The 'Shroom:Issue 139/Pipe Plaza

Director’s Notes
Written by:

Hey, readers! In this particularly frightening month of October, I would like to share a classic Shocking Twist. But first, a big welcome to both and, who are now directing Fun Stuff and Strategy Wing, respectively. I wish them both good luck for the future of their teams, and I know they'll both do a stellar job. And now, the twist.

You recall how, back in September, I said that there would be two interviews this time round? That is still correct. However, only one interview is by our own ; your Upcoming Games writer has pitched in with his own exclusive interview with the developer of the upcoming game King of the Hat! I'm impressed! Both sections are absolutely worth the read, as is the rest of Pipe Plaza. You've got the highest quality statistics, analysis and community-spanning news. I hope you enjoy everything we've put out for this month.

Section of the Month

Monthly Report
Written by: Welcome back, readers! Take a look at this month's Monthly Report, coming kindly from your Statistics Manager. Just as a reminder that, in this section, I give you an overview of various statistics of the Super Mario Wiki. The wiki stats for October, compared to the previous month.

*All times EST.

That’s all for this month’s report. I hope you enjoyed your reading. See you next month!

Interview
Written by:

Hello, 'Shroom readers! Unfortunately, I'm afraid this month I was unable to bring you the double interview I was promising for missing September, but... guess what! We still get a single-feature! You'll see the double feature in either November or December. For this month, though, we're going solo with none other than Lord Bowser! Originally joining in 2013 under the name of Goomba (and later changing to Mr. Game & Watch), Lord Bowser wasn't the most notable user at the time, hangingaround the forum but never making a big impression. He dropped off for a couple years and came back in 2016 as Lord Bowser, where he really started fitting into the community. Among other things, he was Fun Stuff Director and Poll Chairperson from mid-2017 to mid-2018, and regularly contribued to the 'Shroom. Life pressures led him to pull back from those positions, but he's still a regular member of the community, and certainly interesting enough that it's worth interviewing him!

The Interview Superchao: Hello, 'Shroom readers! I know you've missed my dazzling smile and glorious hair, but rest assured, I am back. And I brought you an interview! Superchao: Today, we're interviewing Lord Bowser, known by other names such as Goomba and Mr. Game & Watch in the past. Superchao: Thanks for coming! Lord Bowser: hello im a bowser Superchao: Are you? Are you REALLY? Lord Bowser: yes and anyone who says otherwise shall face summary execution Superchao: Fair enough. Superchao: So, how'd you first find the wiki, in those misty days of... whenever it was? Lord Bowser: i just liked mario and searched "mario" online and i found this lol Lord Bowser: it was during the dark days of when i liked sticker star Lord Bowser: ...very dark days Superchao: You sure there wasn't a desperate attempt to save a lost soul? Something to jazz it up with? Lord Bowser: wouldnt a bowser be the reason behind lost souls Superchao: Not if he's the goofy bumbling dad he is a fraction of the time Lord Bowser: look, lost souls Lord Bowser: that was me Superchao: and they're bent on revenge! Lord Bowser: Superchao: So, that's how you found it. But what inspired you to sign up for it? Lord Bowser: ...i wanted to write about sticker star stuff Lord Bowser: Dark Days Superchao: And did you? Lord Bowser: yeah a little Superchao: Good on you! Superchao: At least you contributed. Which I haven't done in years! Despite trying to convince myself. Lord Bowser: im too lazy to edit most of the time Lord Bowser: also havent really played mario games in a while Superchao: I feel that. Doesn't help that 99 times out of a hundred someone else beat you to the stuff you know about. Lord Bowser: yeah exactly Superchao: Do what I do: Find a niche and then forget to fill it. Lord Bowser: i dont think bowser is niche enough sadly Lord Bowser: i wish i could write an article on his hair Superchao: Become the Daisy fan who always lurked within you, and write paragraph after paragraph about his appearance in each game! Lord Bowser: im not crazy enough Lord Bowser: maybe tfp is with nico though Superchao: Love Live wiki becomes Nico Nico Nii-ki Lord Bowser: id visit that Superchao: Anyhow! My aplogies for bringing this up, but as I remember, you were not the most... shall we say, experienced user in the past? Lord Bowser: no not really Lord Bowser: i was 13 Superchao: That explains a lot. Superchao: And you acted quite 13, too, unfortunately. Superchao: Why Goomba, anyway? Back then, I mean. Lord Bowser: idk ive always kinda liked them too Lord Bowser: theyre funny looking Lord Bowser: when i switched to mr game & watch it was cause i was playing melee a lot then and he was my main Lord Bowser: and when i finally switched to lb it was cause i had recently replayed ttyd/spm and realized how great his quotes were Lord Bowser: and how much i liked him in general really Lord Bowser: so it stuck Lord Bowser: ("his" being bowser ofc) Superchao: I'd say "fickle!" but you stopped being fickle when you came back, so un-fickle it is. Lord Bowser: yeah i dont see myself changing names anytime soon Superchao: It's like TFP if he ever stopped being Nico on IRC. Just wouldn't be right Lord Bowser: i get scared whenever people change names even slightly on irc Lord Bowser: like that one time when turb became Turb Lord Bowser: i was frightened Lord Bowser: had nightmares Superchao: Traumatic Superchao: So, what made you leave for a few years? Lord Bowser: mostly boredom/focused on other things Lord Bowser: kinda didnt really Know the community Lord Bowser: so i didnt have much reason to stick around Lord Bowser: also i was awkward af Superchao: >calling us boring Superchao: So rude! D: Lord Bowser: im sorry i was 13 Lord Bowser: i think Superchao: Fair enough! It worked out well. Superchao: How about what drew you back? Lord Bowser: mostly i was feeling lonely tbh Lord Bowser: wanted people to talk to about games Superchao: That is (theorically) what we're all here for, yep. Lord Bowser: idk i think some of us are here to plot world domination Lord Bowser: n-not that i would ever do something like that haha............. Superchao: Of course not, that's 22's job. Superchao: So, once you came back, did you feel different? Lord Bowser: how so? Superchao: Just... what made you stick around Lord Bowser: idk i started getting to know people more Lord Bowser: interacted in mj more often Lord Bowser: came on irc and later discord Lord Bowser: you guys were fun basically Superchao: you forgot the first commandment of the wiki Superchao: Thou Shalt Not Have Fun Lord Bowser: maybe thats why i stopped editing :thinking: Superchao: The only atonement will come when you join the ranks of the Mario Monks Superchao: I wish you luck. Lord Bowser: are there bowser monks instead Superchao: No. Lord Bowser: then im not interested Superchao: A shame. Looks like someone's Bowser amiibo will need to have a little... accident. Lord Bowser: jokes on you i have 100 backups Superchao: Curses! Superchao: Anyhow, so you got involved in the community - anyone in particular help you along with that? Lord Bowser: mk definitely Lord Bowser: he was one of my first friends basically and we're still close now Superchao: Of course, because you're both villains! Lord Bowser: is meta knight even a villain anymore Lord Bowser: kirby lore is a trip Superchao: Kirby Lore is great because there's all this insanity in the background and a round pink baby in the foreground Lord Bowser: exactly Superchao: That does circle around to a good question, though - what do you like so much about Bowser? Lord Bowser: ahes funny in the rpgs and looks cool and hes a cute dad Superchao: He disowned 87.5% of his kids! Lord Bowser: meh theyre boring Superchao: Shameful. The Bowser fans of old would have ripped you to shreds. Lord Bowser: you can describe each one of them in one adjective Superchao: go on Lord Bowser: ludwig - smart Lord Bowser: lemmy - crazy Lord Bowser: wendy - girl Lord Bowser: iggy - crazy Lord Bowser: roy - cool Lord Bowser: morton - strong Lord Bowser: larry - i dont even know Superchao: That's four words. You have failed me, and for that you will suffer my wrath! Of being asked more questions. Lord Bowser: oh no Lord Bowser: i dont know if i can handle it Superchao: You WILL. Superchao: So, when did you get interested in the 'Shroom the first time, and why? Lord Bowser: idk i liked reading it and thought it was funny Lord Bowser: i wanted to give it a whirl but being 13 i lacked creativity Lord Bowser: all my shop scout things were so boring h Superchao: you had to pave the way for the true prophet, Pitohui Lord Bowser: im glad i was useful for something Superchao: At least you came back to it a second time, right? Lord Bowser: to shop scout? i dont even remember Superchao: 'Shroom in general, I mean. Lord Bowser: oh right duh Lord Bowser: yeah i did Lord Bowser: slightly more creative this time around Superchao: (but only slightly) Lord Bowser: creativity is dangerous Lord Bowser: havent you seen dhmis Superchao: That's why we must strive to harness it for evil! Superchao: I mean good. Lord Bowser: but i like evil Superchao: And that's how you got interested enough to eventually apply for staff, right? Lord Bowser: yeah, id always wanted to be a behind the scenes guy really Superchao: Any reason why? Lord Bowser: i like seeing how things work basically Lord Bowser: and i like being in charge of things tbh lol Lord Bowser: so naturally the idea of being staff appealed to me Superchao: That makes a lot of sense. And then Fun Stuff opened up! Lord Bowser: yep Lord Bowser: it was fun being director but honestly my motivation began to dwindle by the time summer rolled around Superchao: Just because you were busy, or? Lord Bowser: i didnt want to run the team into the ground so i resigned for that Lord Bowser: busy mostly, yeah Superchao: Fair enough. Life has claimed many a director in their time. Superchao: How about Poll Committee - what got you into that? Lord Bowser: tbh i just wanted to change my image Lord Bowser: i still thought people knew me as some obnoxious memelord back then and i dont blame them Lord Bowser: so i kinda wanted to change that by getting more involved in community stuff Lord Bowser: pc helped with that for sure Superchao: It worked for me, because I stuck around so long everyone who remembered me as an idiot retired! Superchao: Anything you rally enjoyed about the PC? Lord Bowser: lol that sounds like a relief Lord Bowser: i liked wokring in a small group really Superchao: PC's never been big, and it feels like that's a help. Lord Bowser: and seeing a poll i made get thousands of votes makes me feel good tbh Superchao: There's a reason I laid claim to the pink stars myself, and it wasn't to complete the Infinity Gauntlet. Lord Bowser: what was it? Superchao: Who's the interviewer here? Superchao: (It was because I thought it'd be neat) Lord Bowser: i am Lord Bowser: i am superchao, and you are lord bowser Lord Bowser: DUN DUN DUN Superchao: Oh no. OH GOD NOOOOOOOOOOOOO Lord Bowser: all part of my master plan Superchao: But is part of your master plan me asking you... Superchao: now that you've withdrawn from both PC and 'Shroom Staff, has that affected how you feel about being part of the community Lord Bowser: not really tbh Lord Bowser: i still talk to people here Lord Bowser: and thats the most important aspect imo Superchao: Sounds good! It's important to stick around, I feel. Keeps the community thriving, and potential fodder for the annual ritual sacrifice is always good. Lord Bowser: i thought we decided to sacrifice you this year Superchao: I am too old. I cannot be sacrificed lest we lose the sacred rules. Lord Bowser: rules are meant to be broken Superchao: and bring down the wrath of NIWA? Lord Bowser: i can take down niwa in my sleep Superchao: That's what Ghost Jam said, before they claimed him... Superchao: Anyhow. To change the subject to what brought you here, what's your favorite Mario game? Lord Bowser: ttyd id say Lord Bowser: bis a close second Lord Bowser: sunshine, galaxy, odyssey are all up there too Superchao: where's sticker star tho Lord Bowser: Bad Superchao: What changed your mind on it? Lord Bowser: replaying ttyd and realizing how barren it was in comparison Superchao: Especially with Bowser, huh? Lord Bowser: yeah god Lord Bowser: not a single damn line Superchao: praise be to Grand High Lord Miyamoto Lord Bowser: Bad Superchao: What drew you to both TTYD and BIS, beyond just Da Bowser? Lord Bowser: artstyle and humor mostly Lord Bowser: i like the bis sprites of bowser a lot Lord Bowser: theyre really expressive and i love the detail Lord Bowser: and ive always liked the paper mario style Superchao: even sticker star made good use of it Lord Bowser: yeah admittedly Superchao: Let's see... Superchao: Besides Mario, any other game series you like a lot? Lord Bowser: kirby, smash, splatoon, danganronpa, shovel knight, minecraft Superchao: That's quite a list, Mr. Variety! Lord Bowser: nah i need to play more games tbh lo Lord Bowser: like zelda Superchao: Well, hey, variety is the spice of life and all that. Superchao: Any of them in particular you wanna talk about? Lord Bowser: marie sucks and callie is better Superchao: Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well. Lord Bowser: :drakeyes: Superchao: Speaking of forum games, though: you were the one who brought Killing Game to our fair community. Superchao: Whatinspired you to actually take it here? Lord Bowser: i played it on minus world and i liked it and i know people like(d) dr here so i figured "why not" Superchao: And you unleashed THREE monsters. Superchao: You madman. Superchao: You absolute goddamn madman. Lord Bowser: im sorry i just wanted to write portrait ghost shitposts Superchao: And look what you diiiiid x Lord Bowser: aaaaaaaa Superchao: Still though, it unleashed some good too. Superchao: Ultimately, you satisfied with all three? Lord Bowser: no i regret the last one because of my own shortcomings with it tbh Superchao: Eh, it worked out in the end Lord Bowser: idk i still couldve handled it better Superchao: That aside, though Superchao: Would you say you've had your ups and you've had your downs? Superchao: You've had your smiles and you've had your frowns? Lord Bowser: yeah for sure Lord Bowser: more ups than downs id say Superchao: Well, would you think you should still be crowned, Superchao: The king of the is this the last question? Lord Bowser: crowns are gay Lord Bowser: sunglasses are better Superchao: you'd best start getting used to crowns Superchao: you're wearing one Lord_Bowser screams Superchao: Well, that's that. Superchao: Thanks for coming, Lord Peachser! Lord Bowser: get me a gun Superchao: Thank the readers first. Lord Bowser: yeah thanks whatever get me a fucking gun

In Closing Lord Bowser is yet another of the relatively new users who still made his mark in the community, and what a mark it is! He may have had a rocky start, but since then he's contributed greatly to both the 'Shroom and the Poll Committee, neither of which would be where they are now without his efforts. He's also been a good guy in general and helped create community outlets, such as his irc channel, that've brought people together and helped them get invested in the community. All in all, LB's been a good guy to have around, and with luck we'll have him around for another few years at a minimum!

NIWA Spotlight
Written by:

Hello everyone and welcome back to NIWA Spotlight, a NIWA-focused spotlight that covers one article from all of our partnered wikis that need help. These can range from articles that need more information or created to images that need replacing or uploaded. Notice something on a different wiki you can't fix and want to get the word out? Let me know on my talk page or in this forum topic and it will be added to a future issue. For our Mario-related topics, check out the current The 'Shroom Spotlight!

I added more information to PK Freeze, Espyo added the artwork of Olimar's Jetpack, and while the Travel Log image didn't get updated, I did provide another one from the first Golden Sun.


 * The problems with Nintendo Wiki have been fixed and the site is back up and running! The site is being worked on to bring it back up to date, but it can still be edited. It will return to this list starting with next issue.
 * The Metroid Wiki and Lylat Wiki are currently undergoing maintenance, but can still be edited.
 * Congrats to Disaster Flare for becoming Lylat Wiki's new Editor-in-Chief! :clap:
 * Any additions that could be made to the Donkey Kong Wiki should be made to the Super Mario Wiki instead, where possible, as per this discussion.
 * Remember to follow the wiki policies when adding content!

Poll Committee Discussion
Written by:

Hello everyone, and welcome to this month's Poll Committee Discussion! My name's Chibiki Daisy, and if you're reading this on the day it comes out, then I'm currently suffering at all-state vocal auditions. If you're reading this after, then I most likely didn't get in and everything is okay in the world.

But who cares about that, you're here to see me talk about some polls!

Archives Do you think Waluigi should be playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? ( and, September 30th, 2018) Which one of these Mario series newcomers would you like to see playable in Smash Bros.? (, September 23rd, 2018) Super Mario Party is aiming to feature elements from previous Mario Party games. Which style of game board would you most like to see return? ( and, September 16th, 2018) Do you play games on Nintendo systems other than Mario? ( and, September 9th, 2018)

Analysis
 * Do you think Waluigi should be playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? -- Overwhelmingly, it seems that people really want Waluigi to be playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as most of the votes went to either wanting him as original fighter or wanting him playable but not minding if he was an Echo Fighter. I don’t blame them, considering he was one of the top characters fans wanted in, and still is even after his disconfirmation. The next largest bunch of voters seem to not mind or are just fine with how Waluigi is represented in the game. In a way, it’s nice knowing the indifferent crowd is much larger than the crowd that doesn’t even want him in the game at all. In addition, the fact that there’s more people that don’t want him in the game at all than people who would like to see him in the game as an Echo Fighter is amusing, but that’s just me.


 * Which one of these Mario series newcomers would you like to see playable in Smash Bros.? -- Once again, it seems people really want Waluigi playable in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as he was the top voted option in this poll. Aside from this (rather large) outlier, the results of this poll give some insight into other Mario characters that people want playable. Captain Toad and Dixie Kong were both popular picks among the crowd, and a good amount of people even wanted characters not listed to be playable as well. The fact that characters like E. Gadd and Birdo were among the less voted makes me wonder how well received they'd be if they were playable. Unless we get yet another Smash Bros. game that makes them playable, we may never find out.


 * Super Mario Party is aiming to feature elements from previous Mario Party games. Which style of game board would you most like to see return? -- The vast majority of the votes went to the standard moving star board, and to those voters, I have to say: you got your wish. Yes, an underwhelming four boards and they were all the standard type. I guess it's not all bad because each board does have its own features and gimmicks. That aside, people really seemed to want boards involving investment, as that beat the remainder of the options by over double. And it seems that some people didn't completely hate the Mario Party 9 and 10 style of board, seeing as how that wasn't the least popular option. Here's hoping we actually do see some of the other options return for boards in future Mario Party titles!


 * Do you play games on Nintendo systems other than Mario? -- Unsurprisingly, most of the voters play games other than Mario games on Nintendo systems. There are a handful of the superfans, however, that do only play Mario games on Nintendo systems. And then there's the few who said they either don't play Mario games or don't play on Nintendo systems. To which I ask, how did you even get here?

Well, if there’s one thing we learned here, it’s that people really like throwing every egg in a single basket when it comes to voting in these polls. And sometimes those eggs mean that they really want Waluigi in a Smash Bros. game.

I’m currently about to get trampled by a stampede of people wanting to read a large scroll, so that’s it from me for now. Thanks for taking a moment to read and make sure to check back next month!

Upcoming Game
Written by:

Hello everyone! Alex95 here with Upcoming Game! Got something new for you this time around: an exclusive interview! There's an upcoming game (doy) called King of the Hat, and I noticed they had a Discord server on their official site. So I popped in and asked if one of the game developers would like to be interviewed for The 'Shroom, and they agreed! I was pointed in melbatoast's direction, so let's see what he has to tell us.

Alex95: First, introduce yourself to our readers! What's your position on the development team? melbatoast: Hello! My name is Ben (or melbatoast) and I do most of the businessy stuff outside of games as well as some game design. Alex95: Can you give us a summary of what King of the Hat is? melbatoast: Of course! Here's the description from our trailers Everyone's soul is trapped in their hat and you can only die if your hat gets crushed. Throw your hat, risk your life. Crush your opponents hat before they crush yours in this fast-paced, hat-based, fighting game. melbatoast: And then on a more down to earth level, King of the Hat is a multiplayer brawler. It has smash bros/towerfall vibes but doesn't rip off any of the main mechanics from either of those games. Alex95: So it's a unique fighting game all of its own, that's impressive! How did your team come up with this idea, and how many people are working on developing/designing it? melbatoast: The game was a gift from the heavens. We were just lucky enough to be there to receive it. We're about six now, but not everyone is full time Alex95: Tell us about the success you had on Kickstarter, and how it felt to have it green-lit for both Nintendo Switch and Steam. melbatoast: It feels great! We love that people think this game looks cool! (Steam greenlight is a deprecated program now though, anyone can put their game on Steam for 100$) but the KS and Switch we're both huge milestones. This is really our first big push to make an indie game, and we've been blown away by the positive response. Alex95: I was impressed by the visuals when I first came across the game. Simple and cute, but there's a great game behind it! The characters are pretty diverse, it looks like they all have their own skills. Can you go over some of them? Which one's your favorite? melbatoast: Sure yeah! So we've got about 14 characters (and counting right now). I've attached this character guide for all of their unique powers. Most characters can jump, except Insignia who can fly. Forest can throw his Hat up to three times & Snapback can stick to walls (these are just a handful of abilities). It's definitely hard to pick a favourite- but for now I'm really enjoying Zoe. She's quite a difficult character to play because of her inability to move on the ground, but what she makes up for it with powerful hops and good in-air steering. Also she takes no knockback from hat hits. (Zoe is the Scarecrow :Zoe: ) Alex95: I love that you can play as a washing machine, who came up with that? Will there be other "oddball" characters like that? melbatoast: Haha that would be Socrates, our programmer/artist. He was tired of doing animation sequences and wanted to make a character with just an idle. And yes, there will be more weirdos to come. Alex95: Haha, awesome! Let's go over the hat combat. You have to protect your hat, but it is also your primary weapon. What strategies do you use to try and defeat your opponents? melbatoast: Definitely lots of strategies you can take, but I think a good place to start is aggressive vs defensive. So the defensive player will wait for his opponent to act (which normally means throwing his hat) and then react and try to do the best move. Whereas the aggressive player will try to initiate, and land a hat throw, which really sets the tone for the match At the same time, both players are doing this kind of positioning dance to try and get the other player to mis-step and over commit to a bad move. After that, the strategies become more character and matchup specific Alex95: You also have to take stage layout into account. There are some with spikes and some with high ledges. And are there any power-ups in the game you can use to improve your combat? melbatoast: Not a the moment, but its definitely something were planning on testing. Wanted to get the base combat to be really tight before adding power-ups. Alex95: That's understandable. So everyone's hat acts the same at the moment, correct? Aside from character abilities? melbatoast: The hat strength, speed, size, stun time, and gravity properties are all variable. Alex95: The current release date for the game is simply "Early 2019". Is there a specific time you guys are shooting for? melbatoast: Not at the moment. We're going to do our best to make Early 2019 but we really want to make sure the online multiplayer is a smooth experience. To test this, we'll be releasing the game on Discord before coming to Switch. That'l allow us to really listen to what people want to see in the game and develop based on community feedback. Alex95: I've only been in your Discord for less than a day, and there's already a number of beta testing keys getting released. I love that you opened that up publically! I haven't tested the game myself yet, though ^^; What led to deciding to make an open beta? There's also a closed beta sign-up on the main page. melbatoast: This is very much a community driven game, and we appreciate that people are taking the time to give us feedback While online was buggy we only wanted people who understood that to test, but as its getting more stable, we're opening the beta to anyone who'd like to give it a try. Alex95: Have you used the Super Mario Wiki and/or read The 'Shroom newspaper? melbatoast: I have ... but only because you mentioned you were a writer for it :stuck_out_tongue: Alex95: Do you play any Mario games? If so, what's your favorite? melbatoast: Heck ya I've played a lot of Mario games. Really big fan of Paper Mario 64 and TTYD. Alex95: Yeah, they're a lot of fun Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! Do you have any final statements you'd like to make? melbatoast: King of the Hat is coming out on Discord this fall! We'd love for you to try the game and let us know what you think :tbolbpartyattention: And thank you for having me! :smile: Alex95: You're welcome!

After the interview, I was able to play the game. It's a lot of fun! I tried out some of the characters, and Snapback with his wall-clinging ability became my favorite. While I had this interview with the game still in development, the game was finalized on October 16th! That's right, it's out now, though only through Discord! Nintendo Switch release is still set for Early 2019. Beta testing has come to a close, so apologies if you missed your chance, but you can purchase the full game and play online through the Discord Store.