Monday & Punishment

Monday again, it was just Sunday and I was happily playing Doom and enjoying my weekend. Oh well, welcome back to another week on Zone Base. Hopefully you all had a great weekend, I did. The Mrs and I did our weekly shopping and enjoyed a fun Easter by Watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and enjoying a peaceful day at home. While out Saturday I picked up a few fun things. We stopped at Aldi because they have excellent produce and I picked up a MrBeast Labs Hybrids. I've been meaning to check these blind monster packs out regardless of the apparently famous YouTube guys name on the label. They're fun modular figures with emphasis on mix and match parts that look to use the Glyos system. I got Serpanther in mine, a red Gorgon/panther hybrid. Pretty neat, though the tail section is made of some cheap plastic.

At Walmart I got a Blokees Classic Class Soundwave from Transformers One and the new Walmart Exclusive gold Skeletor from the new MOTU Core Class line that I'm pretty excited about. It's a slightly smaller action figure range for Masters of The Universe that's seemingly movie and classis character based. I plan to cover them pretty throughly here as they're perfect Wednesday post material. I also look forward to building that Soundwave soon. 

The Mrs surprised me with a very cool Easter Basket full of candy, a MrBeast Labs Swarms blind pack, some of his candy (literally, who is this guy and why is his name on some pretty good products?) A MOTU X Transformers Scareglow Starscream (now I own the complete set), The Red Rodan Kaiju Ranger figure from Playmates new Power Rangers X Godzilla figures (must get all these), as well as some Reese's and Hershey Easter Candy. There's also a Super Mario Pez dispenser in there that I'm tempted to carry around regularly. Some people vape, I Pez. It was a great surprise and I think she liked her Easter basket from me. I got her a canvas print of our cats... it's on the wall over the TV. 

She made one excellent Sunday dinner that I enjoyed while finishing the last of my Blokees Defender Version kits that haven't been assembled yet and of course playing Doom. There's a new Defender Version series on the way that I can't wait to get my hands on as well as more Wheels. So good! Well, it may be spring, but I've got Halloween on my mind and the beginnings of this years 3 month long spooky season is cooking in my brain. Last year we broke site records, let's see how big Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem is in 2026! Well, it's time to get this week started. It's a special week here on the site as I renewed the domain for the 10th time... that's right, Zone Base turns 10 this week and it's really amazing to see how it's grown over the years. Thank you all for reading and supporting the site. Please don't forget to share with your friends and be excellent to each other.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

I just got back from seeing The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and just like the first movie, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

While the movie takes inspiration from Super Mario Galaxy, it pulls from all over the Mario series. There are even appearances from other Nintendo properties, which makes it feel like a full-on celebration. Like the previous movie, it’s a fun love letter to Nintendo fans while still being an enjoyable ride for all ages.

Like I usually do with movie posts, I’ll avoid spoilers. But since he’s been all over the marketing, I think it’s safe to mention Fox McCloud showing up. Seeing Fox and his Arwing from Star Fox in the movie was really fun, and I’m hoping it leads to more Star Fox in general—games, a movie… or, as the Mrs pointed out, toys. I’d absolutely lose my mind if Fox showed up in those little Mario figure displays at the Walmart check out. I check those things every time I’m there.

The movie isn’t a direct adaptation of Super Mario Galaxy, but it's used more of a framing device, similar to how the first movie worked. It’s probably too early for me to decide which one I like more, but right now it feels like a natural continuation. It blends really well with the first movie, and I like that a lot.

Honestly, I’m still riding a high from watching it. As a big Mario fan, this thing is packed with so many Easter eggs and references it’s kind of mind-blowing. I’m still thinking about the Pro Wrestling poster hanging on Mario’s bedroom wall.

I’ve seen some people online already trashing it, but they feel like the same type who went after the first movie—people who just hate popular things to try and seem interesting instead of developing an actual personality.

Me? I loved it.

I made a complete dork of myself. I brought a small Mario figure with me and wore a Mario Kart shirt. The theater had Super Mario candy and themed ICEEs, plus Yoshi popcorn buckets that were already sold out. I grabbed a pack of Feastables Yoshi Eggs—white chocolate with peanut butter—which felt very appropriate with it being Easter. They were actually pretty good.

I don’t really know who MrBeast is, but I like a lot of his products. It honestly feels like he just appeared one day out of nowhere. Who the hell even is he?

The Mrs grabbed one of the ICEEs—Mario Cherry and Princess Peach (peach flavor... wouldn't it be great if it was mango or something?). She went with Mario. I tried a few sips and yeah… it’s just cherry. Still fun, though. I had a Pepsi Zero Sugar... I might be addicted.

On the way out, we noticed the theater had a custom Mario balloon sculpture in the lobby. No idea how we missed it on the way in, but it was a nice extra touch.

Overall, it was just a really fun experience on top of a great movie, all centered around something I’ve loved forever. Pretty awesome.

It's Halftime to Halloween!

It's the start of a new week, but not just any week, we're now Halfway to Halloween! This week we'll infuse a little of that Pumpkin Spiced Mayhem into the site to help hold you over until August and the start of the Zone Base Halloween party!

It may be spring with summer just around the corner, but there's plenty of chills to cool you down! In addition to the spooky fun, we'll be looking at some neat stuff  too! There's BeastBox and more Swapticons in between the tricks and treats. Thank you all for reading Zone Base. Please don't forget to share with your friends and Happy Halfway to Halloween!

My New Week

Another week has begun and it's only natural to spend it with robots, monsters, and misadventure! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was pretty cold as we were snowed in since Friday morning! Nothing like a winter storm to bring in a suprise 3 day weekend. We did get out for a little bit Saturday afternoon and hold the press, Walmart FINALLY HAD BLOKEES! I grabbed the 4 left on the display happily. They were 2 Ironhides and 2 Optimus Primes from wave 1. I didn't only get doubles, but technically triples since getting those same ones in an earlier order. No problem, that's the game you play with blind boxes... and these bots are designed in a way that makes customs easy. So maybe they'll get turned into someone else soon. I also played a surprising amount of The Adventures of Lolo for the NES this weekend. It's a great classic game, I just didn't anticipate playing it that much. Well, the snow is melting and the work week has begun again. Time to get some site pictures taken and the day started. Thank you all for reading Zone Base. I've got a fun week planned, please remember to share with your friends!

Koopa Troopa & Pull Back Racer - Bullet Bike

Sometimes the simplest toys are they best toys. My mother loves to peruse the clearance aisles at stores. Not long ago she was doing so and picked me up this Koopa Troopa figure from the Super Mario Bros movie toy line. Just because I love Super Mario and it was just a few bucks. It turned out to be a great little toy. Those familiar with Mario probably recognize the Bullet Bike. In toy form it's a simple, ride-able vehicle with a pull back engine and a good representation of the Bullet Bike. The Koopa Troopa is a little over two inches and a quarter with 5 points of articulation. He's a charming little guy who looks screen accurate to his (or her) appearance in the movies racing scene. I'm not ashamed to admit that the little bike has raced al over my floor, jumped ramps made from books, and pulled off some death defying stunts.

Stick around Planet Zone this Week

It's Monday Zone Base readers and time for a new week of fun! I had a good weekend despite it starting off with some routine medical testing Friday. It's just something I don't enjoy and am thankful to be over with. With Toylanta and my birthday nearing, I haven't bought myself much. However did pick up Turtles of Grayskull He-Man and a Ghostbusters Fright Features Phoebe from Frozen Empire. Saturday was Microman Day, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Microman. This being the 40th Anniversary of Transformers, this is an important milestone to observe. I enjoyed seeing various toy bloggers post pics of Microman toys in celebration and joined in on the fun by posting pictures of the most recent Micronauts themed Battle Tribes toys. Sunday was Mar10, aka Mario Day. I enjoyed the various Super Mario Bros news and played Super Mario Bros 2 for awhile in observance. Not to be left out, Godzilla: Minus One won an Oscar! I don't watch the Awards, but am so happy for the movie! It really was an amazing film. Not to be left out was a online Digimon convention full of news. I look forward to those new Digivices! I also managed to watch several episodes of Samurai Pizza Cats and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros 3. A surprisingly fun, but simple weekend. I've got some errands to run and some chores that need to be done. So it's time to end this and get to work. I've got a fun week in store for you all. Thank you for reading Zone Base and please don't forget to share the site with your friends. Mutal high fives everyone!

A Monday is You!

A new week has begun on Planet Zone and a bunch of fun content coming your way! How was everyone's weekend? Mine was good. Enjoyed some rest and grocery store sushi while watching 1000lbs Sisters and paranormal TV. We did our weekly shopping which lead to a few toy pick ups. Gamer Edition Optimus Prime was found at Target. Walmart had the GXK Kong vs Skar King 2 pack and some neat Hollow Earth crystal blind packs (also from GxK). I bought one on a whim and got Skar King!

We later stopped at Five Below for a Squishmallow drop and I got the entire set of GXK Jada Metalfigs. I had been slowly getting them from Walmart, but discovered the Five Below sets were not keychains. So I bought all 4. Not sure why there is or isn't a keychain attached depending on store, weird. Also picked up a Super Mario Bros bag clip figure blind bag from the new series and got Bullet Bill! The Mrs earlier in the week picked up the rest of the Transformers Jada Metalfig mini figures and some neat mini TF plush toys for me. Somehow I managed to bring lots of fun stuff. Even picked up a neat monster survival guide book from Five Below.

Well, enough about that, let's get this week started! I've got a fun week in store for all of you. Thank you so much for reading Zone Base. If you like what I'm doing, thanks! Don't worry, I'm not asking for money (that's gross isn't it?). All I ask is that you share the site with your friends. Zone Base isn't about capitalizing on others, just enjoying cool stuff. If you know anyone that might like the cool stuff I talk about, then hey... let them in on it. Mutal high fives all around!

Monday of the Brain

Dammit, it's Monday again. Let's all pour one out for another weekend gone. I spent mine taking the Mrs out for her birthday. We spent all Saturday taking in a bunch shops like Teso Life, Tokyo Kuma, and other similar shops. I bought her a bunch of fun stuff like Sanrio, stationary, treats, plushies, and other things she likes. It was a good time. I did pick up a few things for myself while out. Got 2 Popmart Transformers blind figures. Starscream and Galvatron. Galvatron came with a arm for the Devastator build-a-figure. Also picked up a BeastBox Jonsen. This was a limited edition version in unique colors and accessories. Neat! I also picked up a Chin Chan blind box, some Bikkuriman stickers, Demon Slayer, Hone Hone Zaurus, Ultraman, Gundam, Mario, and other goodies! 

I've got a fun week planned for you all. Thanks to each and every one of you for reading Zone Base. If you like what I'm doing, thanks! Please share the site with your friends. Mutal high fives everyone, let's get this week started and have a great week!

New Week Extreme!

Holy crap, it's Monday again. Of course that means another week here on Planet Zone! I hope everyone had a good weekend, I did and I'm personally pissed off that it's over! Saturday we ate at my Mom's house with my brother's family. It was a nice BBQ dinner! Afterwards the Mrs and I went to Walmart and Home Depot for various needed stuff. While out, I picked up Toxitron Collection Mirage and Laser Cycle! Just two more to go! I also grabbed Mutant Mayhem Raphael, just one more to go before the teams complete! Apparently the mini Super Mario Bros movie figures have gotten new toys. I got Tanookie suit Mario and one of the new 3.0 Bakugan figures. Which one? I forgot his name! Dammit! I aslo got Monster Cereal, it's officially Halloween!

While at Mom's house I was gifted a WWE Superstars Undertaker figure. This is the line that Mattel replaced Masters of the WWE Universe figures with. Same MOTU style figures, but in their classic gimmicks. The Mrs and I enjoyed a late supper while watching Cobweb on Amazon Video. It's a fun new Halloween themed horror movie. Really good, but the ending reeked of studio involvement. You know, when suddenly it feels like another movie all together?  Sunday morning we had french toast before taking the Mrs to Bed Bath and Bodyworks and a stop for me at Barnes and Nobles. 

I intended to get some Kitaro manga, however none was to be found. So instead I got a book of Japanese ghost stories. August is ghost season over in Japan and other Asian countries. I love all the stories that come from Obon and Hungry Ghost Festival each year. It's only appropriate to indulge in a little yokai fun. Not to mention, I just like Barnes and Nobles. Well, I got a fun week planned for all of you. Thank you so much for reading Zone Base. Halloween is in full swing and a new pumpkin spice infused episode of Transform Squadron is coming your way soon! Be sure to share with your friends!

Primeval Monday

Dang, it's Monday again. Guess it's time for another new week here on Planet Zone. Hope everyone had a great weekend as we near the Rise of Beast Summer! I had a pretty good weekend. We had a fun family pizza party at my Mom's house for mother's day. Speaking of mother's day, I helped our cats give the Mrs a surprise. 

Saturday the Mrs and I did a little shopping. We had intended to watch Guardians of the Galaxy 3, but like Mario... time wasn't on our side. Friday we did pick her up the new Zelda game while Saturday I found some fun stuff. Got Super Powers Darkseid and the 1989 Batman from the Flash toyline. I don't care about the movie, except for him. Also grabbed some Star Wars discount figures and a gray Yoshi from the Jazwares Super Mario figures.

Later a stop by Target resulted in picking up the Buzzworthy Bumblebee Jungle Mission 3 pack on sale. Good weekend for fun stuff. Speaking of fun stuff, an impromptu stop by Pelicans Sunday resulted in me getting a Super Mario snowball from their Mario Bros movie flavors. It was a hot day and that was just the thing. I've got a fun week in store for you all. Thank you for reading Zone Base. If you like what I'm doing, please share posts with your friends! Or hey, follow our new Facebook page! There's a handy link in the right column links!

Koopa's got kids

I've always loved the Nintendo cartoons produced by DiC in the late 80's and early 90's. To be fair, I've always been a fan of cartoons made by DiC. They really made great shows that I still watch regularly to this day. Their Super Mario Bros cartoons have always been a bright spot for me as... I freaking love Super Mario. Some of my favorite games of all time and I still have yet to get tired of playing any of them. At the time, media about video games was hit or miss. There was gaming magazines, but I wanted fiction. Prior, there was the Saturday Supercade and Pac-Man cartoons  that gave some extra life to those characters I liked on my Atari. That was much needed as in those days the plot was mostly a basic scenario. I was fully in love with the richer gaming worlds my NES gave me and just gobbled up the characters however I could.

Needles to say, thanks to the time they were made, the shows weren't very true to the source material. Like Saturday Supercade and others before it, some additional world building was needed to make a show out of the games. A boss in a game's personality back then was often a few sentences in a game manual. Not to mention, animation companies like DiC was provided material by the companies localizing the game from Japan. So whatever material they had to give them was likely pretty limited at the time as the game was probably being localized at the same time. We know him as Bowser here in the western world, but in Japan his name is Koopa. So he's King Koopa in those old cartoons. After hearing a Milli Vanilli song on the radio recently, I was reminded of that episode of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 featuring them. Somehow that thought resulted in me wanting to write about the Koopa Kids from said cartoon and their name differences from game to cartoon. You can blame this post on the rain

Game/Cartoon
Larry Koopa/Cheatsy, he tends to be a cheater.
Morton Koopa Jr/Big Mouth, talks a lot.
Wendy O. Koopa/Kootie Pie, spoiled brat.
Lemmy Koopa-/Hip (twin of Hop), not very smart, but also genuinely innocent.
Iggy Koopa/Hop (twin of Hip), immature and childish, but a brilliant inventor.
Roy Koopa/Bully, calm and collective.
Ludwig Von Koopa/Kooky, mad scientist and elder Koopa kid.

Super Mario Bros (2023)

I finally got a chance to see Super Mario Bros after a busy few weeks. Thankfully the Mrs suprised me with tickets. As a big fan of Super Mario games, this was an absolute love letter. While some folks complained about the voice actor choices, I didn't mind the acting whatsoever. It was a joy to see the world from the games come alive on the big screen. There was plenty of easter eggs placed among the non-stop moving world filled with Nintendo. I frankly was disappointed when it ended, fortunately the end credits were full of additional fun. I'm not giving away any spoilers and have nothing but love for what I just watched. I can only wish other adaptations of beloved properties would be this good.

Weekly Walpurgis~ Wario in 3D

Walpurgis Night is a wonderful time for all things spooky, and seeing how Mario is on everybody's mind lately... Hey, know what rhymes with Mario? WARIO! Back before he was all burps and farts, Nintendo liked to sell Wario as something sinister as this commercial shows. The Virtual Boy had it's faults as YouTubers who never played one will tell you, but it had some good games and this was definitely one of them.

Super Mini World

One cool thing about big movies is all the cool media mix that comes with it. Well, for me anyway. The new animated Super Mario Bros. movie is a pretty cool example of this. There's all sorts of fun goodies and toys available, but so far my favorite is the Mini World toys that I'll be talking about today. I've been buying the Super Mario Micro World and PVC toys by Jakks Pacific for years now. They make a solid product that really brings the characters to life in a fun way. Micro World was a great keshi style mini figure line with great play sets that didn't take up a lot of room. Mini World is close to that same idea, but with articulated figures and cool transformable play sets. It's a small difference, but a fun one. I haven't tried it yet, but I do think they're cross compatible as well. Just maybe a hair off in scale. So if you've got some Micro World stuff, you could probably incorporate it.

On the subject of Mini World, like I said the figures are articulated. Not as much as the larger figures from the movie by any stretch, just a little bit. Arms move at the shoulders, it's basic, Usually this style of toy is very basic... if it's your thing... you're digging it. These are new sculpts to match the characters as they appear in the movie, but still 100% faithful to the characters as you know them. Realistically, I can see these appearing in newer packaging in years to come. They're just right for a blind bag at Five Below or in a gashapon capsule. Seeing as I've been buying Micro World figures via blind bag at Five Below for the past few years... it'd be something I'd be all for. 

The transformable play sets are pretty neat as well. Individual figures come of cards with a basic play set. This play set comes as the blocks you're used to seeing in Super Mario Bros. video games and open up to reveal a simple little place for your figure to have an adventure in. So far there is two larger play sets available. The Mario Bros. van (they're plumbers after all) unfolds into multiple areas based on settings from the games and movie. Personally I'm all about this van thanks to the cool teaser set as a commercial for the Bros plumbing service. You'll notice a familiar tune and the original voice of Princess Toadstool (before we started calling her Peach here in the states) voice from the classic cartoon.

The other play set is a larger one of Princess Peach's castle. Even if you take issue with the new movie for one reason or another... it's still a pretty faithful representation of her castle from the games. All I see when I look at it is Super Mario 64. It's a pretty large unfolding play set as well. I really hope more figures come along, because you'd need more than whats out currently to fill that thing with. I guess those Micro World toys would work. I'm pretty positive about these cool toys... as you can see. I'd hope for more games to get realized in this format (I could see Ghouls N' Ghosts easily working).

Replay: It's Monday

It's Monday yet again, and that means a new week on Planet Zone! This weekend we celebrated Easter. I had a basket full of goodies for my wife and she had an egg search planned for me. She filled 40 eggs with Botbots and Million Warriors that I had to find. There was even a TMNT minifigure in the mix. It was certainly a fun morning. 

Saturday was a cold and rainy day. A trip to Walmart resulted in Koopa Para Troopa, Toad, and Princess Peach from Super Mario mini world. I wanted to watch the Super Mario Bros movie, but didn't have time. I hope to see it soon, but frankly, it may be one of the movies that holds out for in demand. Seeing as their on apps within 45 days, it's not to hard to be patient. I did spend a good deal playing various pinball games on my Q90. Devil's Crush, Pokémon Pinball, and Pinball of the Dead were a lot of fun.

I still haven't found any Rise of the Beasts toys, it looks like my stores are following street dates. Somehow the same folks who have stuff given to them by big companies are getting them early. Funny how that works. This little podunk site works for everything and just renewed site registration for another year without a single ad or donation request. Thanks to each and everyone of you for reading Zone Base. I know it's not one of those big fancy sites, but it appreciates you reading. I've got a fun week in store. If you like what I do, please share with your friends! It's literally all I ask!

Let's Pass Go!

Inspired by The Super Mario Bros. Movie, this action-packed Monopoly The Super Mario Bros. Movie Edition board game lets kids and fans explore the Mushroom Kingdom, as they buy, sell, and trade locations from The Super Mario universe! Gold coins take the place of Monopoly cash in this race to see who can collect the most coins to win. Earn even more by owning matching Property sets. But beware of Bowser, who can swipe properties, steal coins, or send players to Jail! Discover Warp Pipe shortcuts and gather or lose coins with Question Blocks and Piranha Plants. Enjoy iconic Mario artwork, characters, and themes inspired by the film with the new Monopoly The Super Mario Bros. Movie Edition board game, available now at most major retailers including Amazon, Target and Walmart.

Monopoly The Super Mario Bros. Movie Edition Game

(Ages 8 years & up/Players: 2-4/Approx. Retail Price: $21.99/Available: April 5, 2023)

 

Thanks to our friends at Hasbro and Rogers & Cowan for providing Zone Base readers with this awesome news.

Don't let this week be a Shocker

Another weekend has passed heralding the arrival of a new week here on Planet Zone! I had a great weekend. My birthday was last week, so Saturday the Mrs showered me with gifts and we enjoyed pizza with ice cream and cake. It was a good time. I got plenty of Transformers and BeastBox toys. Not only that but some Super Mario, Masters of the Universe, and even Dungeons and Dragons toys to boot! I would list them all here, but that's a little tacky. I don't ask for money and that immediately follows such a thing. Though I'm sure a picture will be posted on my social meadia soon enough.

I watched Halloween cartoons all night before enjoying Sunday morning doing some shopping. We went to Five Below for a Squishmallow event. Which was a bust as the big drop didn't go as planned to the disappointment of those in attendance. We decided to visit another store for greater success. Next weekend is Easter and the Mrs has an Easter egg hunt planned for me. That sounds fun, I wonder how that's going to go. I've got to put together her basket soon. Though we'll do a little last minute shopping Saturday, so I'm sure I'll add to hers then as well. That's next weekend though, so we should get this week started off! I have some fun posts for you all. Thank you for reading Zone Base. If you like what I do, please share posts with your friends. I'd hope they'd enjoy it too!

Weekly Update- 11/14/22

Hope everyone is ready for a new week on Planet Zone! This weekend was pretty laid back. We did some shopping and started decorating the house for Christmas. That'll be finished next weekend, but we got a good start. This is going to be a pretty busy week for me as it'll be pretty much a straight shot from tonight untill Wednesday morning at work. Aside from Saturday, I'll be working all week untill getting off for the Thanksgiving break. Not looking forward to that, but hopefully you all will enjoy the upcoming episode of Transform Squadron!

As far as toys go- Five Below resulted in a Bakugan Gorthion, a Stanger Things blind bag Demogorgon, and Mario from a Super Mario Bros. blind bag. A stop by Ross resulted in some more Bakugan whose names I can't remember at the time. The Flash and Batman who Laughs from Super Powers was bought at Walmart. Unfortunately no Transformers I didn't already have were found. Goes that way sometimes. I've got a fun week in store for you all. Thanks for reading Zone Base and please share with your friends!

Mario's Special Adventure

 

I quite like Mario, always have. Even with a lifetime of him in video games, cartoons, and everywhere else: there's always something else. It's pretty cool that such a long running and well established character can manage to be obscure sometimes. With as many times that the original Super Mario Bros. has been reissued, you'd think you've seen it all. That's not exactly true as when they reissue the game, it's the orignal game. There's actually a few special editions. Then there's a version that's outright just named Super Mario Bros. Special. 

Super Mario Bros. Special is a version of the classic Super Mario Bros. developed (officially) by Hudson Soft for some NEC, Sharp, and Samsung home computers for the Japanese and South Korean markets. It's weird to imagine a time when Nintendo would allow something like this to happen, but many folks in my age range likely remember Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. on Atari and Coleco Systems. Not to mention random titles by licensed developers in the 90's or the recent mobile games. Sometimes they're willing to make a deal I suppose. 

Basically, the game is a port of the classic Super Mario Bros. that was released for certain home computers. The idea of it sounds pretty great, there's even a few new items and villains from other Mario games that make an appearance. However due to the limitations of those older computers as compared to the Famicom, things were a little toned down. The graphics were not as colorful and a little lessened. There was some audio differences too. It sounds like it should, but a little off. 

Luigi was absent, but most noticeably the screen didn't scroll for the most part. When Mario would get to the edge of the screen, instead of that smooth scrolling you're used to, the screen goes black and the updated screen is presented. Not exactly ideal for some of those big leaps of faith. The controls were also a little wonky as Mario just doesn't move normally. I hear the Sharp X1 version handles it a little better though. It's weird to say a PC version of a console game was inferior (I can hear PC gamers scream out in disbelief), but it really was. Regardless of it's faults, Super Mario Bros. Special is a pretty unique side note in Mario's long history. I'm pretty sure it was cool at the time to have the availability of such a popular game for those who may not have had access to it normally.

Super Bowser Bros.

 

Video games are a weird thing sometimes. What may look like a throw away character might be a complete rabbit hole of it's own. Case in point: Bowser's Brother. Whats that? You didn't know Bowser has a brother? He does depending on the source. Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan is a different game. It's essentially a harder version of the original game for 'advanced players'. Released here as 'The Lost Levels', Super Mario Bros. 2 is a VERY HARD GAME. One such challenge is 'fake' Bowsers popping up in locations for a quick boss fight. However hitting these 'fake' Bowsers results in minor villain appearing as he dies. That's because it's a fake, get it? 

However in worlds 8-4 and 9-3 you'll meet a blue Bowser who doesn't revert into a minor Koopa minion. Why is this one different? According to some manuals and guides, that was Bowser's Brother. Does he have a name? So far no, Bowser's Brother is all we have to go by. Maybe he's Kerog. He does have a fake version of himself in level D-4 like his brother. Bowser's Brother also appears in All Night Nippon Super Mario Bro's (a special limited release) and in the upgraded Super Mario Bros. game in Super Mario Bros. All-Stars. Though he's green instead of blue there and depending on the source either a fake Bowser or Bowser's Brother. The blue coloration is often used in various Mario games as an alternative color set for Bowser, and it looks great. It's just not as interesting as a character who only exists depending on who you ask.