You kids can argue all you want about those creepy Cat Suits that Mario and his friends parade around in in Super Mario 3D World or the nigh-useless Bee Suit in Super Mario Galaxy, but the Tanooki Suit is still the greatest power-up the Mario franchise has ever seen. He turns into a statue?! Explain that one!
Twenty-five years later, I get it now, but when Mario doesn’t have access to the legendary suit, a simple leaf will grant Mario an adorable tail and pair of ears which grant him the gift of flight. Ever since Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario has been able to scroll vertically through a stage as well as horizontally, meaning that these leaves are far more important to the 2D platforming genre than just a simple power-up for Mario.
The leaves are returning in Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS as they appear in Super Mario 3D Land. Director Masahiro Sakurai took to his Miiverse account to announce the addition and provide an adorable photo of Peach, Toon Link, and Prince Marth wearing the legendary tail and ears.
With the Super Leaf, any fighter can have ears and a tail. You can also float in the air by pressing the jump button. We’re still figuring out whether you’ll be able to attack with the tail…
Call me crazy, but Marth might be the cutest of the bunch. How do you take such a serious character seriously anymore while he’s wearing something like that? The biggest question, of course, is how are Fox, Bowser, and Pikachu going to look when they pick up the leaf? They already have pointy ears and a tail.
Who else is going to look adorable? I hope Ness, Wario, and Captain Falcon all will once Nintendo finally announces them! Of the confirmed players though, how cute is Mega Man going to look? I can see it now.
source: Masahiro Sakurai
