Editing Waluigi (section)

==Reception==
Since his appearance in ''Mario Tennis'', Waluigi has received a mixed reception. Ben Bertoli of ''[[Kotaku]]'' said that the game introduced "one of gaming's greatest anti-heroes" and that Waluigi had since gained a cult following.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Ben Bertoli|date=May 17, 2018 |title=The Ups And Downs Of Mario Sports Games |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/05/the-ups-and-downs-of-mario-sports-games/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613160801/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/05/the-ups-and-downs-of-mario-sports-games/ |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=June 13, 2018 |publisher=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref> ''IGN'' editor [[Matt Casamassina]] described him as a recognizable mascot to many, but also as a beloved one to Nintendo fans.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Casamassina |first=Matt |date=October 26, 2005 |title=Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix – GameCube Review at IGN |url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/661/661908p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818021951/http://cube.ign.com/articles/661/661908p1.html |archive-date=August 18, 2011 |access-date=June 12, 2010 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Hiroyuki Takahashi, a developer for ''Mario Power Tennis'' chose him and Wario as his favorite characters in ''Power Tennis'', adding that he prefers characters with more personality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Camelot Talks Mario Power Tennis – GameCube Feature at IGN |date=December 3, 2004 |url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/570/570491p2.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403030158/http://cube.ign.com/articles/570/570491p2.html |archive-date=April 3, 2012 |access-date=June 12, 2010 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Ian Walker of ''Kotaku'' expressed a pure love for Waluigi on the character's 20th anniversary and highlighted that while Mario, Luigi and Wario are all sympathetic characters, "Waluigi stands apart as the one truly irredeemable scoundrel" and considered that an aspect of his character is present in everyone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Ian |date=2020-07-21 |title=Waluigi Debuted 20 Years Ago Today, And I Respect Him A Lot |url=https://kotaku.com/waluigi-debuted-20-years-ago-today-and-i-respect-him-a-1844460557 |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115235154/https://kotaku.com/waluigi-debuted-20-years-ago-today-and-i-respect-him-a-1844460557 |url-status=live }}</ref> Ryan Craddock of ''[[Nintendo Life]]'' also celebrated the 20-year anniversary of his debut, stating that they could not imagine a Nintendo sports game without him.<ref name=":4" /> Writing for ''[[Game Informer]]'', [[Dan Ryckert]] felt that Waluigi should be the star of his own game because he considered him to be funnier than Wario and highlighted that his legs look hilarious when running. Despite this, he opined that Nintendo did not care about the character because his relationship to Wario had never been clarified.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ryckert |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Ryckert |title=We Need A Super Waluigi World |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/09/05/we-need-a-super-waluigi-world.aspx |access-date=2024-01-17 |magazine=Game Informer |language=en |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117161102/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/09/05/we-need-a-super-waluigi-world.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> While describing Waluigi as a "hollow absence of a character" and "a rejected [[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein monster]], cobbled together from half-assed, bad, or otherwise meaningless ideas", Dom Nero of ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' praised the character for his tennis skills and the fluidity of his movements. He opined that playing as Waluigi in ''Mario Tennis Aces'' epitomises the joy of playing video games and highlighted his moonwalking backswing, spins and tossing of roses as "devilishly entertaining".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Nero |first=Dom |date=2018-06-22 |title=Playing as Waluigi in 'Mario Tennis' Is Peak Gaming Bliss |url=https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a21087741/waluigi-mario-tennis-aces/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Esquire |language=en-US |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115204834/https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a21087741/waluigi-mario-tennis-aces/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[VG247]]'' writer Kelsey Raynor thought that the Waluigi Pinball track was the best in the ''Mario Kart'' series, stating that it was "Waluigi's time to shine" and was the perfect opportunity for a character associated with chaos to force drivers into a "sadistic death-trap of a race".<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Raynor |first=Kelsey Raynor |date=2022-11-14 |title=It's Mario Kart DS' 17th anniversary, and Waluigi Pinball is still one of the best tracks in the series |url=https://www.vg247.com/mario-kart-ds-anniversary-and-waluigi-pinball-still-the-best |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=VG247 |language=en |archive-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216230722/https://www.vg247.com/mario-kart-ds-anniversary-and-waluigi-pinball-still-the-best |url-status=live }}</ref>

Pedro Hernandez writing for ''Nintendo World Report'' commented that Waluigi is a "very structurally basic character", simply Wario transformed into Luigi with a purple colour scheme. He said that while Wario was given a personality and story, Waluigi was just an accessory to Wario whose purpose was to pad out the supporting characters. He also noted that gamers had developed a love/hate relationship with the character, as he had generated universal hatred while also gaining a cult following.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hernandez |first=Pedro |title=Waluigi, We Hardly Knew Ye - Feature |url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/28569/waluigi-we-hardly-knew-ye |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Nintendo World Report |archive-date=January 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116215418/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/28569/waluigi-we-hardly-knew-ye |url-status=live }}</ref> Chris Buffa of ''[[GameDaily]]'' included him as one of the characters they wanted to kill, describing him as "one of the most unimportant characters in video game history".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buffa, Chris |title=Characters We Wish We Could Kill (But Can't) |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/characters-we-wish-we-could-kill-but-cant/?page=8&cp=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508073421/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/characters-we-wish-we-could-kill-but-cant/?page=8&cp=2 |archive-date=May 8, 2009 |access-date=February 8, 2014 |website=[[GameDaily]] |publisher=[[AOL]]}}</ref> Brett Elston of ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' described Waluigi as a "lame-o villain" in an otherwise great game, referencing ''Mario Tennis''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 12, 2007 |title=The Top 7... Mario spin-offs |author=Brett Elston|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-top-7-mario-spin-offs/a-200711129484431007/p-3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615230129/http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-top-7-mario-spin-offs/a-200711129484431007/p-3 |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |access-date=June 12, 2010 |publisher=[[GamesRadar+]]}}</ref> Matthew Gault of ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'' criticised Waluigi for having no defining characteristics other than hating Luigi and described him as a "corporate trash character that's lazy, dumb, and uninteresting". He noted that due to his lack of characterisation, fans had spent years creating their own backstories for him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gault |first=Matthew |date=2018-06-15 |title=Counterpoint: Fuck Waluigi, He Doesn't Deserve to Be in the New 'Smash Bros.' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/counterpoint-fuck-waluigi-he-doesnt-deserve-to-be-in-the-new-smash-bros/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Vice |language=en |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115235254/https://www.vice.com/en/article/gyknx7/counterpoint-fuck-waluigi-he-doesnt-deserve-to-be-in-the-new-smash-bros |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Destructoid]]'' wrote that Waluigi's name and design amounted to "creative bankruptcy" and thought that the Internet had created him as a meme that was outside of the character that Nintendo depicted and then mistakenly treated it as canon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-29 |title=Check out the blogs of 10/7 to 10/13/2018 and ponder the worth of Waluigi |url=https://www.destructoid.com/check-out-the-blogs-of-10-7-to-10-13-2018-and-ponder-the-worth-of-waluigi/ |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=Destructoid |language=en-US |archive-date=June 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606070832/https://www.destructoid.com/check-out-the-blogs-of-10-7-to-10-13-2018-and-ponder-the-worth-of-waluigi/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In ''Icons of Horror and the Supernatural: An Encyclopedia of Our Worst Nightmares, Volume 1'', S. T. Joshi cites Waluigi and Wario as archetypal examples of alter egos.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Joshi |first=S. T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jh97v3zeKc0C |title=Icons of Horror and the Supernatural: An Encyclopedia of Our Worst Nightmares, Volume 1 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-313-33781-9 |access-date=June 12, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022040958/http://books.google.com/books?id=Jh97v3zeKc0C |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Waluigi Smash Bros.gif|thumb|right|Waluigi's reveal in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' as an assist trophy caused a lot of negative reactions.<ref name=Smash1/><ref name=Smash2/><ref name=Harass/>]]
His exclusion as a playable character in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' (confirmed when the character was announced as a non-playable Assist Trophy during [[E3 2018]]) was met with negative reception from the gaming press and social media, including a comedic [[Twitter]] post by [[Netflix]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Petrana Radulovic |date=June 12, 2018 |title=Everyone's in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate... except Waluigi |url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/2018/6/12/17454820/everyones-in-super-smash-bros-ultimate-except-waluigi |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613160847/https://www.polygon.com/e3/2018/6/12/17454820/everyones-in-super-smash-bros-ultimate-except-waluigi |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=June 13, 2018 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref><ref name=Smash2>{{Cite news |author=Gene Park|date=June 12, 2018 |title=Waluigi was robbed and humiliated by Nintendo, and his fans are furious |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2018/06/12/waluigi-was-robbed-and-humiliated-by-nintendo-and-his-fans-are-furious/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613013334/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2018/06/12/waluigi-was-robbed-and-humiliated-by-nintendo-and-his-fans-are-furious/ |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |access-date=June 13, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=
Dan Van Winkle|date=June 13, 2018 |title=Waluigi Has Become the Unlikely King of E3 2018|url=https://www.themarysue.com/waluigi-king-of-e3-2018-nintendo-smash-bros-ultimate/|access-date=April 12, 2024 |website=The Mary Sue}}</ref> The response resulted in numerous [[Internet memes]] and a [[Change.org]] petition calling for the character to be added to the game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Waluigi Fans Lost It Because He Got Left Out of The New 'Super Smash Bros.' |author=Beckett Mufson|date=June 13, 2018 |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/waluigi-fans-lost-it-because-he-got-left-out-of-the-new-super-smash-bros-vgtrn/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101015331/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xwmkqd/waluigi-fans-lost-it-because-he-got-left-out-of-the-new-super-smash-bros-vgtrn |archive-date=November 1, 2018 |access-date=October 31, 2018 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'''s Joe Skrebels described his non-playable status within the game as "a slap in the face for those who want a playable Waluigi".<ref name=Smash1>{{Cite web |author=Joe Skrebels|date=June 12, 2018 |title=Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Feels Like a Museum For its Own Franchise |url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2018/06/12/e3-2018-super-smash-bros-ultimate-feels-like-a-museum-for-its-own-franchise |access-date=June 13, 2018 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Fan reaction to the omission intensified and resulted in series director Masahiro Sakurai being subjected to a harassment campaign on social media.<ref name=Harass>{{Cite web |last=McFerran |first=Damien |date=2018-06-20 |title=Super Smash Bros. Fans Are Harassing Masahiro Sakurai Over Waluigi Snub |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/06/super_smash_bros_fans_are_harassing_masahiro_sakurai_over_waluigi_snub |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Nintendo Life |language=en-GB |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115205846/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/06/super_smash_bros_fans_are_harassing_masahiro_sakurai_over_waluigi_snub |url-status=live }}</ref> Former [[Nintendo of America]] president [[Reggie Fils-Aimé]] acknowledged the popularity of Waluigi and dismissed the idea that Nintendo had purposefully excluded him due to disliking the character.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Austin |date=2018-06-27 |title=Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aimé on Accessibility, What's Next, and, Uh, Waluigi |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/nintendos-reggie-fils-aime-on-accessibility-whats-next-and-uh-waluigi/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Vice |language=en |archive-date=January 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116102156/https://www.vice.com/en/article/435z3m/nintendos-reggie-fils-aime-on-accessibility-whats-next-and-uh-waluigi |url-status=live }}</ref> Claire McNear of ''[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]'' described Waluigi as Nintendo's cult hero, but commented that his place in the ''Mario'' hierarchy of characters is tenuous and that, despite being a "pan-internet obsession", he is yet to appear in a mainline ''Mario'' game outside of spinoffs.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=McNear |first=Claire |date=2021-02-24 |title=Waluigi Is Nintendo's Cult Hero. Will He Ever Be Something More? |url=https://www.theringer.com/2021/2/24/22298128/waluigi-nintendo-cult-character |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=The Ringer |language=en |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115205048/https://www.theringer.com/2021/2/24/22298128/waluigi-nintendo-cult-character |url-status=live }}</ref> Ian Walker of ''Kotaku'' highlighted that official artwork of the character promoting a blue-purple [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]] [[wikt:colorway|colorway]] had gained considerable Internet attention due to his seductive pose and use of a rose as a romantic gesture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Ian |date=2021-05-11 |title=Nintendo's New Waluigi Art Is Mysterious, Erotic |url=https://kotaku.com/nintendo-s-new-waluigi-art-is-mysterious-erotic-1846864665 |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115205407/https://kotaku.com/nintendo-s-new-waluigi-art-is-mysterious-erotic-1846864665 |url-status=live }}</ref> Briana Lawrence of ''[[The Mary Sue]]'' described Waluigi as "Nintendo's ultimate [[sex symbol]]" in reference to his official render and found him to be interesting due to the mysterious nature of his character.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawrence |first=Briana |date=2021-05-11 |title=Nintendo Reveals What We Already Knew: Waluigi Is Full Of Raw, Sexual Energy |url=https://www.themarysue.com/nintendo-waluigi-thirst-trap/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=The Mary Sue |language=en |archive-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126171602/https://www.themarysue.com/nintendo-waluigi-thirst-trap/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This positive reaction to Waluigi's animations was echoed by Zack Zwiezen for ''Kotaku'', who upon reviewing a demo for ''Mario Strikers: Battle League'' noted that Waluigi's characteristic swagger and "rose pose" featured prominently in his scoring animation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zwiezen |first=Zack |date=2022-05-27 |title=Waluigi Proves He's Still The King Of Swagger |url=https://kotaku.com/waluigi-mario-strikers-demo-switch-animations-gameplay-1848988842 |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115235155/https://kotaku.com/waluigi-mario-strikers-demo-switch-animations-gameplay-1848988842 |url-status=live }}</ref> Henry Stockdale writing for ''[[TechRadar]]'' praised the game's visuals, particularly describing Waluigi's Hyper Strike involving placing a rose in his mouth as "the stuff of many Nintendo fans' dreams".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stockdale |first=Henry |date=2022-06-08 |title=Mario Strikers: Battle League review |url=https://www.techradar.com/reviews/mario-strikers-battle-league |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=TechRadar |language=en |archive-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126172002/https://www.techradar.com/reviews/mario-strikers-battle-league |url-status=live }}</ref> Zack Zwiezen also expressed disappointment over Waluigi not appearing in a single game in 2023 and thought the character had been forgotten by Nintendo and deserved his own game, particularly because [[Princess Peach]] appears in her [[Princess Peach: Showtime!|own game]].<ref name=Waluigi2022/>

=== Legacy ===
Due to his popularity, Waluigi has been featured in popular culture in the form of memes, songs and poems. Elijah Watson of ''[[The Daily Dot]]'' chronicled his influence as an internet meme from 2008, describing him as "beloved by a part of the web".<ref name=Internetmeme>{{Cite web |last=Watson |first=Elijah |date=2017-07-22 |title=How Waluigi went from Mario Tennis character to all-time great meme |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/waluigi-memes/|access-date=2024-02-23 |website=[[The Daily Dot]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In April 2009, he appeared in the webcomic ''[[Brawl in the Family (webcomic)|Brawl in the Family]]'', which was renamed "Waluigi in the Family" for [[April Fools' Day]]. He became a recurring character, resulting in the webcomic introducing the catchphrase "Too bad. Waluigi time."<ref name=Internetmeme/> In a May 2021 episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', host [[Elon Musk]] starred as Wario in a sketch in which he was put on trial for murdering Mario in a kart race, with [[Kate McKinnon]] dressed as Waluigi.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Leah J. |date=2021-05-10 |title=I Don't Think Anyone At SNL Has Actually Played Mario Before |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2021/05/snl-mario-sketch-grimes-elon-musk/ |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Kotaku Australia |language=en-AU |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129234036/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2021/05/snl-mario-sketch-grimes-elon-musk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> A phenomenon in the field of [[artificial intelligence]] (AI) known as the "[[Waluigi effect]]" was inspired by the character in reference to [[Carl Jung]]'s concept of the dark, repressed side of the human personality, which is based on the theory that AI has the potential to produce chaotic or harmful results.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Qureshi |first=Nabeel S. |title=Waluigi, Carl Jung, and the Case for Moral AI |url=https://www.wired.com/story/waluigi-effect-generative-artificial-intelligence-morality/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115235154/https://www.wired.com/story/waluigi-effect-generative-artificial-intelligence-morality/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Milmo |first=Dan |last2= |first2= |date=2023-07-13 |title=Elon Musk launches AI startup and warns of a 'Terminator future' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/13/elon-musk-launches-xai-startup-pro-humanity-terminator-future |access-date=2024-03-25 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>