The Power of the Turnip

This fan-created art of Super Mario Bros. 2 big bad Wart makes me extraordinarily happy.

image courtesy of inadawords.com

Super Mario Bros. 2, previously:

• Name That Egg-Spitter
  
• That Famous Super Mario Bros. 2 Tomato
• The Frog King
  
• The Eight Bits
• The Dream Factory
• Okey-Dokey Doki Doki
• Clawglip

Where the Bloodbath Happens

Until I saw them without international martial artists hopping around in front of them and clobbering each other, I never realized how beautiful these backgrounds to old Capcom fighting games really were.

In order: Dan's Thailand stage from Street Fighter Zero 2, B.B. Hood's wartorn ghetto stage from DarkStalkers 3 and Ryu's dojo from Street Fighter II.




[ More: The Sigil of Slateman ]

The Gabe Swarr Seal of Quality

A quick look on Gabe Swarr's blog yielded even more amazing Mario art — namely a series of palette swaps, so to speak, representing Mario's early years.

Original Donkey Kong Mario, with rougher background to simulate the comparatively primitive graphics

Super Mario Bros. Fiery Mario

Luigi's white-green overall combo from the original Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. 2 — blue overalls.

Grubby Wrecking Crew Mario


Black overalls — Super Mario Bros. 3

Creamed spinach-color Mario from Super Mario Land


Fiery Mario, circa New Super Mario Bros.

Pauline Accepts Her Fate

In conjunction with the March 19 screening of 8 Bit — a documentary about art and video games — at the Austin's Alamo Drafthouse, Ain't It Cool News sponsored an i am 8 bit-style art contest. Five submissions were honored, among them one that smartly focused on the plight of the forgotten female lead from the original Donkey Kong.

May I please present "Pauline Accepts Her Fate," by Terrence Molnar.

kindly click the image for a larger, more glorious version

I love this. Not just for its technical prowess — the ape man himself looks downright real — but for giving dimension to Pauline, who despite initial prominence during Mario's arcade days has tragically become one of the more obscure characters in the extended Marioverse. How clever: to re-imagine Pauline as someone who has resigned herself to the fact that she's Kong property as long as Mario keeps getting plowed over by barrels.

The Warios

This cover for +N, a Swedish gaming magazine, has already been well-circulated online, but I haven't yet heard anyone discuss something odd the artist implemented in the image. And I'm not talking about the lady Wario in the front row or the too-cool amalgam of The Warriors and Smash Bros.

Whether it's wishful thinking or a case of someone knowing more than I do about upcoming releases, artist Kamekichi made some interesting choices regarding who he included in this Nintendo all-star line-up. At first glance, it would seem to be a take-off on Smash Bros., but take a second a closely look at exactly who's here. (And try taking that close look here, since the above image is so small. And while you zoomed in, by the way, just try not to notice that the Wario at the front-left is sporting a raging hard-on. Ha.)

Anyway, start with Wario — make him six o'clock — and move clockwise.

• The Luigis directly above and behind the Warios
• The Links
• The Captain Falcons
• The Waluigis
• The Pikachus
• The Marios
• The Toads
• The Koopa Troopas
• Some shirtless guys in the back-left that I can't identify — possibly Kirby, by process of elimination, or maybe even someone from Punch-Out!!
  
• The Samuses
• The Ice Climberses
• The Captain Olimars (form Pikmin)
  
• The Balloon Fighters
• The Pits (from Kid Icarus)
• The Marths
• The Zeldas
• The Fox McClouds
• One great, big ROB
• The Yoshis
• The Nesses (from Earthbound)
• The Donkey Kongs
• The Peaches
• Conspicuously missing: Bowser and Jigglypuff
  

Just very odd that the artist managed to capture most of the actual Smash Bros. line-up, but would also include randoms like Balloon Fighter, Waluigi, Toad and Koopa Troopa. Probably wishful thinking in my part, but I have to admit they do all look good together.

Kamekichi's site is in Japanese, so I have little-to-no idea what anything on it means. However, there's more cool video game-based art available that you don't have to be multilingual to understand. For example, he has a Star Wars parody up involving various Nintendo folk.

"you're my only home... to find me in another castle."

There's also "Setting Sun," a take-off on Super Mario Sunshine, featuring Mario embarrassing Luigi.


And then there's an image of Luigi, theoretically embarrassing Mario if Mario was around to see him.


Kamekichi apparently has a thing for making the Mario Bros. inappropriately display their bulges. I tried Google-translating his site for some insight into his artistic method. What resulted was the following text, which accompanies the above image of Luigi.

There being a your strange edge, the Swedish game magazine “+N” you drew the cover of the March 6th sale number. The news item picture which with the sight “morning eye newspaper” which you have taken care usually is announced is opportunity.

Never, like this it is and can receive fish story with we did not think even in dream, but because it is the with special care opportunity, shaking the arm, you drew. Some kind of picture it cannot show here, but if perhaps the Nintendo Co. game fan, rejoicing, you think that it has become something which it can receive. Various news items (?)It is trained, die (laughing.)

Lastly, giving this kind of opportunity, as “+N” the people of the editorial staff, been the morning eye newspaper curator giving opportunity desk vessel cat, in those which in addition I draw thought gratitude is said to the people and everyone who are the [ku] from heart.

Thank you truly very much.

In short, not a clue.