Happy Halloween - Top 5 Costumes in Games

Halloween beckons all things spooky and candy, and of course is just a fun excuse to dress up in a wide assortment of costumes.  In the spirit of this holiday (pun intended), here's a look at my personal Top 5 favorite costumes found in world of games.

-1- Mario 64 Cap and Suit (Super Mario Odyssey)

Super Mario Odyssey features a plethora of costumes to be unlocked, all of which celebrate Mario's long and rich history in the industry.  There is one costume in particular though that packs perhaps the greatest punch of nostalgia I've ever felt in gaming - That being the polygonal renderings of the Mario 64 cap and suit.  Perhaps in part due to the heavy influences of free-roaming 3D sandbox exploration that Super Mario 64 imparts on this game, or the secret kingdom found post-credits, but this costume felt right at home and was pure joy to leap and wall jump about in every nook and cranny of every world.

-2- Bunny Hood (Legend of Zelda / Smash Bros. series)

What started as a simple side quest for the Happy Mask salesman in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Bunny Hood has since become an iconic costume, more in thanks now to it's inclusion as a wearable item in the Super Smash Bros. series.  While wearing these pointy ears, players move with greater agility and jump to ridiculous heights, making this an accessory not only adorable to wear, but a zippy, hilarious joy as well.

-3- Tropical Wear (Super Mario Sunshine)

After earning 30 Shine Sprites in Super Mario Sunshine, Mario could dawn himself some sweet shades from this Isle Delfino vendor, which would actually darken the entire screen.  Considering how bright and blinding the island can get once you start racking up those Shine Sprites, this is actually very useful.  Once you beat the game, return to this vendor and he'll also sport you with this iconic Shine Sprite tropical shirt; The perfect getup to now enjoy your well-deserved vacation on a freshly cleaned paradise resort.

-4- Waluigi (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, players can find many a variety of badges to equip, granting various abilities / effects both in and out of battle.  Two such badges, the W Emblem and L Emblem, will change Mario's color scheme to look like that of Wario or Luigi respectively.  But what if you equip both at the same time?  Well, turns out your appearance then resembles Waluigi.  What a fun and clever secret to stumble upon.  WAH!

-5- Jammies (Shantae: Half-Genie Hero)

As part of a free new mode for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, players can enjoy a remixed storyline with Shantae in her jammies as she sets out to host "the ULTIMATE SLUMBER PARTY".  This new look also has some other fun little touches, such as her attacking with pillows rather than her typical hair whip, or using dream clouds to ascend through stages in new ways.  It's rather silly, but one can't deny its adorable charm and wit that it entails.


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There are certainly plenty of more cool costumes to be found in the gaming universe.  Any favorites of yours I neglected to list above?  Be sure to share in the comments below.  Enjoy your night of spooky delights.  And happy gaming!

BONUS: Mystery Mushrooms (Super Mario Maker)

Super Mario Maker is perhaps one of the greatest games ever for an overabundance of nostalgic and clever character costumes.  Covering the spectrum of almost every imaginable Nintendo game, players can grab an item known as the Mystery Mushroom to turn into a variety of 8-bit characters, many of which are being imagined into 8-bit for the first time.  Every character has unique intros, walk and jump animations, death and goal sound bits, poses, and more.  It really is astounding, and perhaps one of the best excuses to own Amiibos.  See the below video to view this plethora of characters and their many animations / sound effects.  The sound design add tremendous effect to the nostalgia and feels.  Let's hope Super Mario Maker for Switch isn't too far off in the foreseeable future.