Item of the Week #1

Dark Seraphim · 11-22-2009, 09:00 PM

Hammer

First Appearance: Donkey Kong (Arcade, 1981)
Latest Appearance: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (Nintendo DS, 2009)

Metal Mario gave the ok for a new "-of the week" thread, this time showcasing the many wonderful items of the Mario and Mario-themed games.

As an homage to the first Item of the Week I think its only proper to highlight the very first item ever available in the Mario franchise, even before the Super Mushroom was the Hammer, making its first appearance in the arcade game Donkey Kong, back when Mario was still known as Jumpman. It made Mario near invincible as he swung the hammer, destroying any obstacle in his path, although the hammer came with a drawback, you couldn't climb or jump high, and you were still vulnerable from behind, however as the only power-up in the original Donkey King game, it was known as being quite powerful.

The hammer since made several appearances in other games, since the first game its been taken as the default weapon of choice for many of the Hammer Bros. int he series, and Mario was even able to wield it again, although different this time, with the Hammer Bros. Suit from Mario Bros. 3.

It has also appeared as one of the two major weapons available to Mario in the RPG-based Paper Mario series, along with the Jump Boots, although the Hammer was Mario's only way of attack enemies with hazards on their heads.

More recently, the original Donkey Kong hammer has become a staple in the Super Smash Bros. Series, allowing a character who is lucky enough to grab one the ability to becoming a one-man killing machine, slamming the hammer around and doing heavy damage and flinch to any enemy in their way. Similar to the game, although the character can jump, he cannot double jump, and if they run off the edge there is no recovery as they swing their way to death. More recently in the Smash Bros. games, the Hammer has been given a fatal flaw to balance it out, not only is the user much less invincible while using it (which causes them to drop it), but there's a chance the hammer's head will fly off, leaving the user to swing around a useless handle, leaving them wide open for damage.

Luigiman7 · 11-22-2009, 09:02 PM

Ultra Hammer FTW.

PK FIRE! · 11-23-2009, 12:06 AM

Bewere of provoking Mario for he may deside to drop the hammer.

A very fun item to use in both the SSB and PM games. Hmm I wonder if the hammer will ever show up as a useoble item in a platformer again?

- You stupid dog.

Dark Seraphim · 11-23-2009, 12:15 AM

^

Sadly there are a lot of cool items that may never show up in the platformer again, but who knows? Mario Galaxy 2 is coming up, maybe the Hammer will make an appearance there?

If not, well we always have the Smash Bros. series.

EDIT: I did just remember, weirdly Mario did use the Hammer once in Super Mario Bros. on the SNES, but only in a cutscene when he used it to demolish a castle.

PK FIRE! · 11-23-2009, 12:45 AM

I liked the cutscene where he tries to blow up a castle but it launches like a rocket then crashes into a mountain.

I'd really love to see the hammer brother suite and the karubie suite return.

- You stupid dog.

Metal Mario · 11-23-2009, 01:03 AM

There's an homage to Kuribo's Shoe in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Luigi climbs inside this green, sock-shaped enemy and hops around. It's pretty cool.

Dark Seraphim · 11-23-2009, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PK FIRE!

I liked the cutscene where he tries to blow up a castle but it launches like a rocket then crashes into a mountain.

The one where it blows up in his face always made me chuckle.

Speaking of Super Mario World I was trying to find a picture of the castle blowing up in Mario's face to post, but I found this instead (a little off topic but it made me laugh):

I'll probabaly do the Hammer Bros. Suit itself in another Item of the Week, I just wanted to have the first item to be the actual first item of the series. And besides the hammer has been in a lot of the Mario games, both as an item and used by the enemies.

PK FIRE! · 11-23-2009, 02:58 PM

Speaking of that picture, does Yoshi count as a powerup for the prupuses of this topic?

- You stupid dog.

Dark Seraphim · 11-23-2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PK FIRE!

Speaking of that picture, does Yoshi count as a powerup for the prupuses of this topic?

- You stupid dog.

Technically yes, he would count as both an item and a character, however I will probabaly not feature him, since I don't want to step on Metal Mario's toes. Besides its not like the Mario universe is short items to feature.

Metal Mario · 11-23-2009, 09:37 PM

^Thanks. Yoshi will definitely get spotlighted in Character of the Week one of these days.

Dark Seraphim · 11-27-2009, 12:54 PM

^ I think Bullet Bill might be mine though.

Although technically many items were also character, Boo, Bullet Bill, and Chomp might count as well . . . I suppose I'll just have to play it carefully and let you know first if there's an item/character I'd wanna spotlight. For now maybe I'll just stick to power-ups.

Metal Mario · 11-27-2009, 01:58 PM

You're talking about the use of those characters as items in the Mario Kart games, right? Well, in that case, you could just talk about them in terms of their use as items, since they're not used as items in any other games.

Dark Seraphim · 11-27-2009, 04:08 PM

Yeah, well I do think that items from all games are fair game, including Mario main series, Mario spin-offs (Karts and Parties), as well as DK games.

11-22-2009, 09:02 PM	#2
Luigiman7 ヽ(◔ ◡ ◔)ノ.･ﾟ*｡･+☆ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: ~)´◡｀(~ Gender: Posts: 17,605 Thanks: 1,134 Thanked 1,012 Times in 713 Posts Blog Entries: 8	Ultra Hammer FTW. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

11-22-2009, 09:00 PM	#1
Dark Seraphim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: Posts: 431 Thanks: 4 Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts	Item of the Week #1 Hammer First Appearance: Donkey Kong (Arcade, 1981) Latest Appearance: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (Nintendo DS, 2009) Metal Mario gave the ok for a new "-of the week" thread, this time showcasing the many wonderful items of the Mario and Mario-themed games. As an homage to the first Item of the Week I think its only proper to highlight the very first item ever available in the Mario franchise, even before the Super Mushroom was the Hammer, making its first appearance in the arcade game Donkey Kong, back when Mario was still known as Jumpman. It made Mario near invincible as he swung the hammer, destroying any obstacle in his path, although the hammer came with a drawback, you couldn't climb or jump high, and you were still vulnerable from behind, however as the only power-up in the original Donkey King game, it was known as being quite powerful. The hammer since made several appearances in other games, since the first game its been taken as the default weapon of choice for many of the Hammer Bros. int he series, and Mario was even able to wield it again, although different this time, with the Hammer Bros. Suit from Mario Bros. 3. It has also appeared as one of the two major weapons available to Mario in the RPG-based Paper Mario series, along with the Jump Boots, although the Hammer was Mario's only way of attack enemies with hazards on their heads. More recently, the original Donkey Kong hammer has become a staple in the Super Smash Bros. Series, allowing a character who is lucky enough to grab one the ability to becoming a one-man killing machine, slamming the hammer around and doing heavy damage and flinch to any enemy in their way. Similar to the game, although the character can jump, he cannot double jump, and if they run off the edge there is no recovery as they swing their way to death. More recently in the Smash Bros. games, the Hammer has been given a fatal flaw to balance it out, not only is the user much less invincible while using it (which causes them to drop it), but there's a chance the hammer's head will fly off, leaving the user to swing around a useless handle, leaving them wide open for damage.

11-23-2009, 12:06 AM	#3
PK FIRE! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: On the run. Gender: Posts: 9,544 Thanks: 175 Thanked 150 Times in 120 Posts	Bewere of provoking Mario for he may deside to drop the hammer. A very fun item to use in both the SSB and PM games. Hmm I wonder if the hammer will ever show up as a useoble item in a platformer again? - You stupid dog.

11-23-2009, 12:15 AM	#4
Dark Seraphim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: Posts: 431 Thanks: 4 Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts	^ Sadly there are a lot of cool items that may never show up in the platformer again, but who knows? Mario Galaxy 2 is coming up, maybe the Hammer will make an appearance there? If not, well we always have the Smash Bros. series. EDIT: I did just remember, weirdly Mario did use the Hammer once in Super Mario Bros. on the SNES, but only in a cutscene when he used it to demolish a castle.

11-23-2009, 12:45 AM	#5
PK FIRE! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: On the run. Gender: Posts: 9,544 Thanks: 175 Thanked 150 Times in 120 Posts	I liked the cutscene where he tries to blow up a castle but it launches like a rocket then crashes into a mountain. I'd really love to see the hammer brother suite and the karubie suite return. - You stupid dog.

11-23-2009, 01:03 AM	#6
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	There's an homage to Kuribo's Shoe in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Luigi climbs inside this green, sock-shaped enemy and hops around. It's pretty cool.

11-23-2009, 02:58 PM	#8
PK FIRE! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: On the run. Gender: Posts: 9,544 Thanks: 175 Thanked 150 Times in 120 Posts	Speaking of that picture, does Yoshi count as a powerup for the prupuses of this topic? - You stupid dog.

11-23-2009, 09:37 PM	#10
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	^Thanks. Yoshi will definitely get spotlighted in Character of the Week one of these days.

11-27-2009, 12:54 PM	#11
Dark Seraphim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: Posts: 431 Thanks: 4 Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts	^ I think Bullet Bill might be mine though. Although technically many items were also character, Boo, Bullet Bill, and Chomp might count as well . . . I suppose I'll just have to play it carefully and let you know first if there's an item/character I'd wanna spotlight. For now maybe I'll just stick to power-ups.

11-27-2009, 01:58 PM	#12
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	You're talking about the use of those characters as items in the Mario Kart games, right? Well, in that case, you could just talk about them in terms of their use as items, since they're not used as items in any other games.

11-27-2009, 04:08 PM	#13
Dark Seraphim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: Posts: 431 Thanks: 4 Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts	Yeah, well I do think that items from all games are fair game, including Mario main series, Mario spin-offs (Karts and Parties), as well as DK games.