The 'Shroom:Issue 176/Palette Swap
Director's Notes
Greetings, everyone! Welcome to the November issue of The 'Shroom!
As I predicted last month, I'm typing this as my switch sits nearby with Shin Megami Tensei V loaded in, and I've gotten through a couple minutes of the tutorial so far- it's been busy day for me, coming back from a comic con to a whole lot of 'Shroom editing! Next month, I'll be able to tell you all about SMTV and also Pokemon Shining Pearl, which is coming out next week! Two big releases so close to each other, the last time I think this happened was 2019, where I had four or five games come out back to back with each other before leading up to SWSH. But, that's enough of my tired ramblings, let's move on.
Our special issue is next month! We'll be theming it around Yoshi, and there's no better time to contribute a guest section than a special issue. If you have some artwork of Yoshi, write a story featuring Yoshi, heck, if you've created some music about Yoshi, feel free to send it in! I'm always happy to feature your creations here in Palette Swap.
Happy reading!
~FunkyK38
Section of the Month
It was a tight race this month! In the top spot is Long John Spaghetti (talk), who started a new story last month: Luigi's Requiem. In second, we have Waluigi Time (talk) with his Halloween special Shmaluigi, Paranormal Investigator. Next, we have a three-way tie in third: Booguette's Koopamon, Yoshi876 (talk)'s What's on the Box?, and Magolor04726 (talk)'s World of Plight. Last but not least, we have Waluigi Time (talk)'s Waluigi Time Comic. A big thank you to everyone who voted last month! Please keep it up for this month as well!
| Palette Swap SECTION OF THE MONTH | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Section | Votes | % | Writer |
| 1st | Luigi's Requiem | 7 | 30.43 | Long John Spaghetti |
| 2nd | Shmaluigi, Private Investigator | 5 | 21.74% | Waluigi Time |
| 3rd | Koopamon | 3 | 13.04% | Booguette |
| 3rd | World of Plight | 3 | 13.04% | Magolor04726 |
| 3rd | What's on the Box? | 3 | 13.04% | Yoshi876 |
| 5th | Waluigi Time Comic | 2 | 8.70% | Waluigi Time |
Super Mario Maker Showcase
Greetings, readers of the 'Shroom, to Super Mario Maker Showcase, the section highlighting levels from Super Mario Maker 2! It's been a fair few months, but this section is back. For those who are new, this section highlights various levels from Super Mario Maker 2, for those interested in playing them, or just exploring the various levels with me. Hopefully, you discover some levels here that pique your interest!
Note: All information here is accurate as of November 11, 2021.
Tanooki Baseball
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Name: | Tanooki Baseball |
| ID: | LBM-B34-W3G | |
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Creator: | SilentTron |
| Description: | Batter up! Swipe the incoming shells as they approach. | |
| Tags: | Short and sweet, Themed | |
| Difficulty: | 
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It looks like Mario has a new strategy to playing baseball. In this level, using the powerful tail of the Raccoon Suit, Mario has to reflect shells to unlock his way forward. After a tutorial level teaching him how to play, Mario is left on his own, with 7 rounds to complete. The first few are painless, with the shells coming slowly, but as Mario progresses, the rounds get trickier, with springs and walls to account for now. The final round has Mario swing the shell several times to obtain and kick a POW Block, after which he can complete the level. The design of the course itself is generous, since when Mario is injured by any shells and reverts to his small self, he can go through a small path to retry. For less experienced players or players who aren't as good with timing, this can be a saving grace, since they could be draining through lives otherwise. It's a simple concept, but Tanooki Baseball is an enjoyable timing-based level.
Boos Wanna Try Something New
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Name: | Boos Wanna Try Something New |
| ID: | 407-WJD-SPG | |
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Creator: | Mr.Elliott |
| Description: | Boos are trying new things by taking inspiration from other enemies. | |
| Tags: | Standard, Technical | |
| Difficulty: |
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It was Halloween not too long ago, so here's a level that is quite fitting for that. In Boos Wanna Try Something New, the Boos behave like other enemies, Chain Chomps and Monty Moles, and Spikes. The level opens with Chain Chomp Boos attempting to attack Mario, who is prompted to enter a ghost house. He has to encounter Spike Boos and Monty Mole Boos, as well as press and ON/OFF Switch and a P Switch to escape the ghost house. (Also, when the P Switch is pressed, a handful of coins fall from the sky, which I think is a nice touch.) After the ghost a house is a checkpoint, followed by yet more Chain Chomp Boos and Monty Mole Boos. A second house awaits him after that, where Mario has to navigate through more Boos, which is more challenging due to the narrower passageways. After another checkpoint, a Super Star awaits for Mario to grab, after which he can promptly murder all of the morphed Boos. Once he destroys the Chain Chomp Boos, he will finally escape the ghost house and complete the level. Besides the gimmick with the Boos, the level is designed like a traditional level, so I'd highly recommend it if traditional levels are your forte. It's fairly easy, with plenty of power-ups and checkpoints, but at times the enemies can be hard to dodge, particularly with the Chain Chomp Boos.
Desert Jumper!
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Name: | Desert Jumper! |
| ID: | T8L-6HT-NYG | |
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Creator: | Blue_Yoshi |
| Description: | difficulty ⅗. some skill required, bit not that much! GL HF | |
| Tags: | Themed, Single player | |
| Difficulty: |
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Desert Jumper is all about wall-jumping from clear pipes. Although it is difficult to learn, it's satisfyingly to master. The level explores this concept very thoroughly, employing various twists and tweaks to challenge the player. The course begins with a vanilla obstacle course to teach the player about wall-jumping off of clear pipes. It promptly proceeds to get more complicated, adding ON/OFF Blocks, Piranha Creepers, flying Spiny Skipsqueaks, spiked blocks. And too add on to that, the player will have to slide off of the wall for a certain time before wall-jumping so as to not get caught in spikes. After a checkpoint awaits the second part of the course, which includes Dash Blocks, icicles, a Banzai Bill, and many, many more spikes. The end of the second part is an inverse of the other wall jumps (wall-jumping right to left instead of left to right), a subversion of what the player has been taught. The final part of the course has Mario jumping through more spikes, avoiding a large Thwomp to reveal a Warp Box, timing wall-sliding to avoid spikes on the wall, and sliding on a wall with conveyor belts, which makes him go faster, before finally reaching the goal. While this is a lengthy level, it explores the concept of wall-jumping very well, and might teach you how to improve your wall-jumping skills, as it did with me.
(20s) Sky Sprint
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Name: | (20s) Sky Sprint |
| ID: | T94-VMF-83G | |
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Creator: | JHillGamer |
| Description: | Fairly simple 20-second sky-themed speedrun level. | |
| Tags: | Speedrun, Short and sweet | |
| Difficulty: |
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As the title implies, (20s) Sky Sprint is a 20 second speedrun level, and one that requires precise timing at that. As you might expect from a level like this, Sky Sprint is a fast-paced level that is all about reaction and timing. You probably will take a few tries to complete the level, since if the player makes a single mistake, they will be punished by either hitting an enemy, falling off the screen, or running out of time. The player has to be on their toes as they navigate the incoming obstacles. The level begins with a difficult jump due to ceiling-loving Piranha Plants, a speedy Banzai Bill, and several ON/OFF Switches that need to be pressed in succession. Afterwards awaits a Spiny Shell waiting to be kicked to free Mario's path, which is full of coins and springs. After making a few quick hops and jumping over a barrage of Pokeys, Mario has to press more ON/OFF Switches in a frantic race to the finish. If he misses, the ON/OFF blocks under him will vanish, ruining his chances of reaching the goal. Overall, the level is a challenging one, with a fairly tight timer and many obstacles, but it is a fun time if you're willing to give it multiple tries.
And that concludes this month's Super Mario Maker Showcase! If you'd like to submit a level to be featured in this section, whether it is your own or one that you've played, you can submit the name and ID in this thread, or on my talk page, and it may appear in a future issue. However, next issue will be about levels with Yoshi in them, since the whole issue will be themed around this lovable green dinosaur. If you've seen or made a level with Yoshi in it, feel free to submit it to me! With that, I bid you farewell.
Drawn and Pressed
Note: the comic strip is more Red and Rover compared to Adam@Home.
- End
For this week's feature, two comic strips by a cartoonist named Brian Basset will be covered, where the main one is his later comic strip Red and Rover, since that is the comic strip he put more care into it compared to his other work, Adam@Home. Brian Basset is not only an alliterative name, it's somewhat of a punny name (which he admitted himself) because he not only loves dogs, he also works on a comic strip that involve dogs. I was first introduced to his work through Adam (before the rename) but I felt that his other work Red and Rover is overall the better comic strip.
Brian Basset is the son of a cartoonist of 40 years who did political and sports cartoons, who retired his profession in 1993. Given his father's profession, it's not a wild guess to say that he decided on this career path, though unlike certain cartoonists whose next of kin continued their cartoons, he doesn't inherit his father's body of work, which given the unneeded continuity for the type of cartoons his father did, is a given. He did get a start with political cartoons, where he started at 1974 to do them for the high school's paper, and then eventually his university's paper. He graduated from university doing Fine Arts to further his career path in political cartoons at 1978[1]. It would be 1984 where he would create a comic strip by the name of Adam, which chronicles the life of the titular househusband, including the tribulations and comedic parts of being one. There was a time when editorial cartoonists decided to try their hand in doing a comic strip, with the cartoonist listing Jeff MacNelly (Shoe) as an example[2]. The practice of an editorial cartoonist flexing their muscles in lateral ventures doesn't quite go out of style, for we have Jim Borgman (Zits) and Mike Lester (Mike du Jour) doing the same.
Adam Newman's family consists of his wife Laura who has a career that does not involve staying at home, his two children Clayton and Katy Newman who are usually portrayed as a handful, and Nick who was born during the strip's run in a story arc that took place on certain weeks. They previously had a dog Kipper, who was written out with the justification that he was unceremoniously dead, so you can say that Kipper is minor in the grand scheme of things. The comic strip was initially called Adam, but around 1995 it was retitled as Adam@Home with the change that Adam became a home-office worker instead of just being a househusband, to coincide with the layoff that Brian Basset experienced. It goes without saying that Adam, similar to a few comic strips of its time like Cathy, reflected the life of the cartoonist. Basset's consumption of television when he was younger had given him a good grasp on constructing story lines, appreciating the framing of a picture ("camera angles" as he referred to), and emphasis on good character development[2] have translated to his work on his Adam comic strip, where the comic used to have exciting story lines and a good grasp on the characters.
The experience with Adam@Home provided valuable experience for Basset, which includes the need for a comic strip that feature characters that readers would care about and the panel design for a comic strip. It was in the mid-1990s that Basset started drawing various breeds of dogs on the invitation covers for the Seattle Humane Society's annual fundraiser, Tuxes & Tails, which led to Basset thinking about starting a new comic strip in 1998. The idea for doing this is to take the experience that was acquired during his Adam@Home tenure and infuse it with a subject that he is truly passionate about and is something close to his heart[2]. The result of this a comic is the comic that is titled Red and Rover, which started back in 7th May 2000, and unlike with his previous work Adam@Home, it managed to win him a Reuben Award. Even though Red and Rover started back then, Adam@Home continued running, perhaps because Basset would need a safety net in case his new boy and dog cartoon didn't take off. It seemed like it paid off, because that comic strip is still going while the older strip was succeeded by Rob Harrell, who previously did Big Top (2005 - 2007), a comic strip about circus life at around 2009. In this way, there is an element of a reboot since the author made a point to start anew, though it is not technically one because his old work never really got rebooted.
The main characters of Red and Rover are Red, a freckled boy and Rover, the dog who is dominantly Labrador Retriever. Red is a ten-year-old who has aspirations in going to space (even being a fan of NASA), and also enjoys baseball and model rocketry. Rover is usually cool, calm, and collected, and is loyal to Red. One interesting dynamic between Red and Rover is that Red is able to understand what Rover is thinking, and there's no ambiguity or inconsistency about this, unlike the case on whether Jon can understand what Garfield is thinking. It isn't exactly explained how they were able to do it, so it's best not to dwell on it. The other character to note for this comic strip are Red's family which consist of his teenage brother Martin, Red's mother Carol who is a part-time community college administrator, Red's father Charlie who is an aerospace engineer (like Dennis Mitchell's father in the American Dennis the Menace), and a dog called Zeke, who normally is seen with a ball in his mouth. A character that is occasionally brought up is Red's uncle Jimmy, who was killed in action.
This cartoon is defined by the friendship and love between a boy and his dog, and I would say that it is enhanced by their ability to communicate. At the beginning of this comic strip, it was explained how Red met Rover. When Red was crossing the road while engrossed in a comic book, a dog charged towards him before he touched the road, essentially saving him from being hit by a lorry. The driver even remarked that there is a guardian angel watching over him. Because of the chance meeting between the boy and the dog, they became fast friends, and Red's parents are not opposed to Rover joining in. It is interesting to note that Rover is implied to be originally owned by somebody else, though he seems to be OK with Red's company for the foreseeable future.
The comic strip actually takes place around the 60's to 70's, meaning that modern technology is not prevalent in its setting. Which is something one might not be aware of at first glance because most of the time, nothing in the comic strip seemed out of the time period to evidently take place in the past. The fact that this comic strip is a passion project from the author might have something to do with this, given how the author was a child back in the 60's to 70's (he was born in 1957), so he should be familiar with the environment back in the old days. In fact, Red's design is heavily based on Basset himself, where he too has red hair and has freckles, like his child self. Because of the comic strip's time period, the media that the characters partake in are in line with that time period, such as Red's brother liking Rolling Stones.
Despite being a dog, Rover is shown to be an intelligent dog, where he is able to understand commands very well, have reasoning abilities, and practically knows how to get what he wants. Despite this, he's still pretty much a dog, where he behaves like a dog such as chasing squirrels and partake in pet dog activities like fetching a stick. Both Red and Rover are shown to be inseparable after their fateful encounter in the beginning, as they spend a lot of time in their activities together, including the recreation activities and when partaking in one of Red's hobbies. There are times when Red had to be separated from Rover, usually because he had to attend school, which is usually a source of grief when it happened.
My opinion on Red and Rover is that it felt like a comic strip that has a classic feel to it: it takes place in the old times and the art style has a nice simplicity to it. It is also an overall optimistic and idealistic type of comic, which is something I appreciate in comic strips over the types that prefer to put cynicism at its forefront. It is also not very saccharine as to be unbearably predictable. The way that Red and Rover have interactions that affirm their friendship and companionship with one another is sweet. The art style is a bit rough but that certain roughness has a personal touch to it that makes it stylistic. I felt that this comic strip is a bit easier to get into compared to Adam@Home because of the simpler premise, so in this way, the author seems to take the right lessons from his older work. From a blog that I've read on Adam, it would seem that the earlier years were filled with exciting storylines and fun characters including Adam's chauvinistic neighbour Walter, giving credence that perhaps the creativity injected in that comic strip waned over the years (as is the case with a good deal of comic strips), which might be why the author wanted a fresh start on something else.
In the end, I think Red and Rover is a really good comic strip despite not being part of the golden age, though admittedly Adam did have some great qualities even if it is a bit flawed. I do think that it's really admirable that the author is able to create a second comic strip that is of good quality, given how it's not exactly common for cartoonists to have two or more comic strips that can last.
Red and Rover can be read at https://www.gocomics.com/redandrover.
Adam@Home's more recent comic strips can be read at https://www.gocomics.com/adamathome.
Thank you for reading.
Red can basically telepathically communicate with Rover over a long distance.
It does not take much to motivate Rover.
Red and his family are shown in this cartoon.
Rover may be simple-minded, but he's also quite wise.
Red has frequent dreams and imaginations of going into space one day.
One of Adam's memorable storylines involve hamsters living behind the house walls.
Adam has a caffeine addiction.
References
World of Plight
Written by: Magolor04726 (talk)
Magolor04726
I wish I could say that I’m writing this and there’s nothing to report, or better yet, a break in the case. Well, there has technically been a break, but because of Luigi, we’re now in a hopeless mess greater than anything that’s happened so far.
It started like any other day. Somehow, everything always takes place in the cafeteria, but there we all were, chowing down on a normal dinner, when Luigi jumped up on a table. “E-excuse me, everyone. I- I have something to say.”
Everyone turned to watch.
“I, uh, want to thank everyone for trying to bring my memories back, but it’s been pointless…”
A confused murmur went through the crowd.
“Because…” he looked up, his eyes seeming to glow an odd yellow.
“There was nothing to bring back.”
There was a sudden flash of light, and a familiar black top hat was left on the table in place of Luigi. Everyone yelled in astonishment before the top hat began to shake as it flew into the air.
“No way!” I whispered. “It can’t be!”
There was another flash - blue this time - and the Magic Master fully appeared. He laughed a hoarse laugh that was distorted and seemed to use five different voices or more at the same time.
“Fools!” he rasped, his voice rattling from disuse, “tricking you was all too easy. Oh, but don’t feel bad. I have a little present for you!”
He clapped his hands together and a ball of yellow electricity began to form. It grew larger and larger quite quickly.
“Everybody, GET BACK!”
The Magic Master raised his hands and thrust the orb on the ground. There was a blinding flash of white light that engulfed everything, then faded into complete black.
“… Hello? Anybody here?”
“Mamma mia!”
“Someone get the lights!”
There was a click and the lights in the cafeteria blinked on. After my eyes adjusted, I looked around and gasped. Tables and chairs were strewn all around, and there was a large burn mark where the orb had been. But the worst part was... let's just say there appeared to be a severe lack of Smash Bros. Fighters present.
One of the tables fell over as Snake and Little Mac emerged from behind it.
“How has this cafeteria survived so many-.” Mac stopped when he saw the lack of Fighters.
Pit was clinging to the rafters up above. Link, Mario, and Villager were climbing over the kitchen counter, and a few others were getting up in a daze. I walked to the center of the room and picked up a piece of paper that was left behind.
-To the remaining Fighters
The time for the final battle approaches. This battle will decide the fate of not only your friends, but of the universe. He is ready.
Oh… and one among you knows who he is.
The Magic Master
“One among you?” Gunner asked. “Who’s that?”
Link looked at the paper while Simon talked rapidly with Sakurai.
“Luigi was the Magic Master the whole time…” Mario murmured.
I excused myself and made a quick phone call before returning to the cafeteria.
Now’s the time… “Um… guys? I know who he is.”
“You do?” Sakurai asked.
I nodded. “His name,” I swallowed hard, “is Azcron.”
DUN DUN DUNNNNN!! I hope you guys enjoyed this month’s issue of World of Plight! Tune in next month for all the juicy background information of our mysterious villain! If you have questions, comments, or clues, shoot them at me on the Mario Boards.
From the cafeteria, Magolor04726, Secrets Keeper
Suddenly, there was a bright flash behind me.
“Now what?” Samus asked.
A dull shape began to appear in the light. A giant black keyhole appeared, and someone holding a large key stepped through, looking at his surroundings. His spiky hair waved a little as he looked at the remains of the cafeteria. Holding up a Smash Bros. invitation, he opened his mouth to speak.
“What did I miss?”
Shmaluigi, Private Investigator
Written by: Waluigi Time (talk) and Magolor04726 (talk)
It was midafternoon as the sunlight filtered through the window of my office. I was intensely studying the insides of my eyelids when a Magikoopa walked in. She was short with blonde hair and had a face that was adorned by a pair of oversized glasses. She also happened to be my landlord. She was a pushy dame, the kind who'd break your heart, or maybe your arms. Yeah, definitely your arms.
"Shmaluigi," she bellowed in a voice unusually deep, "your rent is past due again!"
"Now, now, Ms. Broxy," I said, attempting to calm her, "has Shmaluigi ever failed to turn in his rent?"
"YES!" she boomed, "And you'll turn it in by the end of the week or I'll have you evicted!"
She slammed the door shut and I pulled my fedora back down over my eyes. You may be wondering how I ended up in this situation. Detective work can sometimes be sporadic and low-pay, but it's not like I'm just some nobody, I'm Shmaluigi! Pretty much everyone in this city knows me. But, um, I may have gotten involved with a little app called Rose Garden Heroes and ended up short on cash as a result. Don't do gacha, kids.
Just then, a sharp rap came at the door. I lifted the brim of my fedora and called for the knocker to enter. "Come in."
The doorknob turned and the door creaked open. There stood a Bob-omb in a bowler hat. Nothing extraordinary about him. He hopped onto my desk, almost knocking my cup of coffee over.
"You Shmaluigi?" he asked in a gravelly voice. From that alone, I could identify his type. He was a thug. I ran into them all too often in my line of business.
"Who wants to know?"
"Da boss wants ya at his office, pronto," he hopped off the desk and walked to the door before stopping, "and he ain't askin'."
"What if Shmaluigi refuses?" I asked, leaning forward.
"Well," he pulled his hat off and I could see the fuse protruding from his head, "let's just say that you'll be needin' a 1-Up 'Shroom."
I stood up. Getting blown to smithereens was an inconvenience I didn't feel like dealing with right now, and more importantly, I had just bought an eggplant plant that I didn't want to see vanish in a puff of smoke. Not to mention that destroying the building would probably add a few months-worth of rent to my bill... I reluctantly walked out with him, wondering who "da boss" was.
I stepped out of my apartment and got into the car that was waiting in front of the building. The Bob-omb shut the door and hopped into the front passenger seat. He whispered something to a Sledge Bro. sitting behind the wheel, who nodded a couple times before putting the vehicle into drive. The car lurched forward and merged into traffic.
"Is there anything you can tell Shmaluigi about where we're going?" I asked the Bob-omb.
He glanced back at me and didn't say anything. I sank into the cushion and decided to wait and see what would happen. I looked out the window at the passing buildings. A few hot dog vendors here and there. A white van reading "Mario Bros. Plumbing" was being towed out of a no parking zone. A masked Inkling was freaking out in front of an empty lot. Just another day in New Wikisburg.
We drove for a good 20 minutes before we left the city. A winding road took us through the country, passing fields of Moo Moos on occasion. Eventually a large, very fancy-looking house on a cliff came into view. Whoever lived here must have a lot of money. The car drove up to a gate where two Boomerang Bros. in sunglasses and suits stood. As we pulled up, the Sledge Bro. rolled down his window and glanced at one of the Boomerang Bros. before saying in an almost inaudible mumble, "Spy is here."
I was confused. Spy? I'm not a spy... What was going on here?
The Boomerang Bro. nodded and pressed a finger to his ear. After shouting an order, the gate swung open and the car drove inside. We stopped at the front door and a Koopa Troopa wearing a butler's uniform came over. He opened the car door and let me out. After stepping out, I could get a better look at the place. There were bushes spread along several walkways that wound behind the house and down the hill. Pillars supported the house which stretched three stories tall. The Koopa opened the massive wooden front door and gestured for me to come inside.
The house was just as fancy inside as it was outside. Everything in here looked like it was picture perfect. But what really caught my eye were the cases of jewelry lining the halls. They were everywhere, casting odd spots of light on the ceiling. I was watching the ceiling flicker when I suddenly stumbled. I looked down and noticed that there was a small dent in the otherwise perfect floor. The floor was so clean, I could see my reflection in it. I adjusted my hat and followed the Koopa as he escorted me upstairs to the second floor, where we began walking down a long corridor. At the end of the corridor was a set of double doors. The Koopa knocked and said, "Spy is here sir."
Spy again?! I started to get a little agitated. I'm a private investigator, not a spy! My door literally says Shmaluigi, Private Investi...ga...tor...
Oh.
Comprehension dawned on my face as I realized. Not spy, SPI. Well, that solves who SPI is, SPI is me.
"Come in!" called a voice from behind the doors, interrupting my mild embarrassment.
The Koopa gestured to the door and walked away, leaving me alone. I glanced down the hall and considered making a run for it, then decided against it. Reaching down, I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
The room had a wall of windows that overlooked the cliff. Large bookcases lined the walls and there was a desk in the center of the room. On the desk was a lamp, a cup of pens, a computer monitor, and a plaque reading "Mr. Morris." Reading the name made me feel uneasy, though thankfully, this didn't seem to be the Mr. Morris I knew. A Beanish fellow in a red jacket who I could only assume was Mr. Morris sat behind the desk in a rolling chair. He was short, somewhat fat, and reminded me of a green water balloon. More importantly, he was looking particularly stressed.
"Mr. Shmaluigi, I presume," he said, gesturing to a chair on my side of the desk. I sat down without a word and listened. "I am Montgomery Morris, but you can call me Montgomery. I need your help."
"Shmaluigi's help?" I asked, "Your Bob-omb lackey threatened Shmaluigi to get him in the car."
He sighed in response and said, "You must forgive Barker, he can be a bit... overpowering."
"Mhm... Well, so long as Shmaluigi's here, he might as well hear the facts of the case."
His face brightened slightly. "Excellent. You see, I run a chain of popular jewelry stores around New Wikisburg and the surrounding areas. We carry watches, rings, and the like, but we specialize in necklaces. Naturally, I keep some of my most prized and expensive items on display here at my house. My most valuable necklace is almost entirely diamond," he turned around in his chair and clicked a button. Shutters rolled downwards to cover the windows as a large screen descended from the ceiling. He clicked a remote at it and a picture of a gem-studded necklace appeared. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be "shiny." You could probably burn your retinas if you stared at it too long.
"Let Shmaluigi guess," I said. "Someone stole it."
Mr. Montgomery nodded. "Indeed. What's so strange is that they somehow knew that- well, let me show you."
He clicked another button and the screen began playing security footage of the stairs. It was dark and the timestamp read 10:35 PM, the day before today.
"I never keep the real necklace on display," he said, "I keep a glass replica out. It's very hard to tell the difference between the two. I was taking it downstairs to put on display when..."
I watched the screen as he walked down the stairs, the necklace in his hands. Suddenly, two figures ran up. It was hard to tell who they were in the darkness, but it was clear that they were threatening Mr. Montgomery. One of them pointed something at him and he handed over the necklace. The robber took one look at the necklace and tossed it down the stairs and onto the floor, where it bounced and skidded off camera. They pointed upstairs and Mr. Montgomery reluctantly led them to his office. The footage switched to an office view, where Mr. Montgomery pulled a book off one of the many shelves and produced a key from inside. He put the key in the back of the bookcase and several books swung forward. I glanced at the shelf nearby, and I could see hinges at the end of one, as well as the fact that about four seemed to be fused together. Only a trained eye could spot it without prior knowledge. In the video, one of the thieves shoved Mr. Montgomery aside and grabbed a necklace. It looked exactly like the one that he had been carrying downstairs. Then, his partner shoved a cloth into Mr. Montgomery's face. He struggled, then passed out. Once he was on the floor, the pair ran from the room. Then the screen went to static and rolled itself up as the shutters opened.
"When I came to, it was early morning. At once, I set to trying to find the best private investigator to help me. My sources informed me of you, and here we are." I opened my mouth, but he held up his hand to stop me. "Yes, the necklace was insured. And yes, I contacted the police, but I informed them that I had a man on the job, so they won't send someone until you have solved the case. That is, if you'll take it. I would feel a lot more comfortable about one investigator knowing about this than the whole police force."
I sat back and thought for a moment.
"And I will be sure to pay you handsomely."
"Mr. Montgomery, Shmaluigi is on the case."
To be continued...
Thanks for reading the beginning of another one of Shmaluigi's adventures! You may have noticed that Magolor04726 was also credited with working on the section this time around. Fun fact about this story, Magolor actually started writing the original version back in April as a demo of sorts when he suggested the section to get a feel for things. I liked what he came up with, so we decided to turn it into a full story arc to use in the section. So huge thanks to him for the work he did here, and I hope you enjoy reading the rest of it!
Interested in an audio version of this story? Check out Magolor04726's Shmaluigi, Private Investigator YouTube channel! New videos are uploaded shortly after the release of each issue of The 'Shroom, and you can also catch up on all the other stories so far.
Koopamon
Written by: Booguette
File 4: JEEZ HOW MANY PECKING SQUIGGLERS CAN THERE BE HERE?
As Mario entered 1-Up Forest, he noticed one thing. Trees. That’s all there really was besides tall grass and Koopamon hiding in it. However, not seeing the Kooopamon, Mario just walked casually into it, and ran right into a Squiggler. “Fire Bro, I choose you!” Said Mario as he sent out Fire Bro. “Fire Bro, use fireba-Wait wait no don’t do it!” Mario realized halfway through calling out the move that if Fire Bro used Fireball the Squiggler might dodge it and he ran the risk of having a forest fire start. What should Mario do?
If you think Mario should run the risk of Fireball, click here.
If you think Mario should have Fire Bro use Headbutt instead, keep reading.
Mario had Fire Bro use Headbutt, and it KO'ed the Squiggler immediately. The forest was very pretty, and infested with Koopamon. Like literally infested. Every two steps you took would probably end up in you finding a Koopamon. “Now I a-get why the the Trainers here just stand-a still.” Said Mario after running into what seemed like a million Squigglers and a couple thousand Stingby Larva. But he did catch a Thunder Bro, which was pretty ni-
We interupt this program to tell you what a Thunder Bro is. A Thunder Bro is a Koopamon that’s basically a Fire Bro but yellow and has electricity powers instead of fire powers. Now, back to the show.
But Mario did catch a Thunder Bro, which was pretty nice. After slogging through all those Koopamon and some Koopamon trainers, Mario finally made it out.
Once he got out, he saw he was in Hard Block City, which was famous for its science museum. Mario decided that it might be nice to visit it before going to the Koopamon Gym. On the first floor were some really interesting Koopamon fossils and other types of fossils, including a full-size Rex skeleton. On the second floor was all sorts of neat stuff about outer space, including some rocks collected from Mount Moon, a nearby mountain which supposedly a large meteorite crashed there and aliens were “Traveling” in it when it crashed, but Mario didn’t believe any of it. After checking out the museum, Mario booked a room at the inn since it was getting close to nighttime. After waking up the next morning, he saw a toad with a Piranha Plant, looking worried. Mario went over to the toad and asked what was wrong. The toad explained that he needed to do some shopping, but every time he went shopping, his Piranha Plant would come out of its Koopaball and try to eat anything that it it knew was edible. So Mario agreed to watch over the Piranha Plant while the toad was gone. When the toad came back he gave Mario 100 coins. After this Mario went to the Koopamon Gym and walked in.
| The 'Shroom: Issue 176 | |
|---|---|
| Staff sections | Staff Notes • The 'Shroom Spotlight • Awards Director Election |
| Features | Fake News • Fun Stuff • Palette Swap • Pipe Plaza • Critic Corner • Strategy Wing |
