Character Spotlight: Jump to the Top

Hello again! I'm Brandon "the Bman" Alicea, and welcome to my first Character Spotlight! post. These posts are to discuss and share my own thoughts on one of the current Smashers from Brawl.


First up, this Smasher has gone to great lengths to prove that evil doesn't pay. If it's possible, he/she's been there and done that decades ago.

But that's not all. This Smasher also spends their free time playing around with both friends and foes! They may not be the best at Brawling, but their not the worst either. But no matter the situation, this Smasher jumps into action, and not a groomed hair out of place.


Who's that Smasher?

It's Mario!

This Mustachioed Plumber is always ready to race, party, play, and fight! No matter the danger, this Super hero stomps opposition into the ground before burning them with his special fireballs.


My First Reaction
When I first played as the Jumpman, it was on the NES from when I was 3 years old. I was visiting my grandparent's house and my aunt showed me and my brother the old system. This was the first video game anything I've ever seen, and that amazed me. Super Mario Bros for the NES was the first video game I ever played, and I instantly got hooked.

Talk about your classics

I didn't even know that that guy was Mario but I loved the game none the less. The colors, the gameplay; it was wondrous. Ever since then, I've been keeping an eye out for that trademark M to get more action and adventure. And I have yet to be disappointed.


Through His Series
Whenever the Princess gets kidnapped, you can rest assured that Mario's on the case. But every adventure or so, he does get help from either his younger twin brother Luigi or his close companion Yoshi.

Not to mention the occasional Toad.

Mario's been to going from carpentry, to plumbing, partying, sports playing, racing, and even medical school. Mario's a jack-of-all-trades. So he has to deal with the wicked impostor Wario from time-to-time or free his ex-girlfriend from a rage induced Donkey Kong. That doesn't stop him from investing in property on Fortune Street or racing against Sonic in the Olympic Games.

Don't know if Mario's that fast, or Sonic giving the plumber a handicap.

In Super Smash Brothers
Mario's always #1, both in his series and the Smash line-up. He's the middle road of fighting; not dealing out incredible amounts of damage, but not being blown off stage easy either.

Those Fireballs of his serve as his primary projectile, and his Cape from Super Mario World can send projectiles back where they came from.

In addition to giving foes the old turn-around

The moveset he has reflects Mario's style and personality well, as do those of the others. Although I was doubtful of F.L.U.D.D.'s usefulness, but it has proven itself in matches as it pushed helpless Brawlers over the edge. And his jump is pretty high, which is good for every portrayal of the Mushroom hero.

Looks like you're all washed up! Ha ha!

As a Character
Because we all know that personalities clash. Mario may have had less development then people like Luigi or Peach, but that helps him be more flexible in his roles. But no matter the game, Mario is always kind-hearted and brave.

He cares for Peach and Luigi with all of his Italian heart, and he'll have no mercy for anyone who hurts them. He feels pity when fighting Donkey Kong, wanting not to make the same mistakes he did in his past with Cranky Kong (AKA the original Donkey Kong from 1981). He's also loyal to allies like Yoshi or the Toads, most specifically the main Toad and the two from New Super Mario Bros Wii (nicknamed Ala Gold and Bucking Berry by Nintendo developers).

And even through their bitter hatred back in the day, Mario and Sonic function today as friendly rivals. Heck, even Wario tolerates him more then he used to.

Doesn't mean Wario won't stab Mario in the back for his own gain.
Or most likely, a quick Coin fix.

He may be more impulsive and aggressive when compared to his bro, but Mario's a natural leader who always puts others before him. Even though he is capable of talking, his actions speak louder anyway. Plus, he's a bit of a glutton; judging from all the mushrooms he eats and his reaction in the beginning of Super Mario Sunshine for the Gamecube.

That Peach makes a mean cake, I'll tell ya what.
But that's not cake...

As a Smasher, he would be liked by everyone except the villains of course. He'd be seen as the unofficial leader of them all, after Master Hand. No one downright hates him, for even Bowser had a begrudging respect for the plumber. But Mario's always up for a challenging match against one of his many rivals: Sonic, DK, Wario, or even Link. Pit's a close ally to him after the Subspace fiasco. Leave it to Mario to keep everyone together in the midst of disaster.

Just keep in mind that even Mario has his breaking point with
all the craziness that goes on within the Smash Brothers.

Smash Bros 4 changes?
Since the fourth game is coming into production, I want to delve into my own mind to see any kind of buffs for the plumber.


First off, I think that Mario should reflect his fiery prowess and be able to throw more fireballs then how many he throws now in Brawl. Kinda like his fireballs from the original Smash.

Mario's fired up for battle

Mario should also have a general buff to everything; raise the bar. And give him more knock-back to his back aerial. I mean, the bro has serious leg strength.

As for F.L.U.D.D., I propose we make him utilize more of his functions. For example, if Mario uses F.L.U.D.D. in mid-air, he uses the Hover Nozzle to gain more height while the water dispersed pushes foes down. The duration of the spray stays the same.

Haters gonna hate.

If F.L.U.D.D. is not charged, and yet is used in mid-air, he gives Mario very poor recovery. On the ground, if he's fully charged, F.L.U.D.D. would be good for 3 full force sprays before running empty. I've tested this myself from the game, and that is pretty accurate of how much that tank can hold.

And if Mario comes into contact with that cursed Poison Mushroom, then he'll lose his trademark cap, just like in Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS. And make him jump a little higher just because I'd like to see him show off his skill even more so. But that's not a big issue with me.

Chibi-Mario! (^-^)

Final Thoughts
This great man is the reason that I'm so into video games today, and he shall forever be my most favorite character of all time. Even if I can play as pretty much everyone in Brawl's roster, he'll be the most likely one I'll choose.

To me, Super Mario is the potentially one of the strongest characters I know, with all his Power-Ups, special jumps, hammer techniques, and his amazing physical standing. This is the reason I regard him as one of the game's Big 4. I'll get more into that in a future post.

So, what do you think about Nintendo's mascot? Comment what your standing is on him below. Do you think I covered him accurately?

Oh yeah!

So until next time! :D