“Mario” – Life of the Party
We all know a “Mario”. He is the mascot for the game, and also its biggest cheerleader. They are the enablers of the Smash Brothers world. This is usually the friend that own’s the console, and invites a bunch of people over for an evening of friendly competition.
Thing’s will typically get off to a rocky start as the “Mario” struggles to organize those who have never played before, explaining complex concepts and systems to newcomers before they have even turned the console on.
Once the console has been powered on, our intrepid hero is faced with a whole new slew of challenges to overcome. The “Mario” will begin to perspire as they attempt to sync everyone’s controllers, and divvy them up based upon the recipients perceived level of skill: Pro controllers for the novice, detached Joy-cons for the veterans, leaving no-one truly happy.
They will also become quite defensive as to why they haven’t unlocked all of the characters yet, making excuses on behalf of Nintendo’s design decisions.
Once complete, the “Mario” will finally be ready to impose their draconian house rules upon the group. These options can include, but are not limited to: three stock, items on and painstakingly curating the map selection. They will insist that this is how the game was “meant to be played”.
The “Mario” has a thankless job, but it is an essential one. They expose newcomers to the game, and through their struggles, bring joy to many who might not have known it.
