The 'Shroom:Issue 234/Pipe Plaza

Director's Notes

Written by: Zange (talk)

Hello hello and Happy September! Crazy to believe it's nearly fall now... Unfortunately this is going to be another short and sweet edition of notes from yours truly because the last month has actually been insane on my end. Here's hoping next month is better...

Like always, we have a fabulous selection of Pipe Plaza sections for your reading pleasure! Don't forget that you can always send in an application to join the fun here by going to the sign up page to get started!

That's all from me this time, have a wonderful reading experience and rest of your month!!

Section of the Month

Congratulations to this month's winners! In first place, we have Hooded Pitohui (talk) with The 'Shroom Report! Tying for the silver, we have Harold Harefoot (talk) with What's in a Campaign? and Sparks (talk) with Poll Committee Discussion! Thank you to everyone who votes for their favorite sections as well.

PIPE PLAZA SECTION OF THE MONTH
Place	Section	Votes	%	Writer
1st	The 'Shroom Report	4	40.00%	Hooded Pitohui (talk)
2nd	What's in a Campaign?	3	30.00%	Harold Harefoot (talk)
2nd	Poll Committee Discussion	3	30.00%	Sparks (talk)

News and information

To-Do Tracker

Camwoodstock (talk)

No clue what to do? Join the fun and see what's been done!

Poll Committee Discussion

The Shadow Prince (talk)

The best analysis of the polls around!

Awards Analysis

Sparks (talk)

Awards may have come and gone, but let's talk about the results!

The 'Shroom Report

Hooded Pitohui (talk)

All the latest writers and all the milestones of the current ones.

What's in a Campaign?

Harold Harefoot (talk)

CUTIE PANZER WATASHIIIII (...wrong media!!!)

To-Do Tracker

Written by: Camwoodstock, of the Seven Stars (talk)

Howdy! Admittedly, we don't have much in the way of a clever opener this go-around. Not sure if it's the leftover Summer heat getting to us, or just the generally more laid-back feeling that comes after the rush of the Awards season. Despite everything, though, the To-Do Bar is, of course, as active as it always is, and we're here to catalogue it for you.

Note: All dates here were taken fairly late at night in EST; around 1-3 AM EST.

August & September To-Do Items
To-Do Item	Aug 19, 2026	Aug 26, 2026	Sep 2, 2026	Sep 9, 2026	Sep 16, 2026
Spotlight Focuses	0	3	2	2	2
Feature Nominations	2	2	1	1	1
Unfeature Nominations	0	1	1	1	1
Unresolved Discussions	257	255	255	261	258
Active PipeProjects	2	2	2	2	2
Ongoing Proposals	1	2	4	4	3
Ongoing TPPs	10	6	7	10	9
Unimplemented Proposals	50+	50+	50+	50+	50+
Missing Romanizations	N/A	N/A	8	N/A	N/A
Unknown Meanings	N/A	N/A	23	N/A	N/A
To-do Lists	1,258	1,256	1,257	1,251	1,254
Sourcing Issues	77,947	77,866	77,443	77,349	76,909
Wanted Articles	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+	1000+
Requested Deletions	5	7	8	9	8
Suggested Moves	48	50	50	52	53
Suggested Merges	90	86	86	85	80
Suggested Splits	79	78	77	76	75
Image Quality	3,852	3,881	3,898	3,959	3,962
Images Needed	882	877	877	878	859
Media Needed	642	636	631	632	604
Media Quality	22	23	24	24	18
Unused Files	300+	450+	500+	400+	450+
Files To Be Used	25	24	25	25	25

For some observations for how the numbers have progressed, and some potential targets:

Probably the most significant thing you'll notice is that a lot of categories have been shuffled around as of late, and by proxy, so has our table of stuff. PipeProjects shuffled alongside proposals, and alongside Spotlights, two new entries for Feature and Unfeature nominations have sprung up, among many, many other re-sortings. If something isn't where it usually is, chances are, that's why.
Sourcing Issues continues to show that, despite more-or-less quadrupling in size in terms of individual items a couple months ago, it's climbing down four times as fast, too. Another thousand shaved clean off! Very impressive indeed, but we're sure with just under 77 thousand items, they'd appreciate whatever help they could get!
We've got a substantial pulse on moves, merges, and splits! ...It's just merges going down a whole 10, but that's still not nothing from a trio that's been fairly slow-going all year.
Media Needed continues to shrink! From roughly 640 to roughly 600, the Music PipeProject team is putting in the work. Very much appreciated!

Poll Committee Discussion

Written by: The Shadow Prince (talk)

Hello everyone, this is the Shadow Prince, and I am in charge of this week's poll discussion. It definitely is interesting, having my responsibilities being combining my work at my polling company job, with analysis of polls on the 16th Poll Committee. Today we have two pretty interesting polls from two different people on the Committee, CaptainOdyssey and Koopa. One of them makes you think about a topic exclusive to the Mario series, which is how costumes should be used in Mario games specifically, and another involves different series, namely whether Mario crossing over with them is a good idea.

I also will be including a bonus Unanimity section, which will show the most and least voted on options out of any polls on this Committee so far. Thus, how close to unanimously people think, or don't think, them.

Archives

Certain Mario Games have included the ability to dress up the playable character in various costumes as a feature. How do you feel about these costumes? (CaptainOdyssey (talk), August 16, 2026)

Certain Mario games have included the ability to dress up the playable character in various costumes as a feature. How do you feel about these costumes?
I think that the best way to use costumes can be different depending on the intended design of the game. 34.54% (526 votes)

I like costumes, and I think that they should just be a cosmetic option for the player to express themself. 27.31% (416 votes)

I would prefer that the option to play as different characters be used instead of costumes. 11.49% (175 votes)

I think that costumes should only be applied to signify that a power-up is in use as was common for most of the series (e.g. Fire Flower). 9.46% (144 votes)

I like the inclusion of costumes, but only if different costumes provide some kind of game-play effect such as resistance to a type of damage (e.g. Donkey Kong Bananza). 9.19% (140 votes)

I don't really care about costumes as a feature, but it doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the game either. 8.01% (122 votes)

Total votes: 1,523

This is definitely an interesting concept, as only having a character look like their standard self all the time can start to feel pretty monotonic. While I personally don't consider it to decrease my enjoyment of the game, since the characters in Mario are interesting and iconic, so playing as them looking only like their normal selves is still enjoyable to me, I do always enjoy the idea of extra options to shake things up. However, this poll covers different ideas of how they should be utilized other than "like most to like least", which I consider to be the better way to go here as there are more preferences to vote for.

In first place at 35%, with 526 votes, is thinking the best use for costumes depends on the intended design of the game. I can see why people voted for this option, as one game might work better to use costumes just to have a fun new outfit to have on. Like say, in a Mario Kart or Mario Party game where people would just want the costume for adding a bit more personality when playing. For a Mario Kart game, people might want the vehicles and their parts to affect their strengths during gameplay instead of costumes (On the other hand, come to think of it, a costume that adds a cool power to whatever character you select when racing could be an interesting idea.) Mario Party is a similar example as while costumes would be a fun addition to each game, I doubt most people would want the costumes to add detailed gameplay changes.

On the other hand, when it comes to Mario platformers, it would make much more sense for the costumes to come with the power-ups and their effects. In a Mario RPG, I could see costumes working much better with changes to gameplay, such as in terms of changes to statistics or a new added benefit to combat moves. One idea I'd also have for some Mario games is the idea of combining costumes, being able to combine a costume you like in a list of costumes that do have an effect on the gameplay, with a costume you like in a list of costumes that do not have an effect on the gameplay, at the same time. So you could still use costumes without gameplay effects if you wanted, and use costumes with gameplay effects if you wanted, simultaneously. Maybe using a costume in both categories could lead to a new interesting combination of the new costumes, like the mixed ability feature in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, but for costume appearance instead of powers. So, I would say my opinion is this option the most, as it is the most flexible of the options on this poll. While many people agree with me given it is the most popular choice, its support at 35% does not absolutely annihilate the other options, indicating that this poll has a somewhat closer distribution than some other polls. But more on that topic later.

In second place at 27%, with 416 votes, is the option, "I like costumes, and I think that they should just be a cosmetic option for the player to express themself." This option is fairly popular too with over a quarter of the vote. Although I don't really agree with it myself. I do think that some games should have costumes intended only for a fun way to decide which design you like using when playing, like say Mario Party as mentioned. However, I also think that the idea of costumes combined with a new power is an iconic staple of the idea of power-ups. On the other hand, I can see some people wanting to just enjoy the costumes because their design gels the most with the player, without having to concern themselves that it has a worse ability than a costume they're less interested in. Maybe some of these people are referring to the costumes that are their own feature, such as the costumes in Super Mario Odyssey, instead of the ones that automatically come with power-ups.

In third place, making it the last option in the top half, at 11%, with 175 votes is, "I would prefer that the option to play as different characters be used instead of costumes." While there are considerably less votes for this than the first two options, at least some people still voted for this one. This actually is the case for all of this poll's less popular options too. I can see where these people are coming from too, as I can see how they might think some Mario games may go all-out on letting you choose one character's outfit, such as Mario. But think it's too bad that the outfits for that character are the only way it lets you branch out, instead of giving other characters a chance to be playable too. For example, I always found Super Mario 64 DS to be much more interesting than the original Super Mario 64 just because you got to play as four different characters.

Anyhow, I still would not say that I outright think this option though. As, instead of playing as different characters but not getting to use costumes, I would want it to be where maybe some games have a good number of different characters to play as, such as the Mario platformers, and even most of the Mario RPGs. But, you get to give each of the different characters costumes, and some of the costumes are added just for fun, so one can focus on the different characters for the different abilities if they want. I think my combined, with ability/without ability costumes idea, would work well in this scenario too.

In fourth place, at 9% with 144 votes, is "I think that costumes should only be applied to signify that a power-up is in use as was common for most of the series". There were some votes for this too. I could see people voting for this for a few different reasons. Maybe some people who voted this feel that the costumes that come with power-ups have a special iconic value to them, and value the idea of symbolism that if there is a costume, there is a positive change for Mario through a power-up. Some of the people who voted for this, could also feel that costumes in the game just for being costumes, could feel cluttering and gimmicky towards the game. I could also see these voters thinking both things at the same time too. However, I feel that costumes should be accessible even not as power-ups. While I can see how for some games, like maybe a simple 2D Mario platformer, non-power costumes could seem like they're making things more flashy than they should be, I feel that then the answer is simply not to use the costumes, and let other people who feel differently enjoy them.

In fifth place, also at 9% with 140 votes, is "I like the inclusion of costumes, but only if different costumes provide some kind of game-play effect such as resistance to a type of damage." This option definitely reminds me of The Legend of Zelda, like how the Fire Tunic provides protection against damage in hot places in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I am also playing Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions right now and while using the gear options, I have thought it would be interesting if there had been a unique costume that came along, with each clothing item that you can equip for greater stats or a new favorable twist to battle. I can see how people would vote for this, wanting a costume to both be its own thing from a power-up, and to have a point in the game in terms of gameplay. Like with the second to fourth place options, I don't really think this option, because it feels one-size-fits-all compared with the first place option. I admit I would distinctly want some Mario games to have useful costumes. However, I would not mind if some games included costumes just for fun. Where then, especially relevant for more casual games, you don't have to worry about passing up a costume you like the most because it has a weaker gameplay advantage.

In sixth place is the last but not least option, at 8% with 122 votes, is "I don't really care about costumes as a feature, but it doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the game either." "Last but not least" is literally so in this case, because it still at least has a few votes instead of being a ghost town of votes as an option. And as I will cover later, does have considerably more of the vote than any other last place option on the 16th Committee's polls so far. I can see someone more focused on gameplay and completing the levels and tasks, and wanting to keep it simple doing so, voting for this option. Maybe these people would be the type to only play Pokémon for catching and battling instead of those costume contests the games also have. (In fairness, I never did the costume events in Pokémon either). Like with the second and fifth place options, this one is not completely off from what I think, as I am usually fine with a game not having costume options, but wouldn't quite see it as my outright vote. I would like if costumes appeared as an option in a game, and I do think if a Mario game had costumes and I really liked some of the options, I sometimes would choose one that I liked most and wear it most of the game.

The Mario series has had many crossovers with other franchises. How do you feel about these? (Koopa (talk), August 30, 2026)

The Mario series has had many crossovers with other franchises. How do you feel about these?
I strongly enjoy these crossovers and want to see more. 45.18% (731 votes)

I enjoy these crossovers when they come around but don't look forward to them. 22.00% (356 votes)

I have mixed feelings on these crossovers and feel their execution varies. 13.84% (224 votes)

I only like it when crossovers occur with other franchises I like. 8.59% (139 votes)

I have no opinion on this subject. 7.23% (117 votes)

I strongly dislike these crossovers and don't want to see any more in the future. 1.67% (27 votes)

I dislike these crossovers but don't care if Nintendo stopped them. 1.48% (24 votes)

Total votes: 1,618

This poll by Koopa is definitely an interesting poll too. As crossovers with other series can, just on paper, always sounds like the greatest idea ever. And sometimes they have potential to be great. However, there are factors to consider, such as whether they cross over at the right time, or in a way that uses potential the most, or even more standard things like gameplay quality.

In first place at 45% with 731 votes is the option, "I strongly enjoy these crossovers and want to see more." This option alone makes reception for crossovers here pretty positive. And at first this definitely seems very unsurprising, with the popularity and very positive reception of the Super Smash Bros. games, for example. However, thinking about it a bit more, there are some times where Mario crossovers, while not hated, have been notably less well-received. For example, with the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, I think I remember a lot of people wanted Mario and Sonic to cross over in other ways than just the Olympics, and I was one of them. With Fox's inclusion in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, I also know of there being some criticism that Rosalina, who should obviously be a very prominent character in the movie, is in it pretty little, to the point of getting less lines than Fox. Maybe a lot of the people who voted this love the idea of crossovers, weigh the Super Smash Bros. games heavily thinking of them, or even like the more mixed reception crossovers like Mario & Sonic. Or maybe multiple or all three.

In second place at 22% with 356 votes is the option, "I enjoy these crossovers when they come around but don't look forward to them." This is the option that I voted for. So I will give my commentary on why I think it. I have really liked some parts of the Mario crossovers, and while Super Smash Bros. is what I mentioned as being the most popular, that's my favorite example of a crossover including Mario as well. I remember my favorite game in the series being Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as it was the game I played the most. I liked its darker, more epic aesthetic, and loved the Subspace Emissary and its fun but often intense in gameplay and tone, levels and cutscenes. With the cutscenes both having a grim, suspenseful tone, and still having a lot of fun character moments. I also liked how Super Smash Bros. Ultimate had every single character it could have, although I played it much less. On the other hand, Super Smash Bros., except for Brawl, is not one of the series that is my favorites. As in, it's not where I intensely cannot wait for each new game and announcement either. I historically have tended to be most excited about announcements about a video game only about one series. Such as that takes the main series in a direction I wanted or didn't realize I wanted. Exceptions tend to be if in the new Smash game, there is a character I really hoped would make it who gets included, and even then, I tend to be more excited for that character specifically. With that said, I don't think the Smash series is "less good objectively" exactly, than some of my favorite games. I just got into it less, with the exception of Brawl.

As for the Mario & Sonic games, I admit I like these a bit less. In addition, those are the main reason that my answer is more the "somewhat positive" than "very positive" option. I remember the game I played a lot of was the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic games, and while I didn't hate it, I remember there being a flaw for everything I liked about it, at best. I remember having fun with some of the sports events and how the controls were utilized, but only mildly to somewhat, and I felt the options for how to play the sports events were lacking too. For example, I didn't like that you didn't have the option to play in Mario or Sonic settings (In fairness, I know some other M&S games are better at this with the Dream Events but this game in the series has that problem) and that there was no online multiplayer. The Story Mode was a very mixed bag for me too. I liked the idea of Mario characters and Sonic characters teaming up and solving problems. However I found it awkward that Sonic is a character who usually talks to other characters, and the game turns him into a completely inanimate character like Mario. The story just being about the Olympics, unfortunately, was fairly lame by default too. I remember one critic said "Bowser and Eggman sure have dropped in villainy when their big plan is to sabotage the Olympic Games" and I remember agreeing completely with that comment; it really makes you wish you had a story in a platformer involving Mario and Sonic instead. So yeah not great experiences with Mario & Sonic.

I remember enjoying the small crossover elements in Mario Kart 8 a bit more, such as being able to play as Link and enjoying the courses such as the Hyrule Castle course. On the other hand, while I didn't see the Super Mario Galaxy movie (and will probably wait until it is both free somewhere and I am in the mood, what with its weak reception), Fox being in the movie doesn't really increase my interest because I never played any Star Fox games. They could be good but I just never felt like playing them, as rail shooter games were never my favorite genre.

So yeah, when the only crossover I found to be amazing was Super Smash Bros. Brawl specifically, and for anything else I just ranged from liking pretty well to not caring for, and with the Smash Bros. series being the games I look forward to the most and still not being blown away when even they are announced… enjoying the games on average but not notably looking forward to them is the closest indicator of my opinion. I did want to change the wording of this option to, say something similar to, "...but don't greatly look forward to them" when this poll was on the trail to making it. As while I still might look forward to a crossover mildly sometimes, I feel mostly nothing outside of that.

In third place at 14% with 224 votes is the option, "I have mixed feelings on these crossovers and feel their execution varies." This option definitely would make sense for people to think, with the reception of the crossovers other than Smash or maybe Mario + Rabbids. Even then, I know a lot of people dislike the company that produced Mario + Rabbids, Ubisoft. I imagine some of the people who voted for this, maybe didn't see the Super Smash Bros. games as their favorite game series ever either. I definitely come closer to the third place option than the very positive first place option. However, I still enjoyed Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Wii U and Ultimate to an extent, enough to go with the second place option. I wonder how many people voted for this because they really liked some crossovers and really didn't like other crossovers, but also if there were a few people who voted for this option because they consistently felt neutral/meh on almost every crossover Mario has, had even though that breaks with the "varying results" wording.

In fourth place at 9% with 139 votes is the option, "I only like it when crossovers occur with other franchises I like." This is definitely entering the territory of a few but still some people voting per option, like with a lot of the options on CaptainOdyssey's costume poll. And honestly, it is the third option in a row that I either come close to thinking or think. In this case come close to thinking.

In terms of my experiences of franchises Mario has crossed over with:

Even having played Rabbids a little bit like 15 years ago, a party game with one of my friends, but it never was one of my favorite series.
I never played Star Fox at all; I may not dislike it but the exactly one notable memory I have related to the series is that I listened to one of the music tracks, Corneria, sometimes when I jumped on the trampoline each day before going to middle school in its later phases and I thought it was cool. That's it though.
As for Sonic I have more experiences with it and I probably like it the most out of those three series. But more for hearing other people talk about its lore and games they liked, like the Sonic Adventure games. For example I thought the Sonic Shorts were funny when I watched them a lot back in 2014. I did play some of a few Sonic games, such as Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic Generations for the 3DS, and Sonic Lost World. However, I didn't consider them to be great on average. There was one game I saw as not great, but good, Sonic Lost World. (I played the 3DS version although I know people think about the same about the Wii U version) As I felt the levels had the most detail and substance out of the Sonic games I played, if maybe not a ton of polish, but even enjoying that game, most people seem to think it's just okay at best. I did beat it though at one point I think! So yeah, I like Sonic a bit more than the first two but it definitely isn't one of my favorite series ever.

So yeah, as you can guess by that list, I historically was not super mind-blown that Nintendo was crossing over with Rabbids, or that Fox was in the Mario Galaxy movie more recently. On the other hand, with London 2012 Olympic Games I think the only reason I even felt lower average towards it was that I felt mildly positive towards Sonic.

And with a lot of my friends right now, we tend to talk about things other than Nintendo games, although I do talk about Nintendo with them every now and then. I wouldn't even classify any of them as "Nintendo nerds", although all of them like Nintendo. And I know they're probably not nerds for Sonic or Rabbids either. So maybe I would have enjoyed the announcements for Mario + Rabbids games, or Mario & Sonic games, if my friends had loved the series Mario was crossing over with, where then I would be excited on their behalf, but that's not the case.

With everything said, it might seem like "fourth place" is exactly the option I think. However, I do think a small difference is that, with games I never got into like Mario + Rabbids, I can feel happy when there is a well-received crossover game involving Mario, and for the people who like those games. So I wouldn't say "I only like if Mario crosses over with franchises I like", more like, "I only feel excited if Mario crosses over with franchises I like". You can point out that that's not a very big difference though, I suppose. But I do think being somewhat happy for other people, does factor into my not voting for this option.

As for the people who voted for this, I wonder if anyone felt more particular towards this option because Nintendo tended to focus on crossing over with franchises they didn't care as much about. And much more rarely focused on franchises they liked, although that's not to put down Sonic, Rabbids or Star Fox. Just that those voters specifically didn't like those franchises as much.

In fifth place at 7% with 117 votes is the option "I have no opinion on this subject." This is the last option with at least a low average number of votes too, and it definitely still makes me curious. I wonder if anyone who voted for this actually has the same positivity level as "third place" of being mixed on the crossovers. But felt their execution was just consistently so-so and the crossovers made them feel very little, as opposed to varying in a way that is notable to analyze, like said by "third place", so voted this instead. I could also see maybe a few people who voted this thinking "fourth place" of only liking crossovers with franchises they like, but then Nintendo never crossed Mario over much with franchises they cared about. So then they didn't care about the crossovers, but would if Nintendo crossed over with a series they liked.

In sixth place at 2% with 27 votes is the option "I strongly dislike these crossovers and don't want to see any more in the future." The number of votes now drops off into very few. Interestingly, it actually got a couple more votes than the more mild negative option. I wonder with the less successive distribution, whether a person or two who voted this, felt more standard bad towards the crossovers, instead of strongly negative, but voted this over the mild negative option specifically because they wanted the franchises to end. Or maybe it was just that, of course, most of the people who didn't like these crossovers really didn't like them.

I do think I could see people not wanting the crossovers to continue for a couple reasons. For one, maybe people think that Mario should be its own franchise, and thus not become even more popular by having to do with another franchise in any way. So they feel crossovers are a symbol of the wrong mindset for Nintendo to have. Maybe some people are also fatigued with the series that Mario tends to cross over with always being the same, and want no more of the games where Mario crosses over with those series. Of course, just thinking Nintendo has handled crossovers poorly in the past, and will likely always poorly handle crossovers is another reason. Again, maybe multiple of these or all three.

This option is not my opinion as I did enjoy the Super Smash Bros. games. Maybe not so much Mario & Sonic, but even then I didn't consider anything about London 2012 to be horrible or outright distasteful to the two series. Maybe I'd want the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series to not come back (and it seems like it won't with the Olympics license having expired) but more because I'd want a different type of game, such as a platformer, for Mario and Sonic to cross over in. I also am fine with Super Smash Bros. and Mario + Rabbids continuing. But I'm not sure at most I'd want to buy a new game in either series. (Especially since I'm a pretty strict budgeter right now, and I'm on a resolution not to buy any new video games for 10 years, which lasts until April 2033. But considering I'd want to be careful with spending too much even by that time, even with the games that I would really want to buy since starting, like Mario and Luigi: Brothership, I kinda doubt I'll buy a game from either crossover series. Ahhh anyway) I will say that I would be interested to see Mario have a game crossing over with a franchise it has not crossed over with yet, like Kirby or The Legend of Zelda.

In seventh and last, and this time a bit closer to least, place at 1% with 24 votes is the option "I dislike these crossovers but don't care if Nintendo stopped them." I think the differences in distributions of these two polls is interesting. As with the costume poll, for each of the less popular options, not a lot but at least some people voted for them. But with the least popular options on the crossover poll, very few people voted for them. Indicating a positive reception since they were the two most negative options. 67% of people voted for one of the two broad positive options on this crossover poll, whereas only 3% of people voted for one of the two outright negative options on it, so reception for crossovers on this poll is very positive. Both the costume poll and crossover poll, distinctly have most people liking their respective topic.

To speculate more, I imagine some of the rare votes for this option felt very detached from the crossovers. Like, they wouldn't have the attitude towards them to be involved in doing say, one hour analysis videos on why them and their production and their ideas and everything, are the most rotten signs of Nintendo's decay and selling out ever since (insert specific year/game/etc here). But having some negative memories of them.

While I mentioned that 1% is a very low amount of the vote, the fact that the mild negative opinion towards this poll is even on the higher end of it, at 1.48%, to be exact, means that it still is not the lowest fraction anyone has voted for in any Mario Wiki poll. Stay tuned for my bonus section.

Unanimity

Since I have been talking some about how the more and less popular options ended up comparing with each other during these two polls, I am adding a section on Unanimity. Here, I will order first place choices from polls this committee so far starting from most popular down, and last place choices starting from least popular down. This will be to show the options the most people agree are their opinion, and the options the most people agree aren't their opinion. I did this section during the February 2022 PC Discussion for the 12th Poll Committee, and then updated the list at the end of the term, so will be bringing this back. For a recap of 4 years ago, during the 12th Poll Committee, -The most popular option out of any poll, was on a poll by yours truly, "Mario Kart: Double Dash!! featured the ability to use two drivers at once. Would you like to see this feature return?" with the most popular option being "Using two drivers should return as a specific mode or option, but other modes should allow using one driver." at 67% and 1,784 out of 2,664 votes -The least popular option out of any a poll, was on a poll by BBQ Turtle, "Occasionally Mario games bring back enemies after a long absence. Would you like to see more infrequently appearing enemies return to the series?" with the least popular option being "I would prefer games stick to new or already common enemies." at 0.6% and only 13 out of 2,166 votes

The extremely low result on BBQ's enemy recurrence poll was definitely interesting, as even with my coverage of the 1% vote on the "somewhat negative" option on Koopa's crossover poll, that one at least managed to avoid almost rounding to 0%. Thus, to use my own wording earlier, this option is about a complete "ghost town" in terms of votes. Wanting enemies to come back definitely ended up being popular when her poll was aired back in January 2022. Another fact about my Mario Kart: Double Dash poll, which hopefully is seen as interesting, is that 22% of people also voted for the two-driver mode in Double Dash coming back by itself, causing the two-driver mode's return to end up showing itself as an extremely popular idea, with 89% total support.

Conclusion

It has been a lot of fun to analyze my thoughts on these two polls, both in terms of my opinion of each option, and why others might think each option. I felt very analytical making and covering the statistics for the Unanimity section too! I look forward to seeing Yoshi18's flavor of covering the next polls when he does next month.

Awards Analysis

Written by: Sparks (talk)

Hello everybody! Poll Committee Chairman Sparks is back in Pipe Plaza for the third month in a row. This time however, I'm not writing Poll Committee Discussion - The Shadow Prince (talk) took care of that - I'm here because September marks the beginning of Awards Analysis for the 16th Poll Committee!

From now until March, my trusted PC members will provide the statistics and analyses of the results for the recent Mario Awards! Well, the Mario and Fail Awards specifically. This'll be lots of fun, I promise!

The awards I chose for this month are M8. Favorite Game Mechanic, M9. Favorite Bowser Battle, and F2. Worst Obstacle! Let's see what the top ten choices were for these Awards, shall we?

Analysis

M8. Favorite Game Mechanic

Mario games each have their own mechanics and gimmicks to make them feel unique, so why not have an award about them? A total of 1,511 voters contributed to this award!

In tenth place, we have Kart customization (MK series) with 59 votes! Choosing a racer is one thing, but having the ability to customize your own vehicle to race in? Of course that's awesome! Everyone's super creative with what they use, whether they want one stat to excel in or maybe they just want to drive something with a nice appearance. Man, maybe I should customize my Mario Kart 8 Deluxe vehicle... Believe it or not, I stick with the basic stuff. Disappointing, I know.

Do you ever wonder if DK's fists get sore from punching so much terrain?

Earning ninth place with 64 votes is Destructible Terrain (DKB)! Oh boy, Donkey Kong Bananza made quite a splash last year as an amazing Nintendo Switch 2 title. In this game, you don't have to follow the path since you can just break it and find hidden goodies and stuff! Some terrain can help you out too once you rip it out of the earth, like that explosive stuff in the Lagoon Layer. Super creative and really helps set this game apart from others of the same genre.

Up next is eighth place, and it's Badges (PM series) with 66 votes! Oh yes, Badges are the main component in the first two Paper Mario games that shape specific playstyles so nobody plays the same! Heck, some people just upgrade BP because the mechanic was just nailed that much. It's a shame they're gone now... Accessories aren't the same! Bring Badges back for Paper Mario 7, Nintendo! Do it and you'll please so many people. Please?

Ready for number seven? That's right, it's Partners (PM series) with 86 votes! Another Paper Mario option right after the Badges? That's probably not a coincidence! Besides having diverse battle tactics, partners are simply charming and help Mario out in their own way! Well, everyone except Kersti. I'll just leave it at that.

Almost at the top five is F.L.U.D.D., who obtained 94 votes! This invention by Professor E. Gadd allows Mario to hover, spray enemies, water plants, slam down, and much more. Talk about versatility! F.L.U.D.D. is also one of the few Mario characters to actually speak, which is... interesting. The point is, it's popular!

We've reached the top five now! This nominee obtained 102 votes - that's right - it's Gravity (SMG)! Being able to walk all around planets opens up so many new possibilities for Mario! You'll be safe from some pits, but you should still watch out for those random black holes all throughout outer space... more on that later! It's also a good thing that the gravity itself is never heavy, right?

Only Mario and Luigi can use items in such creative methods!

The fourth place winner is Bros. Attacks (M&L series) with 114 votes! I can vouch for this one; Mario and Luigi perform so many amazing attacks together in the Mario & Luigi games. They're great for attacking foes plus they're just fun to watch! You ever wanna see your foes get utterly destroyed by a mythical dream bird? You won't see that anywhere else.

Snagging that bronze medal with 141 votes is Timed hits/action commands (Mario RPG titles)! In most RPGs, you just select an attack and watch the screen for about 5-10 seconds. In the Mario RPGs, that's not what happens. You get to make your attacks stronger while reducing the effects of those from your enemies! It's no wonder why newer non-Mario RPGs began including Action Commands.

The silver medal goes to Wonder Effects (SMBW) with 152 votes! These WONDERful alterations completely change the environment around you, leading to all sorts of excitement and unexpected twists. That wonder in the ocean? Now the ceiling is a swimming pool! Those pipes weren't alive before, but now they are! Look at you - you're a Wubba now! There's more where that came from, and it only gets even more crazier.

Everybody do the dinosaur!

The winner of M8. Favorite Game Mechanic goes to... Cappy/Captures (SMO)! With 269 votes, it's the only option to reach over 200. I think it's obvious why this one won. You get to temporarily play as anyone who doesn't have a hat on, including a T-REX!! You also get to become inanimate objects too, like manhole lids and electricity. Discovering a new Capture is always a blast, and Super Mario Odyssey proves that each new mainline 3D game can surprise us each and every time.

That's all for the Game Mechanics! Now we move on to something totally different!

M9. Favorite Bowser Battle

GWAHAHA! Mario's fought Bowser for over 40 years now! Obviously the Koopa King isn't going to battle his nemesis the exact same way every time right? No! Let's see what the top ten fan favorite Bowser Battles are! This Award was voted on by 1,415 people.

Kicking things off is Baby Bowser/Big Baby Bowser (SMW2:YI) with 49 votes! Baby Bowser's first ever battle was a truly memorable one! Players felt a sense of dread as they raced against time to defeat the final boss before he got close enough. It's even more menacing that he was just a silhouette in the background, right? A shame the sequel ruined the epicness of the fight...

Let's keep this going with the ninth place winner! Earning 55 votes it's Bowser/Koopa Clown Car (SMW), another SNES Bowser Battle! I'll admit that I'm not very familiar with this one, but I do know that Mario must use Mechakoopas to attack Bowser in his Clown Car. I think this is also the first time Bowser's in his Clown Car, making the battle even more memorable. Princess Peach still assists Mario during the fight with Mushrooms, so that's very polite of her, despite her current predicament!

Eighth place now, and it's Bowser??? (PM) with 68 votes. Well, it's not actually Bowser. The Koopa Bros. all combined their powers to form some weird, cheap knockoff of the Koopa King that for some reason Bowser finds awesome. It just makes for a hilarious encounter for an iconic boss in general. Not all Bowser fights have to be epic, you know?

In seventh place we have Bowser in the Sky (SM64) with 88 votes! The final Bowser encounter from the legendary Super Mario 64 is also considered by many to be one of the toughest Bowser fights in the series. You need to throw him at bombs not once, but three times to win! He also turns the battlefield into a start when the fight's almost over, making everything all the more suspenseful. Cool!

"Meowser" doesn't sound as threatening, actually!

Obtaining sixth place with 96 votes is Meowser (SM3DW)! Bowser uses a Super Bell to transform into a feline version of himself while also making his name a pun. The battle takes a more cinematic approach, as Mario and his friends focus on climbing the Great Tower while Meowser actively pursues them. Halfway during the climb, the boss uses a Double Cherry to make duplicates of himself and therefore spicing things up. The sight of seeing the real Meowser with all seven Sprixie Princesses at the tower's peak is certainly a moment I'll never forget!

Halfway there! With 99 votes we have Bowser/Giant Bowser (NSMBW)! The normal Bowser battle in New Super Mario ?bros. Wii is nothing special; just make Bowser fall. What happens afterward is a very tense finale as the now Giant Bowser slowly makes his way towards Mario and co., unintentionally destroying part of his castle to create new paths for the heroes. It all ends when another giant switch is pressed, causing even the mighty Giant Bowser to fall to his demise. You shouldn't have those switches anyway, Bowser!

Obtaining 132 votes we have Bowser's Galaxy Reactor (SMG)! Bowser's final battle in Super Mario Galaxy is one that's fought across three phases, each with completely different mechanics. The final arena takes place at the very center of a star with fitting dramatic music accompanying. All in all, it's just awesome, and what a final battle should be like. It's for the fate of the universe after all!

The bronze medal goes to Fury Bowser (SM3DW+BF) with 154 votes! This is quite possibly the most threatening Bowser has ever got. He's full of uncontrolled anger and is a constant threat throughout the game mode of the same name. So how do you defeat him? You gotta become a powerful cat kaiju and take him down! He's not all bad though - he can destroy some blocks for you...

In second place it's Bowser's Moon Wedding (SMO) with 156 votes, just two more than Fury Bowser! To stop Bowser from marrying Princess Peach, Mario must crash his wedding on the moon! With Cappy's help, Mario also steals his hat and beats the daylights outta the Koopa King as well! If that wasn't enough, you get to CONTROL Bowser after the fight! For a premise so absurd, it turned out to be quite memorable... and hilarious too!

There's only room for one Koopa King!

And now for the top choice! With 192 votes, the winner is Dark Bowser (M&L:BIS)! Bowser versus and evil-er version of himself. That's already awesome, but it should also be noted that he's the one who finishes him off too! Of course, the amazing battle theme has to be mentioned as well. I wonder when we'll get another copy of Bowser?

Those were some pretty great battles, but we're not finished yet. I want to go over a Fail Award!

F2. Worst Obstacle

Everyone hates obstacles, but what are the worst ones in the Mario franchise? I'll say I only chose this one because I made an Awards presentation on it, so I know a lot about this! This Award received a total of 1,296 votes.

One more time! Tenth place goes to Toxic Cloud, with 57 votes! This applies to places where Mario and his friends take constant damage because of being in a poisonous area, like that one area in Hazy Maze Cave and the Tomb Suites. Best to get out of them as quickly as possible! I feel bad for those attempting to beat Luigi's Mansion 3 without taking damage because of that one part...

Earning ninth place with 54 votes it's Fire Bar! These revolving hazards have been around since Super Mario Bros., and they're still as common as ever. Beware of the infamous Fire Bar Cliffs in New Super Mario Bros. U, because it's FILLED with them from start to end! Even in the Smash Bros. games you're not safe from Fire ?bars because guess what - opponents can use them to wallop ya!

Grumblump Inferno is a level notorious for having so much lava.

Coming up next with 68 votes we have Lava/Poison! Both are very common hazards that usually result in a lost life when touched. They're also found EVERYWHERE, which is obviously not a good thing. To make things worse, even a Super Star won't save you from these dangers. If only Mario always simply took damage upon contact with lava like in the Super Mario Galaxy games...

This next one's sure to give you chills! It's Freezing water with 71 votes. An uncommon hazard, but it managed to surpass lava and poison in terms of votes. In cold locations in the 3D games, staying in water for just a short time will deal damage to Mario, so get out of there quickly! At least you don't immediately turn into a frozen block of ice, right? Oh wait, Polar Extreme has that... Sorry!

Getting to sixth place with 76 votes is Bottomless pit! For some reason the worlds are full of holes, making navigation quite tricky. Just one careless mistake and BOOM! Instant loss of a life. The danger of falling is everywhere, but hey! Maybe you could use it to your advantage? Take Bowser from Super Mario Bros. 3 for example - you gotta best him by making him fall!

Getting to the top five with 87 votes is Black hole! Oh boy, remember when I said earlier that black holes are everywhere in the Super Mario Galaxy games? These act as bottomless pits for the majority of the missions. They're even worse than falling into a pit because you can actually see Mario disintegrating before the "TOO BAD!" text goes away. Ouch!

Fourth place now! Quicksand made it here with 101 votes. Usually when you're in quicksand, you gotta keep jumping to get out. Simple right? Sadly it isn't always so. Some quicksand lives up to its name and is impossible to escape from. Also, don't take too long in a battle if you're in quicksand, OK? Trust me.

They're taking the phrase "follow the leader" a bit too seriously!

The final bronze medal of the month is awarded to Pursuing doppelgänger (Cosmic Clones, Rift Mario) with 178 votes! Enemies are annoying, right? How would you like it if someone chased you throughout the entire level by following your exact movements? That's so much worse, right? Most of these clones cannot be defeated by normal means, but the ones in Super Mario Galaxy 2 with perish upon clearing a specific goal - with Starbits to boot! Rift Mario is also problematic, but at least he can be stunned!

The last silver medal is awarded to the nominee with 182 votes - Poison Mushroom/Rotten Mushroom! Truly a power-up gone rotten! The Poison Mushroom only exists to make your life miserable by chasing you around, especially in Super Mario Maker 2! You can also use them to troll your friends/opponents in some of the Mario Party games, but do you want to risk your friendship with them?

You're never safe from wind...

And now, we have finally reached the final nominee! The winner (loser) of the award goes too... Wind! By getting 212 votes, it BLEW away the competition! Ah... anyways I think it's interesting that it got first place again. Is it really that problematic? Apparently so since the votes decided, but still; I don't think it's the worst obstacle in the franchise. It hinders your movements, yeah, but surely bottomless pits are worse, right? Aw well. Can it win again next year? Find out... next year! That's 2027 by the way.

Phew! That's my Awards Analysis for the term! I had fun, but I have to pass the torch to someone else for October! Be sure to come back next month to see Koopa (talk)'s take on the section! Adios!

The 'Shroom Report

Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)

Hello, all you readers of The 'Shroom! It sure is September, huh. If only Shoey were covering a nautical bot again, then I could get in on the pirate action. Hmm... could we do pirates with tanks? Can we find yet another thing to smash up with pirates...?

We'll workshop it. For now, I'll go over the stats from issue 233! As always, my thanks go to MightyMario for updating the sheets.

For new readers or anyone needing a refresher, please open the box below.

First-Time Writers lists everyone who wrote their first section for The 'Shroom in the previous issue.
New Sections lists recurring sections that started their run in the previous issue. This includes returning sections that previously went inactive.
Guest Sections lists one-off submissions from the previous issue.
Milestones covers certain section numbers reached in the previous issue. Writers are mentioned for every 10 sections written in a team and every 50 sections written overall, teams are mentioned for every 100 sections, and The 'Shroom itself is mentioned for every 500 sections. Additionally, established writers are mentioned the first time they contribute to a particular team.
Most Sections Written lists the current all-time record holders.

Guest Sections
Section	Writer
Character Parade	ClawgripFan9001
Community Art	Zdrmonster (talk)
Diggin' Up Dirt	Waluigi Time (talk)
News Flush (Court Rules Defendant Too Pathetic to Stand Trial)	Harold Harefoot (talk)
News Flush (Smithy Gang Votes to Strike)	Harold Harefoot (talk)
Rising from Obscurity	Waluigi Time (talk)
Travel Guide	ClawgripFan9001

Milestones
Writer	Milestone
Aomaf (talk)	20 Palette Swap sections
Harold Harefoot (talk)	70 Pipe Plaza sections
Hypnotoad (talk)	300 total sections
MightyMario (talk)	10 Fake News sections
Sparks (talk)	30 Fun Stuff sections
TheBlueCatMenace	40 Fake News sections

Most Sections Written
Team	Writer	Number of Sections
Main/Staff	Henry Tucayo Clay (talk)	142
Fake News	Waluigi Time (talk)	193
Fun Stuff	Harold Harefoot (talk)	173
Palette Swap	FunkyK38 (talk)	223
Pipe Plaza	Yoshi876 (talk)	128
Critic Corner	Hypnotoad (talk)	236
Strategy Wing	Hooded Pitohui (talk)	208
Overall	Yoshi876 (talk)	747

'Shroom Trivia
Of all the title banners introduced for Fake News sections back in issue L (50), the banner for Character Parade had the longest gap between its debut and its first reappearance. Character Parade and its banner were absent for nearly fourteen years before returning in issue 217.

What's in a Campaign?

Written by: Harold Harefoot (talk)

Hello, and welcome back to What's in a Campaign?, a section where I take a look at various robots from the hit series Robot Wars. I was planning on following up the hit themed robot Sub-Version from last month with another themed robot, namely the Series 5 run of Crushstacean. I got it all wrote up and sent it to Hood for editing, who took one look at it and went "hey, idiot-brains, you already covered this robot!" – his words, not mine! So in a panic to write a new section before the deadline, we're now going to look at the Series 3 track bot Panzer!

I don't think it looks that much like a tank!

"BEHOLD MY MAIN WEAPON THAT I WILL NOT BE USING FOR SOME REASON"

Panzer was built by Simon Jones after his son Richard (who joined him on the show) challenged him to build a robot for Robot Wars. Jones and Jones were joined by colleague Alfred Cromwell. Panzer is a tracked bot, which is fairly rare for Robot Wars. Tracks, of course, offer better traction than wheels, making them better for pushing and for avoiding being pushed, but at the same time, they are easier to damage than wheels are. In theory, Panzer is a classic Series 3 robot with interchangeable weapons. The main weapon is supposed to be an angle grinder powered by two petrol-powered motors capable of spinning at 5,000 rpm.

Alongside the angle grinder is an early Robot Wars staple side weapon of two static spikes. For some reason, they

#	Poll	Top Answer	Percentage of Vote	Creator
1	Which Koopalings boss battle in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is your favorite?	I have not played this game.	50.94%	Ninja Squid (talk)
2	Do you enjoy that recent Yoshi games are located in art-themed settings, such as yarn, hand-crafts, and book pages?	Yes, I greatly enjoy the unique art-themed settings new Yoshi games have and want them to continue in future games.	49.69%	The Shadow Prince (talk)
3	The Mario series has had many crossovers with other franchises. How do you feel about these?	I strongly enjoy these crossovers and want to see more.	45.18%	Koopa (talk)
4	Certain Mario games have included the ability to dress up the playable character in various costumes as a feature. How do you feel about these costumes?	I think that the best way to use costumes can be different depending on the intended design of the game.	34.54%	CaptainOdyssey (talk)
5	What are your feelings towards locations from the real world appearing or being referenced in the Mario Series? (Brooklyn, Mario Kart Tour tracks, etc.)	I like the occasional appearance of real world locations, but I think that it should remain about as frequent as it is now.	33.18%	CaptainOdyssey (talk)
6	Out of the new courses introduced in Mario Kart World, which is your favorite?	I have not played Mario Kart World.	28.83%	Fun With Despair (talk)
7	Mario has had many one-time companions during his many adventures. Besides swappable partners (Goombario, Vivian, etc.) who is your favorite?	Cappy	25.38%	Koopa (talk)
8	What is your opinion on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?	I thought that this movie was pretty good, and felt somewhat satisfied watching it.	25.29%	The Shadow Prince (talk)
9	Would it be better for the Mario series be treated as a consistent universe or a set of ideas to play with?	Forcing the Mario series to be consistent is too limiting on the potential to add creative ideas to the franchise.	25.23%	CaptainOdyssey (talk)
10	Of the main relics that have appeared in the Mario RPGs, which are your favourite?	Crystal Stars	23.83%	Paper Plumm (talk)
11	Several power-ups in the Mario franchise grant Mario and his allies the ability to fly and glide in unique ways. Which one is your favorite?	Super Cape	21.96%	Sparks (talk)

#	Poll	Bottom Answer	Percentage of Vote	Creator
1	Out of the new courses introduced in Mario Kart World, which is your favorite?	Salty Salty Speedway	0.96%	Fun With Despair (talk)
2	What is your opinion on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?	I have no opinion on this subject.	1.05%	The Shadow Prince (talk)
3	Mario has had many one-time companions during his many adventures. Besides swappable partners (Goombario, Vivian, etc.) who is your favorite?	Kersti	1.17%	Koopa (talk)
4	What are your feelings towards locations from the real world appearing or being referenced in the Mario Series?	I would prefer that the Mario series takes inspiration more from real world history over the present day.	1.32%	CaptainOdyssey (talk)
5	The Mario series has had many crossovers with other franchises. How do you feel about these?	I dislike these crossovers but don't care if Nintendo stopped them.	1.48%	Koopa (talk)
6	Do you enjoy that recent Yoshi games are located in art-themed settings, such as yarn, hand-crafts, and book pages?	I can enjoy these art-themed settings only when they affect the gameplay of the game.	1.82%	The Shadow Prince (talk)
7	Of the main relics that have appeared in the Mario RPGs, which are your favourite?	Royal Stickers	1.86%	Paper Plumm (talk)
8	Several power-ups in the Mario franchise grant Mario and his allies the ability to fly and glide in unique ways. Which one is your favorite?	Propeller Box	2.12%	Sparks (talk)
9	Would it be better for the Mario series be treated as a consistent universe or a set of ideas to play with?	The Mario franchise should keep a consistent art direction and character designs, but story details can be contradicted.	2.28%	CaptainOdyssey (talk)
10	Which Koopalings boss battle in Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park is your favorite?	I didn't like any of the boss battles.	2.50%	Ninja Squid (talk)
11	Certain Mario Games have included the ability to dress up the playable character in various costumes as a feature. How do you feel about these costumes?	I don't really care about costumes as a feature, but it doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the game either.	8.01%	CaptainOdyssey (talk)

M8. Favorite Game Mechanic
Cappy/Captures (SMO) 17.80% (269 votes)

Wonder Effects (SMBW) 10.06% (152 votes)

Timed hits/action commands (Mario RPG titles) 9.33% (141 votes)

Bros. Attacks (M&L series) 7.54% (114 votes)

Gravity (SMG) 6.75% (102 votes)

F.L.U.D.D. (SMS) 6.22% (94 votes)

Partners (PM series) 5.69% (86 votes)

Badges (PM series) 4.37% (66 votes)

Destructible terrain (DKB) 4.24% (64 votes)

Kart customization (MK series) 3.90% (59 votes)

Total votes: 1,511

M9. Favorite Bowser Battle
Dark Bowser (M&L:BIS) 13.57% (192 votes)

Bowser's Moon Wedding (SMO) 11.02% (156 votes)

Fury Bowser (SM3DW+BF) 10.88% (154 votes)

Bowser's Galaxy Reactor (SMG) 9.33% (132 votes)

Bowser/Giant Bowser (NSMBW) 7.00% (99 votes)

Meowser (SM3DW) 6.78% (96 votes)

Bowser in the Sky (SM64) 6.22% (88 votes)

Bowser??? (PM) 4.81% (68 votes)

Bowser/Koopa Clown Car (SMW) 3.89% (55 votes)

Baby Bowser/Big Baby Bowser (SMW2:YI) 3.46% (49 votes)

Total votes: 1,415

F2. Worst Obstacle
Wind 16.36% (212 votes)

Poison Mushroom/Rotten Mushroom 14.04% (182 votes)

Pursuing doppelgänger (Cosmic Clones, Rift Mario) 13.73% (178 votes)

Quicksand 7.79% (101 votes)

Black hole 6.71% (87 votes)

Bottomless pit 5.86% (76 votes)

Freezing water 5.48% (71 votes)

Lava/Poison 5.25% (68 votes)

Fire Bar 4.17% (54 votes)

Toxic cloud 3.94% (51 votes)

Total votes: 1,296