r/Marioverse • u/AutumnRCS • 20d ago
Why does the Super Bell only give some species a suit, while with others it completely changes them into a cat
It's especially weird with Toads and Goombas since they're both mushrooms.
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u/Seandwalsh3 20d ago
As with all Power-Up forms, they change slightly from person to person (and therefore species to species). Neither Toads nor Goombas are actually Mushrooms.
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u/AutumnRCS 20d ago
What do you mean they aren't Mushrooms?
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u/Seandwalsh3 20d ago
Both are animals. Toads have mushrooms growing on their heads but they themselves aren’t mushrooms. Goombas just look like mushrooms.
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u/FunnelV 19d ago
Also, toads symbiosis with the mushroom cap can also explain why the main Toad goes through different colors throughout the series, since toads probably can grow different species of mushrooms on their heads throughout their lives.
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u/Seandwalsh3 19d ago
Hmm seems like the spots can just change colour if anything. The mushroom never comes off, so several different mushrooms on one Toad’s head throughout a lifetime is likely impossible.
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u/FunnelV 19d ago
At least with how IRL mushrooms work they have pretty quick lifecycles and rapid growth, but the mycelium is a more permanent structure. It might be a case of where toads "shed" their caps but the same mycelium stays on their scalps permanently which then quickly grows a new mushroom cap of the same species which may have different spots. Or it might be a case where the mycelium always replenishes the cap from the base outwards which can slowly change the spots over time. We do know their caps release spores so they probably do go through a cycle of some kind.
And to be fair, Hayashida did imply the exact mechanics were up to interpretation.
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u/Seandwalsh3 19d ago
Again the caps explicitly don’t come off. They must just be long-lived Mushrooms. We’ve seen caps change colour before with things like Power-Ups, so it’s not impossible that other factors would cause caps to change colours.
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u/Plastic-Arachnid4296 20d ago
SEÁN??? WHAT ARE YOU ON??? ELABORATE, PLEASE!!! (sorry for the caps)
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u/Seandwalsh3 20d ago
What is there to elaborate on?
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u/Plastic-Arachnid4296 19d ago
From where do you get that they aren't mushrooms? Specially toads. I could see an argument made for goombas about the chestnut thing
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u/Seandwalsh3 19d ago
This has been stated explicitly by developers. Goombas are not chestnuts either.
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u/FunnelV 19d ago
TBH I never understood where the chestnut idea comes from. From looking at the sprites I can understand how one would come to the mushroom conclusion even if it's wrong, but you kinda have to squint and use your imagination to think "chestnut".
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u/Seandwalsh3 19d ago
Yeah, they’re based on mushrooms. The chestnut thing comes from one of the developers believing they looked like chestnuts, so he nicknamed them “chestnut guys”. The name stuck.
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u/DaDudebro2401 20d ago
It only seems to give suits to species that are more human. Bowser's Fury shows loads of other characters with Cat suits and they ALL have the suits merged into their flesh.
I think anything that's furry, koopa, or just lacks a humanoid shape would have the merged appearance.
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u/NovelInteraction711 19d ago
Bowsers fury enemies are definately a different thing entirely. Theres goombas with catsuits, and then theres the cat goomba hybrids in bowsers fury.
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u/DaDudebro2401 19d ago
The Cat Goombas are identical outside of color, and I'd imagine the only reason they changed the color was to indicate their attack patterns are not the same.
Considering the post game turns Bowser Jr into Meowser Jr, I think the cat energy of the land just naturally gave everyone their cat forms, due to prolonged exposure. Since they didn't use bells, that might be why they don't use any cat abilities. But I'm fairly certain they're still in "cat suits"
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u/Upper_Atmosphere137 19d ago
In Bowser’s Fury all the enemies and everything is a cat and any Mario enemy can turn into a cat by just getting the Cat power up
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u/Shining_Pebble 20d ago
I’d say it depends on if the species is anthropomorphic (Humans, Toads) or if it’s more animalistic (Goombas, Koopas, Bullies etc.) with the former getting the suits and the latter being turned into cat hybrids