Philosophical issues with Mario series?

[cheat-master30]

Well, I already wrote about the issues of death and 1-Up Mushrooms and morality and such in the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as about the philosophical implications of Super Paper Mario and such, but as someone currently writing Mario philosophy articles, some for Waluigious and some for a future book, I need more things that just be interesting to write about.

Any ideas? Basically, I want things about the Mario series which you could write the equivalent of an essay about in a Mario and Philosophy book, since after about ten or more chapters, it's hard to find more ideas, and there are very few philosophical arguments on blogs and stuff about the series.

[kingkoopa]

There is no gravity in the Mushroom World, 2-D water contains oxygen while 3-D water doesn't, Mario is a mass murderer, Goombas are jealous of Toads, Bob-ombs are terrorists. I'll tell you if I think about any more.

[cheat-master30]

Thank you, those points will do great. The idea about 2d water containing (more?) oxygen is interesting for sure.

[kingkoopa]

Space contains oxygen, Bowser's corps are actually organized into military units that do certain jobs, E. Gadd helps anyone who will give him money (unless Bowser Jr. stole the Magic Paintbrush)

[EpicGyllynn]

Space doesn't contain Oxygen, Mario can breathe because of the Luma, and the "Galaxies" contain mini Atmospheres maintained by the Power Stars Magic! Also, Mario isn't 3D sometimes and 2D sometimes, he is 3D ALL the Time, and the Water thing is just a Gameplay/In-Game thing! Nothing More! 1-Up Mushrooms don't really raise the Dead, but Refreshrooms(As seen in M&L 2) can bring someone back from a state of Unconsciousness, but not Death! My guess is, Refreshrooms are the actual name of water Gamers call 1-Up Mushrooms, but they can't resurrect you! And I don't think the Overthere and Underwhere in SPM are actually the Mushroom Kingdom's Afterlives, more like running Jokes! Though I do believe that MU has an Afterlife that is possibly shared with other Nintendo Universes! And yes, there IS Gravity on Amana!

[Koopalmier]

So, to set up some things:
- Mario can be underwater forever in 2D games because a life bar would be more annoying than anything else - the 2D underwater level are much more complicated in 2D than in 3D. Until Mario is shown to talk underwater (please, don't bring up the cartoons) we can't be sure he breathes there.

- Space doesn't contain oxygen. SML2 ? Mario needed a space suit. PM2 ? Even Goombella mocks the fact they can breath on the Moon and wonders why the X-Nauts' base is isolated. The Crystal Stars MAY be able to create oxygen. SMG and SMG2 ? The Luma, and some "galaxies" have an atmosphere (while some others are at night-time or are isolated by the Power Stars in it).

- 1-Up Shrooms simply bring back from knock-out, while they're only a gameplay element in 2D games, because you can see from SPM that Mario never "died", really. When you die in a Mario game, the game allows you to try again (because it'd be verrrry bad otherwise). Life Shrooms ? They do bring back from death (and are surely the only item strong enough for that, not counting Crystal Stars) but are rare. Very rare. Extremely rare.

- The Overthere and Underwhere are literraly said to be the afterlife, as seen by the Nintendoverse at least. The only jokes in this chapter are the people talking in the Underwhere about how they got a Game Over (or they are Toads who tried to rescue Peach at the time of SMB and TLL).

- Some things in the sky of the MW are held by an unknow force (solid clouds (maybe vapor emitting blocks ?), "galaxies" in SMG2 World 1...) but due to why Star Haven can float (Star Energy) it may be the case for other flying items too (but blocks, which are flying due to some hi-tech laser). After all they are near Outer Space...

- E. Gadd gave the Paintbrush to Bowser Jr. who was disguised as Mario (*coughShadowMariocough*), while the water, fire, etc... guns in SMG and SMG2 are indeed similar to FLUDD but they don't have E. Gadd's symbol and thus are more a tribute than anything else.

And, about your article on Waluigious, PM2 said Boos were youkais... err, demons created by the Shadow Queen. They are ghosts as a species, they were born as ghosts. What restrains LM's ghosts from going in the afterlife is beyond me though.

[cheat-master30]

To be fair, I personally wish the oxygen meters were gone from the 3D ones too. They're just more annoying than anything, and you've got enough things trying to kill you underwater to worry about freaking air in a cartoon universe.

As for some Luigi's Mansion ghosts... well, Bogmire isn't alive or dead, maybe that's why he's not in any afterlife.

[Koopalmier]

Bogmire isn't even a ghost. It's a monster made out of the other ghosts' despair and fear. But because they are quite happy in the mansion, Bogmire doesn't know what to despair or who to fear. Well, until Luigi shows up and transforms every ghost into a canvas. In a way, I wonder if Luigi's adventure in the mansion was really a good thing... Sure, he saved Mario, but he doomed people who were already dead to start with. Or that were born as ghost, like Chauncey.

[EpicGyllynn]

LifeShrooms just Increase your Health, not Resurrect people!

[kingkoopa]

In Paper Mario they bring you back from the dead if you die.

[Sarisa]

After SPM, isn't it easier to explain "death" in all earlier games as "crippling injury" that requires powerful medicine (1-Up Mushrooms), costing 100 pre-inflation coins, to treat rapidly? Once Mario runs out of his supply, he's laid up in a hospital somewhere and can't stop the latest threat.

[kingkoopa]

Or he dies. You know, I just thought of two revival methods that might be related. 1-UP Mushrooms and the Adrenaline Channel. Who is to say that Bowser is the only one to have a revival system in his body. Also, if Mario and Luigi just stopped shooting after they filled up the meter, Bowser would get an extra life. The reason why they needed to keep pumping adrenaline until he grew bigger is that the threat that threatened Bowser could not be solved by just reviving him. (Also, how come if Bowser dies in the overworld, Mario and Luigi can't ford the adrenaline channel or just go to his stomach and throw a 1-UP Mushroom in.

[SMBBQ]

I've always considered deaths an in-game thing. It's just silly to imagine Mario or Luigi dying constantly. The only canon death was in SPM, and they weren't truly dead then anyway.

[kingkoopa]

If Bowse's Army never killed Mario even once, they wouldn't be trying with the same attitude that they have been using since the first game

[Koopalmier]

Actually they'd do. Don't forget that "rule": Everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom is Insane. Or else why not wonder why Peach's castle is still lacking actual defenses, why Mario and co. throw bombs and banana peels at each other during car racings, and why did the Toads created a shopping district in Toad Town while Fawful was taking over the kingdom and a dangerous ill was around. Well, they're not "insane" in the literal sense, but the series is quite comical as a whole and the characters go with it.

I wouldn't be surprised if we learn Bowser's army follows him because there's apple pie for lunch everyday.

[Artemendo]

Everyone is insane except the crows in Twilight Town, and those are joke characters. So yes.

[Koopalmier]

Kamek is somewhat sane. And Geno and Rosalina are the only fully sane and mentally stable character: as a result, even Miyamoto doesn't like them.

[Artemendo]

Miyamoto doesn't like them because Geno is a Mary Sue and Rosalina is emo. They're not fun and reek of non-Mario, and who knows the stench of non-Mario better than Mario's creator?

[EpicGyllynn]

Aug 18, 2010 14:17:45 GMT -5 Koopalmier said:

Actually they'd do. Don't forget that "rule": Everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom is Insane. Or else why not wonder why Peach's castle is still lacking actual defenses, why Mario and co. throw bombs and banana peels at each other during car racings, and why did the Toads created a shopping district in Toad Town while Fawful was taking over the kingdom and a dangerous ill was around. Well, they're not "insane" in the literal sense, but the series is quite comical as a whole and the characters go with it.

I wouldn't be surprised if we learn Bowser's army follows him because there's apple pie for lunch everyday.

She does have a Real Defense for the Castle, but a Toad stands NO chance against a Koopa Troopa, maybe a Goomba, but not a Koopa Troopa! I mean, the Toads are Physically Inferior to Koopas(Who aren't Awfully Strong, to Begin With), and besides, the Toads are so Peace-loving, I doubt they would put up much of a Fight even if they Could! Also, I doubt the Bob-Ombs in Mario Kart are real Explosives, just Props that might Sting a bit, but nothing more Effective than, say, an Airsoft Gun. But I do Agree with you, many things are the way they are because it is a quite Comical Series, but we have to do our Best to Explain these discrepancies!

[Koopalmier]

Justely, it's not a real defense. It's like if puppies were proteting Barack Obama.
Plus that "defense" somehow allowed a giant cake to go through the castle's main gate. They didn't even checked if something was inside. During the princess' birthday, with that.
I'm talking about a REAL defense. It's like if you could enter the White House as you want with whatever you want.