Mario and the Koopas should star in a boxing game. This is how it will go:

The Story

The Koopas have stolen the Princess. Mario has already fought through all their forces, but was unable to defeat the mighty Koopas. Mario challenged Bowser to a boxing match. Bowser, not being as smart as he could be and unable to turn down the challenge, accepted. Now, all Mario has to do is to defeat all the Koopa Kids and Bowser, and he will rescue the Princess. Sounds easy, right?

The Rules

In this game, Bowser will be referee, and has sworn an oath to be fair and truthful... heh heh. To win this game, you must beat each opponent in a fair fight. As in real boxing, you can win in three ways. First, you can knock down the Koopa and have him stay down for ten counts, causing a TKO.  Second, you can knock down the Koopa three times in a round, causing a KO. Third, you can win after three rounds when you are both standing and you have thrown more/better punches. Usually, to make a Koopa fall, you must drain all of his or her energy, although it is not necessary on all Koopas. Also, on some Koopas you must perform a certain act to knock them down. When a Koopa is knocked out, he or she will be carried out on a stretcher carried by two servants, except for Bowser. A Koopa that loses by decision will stomp out, except for Lemmy, who will be on his ball. The winner, whether you or the Koopa, will jump and cheer. Rounds will be five minutes long, plus pauses.

The Ring

As you would expect it, the ring is a big square with ropes around it and bells in one corner; nothing special. As a hint, though, try not to let the Koopa get off the screen: if he shoots his weapons, you won’t be able to see it coming.

The Music

Each round has different music, and there are many sound effects. Just imagine them as you go along.

The Moves

There are many moves for this game. They are as follows:

Joystick for walking.

A for jumping.

B for punching.

A and B for special attack (see special attack).

Z to crawl.

B and Z to duck.

A and Z to perform a jump kick.

ZZ to throw cap.

Z when on the cap to pick it up.

The yellow arrows to wave the hat around when holding it.

Z when holding the hat to put it back on.

AA for super jump.

BB for powerful punch.

The yellow arrows to change camara view.

The special attack

Sometimes, if Mario fights well enough, he will get a Star from the Koopa. This Star can be used to activate the special attack, which most Koopas can’t fend off. The Star can never be lost except for when you use it, so use it wisely!

Mario is not all-powerful

Mario can get tired. If Mario attacks and misses, he will lose some physical energy. When this is empty, Mario cannot attack. It will not be drained if Mario makes contact. After a while, it will refill on its own. Also, if hit, Mario will lost stable energy. Watch out, when it runs out, Mario will fall down. Pressing A rapidly is the only way to get back up. If Mario gets back up, his energy will be refilled, but watch out, so will the Koopa’s. If Mario cannot get up, he loses. When Mario loses, he must again face the Koopa he just beat (except in the first round). If Mario loses five times then he will die. Mario has only one life. By the way, the stable energy is replenished after every battle.

Power Items

Sometimes, items such as lasagna and pizza will appear in the ring. If Mario picks them up, he will regain some stable and physical energy. However, you must be quick or the Koopa will get it. Mario’s energy also receives a boost when the Koopa is knocked down (more of a mental energy boost) and between rounds.

Saving Your Game

After each fight, you will get a password. When typed in, you will be able to get back to that point at any time.

Promotions

Sometimes, after you beat a Koopa, you will be sent up to the next level of Koopas. Be proud, but remember: winning will become harder. At the end of a level, there will be a bonus round. In it there will be some minor bad guys not already destroyed (remember, Mario was on an unseen adventure before this), such as Goombas and Koopa Troopas. The more you destroy, the more coins you get. If you get enough coins (100), you will be able to lose more times. The bonus round won’t end until Mario dies. Here, his death will not be counted against him.

Note: This game will sound easier than it really is because you will know all of its secrets.

The Fights

Ludwig

(A Note from Lemmy: I wrote this when I was mad at him...)

Level 1, Battle 1

Attacks: Ludwig will not attack, and will not even move.

How to attack: Frontal or sidal (from his side). Do not attack backal (from the rear) or his spikes will hurt you.

Tips: Serve Ludwig three punches and he will start to fall. However, he will always regain his balance, no matter how many punches you give him. When you can, you must then use the special attack on him. He will fall near your feet; be careful he doesn’t fall on your feet or he will drain all your stable energy. Once Ludwig is down, he will never get up. TKO!

Playful, the Koopas' Cat

Level 1, Battle 2

Attacks: Playful’s attack is weak. He will shoot his claws out at you. They sail slowly and are easy to avoid.  After he falls down twice, he will begin shooting his teeth. They are a little harder to avoid.

How to attack: Any side, although frontal is dangerous.

Tips: Stay away from Playful’s front as his claws shoot out without warning. Throw your hat and Playful will “play” with it. Now is the time to attack. (Don’t worry about the hat!) When Playful falls down, he will always get up. If it comes down to a referee’s decision, you will almost always win.

Larry

Level 2, Battle 1

Attacks: Larry’s attack is one of the more interesting ones. He will hurl various vegetables at you. If ome hits you, you will be forced to eat it. If you eat too many vegetables, you will become fat and you will fall down. At that point, it will be an automatic TKO because you will be unable to get up.

How to attack: Sidal only; frontal is way to dangerous.

Tips: Run around Larry and serve double punches and kicks. Stay away from the front or you will probably be hit. Larry will throw only forward, and he turns slowly. When knocked down, he may or may not get up. If it comes to a referee’s decision, you will probably win.

Bagels, the Koopas' Dog

Level 2, Battle 2

Attacks: Bagels's attack is more of a defense. She will not attack you, but when you come near, she will suddenly snap at you, making it hard to attack her.

How to Attack: Any side.

Tips: Take off your hat, pick it up, and hold it in front of you to defend yourself as Bagels will be unable to hurt you through the cap. You will notice that you can operate normally, except that you cannot crawl. Serve Bagels simple punches and you can defeat her. If you use this method, you will always win if it comes down to a referee’s decision.

BOWSER

Woah, it’s Bowser! Didn’t tell you that you have to fight him more than one time. Well, you do.

Attacks: Aside from throwing his normal array of life-threatening fireballs, Bowser will try to crush you by jumping on you. Be careful as one jump will drain about half of your stable energy.

How to Attack: Frontal.

Tips: Believe it or not, Bowser is easy. You should be able to tell where he is going to fall from his shadow, so move out of the way. When he lands, serve him double punches and special attacks; they will really drain his energy. Also, Bowser’s fireballs will always be high, so simply duck under them. The hardest thing about Bowser is this: If you don’t defeat him in three rounds, he will always win because he is the referee.

Hint: During the match, do a double jump out of the ring. You will reappear in the ring away from Bowser, and you will have received an extra life and a refill of power. This hint only works once.

Note: If you lose to the next Koopa, as with all Bowsers, you will not fight Bowser again, but the Koopa below him. Here, also note that you don’t get the bonus stage again if you get promoted, demoted, and then repromoted.

Great Job, you’ve beaten him! But oh no! He’s still alive and he has just walked out of the ring.

Iggy

Level 3, Battle 1

Attacks: Immediatly after the bell sounds, Iggy will grow to giant size and kick Mario. He is hard because he can kick Mario a long way and from a distance away. If he kicks you out of the ring, you will lose more energy.

How to Attack: His legs only, on any side.

Tips: Stay on his left and right sides so that Iggy cannot kick you. You will have to use a special attack to make him fall; other things will simply annoy him. When Iggy falls he will get up, but you will be able to attack him before he is fully up. When Iggy falls, as with Ludwig, be sure he doesn’t fall on you. Also, when he falls, the floor will shake. If you are on the floor when this happens, you will be flung out of the ring, and to your death this time. If this happens, you will have to fight Iggy again.

Morton

Level 3, Battle 2

Attacks: Morton's attacks are also very interesting. He will throw his voice at Mario. If Mario is hit, the words will circle Mario’s head and he will get puzzled. For a time, you will be unable to move. At this time, Morton will come forward and hit you, only to back up when Mario regains consciousness.

How to Attack: Sidal; frontal is too dangerous, and even sidal is very dangerous.

Tips: Take off your hat, pick it up, and carefully aim at Morton’s mouth. I say carefully because if you miss, getting it back will probably drain some of your energy. If you hit the bullseye, Morton’s eyes will go wide, and he will sit down. This will count as a down. He will refuse to get up, and it will be a TKO. Incidently, it is possible to win without throwing your hat, but it is hard and not advised. If it comes to a referee’s decision, Morton will probably win.

Susan, the mysterious Koopaling cousin

Level 3, Battle 3

Attacks: Susan’s attack is also a defense. Using her powers, rocks will spin around her head. They will fly at you sometimes. If you get too close, they will form a wall, making it impossible to touch Susan.

How to Attack: Frontal and sidal.

Tips: You will just have to dodge the rocks, there is nothing you can do about them. Go close to Susan so she builds her rock wall. Then, simply kick it down. The rocks will scatter on to the floor, and Susan will look surprised. At that point she is helpless. Punch her until she falls down three times in a round. Don’t step on a rock or you will get hurt. She will not regain her powers between rounds. If it comes to a referee’s call, it is iffy who will win.

BOWSER!

“Didn’t I just fight him?” you say. Oh well, he’s back again, madder than ever.

Attacks: Bowser will shoot coins around the ring. They are really fireballs. When you touch them, you will be hurt, but you will not know it until you fall down.

How to Attack: Frontal.

Tips: Although they are very tempting, do not collect the usually life-giving gold coins. They are Bowser’s
trap. Instead, go right up to Bowser and attack him. His coins will not hit you when you do so. Soon enough, Bowser will fall. Once again, you will lose if it comes to the referee’s decision.

Hint: Jump out of the ring and you will go to a room with 300 real coins. Remember, 100 coins give you another chance.

Nice show! But still, Bowser is alive, and he has again walked out of the ring.

Wendy

Level 4, Battle 1

Attacks: Wendy will be wearing shoes with very high heels. She will use these to kick you. When she does, you will be knocked back and she will try to kick you again.

How to Attack: Sidal or frontal.

Tips: First, don’t get into a corner, or you will be unable to escape Wendy’s pointy shoes. You must crawl between her legs and then stand up, causing her to fall over backwards. When she gets up, you will be in phase two. In this phase, throw your hat onto the floor and make her step on it. She will fall again and her shoes will come off. In phase three, she will have a new attack.

Attacks: Wendy will use her magic to flood the ring. Mario cannot swim in this game, so you must act fast.

Tips: Hopefully you have a Star stored up, because if you don’t, you are doomed. If you do, use your Star to special attack Wendy. She will fall and the water will stop. At this point it would be a KO. Unfortunately, after a round, Wendy will return to phase 1. If you use these tips, you will win if it comes down to a referee’s decision. If not, you will lose.

Molly, Ryan, and Tommy, the young but skilled Koopa Troopas

Level 4, Battle 2

Attacks: For only being Koopa Troopas that Mario missed earlier, they are quite formidable! The babies will use their magic wands to shoot beams at Mario. They will shoot at the exact same spot, so if they hit you, it will cause triple the regular damage. Sometimes, they might also try to run you over with their strollers (yes, they are that young).

How to Attack: Any side, but frontal is not preferred.

Tips: In phase one, all three babies will fight you at the same time. Their wands will flash before they shoot, and the beams will travel slowly. You have to sneak or crawl to one of the babies and attack them, but it will be short-lived because the blow will cause the baby to roll away. When you knock one down, Bowser will come out and do the count thing. Like normal, no one can be hurt at this time. The babies don’t get up, so it will be a TKO. Bowser will stomp his foot, and the servants will come and carry the fallen baby and the stroller out. Then Bowser will leave. Phase two is similar but the remaining babies shoot more often and faster. Their wands flash here, too. Knock one down, and the same thing will happen as in phase one, except that Bowser will jump up and down in rage. In Phase 3, the remaining baby will shoot very often and very fast, and its wand will not flash. Knock this Koopa down, and Bowser will come out and throw a tantrum. If this match comes down to a referee’s decision, the babies will probably win.

Lemmy

Level 4, Battle 3

Attacks: In this match, Lemmy will fight in phases. In phase one, he will roll on his ball and attempt to flatten Mario. In phase two, Lemmy will fly and attempt to swat Mario with his large wings. In phase three, he will hover in the middle of the ring and attempt to freeze Mario.

How to Attack: Any side and from the bottom.

Tips: In phase 1, Lemmy will try to turn you into a pancake. You must make him trip and fall. Throw your hat into his path. When he hits it and his arms spread out for support, kick him, not his ball, and he will fall off it.  In phase two, Lemmy will be up high and you have to avoid him. Don’t kick the ball that is still approximately in the middle of the floor. Again you will need your hat. Take your time, watch for Lemmy’s long beating wings, and try to throw the hat onto one of Lemmy’s wings. If you succeed, Lemmy will become off-balanced, and he will fall to the floor. If the hat lands on his body, he will shake it off. In phase three, once again Lemmy is up high and this time he is shooting his Freeze Gun, which will drain all of your stable energy upon touch. Fortunately, Lemmy takes careful aim before shooting, so you will be able to see exactly where he is shooting. Incidently, you can’t block Lemmy’s freeze rays with the hat. Jump up onto the ball and when the time is right, such as immediately after Lemmy has shot, perform a double jump and land on Lemmy’s head.  You will force him a little lower. Keep doing this until he touches the ground for the third time. Lemmy will not reset at the end of a round. If it comes to a referee’s decision, Lemmy will almost always win.

Clawdia, the Koopa mother

Level 4, Battle 4

Attacks: Clawdia is harder than one would expect. In a bag, she has many examples of Koopas’ breakfasts.  She will hurl these at Mario. Since the Koopas’ food is poison to Mario, getting hit will dreadfully drain his energy. Each time she falls down, she will hurl faster.

How to Attack: Frontal.

Tips: Use your hat to block the poisonous food that Clawdia throws. This will allow you to do to her what Larry tried to do to you. She will eat the food, and when she is too fat, she will fall down, but she will get up at ten. Continue this until she falls three times in the same round. If it comes down to a referee’s call and you have used this method, you will win. If not, you will lose.

Hint: Jump out of the ring and find Yoshi. He will give you five more chances.

!BOWSER!

This is the last round, so Bowser must have something big in store for you!

Attacks: The statement above is true, but not really until the last phase. Bowser will throw bombs, increasing in size as he begins to lose. The bigger they are, the further away their blows reach. It also hurts Mario if they land on him.

How to Attack: Frontal.

Tips: Keep an eye on the shadows of the bombs so you will know where not to go. You can be sure that there will always be a place where you can be safe. When Bowser is knocked down, he will make his bombs increase in size to adapt to the next phase. Unfortunately, after every round he will revert back to phase one and you will have to get him down three more times. Use all of your special attacks because you need to work fast and because you won’t need them later. Be careful because Bowser’s bombs can hurt you even when you are attacking him. Get him down three times and the match is over.

Wow! You have beaten Bowser again, and this time he is down for good!

The End of the Game

The Princess is delivered to you, and everybody (well, not the Koopas) celebrates. Until next time, the Mushroom World as well as Princess Toadstool are safe.