Puzzling Discoveries

In my bouts of rummaging around for rare Mario info, I have found two fascinating pieces of art that appear to be uncirculated. These pieces of art are illustrations from Japanese jigsaw puzzles. Click the images to see them in full size!

This Super Mario RPG puzzle displays a plethora of characters - every party member, the main members of the Smithy Gang... even the Royal Bus Driver and a Rat Funk! I really love the exciting composition and the bright coloring on this piece of art. I wish I could see it in person.

I do not know if these puzzles are official merchandise or not, but nonetheless, the art is of supreme quality! Again, lots of characters are depicted - the Snorkel Snake, the Dragon and the Air Bag are my personal favorites. I wish that some day someone will find these treasures, scan them and share them with the world.

That wraps it up for today! Catch you on the Flipside!

A Tale In Murals: This Art is the Pits

Have you ever wished to see the murals from Super Paper Mario's two Pits of 100 Trials Respectively unobstructed? Those Game-and-Watchy doors and floors block the view like some sort of Blooper ink at all times, preventing you from seeing the beautiful paintings beneath. From beginning to end, the walls catalogue the hiding places of the Pure Hearts - sadly seen too late in the game to be a mysterious foreshadowing, but at least being a nice retrospection into your adventures. Just click the images to view them at full size.

Here are Flopside and Flipside alongside the first Pure Heart. It's intriguing how the player never sees Flipside from a distance during normal gameplay, which makes this the only place one can see the cities' overall shape.

Fracktail, guardian of the second pure heart. Nothing special, you'd think, until you realize the blue side is actually his front and he has his neck bent a harsh 90 and head turned a painful 180 degrees for this image.

Merlee and her mansion are featured in the third mural. One has to wonder, are the characters depicted here really old, or are the murals recent?

The fourth Pure Heart is in Fort Francis... wait, no, it isn't! It was inside Tippi all along! Is the castle a special location Tippi had to reach in order to release it or are the murals just that good at guessing where the hero would get the heart?

Squirpina XIV, the queen of Squirpia, with her Squirpy subjects. What happened to the other aliens besides Squirps, her son? Outer Space holds many mysteries...

King Croacus and his Floro Sapien minions dominate this piece. Again, inconsistencies with the timeline, as this is obviously the latest king, however he's not thousands of years old as we can presume other keepers to be ...or is it? The colors are way off from any of the kings, so this might be a deeper riddle than it appears.

Sammer's Kingdom is all topsy-turvy in this painting. Strange how none of the fighting elements appear here, even though the chapter is as much fighting as Mario Kart is driving. Maybe the mural is making a statement about pacifism? Or maybe this just looked prettier.

For the final mural before fighting Shadoo, Jaydes and Grambi present the last Pure Heart. Ironic how Jaydes' outfit is made out of spikes pointing up, and Grambi's design consists of elements pointing down. A way to show duality in a very subtle manner.

And as a bonus, here's the floor of the dungeons, visible if you flip into 3D. It's tileable and makes for a great desktop background, among other things. That's all folks!

Golden Oldies Station: Waluigi's Dance Stadium Edition

It's time to tune in to the Golden Oldies Station! Take a listen to these hand-picked musical pieces. This edition includes scarcely-known remixes from various corners of the Mario fandom.

1. Mario Kart DS - Waluigi Pinball [SNES Remix]

This remix of the fan favorite from Mario Kart DS is a charming recreation in Super Mario Kart style, using the original SPC soundfont. The style is pulled off magnificently, and combines one of my favorite Mario Kart songs with nostalgic bliss!

2. Hotel Mario - Title Theme [Dance Remix]

This funky remix of the infamous song from Hotel Mario is full of pep and life. It'll make you want to get up out of your seat and do the fat, off-model Mario!

3. Wario Land 3 - Golf Mini-Game [Stadium Remix]

This last remix is interesting, to say the least. It takes the antsy song from Wario Land 3 and gives it a more refined sound. The tense melody is quite humorous and keeps me on the edge of my seat.

And that's all for this edition! Hope you enjoyed it, and see you next time!

So Much Mario, It's a Mario Smorgasbord!

Hello and welcome to Mario Smorgasbord, your home for Mario in a multitude of mediums! The birth of this blog will bring the wonders of the Mushroom Kingdom right to your screen by means of rare illustrations, unique musical creations, obscure info and more. Stay tuned for the mustachioed mania!