The roster of Mario Tennis Aces continues to grow as Nintendo adds in new characters on a monthly basis. The latest addition is none other than Pauline. The mayor of New Donk City made her grand reappearance by serving an important role in 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey but was first introduced more than 30 years ago as the damsel in distress that “Jumpman” has to save in the hit 1981 arcade title Donkey Kong. In turn, fans are feeling a certain type of way about Pauline, who has turned in her red business suit for a slim fitting tennis dress of the same color.
The overall reaction to Pauline’s more casual attire has been overwhelmingly positive. Fans all over the globe are talking about how much they love Pauline and how they want to see more of her. And I don’t just mean see her appear in other Nintendo games, although some are advocating for that as well. Many of the replies had social media users going horny on main as they didn’t care who knew that they wanted to smash the digital character.
— R.J. Stanton (@OniLink316) February 28, 2019
A common response to the announcement is that Pauline looks thicker than a bowl of oatmeal compared to previous appearances. “Why she look thicker in this game?” asked RSGabe, who is clearly a man who is unafraid to ask the important questions in life. “Not complaining and this is a good addition!” This was an observation also made by Ocelot550. They wrote, “The majority of comments are talking about how thicc pauline is and honestly, this comment is no different. HOLY SHIT SHE’S THICC AS HELL.”
— PLANTMAN (@ConnorD60546505) February 28, 2019
Over on YouTube, the comments are largely a disastrous danger zone, but there are some gems to be found. Dad asked the important questions. “Why does Pauline have the same bra size as the tennis ball?” Meanwhile, CarlosDude64 applied a tried but true meme to her debut trailer. “She protecc, she attacc, but most importantly she lookin’ like a snacc.” The Gamerguy chimed in by saying that “THICC has joined the roster.”
Other YouTubers are making a big deal over her special shot, which involves bringing in New Donk City into the tennis court in order to deliver a devastating shot. “Dear God… Pauline has the power to summon New Donk City,” wrote Nivram Az. WY477 H4RR15 made the hilarious point that she had been hiding her special abilities for too long. “You’d think these moves would have been useful when she was originally kidnapped by Donkey Kong,” wrote the user referencing her debut appearance. Nobody summed it up quite as well as Titus Richards, though. He wrote, “Pauline breaks zoning codes just to break someone’s racket with her special shot. Now that’s our mayor!”
Despite this marking the character’s playable debut, Pauline already had a small yet dedicated fanbase due to her handful of appearances over the years. The Twitter account We Are Pauline was founded in order to help boost the character’s popularity, in an effort to ensure that she would appear in more spin-off titles in the future. As one would expect, her appearance in Mario Tennis Aces is a huge boost for them. “Her special shot is amazing!” wrote the account. “It’s so beautiful to see her in action.”
However, the internet is a diverse place filled with a wide range of opinions. Some fans aren’t fans of the latest addition to Mario Tennis Aces. User rifasclub mockingly called her a “brunette Peach with lots and lots of botox.”
While fans are now drooling over Pauline, this has led to a rather serious war between Mario waifus. You’ve got the traditional Peach supporters, others that support the Luma-wielding Rosalina, and the rabid Daisy fans that show allegiance towards the Sarasaland princess no matter what. Of course, you’ve also got the people horny over Birdo, but the less said about them the better.
Many are even going as far to place the playable newcomer as the best girl in the waifu power rankings. On Twitter, conrdrew put Pauline on top with Peach coming in last place. Meanwhile, TheDrreadfulPie wasn’t buying into the hype. They placed Rosalina far ahead of the other girls and grouped the three other princesses in together with none of them differentiating themselves enough from the rest of the pack. One person that is sticking to their guns is Broken_Shroomz, who put Pauline at the top over Rosalina. “Sorry bros it’s the truth,” wrote the user. “Don’t flame me. Mario Tennis Aces convinced me enough. This was it.”
— Springday Autumnmoon (@HaruhiAkizuki) February 28, 2019
Twitter user CorvoRevo is putting his flag on Team Pauline, and gave some advice to Mario. “Why waste your time with that blondie princess?” asked the user. “She’s got the power, the curves and the voice. Pauline is the perfect match for you. Trust a friend.” The reveal of Mario’s original love interest has also led players to believe that Peach should be worried about losing her man and is should be trembling in fear. “Peach was always quaking,” explained Johntendo64. “She’s in last place.”
Meanwhile, other supporters are trying to find peace or at least form allegiances between fandoms. “Why do people feel the need to bash one lovely lady to support another?” asked SnowQuartz1, who evoked the spirit of the late Rodney King. “It makes no sense, Daisy and Pauline are both queens.” Another user trying to find unity is GavTheCat10, who came to Daisy’s defense while also propping the Mario Tennis newcomer up.”What the hell is your beef with Daisy, man?” wrote the waifu defender. “Pauline and Daisy are both beautiful. [There is] no need to be so mean.”
While I’m not sure that the waifu wars will ever end, there’s certainly a lot to like about Pauline’s inclusion here. Clearly, her design has struck a successful chord with fans and this should open the opportunity for the Super Mario Odyssey mayor to make more appearances in the future. As many suggested, Peach better watch out as Pauline is back and ready to reclaim her man.
