We all know that feeling; you’ve booked a holiday and are laid in bed looking forward to the sounds of the ocean and getting some sun on your skin, then you suddenly bolt upright and rush to check whether your passport is in date or not. 99% of the time it is, but when you live in a video game world, things aren’t always the same as in real life.
Toadsworth travelled to Isle Delfino with Mario and Peach to star in Super Mario Sunshine 22 years ago, and he’s still there now. “I filled out all of my work visas and did everything above board,” said Toadsworth, who despite being angry about the situation looked incredibly comfortable sitting on a sun lounger in the shade of a nearby palm tree, ‘I haven’t been back home for over two decades, and while the Pianta people have been as accommodating as they can, if they call me a ‘fun-guy’ or a ‘spore-loser’ one more time I think I might whack someone with my cane!’
Toadsworth had the mandatory 8 months left on his passport when he ventured to Isle Delfino, but because of Pianta law, he needed a full 2 years free for his passport to be valid. By the time the Mushroom Kingdom sorted out the debacle, what with Peach continually getting captured by Bowser, his passport had also expired back home too. With no party wanting to budge on their laws and no one really knowing what to do, poor Toadsworth has been forgotten, left to live out his life on a tropical island with only brief visits from Princess Peach when she and Bowser happen to be passing.
‘I’ve reached out to Nintendo to see if they can help,’ said Toadsworth, wiping the sweat from his brow, ‘but I’ve heard nothing back yet. Everyone thinks I’m fine because of the Paper Mario remake on Switch… you don’t think that they’ve just given up on me and will keep remastering me from now on do you… DO YOU?’
Toadsworth ran off to find the nearest payphone which nicely concluded our interview. I don’t know whether he’ll ever get through to Nintendo or get back home now that Ninty has moved on to pushing newer, younger characters, but hopefully, when Peach has a spare minute, she can push a few buttons and get the old boy home and back to his own bed. I know there’s not mush-room left in her castle, but I’m sure she can make space for this Delfino porto-bello, sun-soaking legend.
