The world of Super Mario Bros. has always been pretty bright and shiny, even despite our hero being a plumber who descends through large pipes often filled with man-eating plants.
For all the dangers, the Mushroom Kingdom is a pretty place, and most of the enemies are even kinda cute. Shy Guys, Boos, and Koopas are just a few example, and they’re even featured in the many spin-offs such as Super Mario Kart and Mario Party. Geek-Art introduced us to artist Mike Puncekar, who apparently decided there’s been too much of Mario and Bowser palling around in mini-games and decided to redesign many of Mario’s popular enemies into something the heroic plumber should truly fear.
Piranha Pete has become a force to be reckoned with, a disgusting toothed plant with a drooling tongue and roots which spill out of the pipe he calls his home. If I were Mario, I wouldn’t use the old strategy of hugging the side of the pipe until Pete goes away. I don’t think Pete will ever go away. The Goomba was once a walking mushroom with big, goofy feet; now it has eyebrows, glowing eyes, broken teeth, and a couple dozen legs that look more like they came out of Starship Troopers.
The Bob-omb almost looks cute still, the smooth black replaced with rusty and oily metal, giving the wind-up explosive a more fitting steampunk look. Koopa Troopas look more turtle-like, about as frightening as a snapping turtle (which is to say quite frightening; snapping turtles are evil). I can’t tell exactly which Mario fish is supposed to be portrayed in this one, but I’m assuming it’s the Porcu-Puffer from Super Mario World. He now has considerably more spikes and a taste for blood.
The Whomp King from Mario 64 now has more legs, Pokey the Cactus looks like something out of a peyote dream, and the Spiny that Lakitu drops suddenly appears to be about the size of a Volkswagen. Lakitu himself looks pretty badass with his redesign, flying around on his cloud and rocking a pair of flight goggles, ready to drop spike-backed Volkswagens for your enjoyment. My personal favorite, hands down, is Mike’s interpretation of the Shy Guy. This once-dopey looking creature now appears more humanoid, dressed in flowing red robes with a creepy wooden mask covering its face. Overall, the Shy Guy looks as if it would now fit better in the Assassin’s Creed series. If you enjoy these and would like to see some more awesome and creepy Mario art, don’t miss the Zombie Yoshi Figure and Undead Princess Peach.
