Nintendo Adventure Books - Choose Your Own Path! (Now Playing: Leaping Lizards)

As soon as Luigi and Toad cross the bridge into Water Land, the trees and valleys of the Mushroom Kingdom vanish. There's water as far as the eye can see, dotted with islands that are linked by rickety wooden bridges.

In the Mushroom Kingdom, Luiig often has to battle Koopa Troopas or Goomba mushrooms. There are none of those here. Instead, the air is full of Cheep Cheeps - vicious flying fish with crab-like claws.

"Look over there!" Toad cries excitedly. As he bats away a Cheep Cheep, he points to a small, square object in the distance. It looks like a box, floating on the water.

"Let's check it out," says Luigi. They head off toward the odd, bobbing object.

As they travel deeper into Water Land, however, the bridges become less frequent. Luigi and Toad must jump from one island to another. After a while, the islands start to get farther apart - and the Cheep Cheeps start to get bigger. One of them zooms up to Toad.

"Ouch!" yelps the royal mushroom retainer when the owl-faced Cheep Cheep nips him in the ear. "I can't take this anymore."

"Okay, little friend," says Luigi. "You go back to the others. I'll be all right."

Toad scrambles to safety, and Luigi goes on alone. He jumps over a waterspout and dodges a swarm of leaping Bloober squids. He also picks up some coins that are scattered on a small, sandy island. "Someone must have dropped these before the Cheep Cheeps got him," muses Luigi.

Soon the strange object is a few yards away. "It's a boat," Luigi observes. Tied to an island is a houseboat. The water around it is black. Bags of garbage bob everywhere.

"I do believe I detect the faint odor of Koopas in the air," says Luigi. He sniffs once. Then he coughs. "On second thought, maybe it's not so faint," he wheezes.


*** Luigi collects 6 coins. ***
Turn to page 58.


Luigi jumps onto the porch of the floating shack and knocks on the door.

"No one's home," a gruff, scratchy voice calls from within.

"Well, then," Luigi says cheerfully, "I'll let myself in and have a look around."

"Oh, no you won't!" shouts the same voice. The door swings open to reveal Morton Koopa. His three straggly hairs wave gracefully in the soft Water Land breeze.

Luigi jumps over the large turtle and looks about the cabin. He sees nothing but old socks and garbage. "You zapped the king with a magic wand," he accuses Morton. "What are you going to do about it?" He opens a box and wrinkles his nose at the awful smell that seeps out.

"Hey! Leave my stuff alone!" yells Morton as he tries to grab Luigi. But every time Morton lunges at Luigi, the plumber hops aside. Soon Morton - who's not known for his stamina - begins to tire. Finally, he waddles over to a box on one wall and flips open its lid. Then he presses a small red button.

"What does that do?" asks Luigi, standing still for a moment.

"You'll see," sneers Morton. He points with his scaly finger to one of the houseboat's dirty windows. There in the sky, a large black object approaches.

"The Doom Ship!" cries Luigi. "Just what I need." The Koopa family's floating battleship drifts over Morton's slimy boat. It looks like a cross between a pirate ship and a merry-go-around, festooned with propellers and steam pipes. On deck, Luigi glimpses Iggy Koopa, one of Morton's awful brothers. Just then, Morton bolts out the door.

"Come back here!" Luigi yells. He darts after the turtle.

From high above the houseboat, Iggy lowers a rope ladder to Morton. They shout something to each other in Koopanese. But when Iggy spots Luigi, he stops short and hauls the ladder back up again. The Doom Ship rises swiftly back into the sky. "Arrrrgh," Morton growls. "Little brothers are so cowardly!" He dives into the water and swims frantically toward the next island.

"I resent that!" says Luigi. "And one of you has some explaining to do." He frowns as both reptiles start to escape. "But which brother should I go after?"

Solve this puzzle for a clue:

  • There are two messages in this picture, but they've gotten mixed together. Swap all the odd-numbered letters in the two trails. When you're done, the trails will help you decide what Luigi should do next.

vdOXZyI.png



If you think Luigi should try to board the Doom Ship, turn to page 62.
If you think Luigi should go after Morton Koopa, turn to page 7.


Inventory: Frog Suit, Ruby Wand, 14 Coins
 
Go after Iggy now
Morton can't help
I vote for Page 62.

Also,

[quote author=Leaping Lizards]
Instead, the air is full of Cheep Cheeps - vicious flying fish with crab-like claws.
[/quote]

CheepCheepSMB.png

I feel like I'm missing something...

[quote author=Leaping Lizards]
"Oh, no you won't!" shouts the same voice. The door swings open to reveal Morton Koopa. His three straggly hairs wave gracefully in the soft Water Land breeze.

Luigi jumps over the large turtle and looks about the cabin. He sees nothing but old socks and garbage. "You zapped the king with a magic wand," he accuses Morton. "What are you going to do about it?" He opens a box and wrinkles his nose at the awful smell that seeps out.
[/quote]
Ok, this is what Morton Koopa (clearly the grandfather of Morton Koopa Jr., since they bothered to say the surname but not the Jr.) looks like:
vdOXZyI.png

now, why on earth should a turtle who always goes around barefoot have old socks in his house?

[quote author=Leaping Lizards]
On deck, Luigi glimpses Iggy Koopa, one of Morton's awful brothers. Just then, Morton bolts out the door.
[/quote]
Yay! I knew we would have met other handsome turtles with padded feet if we tried to find Morton!


[quote author=Leaping Lizards]
From high above the houseboat, Iggy lowers a rope ladder to Morton. They shout something to each other in Koopanese.
[/quote]
One more reason to like Ludwig von Koopa. At least I know a bit of German.
 
Vote: 62

I do wonder if there is a right and wrong answer to this. Like, if we end up going after the wrong Koopa would we end up with a different opportunity or a game over?
 
Knowing Morton, he probably doesn't even know how to change the king back.

Let's board the ship. Iggy's the brains of the group. Maybe we can beat the answers out of him.

page 62
 
Spooky the slightly frightening Shy Guy said:
Like, if we end up going after the wrong Koopa would we end up with a different opportunity or a game over?
I'll say this: you've already avoided three Game Overs.

With one terrific leap, Luigi jumps into the air and grabs one of the twisted metal bars that hang from the bottom of the Doom Ship. "I'd like to see Mario try that," he says to himself.

Carefully, he climbs up the side of the great ship, clinging to its warped wooden planks. Luigi is not especially afraid of heights, but he tries not to look down. In no time, he reaches the top.

He swings over the railing and onto the deck, and then dives behind a stack of crates marked "FRAGILE - PLEASE DROP." Iggy Koopa stands at the steering wheel of the ship, wearing a white backpack. The scrawny turtle doesn't seem to notice the plumber.

"Now's my chance," thinks Luigi. He crouches behind the crates, watching Iggy carefully. "I can scare the turtle off and take over the ship!"

Then he pauses, thinking hard. "Or should I wait here and see what happens?"

Solve this puzzle for help:

  • Draw a straight line from each of the Doom Ship cannons in this drawing. Then cross out any of the letters in the boxes that your lines touch. The leftover letters spell out a secret message that will help you decide what Luigi should do next.

ZVJ1LPg.png

[Sorry, guys, that's part of the problem with second-hand books]


If you think Luigi should confront Iggy Koopa, turn to page 100.

If you think Luigi should stay hidden, turn to page 114.

Inventory: Frog Suit, Ruby Wand, 14 Coins
 
DO NOT MOVE
I think we should vote:114
 
At least it's less work on our part, lol.

Vote: 114
 
[A few of the next chapters are going to be fairly short, so I'll start putting them out earlier.]

"Better stay put for a while and see what gives," thinks Luigi. He remains hidden behind the stack of wooden crates, peeking out at Iggy Koopa every few minutes. The turtle guides the Doom Ship by its wooden steering wheel while humming a tune - badly.

The Doom Ship sails through the clouds for what seems like hours, travelling deep into the heart of Water Land. Suddenly, the ship lurches forward and heads straight down toward the water.

"What's happening?" Luigi blurts out as he falls against the rail. He grips the Doom Ship's rail tightly and peeks over the side.

"Yikes!" he cries. The bow of the ship is about to smash into the water!

Solve this puzzle for a clue:

  • Study this outline of the Doom Ship carefully. Then read all the letters in the box that are inside outlines that are exactly the same shape. Those letters will help you decide what Luigi should do next.

If you think Luigi should jump off the ship quickly, turn to page 12.
If you think Luigi should hang on and stay hidden, turn to page 41.


dQUWdDI.png


Inventory: Frog Suit, Ruby Wand, 14 Coins
 
There are a few that don't have a part of "HA NG ON" but that's mostly what it is so Vote: 41.
 
don't you know, things will change, things will go your way

IF YOU HOOOOOOOLD ON FOR ONE MORE DAY

page 41
 
Luigi grips the rail with one hand and his cap with the other. He closes his eyes and braces himself for the ship to crash.

Seconds pas, but nothing happens. Finally, Luigi opens his eyes. To his amazement, the ship has stopped its descent a few inches above the water. It drifts into the mouth of a huge metal pipe sticking out of the sea.

The Doom Ship sinks down the pipe. It drops for about two hundred feet. Then it gently touches down in a large, square room.

"Where are we?" Luigi mutters, gazing about him. Wires, light bulbs, meters and control panels are everywhere.

"This must one of Iggy's secret labs,"[sic] Luigi thinks. But when he looks toward the steering wheel, the turtle is gone.

Quickly, the plumber jumps to the floor. There's no sign of Iggy. "What now?" Luigi mutters. Finally, he heads toward one of several tunnels that lead out of the room. Before he reaches the tunnel entrance, he stumbles over a metal hatch in the floor.

"Hmmm," says Luigi. "Should I check out the tunnel, or should I look below?"

Solve this puzzle for a clue:

  • Read the chart on the right, and connect all the pairs of numbers on the list in the drawing below. Then read the message that appears. It'll help you decide what Luigi should do next.
  • Connect the following numbers:
12-186-1232-339-1015-2127-28
8-1415-1620-2117-1813-1926-27
10-1119-2531-3233-345-1113-14
25-3128-348-920-2616-17

BOyGmNA.png



If you think Luigi should climb down the hatch, turn to page 52.
If you think Luigi should head into the tunnel, turn to page 33.


Inventory: Frog Suit, Ruby Wand, 14 Coins
 
Honestly I'm too lazy busy today to actually do anything so I'll just go with the crowd and Vote: 33
 
Buckle up, we're getting close to the main attraction!

Luigi walks down the tunnel. The walls are covered with a tangle of wires, levers, control panels and circuit boxes. Small glass portholes on both sides of the corridor display the outside ocean. Schools of electric jellyfish drift by, but they pay no attention to him.

He turns right at the first corner and runs smack into Mario, Toad, and the princess.

"What are you doing here?" Luigi asks, startled.

"We've been following you on my flying carpet," answers Princess Toadstool.

"Wooster was looking for carrot recipes in the royal library, so he could make the king something for dinner," Toad explains. "He came across a book about giant rabbits. According to the book, if we want to change the king back to normal, all we need is a magic silver whistle."

"The princess went to the Koopermarket to buy some snails yesterday," Mario adds. "And she remembers seeing a silver whistle around Iggy Koopa's neck."

"Jewelry is my specialty," the princess says modestly.

Mario walks over to his brother and places one hand on Luigi's shoulder. "We saw you heading towards Iggy's lab. We thought you might want a little help."

Luigi is very hurt. "I knew you'd never let me be a hero by myself," he grumbles.

"Cheer up, little brother," says Mario. "No one's going to get in your way. Besides, we had to tell you about the magic whistle."

"What about my whistle? says a shrill voice.

All four adventurers turn at once. A few yards away stands a five-foot-tall turtle wearing glasses. The wind from an air duct above his head tosses his purple hair wildly.

"Iggy Koopa!" they exclaim in unison. Around his neck, for all to see, is a small whistle on a shiny silver chain.


Turn to page 8.


"Watch," says Luigi. He races down the corridor toward Iggy. "This'll be like taking candy from a baby."

Iggy stands still as the plumber closes in. Then, just as Luigi is about to grab the whistle, the turtle ducks and pulls his head into his bumpy green shell.

Wha-bang! Luigi sails over Iggy and slams into a metal fuse box. He slumps to the floor, a look of surprise on his face.

Iggy pops back out of his shell. "Hoo, hoo!" he cackles. "I learned that trick from you plumbers."

The turtle trudges up to Mario, who backs away slightly, ready to jump at the first wrong move from the turtle. Instead, Iggy merely hands him a piece of paper. "Read it before you do anything stupid," he warns.

Mario takes out a pair of reading glasses and examines the yellowed page. He reads the paper aloud. "In compliance with Fungus Law X-27B, a Magic Silver Whistle may be sounded only by its rightful owner. Anyone else using the whistle is in violation of the Mushroom Kingdom Legal Code. This offense is punishable by up to seven years in the Sponge Mines."

"Hey, how did you get to be the rightful owner?" asks Luigi as he regains his feet and stumbles toward the group.

"Read on," says Iggy, sneering.

"The aforementioned Magic Silver Whistle shall become the rightful possession of whoever wins the International Mushroom Games," Mario continues. "Said games are to be held in a neutral area of the Mushroom Kingdom, every six years."

The princess takes the document from Mario's hands and studies it carefully. "It looks legal," she concludes.

Mario and Luigi stare at each other. "Six years!" they wail at the same time.

Iggy rocks back and forth in glee.

"Wait a minute!" says the princess. She snaps open the large gold-and emerald locket that hangs from her neck. Removing a small notebook, she thumbs through it. "According to my date book, the next Mushroom Games are in three weeks!" she announces.

"So soon?" Iggy asks, surprised. "I thought I cheated, um, won that contest more recently than that." He rubs his lumpy green chin. "Well, I'd better start training."

Iggy shuffles off down the corridor, his toenails clicking on the paneled metal.

Solve this puzzle to see what happens next:

  • Find a correct path from the four heroes to Iggy Koopa. Start on any one of the tiles closest to the heroes. Move up, down, left, or right until you reach Iggy. You may not move diagonally, and you may not cross the same tile pattern more than twice. If you can trace a path this way, then the heroes should follow Iggy. If you think it can't be done, then the four heroes should leave.

PCXcoyQ.png



If you think the heroes should follow Iggy and try to grab the whistle, turn to page 44.
If you think the heroes should go back to their flying carpet and leave, turn to page 97.


Inventory: Frog Suit, Ruby Wand, 14 Coins
 
There aren't enough tile patterns to be possible, I'm pretty sure.

Vote:

MA_Route_97.svg


(fun fact: this sign is from Rt. 97 the area in and around Topsfield, MA, which is why I chose it. I woulda done the same thing with Rt. 114, but I didn't think of it then.)
 
I vote for page 97 because I couldn't find a path, furthermore we finally don't end up bashing Iggy, I'd say this is already a huge plus.
 
97

Let's deal with Ol' Leaf Breath at the games! If the brothers can go toe to toe with Sonic, they're sure to win!
 
Luigi, Mario, Princess Toadstool and Toad turn and head down the hallway. They're disappointed, but still determined. Soon they reach the large, round room where the flying carpet is parked. They climb onto the brightly colored tapestry.

"Hit it!" commands the princess.

Slowly, the carpet rises up through the opening in the ceiling. As it floats higher into the darkness, the carpet gains speed.

Soon they emerge from the great pipe's mouth, high above the surface of Water Land. Sitting cross-legged on the carpet, they look down and watch the rail-lifts and water spouts vanish in the distance. The carpet sails across the border to the Mushroom Kingdom and lands in the front yard of the palace.


Turn to page 19.


Over the next three weeks, Luigi, Mario, Toad and the princess train for the International Mushroom Games. Luigi practices the long jump, leaping over almost everything in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario works out by picking up empty turtle shells and hurling them as far as he can.

The princess hones her surfing skills. She also swims up several waterfalls, and climbs to the top of Mount Morel, the tallest mountain in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Toad works out a little. But he spends most of his time helping Wooster keep an eye on the king - which is a workout in itself. Eight-foot-tall rabbits are not easily entertained. His Highness has been nibbling on curtains, bedposts, sculptures and picture frames. In fact, everything in the palace shows signs of wear from the rabbit's teeth.

"We've just got to win!" sobs Wooster, as the day of the games draws near. "If we don't, the palace will be ruined!"

Luigi and his friends will have a tough time winning. Solve this puzzle to find out why.

  • Queen Trufflessa IV was the greatest athlete in Mushroom Kingdom history. This is what she said after she set the record for the 26-mile-long hot dog eating contest:
"WINNTER, SCHMINNER! HURRY UP, I WANT MY DINNER!"​
  • Look for the words of that famous quotation in this grid. Cross them out as you find them. The leftover words tell you why it will be hard for our heroes to win the games.

9QcRQLg.png


[This puzzle doesn't affect any choices, so let's move on.]

Turn to page 30.

At last, the day of the games arrives.

"Welcome! Welcome!" squawks the official Mushroom Games referee, a penguin named Feldspar. He waddles back and forth proudly on a patch of blue grass in the center of the stadium, waving his flippers to get the crowd's attention.

Nearly every citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom has turned out for the great festival. Shoulder to shoulder, mushroom cap to mushroom cap, leaf to leaf, they pack the stands that have been set up in an open field near the palace. Thousands of assorted Goombas, Shyguys, Thwomps, and even Cheep Cheeps have traveled from the Koopahari Desert, Ice Land and beyond to enjoy the spectacle.

Hordes of Koopa Troopas and other foul-smelling monsters have been given special admittance to the Mushroom Kingdom so they can root for the Koopas and the other teams that will be competing.

Sitting on long wooden benches next to the field are the four teams who have signed up to play in the games. Six of the Koopa kids, including Morton and Iggy, form one team. Three pairs of huge, leering, twin turtles form another team - the Hammers. As Luigi and the princess argue over the name of their team, another awful group marches by. It includes a red serpent named Cobrat, a pair of blazing four-foot-long Firesnakes, a vicious armadillo named Spike, and two Bloober Nannies.

"Introducing . . . the Snakes!" Feldspar announces. Spike taps him on the shoulder and whispers in his ear. "Excuse me . . . the Sneaks!" the penguin says.

"I've got it!" says the princess. "Since we're representing the Mushroom Kingdom, and some of us are royal" - she looks at the king sadly - "let's call ourselves the Mushroom Kingdom Royals."

Mario makes a face, but he holds his tongue in deference to her royal highness. "Well," says Luigi. Since you got to name the team, I get to be team captain." There's no time to argue, as the penguin referee starts talking once more.

"In each event, athletes will have a chance to win a medal," Feldspar explains. "Tin medals are for first place. Wooden medals are for second place. Chocolate medals are for third place. Anyone who eats his or her medal shall be disqualified."

Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad listen to the rules carefully. Wooster struggles to keep the king from hopping away.

"The team that wins the most medals will be the new Mushroom Games Champions," Feldspar continues. He straightens his bow tie. "Let the games begin!"

As you read the next few chapters, use a separate piece of paper to keep track of the medals the Mushroom Kingdom Royals win.


Turn to page 111.


"The first event is the obstacle course," squawks the penguin as horns blare. All heads turn toward an area just north of the stadium.

The first third of the course is a series of ledges, blocks and stairs. Some are made of bricks, some are made of wood and others are made of shiny metal. They're packed close together in steep pyramids with sudden drop-offs. Then a long, narrow waterway begins. Luigi can see many nasty creatures swimming about in the depths. As he gazes over the pool, he spots an electric jellyfish bobbing on the surface.

At the far end of the water, several vines climb high into the air, where a fleet of magic carpets are parked. The last part of the course is a flying race to the finish line, with hungry Muncher plants waiting eagerly below.

"Roy Koopa will be competing for the Koopa team," announces Feldspar.

A big, burly turtle in pink sunglasses steps forward. "I hope I'm running against you," he growls to Mario as he trudges past. "I've still got bruises from the last time we met. I'd like to settle the score."

Mario smiles, but says nothing.

"For the Hammer team: Angus Boomer!" the penguin referee shouts. Some of the smaller mushrooms in the stands shrink back nervously as a huge shadow drifts over them. An enormous, armored turtle limbers past.

"Rocky Wrench will run for the Sneaks," says Feldspar. A big rodent carrying a toolbox hops by the Royals' bench.

The princess wrinkles her nose. "That handbag does not go with that outfit," she says.

"Nice wrenches, though," Mario comments.

"All right," says Luigi. I've given a lot of thought to who should run this course for our team, and I've made up my mind. . . ."

Solve this puzzle for a clue:

  • Study the trails from the princess, Mario and Luigi to the stadium. The only unbroken trail that reaches the stadium belongs to the person who should run the obstacle course.

BtelHcd.png



If you think Luigi should ask Mario to run the obstacle course, turn to page 24.
If you think Luigi should ask the princess to run the obstacle course, turn to page 95.
If you think Luigi should run the course himself, turn to page 82.
 
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