2 April 2013
MK
Dear Diary,
Gavin's eighth birthday party was held today, and as a gesture of conciliation, Roland invited me to volunteer. I guess he owes me for keeping Grace safe during our adventure that night. Of course, Grace didn't just automatically take him back after all was said and done. The two would celebrate their son's birthday together and then—only God would know.
I was just as popular as the birthday boy, by the way, perhaps even more. Most of them are playing the new Luigi's Mansion game which was released shortly after my second encounter with King Boo. That's right—I faced him down twice, and I survived. When the guests asked me about it, I was honest. Yes, the Master of Illusions unnerved me. Yes, I nearly lost it and felt to urge to turn back several times. But it was Grace who kept me in the game, along with reminders of the person I wished to be. I was tired of being seen as cowardly. And so, I'd kept going. Now, I'm glad I did.
After cake and presents, I introduced the guests to my Polterpup. He was already tamed and housebroken, smiling and inviting everyone to rub his belly before curling onto my lap. He was also pretty mushy with Grace, and seeing that Mario and I could be sent on an "adventure" at any moment, I started thinking that we could come to an arrangement—
But we'd discuss that later. Grace had more important things requiring her attention.
"I hope we all can start fresh," said Roland as the party wound down.
"I hope so, too," I said, even though he'd said something along those lines before.
But come on. I'm not like that. In my opinion, life is too short to hold grudges. With time, I'll forgive Roland. But I'll never look at him the same way again. Whether or not Grace takes him back isn't up to me. However, a small part of me hopes that she doesn't.
Luigi
7 April 2013
MK
Dear Diary,
Today, I received a card from Master Hand. He wrote that he hoped I'm enjoying my special year, and that he and CH look forward to seeing me at the fourth tournament. Speaking of which, most of the veterans have been invited back. Unfortunately, Wolf, Snake and the Ice Climbers wouldn't be returning. But Dr. Mario, after sitting out Brawl, would once again join the fighters! Later in the year, we'd all get wind of any newcomers to the tournament. But it's shaping up to be a good crowd already.
It appears that Grace has made her decision. She sent me a photo of herself and Roland with a Greenie dressed up like Dr. Freud. It was both funny and touching at the same time, but I think they need an actual therapist to work past the kinks in their marriage. Unless the photo was her way of telling me that they'd already sought counseling.
Either way, I wish them the best.
Luigi
18 June 2013
Pi'illo Island
Dear Diary,
After all of the drama of the first part of this year, Mario, Peach and I are taking a well-earned vacation. Our destination, Pi'illo Island, is ruled by the benevolent Prince Dreambert, who had gone missing at the time of our arrival. The inhabitants look like talking pillows, and the names of the landmarks and attractions have something to do with sleep. One would say that this island has a—dreamy—quality about it.
Aside from this weird dream I had about a nightmarish, bat-shaped creature, it was a relatively smooth trip. Our old friend, Starlow, even met us at the terminal! Now, I'm settled into my hotel room, ready to experience what this island has to offer.
I'll be sure to attach pictures!
Luigi
25 June 2013
Dream World
Dear Diary,
When we saw him in front of us, the first thing we did was hug him. We really, really didn't want to let him go. He's our brother. We have to protect him.
We're glad we came across this diary, but these pages are hardly enough to write everything down, everything about our love for Mario, everything about how we want to help him. And we CAN help him. We are everything we've always wanted to be, and we can do anything. An obstacle blocking Mario? We can simply blow it away. A chasm he can't clear with his jumps? We can help him across. Enemies confront him, but we can use our power to give him an extra "oomph" for his jumps and other attacks.
There are many of us, and we can multiply, too. We'll form into a large ball that Mario can kick into his enemies. We'll stack up for miles to slam down on those who dare harm our brother. We'll jump onto Mario's hammer to create a bigger, more powerful hammer. We'll make our fire burn bright with a giant fireball. We'll form a wall around enemies, where Mario can launch us into them. And we'll form ourselves into a tornado, swallowing up hordes of foes.
Nobody messes with our big bro. Because if they do, then they're in for a world of pain.
Dreamy Luigi
26 June 2013
Dream World
Dear Diary,
We freed Prince Dreambert from the Nightmare Chunks today. He told us about the nightmarish Antasma, who's after the Dark Stone to fulfill his nefarious desires. The Pi'illo had trapped him in the Dream World, but he'd escaped by destroying the Dark Stone. Any Pi'illo soul hit by a Nightmare Chunk will be instantly trapped. Trapped—we can't let that happen to Mario. Not again, not again!
No—we can't let anyone or anything take Mario from us. He's safest with us. He knows that we won't let him down. And he won't let us down, either, right? Right? He'll let us come along on his adventures, right? He won't leave us behind again, right? We really want Mario to bring us with him; he won't last very long by himself. Please understand, Mario. We want to help!
Dreamy Luigi
28 June 2013
Dream's Deep
Dear Diary,
We can't find him. We can't find our Big Bro. Where did he go? Where is he headed? We have to find him. Big Bro, we're coming! You have to—
Please, Big Bro, you have to take us with you! Please! You have to! BIG BROOOO!
It's probably dangerous ahead! You may not be able to come back. We can bring you back, Big Bro.
You're cool, Big Bro. You're so cool.
Yes. Our bro is the best! He rocks! And we wanna be like him! We've always wanted to be like him…
Hey, Big Bro! We fight ghosts, remember? We're not clumsy!
Big Bro—Big Bro—please—
We don't know what's up ahead—maybe you can leave if you jump towards that light—
Big Bro—
It's your choice—
Luigi—will follow you.
And before you go—we wanna tell you something—
We're all here for you, Bro. Always.
Always…
Dreamy Luigi
1 July 2013
Dreamy Dozing Sands
Dear Diary,
This—this robotic drill—thing—who is this? Why does it want to hurt our Bro? We can't let it hurt our Bro! Our Big Bro's in danger! He needs us!
And so we join together, and then we grow—and grow until we're about as tall as the—thing—threatening Mario. But this new form is quite scary to us—until we see Mario hopping his way up, and so we hoist him to safety atop our hat.
Hold on. We have a giant drill to fight.
Dreamy Luigi
2 July 2013
Dream World
Dear Diary,
We grew giant twice more today. First, against an actual MOUNTAIN that tried to mow down Mario. We took care of that fiend with a sound hammer whack and then glared at them, defying them to do their best. Oh, yes—we chiseled that f—ing mountain down to size with our hammer and our jumping ability, and to finish the job, we put Mario on a star-shaped discus and then flung him toward said mountain's weak point.
With each fight, we're getting used to our giant form. You don't wanna [bleep] with us when we're in our giant form. On second thought, go ahead and [bleep] with us if you're feeling good, but DO NOT, under any circumstances, [bleep] with our bro. Our hammer will smash you into little bits, as the mountain and an attacker known as Earthwake found out the hard way.
We don't sleep; we just lay there and think about how much Mario means to us. How he's our focal point. How we want to be like him, how we look up to him and how we're always confined to his shadow. And does it really matter that we're in his shadow? Sometimes it does, and we want to prove we can step up and wear the hero's mantle. And sometimes it doesn't, and we want nothing more than to fight at his side.
Dreamy Luigi
5 July 2013
Dreamy Somnom Woods
Dear Diary,
What don't they get about "Nobody messes with our Bro"? The Zeekeeper was obviously late to the party, and his first action was to barrel at Mario! Granted, he was trying to break the Zee Egg, but still! Seeing the look on Mario's face as the Zeekeeper bore down on him galvanized us into action. We protected Mario from the initial charge by forming a sturdy wall of us around him, and then we assumed our giant form, leaped on the Zeekeeper's head and thrashed him into submission. That's four giant battles under our belt. Dreambert got the Zeekeeper to cooperate by explaining the situation to him, but we're not becoming his friend anytime soon.
Dreamy Luigi
6 July 2013
Koopa's Dream World
Dear Diary,
This is it. The fight against the one villain who's made Mario's life unbearable for nearly twenty-eight years. We've infiltrated his dreams, and now he's facing us as a towering giant. But he's not the only one who can grow giant.
We look at Mario, clasp his hand and understand what we have to do. Trillions of us emerge, trillions and trillions of us, joining together and growing taller—taller—taller, chanting Mario's name like our mantra as we form into a giant stories high, ready to help our Bro beat this menace. And we'll defeat Koopa together—with our bro!
Dreamy Luigi
9 July 2013
Koopa's Dream World
Dear Diary,
Today, we confronted the bat creature from our dreams. Antasma. But in our dream, Mario defeated him effortlessly. Because Mario can defeat anyone effortlessly. He's that good. It appeared that he and Koopa had an alliance going, but Koopa must've remembered Fawful and decided to pull one over on the Bat King! Unfortunately, Koopa would have to wait. Antasma was the more dangerous of the two. And so, we fought him. And we won.
Antasma attacked Mario by putting him to sleep and then infiltrating his dreams. He also tried to use us as a human shield. And Mario's eyes flashed and burned whenever the fiendish bat did the latter. Our tactics were mainly defensive for this fight, guarding Mario, keeping him safe, keeping Antasma from attacking him via his dreams. And whenever he managed to down Mario, we gave him a vicious, punishing smackdown. Nobody, and we mean NOBODY, messes with our bro, not even a fearsome bat king.
It appears our work is done. We protected Mario during his sojourn through the Dream World, defended him against giants and helped him take down the monster menacing Pi'illo Island. Mario will return to the real world to face down Koopa, and we can finally rest, knowing that our bro will beat him as always and save the day.
Dreamy Luigi
11 July 2013
Pi'illo Island
Dear Diary,
Once again, Koopa spoiled our vacation. Well, Antasma did first, but you get the idea. In Koopa's mind, only he's allowed to grab Peach, so it didn't count as a big surprise that he betrayed him in the end.
But what WAS surprising is the fact that I finally became the fighter I knew I could be. I was asleep and adventuring in the Dream World, but I remember each fight vividly. How I defended Mario against raging giant monsters, even though they terrified me. How I summoned the willpower to grow into a giant myself. How my every action was centered around aiding Mario. How, during that fight against the giant Koopa, I looked at Mario and shook his hand, feeling a surging confidence I've never truly felt before. By the time the adventure was over, even Koopa was forced to acknowledge me, finally referring to me by my real name instead of "Green 'Stache".
Even Peach and Starlow got in on the action by destroying the Dream Stone in an attempt to remove it as Koopa's leverage. He merely inhaled the shattered pieces, but that still took guts! Wow! After all of that adventuring, we really DO deserve a break!
Luigi
20 July 2013
Brooklyn, NY
Dear Diary,
Thirty years ago today, Mario and I reported for duty in the sewers of New York City and quickly became known as the two who solved the mysterious clog earlier that year. Thirty years ago, we became plumbers, and we've only improved our craft since then. Those were the simpler days, when there were no kingdoms to defend or evil reptilian tyrants to face off against. But if we'd stayed in those simpler times, I wouldn't have become an expert ghost hunter. I wouldn't have saved Mario. I wouldn't have discovered so many things about myself. I wouldn't have met Daisy and fallen in love. I'd still be a timid regular Giuseppe with phasmophobia.
We were surprised that Sal recognized us when we toured our old place of business. He was retired, but his children and grandchildren were doing a great job looking after the workers.
"Wanna go under one last time?" he asked.
"We're good," I laughed. "Has anyone crawled through that pipe yet?"
"Y'know—shortly after you two went through it, it just—vanished," said Sal. "Maybe you two were the 'chosen ones' or something. Because you can go between here and that fantasy world any time you like. Wanna catch up later?"
"Sure," we said.
The three of us had a late afternoon meal at a restaurant we used to frequent when we were still working in those sewers. Sal told us that Chicago's subway system was doing something special for me. Their L Train was now a "Luigi Train", painted green with pictures of me posted on the walls. I should ride that train sometime.
After catching up with Sal, we went to our old apartment, where Mario later surprised me with a cake.
"Happy plumber-versary, Bro," he said.
"Happy plumber-versary to you, too," I replied.
Here's to the next thirty years!
Luigi
25 August 2013
MK
Dear Diary,
Mario was away on some unspecified business, so it was just me, Peach, Yellow Toad and Blue Toad sitting around in her castle, enjoying a rare quiet moment. This moment was broken when Koopa, having recovered from his latest throwdown with us, and his forces attacked and pulled another "all your base are belong to us" stunt, casting me and my Toad companions out into Acorn Plains. While picking ourselves up, we met a purple guy named Nabbit who offered to tag along with us. We decided that we could use an extra member of our team and let him in.
Looks like it's up to me to take on the role Mario has mainly played during these rescue missions. Here I go!
Luigi
9 September 2013
MK
Dear Diary,
I found myself slipping into Mario's role relatively quickly, helping my companions negotiate the toughest terrain we've ever encountered. This go-round introduced semi-solid platforms which rocked up and down, and I had to keep my footing as I hopped from platform to platform. My high jumps, as well as my newly-acquired skill of scuttle-jumping (paddling my legs in midair), came into play here, and both adult and baby Yoshis arrived to assist us, as well. They were surprised that Mario wasn't present, and I had to explain to him that he was away on business. Which begged the question—was it all a setup by Koopa?
For the first time, I led my Toad compadres on an epic quest across land, sea and sky, showing them that I could hold my own against enemies and bosses, even without Mario. I sang along to the tunes playing on my phone, opting for a playlist filled with my favorite hits from 1983 as well as listening to current chart-toppers. When my phone was charging, or in situations when I needed my ears open, I told raunchy jokes to the Toads and Nabbit. Sometimes, they got the punchline. Other times, I had to explain it to them. It always gave them a good laugh, alleviating the situation. Along with the usual bricks and power-ups, we'd hit red blocks with an "M" on them, reverting the physics to those of our past adventures. The airship bosses and the Koopalings sneered over Mario's absence, but they weren't sneering for long.
When we reached Peach's castle, those dark red-violet clouds were swirling in the sky, and everything was surrounded by lava. Koopa was already waiting for us, smirking as we confronted him on the bridge.
"This is gonna be easy," he said before charging at us.
I directly engaged Koopa, distracting him long enough for the Toads and Nabbit to reach the other side. Once I stunned my foe with a good punch, I leaped across, hitting the switch that would destroy the bridge.
"Way to go, Luigi!" cheered Blue Toad.
"We're not done yet, though," I cautioned.
The four of us ran out onto the outer balcony and saw Peach at the window. Her golden hair slightly disarrayed, light sweat on her brow, cheeks flushed.
"Luigi!" she cried, waving. Even she sounded surprised.
"Don't worry!" I called to her. "I'm gonna…"
BJ's familiar laugh interrupted me, and I saw him ride in with his Junior Clown Car.
"Guess what?" he crowed. "The other Koopalings and I got invited to the upcoming Smash tournament along with Papa! Here's a little sampling of what's to come!"
With a roar, a now super-sized Koopa crash-landed on his feet in front of me. But I stood there, unfazed, as father and son prepared to attack together.
"Remember what you did last time!" Peach exclaimed.
"Look away, Mama," BJ said to her without taking his eyes off of me.
"For the last time, I'm not your Mama!" huffed Peach.
Nabbit, Yellow Toad, Blue Toad and I knocked BJ out of his vehicle and piloted it over to his dear old King Dad, using it to perform a Ground Pound. We did this twice more, evading fiery projectiles, and then the battle was won.
"Just you wait until the tournament!" cried BJ before fleeing.
Victoriously, we raced into Peach's room, where she was now seated on her bed, fixing her hair.
"Peach," I gasped. "Are you okay?"
"As okay as I'll ever be, I guess," she replied, sliding one last hairpin into place.
Then, she slid off the bed and glided toward me. "Thank you, Luigi," she said, kissing me lightly on the nose.
"You're welcome," I said.
The Toad retainers raced into the room. "Hey, M—Luigi?! What happened? Where's…?"
I rolled my eyes. "Mario's fine," I said, "and so are we."
"So—you saved Peach?" they asked.
"I did—with some help," I said humbly.
Silence. Then—
"Hey! Let's hear it for Luigi!" shouted a Toad.
And they all cheered.
For once in my life, I was getting the fanfare and acknowledgement I'd labored so hard to receive. For once, the post-rescue party was held in my honor, and I got to cut the first slice of cake. For once, I was in the spotlight.
And once Mario came back, things would probably shift back to the status quo. That was alright. Because I don't ask for that much recognition. I only want an equal slice of the pie.
Luigi
21 September 2013
Brooklyn, NY
Dear Diary,
21 years after chaperoning Julian and Jackie at their junior prom, I had the honor of chaperoning their daughter at hers. Jake, of course, was her prom date. I picked him up at his house first, and as I drove him to Jules's house, I glimpsed him in the rearview mirror, sitting nervously in the backseat.
Jake's blond hair was slicked back, and he wore a peach-colored three-piece suit with a cream-colored tie. I could tell that he was fiddling with something—a corsage, perhaps—in his lap.
"Hey," I said, deciding to put him at ease, "Mr. Merrick won't bite—that hard."
Jake smiled, but he said nothing.
"A flea and a fly in a flue," I said, "were imprisoned, so what could they do? Said the fly, 'Let us flee!' Said the flee, 'Let us fly!'…"
"…so they flew through a flaw in the flue," finished Jake. "You taught her that one?"
"I did," I replied.
"It's been six years," said Jake, "but I can't thank you enough for looking after Jasmine in the Ghostly Galaxy. I would've blamed myself if something had happened to her there."
I smiled in response.
Jake was more relaxed when we arrived at Julian and Jackie's house. We got out of the car and walked to the front door, where I rang the doorbell.
Jules opened the door, Jackie at his elbow. "Hey," he said.
"Hey," I replied. "Here he is."
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Merrick," Jake said politely. "Is Jasmine here?"
"She's almost ready," said Jules. "Come on inside."
Jules and Jackie led us to the living room, where we each helped ourselves to a can of lemon-lime soda.
A few minutes later, Jasmine descended from the staircase, clad in a green and blue prom gown with sparkling accents, her hair in an elegant updo.
"Wow, Jas," breathed Jake. "You look beautiful."
"Thanks," smiled Jas as Jake gave her the corsage.
Jules and Jackie took a few photos of the pair before taking me aside to give me some instructions. Most notably, I was to make sure Jas and Jake were home before midnight.
"Have fun, you two," said Jackie as she and Jules saw us off.
Jas and Jake cuddled in the backseat as I drove them to the high school. I led them to the multi-purpose room, where Jas and Jake presented their tickets. The festivities were just about ready to kick off when we entered. We made ourselves comfortable at one of the tables and helped ourselves to hors d'oeuvres.
As more guests and chaperones filed in, I realized that almost everyone in the room recognized me. A faculty member revealed that the prom was me-themed, and one of the events on the itinerary was a "Weegee-off", which would take place before the vote for prom king and queen. I couldn't help but blush a little at the news.
Music began to play, and Jake took Jas's hand, leading her to the dance floor. I watched them hold each other close and move across the floor in a graceful glide, reminding me of the Floating Whirlindas. The DJ played a few slow songs, followed by a set of up-tempo songs. After a handful of EDM songs, the emcee announced that it was time to prepare for the Weegee-off.
Once everyone settled down, the emcee explained the rules. All the guests had to do was showcase their best impression of me, which would be judged by a panel of faculty members. The best impression of me would win a $100 Shake Shack gift card, the second-best would win a $50 gift card, and everyone else would win a $25 gift card.
After the emcee outlined the rules, the Weegee-off began. I watched, chuckling, as numerous high-schoolers strutted their stuff, imitating my mannerisms and shouting my catch-phrases in an over-the-top accent. Some of these impressions were spot-on. Others—not so much. All of them, however, were hilarious.
Jas and Jake didn't compete in the Weegee-off. Since I was close-knit with them and Jas's family, they told me, it would give them an unfair advantage. Instead, they sat with me, watching their classmates ham it up with their impressions. Jas cheered when Kate won the first prize, and Jake cheered when one of his friends won the second prize.
After the Weegee-off, we ate some more food as faculty members passed out ballots for prom king and queen. Once again, Jas and Jake weren't in the running. They decided to vote for Kate and her prom date, while I abstained.
Kate and her prom date, Ed, wound up being crowned. Jas looked so happy for her best friend as she joined Ed on the stage. Both were given a flower bouquet and an ornate crown, and then they were showered with confetti.
The prom had now come to an end. I drove Jas and Jake to Jules and Jackie's home, where Jake walked Jas to the front door and kissed her cheek before she went inside. Finally, I drove Jake to his own house, and then I headed to my apartment to spend the night.
Mario's coming by with some food. I can't wait to tell him how things went!
Luigi
22 November 2013
Super Bell Hill
Dear Diary,
Earlier tonight, Peach, Toad, Mario and I, along with Josh, Joan, Julian, Jackie, Jasmine, Jake (his parents trusted the Merricks enough to chaperone him now), Grace and Gavin, were enjoying the fireworks at the Thanksgiving Festival when we came across a strange pipe. Sound familiar? Only this time, it wasn't a green Warp Pipe, but a clear one, and it was leaning off to one side. Mario and I sprang into action, whipping out our tools and fixing the pipe so that it stood upright. When the pipe was repaired, all manners of goodies and power-ups gushed out of it. It was almost as if we'd struck oil.
"Whoa," gasped Jake.
"Cool," added Jas.
To our surprise, a fairy-like creature wearing a green dress shot out of the pipe. She looked footsteps away from panic.
"Hey," I called. "Are you okay?"
"Wh-what is this place?!" asked the fairy.
"You're in the Mushroom Kingdom," said Peach. "I'm their ruler."
"I'm a ruler, too!" cried the fairy, "along with six others. There are seven Sprixie Princesses in total!"
"Sprixie Princesses?" repeated Mario.
"That's where we're from—the Sprixie Kingdom!" explained the Sprixie Princess.
"There's another kingdom down this pipe?" I asked. "This isn't the first time this happened to us. Twenty-eight years ago, Mario and I were just ordinary plumbers from Brooklyn when we crawled through a pipe and, well…" I gave my companions a loving look. "The rest is history."
"Brooklyn, huh?" questioned the Sprixie Princess. "The Dodgers are from there, right?"
"They were, but they moved to L.A.," I said.
"Oh. That's good to know," said the Sprixie Princess, "but we'll discuss that later. Something—horrific—is happening in the Sprixie Kingdom!"
We listened intently.
"There's this turtle-dragon hybrid who just burst in without so much as a by-your-leave! His minions pillaged and plundered and—did other stuff, while he started plucking my Sprixie co-rulers one by one! I managed to get out of Dodge to find help and—maybe you can help us!"
"Turtle-dragon hybrid?" asked Peach. "I know who you're talking about. His name is King Koopa."
"This—King Koopa—gives you problems, too?" asked the Sprixie Princess.
Peach nodded. "Every Tuesday or Friday or both, he comes in, trashes the kingdom a little and grabs me. We call it Taken Tuesday or—ahem. Luckily, I have two people I can rely on." She indicated me and Mario.
"Oh—hey," blushed the Sprixie Princess when she looked at us. "You've fought this Koopa before?"
We nodded.
"So did we," said Josh, indicating his family and the Butters.
"It was only once, but we kicked his—well, you know," said Grace.
"Great! Maybe you can send him packing out of our kingdom!" she cried.
At that moment, Koopa emerged from the pipe, sending the Sprixie Princess reeling. "I heard someone mention me!" he guffawed.
Mario and I instinctively leaped in front of Peach. Josh did the same with Joan, Jules and Jackie did the same with Jas and Jake, and Grace did the same with Gavin.
"Chillax—if I wanted to grab one of you, then I would've done so already," smirked Koopa. "I've moved on to greener pastures." As he spoke, he held out a jar containing a royally p—ed off Sprixie Princess.
"Let me out of here, you f—ing psycho!" she cried, banging on the jar.
Koopa just laughed. "Feisty—just like my favorite peachy princess. I like these Sprixie Princesses already! Listen, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a new kingdom to conquer and rule. See ya later, alligators!" Still laughing, he disappeared down the Clear Pipe, taking the Sprixie Princess with him.
"Get back here!" shouted Peach, clamoring over the Clear Pipe's lip and leaping down.
Mario, Toad and I, along with the rest of our companions, exchanged a look before we all leaped into the pipe after her. And as we rode down that pipe, Peach's skirt billowed up around her. Let's just say that—Mario didn't really mind.
The Clear Pipe deposited us here—Super Bell Hill. True to its name, there are bells scattered all over the place. Maybe these bells can help us find and save the Sprixie Princesses.
Hey! Remember the dream Mario told me about 25 years ago? About the four of us going on an adventure to stop a supervillain? I guess that dream is finally a reality, except that we're taking a few extra people along for the ride!
I'll let you know how things turned out!
Luigi
6 December 2013
Sprixie Kingdom
Dear Diary,
Those Bells we found had turned us into kitty cats! I lost track on how many times we got to scamper and pounce like little kittens and scale up walls. It was a welcome change from the times we had to hop across large gaps in platforms. In our cat forms, we could dash faster, as well. Not to mention that our cat forms were super-cute! Cat Mario had golden fur, I had green fur, Cat Peach had pink fur and Toad had blue fur. The Merricks had black fur, Jake had yellow fur and Grace and Gavin had auburn fur. While equipped with a Super Bell, we couldn't resist acting like cats, either, playfully pouncing on and roughhousing with each other as well as with enemies, getting distracted by and chasing after butterflies and birds and absentmindedly licking our fur.
But we utilized other power-ups, as well, like the Super Leaf, the Super and Mega Mushrooms, the Fire Flower and the Boomerang Flower. Also returning were the Invincibility Star and the Invincibility Leaf. Sometimes, we could wear Cannon Boxes or ? Blocks on our heads, and with the Lucky Cat power-up, we could turn into a Golden Cat Statue to defeat enemies. For situations requiring stealth, there was a mask which disguised us as a Mushroom Defector. But the coolest of the new power-ups was the Double Cherry, allowing us to create clones of ourselves. These clones collected coins, completed side-quests and explored otherwise difficult-to-access areas. Grabbing more Double Cherries made more clones, but for some reason, we were able to tell which of our companions was the real deal and which ones were merely clones.
Then, there was Plessie. In certain beach areas, Plessie invited us to hop on their back and give us a ride. Riding on them was like being on a flume ride at an amusement park, sailing down inclines, splashing into the sun-sparkled waters, even going underwater at several points. Plessie expertly guided us past crowds of enemies and obstacles while we hung on and enjoyed the ride, yelling out with delight. And the best part—Plessie ferried us from the start of the course to the finish free of charge, although they did appreciate the tips we offered them.
Long story short, we all ventured throughout the Sprixie Kingdom, fighting a boss at the end of each castle and freeing a Sprixie Princess held within. It was quite refreshing to see Peach equipped with a power-up, shooting fireballs and defeating enemies alongside us. She was sick and tired of always needing rescue, and it showed. When we were in our Cat Forms, we were unable to listen to our music, as we couldn't hold our phones properly with paws. But when we were equipped with other power-ups, those moments were fair game for jamming to our favorite tunes.
After we liberated a red Sprixie Princess, Koopa showed up and revealed his scheme—he wanted to use the Sprixie Princesses to power his very own theme park! Then, he undid some of our hard work by grabbing all seven Sprixie Princesses in a large jar and escaping, with us giving chase.
"Frankly, I liked him better when he was crushing on me," mused Peach.
The final showdown took place in a glittery world with neon lights, simply known as World Koopa, during a torrential rainstorm. Koopa greeted us by taking a Super Bell and pinning it onto his spiked collar turning him into a—tiger? He looked like a tiger, or a very large cat. But he was unbelievably adorable!
He was a deadly kind of adorable, but adorable nonetheless. Earlier in our journey, he'd fought us in a pimped-out ride we'd never seen him in before. Maybe after losing to us for so long, he'd decided to step up his game. He was starting to take both of us seriously. In my opinion, that's both a good AND bad thing.
We dodged his swiping attacks and dove into a Clear Pipe which took us to the top of a building. As Koopa pursued, he wolfed down a few Double Cherries and spawned numerous clones of himself that attacked us at every turn. But our swiftness won the day, and we soon found the real Koopa, perched atop a large POW block, holding the large jar containing the seven Sprixie Princesses. They pounded furiously but futilely on the glass, yelling muffled reproaches and obscenities at their captor—and then yelling muffled encouragement to us as we reached the top of the building. As the Koopa clones closed in on us, we took turns striking the POW block again and again and again.
And with one simultaneous hit, Koopa was launched high into the air, losing his grip on the jar. Using their magic, the Sprixie Princesses shattered their prison and watched as Koopa flew into the distance, a firework in the shape of his face exploding in the night sky.
The seven Sprixie Princesses cheered and swarmed around us, spewing thanks for freeing them. Peach was blushing at the chance to finally show her heroic side. Then, the Sprixies invited us to spend the night in their kingdom, and we accepted. They threw a thank-you party for us at their castle, where they had a wall of cupcakes instead of a giant cake. Wall of cupcakes—very inventive. Later, the Sprixies got their revenge by trapping Koopa in a giant jar. Let's see how he likes it.
During the party, I overheard Grace talking to Roland over the phone, telling him about this amazing adventure. Politely, I turned down an offer to talk to him, because I had nothing to say to him. By the way, Grace is still staying at the Bunker with Gadd and Becky. She and Roland are finally taking steps to repair their marriage, but she's still not ready to fall back into his arms. Her guard is still up, as it should be, and so is mine.
Once we had our fill of cupcakes, we all took our places for a group photo with the Sprixie Princesses. Then, they showed us to our comped hotel rooms.
Time to turn in for the night!
Luigi
31 December 2013
Peach's Castle, MK
Dear Diary,
Peach has invited the Sprixies to her castle to help ring in the New Year. Around me, Toads and Sprixies alike are interacting with each other, sharing toasts and patiently waiting for the final countdown, where the fireworks will light up the sky and all of our slates will be wiped clean.
I'm a little sad to see 2013 go. 2013 was the Year of Me, after all. For twelve exciting months, I was the star of the show. The stores were flooded with my own games. There was the Luigi's Mansion game, the Dream Team game, a spin-off of the original Mario Bros game starring me and a palette swap of me, New Super Luigi U and most recently, Dr. Luigi, a spinoff of the Tetris-style Dr. Mario game. Hands down, 2013 will go down as one of the best years of my life.
But alas, all good things must come to an end. I've had my year in the limelight, and now, it's time for Mario to return as the primary hero while I play his second banana. But that's okay. 2013 shaped me into a more laid-back, confident person, something bound to remain once the clock strikes midnight and 2014 is ushered in.
Happy New Year!
Luigi