Our story begins with Princess Toadstool in Mario's garden one sunny morning, savoring a tranquil moment amid the fluttering butterflies while she waits for Mario to show up.
But the Princess has scarcely had tme to enjoy herself when a shadow darkens her view. It's not a rain cloud, but Bowser. Although the Princess has endlessly said no, nada, nyet, nix, forget it buddy, to Bowser, the King of the Koopas is determined to make the fair lass his. He swoops down in his Koopa-Kopter and whirlybirds her back to his gloomy castle!
"Help!" cries the princess, and quicker than you can say "spanner wrench" the world's bravest plumber leaps to her rescue. Having halted Bowser's amorous intentions many times in the past, Mario is not about to let Koopa get away with a Princess-napping ths time.
Bowser's whirlybird is too fast for Mario. Still clutching his precious cargo, he scrams over the parapet and pulls up the drawbridge.
Mario could knock and, when asked, reply: "It's the plumber. I've come to fix the kitchen sink." Time's a-wasting, though, so he decides to dispense with standard etiquette. Instead, he charges right in, and starts brawling with every Koopa in sight. A few roundhouse blows are enough to send the palace guards packing. Without hesitating, Mario charges into the throne room, dimly lit by candles in the chandeliers above.
Peering up through the gloom, Mario feels his heart leap into his throat when he sees the Princess dangling from a thin rope far above! From his perch on top of a nearby chandelier, Bowser has gone into full gloat. Mario wipes that smirk off Bowser's face by leaping onto another chandelier and putting up his dukes.
Helped by some timely hints from the Princess herself, Mario shatters the chain holding up Bowser's chandelier and sends him plummeting to the floor. It appears that the latest round in the ongoing Mario vs. Bowser feud, like everyone before it, will go to the mustachioed one.
Mario rushes to untie the Princess. But before he can reach her, a gigantic, unseen force hits with the violence of 100 burst pipes, tossing Mario clear of the castle! When Mario finally lands on distant Vista Hill, he turns around just in time to see a titanic sword plunge through the roof of Bowser's castle, as the earth trembles and giant lightning bolts race across the suddenly dark sky!
With a sneer that could cut granite, the imense intruder booms out a warning to all. The sword, who calls himself Smithy, vows world conquest! Questions rush into Mario's head. Who is this awesome alien? Can anyone resist his terrifying power? And what happened to the Princess? Mario is determined to find some answers. But he knows that he'll need all the help he can find!
