Despite coming from games with simple plots, theSuper Mariocast has evolved into one of the iconic ensembles in gaming. The titular plumber is far from the sole defining aspect of his franchise.ManySuper Mariocharactersrepresent Nintendo as a whole, andMariospin-offs take advantage of the main series’ arsenal of characters to give players control over supporting protagonists and foes alike. Petey Piranha is one of those characters.
One of the major characters introduced inSuper Mario Sunshinealongside Bowser Jr. and Toadsworth, Petey Piranha became a mainstay in the GameCube era ofSuper Mariospin-offs. This remained fairly consistent in the Wii era, but after that Petey vanished from rosters, only becoming playable again inMario Tennis Aces. Since recentMariospin-offs and sports games seem to want to recapture the charm of the Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Wii games, they should also keep Petey a mainstay.
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Why Petey Piranha Matters
Petey is a glorified version of a long-established Mushroom Kingdom species. Just like howKing Boois the leader of his species, Petey’s status as a mutated Piranha Plant makes him a de facto representative of his kind. Petey is also one of the few antagonists in his debut game to be encountered more than once, making a bigger impression on the player in the process.
As soon as theMariospin-offs started their life on the GameCube withMario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Petey joined the ranks of playable characters alongside fellowSunshinealumni Bowser Jr. and Shadow Mario, with the latter never being playable again followingToadstool Tour. An established role was created for Petey Piranha in the GameCubeMariospin-offs as an unlockable character, and his stats would consistently depict him as more powerful and slower than Bowser. This is the case in his playable appearances inMario Power Tennis,Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, andMario Superstar Baseball.
The Wii era would continue this trend to a certain extent. Petey is one of the twoDouble Dashcharacters, alongside Paratroopa, to be cut forMario Kart Wii, and he was available at the start inMario Super Sluggersjust like every other character returning fromSuperstar Baseball. However, his playable appearance inMario Strikers Chargedrepresents what his previous playable roles led to.
The champion of the infamously tough Striker Cup, Petey is one of the bulkiest characters in the game, and its last unlockable character. The difficulty spike makes unlocking him a satisfying achievement, and obtaining him is the game’s equivalent to 100 percent completion. Additionally, Petey’s galactic counterparts like Dino Piranha, and his status as a boss inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl,proved that he was popular enough to become a majorMariocharacter that spin-offs integrated intothe main cast like Rosalinaand Daisy.
Between the release ofSuper SluggersandTennis Aces, Petey Piranha was little more than a boss. What used to be a spin-off mainstay became neglected by the direction of these new games. Petey’s inclusion inTennis Acesis a step in the right direction, and the existence ofMario Strikers: Battle Leagueimplies that his regular playable roles could make a return. TheMariospin-offs are appealing because they allow players to appreciate side characters and enemies in a way the main series could never achieve, and that should continue to be the case.
Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguereleases on June 30, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
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