For a long time now, Nintendo has been utilizing the sidekick in its adventures, a common character that aids you throughout your journey with tutorial knowledge and constant companionship. In Kirby and The Forgotten World, this companion was Elfilin, who not only explained a lot of the setting lore, but whose kidnapping serves as an emotional motivator to get players to finish the game in its entirety.
While in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it was Tom Nook’s instructional tasks that taught players how to economically thrive on their island. Nintendo’s newest gameSuper Mario Bros. Wondercontinues to transform this character trope from its historical tour guide role into a vital gameplay mechanic, as the game’s Prince Florian takes over the role that was previously occupied by Cappy inSuper Mario Odyssey.
A Long Legacy
A prince seeking to regain his kingdom from Bowser’s tyranny, Florian not only has a great story-based motive for joining the Mario crew, but as ruler of the Flower Kingdom just his regal presence alone gives you a bonus Wonder Seed and a warm welcome from a Popplin whenever you enter into a new Petal Isle. Just as Cappy traveled atop Mario’s head, Prince Florian stands ready to accompany you on your new adventure, and can hitch a ride on the shoulder of any playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Every character plays their part in immersing us in the game world.
Hitchhiking coincidences aside, both Cappy and Prince Florian introduce Mario to new settings, and offer tutorial advice, but most importantly they supply Mario with an in-game-exclusive power that helps him defeat Bowser and his minions. Cappy combined traits of usual Mario sidekicks, such as the dialogue-heavyToad and the saurian horseback ride that Yoshibrings, fusing them all into one character, and Prince Florian very much continues this legacy.
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Cappy’s success in the Mario universe appears to not only have influenced Prince Florian’s narrative role in Wonder, but his role in your path through the game too. Mario Odyssey shifted the paradigm a bit by connecting new playable powers to the form of a companion character. This is continued in Wonder by having Prince Florian associated with the ability of Badges. Badges, that can either be bought with Flower Coins or unlocked in special challenge levels, help you overcome world levels by aiding you with power-ups such as a Floating High Jump or a Grappling Vine Power.
Where Cappy could be used as a damage-wielding frisbee, trampoline, and T-Rex transformer, Prince Florian lets you search for hidden Wonder Seed secrets, revive players with more lives after a rough level wipeout, and can even offer the bonus of an Auto Super Mushroom at the start of a level. Replaying levels and optimizing your runs through them is a big part of Mario’s enduring appeal, and both Cappy and Prince Florian make sure levels are interesting every time.
Odyssey was all about wandering the open world and solving side-quests, players would have to find a new way to jump with Cappy to reach a mystery block, or a way to throw him further if they wanted to uncover every Power Moon. For Prince Florian in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, changing a Badge every time you play a level will give you a new way to creatively look at the problems ahead, or the Badges may make a level even harder if you pick the wrong one.
For example, picking the Safety Bounce Badge during the Spelunking Wiggler Race can let you run full speed ahead without worrying about jumping correctly to avoid the dangerous floor below and losing speed in the process. But if you wanted a challenge during the final Bowser levels, picking the Sensor Badge will not offer any additional power assistance but can unlock hidden Wonder Flowers that set off an alternate puzzle within the level.
Every character in a video game, from Mario or otherwise, plays their part in immersing us in the game world. The introduction of characters such as Cappy and Prince Florian creates a new layer of kinship between players and Mario characters that I didn’t realize the series was missing until they showed up.
Knowing that these games could not have been completed without the characters’ help creates a powerful bond that massively enriches my enjoyment of them, and is testament to Nintendo’s constant evolution in making its games. Cappy and Prince Florian are much more than just gaming decoration; they’re a lesson that some (if not most) adventures are best enjoyed with a trusty sidekick.
NEXT:How Long Does It Take To Beat Super Mario Bros. Wonder?
