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This morning’s commute was a time that I would have liked to have been Luigi.

January 18, 2011, 11:08 PM

Yes, that Luigi.

You have to realize, you see, that when it comes to Mario games, I am in the minority on which one I like best. My favorite of the early Mario games is Super Mario 2, which, based on what I see on the Internet, most people don’t like. So when I say that today would have been a good Luigi day, I’m thinking of that version of Luigi. I’m talking about the one who kicks his legs when he jumps way further and higher than everyone else.

See, coming to work today, it was icy, being on the heels of a bout of sleet, snow, and freezing rain (in that order) overnight. And so getting to the bus and then to the office were both a little treacherous this morning. So if I were Luigi, you see, I would look like this going to the bus on a morning like this morning:

Going to work in the morning

Then take the Metro:

Taking the Metro

And then, you see, I could get from Dupont Circle station to my office in about four jumps, kicking my legs in the air the whole time. Then after those four jumps, I would get to my office:

Arriving at my office

And then of course, once I get to the office, I would have a cup of coffee:

Getting coffee

Then I’d be ready to go, taking on all kinds of challenges, large and small:

Working

And then after a long day at work, all I would need to do is jump in the eagle’s mouth:

Jumping in the eagle's mouth

See, I could handle that on icy mornings like today. Just jump over, covering tremendous distance, and kick my legs in the air while I’m doing so. And I wouldn’t even have to worry about getting home. Just step into the eagle’s mouth, and we’re good to go.

Unfortunately, however, if I found out that I could jump like that, and have that kind of day, I think I’d find out that it was much like Mario, and discover that it was all a dream.

Meanwhile, I don’t care what other people on the Internet think about Super Mario Bros. 2. I like it. It’s a pleasant departure from the rest of the Mario series, and the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 is just plain evil, considering how hard it is. But plucking plants from the ground and throwing them at enemies, or throwing enemies at other enemies, is pretty cool, because it adds a whole different strategy to it all. And if you think that Super Mario 2 as released in the US is hard, try playing Doki Doki Panic, which is what that game is based on. You can’t run in Doki Doki Panic, plus you don’t shrink when you have only one unit of health left, both of which make the game WAY harder.

Meanwhile, Wednesday is going to be better, weather-wise. Most of the ice melted off during the day on Tuesday, and so everything should be good again. Then on Thursday, I’m doing a little office road trip, going up to New Jersey for the day. That’s one day I could certainly use a warp pipe, no? Just throw down the flask, go through the door, grab a couple of coins, and then go down the pipe and end up in New Jersey. Would certainly beat the heck out of driving. I’ll bet that warp pipes don’t charge you $4.00 each way in Delaware, either.

Web site: And for those wondering, yes - Doki Doki Panic really is the exact same game as Super Mario 2, with a number of cosmetic differences and no run button.

Song: Birdo theme. Yes, in this scenario, before I could leave at the end of the day, I would have to hit a giant pink bird with three of its own eggs, which would shoot out of its mouth.

Quote: By the way, just let me say that this Journal entry was a lot of fun to do. I loved photoshopping my head onto Luigi's.