Since it was launched on the market Super Mario 64the 3D titles of the hero, characterized by his prominent mustache, have managed to thrill players from all continents through innovative jumps, ingenious mechanics, as well as fabulous scenarios to explore.
However, we always come across the same big villain: Bowser, the king of the Koopas. Over the years, Bowser plans his defeat in infinite ways, but he has rarely allied himself with other beings that do not belong to his usual entourage (Koopalings, Bowser Jr.,…).
Other content in this category:
Let us now imagine the next 3D Mario game for Nintendo Switch 2 that provides Bowser with the recruitment of characters that we would never have imagined seeing on the same side:
- Wario: Mario's greedy “distant cousin” (or nemesis).
- Waluigi: a great lover of sports, with long arms and an emblematic laugh.
- King K. Rool: the pirate crocodile and Donkey Kong's archenemy.
Could Bowser teaming up with these characters in a Kingdom-spanning plot Mushroom (and beyond)? Next, we will discuss why such a collaboration would sound like wildfire and would exude a breath of fresh air for the saga.
A quartet of villains without rival for Super Mario
Currently, Bowser has captained his own army of Koopas, Goombas and Lakitus, but he has never assembled a team of villains. of the different Nintendo franchises on a large scale. Wario, Waluigi and King K. Rool are protagonists who have such different mechanisms and personalities that they could give a twist to the evil-bad relationship.
Wario
He is obsessed with money, with emeralds and with any plan that allows him to get rich. Maybe, knowing his way of acting, he would join Bowser if he saw an opportunity to get rich in the Mushroom Kingdom (or in galactic currencies a la Galaxy).
Waluigi:
He tends to be excluded from the great plans and conspiracies in which he is going to get involved, the result of his “absurdly egotistical” charisma when considering his connection with Luigi, thus becoming an ideal piece to generate chaos.
King K. Rool
This traditional rival of Donkey Kong, which provides a “wilder” and more chaotic component, also shares the epithet of “King” with Bowser and an explosive character, so their alliance could be destructive and hilarious at the same time and let's not forget that now Nintendo has already played with the movie
This pact of forces would make Mario – Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong, even other Nintendo characters – have to join together to avoid a catastrophe of great proportions.
Plot potential for a great “crossover” of an original 3D Mario
Mario stories are generally simple: Bowser kidnaps Peach or invades the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario comes to her rescue. But If we add Wario, Waluigi and King K. Rool the possibilities can be endless. New betrayals and broken alliances would inevitably arise, there would be internal conflicts despite the alliance.
For example, Wario could betray Bowser if he finds a more succulent treasure elsewhere or King K. Rool could defect the moment he sees the opportunity to take it alone.
Expansion of the Nintendo universe
Instead of being limited to the Mushroom Kingdom, we could reach levels inspired by Wario Land or its islands from Donkey Kong Country or propose some new kingdom that Waluigi devised.
On the other hand, can you imagine a battle where Mario and Donkey Kong fought side by side against Bowser and King K. Rool? This type of fight would be a fantasy for the defenders of the Big N.
By allowing for so many diverse characters, the game would begin to resemble a “Super Smash Bros.” within the 3D platform genre, with a compact narrative full of memorable moments.
One of the highlights of 3D Mario games is their mechanical diversity. Introducing characters like Wario, Waluigi, and King K. Rool as Bowser's allies (or adversaries) would open the door to a wide range of unique abilities and challenges:
- Wario's Brute Force: Sections could be incorporated where Wario's powerful force Wario, known for his forceful blows and clumsy movements, generate obstacles that Mario must evade or overcome.
- Waluigi's Tricky Traps: There are possibilities to design platforms full of unusual traps and mini-gamesthus capturing the mocking and whimsical essence of Waluigi.
- King K. Rool's Water Attacks: Scenarios inspired by pirate ships could be implemented, underwater explorations and extravagant inventionss, similar to those seen in the Donkey Kong Country series.
Likewise, the players could experience segments where they have momentary control of Bowser or one of his minionsreminiscent of certain phases of Super Mario Odyssey. This would allow them to take advantage of their abilities to face more powerful bosses or unlock forbidden routes for Mario.
Villain rivalry: the key to fun
Although the premise suggests that Bowser reunites Wario, Waluigi and King K. Rool, each of these villains would have their own motivations. This “team” would not operate in perfect harmony, since deep down, each one would seek to excel and obtain the most treasure or victory.
- Wario: It would make possible the option of Divide the Mushroom Kingdom or take advantage of its resourcesfor the sake of a confrontation with Bowser (who's in charge here?).
- Waluigi: I could do something like go behind his back, trying “bribe” certain minions of Bowser to form his own gang.
- King K. Rool: Seeing an opportunity to reign in such rich territory as Mario's, he would conspire to unseat Bowser as king of the Koopas.
This festival of intrigue would provide a touch of comedy and drama, things that Mario games deal little with, but they could be very, very good, if done with the humor of the saga.
In short, this is just an example of how Nintendo could innovate in the stories of the next 3D Mario games. What do you think?
Table of Contents
