Via Kotaku, it looks like GameCola’s ongoing debate of “Is she Princess Toadstool or Princess Peach?” has finally been put to rest. In its latest re-release of Super Mario All-Stars, Nintendo has decreed that she is Princess Peach, and that she has always been Princess Peach, and that…Princess Toadstool who?
They’ve also decided that King Koopa has always officially been “Bowser,” that the Koopa Troopas definitely don’t perform any black magic, and that nobody has ever been turned into a horsehair plant.
Where’s my proof? According to Kotaku, here’s the original story of Super Mario Bros., from the NES game’s instruction manual:
One day the kingdom of the peaceful mushroom people was invaded by the Koopa, a tribe of turtles famous for their black magic. The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horsehair plants, and the Mushroom Kingdom fell into ruin.
The only one who can undo the magic spell on the Mushroom People and return them to their normal selves is the Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King. Unfortunately, she is presently in the hands of the great Koopa turtle king.
Mario, the hero of the story (maybe) hears about the Mushroom People’s plight and sets out on a quest to free the Mushroom Princess from the evil Koopa and restore the fallen kingdom of the Mushroom People.
You are Mario! It’s up to you to save the Mushroom People from the black magic of the Koopa!
And, here’s the Super Mario Bros. story from the Wii game’s instruction manual:
The Mushroom Kingdom was the peaceful home of the Toads until the day Bowser and his wicked minions invaded. Using powerful magic, Bowser transformed the Toads into bricks and quickly conquered the land.
Only Princess Peach had the power to remove Bowser’s curse and save her people. But Bowser kidnapped the princess and hid her in his castle. All hope seemed lost, and darkness reigned…
When the Mario Brothers, Mario and Luigi, heard this story, they decided to rescue Princess Peach and defeat the evil Bowser. Can the brothers save the beautiful princess before it’s too late?
Also note that, in both versions, the reason we’re rescuing Princess…Peaoodstool isn’t because it’s the right thing to do; it’s because she can revert the Toads back from their brick form with her magical powers. Is that how she always cheats in Mario Party?
Also of note is that neither story addresses Mario’s origins as a Brooklyn plumber. Did we just make that up?
No, that little factoid was the brainchild of Lou Albano.
At least they kept the plot point about the Toads being turned into bricks, complete with all its disturbing implications. How much is the life of a Toad worth? 50 points, apparently.
@Jeff Wait, is that true? I thought the origin story predated the Super Show.
David: You used to be able to get 75 points for a Toad on the Black Market, but Nintendo retconned that as well. Now it’s just the Market. Besides, I remember reading that you broke the spell and freed the Toads when you hit the blocks. Honestly, I think you just broke *them*.
“the hero of the story (maybe)”. What, so if you lose, you’re not a hero?
At least the new story acknowledges Luigi.
I always thought “Bowser: King of the Koopas” was his title, and that the bosses of world 1-7 were his lesser brothers, although killing them with fire revealed that they were regular enemies, so who knows.
@Paul — Did you just take me seriously? You know better than that…
She was always Princess Peach in the Japanese versions… Jesus, why do you even care?
Hell, while we’re on the subject the Brooklyn crap is purely from the Super Show and never appeared in any game.
WE CARE BECAUSE WE DO!
Ha, I have to agree with BIGBONGTHEORY here — nobody really cares what she’s called. Her real name is Merle anyway.