Looking back on it now it’s not how I’d approach a Mario project today – too much drama, not enough whimsy. Luigi is overjoyed – they’re set for life now! No more adventures! Cut to the stinger ending of Bowser crawling out of the magma moat.įrom what I heard thru the grapevine it was well-received at Nintendo America, but stalled out at Nintendo of Japan. Peach names Mario & Luigi royal plumbers. The trio returns to the Mushroom Kingdom and begins to rebuild. Together they rescue Peach who shares a bashful love-at-first-sight moment with Mario. Mario and Luigi reconcile – yeah, Mario may have gotten in over his head, but Luigi could never abandon his brother. Mario bounces off the falling Bowser to safety. It’s Luigi, screaming in blind terror, running thru the castle as fast as he can. They’re at a stalemate when a scream is heard, building from deep in the hall… Mario is too nimble for Bowser to land a solid hit, but Bowser is too tough for Mario to actually hurt. It’s a knock-down, drag-out fight on the bridge over a magma moat. Anyone who challenges him meets the same fate.

The King of Koopas wants to know who’s been causing so much trouble for his troops and it’s…this pudgy guy? Oh well. Mario makes his way past the traps and firebars to his first showdown with Bowser. They part ways, Mario storming the castle. Mario refuses to give up – too many are counting on them. They reach Bowser’s Castle in W8-4 and Luigi calls it quits. They stock up on what power-ups are left after the invasion and embark on a journey through Worlds 1-8, burning through their provisions since they’re novice heroes. With literally no one left to save the princess, Mario jumps at the call to adventure. They arrive just after Bowser has ransacked the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi was excited about the career-defining contract, Mario less enthused – a job’s a job & he’s bored of their career. It started off with Mario & Luigi being summoned to Peach’s castle for a plumbing job. It had the same approach as at the time: narrative-driven adaptations of the games with stories bridging the canon. 'The springboard was for a 4-part mini that would hopefully turn into an on-going. And here's Ian Flynn's story, behind the pitch:

Super mario 64 damned fan art