Hunting down superbosses in JRPGs is a hobby of mine, andSuper Mario RPG‘sCulexremains one of my all-time favorites.
Brilliantly hidden within one of the cutest areas of the game, Culex was a formidable, all-new optional boss modeled after aFinal Fantasyfoe. He is unassuming at first, then lets loose his full power if you decide to fight him. Alongside of, well,most ofSuper Mario RPG,it’s one of the most memorable gaming moments in my gaming career.
With all this in mind, the header image probably makes a lot more sense now. The framing comes from none other than Masahiro Sakurai, who is clearly referencing the aforementionedMario RPGshowdown withSephirothstanding in for Culex. In this setup, Sakurai decided to use Mario, Bowser, and Geno; the latter of which isnotaSmash Ultimatecharacter, and was only recently added as an amiibo outfit (once again).
Interesting comp! I couldn’t bear to break down my classicMario RPGtrio of Mario, and Peach, Bowser myself. Group hug!
