Trading tips for dark displays and prop production.
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By mesmark
#46754
maybe Mario this year ...

After really out doing ourselves with an Egyptian theme Halloween party and Medieval Halloween party, we're searching for a theme that we can pull off.

We might do Mario brothers. There are a couple humanoid character, Mario, Luigi, Wario and then little guys can be toads or some other cute characters.

The decorations seem simple enough, just blue background and some blocks and coin boxes on the wall. Also have some hanging coins about the place to jump and hit. It also seems like it would offer a bunch of unique game ideas ...

I have 40+ boxes from my pyramid game that I could put on the wall as blocks and coin boxes. Styrofoam coins seem the way to go :)

I still have to convince the Mrs.
Last edited by mesmark on Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#46755
My nostalgia for Super Mario Bros. is strong, so I support your idea. Sounds certainly doable, and you've already been planning in your head, I see. And if I may add, I'm all for another excuse to make a couple more Mario themed patterns. :)
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By mesmark
#46756
It's hard to come up with a recognizable (in Japan) theme for all of the pieces to come together. Costumes for 6, decorations, and games ...

One thought was Olympus and Greek gods and characters, but we have been kings and queens two times in a row ...

It's not Halloweeny at all, but the party is for kids and not adults. My only reservations is that it would seem like a birthday party. I guess I could play up the ghosts ... And other people will be dressed in Halloween flare ...

Maybe a vampire Mario? zombie Luigi?
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#46763
Mario games aren't really Halloweeny by nature (well there was that Luigi's Mansion game with lots of ghosts). But like you say, you could always just mix some classic Halloween themes with the Mario characters.

You might be sick of castles after doing your theme from a couple years ago, but castle elements do feel more like Halloween and they play a big part in the game series. That's where Bowser (or is he called Koopa in Japan?) lives, of course.

Visually, you could play up these castle creatures. Bowser/Koopa and his kin, who have that dragon turtle look. The Boo ghosts, and the Dry Bones turtles too. How about a memory game for the kids where they have to remember what's under turtle shells? ;)

Image
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By sodajazz
#46764
I too am fond of Mario :D and Mrs mesmark could always be Princess Peach, everyone could spend the night tring to find and rescue her :D
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By nosferatu
#47064
How about a dinosaur theme? A Tokyo backdrop, you in a Godzilla costume on the rampage, kids armed with Nerf guns or flour / blood balloons to bring you down.

Little sushi dinosaur eggs to eat. Dinosaur fossils and bones decoratng the place.

You could actually mutate into a dinosaur during the party
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By nosferatu
#47071
I recently went to a childrens party at a house where the kids all painted a huge piece of canvas with a pirate theme that had been drawn in charcoal.

Once it was complete, they went over the outline in Sharpie marker to neaten it up a bit and hung it on a washing line to act as a backdrop for a barbeque.

The kids loved doing it and were all really proud of their efforts.

You could incorpoarate something like that......if you don't mind the mess.
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By mesmark
#47791
Well, it looks like we've decided to go with ... Pokemon. It's had a little bit of a revival in the area these days. It's not any harder to do than Mario, but I have a little less knowledge about it. I'm going to have to start doing some homework.

We're headed to the Pokemon Center in Osaka next weekend :D

Pokemon will be the costume theme and I'll have a couple games related to that, but the big project is going to be a haunted house. This is our 10th Halloween party and so we're hoping to do it with a little style.

I'm going to take pieces from Halloween past: a graveyard scene, castle dungeon, Pyramid Tomb, and mix them together with some new stuff in a little walk through. That's the initial plan anyway ... Wish me luck!
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#47792
Glad to hear the update! I know very little about Pokemon so I can't be of much help, but I'm sure it will be a hit with your group. Looking forward to your updates. Only about 100 days to go, you know!
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By SaneInsideInsanity
#47826
gotta catch em all! Good luck mark can;t wait to see what you come up with