User:Wandering Poplin/Possible appearances rework

Welcome! The goal of this project is to figure out how to fix/improve the system used for the "possible appearances" section which was formerly incorporated into Toad's page, and possibly others if needed. For further details about why, I'd recommend you read this discussion first, since it holds a lot of the context for this ordeal.

Have any questions? Perhaps even a suggestion? Feel free to bring it up on the talk page. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

This article needs improvement. Specifically:

• A way of properly addressing the concerns of users who disliked the inherently speculative nature of the feature.
• A easy-to-understand system for what Toads should qualify for inclusion in this section.
• Ensure the entire thing is still up to code with the wiki's quality standards.

Requested improvements must be clear, pertinent, and well-formed. Please refrain from adding bullet points such as "Add more information" or "Write the rest of the article".

Formatting

This section consists of experiments with the layout of the section. For brevity, each example only includes three games in their respective lists.

Format 1

This version is a direct recreation of the way the original section was formatted with very minimal changes. (Mainly in writing.) Therefore, it has all the same strengths and flaws of the original system.

Super Princess Peach

In Super Princess Peach, Toad also appears as a playable character in two of the mini-games in the game. The first minigame is Toad Jump, which involves a side-scrolling world where Toad must jump over enemies and pits. The only way to control him in this minigame is through blowing into the microphone of the DS. If he is hit by an enemy or falls in a hole, it will trigger an instant loss in the game. The other minigame is named Toad Tote which involves Toad being trapped in a maze-like area that is engulfed in flames with the goal of the mini-game being to help Toad to escape. In the minigame, Toad is controlled utilizing the Stylus and he must avoid the obstacles in the maze which could burn him.

In the story mode, Toad is considered to be one of the many Toads who are captured along with Mario and Luigi by the Hammer Bros. and later rescued by Princess Peach. Although it is somewhat ambiguous due to all Toads within the main game sharing the same appearance.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

In the Nintendo Power guide of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Toad refers to the emissary that the player briefly controls in Mario and Luigi's house, who ends up running into a wardrobe after seeing Mario in the shower and can barely inform "P-P-Princess P-P-Peach... P-P-Princess P-P-Peach..." when jumped on by Mario. However, in the Prima Games guide, Toad refers to the aforementioned as well as the one in the castle who offers tutorial advice against Bowser,who more coherently explains the situation about Princess Peach's voice with the scene's other Toad after the battle. Toad's role is the same in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions.

Super Paper Mario

Toad makes a small appearance in the beginning of Super Paper Mario. Mario and Luigi, bored and looking for adventure one lazy morning, decide to visit Princess Peach. However, on their way out the door they are stopped by Toad, who had rushed to the Mario Bros.' House to inform them that Princess Peach has been kidnapped and Mushroom Castle has been raided, thus starting the Bros.' adventure to Bowser's Castle and later to save all worlds from The Void. As the Mario Bros. leave on their journey, Toad can be seen wishing the two brothers good luck on their adventure and stating that the entire Mushroom Kingdom is depending on the two to saving Peach. Toad also appears as the last Catch Card in this game.

Format 2

Inspired by the rewrite tag present on the section prior to its removal. This version reformats the "Possible appearances" as a table. Due to the limited space, the section appears more brief and concise, but makes it difficult to give anything worthwhile coverage. This version appears to work best when used with screenshots, as sprites and artwork do not tend to convey much about his role in that work.

#	Image	Title	Description
1		New Super Mario Bros. Wii	Toad can be found back at Peach's Castle throughout Mario's adventure in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where he will offer to show hint movies to the players in exchange for Star Coins. He shares the same design as the other Toads encountered in the game, aside from the playable Yellow Toad and Blue Toad.
2		Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS	The Super Mario 64 instruction booklet mentions that Toad is missing which presumably makes him one of the many Toads trapped within the castle walls, but the Super Mario 64 DS instruction booklet instead indicates that Toad is the first one seen in the game, and is not missing. The Japanese counterparts of these do not mention the character and instead refer to the Toads as a whole. The Player's Guide uses both "Toad" and "Mushroom Retainers" to refer to the Toads that relinquish Power Stars on the second floor and third floor.
3		Super Mario 3D Land	Toads appears within a few select courses in Super Mario 3D Land, Unlike other Red Toads in the game, he is usually depicted as the only one with red spots and sports a blue vest, whereas the others generally have red vests. He is mainly seen operating the cannons that provide Mario with access to the airship levels, and running the Red Toad Houses where players can obtain power-ups and access the StreetPass option from their Nintendo 3DS. He also hides in some of the levels and will either toss a Star Medal, a Power-Up, or a 1-Up Mushroom close to Mario in order to provide him with help when spotted with binoculars, just like the other Toads in the game.

Format 3

Another table. Less room for images, but includes more room for text. But otherwise has similar issues to Format 2.

Image	Name	Description
	Luigi's Mansion	In Luigi's Mansion, Toad appears among the several Toads found throughout the mansion, although the specific one that is Toad is unknown. The first of them appears in the foyer of the mansion where he can be seen crying. After Luigi comforts him, he informs Luigi that he was sent by Princess Peach in search of Mario in the mansion. However, the Toad states that upon entering the mansion, he became frightened as he could not find Mario. He then decides to help Luigi in his search for Mario by saving the hero's progress. Other Toads can be found in several different locations throughout the game: the second floor Balcony, the first floor Washroom, and the Courtyard. Toad himself is also the one who calls Luigi through the middle telephone in the Telephone Room during the blackout.
	Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon	Toad appears in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon as one of Professor E. Gadd's assistants, along with four other Toads. (blue, yellow, purple, and green) Once King Boo shatters the Dark Moon, all the ghosts in Evershade Valley get hostile and imprison Toad and the others in paintings. It is revealed that Toad was imprisoned in a painting within the Haunted Towers. Unlike the other colored Toads in the game, the design of the Red Toad matches Toad's usual appearance, rather than having a red vest.
	Super Smash Bros. Melee	In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Toad appears as Princess Peach's helper and standard special move. He is pulled out of nowhere and used as a shield. If he gets hit while he is out, he releases spores that damage the enemy. This is the second time Toad has ever displayed this ability throughout his existence (the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Tennis was the first while Mario Sports Mix further explored this ability). If Kirby inhales Princess Peach, he can use Toad in the same way. In Adventure Mode, multiple Toads with the same appearance can be seen running around in a panic, but otherwise cannot be interacted with.