Super Mario Avalon

Super Mario Avalon is a video game developed and published by Nintendo as part of the Super Mario series. The game was released on Wii as the second entry in the Super Mario Storybook series, following Super Mario Arabian Nights.

Set in the world of King Arthur, the game combines platforming with a new sword fighting system, utilizing the Wii Remote's motion-sensing functionality.

Gameplay

Gameplay differs from traditional games in the Mario series by mixing in the new element of swordplay with the traditional Mario platforming. Swordplay is implemented through the Wii Remote. Gameplay is more similar to Super Mario Galaxy; Mario's movement is controlled with the analogue stick as he is on a set course, and gameplay is mainly 3D.

The stages feature townspeople that the player can harm and some that Mario can interact with; these actions and the player's deeds will be judged at the end of each stage, updating his "knight ranking" accordingly. By interacting with these characters the player may do a quick-time button input. Doing so correctly will take away twenty of Mario's coins and give them to the townsperson, and in return, he receives a gift at the end of the course. In some courses, it is required to give a specific amount of coins to townspeople before reaching the goal. In stages where this is not required the townsperson will reward Mario with an item. There are 242 items in the game, some of which can be gained by opening treasure chests in the stages. Any items collected during a stage must be identified at the end of the stage by using Mario's "ID points". Rarer items cost more ID points than others. An online mode allows treasures to be traded between registered friends.

The game changes the traditional level items, such as mushrooms and stars, into "fairies." These fairies come in varying colours; Yellow elements will be used as a group of one to twenty Coins, Blue fairies will replenish Mario's health by one, and Red will be used to fill the "Soul gauge." This gauge is filled by defeating enemies and collecting Red Fairies, and is used to unleash a powerful lock-on attack, Soul Surge. On only the first few stages, the "pearls" from the previous game, Super Mario Arabian Nights, appear as apples.

The skill system from Super Mario Arabian Nights also returns, but has been revised to adjust any problems that were present in that game: the skill system is also designed so as not to interfere with the game's tempo. Each playable character has three styles to choose from. At first, only the balanced "Knight" style is available, but later, "Cavalier" and "Paladin" styles are unlocked. They deal with the aspects of speed and power, respectively. As levels are completed, the player gains a number of "Followers" that is used as Experience and as the number of followers goes up, the number of skills the player has in a certain style are increased. The "styles" of characters beside Mario are not increased; Rather, their swords' abilities and skills are enhanced.

Once the "Knight's Quest" part of the story is reached, Sir Gawain (Wario), Sir Lancelot (Luigi), and Sir Percival (Waluigi) will be playable from that point on. Each has their own characteristics; for instance, Wario wields a hammer that can break cracked walls and coin-filled rocks, Luigi can jump higher and use more lunge attacks than Mario, and Waluigi can use twin swords as boomerangs. In story mode, they can use different swords than their own swords, unlike Mario, who can only wield Calibert.

Up to four players can play in the game's multiplayer, choosing between one of 12 characters to partake in a number of different kinds of battles. Characters include Mario, Lancelot (Luigi), Gawain (Wario), Percival (Waluigi), Blacksmith (Toad), Lady of the Lake (Rosalina), Galahad (Donkey Kong), Lamorak (Yoshi), Guinevere (Princess Peach), Robin (Princess Daisy), Ector (Diddy King) and King Arthur.

Plot

A wizard named Merlina, granddaughter of Merlin, attempts to flee from a black knight and his forces. Cornered, she performs a spell calling forth a champion to save her, summoning Mario. As they retreat, Merlina explains that the knight is actually King Arthur, who has been corrupted by the immortality granted by Excalibur's scabbard, and that Mario must defeat him to restore peace to the kingdom. With Mario's skills alone being insufficient to defeat the King, he takes up the talking sword Calibert.

At Caliburn's suggestion, Mario meets up with the Lady of the Lake, Nimue (this world's version of Rosalina), who tests Mario to prove he is a worthy Knight. After completing her tasks, Nimue tells him that he must collect the sacred swords wielded by Lancelot, Gawain and Percival of the Round Table (this world's versions of Luigi, Wario and Waluigi respectively) in order to dispel the immortality granted by Excalibur's scabbard. Defeating each of the Knights, Mario claims all three swords and challenges the King once more, destroying him.

Mario takes the scabbard back to Merlina, who reveals that there was never any King Arthur, and that he defeated an illusion created by her grandfather Merlin, with Merlina manipulating Mario in order to claim Excalibur's scabbard as her own. Merlina plans to use its power to make the kingdom changeless and eternal in hopes of averting the kingdom's fate from the legends. She summons the underworld directly into the kingdom, creating the Dark Hollow and forcing Mario and the Knights to flee. Nimue explains that the sacred swords are able to form a barrier to prevent the Dark Hollow's spread, so Mario and the Knights split up and journey to the kingdom's corners. However, the barrier proves to be too weak and the hollow continues to grow.

Mario enters the Dark Hollow himself to confront Merlina, who has now become the Dark Queen, but she proves too powerful, destroying Calibert and badly injuring Mario. Seeing Mario's continued resolve, the Knights give Mario the power of the sacred swords to restore Calibert – now revealed to be the true Excalibur – and Mario transforms into an armoured super form called Excalibur Mario. He defeats Merlina, destroying the Dark Hollow. After the battle, Mario tells Merlina that, while everything has an end, people should live their lives to the fullest until that day comes. With King Arthur revealed as an illusion, the Knights of the Round Table prepare to disband, but Calibert reminds them that he is the one who chooses the true king, now revealed to be Mario.

In a post-credits cutscene, Mario returns to his world and Peach tells him about his adventures. The game ends in a similar manner to Super Mario Arabian Nights, with the title of the book King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table changing to Mario and the Black Knight.