A 2005 Super Mario Bros. fangame which is actually an Updated Re-release of the 2003 Super Mario Blue Twilight, Super Mario Blue Twilight DX was created by Ryan "Blaze Hedgehog" Bloom
as part of his annual tradition of creating a fangame for Halloween. However, the game proved to be a surprising success.
The story is as follows: Legend has it that once a year, a strange castle appears. Mario and Peach are heading to Peach's quarters to relax in the late hours of a celebration after Bowser has been beaten once again. Suddenly, a strange gargoyle swoops in from out of nowhere and captures the Princess, taking her to Bowser’s castle. Mario gives chase, and a new adventure begins.
Tropes in Super Mario Blue Twilight DX:
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Giga Bowser, in a similar vein to Giant Baby Bowser in Yoshi's Island.
- Author Appeal: Halloween is Ryan Bloom's favorite holiday. This game was created as part of his tradition of creating a Halloween-themed game every year.
- The numerous Castlevania references in the game note are included because Ryan Bloom is a fan of the series.
- Big Bad: Bowser, as usual, is behind the kidnapping of Princess Peach, or so it seems, but he was actually framed by Count Dracula.
- Bonus Level: There are three, accessed by modifying the date setting on your computer before playing the game. See Holiday Mode further down for details.
- Foreshadowing: Players familiar with Castlevania may recognize the strange gargoyle at the beginning as the Recurring Boss Gaibon, hinting at things to come such as the identity of the true Big Bad.
- Gainax Ending: Complete Stage 7 or Stage 8 as Luigi, and you'll get treated to one of these, replacing the ending Mario would have gotten with a Shout-Out from out of left field. Beat Giga Bowser, and Doc Brown crashes the scene, leaving Dracula-as-Peach in the dust. Beat Dracula, and the resulting explosion somehow teleports Luigi to the Death Egg, which Luigi evacuates and is caught by Mario, only to wake up and complain of Able Juice-induced delusions.
- Holiday Mode: This is how you access the secret levels, including the true final stage. Play on December 25 to access two Christmas-themed levels. Play on April 1 to access the Green Hill Zone, with a boss fight against (Metal) Sonic at the end. Play on October 31 and clear the main 7 stages to reach Stage 8, Castlevania, as well as a recreation of Level 1-1 and confront Count Dracula to really rescue Princess Peach.
- Nostalgia Level: Just before the fight with Dracula, Mario enters the original 1-1 from the original game, with all the secrets intact.
According to the commentary, this is because Dracula created this illusion to put Mario into a false sense of security. - Not Me This Time: Bowser did not kidnap Princess Peach this time around. For some reason, her true captor, Count Dracula, is hiding out in Bowser's Castle to taunt Mario after Bowser's defeat, then leave Mario frustrated and empty-handed.
- Optional Boss: Sonic the Hedgehog note takes this role in the Green Hill Zone, which is accessed by starting up the game with your computer's date set to April 1.
- Rise to the Challenge: The first portion of Stage 8 involves climbing a tower and being chased by rising lava. An extremely simplistic variant was also cut from the start of Stage 7.
- Sequential Boss: Bowser is fought in two phases: first as normal Bowser, then as Giga Bowser. In the true final level, Count Dracula is a three-stage fight; he initially fights in his default form, then shifts to the guise of Gaibon, and finally transforms into the familiar Dracula's Ghost form from Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.
- True Final Boss: Dracula takes the role in this game. (The Gaibon that kidnapped Princess Peach in the intro sequence was really Dracula himself.)
- Wall Jump: The game is actually built around them, according to Bloom himself.
- Wave-Motion Gun: One of Dracula's Breath Weapons in his second phase is essentially this. He's left wide open during its charge time, but you do not want to be in the way when it goes off!
- Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: The Trope Namer is referenced verbatim in the false ending, in which "Princess Peach" turns out to be Count Dracula in disguise.
