Royaume de Végésia : la terre de Superstar Saga

Vegetasia Kingdom: the land of Superstar Saga

1384 mots | Temps de lecture : 6 minute(s)

When Mario and Luigi leave the Mushroom Kingdom aboard Bowser's ship, they land in a completely new world: the Beanbean Kingdom. This is the backdrop for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (Game Boy Advance, 2003), the first installment in the RPG series developed by AlphaDream, and the first fully explorable neighboring kingdom outside of Peach's lands.

While the Mushroom Kingdom thrives on mushrooms, the Beanbean Kingdom revolves around beans, peas, and especially laughter: its locations, inhabitants, and treasures all draw from absurd, plant-based humor. Let's take a tour of this strange yet endearing land.

Summary

A Neighboring Kingdom to the Mushroom Kingdom

The Beanbean Kingdom shares its northeastern border with the Mushroom Kingdom: it is a sovereign nation, with its own queen, army, and culture. Its theme is no longer mushrooms but beans and peas, extending even to its place names.

The story begins when an emissary from the Beanbean Kingdom steals Princess Peach's voice, making it explosive. Mario, Luigi, and Bowser embark aboard the Koopa Cruiser to retrieve it, but mid-flight sabotage causes a crash at the border: the brothers are separated from Bowser and thrown right into the heart of the Beanbean Kingdom. The stage is set for the very first great adventure outside the Mushroom Kingdom.

A Geography Full of Humor

The Beanbean Kingdom offers a remarkable variety of landscapes for a Game Boy Advance game: arid mountains, dark forests, desert, and lagoons. The most notable locations include:

  • Beanbean Castle Town: the capital, bustling with inhabitants and shops, dominated by the royal castle.
  • Mount Cackletta: a rocky massif in the northwest, overlooking Hoohoo Village, the Mario brothers' first major stop.
  • Woohoo Woods: a dark forest in the southwest where fruits grow that are used to brew a famous soda.
  • Oho Oasis: a desert valley that was once a teeming seabed.
  • Guffawha University: the kingdom's prestigious university, dedicated to the study of laughter.

Additionally, there are more remote areas such as Joke's End, the Chateau de Chuckle, and the Chucklehuck Woods, a frozen palace at the very end of the adventure.

The Beanbean People, a Bean-Shaped Populace

The inhabitants of the kingdom, the Beanbean people, are creatures that resemble beans and peas: originating from the "Hoohoo Tribe," they play the role that Toads do in the Mushroom Kingdom. They can be seen strolling, running shops, or performing small favors for the plumber brothers.

This plant-based identity is found everywhere: the kingdom is "named after onomatopoeia of laughter," and one of its flagship products is Chuckle Soda, a beverage brewed from the fruits of the Woohoo Woods, at the Chuckle Beer factory located not far from the capital. Drinking and laughing are, literally, a matter of state in the Beanbean Kingdom.

Queen Bean and Prince Peasley

The Beanbean Kingdom is a monarchy ruled by Queen Bean, supported by her lady-in-waiting Lady Lima. She welcomes Mario and Luigi and supports their quest, before becoming a victim of a spell that distorts her appearance: freeing her is one of the great moments of the adventure.

Her son, Prince Peasley, is a blonde hero with a red cape and a small sword, as elegant as he is effective. Before the start of the game, he had been transformed into a monster and sealed in an egg at the top of a mountain in the kingdom. Once freed, he becomes a valuable ally, regularly appearing to lend a hand to the Mario brothers. The royal family of the Beanbean Kingdom alone embodies the kingdom's tone: noble, but always tinged with eccentricity.

The Beanstar, the Kingdom's Coveted Treasure

The great treasure of the Beanbean Kingdom is the Beanstar, a legendary artifact capable of granting wishes... provided it is awakened by a perfectly pure voice. This is precisely why Peach's voice was stolen: the game's antagonists intend to use it to manipulate the Beanstar and take control of the kingdom.

The plan turns to chaos when, in the basement of Guffawha University, the echoing voice so exasperates the Beanstar that it explodes through the ceiling, carrying Mario, Luigi, and the thief Popple before shattering into four pieces scattered across the Beanbean Kingdom. Recovering these shards then becomes one of the main objectives of the second half of the adventure, making the Beanstar the true beating heart of the kingdom's lore.

A Kingdom That Appears Only Once

A rare fact for a Mario location: the Beanbean Kingdom has only appeared in one game, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and its Nintendo 3DS remake Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (2017). The latter faithfully retells the story while adding a new mode, "Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser," centered on Bowser's troops.

This exclusivity contributes to the kingdom's cult status among fans: neither sequel nor return in later episodes, but a unique setting that launched the entire Mario & Luigi RPG series, itself the third major line of Mario RPGs after Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario. A plant-based one-shot that became unforgettable.

Fact Sheet

English Name Beanbean Kingdom
Type Neighboring kingdom to the Mushroom Kingdom
First Appearance Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003, GBA)
Remake Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (2017, 3DS)
Ruler Queen Bean (and Prince Peasley)
Iconic Treasure The Beanstar
Inhabitants Beanbean people (Hoohoo Tribe)

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FAQ

  • What is the Beanbean Kingdom?
    It's a kingdom neighboring the Mushroom Kingdom, themed around beans, peas, and laughter. It serves as the primary setting for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the first RPG in the Mario & Luigi series.
  • Who rules the Beanbean Kingdom?
    The kingdom is a monarchy governed by Queen Bean, assisted by her lady-in-waiting Lady Lima and her son, Prince Peasley, a recurring ally of Mario and Luigi.
  • What is the Beanstar?
    The Beanstar is the kingdom's legendary artifact: it grants wishes if awakened by a pure voice. This is the reason for Peach's voice being stolen in the game.
  • What are the notable locations in the Beanbean Kingdom?
    It includes Beanbean Castle Town (the capital), Mount Cackletta, Woohoo Woods, Oho Oasis, Guffawha University, as well as Joke's End, the Chateau de Chuckle, and the Chucklehuck Woods.
  • In which games does the Beanbean Kingdom appear?
    Only in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (Game Boy Advance, 2003) and its Nintendo 3DS remake, Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (2017). It has never reappeared elsewhere.

 

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