The 'Shroom:Issue 225/Staff Notes
Staff Notes
Written by: Waluigi Time (talk) and Sparks (talk)
Hello there, 'Shroom readers! Welcome to our spectacular space-themed holiday special! I'm getting starry-eyed looking at the spectacle - and not just because GBA (talk) made constellations out of all the staff, but that certainly helps! We also have an awe-inspiring banner featuring our lovable mascot courtesy of TPG (talk), and of course, our Design Manager Ninja Squid (talk) has gone all-out with a myriad of special graphics for the occasion! Hm... I fear we're going to need a lot more Star Bits to feed all these Lumas...
Our writers have certainly gotten into the theme, with plenty of regulars and guest sections getting in on the fun! I'll let Sparks walk you through our guest submissions and special features, but there is one in particular I'd like to highlight because it comes straight from the staff! We've put together a gallery of constellations for your perusal, with plenty of references to the paper and community. Major thanks to TPG and GBA whose Blender sorcery allowed us to put together so many of these, and to Lakituthequick (talk) whose technical expertise has once again allowed us to do something really freaking cool!
It's also that time again for the End-of-the-Year Awards, an annual feature where we recognize the contributions of our writers to the paper and community throughout 2025. Be sure to check it out! Even if your name didn't show up, please know that we are extremely appreciative of all of you who help to keep this paper thriving and make this community a great place to be!
Speaking of things that happen this time each year, it's time to decide who will be managing The 'Shroom in 2026! If you're interested in taking the reins for a year, stop by the page for the Director Election, read the rules, and post a campaign! Even if you don't think you're up to running the paper, be sure to keep an eye on the election, send the candidates any questions you may have, and toss a vote to your favorite campaign.
If being the big boss isn't your cup of tea, but you're still interested in taking on a role here at The 'Shroom, we do have one other staff opening - sadly, Meta Knight (talk) is stepping down from his role as Statistics Manager after three years, so we'll be looking for someone to fill his shoes. The Statistics Manager's main duties include handling applications, keeping The 'Shroom's spreadsheets up to date, collecting Section of the Month data, and putting together the End-of-the Year Awards. If that sounds like something you're up for, check out the forum post for more info and send an application to myself and Sparks. Meta will be sticking around long enough to lend his sword to his successor and teach them the tricks of the trade, so don't worry, you'll be in very good hands!
Enjoy the issue, and happy holidays!
—Waluigi Time, Director
Seasons Greetings 'Shroom readers! We're so glad you could join us for the final 'Shroom issue of 2025! Hold on a second - has the year really gone by that quickly? It has been an absolute blast and honor to serve as The 'Shroom's Sub-Director alongside Waluigi Time! Of course, we still have January of 2026 before our term officially ends, but I'm still so thankful to have helped made 2025 a strong year.
The Awards Director Election has finished, and the Clown Car returns for another year of Awards awesomeness! For those who don't know, the Clown Car consists of Roserade (talk), Hooded Pitohui (talk), Waluigi Time (talk), and Lakituthequick (talk), but for the very first time, our design manager Ninja Squid (talk) joins the group! Congratulations to you all and good luck with 2026's term!
I beat Hollow Knight in the time between issues! Are you wondering how it went? It took me a week to beat the game, but I enjoyed my experience in Hallownest. I didn't 100% the game (only 77%), but now that I know the general layout of everything and the order of locations to visit, I may actually attempt to fully complete the game sometime in the future. Metroidvanias are like that, y'know? Playing one for the first time usually results in getting lost several times and exploring areas you shouldn't be in yet. However, you'll then have a better understanding afterwards and gain the motivation to do better! I had fun though, and that's all that matters!
And did you all hear of the new Mega Man game recently announced?! Mega Man: Dual Override, the 12th game in the classic series plans to release sometime in 2027... YES!! It's been too long since 11. I wonder why they didn't call it "Mega Man 12?" Oh well, as long as it's another brand new game in the franchise I'm happy.
Christmas time brings gifts in the form of guest sections! We even have plenty of specials too:
- 2025 is ending, but so is Shoey (talk)'s Planet Stasiak trilogy. What is on this mysterious planet themed after a famous wrestler? It's very strange to say the least! Check the appropriate News Flush in Fake News for the breathtaking discovery!
- ClawgripFan9001 provides us with not one, but two Fake News sections as well:
- In Monthly Inquisition Waluigi fanclub president Wallace Ulysses finishes off the year of Waluigi with a bang! He even brings in Waluigi himself as he discussed everything about the underrated tall purple man, and it's always nice to have a special guest!
- Back in the villains issue in June, Tatanga hijacked the office computers of Fake News to give us a documentary on the origins of him and his kind. Tatanga has come back for the space issue to once again provide a documentary, this time focused on a Super Mario Galaxy boss - Baron Brrr! Tune in to see how the frosty monarch ruled over the Li'l Brrs! Well, actually you'll have to tune in 'cause he's hacking the computers again...
- Spotlight Co-Manager Technetium (talk) is currently writing a Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door fanfic about Lord Crump finding the Crystal Stars in his own adventure! While it's not fully finished yet, Technetium shows the progress she made with the first five chapters of Paper Crump: Exalted Exile in Palette Swap! It has the potential to become an actual mod...
- Travel is common during the holidays, and so is space travel! Boo1268 and TheBlueCatMenace collaborate to bring you Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure! Join Cosmo Neko as he journeys to Pristine Peaks to meet Boo1268 and a bunch of other characters. Of course, crazy stuff is bound to happen!
- Also in Palette Swap, Hooded Pitohui (talk) talks about Pull Stars in Screenshot of the Month! A key mechanic in the Super Mario Galaxy games has such an interesting design and allows for unique gameplay segments. Cool!
- LEGO Look returns for the outer space issue! Instead of a Star Wars character though, it's Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story franchise! Journey to Pipe Plaza to see Waluigi Time lecture you about the iconic space ranger's history in LEGO form!
As for the specials...
- Meta Knight has put together a playlist of space-themed songs from various forms of media in Space Jams! Need something to listen to as you read The 'Shroom? Maybe one of these many songs will bring you satisfaction. It's almost 7 hours long, so surely there's gotta be something right? Yes!
- Longtime Fake News writer Quizmelon (talk) returns to bring us Tragedy and Farce: A Marx-Inspired Reading of the Super Mario Galaxy Games! Have you ever wanted to read an article where Karl Marx compares both Super Mario Galaxy games? Let me tell you that it's an interesting read with many different vibes. It's hard to put into words!
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is one of my favorite Mario games, so I thought I must write a section on it! I've ranked every Spark from the game and gave my thoughts on them in the special section Sparks Tier List! Credit goes to Ninelevendo (talk) for giving me inspiration.
- Roserade looks back on all the Marioboards Investigations events that have happened in the past in Investigations Retrospective! Not only that, but there's also information on how they play out and suggestions if you ever want to start one in the future! Forum games are always fun!
- Halloween may have been 2 months ago, but there's a tale that's never been told until today! Presenting Curse of the Lich Yard, a collaboration between Boo1268, ClawgripFan9001, Waluigi Time, Hooded Pitohui, and myself where we take down all sorts of ghastly ghosts and spooks. If you've seen Ghostbusters, then this story will be familiar to you! Oh yeah, Luigi's Mansion also has ghost capturing...
Whew! I love to see so many unique sections. There's lots of great content packed into this very special issue!
Time to blast off into a very exciting outer space issue, fellow 'Shroom readers! May you all make great discoveries and just have fun! You're gonna love it! I also wish for y'all to have the happiest of holidays and New Year! —Sparks, Sub-Director
