The 'Shroom:Issue 164/Pipe Plaza

Director’s Notes
Written by:

Holy crap, 2020 is almost over... The last several months have been jam-packed with enough things happening to have its own history book. I certainly will not miss it, but I am greatly looking forward to pumpkin pie and cheesy mashed potatoes at my family's Thanksgiving. (before you ask, yes we are staying home!) Fall term is OVER for me but unfortunately my college is weird with their terms (we have three instead of the usual two) and we go right back with winter term on Monday! Save me, readers.

Poll Committee Discussion makes a highly anticipated return this month! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm definitely glad to have this section back in the mix. If you're interested in writing a section similar to this or anything else featured in Pipe Plaza, head on over to the sign up page to get started!

Happy early Thanksgiving to all you wonderful readers, and stay safe!

Section of the Month

NIWA News
Written by:

Hello, everyone! Welcome to NIWA News, a section where I show the going ons with the wikis in our NIWA group within the last month of October 2020!

Promotions
 * Umeko was promoted to Senior Administrator on Bulbapedia!
 * Glik was promoted to Editorial Board member on Bulbapedia!

Demotions
 * Maverik Nate has been demoted on Bulbapedia.

Maintenance
 * Several wikis may be updating to the new MediaWiki version 1.35, so if something looks off, hang tight! Check with an admin on their wiki for more information.

Mario Calendar
Written by:

Hey guys, GPM1000 here, and it’s time for another Mario Calendar! As always, I’m assuming that most people have an idea of what’s going on here, but if not, basically I’m just recapping every Mario game that has come out in history in the month of November. It’s very self-explanatory, so let’s just do it!

Region Abbreviations Console Abbreviations


 * November 1
 * 1992 (NA): Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB)
 * 1998 (EU): Game & Watch Gallery 2 (GBC)
 * 2000 (JP): Mario Tennis (GBC)
 * 2007
 * (JP): Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
 * (AU): DK: Jungle Climber (DS)
 * 2013 (NA): New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U (Wii U)
 * 2019 (JP): [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Switch)


 * November 3
 * 1996 (JP): Tetris Attack (Satellaview)
 * 2000 (EU/AU): Mario Tennis (N64)
 * 2011 (JP): Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)


 * November 4
 * 2005 (EU): Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (GBA)
 * 2015 (EU): Photos with Mario (3DS eShop)
 * 2016 (NA): Mario Party: Star Rush (3DS)


 * November 5
 * 2009 (JP): Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
 * 2019 (NA): Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Switch)


 * November 6
 * 2009 (NA): Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)


 * November 7
 * 2003 (JP): Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC)
 * 2005 (NA):
 * Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (GBA)
 * Mario Party 7 (GC)
 * 2013 (AU): New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U (Wii U)
 * 2014 (EU): Ultimate NES Remix (3DS)


 * November 8
 * 2002 (JP): Mario Party 4 (GC)
 * 2004 (NA): Mario Power Tennis (GC)
 * 2007 (JP): Mario Party DS (DS)
 * 2013 (EU):
 * Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U)
 * New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U (Wii U)
 * 2014 (AU): Ultimate NES Remix (3DS)
 * 2018 (JP): Luigi's Mansion (3DS)
 * 2019 (EU/AU): Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Switch)


 * November 9
 * 2001 (AU): Wario Land 4 (GBA)
 * 2013 (AU): Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U)


 * November 10
 * 1983 (NA): Mario's Bombs Away (G&W)
 * 2005 (JP): Mario Party 7 (GC)
 * 2015 (NA): Nintendo Badge Arcade (3DS)
 * 2017 (NA): Mario Party: The Top 100 (3DS)


 * November 11
 * 2002 (NA): Mario Bros.-e (e-Reader)
 * 2003 (NA): Mario Party 5 (GC)
 * 2005 (EU): Mario Superstar Baseball (GC)
 * 2012 (NA): Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS)


 * November 12
 * 2004 (EU): Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GC)
 * 2007 (NA): Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
 * 2009 (AU): New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)


 * November 13
 * 1984 (NA): Donkey Kong Hockey (G&W)
 * 1992 (NA): Mario Teaches Typing (MS-DOS)
 * 2006 (NA): Yoshi's Island DS (DS)
 * 2011 (NA): Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
 * 2014 (JP): Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U)
 * 2015 (EU/AU): Nintendo Badge Arcade (3DS)
 * 2020 (ALL): Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. (G&W)


 * November 14
 * 2003 (EU): Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC)
 * 2005 (NA): Mario Kart DS (DS)
 * 2010 (NA): Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! (DS)


 * November 15
 * 1986
 * (EU): Golf (NES)
 * (UK): Donkey Kong (ZX)
 * 2004 (NA): Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (GBA)
 * 2005 (CHN): Super Smash Bros. (IQ)
 * 2009 (NA): New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
 * 2011 (NA): Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii)
 * 2013 (NA): Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U)


 * November 16
 * 2001 (EU):
 * Mario Party 3 (N64)
 * Wario Land 4 (GBA)
 * 2002 (NA): Donkey Kong-e (e-Reader)
 * 2006 (JP): Donkey Kong: Banana Kingdom (Arcade)
 * 2007 (EU): Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)


 * November 17
 * 2000 (EU): Donkey Kong Country (GBC)
 * 2003
 * (NA):
 * Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC)
 * (CHN):
 * Dr. Mario 64 (IQ)
 * Super Mario 64 (IQ)
 * 2005 (AU): Mario Kart DS (DS)
 * 2011 (AU): Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii)


 * November 18
 * 1994 (EU): Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
 * 1996 (NA): Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (GBA)
 * 2001 (NA): Luigi's Mansion (GC)
 * 2004
 * (JP): Mario Party 6 (GC)
 * (AU): Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GC)
 * 2005 (EU):
 * Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA)
 * Super Mario Strikers (GC)
 * 2011 (EU):
 * Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii)
 * Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
 * 2012 (NA):
 * New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)
 * Nintendo Land (Wii U)


 * November 19
 * 1999 (EU): Super Smash Bros. (N64)
 * 2001 (NA): Wario Land 4 (GBA)
 * 2003 (AU): Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC)
 * 2004 (EU): Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA)
 * 2005 (JP): Mario Kart Arcade GP (Arcade)
 * 2007 (NA): Mario Party DS (DS)
 * 2009 (JP): Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)


 * November 20
 * 1992 (AU): Mario Teaches Typing (MS-DOS)
 * 1998 (NA): Game & Watch Gallery 2 (GBC)
 * 2009 (EU): New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
 * 2015 (NA/EU): Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U)


 * November 21
 * 1990 (JP): Super Mario World (SNES)
 * 1992 (JP):
 * Yoshi's Cookie (GB)
 * Yoshi's Cookie (NES)
 * 1994 (NA):
 * Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
 * Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge (SNES)
 * 1995 (JP): Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)
 * 1997 (JP/EU): Diddy Kong Racing (N64)
 * 2001 (JP): Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC)
 * 2003 (JP): Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)
 * 2004 (NA): Super Mario 64 DS (DS)
 * 2010 (NA): Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
 * 2013 (JP): Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)
 * 2014 (NA): Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
 * 2015 (AU): Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U)


 * November 22
 * 1999 (NA): Donkey Kong 64 (N64)
 * 2003 (EU): Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)
 * 2007 (JP/AU): Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
 * 2013 (NA):
 * Mario Party: Island Tour (3DS)
 * Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)


 * November 23
 * 1992 (AU): Mario Teaches Typing (MS-DOS)
 * 1996 (JP):
 * Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES)
 * Donkey Kong Land 2 (GB)
 * 2006 (AU): Yoshi's Island DS (DS)
 * 2007 (EU):
 * Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
 * Mario Party DS (DS)


 * November 24
 * 1997 (NA): Diddy Kong Racing (N64)
 * 2005
 * (JP): SSX on Tour (GC)
 * (AU): Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (GC)
 * 2011 (AU): Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)


 * November 25
 * 2005 (EU):
 * Dr. Mario & Puzzle League (GBA)
 * Mario Kart DS (DS)
 * 2010 (JP): Mario Sports Mix (Wii)


 * November 26
 * 1994 (JP): Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
 * 2004 (EU/AU): Mario Pinball Land (GBA)


 * November 27
 * 1995 (NA): Virtual Boy Wario Land (VB)


 * November 28
 * 1989 (JP): Golf (GB)
 * 1996 (EU):
 * Donkey Kong Land 2 (GB)
 * Tetris Attack (GB)
 * Tetris Attack (SNES)
 * 2003
 * (JP): Mario Party 5 (GC)
 * (AU): Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)
 * 2005 (NA):
 * Dr. Mario & Puzzle League (GBA)
 * Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (DS)
 * 2014 (EU): Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)


 * November 29
 * 2002 (EU/AU): Mario Party 4 (GC)
 * 2007 (AU): Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
 * 2013 (EU): Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)
 * 2014 (AU): Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)


 * November 30
 * 1988 (JP): Kaettekita Mario Bros. (Famicom)
 * 2012 (EU/AU):
 * New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)
 * Nintendo Land (Wii U)
 * 2013 (AU): Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

Overall, I would say that this was an incredible month for Mario games. So many great spin-offs were created, such as Mario Party games and Smash for the Wii U, as well as the majority of the Mario & Sonic Games! And of course, classics like Super Mario World and Super Mario Galaxy were released. Thanks so much for reading, and I’ll see you next month!

Poll Committee Discussion


Written by:

Hello again, it's me, LTQ, writing to you from the comfort of my home. Could you imagine an LTQ-free issue?

It's been a while since we had a Poll Committee Discussion, so allow me to get y'all updated on the recent polls! Because it's been a while, I sadly won't be updating you on the last three polls of last term, but you can always check out the archives on our MarioWiki page.

But first:

The news
This is the first PCD of the term, so not all the new things have been discussed yet! First of all, we thank for once more creating the banner you see above for us this year! This year, its focus is on the power of technology, which is used to poll information. Nicely done again!

Also a few months past, in September, the annual Awards Analysis was performed by the Poll Committee, as a deep dive to get started with the term. Give it a read if you haven't already.

Then, as established in 's and 's campaign, a rotating system has been set up in which for every two weeks, one member of the committee will fill in the role of chairperson, to encourage activity from everyone. For the first bit of the term, Hooded Pitohui has observed the poll processes, but starting 9 November, Power Flotzo has taken this role and after two weeks, 23 November, the next on schedule will take on the role.

Analyses
'''Recent games have featured members of the main Mario cast wearing new outfits. Do you like seeing the characters wearing different clothes?''' You see differing outfits primarily in Mario Kart Tour right now, and Super Mario Odyssey also jumps to mind, but we are also talking about Mario Tennis Aces and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in this question, in which the cast wears clothes that fit the sport being played. That said, an overwhelming majority of the votes enjoy seeing these costumes, nearly 84% even! This is split between people that like this to continue and those who also like to see the regular clothes to keep things balanced. Diversity in clothes, and with that matching clothes to the current events, is a welcomed thing, so let's hope this continues indeed. As for the remaining part of the votes, most of these prefer the regular clothes but don't mind the occasional new ones, and only a few percent actively dislike them.

What is your opinion on Paper Mario: The Origami Kings new ring-based battle system?' Let's start this one off with that the most votes were cast for the option saying they haven't played the game yet. However, the people that did still amount for two thirds of the total votes, so let's talk about those. The sounds are primarily positive, but the most votes still think that the next game should do away with the ring system despite enjoying it, as a once-off as it seems. The mechanic is vastly different from the other Paper Mario games, so that's understandable, it's unfamiliar. Less, but still a lot of people find the system perfect, and a couple less find it fine, but with room for improvement. Combined, these two amount for more votes than people that voted for a one-off. A fair portion also finds this system fine, but only the variant against bosses, in which you make your way towards the boss instead of moving the enemy. Only a few feel the other way around is better.

What is your opinion on LEGO Super Mario? Many positive voices about LEGO Super Mario! Most voices say they like the sets and want to see more, but many voices also say that they would have enjoyed them if they were cheaper. Considering the starting set alone goes for about 60 bucks with additional sets ranging from just 5 to a whopping 100, that can be quite the investment. A smaller set of people would have liked to see more traditional LEGO sets, with regularly sized minifigures, either along with the current sets or just these. These would have fit better with existing LEGO sets as well. Then there's a handful of voices in favour of something entirely different: K'NEX! Not too many people that prefer it over LEGO, but they are there!

'''A recent leak of Nintendo development content has revealed unused ideas for various games. Would you have liked to see this content used?''' Maybe unsurprisingly, but perhaps unfortunately for Nintendo, most of the votes here say that the leaked ideas should have been in the final games. Of course, developers are rarely if ever able to put all of their ideas into their games, so had these ideas been in, other elements wouldn't have made the cut. Looking further down the list, a lot of people also thought that some ideas were nice, but other things are better as they are in the final product. A balanced scale so to speak. Smaller groups of people are mixed to negative about the leaked ideas. Most of these thought that the leaked ideas were good, but are glad they weren't put in the games of concern as they fit better in entirely other games. Others thought only some ideas were good, and some completely agree with the final products.

How did you feel about the intense rivalry between the Mario series and the Sonic series in the 16-bit era? I'll freely admit that I don't know much about this rivalry, but let's take a shot at this poll anyway! The first thing that immediately jumps out is the overwhelming count of more than half of the total votes, which are in favour of the rivalry between the series. Evidently, most people feel that it greatly helped both series, which is a good thing for both in the end, so I can see why it would be. The second option, with half the votes of the first, which is still good for about a quarter, is for the people who also found the rivalry beneficial, but didn't feel strongly about it as it happened. The third option also likes the competition, but would have liked it better if it wasn't being marketed as much and be contained strictly within the respective fandoms. Then the more negative, but less voted opinions, there were of course people who didn't see a need for it, or thought it highlighted the worst aspects of the series instead of the best.

Do you think a new Mario game could use some of the lesser used features of the Nintendo Switch, such as the infrared camera or HD Rumble? The Switch is packed with hardware features, but not all are used an awful lot. The majority of the voters agree that these features could offer interesting gameplay, but another large portion does think that these should not become a gimmick for the sake of it. After all, we don't need another case of Wii U, where the tablet screen was rarely used for actual dual-screen play. The next portion of the voters is also interested, but only if there are no peripherals such as Labo required. Peripherals would reduce the portability after all. The next portion would be interested if the game itself has potential. The last few votes are cast with the fear that this makes porting harder in the future, or only want traditional controls in their games.

What is your opinion on the execution of augmented reality of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit? With only a four-vote difference, the overwhelming majority of the votes is split between people who don't want AR as a core mechanic, as fun as it may be, and people wanting more AR games like this. That first one is an understandable viewpoint! Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit looks like it is a good addition to the series, but because it is entirely dependent on the AR features and physical props, it is not accessible to anyone, be it because of space or monetary constraints. As awesome as the game is, that is a big ball-'n'-chain to have. Looking further down the list, AR does get a little bit more love, as a fair amount of additional votes do like the idea of AR in general, or prefer it as it was on the Nintendo 3DS. Then, a bit fewer people actively dislike AR in Mario games, or don't like how Home Circuit executes it.

Conclusion
The first set of polls has already been very technology related, with polls around the LEGO sets (which contain interactive elements), Nintendo Switch features and augmented reality. This sort of tech is here to stay, so I can only imagine the possibilities for tech-related polls in the future. With this whole COVID thing around, people staying home will certainly be a boost for technologies to keep us entertained and connected.

That marks the end for my contributions to Poll Committee Discussion this month and probably this term unless something funny happens, so have a good one! I'll see you next month in Palette Swap. Buh-bye!