Joystiq [Nintendo]

Stretch

Stretch is the grotesquely contorted rendition of Boo that resides exclusively in the fortresses of Super Mario Bros. 3. Whether Boo grew weary of his usual form as a bashful, back-stabbing apparition or whether he felt compelled to demonstrate his incredible elasticity by enveloping a slab of suspended concrete is uncertain. It definitely looks uncomfortable, though, and given that Boo never again returned to such an athletic pose, a reasonable conjecture is that he sustained some kind of teeth-clenching hamstring strain and ended up addicted to pain pills just to get through so many sleepless nights of agonizing muscle pain.

Yeah, who's cackling now, Boo?

Aside from revolving around a block and occasionally emerging from unpredictable places, Stretch Boo is almost completely sedentary and about as useless as a single Thwomp. Even the standard Goomba can waddle about and confront Mario, even if in an unthreatening manner. Was Boo put up to this by a drunken, disorderly Bowser who thought it would be amusing to videotape him in a horribly misshapen pose? Probably.

04/08/08