Item of the Week #12

Dark Seraphim · 02-13-2010, 01:19 AM

Boo

First Appearance: Super Mario Kart (SNES, 1992) [as an item]
Latest Appearance: Mario Kart DS (DS, 2005) [as an item]

Yet another Mario Character that appeared as a useful item, although Boo's have come quite a way, being antagonists, heroes, and playmates in Mario Party and Kart games, their sneaky and underhanded ways made them very useful items for pulling the rug out from under your opponents in quite a few games in the Mario Franchise. I, of course, will only be focusing on their roles as items, I'll leave the Character of the Week rundown to Metal Mario.

Of course I've already covered Boo Mushrooms in my second Item of the Week, but there are still a number of games where summoning Boo itself proves quite a useful boon to gain a sneaky advantage. Their first appearance as items came from the Mario Kart series, where summoning a Boo during a race allows the ghost to wander off to a nearby racer with the best item and swipes it from them, stealing it and giving it to you, all while making you temporarily intangible versus other racers! As the games progressed, the Kart series kept this basic formula constant, but added to the bonuses, allowing intangible racers to go off track without being slowed down, and harassing the unlucky target of their theft, slowing them down for a short time.

Summoning Boo to assist in acts of theft and treachery wasn't exclusive to the Mario Kart Series, Mario Parties 2, 3 and 4 also granted the player the ability to calla Boo to your aid with the Boo Bell (in Mario Party 2 and 3), and the Boo's Crystal (in Mario Party 4). Similar to their role in Mario Kart, Boo would be sent out, albeit at a price, and would steal coins or even a Star from your opponents, making it a quick and devious way to turn the game around in your favor! For a change of pace, in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars you could summon a Big Boo against your enemies and scare them using the Fright Bomb, being the only time you could use Big Boo as opposed to normal Boo.

Sadly, with Boo (and King Boo's) promotion in Mario Party 5 and Mario Kart Double Dash from lowly item to playable character, it seems the age of the sneaky Boo-for-Hire may very well be over. Although as we've seen through Item of the Week #2, although Boo itself may be too busy to act as an item anymore, Nintendo isn't about to let the concept of using Boo Powers for the player's benefit be lost entirely, and we'll have to wait and see what new Boo Items may show up!

Item of the week #1: Hammer
Item of the week #2: Boo Mushroom
Item of the week #3: Metal Cap
Item of the week #4: Tanooki Suit
Item of the week #5: Ice Flower
Item of the week #6: Thunderbolt
Item of the week #7: Coconut Gun
Item of the week #8: F.L.U.D.D.
Item of the week #9: Bob-omb
Item of the week #10: Kart
Item of the week #11: Mini Mushroom

PK FIRE! · 02-13-2010, 02:19 PM

Heee, Boo made Match Race and battle mode in Mario Kart very fun. Also I like how this seems to be undead week in these two topics.

- You stupid dog.

Metal Mario · 02-13-2010, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PK FIRE!

Also I like how this seems to be undead week in these two topics.

Evidently so. Completely coincidental, though. I have my Games and Characters of the Week planned out weeks in advance.

Dark Seraphim · 02-13-2010, 02:59 PM

And I posted this topic before Metal Mario posted his! At least we didn't end up both doing Boo at the same time!

Luigiman7 · 02-13-2010, 03:28 PM

Sucks that he isn't an item in Wii or GC. He's always been one of my favorites, what with the chance of getting one of the last place items and being invunerable for a short time.

Dark Seraphim · 02-13-2010, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metal M-Word

Sucks that he isn't an item in Wii or GC. He's always been one of my favorites, what with the chance of getting one of the last place items and being invunerable for a short time.

He really was perfectly balanced as an item, it came with a basic effect that is useful but not over powered, he could make you intangible and able to rush right through other Karts, which made up for if Boo failed to steal anyone else's item. It was always satisfying though if Boo returned with a Red Turtleshell or a Star though!

Luigiman7 · 02-13-2010, 03:40 PM

Or a Lightning.

But it might be a bad thing in the Wii, because you can get a Lightning Cloud.

Dark Seraphim · 02-13-2010, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metal M-Word

Or a Lightning.

But it might be a bad thing in the Wii, because you can get a Lightning Cloud.

Heh! Good point! A shrinking thundercloud that can only be passed by bumping into something while intangible would be a bad thing! Granted you wouldn't have to use the Thundercloud right away, but its still an amusing idea!

Metal Mario · 02-13-2010, 04:33 PM

Mario Kart Wii is so overloaded with powerful items that you barely have time to drive ten feet before you get hit with a Thunderbolt, a POW Block, a Blooper, and a Spiny Shell all at the same time.

Luigiman7 · 02-13-2010, 04:35 PM

It seems like you always get hit with a POW, then a Ligghning directly afterwards.

But only people who suck at MKWii get hit with the POW and the Lightning Cloud. And it's not like the Blooper actually disables you.

Metal Mario · 02-13-2010, 07:20 PM

I was playing Mario Kart Wii just the other day. I was racing on the volcano course, and just as I was taking a jump over a lava pit, a POW Block activates and drops me in the lava. WTF? Ever since 1983's Mario Bros., the rule of the POW Block has been that it hits enemies who are on the ground. I was in the air. That sucks!

Luigiman7 · 02-13-2010, 07:29 PM

It doesn't hit you in the air. It probably glitched out.

Dark Seraphim · 02-13-2010, 08:01 PM

You'd have been safe if you had a Boo on you!

Metal Man · 02-13-2010, 08:10 PM

Mario Kart DS > Mario Kart Wii, anyway. No ROB in Mario Kart Wii. Sucks.

Boo is one of my favorite items though, especially since I used him to demonic effect in the old Mario parties--stealing everyone's stars.

...

this is why nobody wants to play mario party with me

Metal Mario · 02-13-2010, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metal M-Word

It doesn't hit you in the air. It probably glitched out.

Maybe I was still touching the ground after all, then. Either way, it burned like a sonofabitch.

Luigiman7 · 02-13-2010, 09:02 PM

daww metal man ill play with you :3

Robotazy · 02-13-2010, 11:13 PM

It's like leaving a Banana Peel on the booster ramp. It's such an ass move...

Then again, I do that too.

02-13-2010, 09:02 PM	#16
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	daww metal man ill play with you :3 __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

02-13-2010, 01:19 AM	#1
Dark Seraphim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: Posts: 431 Thanks: 4 Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts	Item of the Week #12 Boo First Appearance: Super Mario Kart (SNES, 1992) [as an item] Latest Appearance: Mario Kart DS (DS, 2005) [as an item] Yet another Mario Character that appeared as a useful item, although Boo's have come quite a way, being antagonists, heroes, and playmates in Mario Party and Kart games, their sneaky and underhanded ways made them very useful items for pulling the rug out from under your opponents in quite a few games in the Mario Franchise. I, of course, will only be focusing on their roles as items, I'll leave the Character of the Week rundown to Metal Mario. Of course I've already covered Boo Mushrooms in my second Item of the Week, but there are still a number of games where summoning Boo itself proves quite a useful boon to gain a sneaky advantage. Their first appearance as items came from the Mario Kart series, where summoning a Boo during a race allows the ghost to wander off to a nearby racer with the best item and swipes it from them, stealing it and giving it to you, all while making you temporarily intangible versus other racers! As the games progressed, the Kart series kept this basic formula constant, but added to the bonuses, allowing intangible racers to go off track without being slowed down, and harassing the unlucky target of their theft, slowing them down for a short time. Summoning Boo to assist in acts of theft and treachery wasn't exclusive to the Mario Kart Series, Mario Parties 2, 3 and 4 also granted the player the ability to calla Boo to your aid with the Boo Bell (in Mario Party 2 and 3), and the Boo's Crystal (in Mario Party 4). Similar to their role in Mario Kart, Boo would be sent out, albeit at a price, and would steal coins or even a Star from your opponents, making it a quick and devious way to turn the game around in your favor! For a change of pace, in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars you could summon a Big Boo against your enemies and scare them using the Fright Bomb, being the only time you could use Big Boo as opposed to normal Boo. Sadly, with Boo (and King Boo's) promotion in Mario Party 5 and Mario Kart Double Dash from lowly item to playable character, it seems the age of the sneaky Boo-for-Hire may very well be over. Although as we've seen through Item of the Week #2, although Boo itself may be too busy to act as an item anymore, Nintendo isn't about to let the concept of using Boo Powers for the player's benefit be lost entirely, and we'll have to wait and see what new Boo Items may show up! Item of the week #1: Hammer Item of the week #2: Boo Mushroom Item of the week #3: Metal Cap Item of the week #4: Tanooki Suit Item of the week #5: Ice Flower Item of the week #6: Thunderbolt Item of the week #7: Coconut Gun Item of the week #8: F.L.U.D.D. Item of the week #9: Bob-omb Item of the week #10: Kart Item of the week #11: Mini Mushroom

02-13-2010, 02:19 PM	#2
PK FIRE! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: On the run. Gender: Posts: 9,544 Thanks: 175 Thanked 150 Times in 120 Posts	Heee, Boo made Match Race and battle mode in Mario Kart very fun. Also I like how this seems to be undead week in these two topics. - You stupid dog.

02-13-2010, 02:59 PM	#4
Dark Seraphim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: Posts: 431 Thanks: 4 Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts	And I posted this topic before Metal Mario posted his! At least we didn't end up both doing Boo at the same time!

02-13-2010, 03:28 PM	#5
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	Sucks that he isn't an item in Wii or GC. He's always been one of my favorites, what with the chance of getting one of the last place items and being invunerable for a short time. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

02-13-2010, 03:40 PM	#7
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	Or a Lightning. But it might be a bad thing in the Wii, because you can get a Lightning Cloud. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

02-13-2010, 04:33 PM	#9
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	Mario Kart Wii is so overloaded with powerful items that you barely have time to drive ten feet before you get hit with a Thunderbolt, a POW Block, a Blooper, and a Spiny Shell all at the same time.

02-13-2010, 04:35 PM	#10
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	It seems like you always get hit with a POW, then a Ligghning directly afterwards. But only people who suck at MKWii get hit with the POW and the Lightning Cloud. And it's not like the Blooper actually disables you. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

02-13-2010, 07:20 PM	#11
Metal Mario Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Gender: Posts: 16,435 Thanks: 72 Thanked 190 Times in 127 Posts	I was playing Mario Kart Wii just the other day. I was racing on the volcano course, and just as I was taking a jump over a lava pit, a POW Block activates and drops me in the lava. WTF? Ever since 1983's Mario Bros., the rule of the POW Block has been that it hits enemies who are on the ground. I was in the air. That sucks!

02-13-2010, 07:29 PM	#12
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	It doesn't hit you in the air. It probably glitched out. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

02-13-2010, 08:01 PM	#13
Dark Seraphim Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: Posts: 431 Thanks: 4 Thanked 20 Times in 15 Posts	You'd have been safe if you had a Boo on you!

02-13-2010, 08:10 PM	#14
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Mario Kart DS > Mario Kart Wii, anyway. No ROB in Mario Kart Wii. Sucks. Boo is one of my favorite items though, especially since I used him to demonic effect in the old Mario parties--stealing everyone's stars. ... this is why nobody wants to play mario party with me

02-13-2010, 11:13 PM	#17
Robotazy PRESS ANY KEY TO PANIC! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: A Tiny Shed Gender: Posts: 16,483 Thanks: 529 Thanked 1,254 Times in 897 Posts Blog Entries: 46	It's like leaving a Banana Peel on the booster ramp. It's such an ass move... Then again, I do that too.