Wow! Waluigi

'''Wow! Waluigi''' is a canceled game for the Nintendo DS meant to go along with Super Mario 64 DS. The game centers around Waluigi, being the first game he’d ever be the main protagonist in if it was released. Notably, it would have been tied to SM64DS by using an unreleased application to perform a process similar to Stop N’ Swop, unlocking Waluigi in SM64DS via the Piranha Pit where Waluigi'd be unlocked. The game is in a relatively finished state, making it’s cancellation somewhat confusing.

Story
The story revolves around Waluigi who discovers a pair of magic gloves fittingly named the Magic Gloves, which are used to collect 10 artifacts named the Dazzling Diamonds, so that Waluigi can get a wish granted by them. Around halfway through the game, he confronts Wario, who is also trying to collect them, before they team up. In the final level of the game, upon beating the final boss, the 10 Dazzling Diamonds summon Warupichi, who asks them for their wish. Waluigi shoves Wario away and wishes for infinite riches. Warupichi decides to punish them by forcing them to fight the Dazzling Demon. Upon Waluigi and Wario teaming up to defeat the Dazzling Demon, they both wish at the same time for infinite wishes, and their wish is granted.

Mechanics
Wow! Waluigi had several unique mechanics planned. Below is a list of all of them that were implemented and/or known about.


 * The primary mechanic of the game was Waluigi’s Magic Gloves, that would transform based on shapes drawn with the stylus gradually unlocked throughout the game, in a similar manner to Wario: Master of Disguise. They are unlocked upon completing a level, with the hammer being the exception, as it is unlocked midway through the first level. The first ability is the hammer, used to smash rocks and similar objects. The second ability is the tennis racket, which allows the player to ride ziplines, knock projectiles back at enemies or objects, and ride on ziplines. The third ability is the big fists, which offer a stronger attack and can also break blocks. The fourth ability is the screwdriver, which can be used to unscrew certain objects. The fifth ability is the drill, which is a combination of the hammer’s ability to break blocks and the screwdriver’s ability to unscrew objects. The sixth ability is the slingshot, which fires a projectile that can be used to hit far away enemies and objects. The seventh ability is the paint brush, which is used to paint certain objects. The eighth ability is the whip, which can be used to grab and pull around projectiles and enemies. The ninth ability is the umbrella, which allows for slower falling. The final ability is the magic staff, which shoots projectiles that can activate switches and break most blocks. There are 2 unused abilities that can only be speculated about, however: Scissors, likely meant to cut through objects, and a sword, likely an upgrade of the scissors that would have appeared in a more combat-oriented level.
 * Wario is unlocked as a playable character after clearing Obsidian Ocean, and has unique abilities. They can shoulder-bash like his appearances in the Wario Land series, which can break objects you’d typically require the hammer for, walk underwater instead of swimming, and pull down objects from the ceiling with their weight. However, they walk slower and don’t jump as high as Waluigi, and cannot make use of the Magic Gloves.
 * Like Wario, Waluigi also has his own unique abilities. He can run faster and jump higher than Wario, can use the Magic Gloves, can swim, kick, charge a sprint, crawl into small spaces, and sneak to avoid certain enemies or obstacles.
 * A third playable character can be unlocked via pairing Wow! Waluigi with Super Mario 64 DS named Warupichi, an unused variant of Princess Peach from Mario Tennis, who appears in the ending of the game. They have the abilities of the Magic Gloves, which instead appear as separate objects with the crystalline texture of the Dazzling Diamonds, and can use the umbrella to pull down objects similarly to Wario. They also have Waluigi’s special abilities, including swimming, and aren’t as fast as Waluigi but still faster than Wario. They can jump as high as Waluigi, though.
 * There is a multiplayer feature upon unlocking Wario and/or Warupichi that allows for up to 3 people to play as each character respectively. Multiplayer is forced in the final boss fight, with a bot replacing Wario if they are not being played.
 * Tennis matches can be played upon unlocking the tennis racket. They are typically played against Angry Guys, or the shopkeepers. However, there are unused tennis match sequences against all 11 bosses, including Wario. Waluigi is the only one who can play tennis matches.
 * Tokens are found throughout the game, and are the main currency. They change appearance depending on the player character. If you are playing as Waluigi, they will appear purple with a yellow upside-down L in the middle. If you are playing as Wario, they will appear yellow with a purple W. If you are playing as Warupichi, they will appear pink with a purple upside-down P. There are also red tokens that give 5 tokens instead of one, but do not unlock anything special like their Super Mario 64 DS counterparts. They can be used inside of the shops.
 * Several shops can be found throughout the overworld as you progress. They typically sell power-ups immediately activated upon entering a level, Crazy Caps, and upgrades for the Magic Glove abilities. In the final shop of the game, you can unlock permanent versions of some power-ups, particularly the Speedy Shoes, Springy Shoes, Power Pill, Fire Flower, Ice Flower, and the Crazy Caps.
 * There are several power-ups found throughout Wow! Waluigi. The main one you’ll come across is the Swap-Shroom, appearing in level 6 and beyond, allowing the player to switch between Waluigi and Wario if in singleplayer, and Warupichi if they are unlocked. Other power-ups include the Super Star, which gives the player invincibility similar to Stars in other games of the Super Mario Bros. franchise, the Speedy Shoes which increase your speed, the Springy Shoes which increase your jump height, the Big Bob-omb which explodes every enemy and breakable object on screen, the Power Pill which increases your attack, the Fire Flower which allows the player to throw fireballs that can melt ice cubes and light torches, the Ice Flower which allows the player to throw ice balls that can put out flames, freeze lava and water, and the Crazy Caps, a collection of 4 caps that all have unique abilities.
 * The Crazy Caps are a unique set of power-ups that seem to resemble the cap power-ups from Super Mario 64, as well as the Power Flower abilities in SM64DS. The first Crazy Cap is the Shadow Cap, which indefinitely puts the player in sneak mode, allowing them to pass through enemies and obstacles, interact with objects only seen as shadows, as well as pass through translucent objects, in a similar manner to the Vanish Cap. The Balloon Cap allows the player to float into the air, similarly to Mario’s Power Flower ability in Super Mario 64 DS. The Flash Cap emits light, allowing the player to see in the dark and also get rid of pitch black obstacles. The final Crazy Cap is the Warp Cap, which allows the player to teleport anywhere on the screen by tapping with the stylus.
 * Upon completing the game, the player can activate the Challenge Mode, a harder version of the game with less power-ups, altered maps, and more and stronger enemies. This is similar to other game modes seen in Nintendo games such as the Hard Mode in the original Super Mario Bros. game.

Enemies & Bosses
This list of includes enemies and bosses that are either unfinished or unimplemented entirely, meaning there is likely going to be some theorizing on what they do. If a variant of an enemy is noted to appear without their regular counterpart, this likely means the regular counterpart is an entirely scrapped enemy, not even appearing in the game’s files.


 * Goombas: The most common enemy in the game. They walk around aimlessly, until seeing the player, who they will charge at. They can be defeated by being jumped on, or with any attack. They have a purple variant that takes 2 hits to defeat, and a dark variant that cannot be jumped on.
 * Bob-ombs: Another common enemy. They act similarly to the Goomba, wandering aimlessly until seeing the player, but they will explode on contact unless an Ice Flower is used to defuse them. However, they can be picked up and thrown at certain objects to blow them up. They are used as a substitute for the hammer in Crazy Cavern before it is unlocked.
 * Swoops: They hang on the ceiling, and swing down to attack the player when they draw near, before going back up to the ceiling after their attack.
 * Lil’ Rockies: Enemies similar to Clefts from the Paper Mario series. Walking rocks with faces. They have to be hit with the hammer, big fists, drill, or a Bob-omb to be defeated. They have a big variant that takes 3 hits to defeat, and a snow variant named Lil’ Snowies that can be defeated by being jumped on or with the use of the Fire Flower.
 * Angry Guy: A human enemy that attempts to punch the player. They take 2 hits to defeat, and can be hit with any attack.
 * Rocky Wrenches: Another relatively common enemy that notably appears despite the fact regular Monty Moles are not present. They pop up from holes in the ground, and throw wrenches at the player. They can be defeated by being hit with a ranged projectile, and will hide if the player draws near or a Bob-omb is thrown at them.
 * Boos: Boos act the same way as they do in most other Mario games, flying towards the player unless looked at. They cannot be defeated unless the Super Star or Flash Cap is used, and will run away if torches are lit with the Fire Flower.
 * Spookies: Unique spider enemies that crawl on the walls. If the player runs into them, they will be dragged away and take damage before being dropped to where they once were. They cannot be defeated, though will run away if torches are lit or the Flash Cap is used.
 * Bloopers: Another enemy that acts the same as they do in other games, floating around in the water and damaging the player on contact. Their land variant from Super Mario Sunshine also appears in ice cubes in Cold Crevasse, and upon being freed, wander aimlessly and shoot ink at the player if they are seen. This ink does not damage the player, but does temporarily obscure their screen, and must be shaken off with the stylus or running around.
 * Cheep Cheeps: Common fish enemies that wander around in the water, damaging players on contact. Notably use the exact same behavior as Bloopers.
 * Obsidios: Totems made out of obsidian with red eyes on the top part of the totem next to a large tube that shoot projectiles at the player. They can be hammered into the ground using the hammer or big fists, and can be destroyed by using a Bob-omb or drill. They have an ice variant that can be melted with the Fire Flower, but otherwise has the exact same behaviors as it’s regular variant.
 * Lava Bubbles: Lava Bubbles function identically to their appearances in other games, simply jumping out of the lava and damaging the player on contact. They have an ice variant that jumps out of freezing water.
 * Mr. Blizzards:  Snowmen that appear in the background of the level, throwing snowballs at the player that damage them upon impact. Cannot be destroyed due to their placement.
 * Greyans: Gray scribbles that float around aimlessly, damaging the player upon contact. They can only be defeated by using the paint brush.
 * Crazy Cars: Cars being driven by Angry Guys that damage the player upon impact. They can only be destroyed with Big Bob-ombs or the Super Star, but can be damaged with other weapons such as the hammer and big fists, which slow them down.
 * Big Swoop: The boss of Crazy Cavern. They fly around the room and swoop down at the player, who can jump up and hit them in the head with their hammer. They require 3 hits to defeat, and drop a Dazzling Diamond.
 * Very Angry Guy: A larger Angry Guy who is red in the face and very muscular. They can only be hit from behind, but can be damaged with any attack at their weak spot. They require 5 hits to defeat. Instead of dropping a Dazzling Diamond directly, it can be found in a safe they drop that has to be destroyed with the hammer.
 * Mega Rocky: An even larger Big Rocky that functions identically, the only difference being that they deal more damage. They require 5 hits from the hammer or big fists to defeat, and shatter into a Dazzling Diamond upon defeat.
 * Big Boo: A large Boo that cannot be defeated. Notably, this boss is a chase sequence, following the player throughout the arena until they find a light switch that turns on all the lights in Scary Shelter, scaring off the Big Boo, who drops a Dazzling Diamond. Due to their nature as a chase sequence, they share a unique boss theme with the Terror Truck.
 * Wario: When fought, they function identically to their playable counterpart, though attacks Waluigi instead of helping them. They can be damaged with any attack unless they are shoulder bashing, which gives them temporary invincibility in this fight. They take 5 hits to defeat, and give Waluigi a Dazzling Diamond upon defeat. They are also unlocked as a playable character after this. Notably, they have an entirely unique boss theme.
 * Snow Spike: Despite regular Spikes not appearing in Wow! Waluigi, a Snow Spike appears in Freezing Fields. They appear on top of a large mountain, throwing snowballs at the player that can be destroyed with most attacks. Upon being reached, they run away, but only take 1 hit to defeat. They drop a Dazzling Diamond upon running away, however, so attacking them is optional.
 * Doomba: A large pitch black Goomba. They must be painted multiple times with the paint brush to reveal their true form, which has to be jumped on 5 times to defeat them. They drop a black Dazzling Diamond upon defeat that must be painted to be collected.
 * Gooper Blooper: Similarly to the Land Bloopers, the Gooper Blooper can be found in a massive ice cube in Cold Crevasse, frozen alongside the Dazzling Diamond. Upon the ice being melted, they grab the diamond and attack the player. They stay in the background and swing at the player with their tentacles. The tentacles can be stunned with any attack, but the player must use the whip to drop an ice block onto them to actually damage them. This must be repeated twice on all 4 tentacles, giving this boss 8 hit points. They drop the Dazzling Diamond upon defeat. It has been speculated that if Obsidian Ocean was initially split into 2 different levels, the Gooper Blooper was planned to be the boss of the water segment, before being moved to Cold Crevasse.
 * Terror Truck: Towards the end of Rainy Roads, the Terror Truck, being driven by the Very Angry Guy, starts to chase the player. This is a chase sequence, similarly to the Big Boo. At the end, the player has to use the umbrella to float off of the road as the Terror Truck crashes to the ground below. The Dazzling Diamond is found in the area after this.
 * Dazzling Destroyer: The penultimate boss of the game, a floating orb with 3 purple spheres and a Dazzling Diamond inside of it. It can shapeshift into all the other bosses in the game except for Wario, the Dazzling Demon and the chase sequence bosses, making it similar to a boss rush. It can also attack the player in it’s regular form, bouncing around the arena. It takes 3 hits to defeat after it has gone through all the other boss forms. It drops the game’s final Dazzling Diamond, disintegrating upon defeat. It shares a boss theme with the other regular bosses in the game, signaling that it is not actually the true final boss.
 * Dazzling Demon: The final boss of Wow! Waluigi, a large demon-like figure with red eyes that is covered in a crystalline texture similar to that of the Dazzling Diamonds. They borrow attacks from all other bosses in the game and can even imitate a brief chase sequence. This fight forces multiplayer into the game, replacing Wario with an AI if a second player is not present. To defeat the Dazzling Demon, Wario has to shoulder bash them to stun them, allowing Waluigi to attack them. This must be done 10 times to defeat them. Instead of dropping a Dazzling Diamond, they warp the players back to Sacred Sanctuary, initiating the ending sequence.
 * Mad Piano: An entirely unused enemy that likely would have appeared in Scary Shelter. It is fully functional, appearing like a normal piano before attacking the player when they draw too close. They cannot be destroyed. It has been speculated this might have been an unused boss fight, or would have been in an early version of Scary Shelter that had specific rooms like Big Boo’s Haunt instead of resembling Super Mario World’s Ghost Houses. Notably, they appear in the unused PIANOTEST level.
 * Rabbits: Rabbits can be found throughout the overworld, typically carrying tokens of some kind, though one can be found holding the key to the next level before Rainy Roads. Once caught, they drop their item and run away. These are notable as they are the only enemy in the overworld, and seem to tie in to the Rabbit King mentioned on the Purple Prizes image, a notorious magazine scan that details how to unlock Waluigi in Super Mario 64 DS. A Purple Rabbit can also be found, resembling a supposed Rabbit that could be found in Super Mario 64 DS seen inside of the game’s manual that is also associated with Waluigi.
 * Pokeys: Despite never appearing in the game, Pokeys are found relatively fully functional in the files of the game, moving around aimlessly and damaging the player upon contact. This is likely part of the unused desert level.
 * Mini-Bosses?: Several enemies, such as the Obsidios and Spookies, have larger versions of their models found in the files of Wow! Waluigi. This could mean that they were originally going to have boss fights in their own levels, or that mini-bosses were at some point planned. This could also explain the Mad Piano’s presence in the game.

Levels & Areas
Similarly to the enemy segment, this will include mentions of unused content that can only be speculated about. Take said theories with a grain of salt.


 * Overworld: A grassy plains area with several rocky walls around it, with several holes carved into them serving as pathways to the game’s 10 levels. This is the only 3D area in the whole game, as the other areas are all 2D. It contains all of the shops in the game as well. It mainly consists of several pathways requiring the Magic Glove abilities to pass through, and small obstacle courses to obtain tokens or keys to unlock gates to certain areas. This is also the only area where Rabbits can be found.
 * Crazy Cavern: The first level of the game, a dark cavern filled with Goombas, Bob-ombs, Swoops, and Lil’ Rockies. This is also the only level of the game where you don’t have the Magic Gloves for any period of time, excluding the overworld. This level’s main obstacles are rocks that have to be broken with Bob-ombs or the hammer ability. Halfway through the level, a chest containing the Magic Gloves can be found, unlocking the hammer. This level’s boss is the Big Swoop, and unlocks the Tennis Racket upon being cleared.
 * Tennis Town: The second level of the game, a town filled with Angry Guys, Goombas and Rocky Wrenches. The primary ability used in this level is the tennis racket, and also contains tennis matches. This level’s boss is the Very Angry Guy, and unlocks the big fists upon being cleared.
 * Rocky Ridge: The third level of the game, a rocky area resembling the Grand Canyon. It is mainly made up of both Lil’ Rockies and Big Rockies, but it also has Bob-ombs and Rocky Wrenches. The primary ability used is the big fists, but the hammer and Bob-ombs are also used. This level’s boss is the Mega Rocky, which unlocks the screwdriver upon defeat.
 * Scary Shelter: The fourth level of the game, a haunted house resembling those seen in Super Mario World and Big Boo's Haunt, fittingly filled with Boos, as well as Spookies, Swoops and Purple Goombas, and likely the Mad Piano before it went unused. This level’s main mechanic, besides for unscrewing doors to get through them, is using the Fire Flower to light torches to scare off enemies, as well as using both the Shadow Cap and Flash Cap. This level’s boss is the Big Boo, and escaping it unlocks the drill.
 * Obsidian Ocean: The fifth level of the game, split into two segments, potentially originally meant to be 2 separate levels before being merged together. The first area is an ocean level, with Cheep Cheeps and Blooper. The second half is a volcano in the middle of the ocean, having made large amounts of obsidian at this area, hence the name. It is filled with Obsidios and Lava Bubbles, and uses the Ice Flower to freeze the lava, as well as the drill to get through obsidian. Notably, in the background, you can see Wario traversing this part of the level as well. Upon reaching the end, there is a cutscene where Wario appears and argues with Waluigi over who gets the Dazzling Diamond they just found, resulting in the boss fight with Wario. Beating this level unlocks the slingshot, as well as Wario as a playable character.
 * Freezing Fields: The sixth level of the game, and one of two ice levels. It’s mainly made up of Mr. Blizzards, Lil’ Snowies, and Ice Bubbles. It mainly uses the slingshot ability to hit snowballs into holes to pass, as well as the Fire Flower to melt snow and ice, as well as most of the enemies. The level’s boss is the Snow Spike, and defeating them unlocks the paint brush.
 * Monochrome Meadow: The seventh level of the game, a large grayscale, relatively flat grassy region. As you would guess, the paint brush is heavily used here to paint the environment, including objects required to progress you originally couldn’t interact with, as well as the enemies. The enemies are all monochrome, being Goombas, Bob-ombs, Rocky Wrenches, and Greyans. This level’s boss is the Doomba, and clearing it unlocks the whip.
 * Cold Crevasse: The eighth level of the game and not to be confused with Cold, Cold Crevasse, Cold Crevasse is a large icy canyon presumably located near Freezing Fields. The enemies found here are Lil’ Snowies, Mr. Blizzards, Ice Bubbles, Frozen Obsidios, and Land Bloopers, who are only found in ice cubes that are typically required to be broken or melted to progress, releasing the enemies. The level primarily uses the whip to grab ice blocks, though the Fire Flower is also prevalent. The level’s boss is the Gooper Blooper, and defeating them unlocks the umbrella.
 * Rainy Roads: The penultimate level of the game, Rainy Roads is a large stack interchange, or collection of roads suspended into the air, in the middle of a heavy rainstorm. The level’s enemies are Goombas, Angry Guys, Crazy Cars, and Bloopers, who notably float around as if it was a water level due to the amount of rain. This level uses the umbrella to jump between the roads, as well as block the rain and Bloopers off of the player. The level’s boss is the Terror Truck, and upon escaping it the magic staff is acquired.
 * Sacred Sanctuary: The final level of the game, Sacred Sanctuary is a large underground temple built out of gold, with several jewels decorating the premises. It is filled with several segments resembling previous levels, and every enemy excluding Rabbits, Pokeys, the Mad Piano and bosses can be found in this level due to these segments. It primarily uses the magic staff, but it also makes use of every other ability and power-up, including Wario’s abilities. This level’s boss is the Dazzling Destroyer, which upon defeat drops the final Dazzling Diamond and begins the cutscene before the player is sent to Dazzling Disaster.
 * Dazzling Disaster: The arena of the final boss, Dazzling Disaster is a large gray void, potentially unfinished and/or untextured, where the Dazzling Demon is fought. Upon defeating the Dazzling Demon, the player is sent back to Sacred Sanctuary for the ending. Some out of bounds objects in Dazzling Disaster indicates it may have originally been a full level before being downgraded.
 * SM64DS Level: This level is unlocked alongside Warupichi upon linking the game to Super Mario 64 DS, having no name, instead being referred to as “placeholder.” It’s a level based on Super Mario 64 DS, though is not a specific course, instead being a mix of several levels such as Bob-omb Battlefield, Whomp’s Fortress, and Rainbow Ride, ending in Bowser in the Dark World. This level only has enemies that were also seen in Super Mario 64 DS, including Goombas, Bob-ombs, Boos, Mr. Blizzards, Pokeys, and oddly enough Bloopers, potentially due to them being unused enemies from Super Mario 64. Notably, upon reaching the end of the level, the player can hear Bowser’s laugh before the game crashes, and upon inspecting the files, the laugh audio is the only remnant of Bowser in the game, making it impossible to fight them.

The following are all unused levels.


 * CRAPIBROKEIT: A level file that is unable to be loaded. If it is loaded, the game will crash. The level data is broken, and even in a different file format, potentially from an earlier version of the game.
 * GRASSTEST: A flat grassy plain with only a single Goomba. As the name would suggest, it appears to be a test level.
 * PIANOTEST: A seemingly scrapped version of Scary Shelter that includes the Mad Piano, as well as unique note blocks. The Mad Piano will play notes, and the player has to use the note blocks to remake the tune, or else the Mad Piano will become violent. This happens 5 times before the game crashes, presumably trying to load a nonexistent cutscene or sequence.
 * Misc.: A collection of references to potential unused levels have been found that aren’t named, such as the unused Magic Glove abilities, though only one level has been positively identified, a desert level, due to several cactuses being found in the game’s files, as well as palm trees and even Pokeys, who never appear anywhere except the Super Mario 64 DS level.

Cancellation & Rediscovery
Wow! Waluigi was revealed alongside the Nintendo DS at E3 2004, advertised as revolutionizing the game industry, likely due to the application connecting it to Super Mario 64 DS. However, it was silently canceled, and most of the public forgot about it. However, a group of teenagers, investigating the former house of a Nintendo employee in 2013, found the ROM for Wow! Waluigi, as well as a peripheral tied to the application used to link W!W and SM64DS, and documents saying that Super Mario 64 DS’ Personalization A.I. would leak into W!W during the linking, causing Wow! Waluigi to become incredibly unstable, resulting in the game’s ultimate cancellation, though Waluigi’s nature as an obscure character and sidekick to Wario may have also contributed. Around 2017, a wiki dedicated to Wow! Waluigi created by a friend of one of the original teens who found Wow! Waluigi was created, and briefly before it mysteriously disappeared off the face of the internet, it was said that those who found the game went missing, potentially due to Nintendo Ninjas. However, even after the wiki’s deletion, the ROM continued to be passed around, with no official information on any major websites yet to surface, likely due to Nintendo suppressing it.

Trivia

 * The game’s main menu theme and primary motif appears to be a prototype version of Waluigi Pinball’s song. Waluigi Pinball reusing this song was likely a nod to the game’s cancellation.
 * The inclusion of tennis matches and the tennis racket was likely a nod to Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64, where Waluigi first debuted.
 * Textures seemingly belonging to Princess Peach were found in Warupichi’s files, likely meaning they were either used as a placeholder or for whatever reason Princess Peach was going to be included in the game.
 * In the same house where Wow! Waluigi was discovered, the Special 64 was also located, as well as several of the peripherals and tech demos attached to it. Notably, this was the only other canceled Nintendo product of any kind in the house.
 * Warupichi in Wow! Waluigi is never actually named, instead being referred to as "the Dazzling Princess." Warupichi was a name given to them by those who have played Wow! Waluigi due to their similarities to the unused character from Mario Tennis.