There are so many video games on so many systems that certain things are bound to fall into the cracks, ignored by many while exulted by a passionate minority. In this new feature, I hope to shine a spotlight on certain overlooked games, characters and anything else that should warrant mention.
The first is a character from the Mario & Luigi RPG series, which originated on the Game Boy Advance and has since moved on to the DS. There have been no entries thus far on the 3DS, but one can certainly hope, although the fact that Paper Mario is on the 3DS leaves me feeling forlorn. The games have always been a delight to play, due to their unique control system, which allows you to control and move both Mario and Luigi simultaneously. But the real reason to play the games is due to the humor, of which a large part can be attributed to the new villain that debuted in the first game, Superstar Saga: Fawful.
Fawful is fantastic. He is perhaps the only Mario villain that I was actually rooting for while playing the game, which was slightly unusually being that I was one playing as the Mario brothers, who were in direct opposition to Fawful. Fawful started out as a loyal minion of Cackletta, who’s goal was to steal Princess Peach’s voice for some reason or another. It’s not important right now. Fawful appears as the next to last boss in the game, before the final showdown with Cackletta. He then appears as a shopkeeper in Partners in Time, but has no direct contact with the Brothers, but rather with Baby Mario and Baby Luigi (don’t ask). He returns again in Bowser’s Inside Story as the main villain this time, apparently moving up in the world after the defeat of Cackletta.
So that’s what he does and where he appears. But what makes Fawful so worthy of an entire GamerSushi feature? Well, quite frankly, he has the best quotes of any video game character I can ever remember. I’m serious. I am talking on the level of HK-47 from Knights of the Old Republic. And not only his quotes, but his personality. He is an extreme psychopath who has “breathtaking” anger management issues and speaks in a cartoonish form of Engrish, often using food as a metaphor in a completely nonsensical manner.
But enough describing why he is great. Allow me to show you, by listing some of his most brilliant quotes:
“I HAVE FURY! In the last moments of the finale when relief leads to negligence that begets rashness, that is when the comeback that falters comes back and beats your pathetic comeback that I scoff at!”
“I have lots of chortles for such stupidity!”
“Finally! Now is the time where my true might shines, like many angry sunbeams of rage!”
“Your lives that I spit on are now but a caricature of a cartoon drawn by a kid who is stupid! (This might be my favorite)
“I drizzled rage dressing on the country next door. Rage dressing on a salad of evil!” (This one, too)
“Beef? I am lacking in beef. Fawful is beefless.”
“Fawful is on the cozy couch, sipping tea that laughs at you!”
“All who resist will be beat like naughty little eggs!”
“You inhaled like a hungry syrup pig at the free pancake buffet.”
“You have energy like a little angry battery with no friends.”
“Soon, I will have your castle! …You will visit, perhaps! Fawful will reserve the Crying Room for the crying for your minions. And the crying will be like a savory soda for my soul!”
And the most famous quote of all, which might even be a meme for all I know:
“I am the great Cackletta’s most best pupil, who is named Fawful! I am here, laughing at you! If you are giving us the chase, just to get your silly princess’s voice, then you are idiots of foolishness! Princess Peach’s sweet voice will soon be the bread that makes the sandwich of Cackletta’s desires! And this battle shall be the delicious mustard on that bread! The mustard of your doom!“
I don’t know what else I can even add to that. “The mustard of your doom”. Whoever wrote that is a genius. What’s even more impressive is that this was obviously written in Japanese first and then localized for the western release and still retains the (I assume) intended humor. In the past, much humor has been lost due to literal translations and not proper localization, which are two entirely different things. Nintendo took the care to make sure that this didn’t happen in the Mario & Luigi games and the games greatly benefit from the extra effort.
The Mario & Luigi games are a delight to play, surpassing even the vaunted Paper Mario series in my estimation, which has faltered with Super Paper Mario (not even an RPG) and Paper Mario: Sticker Star (no leveling, hence no reason to even battle enemies). Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door was a tremendous game, but that was on the GameCube and was two games ago.
There are only three Mario & Luigi games, all on handhelds, but each one was better than the last. Bowser’s Inside Story, which I am playing right now, has Bowser blown up to Godzilla-like proportions, thanks to Fawful. Bowser then inhales the Mario Brothers, who have to fight their way out of Bowser, while also interacting with his insides, affecting his actions on the outside. Play sometimes switches to Bowser, so you play as a giant Bowser who has the two Mario Brothers running around inside of him. If that brief summary doesn’t excite you, then I can’t do anything else for you.
And as great as the games are, they wouldn’t be half as fun without Fawful, the mustard of our dooms. He has fury, but thanks to him, we have joy.
Hahaha great article. I had no idea there were so many Mario games for handhelds. They sound awesome.
Man, I remember playing Super Star Saga Christmas Night and laughing uncontrollably at the mustard of doom line. And then playing Thousand Year Door over and over again just to relive the amazing game feel and intriguing RPG elements, like badges. So many secrets, such polish and creativity, and a unique combat system that never got old. I really want to see more Mario RPGs because they really can’t be substituted by any other series. They’re seriously some the best RPGs out there.