#sml2

Bowser! but Grey and 2!!!

SML2 is Pretty Cool it introduced Wario! hes giant in that game in fact this Bowsers the exact same size as him, I'm not sure why hes so big I guess he was doing alot of Super Mushrooms

Uhhhhh Super Paper Mario artstyle reproduction test (mostly)! Haven't posted one of those for a while. They are all actual Mario enemies (kinda), erring on the side of more obscure enemies. You can also kinda tell that I was getting better at recreating them as I went.

Images made in Xara Designer Pro X9; the "crunchy" versions (top) were then exported in pieces as .pngs, then opened in Paint.NET, quantised and exported as .dds files, then assembled into different .png files that I then layered over the original lineup image (bottom). The top image was also scaled by 10 in Paint.NET and had a background and watermark added, while the bottom had the original .xar file scaled by the same amount (yay vector graphics!) and then that had the background and watermarks.

Left to right:

Mario (I didn't make this one, it's from The Spriters Resource, ripped by fawfulthegreat64, I'm just using it as a scale reference).

Prongo from Super Mario 3D Land.

Poro from Super Mario Land 2 (design is based on the sprite, colours are based on the artwork).

Icicle Mite from Wario World (because the image on the Mario wiki is... suboptimal, I had to spawn the ragdoll in GMod to use as a reference).

Chuckya from Super Mario 64 (which is technically TTYD style since I used that game's Bob-Omb sprites as a reference, since they don't exist in SPM; check the bonus thing at the bottom of the post for a fun thing that ties into this. Also I based it on the SM64DS design because that's the reference image I used; and also its less abstract than the original version which was just a bunch of circles).

Motos from early versions of Super Mario 64 (which I included for the sole reason that I thought it would work especially well if converted into the SPM style as if it was an original enemy, as would its acutal mechanics. The body pattern, and the shading on the body and orbs, are based on that of the Muth).

(DeltaRing)

2024 Game of the Year Countdown #7: Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins Nintendo Gameboy, 1992

A wholesale change and improvement upon the first SML, this game chose to go for graphics that resembled Super Mario World, as well as a similar world map. There are hidden levels and secret exits, and Mario looks amazing in his larger, more detailed form. 

The music is far from bad, but perhaps a bit boring when compared to SML’s excellent score. A lot of the music fits the individual levels, like the creepy sounds of Pumpkin Zone or the spacey sounds of Star Zone, but I don’t really find myself humming the tunes or looking up remixes, with the exception of one specific remix featuring Snoop. 

We do get the first ever appearance of Wario, though! His final castle is a bit of a jump in difficulty when compared to the rest of the worlds and levels, but I was able to beat this game back when I was 6 or 7 without any guides or help from anyone, so it shouldn’t frustrate people too badly. However, Wario’s final castle will take a bit more patience than speed or skill, so keep that in mind.

As far as graphics go, this looks amazing on the original GameBoy. It’s kind of crazy to think that only three years passed between SML and this game. Mario looks like the standard 2D cartoon Mario instead of his 8bit self we saw in SML. It really is an improvement in every way.

Name: Slot Machine & Bird

Debut: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

I recently played this game and while it's filled with a lot of silly and bizarre creatures, this one caught my eye the most! There is a minigame you can play to get lives, it costs coins! The first ever use of coins as actual coins in the Mario World!

The host of this minigame is this robot guy, sure, there is no face to be found, don't move on their own, and don't have any lines; but they have arms, legs, feet, and gloved hands!! GLOVED!!! Irrefutable proof this is a living Funny Guy!

They remind me a lot of Mettaton actually, also faceless and square, and judging by the giant lightbulb on top and the fact we're in a slots game, perhaps they're also a flamboyant game show host! The two should hang out...

And this game show host has a lovely assistant! A funny bird strapped to the side, the bird's beak wobbles as it passes through the slot tacks. Don't worry, I'm sure it is 100% humane and the bird's doing it on their own volition, they probably even love their job! You get to watch your very long beak move in funny ways!