Mario Sports Superstars is approaching fast, so we’re kicking off a brand new miniseries here at Nintendo Wire! Over the next five days, we’ll be covering each sport that will be included in the new game, choosing real world athletes and matching them up with their Mushroom Kingdom counterparts. Today, we kick off the Mushroom Mashup series with America’s national pastime: baseball. Baseball has seen some colorful characters throughout its long history, and some players have similarities to Mario characters who are about to take up the sport this Friday.
Let’s get started!
Waluigi: Randy Johnson
They’re both lanky, mean and nasty on the mound. Coming in at 6’10″, Randy Johnson spun a hall of fame career primarily with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners, winning five Cy Young awards and a World Series MVP award in the process. During his peak from 1993-2002, there wasn’t a more imposing pitcher in the game. He’s arguably the best left-handed pitcher in history, and his fierceness and wild style on the mound struck fear into the hearts of batters everywhere.
In Mario Superstars Baseball, Waluigi has the highest pitching skill of all playable characters, and he also happens to be a southpaw. The physique is clearly comparable to that of the Big Unit, making this relation an easy choice to kick off the series.
Mario: Mike Trout
As Mario is the face of Nintendo, Mike Trout is the face of baseball. While Mario’s skills aren’t anywhere near the otherworldliness level of Mike Trout, Mario is featured in the “all-around” category of talent in Mario Baseball. Mike Trout is also an all-around player (denoted as a “five tool player” in the baseball world), the difference is that he executes every aspect of the game at a higher level than pretty much everyone else. Playing for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Trout puts on a red cap every day, much like our beloved plumber.
Luigi: Madison Bumgarner
When you first take a look at Luigi and San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, you might not see any similarities. Admittedly, there aren’t many parallels. There is, however, one very special way to draw a connection.
In recent years, Luigi’s claim to fame has been the unforgettable Luigi Death Stare: the meme that took the internet by storm back when Mario Kart 8 released. Madison Bumgarner has an infamous staredown of his own. On September 25th, 2015, Mad Bum wasn’t thrilled with the work of home plate umpire Joe West. Before facing the next batter, Bumgarner stared into the soul of Joe West for about 30 seconds. This moment alone is enough to say Madison Bumgarner is the Luigi of Major League Baseball.
Donkey Kong: Giancarlo Stanton
Nothing screams absolute power like Giancarlo Stanton. If you don’t believe me, just check out this bomb from last weekend. Stanton is as built as it gets, and he shows off his extreme power all summer long. In the Mario universe, Donkey Kong is the buffest of them all, as he literally punches baseballs out of stadiums with a boxing glove. With both Stanton and DK, you’ll definitely want to pitch around them to avoid serious damage against your team.
Koopa the Quick: Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson, the hall of famer best known for his years as an Oakland Athletic, built his career around stealing bases. In fact, he holds the record for career stolen bases by almost 500. Who else is known for blazing speed and a green and yellow color scheme?
None other than Koopa the Quick, of course. The iconic Koopa from Super Mario 64 also exhibits extreme speed, and he’s always challenging Mario to a race. Just like Rickey, Koopa the Quick goes through life with extreme confidence in himself.
“You must be strong. And pretty fast. But how fast are you, anyway? Fast enough to beat me… Koopa the Quick? I don’t think so. Just try me.”
Once, after striking out, Henderson famously said this:
“Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the best.”
Seems like a perfect comparison, if you ask me.
See you tomorrow
That’s it on the baseball side of things– make sure you come back tomorrow for the next entry in Mushroom Mashup! We’ll be turning our attention to the professional athletes from the world of tennis. As always, keep coming back to Nintendo Wire for all the Nintendo news you need.
And remember, Mario Sports Superstars releases for the 3DS this Friday, March 24th. You can pre-order it on Amazon today!
Leave a Comment
Written by Logan Plant
Logan loves voicing his opinions just as much as writing them. When he isn’t gaming or writing, Logan’s probably recording a podcast or chatting on the radio. Video game journalism is his passion, and he hopes to cover video games for years to come.
