The Main Mario Crew, What Should Change Going Forward?

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E.Gadd

E.Gadd

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There's no question that the Super Mario Franchise has produced some of the most beloved and memorable videogame mascots of all time, and starting with Super Mario Kart(heck, even as far back as Super Mario Bros. 2/USA and Dr. Mario) Nintendo has used the pull of getting to play as these characters to sell a number of concepts that might have otherwise been overlooked.

You know this group of characters well, for much of the world they are the face of Nintendo.

With Mario Kart 64, Nintendo seemed to have settled on a clear set of 8 characters they intended to be the face of the brand going forward:

Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario, & Bowser

They were in everything Mario back then, and to this day a multiplayer Mario game that doesn't let you play as these eight is usually met with a lot of complaining.

Then, with Mario Tennis 64, Daisy and Waluigi were added to that list, as they immediately started to appear in all the multiplayer Mario games alongside the regular crew, continuing unto this very day.(Waluigi seemingly overslept for Mario Kart 7 :p)

The Gamecube era brought in a number of new recurring characters including Toadette and Petey Piranha, but only Bowser Jr., Diddy Kong, and Birdo seem to have lasted through to the Wii/DS era and beyond.

And although they are considered generic enemies in the overall scheme of things, both Koopa Troopa and Shy Guy have remained popular playable character options throughout the decades, and seem to be the go to options for minion representation.

A new generation is upon us now, and my question to you is this: Do you think it's time to shake things up a bit?

Should a few new faces get a chance to hang out alongside the household names... and perhaps become household names themselves?

Or should a few old faces make a return?

Or do you think the current Mario Crew is perfect as it is now, having added certain staple characters while trimming the fat over the years?

TL;DR:
Which characters would you suggest to join the iconic Mario Crew if you were in charge of things, and why?

Do they offer anything unique? Are they deserving?

I'd like to hear the thoughts of those who find this kind of stuff interesting.
 
I really think the Main Mario Crew is great the way they are currently but I wouldn't mind who joins in the future. Most know and love them over the years.

But one thing I have wanted for a long time that involved the main crew. That is to include Princess Daisy in the main series games again (you know, New Super Mario Bros, Galaxy, etc). She only appeared in Super Mario Land and that was it. She could have a supporting role or occasionally be involved in some sort of kidnapping plot. Her fans would appreciate it. Similar things can be said for Wario and Waluigi (except Wario has his own series but is an excellent Villain).

Toadette also deserves to join the crew as she is an excellent character. She fits with Toad nicely (as his sister or girlfriend, not sure how they're related). She was that character interested in music and instruments according to Mario Party DS which can be used in some plots somehow. It gives Toadette some background character. Nintendo can give her some important role in the Mushroom Kingdom like Toad and Toadsworth. Not to mention she adds on more female character to the crew since it only has two currently.
 
I can definitely agree that Nintendo should utilize a few of these guys, Daisy & Waluigi in particular, in more significant roles.

Especially since these spin-off titles have really done wonders for both of them, making them into characters we all(well most of us) want to know more about.(What is going on in Sarasaland these days anyway? And why is Waluigi always referencing that Wrecking Crew game?)

I like the suggestion that Toadette should return and become a staple member of the Mario Crew. Not only does she make a great "duo" character with Toad, but she was just getting some unique quirks with her interest in music and owning a hotel and such.

Plus the Mario Crew needs more than just Princess type female characters(and I say this as a huge Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina fan) there are plenty of male options, just seems odd to me.

I feel like introducing a duo of "Not Princesses" would be interesting. I don't know what they'd be like, but it would be something fresh.
 
An acquaintance of mine on Twitter shared an old interview with Mario Kart 7 director Kosuke Yabuki which kind of discussed how Nintendo views the Mario Crew.

First off, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Bowser, DK, and Wario are irrefutably the main tent pole characters. These guys are the most important to the company and the fans and will generally make appearances the most often.

After those eight, things start to get more complicated. Daisy is also a popular character, and she is often used by female players so Nintendo makes sure that there is room for her when they can. Rosalina has also become really popular with female gamers, so Nintendo wanted to include her again. Why she hasn't been used outside of Kart games, we don't really know.

Waluigi on the other hand is something of a tragedy. He is very popular among children which is why he has made continuous appearances over the last ten years. However, the old guard at EAD don't really see him as a Mario character. Unlike the rest of the Mario characters, Waluigi was not created by an internal Nintendo team, but by Fumihide Aoki, a Camelot employee. The younger crop of Nintendo developers do recognize him as a part of the Mario Crew, but even a decade after his debut it's kind of a sore spot for the company.

Now if I was in charge of overseeing the IP, I would look at adding some of the older characters. I think Pauline and Captain Syrup could add some good variety to the roster by including girls who deviate from being a princess.
 
Fantastic post! And I can definitely see where the old guard gives Waluigi the cold shoulder sometimes due to his Camelot origins.

After all, they did the exact same thing with Diddy Kong and much of the DKC continuity until Rare was no longer in the picture.(Still kinda do with the Kremlings... :p)

But I think his future is actually pretty bright, because for at least two generations he has been seen as a part of the Mario crew by people who buy the games, and I think Nintendo realize that he was very much missed in Mario Kart 7.(they certainly haven't dropped him from merchandising, remember that official Baby Waluigi doll that was based on fanart? Crazy stuff lol)

As for Pauline and Captain Syrup, I think there is a lot of promise in this area, and at least we know that not everyone at Nintendo has forgotten about them thanks to the MvsDK series and Wario Land Shake.

At the very least I could see one of them being reintroduced alongside a new character as a new rival duo to the princesses(why can't the girls have wacky hijinks moments too?); Camelot at least considered creating rival princesses a long time ago, but they were thinking of making goofy/grotesque characters then, maybe now it could be different?

You don't happen to have any insight as to what went down regarding Toadette do you? That seems to be one of the stranger changes to have happened last generation, she just up and vanished.
 
Waluigi's future is looking up. I would not be surprised if we someday see him starring a Mario & Luigi game in the next ten years or so. As for that doll of Baby Waluigi, that's actually a Chinese counterfeit. There are lots of counterfeit Mario dolls going around, and that is indeed one of them.

With regards to Toadette, she is a victim of the "Mario culling". For the last few years, Nintendo has been having some serious debates about the role of stories in their games. While they can unanimously agree about games like Zelda and Fire Emblem, Mario is a point of debate. One half of the company says that Mario games should be 100% about the gameplay, and that the story should be minimal at best. What this also means is cutting out all of the characters that don't fit into the Mario/Bowser/Peach mold. Look at Toadsworth who has also been M.I.A. except for the Mario & Luigi series. You can see this best from how Super Mario 3D Land, MP9, and Sticker Star bring everything down to basics.

Does that mean Toadette will be gone forever? No. I would bet big money that she will appear in Mario Kart U, because console MK games usually have big casts. However, if they decide to ship the game with a smaller than normal cast I can see Toadette being given the boot. Of course that doesn't take into account the possibility of  DLC characters.
 
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