“Geno Joins the Stars” Super Mario RPG Series Analysis

Hello and welcome to Super Mario RPG Series Analysis. Previously, we looked at Geno and how he could play as a fighter. In this part, we will look at what content Super Mario RPG could provide in Smash.

Super Mario RPG Stage

Forest Maze

It was difficult to decide which stage to choose from as there are a number of potential locations such as Rose Town, Monstro Town, Booster Tower, Star Hill, Bowser’s Keep, Nimbus Land, and more. In the end, the best stage that represents Geno is, hands down, Forest Maze. This area has become synonymous with Geno with even its theme being more attributed to Geno. It would be easy to just say to have a stage with a few floating platforms and elements from the source material but that sounds boring.

The stage has a forest-like theme with slopes and floating platforms on the main stage platform. The most notable inclusion are hollowed tree stumps which act as Warp Pipes. Pressing down on them will transport players to the subterranean level below the stage. An earthen wall typically obstructs the player’s view, but going underground will cause the wall to vanish so player’s can see the action inside. It’s possible to get back to the upper section by jumping into the tree trunk.

Yggdrasil's Altar, Mementos, and Spring Stadium are currently the only DLC stages with notable stage hazards. Forest Maze is no exception with Bowyer serving as the stage hazard. Bowyer isn’t present, however, but he fires arrows onto the stage from afar. The arrows do 8.3% damage per hit and can spike/meteor smashing jumping opponents. Floating Item Boxes pulled straight from Super Mario RPG will also appear and hitting these from below will produce an item.

Moving on, we will focus on the stage cameos. Obviously, various enemies typically found in Forest Maze will appear.

These characters include:

• Buzzer
• Amantia
• Octolot
• Guerrilla
• Wiggler (appears in the subterranean section)
• Bowyer (Bowyer would be unique as he appears only on Omega/Battlefield forms)

Other cameos, allies and enemies alike, that aren’t associated with Forest Maze can also appear. These include:

• Mallow
• Boshi
• Chancellor
• Gaz
• King & Queen Nimbus
• Toadofsky
• Rat Funk
• Pyrosphere (totally included as a nod to Pyrosphere of old)
• Frogog
• K-9
• Axem Rangers
• Yaridovich
• Valentia & Bundt
• Mack
• Smithy
• Chef Torte
• Booster & Snifit
• Culex (in Sprite form just for fun)

Finally, let’s talk about the background. It was tempting to go with a general forest-like background composed of cameos but that didn’t seem true to the source material. After looking at Peach’s Castle from Smash 64, it was decided that the background consists entirely of Forest Maze from its home game The background will gradually transition from area to area, much like how the player had to follow Geno who was trying to get to Bowyer. These elements make it representative of Geno and Super mario RPG. This fully encapsulates the isometric viewpoint of Super Mario RPG.

Super Mario RPG Mii Outfits

Lately, I have been expanding my Mii Fighter section, and this is no exception. I included outfits from Super Mario RPG and from Square-Enix in this article.

Mallow Mii Brawler

Yep, we all know about that one potential video “leak”. Through a blurry video, he saw a Mii Fighter wearing a Mallow hat while fighting Ken and another Mii Fighter wearing a Cacodemon hat from Doom. Mallow’s Mii Costume would be a Deluxe Costume that covers the entire Mii Fighter. It looks larger than Mallow but Mii Fighters aren’t always consistent with canonical sizes.

Boshi Mii Brawler

We have a Yoshi costume, so let’s include a Boshi costume while we are at it. What’s a Boshi? Boshi is the “too-cool-for-school” version of Yoshi who lives on Yo'ster Island. This edgy, purple-colored Yoshi with sunglasses and a spiked collar doesn’t care about his Yoshi brethren, despite calling himself the leader. I guess you could refer to him as a sort of Waruyoshi. Don’t expect that trademarked “Yoshi cuteness” from this tough guy.

Smithy Mii Hat

Smithy is the main boss of the game and the mastermind behind the takeover of Mushroom Kingdom. This section will be brief though as Smithy will be covered later on in the Spirit Battle section. That being said, Smithy would look rather awkward as a Mii Fighter, so a Smithy Mii Hat composed of his head works best.

White Mage Mii Swordfighter

The next two Mii Outfits are from Final Fantasy which is a Square property. The White Mage and Black Mage both appeared in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 for the Nintendo DS and Mario Sports Mix for the Wii. While one might question why the White Mage is a Mii Swordfighter and not a Mii Gunner,the Swordfighter was a far better fit in the end. Traditionally, the Mii Mage doesn’t have offensive spells but has used their staff to physically attack if they have to in games past. The White Mage uses the Sage’s Staff, a reoccurring magical staff in the series.

Black Mage Mii Gunner

Unlike the White Mage, the Mii Gunner suits the Black Mage more as they typically use offensive spells such as ones involving balls of fire. The Black Mage is unquestionably one of the more popular of the classes and is iconic to not only Final Fantasy but Square and RPG’s as a whole. The player’s staff would have to be adjusted though, so it would make sense to have it closer to the hand. The Black Mage wields the oaken Wizard’s Staff in battle.

Super Mario RPG Spirit and Spirit Battles

Mario (Super Mario RPG)

Spirit Info
Type: Primary/Attack
Class:
Ability: Chance of Double Final Smash

Spirit Battle
Character:
Stage: Forest Maze
Rules: Stamina Battle
Conditions:

• The opponent moves slowly
• The opponent favors Neutral and Up Specials
• The opponent gains the Final Smash twice as fast

Though he is the same Mario as we all know and love, he looks and plays differently in Super Mario RPG. For starters, he wields a hammer against foes and can change his hammer for other weapons. In the game’s story, Mario went off to Bowser’s Keep to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser. Things became chaotic, however, when Smithy and his gang invaded the castle. Mario, Bowser, and Princess Toadstool were thrown out of the castle but regrouped along with Geno and Mallow to eventually defeat the Smithy Gang.

References

• Mario moving slowly references how Mario doesn’t move much during Super Mario RPG battles.
• Mario’s preference for the Neutral and Up Specials and ability to get a Final Smash faster comes from his attacks in Super Mario RPG.

Peach (Super Mario RPG)

Spirit Info
Type: Primary/Shield
Class:
Ability: Bob-omb Equipped

Spirit Battle
Character:
Stage: Prism Tower
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• The opponent moves slowly.
• The opponent gradually heals.
• The opponent constantly pulls out Bomb-ombs when using Down Special

In this game, she goes by Princess Toadstool and not Peach, but she is still the princess that we all know and main. Bowser stole her away and brought her to his Keep, only for Mario to go rescue her. After Exor scattered the three into the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach had the unfortunate fate of landing smack dab in Booster Tower. The owner, Booster, was intent on marrying her, but the wedding was cancelled thanks to Mario and his friends.

References

• Peach moving slowly references how Peach doesn’t move much in Super Mario RPG battles.
• Peach healing gradually comes from how Peach is the team’s healer.
• The stage having a Sleepy Floor comes from Peach’s special attack, Sleepy Time, in Super Mario RPG.
• Peach has a powerful special attack called Psych Bomb, which is her only offensive attack.
• Prism Tower is a reference to Booster Tower, where Peach was initially held captive at.

Frogfucius

Spirit Info
Type: Support
Class:
Ability: PSI Resist ↑

Spirit Battle
Character: Green
Stage: Fountain of Dreams
Rules: Timed Match
Conditions

• The opponent avoids conflict.
• The Assist Trophy, Lakitu and Spinies, will appear
• The opponent is distracted by food items

Frogfucious is a wise, old frog who adopted Mallow when he was a baby. Frogfucious found baby Mallow floating in a basket in the river and brought him up as his own, along with his other tadpole students. Frogfucious seems to understand the events that threw the Mushroom Kingdom into turmoil, including the Star Pieces.

References

• The Lakitu Assist Trophy alludes to how Frogfucious uses a Lakitu to suspend himself.
• Food distracting Greninja is a nod to how Mallow can give Frogfucious food in exchange for new equipment.

Booster

Spirit Info
Type: Support
Class:
Ability: Slow Super Armor

Spirit Battle
Character: Classic Red , x3
Stage: Great Plateau Sheikah Tower
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• The main opponent is invincible at the start of the match
• Defeat the three allies to make the opponent vulnerable
• The opponent spawns with a Bomb-Omb

Booster is the seventh and current generation of Booster living at Booster Tower. No one knows how he or his family amassed such a vast fortune, but the Boosters aren’t afraid of showing it off. Booster seems less concerned about his wealth and more so playing games with his friends, the Snifits. When Peach crash landed into his tower after the events at Bowser’s Keep, he became enamored with her and tried to marry her. The nuptials almost came to be, but Mario crashed the wedding.

References

• The three Mr. Game & Watch’s are based on the three Snifit friends.
• Wario being invincible at the start of the match and the player being required to defeat the Snifits alludes to his battle in Super Mario RPG.
• Booster would throw Bomb-ombs occasionally in his boss battle.
• The Great Plateau Sheikah Tower references Booster Tower much like Prism Tower in the Peach (Super Mario RPG) Spirit Battle.

Gaz

Spirit Info
Type: Support
Class:
Ability: Transformation Duration ↑

Spirit Battle
Character: Tiny (Toad costume), Tiny Geno
Stage: Onett
Rules: Stock Battle
Conditions

• Defeat the main opponent
• Ally protects the main opponent
• Soccer Balls and Mr. Saturns appears often

Gaz is the young Toad who owns several dolls. He didn’t seem to disturbed that his Geno doll came to life suddenly. If Mario and the party plays with Gaz, his mother allows the group to stay at the inn an unlimited number of times. That’s a sweet deal! He also gives Geno his first weapon, the Finger Shot, should they visit him after Geno awakens. Why a young toad has a weapon like this is beyond me.

References

• Geno is obviously based on the Geno doll.
• Onett is a reference to Rose Town.
• Soccer Balls and Mr Saturns comes from how Gaz wants to play and how he has multiple dolls and toys in his room.

Bowyer

Spirit Info
Type: Primary/Shield
Class:
Ability: Neutral Special ↑

Spirit Battle
Character: Red
Stage: Forest Maze
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• The opponent favors the Neutral Special
• The Neutral Special becomes powered up
• A single Special is periodically temporarily

Bowyer is one of Smithy’s minions, and quite an annoying one at that. Using his archery skills, he rained arrows onto Rose Town from the Forest Maze. These arrows were quite deadly as they could paralyze anyone they struck, causing the town to fall into despair. Geno, Mario, and Mallow fought Bowyer, gained a Star Piece, and ended his reign of terror on Rose Town.

References

• Link favoring Neutral Specials is an obvious reference to Bowyer’s method of attack. This also applies to the Neutral Special getting powered up.
• A single Special being disabled temporarily is a direct reference to how Bowyer could disable the party’s Special attacks.

Exor

Spirit Info
Type: Support
Class:
Ability: Weapon Attack ↑

Spirit Battle
Character: Metal
Stage: Kalos Pokémon League
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• The opponent favors using the neutral special often.
• The stage hazards deal more damage.
• The opponent is equipped with a beam saber.
• The opponent experiences temporary invincibility during the match.

Exor is the gigantic sword that smashed through Star Road and pierced right through the heart of Bowser’s Keep. He acts as the doorman to Smithy’s dimension and won’t allow just anyone to waltz through. The team had to attack Exor, which consists of the hilt, eyes, and mouth. After being defeated, he inhales the party and transports them to fight Smithy. Apparently, its mouth is called Neosquid when translated from Japanese.

References

• Kalos Pokémon League’s steel-type version is a reference to Exor because of the swords that are present there. This also applies to stage hazards dealing more damage.
• Kirby using the Inhale ability comes from how Exor inhales the party at the end of the battle.
• Kirby experiencing temporary invincibility refers to how Exor was invincible until the party defeated his eyes.

Smithy

Spirit Info
Type: Primary/Grab
Class:
Ability: Metal Killer

Spirit Battle
Character: Giant, Metal , x 6
Stage: Paper Mario (Bowser’s Castle section)
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• Defeat the main fighter
• The opponent’s hammer attacks deal more damage.
• The opponent gains random increased attack and defense stats. He can also gain an unique weapon randomly which spawns nearby Dedede.

Smithy is the big, bad boss who runs his gang with an iron… hammer. He desires to rule the Mushroom Kingdom in order to remove the wishes by breaking the Star Road. In replacement of wishes, he “wished” to fill the world with weapons which he could create using his hammer-arm. His second battle shows Smithy being able to change his head to enhance a particular stat or to give him an unique ability.

References

• Dedede is similar in appearance to Smithy while the R.O.B. is a reference to the minions Smithy could create in battle.
• Dedede gaining stat boosts alludes to how Smithy could change his heads to gain unique stat boosts. These include the Tank Head and Mask Head. Items spawning is a loose reference to Treasure Head.

Super Mario RPG Music

Due to the nature of Super Mario RPG music, music tracks that should receive a remix are noted as such. To give a better idea how they would sound, a link to a fan-remix has been included This will be done in future articles as well.

Happy Adventure, Delightful Adventure - Super Mario RPG

Still, The Road is Full of Dangers - Super Mario RPG
Remix

Fight Against Monsters - Super Mario RPG

Beware the Forest’s Mushroom - Super Mario RPG
Original & Remix

Rose Town - Super Mario RPG
Remix

Slope - Super Mario RPg

Fight Against Culex - Super Mario RPG

Nimbus Land (Let’s Do the Fooka-Fooka) - Super Mario RPG

Margarie Margarita - Super Mario RPG

Fight Against Smithy, Who Likes Transforming - Super Mario RPG
Outside of the Fighter Pass

Item: Kerokero Cola

Pick up this refreshing drink that comes in a green frog-shaped container and take a sip! Actually, take several sips! This drink will continue to stay with you while you fight and will start to decrease your damage should it reach 25% or if it is past 25% after picking it up. Be careful though, as it can be knocked out of your hands and picked up by the enemy!

Item: Sheep Attack

Take this capsule, throw it in a general area, and it will cause a poof of smoke. This is followed by a flock of flying sheep which will begin performing flying yet slow dashes about the area. Any opponents hit by the flying sheep will receive 32% damage and will transform into a sheep themselves. This will cause an effect similar to Galaga and the Beetle, which will cause that opponent to fly up into the air and past the upper blast lines. Mashing buttons may cause the transformation to wear off.

Snake’s Codecs

Snake: So...how do I fight Pinocchio, Mei Ling
Mei Ling: That’s not Pinocchio, silly! That’s Geno!
Snake: Geno...like my favorite pizza joint! Papa Gino’s? That’s some pretty good pizza…
Mei Ling: Not hardly. Geno is a wooden doll…
Snake: ...I could go for a slice. Or five. Or ten...right about now. Yum.
Mei Ling: Snake! Focus! Geno might seem like a child’s toy gone rogue but he’s not someone you can just play around with.
Snake: He’s made of wood, right? I’ll just set him on fire.
Mei Ling: C’mon, Snake! He’s a Star Spirit! He could totally put ... out... Ummm…. well… I suppose that’s an idea.
Snake: I’ll be like that bonfire at the office camping trip. Or sic termites on him. Or use a chainsaw. Corrin has that chainsaw sword still, right?
Mei Ling: Alright, Snake. You handle it the way you think is best but do know this...Geno possesses amazing damage potential. He can power up his attacks just by doing a perfectly timed button press. His Geno Whirl can KO at low percentages! Don’t mess around with Geno, Snake.
Snake: Gotcha. Let’s see how Pinocchio handles a rocket in the face. A rocket that’s packed full of fire, termites, and chainsaws!
Mei Ling: I don’t think a weapon like that exists ... even in Super Smash Bros.

Palutena’s Guidance

Pit: Excuse me? Lost child hotline? I have a lost child in a blue cap. His actions seem a bit….wooden…?
Viridi: Pit, you dope. That’s not a lost child. That’s Geno!
Pit: Geeeeno?
Palutena: Yes, Geno is quite an amazing….entity really. He’s from the Star Road, a magical place far above Mushroom Kingdom where wishes are granted.
Pit: A magical place? Wishes granted? This is sounding like a kid’s bedtime book.
Viridi: Or so you think, but then Exor, the mighty sword struck Star Road down and plunged itself into Bowser’s Keep!
Pit: Gasp!
Viridi: As fate would have it, Mario was fighting Bowser to rescue Peach. They were scattered to all the corners of the kingdom!
Pit: Gasp!! Again!
Palutena: Yes, so Mario had to set off to rescue his princess but also save Mushroom Kingdom. Along the way, he befriended the fluffy pal, Mallow.
Viridi: And our friend, Geno, here. He came to life when his Star spirit inhabited a Geno doll.
Pit: Le gasp!
Palutena: Yes, and so, together with Peach and Bowser…
Pit: Bowser?! Working with Mario!? This is news to me!!
Viridi: Hush, Pit and listen to the story. So the party then set out to defeat Smithy’s gang, who had their sights set on the Mushroom Kingdom…
Palutena: Now, now… we have to save this story for another night. You have a fight to finish, Pit.
Pit: Awww! I wanted to hear how it finishes!
Viridi: Child bedtime story for sure!

Closing

Super Mario RPG might not have tons of games under its belt - it just has one if you don’t consider the Paper Mario series. The game, however, left a mark on the gaming community and has a sizable cult following in the Smash community and beyond. Someone unfamiliar with this game may question why it deserves to be in a Challenger’s Pack Smash and that’s an understandable concern if you considered its rather unproductive history. It may only have one actual game under its belt but the game has several notable achievements under its star-belt. Super Mario RPG is the result of a cooperative effort between two gaming giants who created a game that continues to endure for over twenty years. Not many games can brag about this sort of longevity. This achievement and Geno’s constant popularity are more than enough reasons for Geno and Super Mario RPG to finally join the Stars.

Credits:
Editing: @Thirdkoopa @Sari
Graphics: Venus of the Desert Bloom @Zerp (article banner)
Social Media: @Zerp
Sources: Mario Wiki

 

Isn't the Lakitu and Spinies Assist Trophy get cut in Ultimate, or is the spirit Battle is not restricted to just anything that is available only in Ultimate?

 

This was a pleasantly refreshing read. White and Black Mage would be awesome inclusions as Mii costumes since their chances of a full Fighter Pack are basically nil at this point.

 

OMG I thought he was in. I haven’t checked Smash Boards in a bit, and I saw this and thought he got in. Man.

 

View attachment 292187

Hello and welcome to Super Mario RPG Series Analysis. Previously, we looked at Geno and how he could play as a fighter. In this part, we will look at what content Super Mario RPG could provide in Smash.

Super Mario RPG Stage

View attachment 291565
Forest Maze

It was difficult to decide which stage to choose from as there are a number of potential locations such as Rose Town, Monstro Town, Booster Tower, Star Hill, Bowser’s Keep, Nimbus Land, and more. In the end, the best stage that represents Geno is, hands down, Forest Maze. This area has become synonymous with Geno with even its theme being more attributed to Geno. It would be easy to just say to have a stage with a few floating platforms and elements from the source material but that sounds boring.

View attachment 291566

The stage has a forest-like theme with slopes and floating platforms on the main stage platform. The most notable inclusion are hollowed tree stumps which act as Warp Pipes. Pressing down on them will transport players to the subterranean level below the stage. An earthen wall typically obstructs the player’s view, but going underground will cause the wall to vanish so player’s can see the action inside. It’s possible to get back to the upper section by jumping into the tree trunk.

Yggdrasil's Altar, Mementos, and Spring Stadium are currently the only DLC stages with notable stage hazards. Forest Maze is no exception with Bowyer serving as the stage hazard. Bowyer isn’t present, however, but he fires arrows onto the stage from afar. The arrows do 8.3% damage per hit and can spike/meteor smashing jumping opponents. Floating Item Boxes pulled straight from Super Mario RPG will also appear and hitting these from below will produce an item.

Moving on, we will focus on the stage cameos. Obviously, various enemies typically found in Forest Maze will appear.

These characters include:

• Buzzer
• Amantia
• Octolot
• Guerrilla
• Wiggler (appears in the subterranean section)
• Bowyer (Bowyer would be unique as he appears only on Omega/Battlefield forms)

Other cameos, allies and enemies alike, that aren’t associated with Forest Maze can also appear. These include:

• Mallow
• Boshi
• Chancellor
• Gaz
• King & Queen Nimbus
• Toadofsky
• Rat Funk
• Pyrosphere (totally included as a nod to Pyrosphere of old)
• Frogog
• K-9
• Axem Rangers
• Yaridovich
• Valentia & Bundt
• Mack
• Smithy
• Chef Torte
• Booster & Snifit
• Culex (in Sprite form just for fun)

Finally, let’s talk about the background. It was tempting to go with a general forest-like background composed of cameos but that didn’t seem true to the source material. After looking at Peach’s Castle from Smash 64, it was decided that the background consists entirely of Forest Maze from its home game The background will gradually transition from area to area, much like how the player had to follow Geno who was trying to get to Bowyer. These elements make it representative of Geno and Super mario RPG. This fully encapsulates the isometric viewpoint of Super Mario RPG.

Super Mario RPG Mii Outfits

View attachment 291568
Lately, I have been expanding my Mii Fighter section, and this is no exception. I included outfits from Super Mario RPG and from Square-Enix in this article.

Mallow Mii Brawler

Yep, we all know about that one potential video “leak”. Through a blurry video, he saw a Mii Fighter wearing a Mallow hat while fighting Ken and another Mii Fighter wearing a Cacodemon hat from Doom. Mallow’s Mii Costume would be a Deluxe Costume that covers the entire Mii Fighter. It looks larger than Mallow but Mii Fighters aren’t always consistent with canonical sizes.

Boshi Mii Brawler

We have a Yoshi costume, so let’s include a Boshi costume while we are at it. What’s a Boshi? Boshi is the “too-cool-for-school” version of Yoshi who lives on Yo'ster Island. This edgy, purple-colored Yoshi with sunglasses and a spiked collar doesn’t care about his Yoshi brethren, despite calling himself the leader. I guess you could refer to him as a sort of Waruyoshi. Don’t expect that trademarked “Yoshi cuteness” from this tough guy.

Smithy Mii Hat

Smithy is the main boss of the game and the mastermind behind the takeover of Mushroom Kingdom. This section will be brief though as Smithy will be covered later on in the Spirit Battle section. That being said, Smithy would look rather awkward as a Mii Fighter, so a Smithy Mii Hat composed of his head works best.

White Mage Mii Swordfighter

The next two Mii Outfits are from Final Fantasy which is a Square property. The White Mage and Black Mage both appeared in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 for the Nintendo DS and Mario Sports Mix for the Wii. While one might question why the White Mage is a Mii Swordfighter and not a Mii Gunner,the Swordfighter was a far better fit in the end. Traditionally, the Mii Mage doesn’t have offensive spells but has used their staff to physically attack if they have to in games past. The White Mage uses the Sage’s Staff, a reoccurring magical staff in the series.

Black Mage Mii Gunner

Unlike the White Mage, the Mii Gunner suits the Black Mage more as they typically use offensive spells such as ones involving balls of fire. The Black Mage is unquestionably one of the more popular of the classes and is iconic to not only Final Fantasy but Square and RPG’s as a whole. The player’s staff would have to be adjusted though, so it would make sense to have it closer to the hand. The Black Mage wields the oaken Wizard’s Staff in battle.

Super Mario RPG Spirit and Spirit Battles

Mario (Super Mario RPG)

View attachment 291569
Spirit Info
Type: Primary/Attack
Class:
Ability: Chance of Double Final Smash

Spirit Battle
Character:
Stage: Forest Maze
Rules: Stamina Battle
Conditions:

• The opponent moves slowly
• The opponent favors Neutral and Up Specials
• The opponent gains the Final Smash twice as fast

Though he is the same Mario as we all know and love, he looks and plays differently in Super Mario RPG. For starters, he wields a hammer against foes and can change his hammer for other weapons. In the game’s story, Mario went off to Bowser’s Keep to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser. Things became chaotic, however, when Smithy and his gang invaded the castle. Mario, Bowser, and Princess Toadstool were thrown out of the castle but regrouped along with Geno and Mallow to eventually defeat the Smithy Gang.

References

• Mario moving slowly references how Mario doesn’t move much during Super Mario RPG battles.
• Mario’s preference for the Neutral and Up Specials and ability to get a Final Smash faster comes from his attacks in Super Mario RPG.

Peach (Super Mario RPG)

View attachment 291573
Spirit Info
Type: Primary/Shield
Class:
Ability: Bob-omb Equipped

Spirit Battle
Character:
Stage: Prism Tower
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• The opponent moves slowly.
• The opponent gradually heals.
• The opponent constantly pulls out Bomb-ombs when using Down Special

In this game, she goes by Princess Toadstool and not Peach, but she is still the princess that we all know and main. Bowser stole her away and brought her to his Keep, only for Mario to go rescue her. After Exor scattered the three into the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach had the unfortunate fate of landing smack dab in Booster Tower. The owner, Booster, was intent on marrying her, but the wedding was cancelled thanks to Mario and his friends.

References

• Peach moving slowly references how Peach doesn’t move much in Super Mario RPG battles.
• Peach healing gradually comes from how Peach is the team’s healer.
• The stage having a Sleepy Floor comes from Peach’s special attack, Sleepy Time, in Super Mario RPG.
• Peach has a powerful special attack called Psych Bomb, which is her only offensive attack.
• Prism Tower is a reference to Booster Tower, where Peach was initially held captive at.

Frogfucius

View attachment 291574
Spirit Info
Type: Support
Class:
Ability: PSI Resist ↑

Spirit Battle
Character: Green
Stage: Fountain of Dreams
Rules: Timed Match
Conditions

• The opponent avoids conflict.
• The Assist Trophy, Lakitu and Spinies, will appear
• The opponent is distracted by food items

Frogfucious is a wise, old frog who adopted Mallow when he was a baby. Frogfucious found baby Mallow floating in a basket in the river and brought him up as his own, along with his other tadpole students. Frogfucious seems to understand the events that threw the Mushroom Kingdom into turmoil, including the Star Pieces.

References

• The Lakitu Assist Trophy alludes to how Frogfucious uses a Lakitu to suspend himself.
• Food distracting Greninja is a nod to how Mallow can give Frogfucious food in exchange for new equipment.

Booster

View attachment 291575
Spirit Info
Type: Support
Class:
Ability: Slow Super Armor

Spirit Battle
Character: Classic Red , x3
Stage: Great Plateau Sheikah Tower
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• The main opponent is invincible at the start of the match
• Defeat the three allies to make the opponent vulnerable
• The opponent spawns with a Bomb-Omb

Booster is the seventh and current generation of Booster living at Booster Tower. No one knows how he or his family amassed such a vast fortune, but the Boosters aren’t afraid of showing it off. Booster seems less concerned about his wealth and more so playing games with his friends, the Snifits. When Peach crash landed into his tower after the events at Bowser’s Keep, he became enamored with her and tried to marry her. The nuptials almost came to be, but Mario crashed the wedding.

References

• The three Mr. Game & Watch’s are based on the three Snifit friends.
• Wario being invincible at the start of the match and the player being required to defeat the Snifits alludes to his battle in Super Mario RPG.
• Booster would throw Bomb-ombs occasionally in his boss battle.
• The Great Plateau Sheikah Tower references Booster Tower much like Prism Tower in the Peach (Super Mario RPG) Spirit Battle.

Gaz

View attachment 291572
Spirit Info
Type: Support
Class:
Ability: Transformation Duration ↑

Spirit Battle
Character: Tiny (Toad costume), Tiny Geno
Stage: Onett
Rules: Stock Battle
Conditions

• Defeat the main opponent
• Ally protects the main opponent
• Soccer Balls and Mr. Saturns appears often

Gaz is the young Toad who owns several dolls. He didn’t seem to disturbed that his Geno doll came to life suddenly. If Mario and the party plays with Gaz, his mother allows the group to stay at the inn an unlimited number of times. That’s a sweet deal! He also gives Geno his first weapon, the Finger Shot, should they visit him after Geno awakens. Why a young toad has a weapon like this is beyond me.

References

• Geno is obviously based on the Geno doll.
• Onett is a reference to Rose Town.
• Soccer Balls and Mr Saturns comes from how Gaz wants to play and how he has multiple dolls and toys in his room.

Bowyer

View attachment 291571
Spirit Info
Type: Primary/Shield
Class:
Ability: Neutral Special ↑

Spirit Battle
Character: Red
Stage: Forest Maze
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• The opponent favors the Neutral Special
• The Neutral Special becomes powered up
• A single Special is periodically temporarily

Bowyer is one of Smithy’s minions, and quite an annoying one at that. Using his archery skills, he rained arrows onto Rose Town from the Forest Maze. These arrows were quite deadly as they could paralyze anyone they struck, causing the town to fall into despair. Geno, Mario, and Mallow fought Bowyer, gained a Star Piece, and ended his reign of terror on Rose Town.

References

• Link favoring Neutral Specials is an obvious reference to Bowyer’s method of attack. This also applies to the Neutral Special getting powered up.
• A single Special being disabled temporarily is a direct reference to how Bowyer could disable the party’s Special attacks.

Exor

View attachment 291576
Spirit Info
Type: Support
Class:
Ability: Weapon Attack ↑

Spirit Battle
Character: Metal
Stage: Kalos Pokémon League
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• The opponent favors using the neutral special often.
• The stage hazards deal more damage.
• The opponent is equipped with a beam saber.
• The opponent experiences temporary invincibility during the match.

Exor is the gigantic sword that smashed through Star Road and pierced right through the heart of Bowser’s Keep. He acts as the doorman to Smithy’s dimension and won’t allow just anyone to waltz through. The team had to attack Exor, which consists of the hilt, eyes, and mouth. After being defeated, he inhales the party and transports them to fight Smithy. Apparently, its mouth is called Neosquid when translated from Japanese.

References

• Kalos Pokémon League’s steel-type version is a reference to Exor because of the swords that are present there. This also applies to stage hazards dealing more damage.
• Kirby using the Inhale ability comes from how Exor inhales the party at the end of the battle.
• Kirby experiencing temporary invincibility refers to how Exor was invincible until the party defeated his eyes.

Smithy

View attachment 291570
Spirit Info
Type: Primary/Grab
Class:
Ability: Metal Killer

Spirit Battle
Character: Giant, Metal , x 6
Stage: Paper Mario (Bowser’s Castle section)
Rules: Stamina Match
Conditions

• Defeat the main fighter
• The opponent’s hammer attacks deal more damage.
• The opponent gains random increased attack and defense stats. He can also gain an unique weapon randomly which spawns nearby Dedede.

Smithy is the big, bad boss who runs his gang with an iron… hammer. He desires to rule the Mushroom Kingdom in order to remove the wishes by breaking the Star Road. In replacement of wishes, he “wished” to fill the world with weapons which he could create using his hammer-arm. His second battle shows Smithy being able to change his head to enhance a particular stat or to give him an unique ability.

References

• Dedede is similar in appearance to Smithy while the R.O.B. is a reference to the minions Smithy could create in battle.
• Dedede gaining stat boosts alludes to how Smithy could change his heads to gain unique stat boosts. These include the Tank Head and Mask Head. Items spawning is a loose reference to Treasure Head.

Super Mario RPG Music

View attachment 291577

Due to the nature of Super Mario RPG music, music tracks that should receive a remix are noted as such. To give a better idea how they would sound, a link to a fan-remix has been included This will be done in future articles as well.

Happy Adventure, Delightful Adventure - Super Mario RPG

Still, The Road is Full of Dangers - Super Mario RPG
Remix

Fight Against Monsters - Super Mario RPG

Beware the Forest’s Mushroom - Super Mario RPG
Original & Remix

Rose Town - Super Mario RPG
Remix

Slope - Super Mario RPg

Fight Against Culex - Super Mario RPG

Nimbus Land (Let’s Do the Fooka-Fooka) - Super Mario RPG

Margarie Margarita - Super Mario RPG

Fight Against Smithy, Who Likes Transforming - Super Mario RPG
Outside of the Fighter Pass

Item: Kerokero Cola

Pick up this refreshing drink that comes in a green frog-shaped container and take a sip! Actually, take several sips! This drink will continue to stay with you while you fight and will start to decrease your damage should it reach 25% or if it is past 25% after picking it up. Be careful though, as it can be knocked out of your hands and picked up by the enemy!

Item: Sheep Attack

Take this capsule, throw it in a general area, and it will cause a poof of smoke. This is followed by a flock of flying sheep which will begin performing flying yet slow dashes about the area. Any opponents hit by the flying sheep will receive 32% damage and will transform into a sheep themselves. This will cause an effect similar to Galaga and the Beetle, which will cause that opponent to fly up into the air and past the upper blast lines. Mashing buttons may cause the transformation to wear off.

Snake’s Codecs

Snake: So...how do I fight Pinocchio, Mei Ling
Mei Ling: That’s not Pinocchio, silly! That’s Geno!
Snake: Geno...like my favorite pizza joint! Papa Gino’s? That’s some pretty good pizza…
Mei Ling: Not hardly. Geno is a wooden doll…
Snake: ...I could go for a slice. Or five. Or ten...right about now. Yum.
Mei Ling: Snake! Focus! Geno might seem like a child’s toy gone rogue but he’s not someone you can just play around with.
Snake: He’s made of wood, right? I’ll just set him on fire.
Mei Ling: C’mon, Snake! He’s a Star Spirit! He could totally put ... out... Ummm…. well… I suppose that’s an idea.
Snake: I’ll be like that bonfire at the office camping trip. Or sic termites on him. Or use a chainsaw. Corrin has that chainsaw sword still, right?
Mei Ling: Alright, Snake. You handle it the way you think is best but do know this...Geno possesses amazing damage potential. He can power up his attacks just by doing a perfectly timed button press. His Geno Whirl can KO at low percentages! Don’t mess around with Geno, Snake.
Snake: Gotcha. Let’s see how Pinocchio handles a rocket in the face. A rocket that’s packed full of fire, termites, and chainsaws!
Mei Ling: I don’t think a weapon like that exists ... even in Super Smash Bros.

Palutena’s Guidance

Pit: Excuse me? Lost child hotline? I have a lost child in a blue cap. His actions seem a bit….wooden…?
Viridi: Pit, you dope. That’s not a lost child. That’s Geno!
Pit: Geeeeno?
Palutena: Yes, Geno is quite an amazing….entity really. He’s from the Star Road, a magical place far above Mushroom Kingdom where wishes are granted.
Pit: A magical place? Wishes granted? This is sounding like a kid’s bedtime book.
Viridi: Or so you think, but then Exor, the mighty sword struck Star Road down and plunged itself into Bowser’s Keep!
Pit: Gasp!
Viridi: As fate would have it, Mario was fighting Bowser to rescue Peach. They were scattered to all the corners of the kingdom!
Pit: Gasp!! Again!
Palutena: Yes, so Mario had to set off to rescue his princess but also save Mushroom Kingdom. Along the way, he befriended the fluffy pal, Mallow.
Viridi: And our friend, Geno, here. He came to life when his Star spirit inhabited a Geno doll.
Pit: Le gasp!
Palutena: Yes, and so, together with Peach and Bowser…
Pit: Bowser?! Working with Mario!? This is news to me!!
Viridi: Hush, Pit and listen to the story. So the party then set out to defeat Smithy’s gang, who had their sights set on the Mushroom Kingdom…
Palutena: Now, now… we have to save this story for another night. You have a fight to finish, Pit.
Pit: Awww! I wanted to hear how it finishes!
Viridi: Child bedtime story for sure!

Closing

Super Mario RPG might not have tons of games under its belt - it just has one if you don’t consider the Paper Mario series. The game, however, left a mark on the gaming community and has a sizable cult following in the Smash community and beyond. Someone unfamiliar with this game may question why it deserves to be in a Challenger’s Pack Smash and that’s an understandable concern if you considered its rather unproductive history. It may only have one actual game under its belt but the game has several notable achievements under its star-belt. Super Mario RPG is the result of a cooperative effort between two gaming giants who created a game that continues to endure for over twenty years. Not many games can brag about this sort of longevity. This achievement and Geno’s constant popularity are more than enough reasons for Geno and Super Mario RPG to finally join the Stars.

Credits:
Editing: @Thirdkoopa @Sari
Graphics: Venus of the Desert Bloom @Zerp (article banner)
Social Media: @Zerp
Sources: Mario Wiki

This is amazing! I’m pretty sure Geno is joining the battle from here to March! Let’s get this show on the road! For me his chances to be playable are 100%!

Call me a dreamer but Geno is in!

 

I'd personally swap Black Mage for Vivi. Vivi > all classic looking Black Mages.

 

Very good! Although I'd change up a couple things.

-Vista Hill as the stage. Forest Maze suits Geno for definite, but it doesn't represent SMRPG as a whole. Sakurai likes to represent what the game has to offer with the stage. Vista Hill, however, does. It's such a central and iconic location in the game, heck it's even on the box-art. It's one of the first things you think of for SMRPG. Anyone who has never played SMRPG would very likely remember Bowser's Keep with Exor stuck at the top.

-Culex, Boshi and Mallow for spirits. ARMs showed you can re-use spirits, so Mallow is a no-brainer. As for the other two, they're both neat - Boshi in particular. They just seem fitting for spirits. Culex to represent the Squaresoft influence, he seems straight out of FF. I'd throw in the Axem Rangers and Mack too. Mack holds the first star to collect. And the Axem Rangers are also self-explanatory for being spirits.

SMRPG has a lot of unique designs and characters that only appeared once ever, I'd want those to be prioritized over Mario/Toadstool again. I would love to see Exor again.

-Change Smithy's stage to Midgar. More fitting due to Midgar being an industrious city - something Smithy would love ruling over.

-How could you not have "Fight against an Armed Boss" and "Fight Against a Somewhat Stronger Monster" on here.. shaking my head. And the battle theme too, that's definitely a given to include. Although I do love the Culex pick. The Mushroom Kingdom track I'd also add. It got a remix in Fortune Street.

 

W0w really cool, i love Geno!!! He is so Cool.

 

Nice you really put quite a bit of time and effort into this! I love geno and smrpg so much it's a big part of my childhood. I cane across a cool fan made 3D Geno game I would like to share https://youtu.be/Nr34JdEeQtE

 

Finger Shot, should they visit him after Geno awakens games. Why a young toad has a weapon like this is beyond me.