The 'Shroom:Issue 227/Fun Stuff

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Director's Notes

Written by: Sparks (talk)

Shroom2025 Sparks.png

Howdy 'Shroom readers! Or as Roserade (talk) would say, "Greetings, beautiful 'Shroom readers!" Roserade had some stuff come up last-minute so I decided to step in and direct Fun Stuff for this month! It's a... "fun" experience I'd say! Heh. I'm spreading my positive energy to The 'Shroom's game section like an energetic game show host!

I'm happy to say that most of Fun Stuff's sections are present for February! Word Search, Connections, and Hex Puzzle aren't here unfortunately, but Waluigi Time (talk) brings us another Criminal Case Files to make up for it! Those who have read the Villains Issue last year will recognize this unique concept originally created by Boo1268. We've also got a very special milestone to acknowledge, as this issue marks the 100th Anagrams section! Well done BBQ Turtle (talk) for keeping us entertained with your awesome anagrams all these years! We've got all kinds of game for you today, folks! If you ever want to write for Fun Stuff (or The 'Shroom in general), send in an application to our new Statistics Manager, MightyMario (talk)! Be sure to read the Sign up page first so you know what to do.

I... don't have anything left to say. I already talked about everything I wanted to say in Staff Notes, so I'll be off now! Go have some fun!

Section of the Month

Way to go Ninja Squid (talk) on your first place victory thanks to Musical Quiz! Coming in second olace is my Pixel Personas section! And lookie here; we have a three-way tie for third place! 'Shroom Quiz tied with FunkyK38 (talk)'s Where in the Marioverse is Carmen Sandiego? and Shoey (talk)'s Word Search! Give it up to all of our talented writers involved with The 'Shroom; your contributions are always appreciated!

FUN STUFF SECTION OF THE MONTH
Place Section Votes % Writer
1st Musical Quiz 10 33.33% Ninja Squid (talk)
2nd Pixel Personas 5 16.67% Sparks (talk)
3rd 'Shroom Quiz 3 10.00% Sparks (talk)
3rd Where in the Marioverse is Carmen Sandiego? 3 10.00% FunkyK38 (talk)
3rd Word Search 3 10.00% Shoey (talk)

Games and activities
Time to cel-e-brate everybody! Oh, and solve some anagrams too. They're fun!
1996 sure is a nostalgic year for everyone, even if you weren't born yet!
Gather up the evidence of those Koopas invading the scene, detective!
Valentine's Day may have ended, but these pink characters don't believe it yet.
Not the plans of MAR10 Day! Solve the case to save the party!
Before you know it, you'll be a vital asset to Mario musical trivia!
Test your knowledge of Issue 226!
Can you crack the cases featuring these cunning culprits?

Anagrams

An amiibo drawing in WarioWare Gold

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Written by: BBQ Turtle (talk)

Hello everyone, and welcome to a very big issue of Anagrams, in more ways than one! Somehow, we've managed to hit triple digits- this is in fact the hundredth section! Thank you so much for playing along, whether you've been here since the start, or joined us a bit more recently! So to celebrate, we've got a few things here- first of all, the theme is past themes- game ones specifically to give you a hint, I don't expect you to go back through the other 99 to find a full list of potential answers. And I've thrown in a few more than usual too, just to add a little more fun. And also, you'll notice we've got a new design for the section too! Thanks to the very technically talented Lakituthequick (talk), we have a fancy new look, which is pretty much what I wanted the section to look like at first but was too technically incompetent to manage to put together! Please send him some thanks for all the help he gave me with that. But the game is still the same, as is the option to suggest themes for future issues (Just maybe don't make them one of the answers from today's- that's already been done!). Please send them over to me on my talk page or in a PM to me on the forums, as well as any (Hopefully also not recycled) anagrams you think I could incorporate too. Well gang, I think it would be pretty Kool to let you get on with the Celebration, so let's get the party going on right here!

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 PURSUE MARROW BONES

2. HI LOUD BOA TRADEMARKS

3. ANISE CREMATIONS

4. ISSUING NO MAIL

5. PURGE RUM GLOSSARIES

6. PEN SPICE PURCHASERS

7. REPULSION DRAMA

8. SHINY AS IDOLS

9. RIPER ARM AUTOPSY

10. MATRIX ROOM SIPS

11. YOUR EMISSARY DOPES

12. DIM ARROW LORDS

13. OUR PRIMER ASTERISKS

14. AM MURKIER OPERAS

15. RHOMBUS PASSERS

16. ASTONISHMENT AIR MURALS

17. SHY SOY TRIOS

18. WOW ADORE GRAIL

19. AMUSE PIN BORROWERS

20. WORD WAR OIL

Bonus anagram:

Answers
  1. New Super Mario Bros. U
  2. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
  3. Mario Tennis Aces
  4. Luigi's Mansion
  5. Mario Super Sluggers
  6. Super Princess Peach
  7. Super Mario Land
  8. Yoshi's Island
  9. Super Mario Party
  10. Mario Sports Mix
  11. Super Mario Odyssey
  12. Dr. Mario World
  13. Super Mario Strikers
  14. Super Mario Maker
  15. Super Smash Bros.
  16. Mario Tennis Ultra Smash
  17. Yoshi's Story
  18. WarioWare Gold
  19. New Super Mario Bros.
  20. Wario World

Bonus anagram: Mario Party: Island Tour

Crossword

Written by: MarioMorty (talk)

Hey yall, welcome to another delightful edition of Crosswords, proudly presented by me, MarioMorty. Today we're gonna throw it back to 1996 and the good ol' days of retinal damage and neck problems, because this puzzle is all about Nintendo's favorite disgrace, the Virtual Boy! I hope you've memorized all you need to know about the platforms 22 titles, because that's what this one's all about. Despite it's small size, I hope that the challenge of the content is enough to appease the crossword hungry masses. With that, I bow out until my next excellent adventure!

Crossword 227 1.png
Crossword 227 2.png
Answers
Crossword 227 3.png

Hiding Koopa

Written by: Waluigi Time (talk)

Hello there, 'Shroom readers, and welcome back to Hiding Koopa! Since I'm leaning a bit more detective-themed than usual in my sections this month, I thought it would be fun to look at Duck Detective - The Secret Salami, a mystery puzzle game where you play as a duck, who is also a detective (shocker, I know). It's a charming little game with a really well-done soundtrack and worth checking out if that's your cup of tea, although as a word of warning, if you're the type who doesn't like waiting for cliffhangers to resolve, maybe hold off on the sequel for now... Anyway, five Koopas are hiding in this artwork from the game, and it seems like poor Duck Detective is having trouble finding them. Can you help him out?

Koopa Troopa from Mario Kart 8.
WANTED!
Hiding Koopa 227.png
Answer

Hiding Koopa Answer 227.png

Thanks for playing! Did you find them all?

Pixel Personas

Written by: Sparks (talk)

Greetings everyone, and welcome to the Valentine's Day issue of Pixel Personas! It may be one week after the holiday, but these three characters want to be acknowledged and refuse to leave until you guess who they are! Can you discover their true identities?

New to Pixel Personas? Here's what it's about: Pixel Personas is a game played in three rounds. In each round, I'll show an image of a Super Mario character (this includes enemies), but they're all pixelated! You (the readers) must analyze and identify who these characters are. Each round is tougher than the last, with more lesser-known characters and larger pixels, making it more difficult to tell who it is. After you make your guess, click/tap onhover over the card the image is on to flip it over and reveal the character!

Hearts are usually pink, right? These characters are also pink to represent Valentine's Day! You may start now!


Round 1


Round 2


Round 3


Lovely! You've done well. I hope you had fun and I'll see you next month!

Where in the Marioverse is Carmen Sandiego?

Written by: FunkyK38 (talk)

HOW TO PLAY

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

There's no reason to be a party pooper!

"A new case has arrived, gumshoe, and we need you to get to work! Mario has reported to us that someone has stolen his big binder of plans for his favorite holiday- March 10th, Mar10 day! In the past, Mario has thrown big parties for all of his friends on this date, not to be confused with Mario Party. He loves to go all out- making a big cake, putting up plenty of decorations, and inviting everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond to celebrate with him. It's a big production! But this year, all of his plans have been nabbed right out of his home- and we need you to track down the crook on the double! The big day will be here before we know it and the party decorations haven't been ordered yet! Get it to, gumshoe!"

Crime Scene

The Crime

Mario's big binder of Mario Day plans has been stolen! Track down the thief and ensure the party will happen!

CLUE 1

"I want to order room service! Where is the salad named after the hotel? What do you mean, that's a different hotel?"

CLUE 2

“Eek! There are bugs in this room! Shut the door, quickly!”

CLUE 3

“You'd think Bowser would be better off as the master of a chain of fancy hotels, but I guess business isn't booming for them.”

Location 2

CORRECT ANSWER

Morton's Wood Door Hysteria Hotel from Hotel Mario Morton's Wood Door Hysteria Hotel

CLUE 1

"There's been a rock slide. We won't be going anywhere until the rocks are destroyed."

CLUE 2

"You must unseal the cards to complete this game's story!"

CLUE 3

“Oh, I always like sitting in the window seat on the train. I love to watch the landscape go by.”

Location 3

CORRECT ANSWER

Dry Dry Railroad from Paper Mario K64

CLUE 1

“I came here to do some shopping. What lovely fabrics they have here!”

CLUE 2

“This game is is one of the only games where you can change your outfit without it being related to a power-up.”

CLUE 3

“This whole place feels like... curtains. But wet curtains don't exactly flow like that...”

CASE CLOSED

CORRECT ANSWER: Lake Kingdom from Super Mario Odyssey Lake Kingdom artwork from Super Mario Odyssey

Let's march on to March!

"The party is back on, and it's all thanks to you, gumshoe! Nice work out there! We're still not quite sure if this petty thief is associate with Carmen, but I have a hunch that we'll get him to sing like a bird in custody. If we get new info on Carmen's whereabouts, that'll be the cherry on the sundae. Speaking of sweets, Mario has sent your reward through, along with an invitation to his big party. I think we can handle things down here at HQ so you can go and have a good time- you've earned it. But make sure you get your write-up for this case done before you put your dancing shoes on! Dismissed, gumshoe!"

Musical Quiz

Written by: Ninja Squid (talk)

MusicalQuiz Logo.png

Hello there, 'Shroom readers. It's time for another Musical Quiz!

Unfortunately, I'm a bit busy so I don't have much to say this month (doing schemes really takes a lot of commitments you know), so we'll stick with the usual: Can you guess which game the following musical excerpts come from?

Have fun!

Icon of an audio speaker. Song No.1
File info
Icon of an audio speaker. Song No.2
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Icon of an audio speaker. Song No.3
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Icon of an audio speaker. Song No.4
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Icon of an audio speaker. Song No.5
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Icon of an audio speaker. Song No.6
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Icon of an audio speaker. Song No.7
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Icon of an audio speaker. Song No.8
File info
Help:Media fileHaving trouble playing?
Answers
  1. Super Mario 3D World (Bowser's Bullet Bill Brigade)
  2. Wario Land: Shake It! (Stonecarving City)
  3. Mario Party: Star Rush (Corkscrew Climb)
  4. Mario Sports Mix (Waluigi Pinball theme)
  5. Yoshi's New Island (STAGE EARTHY)
  6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (World 6)
  7. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Lost World Anthem)
  8. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Peach Beach/Daisy Cruiser)

'Shroom Quiz

Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)

FS205ShroomQuiz.png

Hello, all you readers of The 'Shroom! I'm tagging in again to quiz you on January's edition of The 'Shroom. We had an extra week between issues due to the way the calendar fell this year. Let's see if that extra week dulled your recollections or not!

As a reminder, I'll provide two hints with every question to help jog your memory. The first hint will be unrelated to the content of issue 226, to give you an avenue through which you can work out the answer without having to pull up the paper. The second hint will tell you which section you should read again to find the answer, just in case you find yourself stuck. Are you ready? Let's begin!

QUESTION #1: Shun, Ping, Wen, Gengshi, and disputably Qianshao all ruled ancient China as part of what dynasty?

Hint 1

This dynasty shares its name with the world's largest ethnic group.

Hint 2

When you need info on ancient China, turn to Shoey (talk). Go get a mini-lesson from the intro in his Word Search in Fun Stuff!

Answer

Answer: Han Dynasty

QUESTION #2: Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition is an album from what American musician nicknamed "the Boss"?

Hint 1

Songs from this artist include "Thunder Road" and "Born to Run", among many others.

Hint 2

This expanded edition gets a nod alongside 40+ other albums in MCD's (talk) 'Shroom FM in Critic Corner!

Answer

Answer: Bruce Springsteen

QUESTION #3: Alongside a snowball fight, plushies of Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi were shown performing what wintertime activity in the snow last month?

Wario in Mr. Blizzard's Brigade from Mario Party 4.
Were they skating? Building snowmen?
Hint 1

This activity involves creating designs in the snow by lying on one's back and sweeping one's limbs through the snow.

Hint 2

Plushies playing in the snow? That sounds like it's straight from aomaf's (talk) Story Without Text in Palette Swap!

Answer

Answer: Making snow angels

QUESTION #4: An audio file featuring dialogue from a certain character was the only media file tagged with a request for improved quality. What is the identity of the character speaking in that file?

Hint 1

This character loudly shouts an alternative name for the Mario Kart series' Spiny Shell.

Hint 2

He won't escape Cam / Tori / Cecil / Claire / Macy / Ted (talk)! PIPE PLAZA TO-DO TRACKER!

Answer

Answer: Koopa General

QUESTION #5: A blue Toad wore a Phanto as a mask while trying to retrieve what item?

Phanto
I'd feel like this too if a Toad wore me.
Hint 1

While Phantos guarded it in Super Mario Bros. 2, this item was also vital in unlocking secret exits in Super Mario World!

Hint 2

Watch the skies and unlock the answer with Hint Toad's (talk) Mushroom Kingdom Comics in Palette Swap!

Answer

Answer: Key

QUESTION #6: What Mario enemy, though previously able to be Captured in Odyssey, first became a selectable character in Mario Golf: Super Rush?

Hint 1

In their Super Mario World debut, these enemies had six named variants with differing behaviors.

Hint 2

Watch this enemy ascend back into the spotlight in Waluigi Time's (talk) Rising From Obscurity in Strategy Wing.

Answer

Answer: Chargin' Chuck

QUESTION #7: The Nintendo Switch 2 camera will recognize plushies as having valid faces when setting face positions for certain software. This was demonstrated with plushies of Sonic, Mario, Ralsei, and what artist character from the Kirby franchise?

Sticker of Kirby and King Dedede.
The name you should know?
Hint 1

Appearing in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, she paints Bronto Burts and other enemies into existence during a brief battle.

Hint 2

You'll need to look closely to find this answer! Wasn't Sparks (talk) talking about different types of merchandise in Pipe Plaza's Poll Committee Discussion, though?

Answer

Answer: Adeleine

QUESTION #8: The host of the dating show House of Flames belongs to what enemy species originally introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3?

Hint 1

Alright, Mario fanatics, this is your time to shine. There's currently one game where a member of this species is playable, and it's Mario Tennis Aces. Does that help?

Hint 2

Who says television rots the brain? Get a brain boost from MightyMario's (talk) TV Tomorrow in Fake News!

Answer

Answer: Fire Piranha Plant/Venus Fire Trap

QUESTION #9: In the 2006 GBA game Rhythm Tengoku, these creatures pop up briefly before being shot by an arrow.

Hint 1

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, they appear as rare enemies in the Smash Run mode and reward the player with drops that boost all stats when defeated.

Hint 2

Get in an answering groove with Rhythm Review, written by Zange (talk) and found in Strategy Wing!

Answer

Answer: Sneaky Spirits

QUESTION #10: What Mario enemy, alleged to be related to Elemental Ghosts by a certain investigator, have a blue variation in 3D World and a purple variation in Super Mario Run?

Fire Elemental Ghost in the game Luigi's Mansion.
They do look similar...
Hint 1

These enemies have been around from the start, debuting in the NES Super Mario Bros.. Although, they lacked eyes back then...

Hint 2

What paranormal investigator could have unmasked the truth behind this enemy? Why, it's GoldGal64 (talk) in Fake News' The Ghostly Dossier, of course!

Answer

Answer: Podoboo/Lava Bubble

QUESTION #11: Of Berlin, Rome, Bangkok, Copenhagen, Athens, Paris, and Amsterdam, which city was not featured in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

Hint 1

While this city hasn't been featured directly in Mario Kart, a statue in Mario Kart World's Salty Salty Speedway references a real statue in this city.

Hint 2

If you can remember the courses listed in Fun Stuff's Crossword by MarioMorty (talk), you can figure this one out by process of elimination!

Answer

Answer: Copenhagen

QUESTION #12: This company offers seedless lemons, JUSTIN wines, and FIJI Water.

Hint 1

More than likely, you'll know them by their pistachio offerings. They emblazon their company name atop green bags of pistachios.

Hint 2

Read more about this company's questionable marketing of its seedless lemons and its Sweet Cinnamon Pistachios in Anton's (talk) Half-Baked Reviews in Critic Corner.

Answer

Answer: Wonderful

There were quite a few questions involving enemies and characters from videogames this month, weren't there? Were you able to get them all? Give yourself a point for each question you got right, and take a look at your score:

  • 10-12 points - Marvelous Minion Master
  • 7-9 points - Enviable Enemy Expert
  • 4-6 points - Fair Foe Finder
  • 1-3 points - Grumbling Grunt Guesser

Did you manage to get all twelve questions correct without opening any hints? Well, then go ahead and upgrade yourself to the rank of Astute Adversary Appraiser! Regardless of how you did, I hope you enjoyed this look back! May the rest of February treat you well!

Criminal Case Files

Written by: Waluigi Time (talk)

Hello there, 'Shroom readers, and welcome to a special edition of Criminal Case Files! Here's how this works - you'll be presented with a crime scene and three potential suspects, and your job is to figure out which one of them was responsible. Be sure to pay attention to each suspect's abilities and motivations, as they'll be crucial to helping you crack the case. Good luck!

Credit for the original concept of this section goes to Boo1268.


Case 1: Night at the Museum
A local museum has been vandalized, with many of its exhibits knocked around and damaged or totally destroyed, but all of them are still accounted for. However, a management office has been broken into by smashing a hole in the wall, and the safe inside had its door pried off its hinges and is completely empty. According to the proprietor, the safe held important documents pertaining to the museum's operation.
Suspects
Bone Crusher A hulking Dry Bones, operating a mecha suit with spring-loaded arms after losing the rest of his skeletal body on a previous assignment. What he lacks in intelligence and critical thinking, he makes up for in brute strength and blindly following the orders of his superior, making him a highly effective battering ram.
Terrakingpin An aspiring Koopa mafia boss, heading into a life of crime for glamor's sake after watching one too many mobster movies. His crimes tend to focus on the flashier side of things, hoping to make a name for himself or just build up his own quality of life. Still lacking the resources of a vast criminal empire, he's not above getting his hands dirty to meet his own ends, and he's got the muscle to back it up.
Sledger A Sledge Bro working as a low-level mafia lackey. He's known to routinely botch jobs he's assigned to and find himself in a confrontation with the authorities, but at least he's pretty adept at busting things with his sledgehammer.
Hint

Consider which suspect's profile is the best fit for the pattern of destruction.

Culprit

Bone Crusher
The seemingly mindless destruction left behind in the wake of the crime is consistent with the Bone Crusher's lack of thought and bashing prowess. Using his mechanized fists, he went on a rampage through the museum until locating what he was sent for. While Terrakingpin has the strength to pull off the crime in theory, he wouldn't be indiscriminately punching things, and most likely would've targeted something like a priceless artifacts that would make news headlines instead of swiping some documents. Similarly, Sledger wouldn't have spent so much time smashing irrelevant things, and would've attempted breaking into the safe with his trusty hammer instead of prying the door open.

Case 2: The Show Must Go On
A TV studio was hijacked the night prior by an unknown criminal who threw the staff out of one of its sound stages. They're not quite sure what was recorded in there, but once they were able to regain access, they discovered several light fixtures blown out from overuse and multiple puddles of water on the floor, posing a potential hazard with the electrical cables running through the room. The staff report no memory of the incident, and at least one is being treated for frostbite.
Suspects
Darcane A malevolent Dark Wizzerd, whose nature and ambitions remain shrouded in mystery. A powerful sorcerer, he knows many spells with which to subdue his foes, including an array of potent elemental magic.
The Blizzman A flashy Mr. Blizzard, as passionate about putting on a show for anyone he encounters as he is of making his ambitions of global cooling a reality. He is often seen being accompanied by his entourage of Freezies who cater to his whims and demands.
Teller Vision A self-centered robotic TV host obsessed with getting the spotlight through big ratings, caring little for anyone else's wellbeing that may be harmed in the process. His typical fare is hosting gameshows that are, at best, morally questionable in design, dragging along unwilling participants for the ride and usually getting a good dose of karma in the end.
Hint

Make sure you're paying attention to the state of the crime scene.

Culprit

The Blizzman
Turns out the villainous showman wanted to record a music video, and couldn't be bothered to get his own infrastructure to do it. Thanks to his Freezie entourage, encasing the staff in ice was an easy way to keep them from interfering, but it also left behind evidence - those Freezies can't be expected to hold up too well under those hot stage lights, after all. Hijacking a TV studio sounds like it'd be up Teller Vision's alley, but he's not known for conjuring up ice. Darcane could've done it with his magic, but lacks any motivation for making his presence known so boldly.

Case 3: Unhappy Meal
A potentially deadly disease outbreak has been traced to tainted meat served at a local fast food joint, landing many patrons in the hospital. Luckily, doctors are well aware of the pathogen responsible and are giving appropriate treatment to everyone affected. However, it's been determined that this wasn't just an accident, but a deliberate act of sabotage by someone disguising themselves as an employee.
Suspects
Bargain Bin The secret fourth Bin Brother! In reality, he's just some Bucket Man trying to grift people into thinking he's related to a set of more popular trash bins, hoping that his shoddy disguise will help sell his equally shoddy wares. Notably unstable and often times incoherent.
Puppetmaster A malevolent ghost who is able to perfectly mimic the form and voice of anyone, as long as they're deceased and he has a puppet created in their likeness. While his greater motivations remain a mystery, he's known to be very interested in adding to his collection.
Dr. U. Rika A morally gray scientist who prides himself on doing what he believes others in his profession are too afraid to do - throw out ethical concerns in the pursuit of expanded scientific research. He doesn't really care who may get harmed in the process of his experimentation as long as it leads to greater knowledge.
Hint

Which culprit has the greatest motivation for causing the disease outbreak as described?

Culprit

Puppetmaster
Using his shapeshifting powers, Puppetmaster disguised himself as a deceased former employee and purposefully contaminated the food, in hopes that the outbreak would allow him to make more additions to his puppet collection. While Dr. U. Rika may have also been interested in starting an outbreak for research purposes, the pathogen used is already well documented among scientists and would provide little value as an experiment. Bargain Bin may have been able to cause a contamination, intentionally or not, simply by being in contact with garbage, but lacks sufficient motivation to do so - and hopefully just being disguised as another garbage bin wouldn't get him a pass to a fast food kitchen.

Case 4: Hazardous Material
Protecting your valuables by keeping them in a room divided by a moat of liquid poison should work pretty well, right? Not as much as you'd think - a safe guarded by a poisonous expanse has been broken into and emptied of its contents, estimated to be worth quite a lot of coins. Aside from the tampered safe, the only other thing amiss in the room are two purple stains on each side of the floor, directly adjacent to the poison water.
Suspects
CrimeMeow One of Francis' Meowmaids that ended up going a little haywire and decided to become a mercenary for hire instead of maintaining a nerd fortress. Armed with a pair of custom-built claws and well-suited to operate in a wide variety of harsh environments, this mechanical miscreant is highly sought after for taking on jobs too dangerous for most organics.
Sal "Suction" Scuttles This tricky Scuttlebug has a habit of getting into places where he shouldn't be and sneaking back out again. His four suction cup appendages allow him to easily climb across walls and ceilings, and his ability to create webs makes for easy vertical maneuvering.
Bandwich A Bandit whose attempts to get away with petty thefts are always self-thwarted by his love of jelly sandwiches, causing him to make a mess out of every crime scene he's involved in - talk about sticky fingers. He's evidently not too bright since he hasn't figured out he should stop doing that.
Hint

Consider which suspect has the means to pull off all aspects of the crime.

Culprit

CrimeMeow
Being poisoned isn't much of a problem for robots - CrimeMeow simply waded through the moat, surfaced on the other side, and cracked the safe, dredging up some of the poison onto the floor. Although Sal "Suction" Scuttles could've bypassed the poison by crawling on the ceiling, cracking a safe would be pretty difficult without any fingers, there's no sign of telltale webbing left behind, and it doesn't explain the purple stains. Bandwich would certainly love to get his hands on the valuables, but lacks the means to safely cross the poison moat, and the absence of any jelly on the safe indicates that the purple stains on the ground weren't his doing.

Case 5: Mean Street
Rogueport isn't exactly a great place for a vacation, a lesson that one unfortunate Sumo Bro learned the hard way after getting beaten unconscious in a back alley. In a town filled with criminals hiding around nearly every corner, there's not exactly a narrow suspect pool. Notably, the victim miraculously still had their wallet on their person after waking up.
Suspects
Count Tyrannos A Rex with an inclination for the macabre. He's known for using the power of Vampire Candies to strike fear into his foes and hypnotize them into doing his bidding, which usually involves handing over all their coins. Or jars of tomato sauce.
Claude Boomer A Boom Boom with a long criminal past, hot temper, and extensive rap sheet which mostly consists of slamming his fists into things. Anything he perceives as a slight against him will easily set him off, and it doesn't take much to get him to pummel someone's face.
Biker Bessie From Moo Moo Meadows to the roads of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bessie decided to use her driver's license to form a biker gang. Now they terrorize the Mushroom motorways, forcing drivers to take detours just because they can or exacting tolls from them, and generally just starting beef. Most comply for fear that Bessie will have a cow otherwise, and they would be right.
Hint

The location where the crime took place is key.

Culprit

Claude Boomer
Getting into an altercation over apparently being cut off when he was walking, it was Claude who pummeled the poor Sumo Bro to vent his frustrations. Biker Bessie and her gang might leave someone similarly injured, but as a small port town with no vehicle traffic, Rogueport isn't a likely place of operations for them, especially not a back alley. While Count Tyrannos might also be able to leave a similar scene, nothing being taken from the victim doesn't match up with his prior crimes.

That's all the cases I've got - how'd you do? Regardless of how many cases you were able to crack, thank you very much for playing and I hope you enjoyed it!

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