Where to drop the candy? I take my time to study the terrain, trying to determine how best to maximize my chances of snagging the ticket. After much deliberation, I let go and watch as the sugary treat bobs and bounces downward through the maze of pins.
It looks like success will be mine, but at the last minute my fortune shifts. The candy hops to the left, just narrowly missing the ticket. Better luck tomorrow, I guess.
It’s time to change up my look, so I pop in to Cooler Heads to scope out my options. Annie is her usual self, reserved and with little to say. Moe, on the other hand, is in top form today.
None of the gear for sale sparks my interest, not to mention Moe’s rude demeanor isn’t putting me in the mood to shop. I don’t know what I’ve done to offend him, but he is relentless. When Annie quietly complimented my progression amongst the player ranks, he boasted of his superiority over me. He also pointed out I was “broke” when I took a peek at a helmet that was a bit out of my price range.
Deciding I’d endured enough abuse for one day, I call it quits and head over to Shrimp Kicks to get some new shoes instead. On my way out, Moe announces that I wasted their time. Annie just stares at me with a meek look on her face.
Mario becomes fixated on the ball’s spin as it floats toward him. Up to this point, the rally had been impeccable, dealing damaging blow after blow to their menacing foe. Now, it was all up to Mario to finish the job. Missing this opportunity would leave his team vulnerable to a counter-attack, which was not an option seeing as Luigi’s low health had him teetering on the point of collapse.
With his feet firmly dug in, Mario pulls back his racket, takes a deep breath, and swings with all his strength. The impact is mighty, causing the ball to propel forward as if it were a heat-seeking missile. Direct hit! Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario throw up their hands in triumph, permitting themselves a brief moment of celebration before moving on with their quest.
Little Mac winds up, ready to strike. As he channels power to his fists, a bellow pours from his lungs, increasing in intensity with each passing moment. If Bayonetta doesn’t take action, she’s toast.
Right on cue, Mac charges forward with crushing force, hell-bent on clearing the path in front of him and knocking all adversaries far out of sight. Unfortunately, he’s never faced a witch before.
Bayonetta laughs and flips backward, her movements impressively precise. Amazingly, the passage of time grinds to a crawl. Mac fails to connect with anything, leaving him right where Bayonetta wants him.
He’s looking at me with such excitement in his eyes. I’ve managed to stay strong all week. “It’s cool…” he’s told me every time I’ve turned down his offer.
But today seems to be Badge Bunny’s lucky day. “Oh, what the heck!” I say to myself before I confirm that, yes, I’ll purchase some plays on the crane machine so I can try to snag some of those adorable Animal Crossing badges.
Badge Bunny can hardly contain his glee. He busies himself, getting me all set up to spend real money for virtual badges.
Two dollars later, I’ve managed to secure all but two of the Animal Crossing badges. Somehow, knowing the badge set is incomplete seems worse than not having any badges at all.
I stare at my 3DS’s screen, pondering what course of action to take next…
I can tell my wife is getting annoyed that I’m staring at my 3DS and lagging behind, but I’m trying to let all the Miis through the gate so I can see if they have any puzzle pieces.
I told her I was attempting to get as many new pieces as I could while were at WonderCon because opportunities like this don’t come along too often.
“Well, you did warn me this would happen…” She still seems a little perturbed but she’s cutting me some slack.
Only two of the ten most recent Miis had pieces I need. Darn. I close my 3DS for the time being and hope for better luck with the next set of passers-by.
Good night. Luigi has had enough. The world fades to black.
Yet, it’s not over…
Luigi is roused by the feeling of something nuzzling around his overalls, followed by a wet sensation on his face. He opens his eyes… It’s Polterpup! The spectral canine barks hello then bounds off with his prize: the golden bone Luigi had found hidden in the mansion. Luigi takes a moment to regain his bearings, then stands up, grabs his Poltergust 5000, and returns to the fight.
Damn it, I don’t have time for this nonsense. Normally I just try to ignore those annoying Melynx, but now one of them has stolen something important from me. Well, he asked for it. My hammer comes crashing down on his head, stopping him dead in his tracks. I’ve recovered my item, but now the thief’s companions are closing in on me. Big mistake. Within seconds my weapon fells them both. Hopefully those jerks have learned a lesson today, though I doubt it.
The storm is picking up strength. Curtains of rain and sinewy stretches of yellow lightning. Amidst this he stands, focused and unfazed, his gaze fixated upon his target. Grim glowing eyes appear in the darkness. The katana swings. Down, they fall. Again. And again. His head bobs up in down in time with the beat of determination. He will return to the girl what is rightfully hers, no matter how difficult the task may be. Thunder, followed by a blinding flash of blue. Slash, slash. His drive is relentless and unwavering.
We were too careless, and now our medic has fallen. Everyone in our party is severely wounded, and we are without any medicine to heal ourselves. A thorough search of our supplies reveals we neglected to bring along an Ariadne Thread, so the only way back to town is on foot. If we encounter any enemies, our only option is to flee. Sure, it may not be a heroic strategy, but survival takes precedence over all else. If only we hadn’t let the allure of discovery blind us to our limitations! We had considered turning back multiple times, but the excitement of seeing what was around the next corner became all too addictive. Now, I fear, this may be our final foray into the labyrinth. We can sense that threats are close, and no mercy will be provided to us. Should death find us, may it be quick and honorable.
Mister Raroo: Moments 