This is Survivor: Yoshi’s Island. For this game, we picked up 18 people from all sides of Mario and Survivor fandom, gave them aliases, and placed them into the same game as nine pairs of loved ones. They would have to work together as a tribe, make decisions for challenges and tribal life, and vote each other out, all while keeping in mind the social politics caused by playing Survivor with their loved one.
I’ll be linking to the pre-game interviews right up here:
We’ve got a mixture of Redditors, Facebook ORGers, and even two people from Runouw.com, the casting host of my first season: one person who missed the applications of season 1, and a pre-merger from that season returning.
Here’s our cast:
Mario (brazeltable) and Luigi (KeepCalmAndHodorOn)
Peach (Robert_Meowney_Jr) and Daisy (Brittany Norsworthy)
Yoshi (ReDocter17) and Birdo (Blacramento)
Wario (thenavneet) and Waluigi (Star king)
Diddy Kong (lemmylime) and Dixie Kong (MegaR)
Toad (dabus408) and Toadette (sareptile)
Rosalina (typicallyaman) and Polari (Dylan Turner)
Bowser (FitK3vin) and Wendy (Shannon Motherhen)
Timpani (crazysteve) and Blumiere (Andreas O’Ranger)
Hosts:
Brighton (TheNobullman/Cameron) and Twila (DabuSurvivor)
These eighteen people have no idea who they are playing against, only that one person will be the closest thing to an ally they start with all game. They’ll work to build an online society with people who could be complete strangers. They must learn to adapt to be voted out. At the end, only one will win the game via the vote of seven jurors they have a hand in removing from the game.
The game has begun.
Spoilers in Summary!
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Episode 1 Part 1: “Would You Like To See Some Chaos? Here You Go.”
Kickoff Challenge: Is this Real Survivor, or is This Just Fantasy?
Summary: Coinciding with the premiere of Survivor: San Juan Del Sur, people will bet on who they think will do the best. Using Jeff Garst’s scoring system to judge their performances, the team with the highest score wins.
Kickoff Challenge Reward: Individual Immunity for Both Teams
Winners: Peach and Daisy (Team Royalty)
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Jaclyn Schultz, soon to be Jaclyn Misch, once said that having someone you know you can trust in this game is everything. Survivor at its core is all about trying to find the balance of building a lasting social community and then tearing it apart for one’s own selfish advancement. Trust is a luxury, not a right, and it has to be earned. However, Blood vs Water eschews that by having the element of each player starting off with one loved one in the game. Since both are working for the same goals to some extent, usually in the form of a paycheck they both can take with them. However, what if a player is thrown in a situation completely anonymous, yet still assigned to a loved one that they can keep access and contact with all game? Will the same trust bonds build? Will higher expectations cause failure to crumble them faster? Will the bonds mean nothing to the competitors? It’s time to find out.
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The Introductions:
First things first, each castmember is given the opportunity to introduce oneself in the Public Meeting Hut. This gives the chance for first impressions for both the hosts and the castaways.
Some people, like the ever-unpredictable Birdo, start things off with a bang.
“Aloha, bitchasses, Birdo here.”
Some immediately leap into character, like Diddy Kong, hip hoppin’ banana loving hero of the Donkey Kong Country series.
“OOH AHH It's Diddy Kong here. Hi! I'm so hip and hop and stupid and pop and fresh.”
Some cleverly insert game references into their welcome post, like Polari, Rosalina’s most trusted luma assistant.
“Would you like to see a greeting? Here you go.”
Some dance, like Waluigi, lanky and dramatic brother of game creator maverick, Wario.
Most, however, are entirely undramatic. Yoshi, the star of the island himself, shares this exchange with my co-host, Twila.
“Hello.
“Hi.”
The first impressions generally happen how you’d expect. The MK hero Mario is upbeat and polite, Diddy Kong is social but goofy, Birdo is risque and dramatic, Wario is unrefined and loud, Koopa King Bowser is jovial and devious, Mushroom Kingdom Princess Peach is cheesy and cutesy, and Toadette is kindly and relatable. She’s the first to share her enthusiasm in the game via confessional:
“Woo! This is fun. I love the Nintendo twist on it.
I've been having such a hard time with this website, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it. I am just really unfamiliar with this style of "forum" site and that is what has always kept me away from Sucks. Maybe now I'll get proficient with it!
Really pumped for the premiere tomorrow and excited that this game coincides with SJDS. Looking forward to getting sorted into tribes and hopefully Toad and I can make it through til the merge.
More to come! Peace + love <3”
There are some that just flat out oppose the canon of their characters, most notably Rosalina, the ageless wise goddess of the stars, who decides to arrive to the beach dressed as such.
Some people, however, just don’t make it to the first challenge at all.
However, before we get there, we must check in with the already-building social alliances and conversations under the surface of the game. In the first round, communications will all revolve around the one and only Wario.
Hello there :)
Wario is the first to send messages to others. He sends this message individually to all 17 other players:
“I am-a Wario 
. Not really sure what else to say since it is alias 
Looking forward to playing with you”
. Not really sure what else to say since it is alias Looking forward to playing with you”
Wario has set a line out for everyone else in the game. Some bite back and respond, like the Kongs, Bowser, and his brother Waluigi.
“Hi Wario! I'm lOOHking forward to playing with you too!” -Diddy Kong
“Hi Wario! I'm excited to see the game finally starting.” -Rosalina
He even builds some lasting exchanges with Mario and Bowser:
Mario
Same to you - this is going to be weird having to stick to the alias, but it should make it fun haha. I was super surprised that I got Mario haha.
wario
IKR. I don't even know Wario's traits 
but it adds a new challenge to the game. like what to talk about? how to build trust. fascinating 
but it adds a new challenge to the game. like what to talk about? how to build trust. fascinating
Mario
True that it's not clear what Wario's traits were...maybe the opposite of Mario? Whatever it is, Wario is what you make it I guess. How do you feel about the game so far?
Wario
so far there hasnt been much game. I mean I am not the kind of player who starts making alliances left and right as soon as the game starts 
I guess I thought I'd start talking more once the challenge starts so there is a common ground for discussion.
I guess I thought I'd start talking more once the challenge starts so there is a common ground for discussion.
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Bowser
Hey Bae, can't wait to play... too bad my partner isn't here yet... 
wario
awww 
u ll be fine bow wow 
u ll be fine bow wow
Bowser
I hope so. I just want friends. #desperate
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Tidbits of information like the non-arrival of Bowser’s daughter Wendy are part of what Wario gains from having contact with everyone. However, he’s balancing a lot on this effort to communicate with E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y. When it comes time to vote, as much as Wario says he doesn’t want to make alliances left and right, he’s signed himself up for a lot of people to be loyal to.
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The First Challenge
To break the ice I tied the first challenge into the premiere of a different Blood vs Water: Survivor’s 29th Season, San Juan Del Sur. Borrowing a scoring system from Jeff Garst, who runs an excellent system on Facebook, I divided the 18 people into their 9 pairs of 2 loved ones. From there, they’d decide together who to bid on which castaway to score them for the round. Bids will be split between 100 points for each team, which they can spread between castaways.
Any points their castaway gets through various achievements or failures in the premiere episode would be won by them. Whoever gets the most points at the end of the episode wins. If at least one person submits scores, then the hosts will go with them. If neither does, they don’t get entered into the match. If one person doesn’t even so much as post in the Day 0 topic, they’ll get their first inactivity strike.
This challenge is not only simple, with a little research and guesstimation, but it also gives the loved ones a chance to establish their dynamic. If they can get some good teamwork here, they’ll likely work well for the future.
If not, well… there’s a 18 person Tribal Council coming up for round, the redux of the round 1 twist from Season 1. And as Survivor is wont to do, your past actions can come back to haunt you.
Nine day zero teams are created, the forums set up for them, and all they have to do is convene, bid, and prepare for anything.
Day Zero:
Mario Brothers: Luigi, despite seeming super-capable pre-game, doesn’t show up for the challenge. He’s the first to get an inactivity strike, a damning fate in round 1. Mario sends the bids solo, with 90 on Jeremy Collins and 10 on Jon Misch. They score both.
Mario Bros Team: Jeremy, Jon.
Team Royalty: Daisy isn’t much better, and ends up being the second to garner an inactivity strike, much to Peach’s behest. Peach bids 65 on Jeremy, 35 on Keith, 10 on Missy, completely without Daisy’s okay at the last minute. However, 65+35+10 equals 110, so Keith’s bid is cut to 25, therefore losing him.
Royalty Team: Jeremy, Missy
Team Kongo: Diddy starts them off on a cheerful note in Day Zero.
Just saying.
They’re the first team to work together cooperatively, even though Dixie faces some complications: Being MegaR, the controversial 13th placer of Survivor: Runouw, he has no real Survivor experience, and he also lives in the UK, where the show doesn’t air. She doesn’t let that hold her back, however.
“I've been looking through the cast profiles and I'm thinking we should put our main focus on Drew and Keith. Dale seems like a good choice too, as does Jeremy. I'm thinking 30 on Drew, 30 on Keith, 20 on Dale and 20 on Jeremy.”
Diddy Kong offers a rebuttal he had no idea would be so wise in the future of SJDS:
“That's pretty good, but I don't know how I'm feeling about Drew.”
After some conversation, they run through a few different options, they decide to bid 40 on Keith, and 30 on Drew and Jeremy. However, Jeremy is in high demand and their bids aren’t high enough, causing them to walk away with a still solid combo of Drew and Keith. Dixie Kong had this to say in a confessional:
“Well, this isn't too bad of a start. Diddy and I managed to get two out of the three we ended up bidding on and even though my removal of Dale to get more points for Keith backfired, I think that my confidence in Keith and Drew is well placed. Even if in the end I don't get the victory, I think that I'll be safe for this Tribal Council. I'm looking forward to it!”
Team Kongo: Keith, Drew.
Team Mushroom!:
The two of them get right down to work, not wasting a moment. They narrow their picks down to 46 on Jeremy, 40 on Alec, and 14 on Wes. Again, Jeremy is taken, leaving them with an interesting pair of Alec and Wes.
Regardless, both walk away with a good rapport set up. Toad has this to say:
“Day 0, my partner seems like a good one. We were able to work good together right away”
Team Mushroom: Alec, Wes
Team Comet:
Probably the least active of the groups, Polari had to throw in a bid for 100 onto Keith, automatically scoring him. This left Rosalina with the third inactivity strike for the challenge.
“I haven't had a chance to talk to her. Been one of those weeks, hard to keep up with this.”
Team Comet: Keith
Team Wa:
Wario and Waluigi waste no time building team spirit.
My name is-a Wario. Howdy 
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Waa hello there, it's me Waluigi. Ready to kick butts?
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However, like Dixie, French Runouw member Star king/Waluigi also faced a similar problem.
“Welp, didn't expect a first challenge like that. Being non-American, it really was a challenge for me, but hey, managed to do it by watching the videos and with the help of Wario.”
The team spirit and the cooperation between the two is incredibly strong. Waluigi goes through the meet-the-cast videos at the suggestion of Wario, and picks a selection worth note.
“I have to agree with you that Jeremy Collins seems like a safe bet... which means that other people might also choose him to bid him, so there is a chance we don't get him.
Others I have noticed are John Rocker and Jon Misch and the Christy Brothers, but once again, same problem, others might also bid for them.
So either we try to play it safe by bidding 40/30 on secondary guys (Drew, Alec, Josh, Reed)
Or we bet everything 60/70-ish on Jeremy, and maybe 30/40 on someone else (probably from the list above)
I personally think 65 on Jeremy and 35 on one of the Christy Brothers is like the best and safest option. But hey, you probably know better than me on this, so what do you think? 
”
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Waluigi confirms betting high on a favorite and moderately on a mid-tier character is the best plan. They end up securing both Jeremy and Kelley, and Waluigi feels good about the partnership.
“By the way, Wario was pretty cool with me on this first challenge, we really worked together and it... might pay off? Our strategy worked, let's hope that the players we chose are good. I hope Wario and I will go far, because he seems like a nice guy. I also hope we win immunity
Waa power”
Team Wa: Jeremy and Kelley
Team Koopa
“Dear God help me. My partner is an idiot.”
Bowser’s first confessional sets the tone for the partnership of Wendy and Bowser in the Day Zero task. Bowser starts off by suggesting a very bold strategy.
Bowser: We can bet 100 on one person who we think is going to do really well. This guarantees that we get someone, but also, unless no one else gets multiple people, it'll be hard to beat other people out.
The other extreme is to split our 100 on the 18. We definitely won't win everyone, and there's a chance that we don't win anyone at all. But it gives us a better chance of earning more points.
The third option is kind of a mix between the 2. Split the 100 between X number of people, in the hopes that we outbid people who chose to do strategy #2.
What do you think we should do? Personally, I'm leaning toward Option 3, but I can see where it gets risky. I'm thinking bid either 10 on 10 people or bid 20 on 5 people. And selecting those people based on who we think people won't pick.”
Wendy: I also like three 
Lets do it.
Lets do it.
Bowser: I'm currently picking people for my Survivor League. Would you be cool with betting 10 on my bottom 10 picks? lol
Or would you be more comfortable doing 20 for my bottom 5?
Alternatively, if you have your own idea of who people won't want... let me know!
Radio silence. Bowser tries again.
Bowser: So my votes would be 10 each for:
Kelley | Missy | Reed | Natalie | Jon | Alec | Nadiya | Baylor | Drew | Wes
Honestly, I would also be down for bidding on John because I think he'll get a bunch of confessionals because he loud. Let me know what you think 
Wendy: okay thats what I will do I put all of mine on Jason.
At that point, Bowser has essentially severed ties with Wendy.
“Honestly, I hope she stays pretty inactive, I almost think it'll be easier for me to make it to the end without her? Also, I think I showed her how strategic I am in this round with betting, which means she could tell other people that I'm strong or whatever.”
However, with or without Wendy, their challenge gives them an insanely large roster of Kelley, Missy, Reed, Natalie, Nadiya, Jon, and Baylor. This team gives Bowser confidence.
“Going into betting, the obvious choices [at least to me] were to either go 100% on one person, split bets on all people [about 5 each], or do a combo. We ended up doing the combo and got a pretty solid roster: Kelley, Missy, Reed, Natalie, Nadiya, Jon, Baylor
Honestly, I think Kelley, Jon, or Missy will win this season, so ideally they show some of that in the beginning, though I could see Kelley getting off to a weak start in terms of edits. I think the twins will give me a boost on confessionals simply cuz they'll talk about Amazing Race and stuff. Most importantly, I don' think any of my people will get voted out first or cry or throw rice in the fire.
I'm 100% surprised that more people didn't use the strategy to bet on everyone. We could have added 4 more people. Including the super-hyped Val! With 7 people on our team, compared to the next highest (4) I'd like to think we're definitely in the lead for Immunity. As long as no one racks up too many negatives, I think we'll win [knock on wood].
In terms of other people, I haven't talked to other people too much. It's strange not constantly being on AIM to chat with people. But after seeing the basic strategies coming out in this challenge, I think I'll only really need to worry about a few people. But tribes are coming soon. And that means I'll have to play nice and try to hide the fact that I'm pretty decent at challenges. Bleh. Over it.”
However, despite having a solid team of six, Team Koopa will face a setback when one of their castaways counts a gay man with one of the girls.
Team Koopa: Kelley, Missy, Reed, Natalie, Nadiya, Jon, Baylor
Team Islander: The fourth and final inactivity strike is doled out to Yoshi, although Wendy was practically an inactive regardless. However, Birdo takes their struggles in stride, sending the bids with good humor.
“So, we have a few hours left to do our bidding (ha, get it? Bidding?). Since we shit the bed rather thoroughly in terms of time management, I'm gonna place our bids here and if before the deadline (9 am I believe), you want to change any of the bids feel free to.
100 coins
40 to Reed 30 to Wes 20 to Josh 10 to Julie”
The hybrid of many different strategies gives them a solid roster of four.
Team Islander: Wes, Josh, Julie, Reed
Team DarkPixl: Timpani and Blumiere are no-nonsense and quiet. Blumiere posts their bids, Timpani approves them. They put 40 on each Christy Brother (Alec and Drew) and 20 on Baylor.
Team DarkPixl: Alec, Drew, Baylor.
Challenge Results:
The episode transpires, leaving some people doing better than others, regardless of the level of activity or teamwork.
In 9th is Team Mushroom, who get a total of 2 from their Wes and Alec combo, who score 6 and -4, respectively. Looks like all they’re taking back to camp is a great bond.
In 8th is the quiet DarkPixl, with a total of 4. (Drew: 8), (Baylor: 0), (Alec: -4)
In 7th, TeamComet’s solitary bid on Keith gained them a respectable but unvictorious 14 points.
Despite having a commendable score of 21, more than most people in a league could hope to get, Team Kongo gets knocked out in 6th. Keith got 13, and Drew got 8. While unhappy, Dixie Kong still seems encouraged for the future.
“I'm not really happy with the results, but it's okay because I don't think I'm in any danger of leaving this early. I do need to watch myself though what with this being early on and anything being able to happen. With some luck though, I should be alright and get pretty far!”
In a rather surprising elimination, Team Islander takes 5th. Some underwhelming selections with Josh and Wes led to them cancelling each other out 6/-6, leaving them with the two scores of 12 from Reed and Julie.
Remember when I said Team Koopa suffered from one choice? They were the ones who ended up nabbing the first boot, Nadiya. That 34 point loss directly halved a score of 68 from the other 6. (Missy: 18), (Jon: 16), (Reed: 12), (Natalie: 12), (Kelley: 10), (Baylor, 0), (Nadiya, -34)
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This means the top 3 are Team Wa, Team Mario Bros, and Team Royalty. All of them have one thing in common: They scored the highest winner of the night, Jeremy (30 points), who won the Hero Arena Duel, gained an alliance, and won immunity with the most confessionals of the night. Much like this challenge, it comes down to their partners. For Mario Bros and Royalty, they need to hope the partner they gave Jeremy is more effectual than the ones they had to work with.
In third place was Team Wa. They chose Kelley, who added 10 points for a bronze medaling 40 points. This means the top 2 were essentially Mario and Peach, one of whom is about to win immunity for the other player. However, both teams will take home an extra prize with them for reaching the top 2 in the IC.
That team is Peach (and Daisy), who beat The Mario Bros’ 16 from Jon with 18 from Missy, giving them the 48-46 lead needed to win. Peach is not necessarily happy about the performance of her team.
“I guess you can fuck up your math, have an inactive parter, not send confessionals and still win.”
This means that entering a Tribal Council of 18, 2 are immune, one of which hasn’t shown up to the game yet. This leads into a scramble so massive and consuming that, quite frankly, it’d make this recap too long to process if it was included in it.
So for now, enjoy Part 1 of the premiere, and prepare for the most hectic Tribal Council of your life next episode.
Next Time on… Survivor!
Some teams are able to recuperate from their member’s inactivity, some fall apart.
In the tribe, one member’s hyperactivity clashes with another’s inactivity, leading to a split already forming in the game.
Alliances begin to form, double dealing occurs, and votes change around five different times, until one player commits a move so cold that no one sees it coming.
