Nintendo has never seemed to know what to do with Waluigi. Originally created just so Wario would have a doubles partner in tennis, he’s almost always been solely relegated to multiplayer spinoff series like Mario Party and Mario Kart. This is a real shame and a huge missed opportunity, because I think Waluigi may have the most star potential out of any of the core Mario cast.
So, how do you make a game about Waluigi? What little we know about him comes primarily from his victory poses and super moves in sports games like Mario Golf: World Tour and Mario Tennis Aces. Most of these animations demonstrate that Waluigi loves to dance, most likely a reference to his role as the villain of Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. Other than that, his only defining characteristic is his long, skinny build
Image Credit: Nintendo (via Mario Wiki)
That may seem like a pretty sparse set of characteristics to build a game around, but it’s two more character traits than Mario has. Plus, both of those characteristics have an amazing amount of gameplay potential. Imagine Waluigi starring in a rhythm-based action game in a similar vein to Hi-Fi Rush, or using dances to gain powers or transform a la Shantae. Or what if Nintendo leaned into his lankiness and gave him stretchy powers? Don’t those ideas sound at least as exciting as Princess Peach: Showtime! or Wario World?
It’s worth noting that while there is no official Nintendo game with Waluigi in a starring role, there was a fairly high-profile fan game released back in 2011 called Psycho Waluigi, wherein Waluigi gets psychic powers. I doubt that Nintendo would do anything that crazy with him, but it demonstrates just how much potential he has. You could do basically anything with him, and it would probably work.
If Nintendo really wanted to get creative, it could even use such a game to flesh out Waluigi as his own character. What are Waluigi’s aspirations? Does he want wealth, like his partner Wario? Does he want power, like Bowser? Maybe all he wants is some recognition for his own talents.
Image Credit: Nintendo (via Vice)
A Waluigi title would also be a smart business move for Nintendo. The Switch 2’s early game lineup has been light on exclusives, and even lighter on first-party titles. An out-of-left-field game starring Waluigi could make the new system more enticing to cynical buyers who weren’t impressed by “Another Mario Kart” and “Donkey Kong Odyssey.”
I’ll leave you with a prediction, one that I don’t think will actually happen, but maybe if we all wish hard enough, it will. Fast forward to the end of next year. The final Nintendo Direct of 2026 ends with a graphic of the year changing over to 2027, but the 7 looks a little strange. It slowly flips around to reveal it’s not a 7 at all, but Waluigi’s iconic “Γ” symbol. 2027 will be the Year of Waluigi.
What do you think? Does Waluigi deserve his own game, or should he just stick to racing karts and playing tennis? Head on over to our Discord and join the conversation!
Featured Image: Nintendo (via Listal)
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