Re-Shuffling the Stars: Super Mario Shuffle-Stars REDUX
- Thread starter MrCarioca
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Super Princess Toadstool (1992)
Super Princess Toadstool (1992)
Many Nintendo fans found it odd that out of the vast library of Nintendo handhelds, it was the Game Boy which neve recevied a proper mainline Mario title. Rather, the Game Boy hosted tons of games which became the kickstarter to spin-off series. One of these games was "Super Princess Toadstool", which unlike "Luigi's Mansion", was actually well received upon release despite many claiming "Luigi's Mansion" to be the stronger game as time passed. According to an interview with director Hiroji Kiyotake within the game's strategy guide, the development team wanted the game not to feel "bound by the conventions of the previous games", they wanted a game that felt unique and new. After Luigi, the next prominent Mario character outside of Mario himself was Princess Toadstool. Despite being the main damsel in distress, producer Gunpei Yokoi noticed the increasing popularity surrounding the character. It was soon decided that the next Game Boy title would star Princess Toadstool, a risky move considering "Luigi's Mansion" was a flop.
Production officially began in November 1991. Unlike Mario's games, the developers wanted a proper story, or at least one that resembled a storyline. Taking inspiration from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid", the main storyline revolved around Toadstool taking out King Koopa herself when the Mushroom Kingdom is in trouble. Unlike Mario who goes on adventures to help others, Toadstool would regain something of her own. The areas Toadstool would traverse were all unique and distinctive, for one "Pachinko Zone" (1) was designed to resemble a robotic world. For the game's music, Kazumi Totaka took up the job to compose the score. "Totaka's Song", an easter egg song Totaka likes to hide in his games, played on the Game Over screen if the player waited long enough.
The Mario Bros are away on vacation back at Brooklyn. King Koopa catches wind of this and takes advantage by invading the Mushroom Kingdom, ultimately trying to kidnap Princess Toadstool without Mario's presence. With the help of a loyal Toad, Toadstool manages to escape through a cannon, landing in the faraway Vibe Island (2). Toadstool befriends the talking parasol Perry, Perry agrees to help Toadstool reclaim her homeland and travel through the various zones in Vibe Island before sailing back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach and Perry arrive at the Mushroom Kingdom and sneak into the castle, they then defeat King Koopa just in time for the Mario Bros to return and deal the finishing blow. The game's ending shows Peach, Perry and the Mario Bros enjoying tea together while King Koopa gets blasted away through the cannon.
"Super Princess Peach" released in Japan on October 21st 1992, November 2nd in the US, and November 28th everywhere else. The game was a hit upon release and many compared the game to "Luigi's Mansion", the similar gameplay to Mario's platformers was praised especially compared to the vastly different "Luigi's Mansion". Today, players and fans generally view "Luigi's Mansion" as the more innovative game, but "Super Princess Peach" is still viewed as a classic in its own right.
(1) An analogue to SML2's Mario Zone
(2) Designed like Mario Land from SML2