next theme to make sure it gets in (looking at you, Mr. Time). Anyway, to sum up- congratulations and thank you everyone, no more telepathy, and enjoy these anagrams!
How it works...
Basically, this puzzle consists of solving the anagrams. Each month has a specific theme, which will give you a clue about what sort of words or phrases the anagrams will be. I've also included the boxes that the anagrams will fit into, so you'll be able to tell how many words it will solve to be and how many letters will be in each word, which should give you a hand too. You'll also notice that within each set of boxes, one of the squares are yellow. As you solve each anagram, note down the letter which appears in the yellow squares, and if you can solve all of the anagrams, you'll also get a bonus anagram to solve from completing all of the others. I've included the letter configuration for this one at the bottom too, just to give you an extra helping hand. Best of luck!
1. I AIM WIG LUTE
2. YOGURT HYPE
3. SEA ORDER
4. CATCHABLE MENU TEE
5. ICY COW COMBOS
6. OMIT GRIM HAY
7. FLAWING CARP
8. KING MET HAT
9. UP FIENDISH WART
10. ACQUIT HULK KITE
11. A ROOMY TRIM
12. NET CROCKERY DEMON
13. WINE TINS
Bonus anagram:
- Waluigi Time
- ThePyroGuy
- Roserade
- TheBlueCatMenace
- Cosmic Cowboy
- MightyMario
- Clawgripfan(9001)
- Meta Knight
- Fun With Despair
- Lakituthequick
- MarioMorty
- MrConcreteDonkey
- Winstein
Bonus anagram: Hooded Pitohui
Word Search
So Super Mario Bros. Wonder came out and wouldn't you know it, it's really good! It's the perfect return to the creative form of 2D Mario the series has needed, finally putting an end to the New Super Mario Bros. era of 2D Mario. Because, while those were fun games, they were very samey. But Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a breath of fresh air with fun levels, creative enemies, and the ability to play as Princess Daisy! This month's word search is all about Super Mario Bros. Wonder, with words that can be found vertically, horizontally, diagonally, backwards, and even in other words! As always have fun and stay safe!
Crossword
Written by: MarioMorty (talk)
Hello everyone, and as you know, it's quite a special edition of Crosswords and The 'Shroom. As it's a historical 200th edition of The 'Shroom, this puzzle is all about looking at the history of the crossword puzzles I've been making by having the clues be from old puzzles. I hope you enjoy this puzzle as well as all the other great offerings people have put out. With that, I hope to see everyone in December.
Hiding Koopa
Written by: Waluigi Time (talk)
Hello there, 'Shroom readers, and happy 200 issues! For such an important milestone, I've decided to do something special for this month's Hiding Koopa. Five sneaky Koopas have decided to join The 'Shroom staff members as they enjoy the fireworks show! Good luck finding them!
- Fawfulthegreat64 (talk) - Hooded Pitohui, Waluigi Time, Anton, and Lakituthequick models
- GBA (talk) - Issue 200 logo
- BeverageGaming, Centrixe the Dodo, FruitMage, Hallow, Ploaj, Random Talking Bush, and Ziella - Model rips
Thanks for playing! Did you find them all?
Wanted!
Written by: Ninja Squid (talk)
Hello 'Shroom readers, it's Ninja Squid here! I am out of the basement in order to present a fun little game just for you.
You may or may not remember this minigame that was included with Super Mario 64 DS and New Super Mario Bros. called Wanted!. Personally, I've played this mini-game many, many times before. Quite fun, until you waste so much time looking for Luigi while the timer is only making more and more nervous by the minute. Like I said, quite fun!
Well, today I am here to make you play something similar! The goal of Wanted! is pretty simple: You will have to find one character (which can be either Mario, Luigi, Wario and Yoshi) amongst a crowd of the others. Good news though is that unlike the minigame, you don't have a timer, so you can take all the time you need to find the characters! (that's only because I didn't know how to implement such of thing, otherwise Mwahahaha!).
Good luck!
Thank you so much for your support!
Mystery Images/Hiding Koopa
Written by: Henry Tucayo Clay (talk)
HI! I'm your visiting guest writer, Tucayo, here with a very special combination of Mystery Images and Hiding Koopa to celebrate the 200th issue of our beloved newsletter. And what a run it has been so far; I remember the now-so-distant year of 2008, when I first got into The 'Shroom precisely with the former of these two sections, shortly followed by the latter. And I wouldn't be myself if I didn't throw some stats around, so please bear with me. Mystery Images debuted in Issue 10, written by Mario-117 (talk) for that single edition, and then was picked up by me in June 2008 for 66 consecutive issues, until December 2014. My good friends Super Mario Bros. (talk) and Ninja Squid (talk) wrote it at different points afterwards, but it has been absent from the paper since 2020. Hiding Koopa was actually launched by me in Issue 19, back in September 2008, but was made more famous then by General bob-omb (talk), who between 2012 and 2013 won an astounding 11 SOTMs for it. In more recent times, the section has been authored by NS and Waluigi Time (talk), its current writer (sorry WT for overlapping on this issue).
Now, how will this work? The 'Shroom has been present in three different decades (2000s, 2010s, and 2020s); from our inception in 2006 to date, more than 100 Mario and related games across the main and sub-series have been released. I have selected three games, one from each decade, and from the snippet of the image below you will have to guess to which game do they correspond. Afterwards, you will see the full image and will, naturally, have to find a hiding Koopa in them. Please note the Koopas may be in any of their designs to date. Also, one of the images will have a special type of Koopa hidden in them, bonus points if you are able to find it! Let's go!
Answers:
And for the Hiding Koopa portion I will be linking away to the full-res images so as to not ruin the first part and so that you can freely zoom in, so once you are done feel free to go ahead!
Aaand your answers are as follows:
So that's it from me! I hope you enjoyed this special combo section, and before saying goodbye I just want to deeply thank HP and WT for having invited me back, it feels great to return even if just for one issue. I have always loved The 'Shroom, from the time I was a 12-year old boy looking through the internet for Paper Mario beta content and stumbling across this wondrous newsletter which prompted me to join the wiki, to this day at age 29, a few days away from becoming engaged (wish me luck!) and finding myself immersed in nostalgia thinking back to all the fun I had here, the great friendships and amazing memories, and all the joy The 'Shroom brought me through the years. I know it continues and will continue to do so for many, many years to come. So here it is, to The 'Shroom, its marvelous staff, its fantastic writers, and its loyal readers; thank you and congratulations!!
Connections
Greetings, beautiful 'Shroom readers! Welcome to Connections, a Fun Stuff special!
How it works:
Below is a table of sixteen different words, all of them with some sort of connection to the Mario series. These words correlate in sets of four, and it's up to you to figure out which words belong to a set! Work through the grid and decide which words are connected. Once you think you have the answer, check against the provided answers. If you get stuck along the way, feel free to utilize the clues. There's only one correct answer, so be on the lookout for words that feel like they might fit in more than one category. Good luck!
| Mushroom | Yoshi | Mix | Sponge |
| Fire | Gold | Hyrule | Superball |
| Heart | Happy | Mario | Banana |
| Wood | Apple | Melon | Peach |
Start with "Hyrule"
Do you think this category will get any traction?
The ___ of one's labor; labor of the ___
- Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Hyrule: ___ Circuit
- Mushroom, Sponge, Gold, Wood: Mario Kart tires
- Heart, Apple, Melon, Banana: fruits from Yoshi's Story
- Fire, Superball, Mix, Happy: ___ Flower
How did you do? Did you figure out the connections? Thanks for playing!
Musical Quiz
Written by: Waluigi Time (talk)
Hello again, 'Shroom readers, Waluigi Time here with a special guest edition of Musical Quiz! This was previously written by WildWario from Issue 175 to 192, and it was always one of this team's more popular sections, so I thought why not add some more fun stuff to Fun Stuff?
The game is simple, just listen to the music clips and guess what they are and what game they come from. There's a theme, but I'm keeping it a surprise for now! See if you can figure it out as you work through them, and I'll reveal what it is at the end in the answer box.
 Song No.1 | File info |
| Song No.2 | File info |
| Song No.3 | File info |
| Song No.4 | File info |
| Song No.5 | File info |
| Song No.6 | File info |
| Song No.7 | File info |
- "Fever" - Super Smash Bros. Melee
- "Another's Requiem" - Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
- "Creative Exercise" - Mario Paint
- "Spiky Stroll" - Yoshi's Woolly World
- "Body Rock" - WarioWare: D.I.Y.
- "Secret Course - Sky and Sea" - Super Mario Sunshine
- "Rainbow Road" - Mario Kart 8
Have you guessed the theme yet? Click on the box below to find out!
Thanks for playing!
Logic Puzzle
Written by: Meta Knight (talk)
- Copy the grid into your favorite image editing program and mark it off to try and solve the puzzle!
- The row at the top is the proper positioning of the units.
- If a clue says that Person B is to the left/right of Person A, then Person B is an unspecified amount to the left/right of Person A's column.
- An "edge" refers to either end of the grid, i.e. the most left, or most right.
- Being "next" to someone means it is a direct connection. For instance, if Person C is next to Person D, then Person C is on the immediate left or right of Person D.
- There might be more than one way to reach the solution. That being said, "a solution" will be provided.
Bowser has just signed on some extra help after posting a help wanted ad! They are waiting outside his fortress to begin their training seminar, standing in a row. However, the King of the Koopas can't be bothered to introduce himself to them, so he's ordered you to do so. The only problem, is you don't know a thing about them! All you know is that Bowser hired a Cheep Cheep, a Hammer Bro, a Piranha Plant, a Shy Guy, and a Koopa Troopa. Kamek has also said that each employee is sporting a unique color between Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. He also tells you the names of the individuals waiting outside: Bruce, Maria, Frank, Pete, and Arnold. You're unable to see out the door what they look like before greeting them. Figure out the species and primary color of each new recruit. You've been given some clues, and a grid to assist you.
- The Piranha Plant is to the left of Frank.
- The purple minion is primarily found underwater.
- Maria is not red, and is next to a Cheep Cheep.
- A quite timid individual stands on the edge.
- Frank always carries a hammer, and showed up wearing the proper uniform.
- Pete's primary color is blue.
The second hint doesn't provide anything new at this stage, but the third does. Pretty clearly, Maria is not red, so that can be marked off. Secondly, it states that she is next to a Cheep Cheep. This implies that she isn't a Cheep Cheep herself, so that can be crossed out. Finally, Bruce and Frank are the only ones next to Maria, so Pete and Arnold are also not a Cheep Cheep.
The fourth clue heavily hints at the notion that the Shy Guy is either Bruce or Arnold, since those are the edges, and the Shy Guys are ...timid.
Clue 5 is also pretty direct. If Frank carries a hammer, then he must be a Hammer Bro. Additionally, specifying the proper uniform is referencing the green helmets that Hammer Bros. wear. Fire Bros. wear red helmets, and Boomerang Bros. wear blue, but neither of those applies to Frank.
We now have eliminated enough to fill out the rest of the Species category. Bruce has to be the Cheep Cheep, which reveals that the Piranha Plant is Maria and Arnold is the Shy Guy, leaving Pete as the Koopa Troopa.
Since the identity of the Cheep Cheep has been revealed, we can revisit Clue 2 to figure out that Bruce is purple.
After that, Clue 6 flat out says that Pete's color is blue. This one is pretty self explanatory.
Finally, we can use elimination to deduce the remaining colors. Arnold must be red, therefore Maria is yellow and we've solved this puzzle!
Bruce is a purple Cheep Cheep, Maria is a yellow Piranha Plant, Frank is a Hammer Bro sporting Green, Pete is a Koopa Troopa in blue, and Arnold is a red Shy Guy. With everyone correctly identified, the training seminar can start soon, and Bowser will let you keep your job! Congratulations!
Where in the Marioverse is Carmen Sandiego?
Each issue, you will be given a case to solve and clues to use to help you find the solution! Use your Mario knowledge to crack the case!
You will begin each case at the scene of the crime, and you will be given three clues from passerby as to where the next hot spot is and what game it’s from. Using your knowledge of Mario games and the Super Mario Wiki, figure out where the crook is and go track them down! There are four locations each round: the crime scene (1) at the start, two locations (2 and 3) with clues, and the hideout for the crook of the month (4). Answers for locations will be given with the corresponding round, for example, the clues from the crime scene will lead you to location 2, and once you open the spoiler bubbles for location 2, you will be given the correct answer. You can open the clues for each location in any order you’d like, but be careful! You may encounter an incorrect clue that could throw you off the case!
Clues offered will give you a hint either about the next location or the game it’s in. Unlike a regular Carmen Sandiego game, you do not have to collect information about the crook you are tracking down.
Challenge round (optional):
-Find all locations and games correctly in two minutes or less
-Find all locations and games correctly without using the rest of the Wiki for help
“We’ve got a new case for you gumshoe, and this one is close to home! Right on the cusp of The ‘Shroom’s 200th issue celebration, Carmen has swiped the entire archive! All 199 previous issues of the newspaper are gone! The ‘Shroom has had a storied history as the MarioWiki’s community newspaper, featuring games and activities, news from around the wiki, video game strategies, and much more. This year they were all set to celebrate their 200th issue, complete with a big party and special anniversary sections, but this theft has left the community with an empty archive! This looks like a caper that Carmen came out of hiding to pursue personally, so expect a difficult hunt this time. She won’t make it easy for you, gumshoe, but the entire community is counting on you to crack this case wide open and return the previous issues of the paper back to their rightful home! It’s time to get moving, gumshoe!”
|
Crime Scene |
The Crime
|
CLUE 1
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CLUE 2
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CLUE 3
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Location 2 |
CORRECT ANSWER
|
CLUE 1
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CLUE 2
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CLUE 3
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Location 3 |
CORRECT ANSWER
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CLUE 1
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CLUE 2
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CLUE 3
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CASE CLOSED
HIDEOUT ANSWER:
Shy Guy's Shuffle City from Mario Party: Island Tour 
“Gumshoe, you’ve managed to thwart Carmen’s schemes once again! We hurried to keep up with you and we found the archives stashed there for safety! Here’s the intriguing part, though- ACME agents canvassed the area and we couldn’t find anyone there that could pick up that massive trove of files. If this sounds suspicious to you, then you’re not alone- it’s not sitting right with us either. Why go to all that effort to just leave them here? We’ve increased patrols in the Mushroom Kingdom and dispatched a few extra agents just to keep an eye on everything in case our hunch is proved right. In the meantime, though, we were able to return the archives to the ‘Shroom staff, and the celebrations for Issue 200 are underway as we speak! How about this, gumshoe- take the rest of the day off on us to enjoy the party as a reward for your hard work. You’ve put in a lot of hours for us, and we’re thankful for all that you do. Keep your eyes open and ears listening for your next case, gumshoe!”
Happy 200th issue, everyone! Thank you for all your support over the years making Carmen one of Fun Stuff’s most popular sections, I really do appreciate it! I’m looking forward celebrating more milestones with The ‘Shroom in the future!
Minion Matchups
Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)
Now that Bowser's newest troops have their training seminar sorted out, the Koopa King has sent an assortment of his elite minions to "finally defeat that pesky plumber"! As prepared as always, Mario was ready to fight off the ambush when seven of Bowser's troops popped out of a Warp Pipe to attack... until that dastardly wizard Kamek swooped in! Bowser's top henchman unleashed a wicked cackle, and, with a wave of his wand, turned all of Mario's tools into single-use Battle Cards!
With seven minions surrounding him and only seven Battle Cards in hand, Mario will have to think through his attacks carefully if he wants to defeat all of his foes! Can you find the ideal battle strategy against Bowser's minions and help save Mario and the day?
How to Play
- Look at the seven Battle Cards in your hand. Note that each card can only be used one time.
- Look at the seven minions and note their order. You must face the minions in order from left to right.
- Note the weaknesses of each minion. To defeat a minion, you will need a card matching one of its weaknesses.
- Working from left to right, play a card to defeat each minion. Continue until you have defeated all seven or reach an unwinnable state.
There are multiple solutions, and there are multiple unwinnable states. I'll present four solutions at the end. You can choose whether you want to work out one solution on your own, and then look at the others, or if you want to challenge yourself to work out all four before you open up the answers!
Battle Cards
Remember, each card can be used only one time, so the challenge is using each card at the right point to avoid reaching a state where you're facing a minion but have none of their weaknesses left.
Jump
Hammer
Fire Flower
Ice Flower
Light Box
FLUDD
Blue Shell
Minions
Remember, you must face the minions in order, so begin with Paragoomba, then move on to Dry Bones, and continue until you defeat Lava Bubble.
| Minions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Paragoomba | Dry Bones | Pokey | Piranha Plant | Cooligan | Boo | Lava Bubble | |
| Weaknesses | |||||||
| Jump, FLUDD | Ice Flower, Light Box | Hammer, Fire Flower, Blue Shell | Hammer, Fire Flower, Ice Flower | Jump, Fire Flower | Light Box, Blue Shell | Ice Flower, FLUDD | |
Template
To make it easier to keep track of which cards you've used, you can play by using the blank template below! Open it up in an image editor or print it out and fill in which card you've used against each enemy! However you choose to fill it out, make sure it's easy to erase. You may get stuck and have to take a step back to try a different Battle Card.
Solutions:
Solution One
- Jump
- Light Box
- Hammer
- Ice Flower
- Fire Flower
- Blue Shell
- FLUDD
Solution Two
- Jump
- Ice Flower
- Blue Shell
- Hammer
- Fire Flower
- Light Box
- FLUDD
Solution Three
- FLUDD
- Light Box
- Fire Flower
- Hammer
- Jump
- Blue Shell
- Ice Flower
Solution Four
- FLUDD
- Light Box
- Hammer
- Fire Flower
- Jump
- Blue Shell
- Ice Flower
Wahooooo! Working together, you and Mario defeated Bowser's minions, breaking Kamek's spell in the process! The Mushroom Kingdom is at peace once again and its hero is safe!
Trivia
It's late. I don't have any witty banter. Did you know?
- That Super Mario 64 was originally going to have 32 courses?
- That Collapsing Clouds is the only level of Donkey Kong Land to feature Expresso the Ostrich outside of a bonus area?
- That according to the Wario World instructional manual, Wario weighs 308 pounds?
- That Shigeru Miyamoto wanted Mario to ride a dinosaur in the original Super Mario Bros.?
- That Wii Sports was originally going to have Mario characters in it?
- That Issue 200 is the largest 'Shroom issue of all time?
- That Frogog is the only enemy found in the Pipe Vault that is not based on a classic Mario enemy?
- That the Blue Bowser found in 8-4 of Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels is actually Bowser's brother?
- That Splatoon was originally pitched as a Mario game?
Non-Mario Trivia
Hey look everyone, it's Issue 200! The biggest 'Shroom issue since idk the Carter administration. Looking at Fun Stuff, it appears there's quite a few special sections from people like Hooded Pitohui, Meta Knight, and my mortal enemy Waluigi Time. Well damn it I'm not about to be outdone by Waluigi Time. So here's a special Non-Mario Trivia, a section containing random facts with no real theme to them! Anyways, did you know?
- That Kirby was originally going to be yellow?
- That Kirby was named after former Nintendo lawyer John Kirby?
- That the Triforce of Courage is the only piece of the Triforce that doesn't appear in the original Legend of Zelda?
- That Franklin Piece is the only president to serve a full term and have his cabinet stay the same throughout his term?
- That Franklin Pierce is the only elected incumbent United States President to run for reelection and not get his party's nomination?
- That the last NCAA College Football game to end in a scoreless tie was the the 1983 Civil War between my beloved Oregon Ducks and the hated Oregon State Beavers, a game which would see a combined 11 turnovers and 4 missed field goals?
- That the 1920 Akron Pros were the first ever NFL Champions?
- That the 1965-66 Texas West Miners (now UTEP) Men's Basketball team was the first team to ever win the NCAA Basketball tournament with an all African-American starting lineup?
- That when adjusted for inflation, the 1939 film Gone With the Wind is the highest grossing film of all time, grossing at least 3.4 billion dollars?
- That Sonic the Hedgehog's name was originally going to be Mr. Needlemouse?
- That Sonic the Hedgehog was originally going to have a Madonna like human girlfriend?
- That Walt Disney was originally going to name Mickey Mouse, Mortimer Mouse?
- That Spongebob Squarepants was originally going to be named Spongeboy?
- That the Buffalo Bills are the only team to make (and lose!) four consecutive Super Bowls?
- That during the development of Donkey Kong Country, Rare actually studied gorillas at a zoo in order to get ideas for Donkey Kong?
- That Kirby's Return to Dream Land was originally going to be a Nintendo Gamecube title?
- That Fred Vinson was the last Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court to be appointed by a Democrat?
Guess Who: Issue 200 Special!
Howdy! What an honor it is to be back in my childhood home!
I’m so excited to be invited after all these years, alongside all my former ‘Shroom colleagues, to celebrate the publication’s 200th issue. Nearly seven (!) years have passed since I last sat in our virtual boardrooms as Fun Stuff Director and Poll Committee Chair. Between then and now, I was busy climbing from high school freshman to college graduate, then starting a full-time career.
The ‘Shroom, for what it is worth, has been profoundly impactful: it’s where I first learned how to lead a team and be a part of a staff; it’s where I first received constructive feedback from supervisors while learning to support my own team. Who would have expected a whimsical middle school project about sentient mushrooms to mean so much professionally!
More time-worn individuals, having felt the acceleration of time, will scoff at the thought that seven years is much in terms of maturation. This fact is true for both me and for the ‘Shroom. We celebrate 200 as a milestone today as we celebrate all birthdays – in equal parts a celebration of getting here, and a celebration of a promising future with a promising new generation of writers. This publication, while no longer a tadpole, is still in its youth!
Guess Who! has always been my favorite project here. Way back in issue 100, I provided 100 questions in a special Guess Who Extravaganza! Of course, there are only so many guessable characters in the universe, so I’ll be focusing on characters who’ve played significant roles since my retirement (i.e., after 2016); in addition, I have also amped up the difficulty. I do hope you enjoy this issue.
Ever upwards,
Andymii
Chapter 1: Amazing Allies
Mario and co. have always relied on a loyal network of friends to defeat Bowser. Let’s see if you can recognize some of Mario’s friends that he’s met over the last seven years!
- Question 1
- This character technically debuted in Super Mario Run in the form of a decoration but became far more iconic in a later game.
- He has the ability to possess the soul of other characters – something that the game oddly takes very unseriously.
- His natural form is white, but you’ll usually see him in the color red.
- Question 2
- This character often finds himself in hard-to-reach spots.
- He’s the commander of a small red starship.
- He’s the star of his own game. Spin the camera and find some secrets!
- Question 3
- This character provides a hint or two in Super Mario Odyssey.
- You can buy an amiibo of him made out of yarn.
- He’s the mascot of a publication that you’re probably familiar with.
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- Question 4
- She’s lost her handbag in the bustling metropolis! Good luck finding it.
- Her side gig is being an artist of sorts.
- She was added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the final wave of DLC.
- Question 5
- This loyal ally likes to rest on Mario’s head.
- His subjects are plants with mouths.
- He’s happy to give you a badge or two!
- Question 6
- “Skree-EEEE!”
- This character is most likely a native of the desert but can be found all over the world.
- He likes jumping off peaks. Quite the thrill seeker!
- Question 7
- “I wonder what Goombas taste like.”
- This is one loquacious plant, to say the least.
- They spend all day waiting for someone to visit them, according to its game’s loading menu.
- Question 8
- She might look human, but she’s a mushroom.
- If she falls into a pit, she’ll fly right out.
- She has the ability to Double Jump.
- Question 9
- This character also goes by the name “???”
- Unlike similar characters, this character is merely a nuisance rather than a threat.
- Luigi adopts this creature as his pet.
- Question 10
- There’s a rumor that the game developers nicknamed this character “Bucken Berry.”
- He has a yellow counterpart.
- Canonically he does not appear in Super Mario 3D World. But you can play as a very similar-looking character.
Chapter 2: Evil Enemies
These foes sure have been giving Mario trouble recently! Are you traumatized enough to recognize them with just three clues?
- Question 1
- This character leads a band of wedding planners.
- One of his clients is a famous reptile you may recognize.
- He’s an early boss, so developers made him short and easy to jump on.
- Question 2
- You can find this character outside of Bowser’s Castle.
- His name is a pun on a Disney character with a notable nose.
- An in-game biologist explains their beaks are usually in an extremely folded state, but they will shoot out when opened.
- Question 3
- You wouldn’t expect it, but this enemy is an ally of Mario’s in a 2021 game.
- His dad is out of control!
- He uses his paintbrush to defeat enemies. (Hey, perhaps the paintbrush is mightier than the sword?)
- Question 4
- This character is named after the fact that it tends to run away.
- They have tremendous spitting power!
- This character has a black shell on its back.
- Question 5
- This character has an entire video game series to himself, but he merely appears in sprite form in Super Mario Odyssey.
- He has the miraculous ability to jump in the air after a roll.
- He probably enjoys a plantain or two, to put it mildly.
- Question 6
- This avian creature is able to spit out hot, pink liquid.
- It can’t resist a nice salty steak.
- It wears a chef hat and manages a mountaintop stew.
- Question 7
- This character looks like a demonic version of Luigi.
- It runs around similar to Shadow Mario.
- If you don’t chase after it, it will turn around and mock you.
- Question 8
- This is the guardian deity of the desert. (Mario should feel guilty trying to destroy him…)
- You can find a somewhat similar boss in the pyramid in Super Mario 64.
- It technically dies by punching itself in the face.
- Question 9
- This bird has been stealing headwear since 1996.
- Across the years, it has appeared in the desert and on forgotten islands.
- It even LOOKS evil. (In the words of a tourist brochure, not me.)
- Question 10
- This character is a proud hotelier.
- She works very hard and looks disheveled as a result, which she covers up in makeup.
- She’s a big King Boo stan!
Chapter 3: Secretive Citizens of the Mario Universe
We’ve already amped up the difficulty today; now let’s do so further with some obscure characters! You’ll have to be a Mario fanatic to guess all of these characters.
- Question 1
- These cold, invincible enemies shoot out of the ground to bite Mario.
- Of course, Mario can bait them to do so and reach higher ledges.
- You can also find versions of this enemy swimming in salt.
- Question 2
- If Yoshi eats this plant, he can spit seeds!
- Is this plant a flower or a melon? I have no idea.
- Unlike its red-colored relatives, its mouth isn’t inherently dangerous; you can jump on it and not take damage.
- Question 3
- This character is filled with air.
- You’ll see them firing out of cannon-like objects.
- Mario can use them as floating platforms, but they will deflate once he steps on them.
- Question 4
- This robotic fish likes to swim around a bathtub in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
- It is rather rotund and has a passing resemblance to a Poké Ball.
- It has a fuel efficiency of 888 mpg, according to a poster in Mario Kart 8.
- Question 5
- You could probably use this enemy to make some pretty tasty sushi.
- In classic Mario fashion, this plant is able to walk.
- You can find them in green, yellow, and purple varieties.
- Question 6
- These ferocious felines “activate” when Bowser is, uh, a bit mad.
- They chase after Mario and damage him on contact.
- When not under the influence of Bowser, they act affectionately toward Mario and like to cuddle.
- Question 7
- These apparitions can use Toad as a shield.
- While they are an enemy for most of the game, they are actually pretty friendly when not under the influence of King Boo.
- At the end of their debut game, they help the protagonists rebuild the hotel.
- Question 8
- This alien-like enemy likes to drop Goombas.
- Mario can defeat it by Ground-Pounding on it twice.
- While it usually serves as a mini-boss, you can also find one in Darker Side; defeating it provides a Life-Up Heart.
- Question 9
- These birds have beaks that tend to get stuck in walls.
- They do not appear in Super Mario Odyssey.
- They tend to attack Mario by swooping in at him.
- Question 10
- This octopus resembles the boss of the Seaside Kingdom.
- They spit cone shell projectiles at Mario as their main method of attack.
- You can find them on the moon.
Here is the Answer Key.
SCORING:
- 25-30 correct: Maybe you’re too much of a Mario fan. Honestly scary.
- 20-25 correct: An outstanding performance! You’re definitely a Mario veteran!
- 10-20 correct: You’re a loyal Mario fan!
- 0-10 correct: Hey, no judgments here. Just go play some more Mario!
BONUS: Old Wiki Staff
My MarioWiki journey simply wouldn’t have been possible without this warm community of editors and fans. Here is just a SMALL sample of individuals that were incredibly meaningful back during the time I was active in this community.
- Question 1
- I am proud to have served as this user’s Vice Chairperson in the Poll Committee.
- This user was my predecessor as Director for the ‘Shroom’s Fun Stuff section.
- Post-retirement, he’s an award-winning short-story author!
- Question 2
- This user first hired me to the ‘Shroom all those years ago.
- He’s a retired Wiki administrator and once served as Chairperson of the Poll Committee.
- I’ll never forget his iconic Mickey Mouse profile pic on the Mario Boards!
- Question 3
- This user wrote perhaps the best ‘Shroom section of all time: The Adventures of Little Mario.
- In her Wiki career, she quickly rose to become one of the most respected administrators of the site.
- She was widely recognized in our community as a dedicated ornithologist, dedicating much of her life to the study of birds.
