Super Mario Land (manga)

Super Mario Land is the first volume of Kodansha's Super Mario manga published under the KC Deluxe label. Prior to this, Super Mario Bros. 3 Kanzen Kōryakuhon was published by Comic BomBom Special as an illustrated strategic guide. This first volume of "KC Mario" does not diverge from the idea of a strategy guide, but starts to give more priority to the plot and story than to the strategic guide part, mostly leaving it to some pages at the beginning with maps of the levels with various information such as power-up locations and boss descriptions.

As the title suggests, this volume exclusively covers Super Mario Land.

Strategy Maps
完全攻略マップ (Complete Strategy Maps)

Character list
キャラクター紹介 (Characters introduction)
 * ※Characters with a ★ before their name do not actually appear in the Super Mario Land software.

Chapter 1
攻略その 1 (ピラプト王国) - デイジー姫救出作戦開始!! (Walkthrough 1 (Birabuto Kingdom) - The operation to rescue Princess Daisy begins!!)

To celebrate Princess Daisy's birthday, Mario and Princess Peach are invited to Sarasaland castle to celebrate. Initially happy to see her long-time friend, Peach begins to act jealous and petty, seeing Daisy giving puppy eyes to Mario and the latter complimenting her: she shoves a bouquet of flowers into Daisy's face, revealing a caterpillar inside that crawls on her nose, scaring her, but she then retorts with a food fight. Their bickering comes to an end when a fleet of Roketons attack the castle and a giant spaceship lands in the middle of the party, from which the alien Tatanga, the self-proclaimed "Emperor of the Universe", emerges, claiming to be the new owner of Sarasaland. The alien's tiny stature amuses Mario that mocks him for it, getting scold by the Sarasaland King, who immediately bows in fear for his life, much to her daughter's disappointment. Daisy refuses to see the short alien as a threat and Tatanga, smitten by such bravery, kidnaps her with the intention of force-marrying her and flies away. Mario chases him down. Peach follows him, but not wanting her to be in any danger, Mario asks her to stay, safe and sound, in the palace. Peach, not wanting to do nothing (and not trusting in leaving Daisy and Mario alone together) takes the present they got for Daisy, a robotic Goomba helper named Mekakuribō, climbs in it, and follows Mario, pretending to be the robot itself.

Their first stop is at Birabuto Kingdom, the desert area of Sarasaland, full of pyramids. After quickly takes care of two Goombos, Mario enters a pipe that leads him to an underground bonus area. Meanwhile, Peach is regretting her decision of wearing a metal costume in a very sunny region. After Mario climbs back from the pipe area, he faces against two Bombshell Koopas that quickly stomps, being then perplexed that their shells are very similar to a bomb, getting caught by surprised by the following explosion. After that, Mekakuribō is jumped on by a Fighter Fly who starts smooching all over the robot. Mario knocks it out with a round of Superballs, that Mekakuribō explains being able of collecting hard to reach coins. While Mario puts this information to the test, he fantasizes on how he could use the Superballs trajectory to lift Peach's skirt, getting pinched in the bottom by his companion. After reaching the top entrance of a Goal, thanks to the robot manipulating the nearby lifts, Mario and Mekakuribō arrive to a Bonus game room, from which they gain 3 extra lives.

Entering the next stage, the two find themselves in a pit with tall trees as platforms. Two Bunbun attack them, almost making Mario falling off one of the trees, but he manages to defeat them with a Superball. While Mario jumps in celebration (and Mekakuribō reacts disgusted by the falling bodies of the two bugs) he accidentally hits a ? Block containing a 1 UP Heart, with a lovey-dovey note on the back from Daisy addressed to Mario, making him blush. Mekakuribō hits him in the head, to which Mario questions sarcastically if the robot could be Peach in disguise.

Their journey leads them to a pyramid, in which there surely must be waiting a boss. Once inside, Mekakuribō is almost squashed by some falling blocks, but Mario shoves his robotic companion away, getting squashed instead. Mario emerges from the rubble in one piece and Mekakuribō cries from happiness, to then explain to a confuse Mario that its tears are just oil. While proceeding with more cautions, Mario splits up with Mekakuribō and arrives in a dome full of coins, from which then exits by breaking some Brick Blocks and reuniting with his ally. The two then are blocked by a pair of chained of fire-breathing Gao, but thanks to Mekakuribō's antennas functioning as propellers, the two fly over them, reaching the boss area: a bridge leading to the prison in which Daisy is locked, guarded by the giant King Totomesu. Analyzing the boss, Mekakuribō reveals that 5 hits from a Superball will do the trick. After hitting him four times, thanks to the bouncy trajectory of the Superball, King Totomesu swipes at Mario, sending him flying and making him lose his Superballs. Mario then tries to stomp on the boss' head, with no results, and by dodging another claw swipe, lands against the switch on the other side of the bridge that makes King Totomesu disappear in an explosion. With the boss defeated, Mario frees Daisy, who rewards Mario with a kiss, only to them reveal she was a disguised Fighter Fly. With Mario disgusted and Mekakuribō amused by the picture, the two continue their journey to the next region.

Chapter 2
攻略その2 (ミューダ王国) - 発進! マリンポップ号!! (Walkthrough 2 (Muda Kingdom) - Launch! Marine Pop!!)

While Mario and Mekakuribō arrive in Muda Kingdom, Tatanga is spying on them from a magic fountain in his lair, getting ready with the wedding. When a group of Torions in the fountain make fun of how the "Emperor of the Universe" had to force via hypnosis the princess into agreeing into marrying him, Tatanga quickly cooks them and eats them in anger, leaving only their bones, then tosses them into the fountain to send them to Muda's beach to stop Mario. Mario avoids in time two of the Honen, but one lunges at him from behind, biting him right in the bottom. Mario yelps out of his overalls (and underwear) in pain. While Mario takes back his pants and stomps the skeletal fish, Peach gets flustered and surprised in seeing Mario fully exposed, slapping him away from embarrassment straight into a warp pipe, leading him into a bonus area full of coins and some Superballs.

Once out of the bonus area, Mario is almost hit by a Mekabon's flying head and all the coins he has just collected falls in the sea below. He quickly defeats it, and two more approach. Mekakuribō arrives and, at the same time as one of the Mekabons, tosses its head at the enemy, swapping heads with it. While the Makebon is confused, Mario stomps the other one and continues. A Yurarin Boo is now blocking the path and the Superballs do not seem to be effective against it. The Yurarin Boo then starts spitting fire at Mario, that, while dodging, confuses the enemy, and it ends up tying its own snout. Now neutralized, Mario stomps him and ties him up, forcing it to help them reach the region's boss. The Yurarin Boo points to the bottom of the sea and, while Mario asks how to reach it, Mekakuribō finds inside a UFO an armed submarine: the Marine Pop.

Mario, Mekakuribō and the tied up Yurarin Boo hops in and dive right into the sea. A school of Torions lunges at them, but Mario dodges them, but when the fishes do a U turn and hit them, he quickly speeds up to escape them. While blasting blocks in their path, Mario reveals a Super Mushroom inside one of them and Mekakuribō extends its arm to grab it, making the submarine larger. A Gunion attach to the Marine Pop. Mario blasts it away in half. The two parts of Gunion homes at the Marine Pop and, Mario dodges them. Reaching a wall of bricks, Mario interrogates the Yurarin Boo to know where the boss is at, but Mekakuribō points to some coins that are placed in a way to form the word "MARIO". Understanding that is a hint left by Daisy, Mario blast the adjacent wall and enters right in the boss, Dragonzamasu, room. Mekakuribō analyses the boss and tells Mario that he needs to blast him with the Marine Pop's torpedoes. Just as Mario is about to shoot the first missile, Tamao, the boss' assistant, hits them, causing a hole in the submarine. As a plug, Mario and Mekakuribō use the Yurarin Boo. After avoiding a group of Yurarin, Mario starts to hit Dragonzamasu and Yurarin Boo manages to stop a second attack from Tamao, letting Mario deal the final blow. The group gets out from the Marine Pop and reaches Daisy's prison. Mario frees her, but Mekakuribō's lights reveals that she was a disguised Gunion, who inks Mario and runs away. Mario and Mekakuribō continues to the next region, while Yurarin Boo decides to quit being a minion and opens a shop.

Chapter 3
攻略その3 (イーストン王国) - 愛と悲しみをのりこえて!! (Walkthrough 3 (Easton Kingdom) - Overcoming love and sorrow!!)

Next stop for the duo is Easton Kingdom. After leaving the Marine Pop to the shore full of moai statue, Mario and Mekakuribō adventures into the new region, getting ambushed by a Batadon, who immediately calls for support after Mario ruins one of the statues, and a group of running Tokotoko. Being surrounded by both sides, Mario yells "Red light" and the moais stop in place, then he flees with Mekakuribō before they realize they are being duped. A sea of spikes is now in the heroes' way, and a living boulder named Ganchan appears. Mario shoots it with some Superballs, which only angers the boulder. Mekakuribō, then, stretches Mario's head, making him look more like a moai. Now willing to help a "moai friend", Ganchan takes the two on its back and take them across the spikes. Meanwhile, Tatanga is spying on them and orders his minion Hiyoihoi and his troops of Kumos to not let be deceived by such silly tactics as the moais (a comment that upsets Hiyoihoi).

After escaping the Batadon and Tokotoko with some disguises, Mario and Mekakuribō are approached by a cute cave woman named Suu-chan, for whom Mario takes a liking too (much to Peach's disappointment). Suu-chan suggests Mario to take a shortcut through a nearby cave. Mekakuribō is suspicious of her, and has good reason too, as the cave is filled to the brim with Suu, but Mario easily defeats them, making Suu-chan upset. The girl then points Mario to a Hidden Block containing a Lift Block that will take him to a pipe for another bonus area. While Mario goes in said bonus area, Suu-chan lures Mekakuribō in a spot by "accidentally" losing a of. As Mekakuribō takes it, a Suu drops a falling spike on it, knocking it out and making it fall down the below river. Mario returns and asking where his robotic companion went, Suu-chan points to a cliff and, after he leans over it, shoves him down a web made by the Kumos. Suu-chan then pulls out a potion of "selfmade" Suu venom and pours it on Mario. Right then, the chasing Batadon and Tokotoko barges in and falls into the web, freeing Mario and getting poured with the venom instead, melting in an instant. The Kumos surrounds Mario under Suu-chans order, but sick and tired of his minions being a failure (and not wanting the spiders to succeed where the moais failed), Hiyoihoi appears with a Gatling gun that shoots Bullet Biffs and fires it on everyone. The Kumos succumbs and Mario, noticing a Bullet Biff going straight to Suu-chan, saves her by pushing her away.

Hiyoihoi, then, rises his base into the air. Mario, using Ganchan, jumps on the floating island and Suu-chan, struck by how Mario still saved her even though she tried to kill him, follows him by climbing on a hanging root. The two find themselves in front of a complex maze and enter it: in their first dead end they find the titular protagonist of ', in the second one they find a lascivious woman from ', then the strange parody of with arms in place of the mustaches and the member from ''Yappa! Ah-Hogan Yo!'', finally they reach Hiyoihoi. After dodging the boss' boulders, Suu-chan reveals to be a humanized Suu, showing her real spider-like body, and asks Mario to pass her some Superballs, so they can throw many of them at once with her multiple limbs. Mario follows her plan and Hiyoihoi is defeated. The island and the monsters starts to disappear, and with them Suu-chan as well, who thanks Mario for being a kind friend. A crying Mario is later reached by Mekakuribō, convinced that he was crying for its absence, causing Mario to be more upset. Once recovered, it is time to head to the last region of Sarasaland: Chai Kingdom.

Chapter 4
攻略その4 (チャイ王国) - タタンが帝王との大決戦!! (Walkthrough 4 (Chai Kingdom) - The great decisive battle with Emperor Tatanga!!)

Arrived at the Chinese-styled region, Mario and Mekakuribō cannot seem to find anyone in the streets, but they find a poster about Tatanga and Daisy wedding, which will be taking place in a matter of hours at his palace at the top of the mountain. While Mario rips the poster, the two are attacked by three Pionpi. Mario hits them with a Superball, knocking them out, but the Pionpi quickly rise back up: being, they are immortal. Mekakuribō quickly attempts to escape with Mario using its antenna-propellers, but a Pipe Cannon ruins that plan and the crash landing also puts its wheels out of commission. Mario gives Mekakuribō a piggyback ride and flees (bumping his companion against everything), until a kid tells him to hide in the bushes with him. Mario follows the instruction and the Pionpi, hops over the bush, right into a pit. The kid presents himself as Nankin-kun, disciple of Nan-chan Dōshi of the nearby temple.

Once in the temple, protected by a giant seal from the Pionpi, the Dōshi explains that in order to reach the top of the mountain, they will need the Sky Pop, a plane situated at the town outskirts, which is currently pullulating with people infected by the Pionpi. Meanwhile, the Dōshi's daughter, Minmei serves Mario some food, while Mekakuribō, being a robot cannot have any (making Peach sad of missing such good food). Mario is ready to fight the hoard of Pionpi waiting outside to reach the plane, but the Dōshi stops him, claiming only "good fingers" can pilot the Sky Pop. Minmei and Nankin are still worried about the Pionpi and, inspired by how the temple is protected, Mekakuribō suggests creating a new seal that will protect them from the monsters, then goes into another room with ink, a brush, and some food, asking for some privacy while it works on the seal. Mario and Nankin are surprised that a robot would need food, but shrugs it off (much to Peach's relief). After a while, a Goombo knocks to the temple's door, asking for shelter from the Pionpi. The kids open the door, after removing the seal, that was being used as a door latch, and the Goombo quickly grabs it from Nankin's hand and tosses it to a Bombshell Koopa, who then destroys the seal with an explosion. The temple is quickly swarmed by a sea of Pionpi that bites the two kids on the neck. The Dōshi orders Mario to take the new seal and run to the Sky Pop, deeming him ready, to then succumbs to the Pionpi as well. Mario barges into the room Mekakuribō is in, but the door falls on the robot, destroying it. Mario is about to cry the loss of his friend, when he notices Peach. She reveals she has been inside Mekakuribō the entire time, wanting to help him in his journey, words to which Mario reacts with moving tears. The seal is ready, but the Pionpi enter and bite Peach. Mario, armed with the seal, manages to keep the Pionpi at bay and arrives at the airport, finds the Sky Pop and takes off to the top of the mountain.

At the airport, a group of enemies radios the Roketons to attack Mario, but he manages to shoot down them first. At the same time, the wedding is taking place and Tatanga is about to kiss the bride, but she breaks free from the hypnotic trance after hearing Mario yelling her name, causing her to turn and Tatanga ends up kissing the Goombo priest. Furious, Tatanga unleashes his last boss: Biokinton, a giant cloud that releases Chickens, but they are not aggressive enemies. At his limit, Tatanga jumps on his Pagosu and zaps at Mario, hitting him and destroying Biokinton in the process. Mario starts to plummet down to his death, but not wanting to disappoint old and new friends he made on this journey, he regains altitude and recalls the Dōshi telling him to have "good fingers" with the Sky Pop: by holding down the button and repeatedly pressing the  button at the same time on the plane console, he can fire more missiles. By button-mashing so much to the point of bleeding from the fingers, Mario lands enough hits to blow up Tatanga's ship, alongside the self-proclaimed "Emperor of the Universe". With Tatanga, his evil disappears as well: the people of Chai Kingdom return to normal, the monsters disappear and Daisy is finally free. The princess jumps on the Sky Pop and rewards Mario with a kiss on the cheek. Peach, watching the scene from a binocular in anger, grabs a bazooka and starts shooting at the two.

Extras

 * まちがいさがし だよ~ん (Find the diffrences/mistakes): a pair of images are presented, one drawn in Kazuki Motoyama's style and one in a more "serious anime" style, with the author asking to find all the differences. Suu-chan claims to have found 78. Later, in the 4-komas page, she gives the correct amount: "they are all over the place."
 * 4-komas:
 * スーパーピーチ シスターズ (Super Peach Sisters): a role reversal in which plumbers Peach and Daisy have to rescue Princess Mario from Tatanga. When a gust of wind lifts Mario's skirt, flashing his underwear, villain and heroines leave in disgust, leaving Mario alone.
 * このはんの できるまで (How a product is made): Kazuki Motoyama goes through the process on how this manga was made: facing the editors' criticism, dealing with a loud younger sister playing video games while working, printing and distributing in all bookstores in Japan, and sponsoring the previous manga.

Trivia

 * While listed in the character list, Piranha Plants, Upside-Down Piranhas, and Pipe Fists do not appear in the story.
 * In Hiyoihoi's first appearance in the manga, a tag explains that he must not be confused with Sunplaza Nakano, a Japanese musician whose likeness was used for the enemies Okapī and Pakkun Okapī in All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.
 * The three characters Mario and Suu-chan meet in the maze are all characters from manga published by Comics BomBom Special, who published the previous installment of this manga.