BACK TO LEVEL X
BACK TO MAIN ADVENTURE DENNIS PAGE
If I’m being honest, the Information Manual was probably more important to me than the rest of the story, just because of my love of the manuals that came with the games I had when I was a kid. I used to bring them into school and read them while I was supposed to be leraning or whatever they call it you’re supposed to do in school. I have said multiple times during these notes that I was actually not into platform games as much as other genres, like adventure games, but the Mario manuals were a big deal to my childhood.
Like the last level I do not have a post on the site saying when this went up, but I assume it would have been along with or just after Level X.
Page One: The cover of the information booklet shows Dennis in an outfit that seems to be his Level III outfit without the tie. If I had a reason for that decision, it is lost to time.
Page Two: This page reiterates the story setup, most of which I assume can be inferred by reading, but I make sure to double down on the reveal that Dennis is the Mayor’s son. I also reveal here that the text from all the panels in the story has been the “third-person mutterings” of Dennis himself. Why the name Colin Brown, though? So oddly specific. Was it something? Nobody knows anymore.
The layout of this page is supposed to emulate page 3 in the Super Mario Bros 3 manual, with the white section that has a drop shadow looking like a letter. While I guess that means the image of Dennis in his Level One outfit is intended as a stamp, though I don’t convey it well if so.
Page Three: This one is page 4 from the Super Mario Bros 3 manual. That page displays the Koopa Kids, but my homage to it reveals King Demonevil’s Generals. The names of Don Cyclops and Hyram Dragon, Jr. are supposed to be like Koopaling names as well (Roy Koopa and Morton Koopa Jr.). The names of Jack O’Pumpkin and Shadow Dennis both originate in the levels in which they appear (meaning, I suppose, Dennis knew these guys by name), but Robofreeze and Lord Wizardmo seem to be stuff I made up for this page. As for the mad scientist, Kraft = Wiley, like crafty and wily. You get it.
“We’re just not especially nice people” is my version of the Koopa Kids saying “We just love being mean!!”
I suppose this page does confirm that these guys were actually part of King Demonevil’s crew. I already suspected that the Megalodon Boss was just an animal that happened to be around, but what about the Space Monster from the end of Level Four and the Brain In A Vat from Level Nine. Was they not in on it?
Page Four: The items page is a reference to “Items that can help Mario and his friends.” on page 18 of the Super Mario Bros 2 manual. And King Demonevil appearing at the bottom is an homage to the various Koopa Kids showing up on pages in the Super Mario Bros 3 manual to say things like this.
I liked the idea that the magic items had abilities that Dennis never used. The Sword could release a beam of Stun Energy, the belt can turn the wearer invisible, and the Magic Boots could allow him to climb a building (and I gave him the boots right before the elevator level, with the implication being that he was supposed to skip the elevator and climb the wall). Of course, any of those abilities would’ve just slowed Dennis down.
Page Five: The enemies page is a reference to “Obstructing your way — gangs of enemy characters” on page 23 of the Super Mario 2 manual. If any of the specific monsters are references I don’t remember, but all the manuals I loved had little writeups like these for the enemies, including the Mario games, but I feel like Zelda games were more of an inspiration for it.
Page Six: I make sure to make it canon that the Yetis are peaceful. Also, I think this is probably the only time Demonsylvania is named in this story.
Lord Wizardmo’s thing at the bottom is a direct reference to page 41 in the Super Mario Bros 3 manual.
Page Seven: The Other Notes section is meant to evoke how many manuals would have a page or two of blank lines so you could write notes when you need to.
I don’t know if the note about coins is a specific reference to a line in a manual, but obviously 100 coins in Mario is an extra life. For Dennis it is just some lunch.
“If you find a magic potion, try throwing it” is from page 20 in the Super Mario Bros 2 manual.
Dr. Kraft explaining the seven gems is an homage to page 5 of the Super Mario Bros 3 manual, but I like that the gems just have sentimental value instead of any actual magical powers.
Page Eight: If there was a video game manual that gave previews of other games I don’t remember it, but I clearly just wanted to have a chance to make violent Adventure Dennis versions of Mario Tennis and Dr. Mario.
Page Nine: The End.
