Mad Scienstein
Artwork of Mad Scienstein fromWario Land 4
Full name	Arewo Shitain-hakase
Species	Human
First appearance	Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (1992, overall) Super Mario Kodansha manga (Super Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 1) (1993,Super Mario franchise, on a book cover) Wario Land 3 (2000,Super Mario franchise, physical)
Latest appearance	Nintendo Puzzle Collection (2003)

“Science is my life!”

—Mad Scienstein,Wario Land 3 instruction booklet

Mad Scienstein,^[1] originally known in Japan asArewo Shitain-hakase^{[2][page number needed]} (meaning "Dr. Arewo Shitain"), and sometimes referred to simply as theMad Scientist,^[3] theprofessor,^[4] or thedoc,^[5] is a recurring supporting character who appears throughout numerous Nintendo games. He has filled a multitude of different roles and professions; including a scientist, researcher, robotics engineer and archaeologist. Mad Scienstein is a comical, elderly man with a large head, glasses, a mustache, and a beard. Despite being around 90 years of age,^[6] he demonstrates strong sexual interests.^[7]

History[edit]

Background information[edit]

Mad Scienstein's original appearance, as Arewo Shitain-hakase

Screenshot showing Arewo Shitain-hakase fromKaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru

Mad Scienstein first appeared inKaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru under the name of Arewo Shitain-hakase,^[8] where he acts as a researcher who provides assistance to the player in providing useful items. Arewo Shitain works as a researcher for an institute on Nantendou Island, providing the protagonist with helpful items such as gloves that increase strength, or a device that can control mammoths. He also appears in the final battle of the game, riding a robot of his own creation, the Tokyo Comic Show Z, which assists in defeating the final boss. Arewo Shitain is said to be a gourmet, and he frowns upon the thought of sharing his food. He is especially stingy when sushi is involved.

Super Mario (Kodansha manga)[edit]

In theSuper Mario Land 2 - 6-tsu no Kinka 1 volume of theSuper Mario Kodansha manga, one of the books in theMacro Zone library is a book based onKaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru, with Arewo Shitain-hakase depicted on the cover.

Wario Land series[edit]

Wario Land 3[edit]

Wario Land 3 screenshot of Mad Scienstein, who has just caused Wario to becomeinvisible.

Arewo Shitain-hakase makes his first game appearance within theSuper Mario franchise inWario Land 3, but with a redesigned appearance and a new name, Mad Scienstein. His name is a portmanteau of "mad scientist," referring to his appearance, and "stein," a Germanic word and name suffix meaning "stone" that is commonly associated with scientists due to famous physicistAlbert Einstein and the fictionalVictor Frankenstein.

He carries bottles of invisible potions, which he throws ifWario is near. If Wario touches a potion, he becomesInvisible Wario, allowing him to pass throughseeing-eye doors. While the rest of the enemies in the game are actually townsfolk cursed by a hidden figure, Mad Scienstein appears to still be human. In this game, his large femur-shaped head is replaced by a mechanical glass-domed helmet. Unlike most enemies in the game, Mad Scienstein makes no effort to hinder Wario's progress, and it is suggested that he is trying to help Wario.^[9] Mad Scienstein will sometimes topple if Wario causes earthquakes from a powered-upSuper Smash.

Mad Scienstein appears inThe Peaceful Village, two areas ofThe Vast Plain, and in theCave of Flames.

Wario Land 4[edit]

“An indestructible little man patrols many of thepink areas.”

—Wario Land 4 official North American website

Wario using Arewo Shitain-hakase as an object to throw within apink area.

Mad Scienstein appears inWario Land 4 as an archaeologist, returning to his original appearance and name of Arewo Shitain-hakase, who came to conduct his own expedition of anancient pyramid.^[6] He is first seen in the game's opening sequence, where a picture of him can be seen in the newspaper reporting the pyramid's discovery. He is stated to be a robot engineer and an Honors Professor at the Masakāchotto University Engineering Department.^[6] During the game, Wario can usually encounter Arewo Shitain-hakase within the variouspink areas inside the levels, where he can be found pacing with a magnifying glass. Wario can interact with Arewo Shitain in the same way as most other enemies: he can be stunned, picked up, and thrown to break blocks or hit switches that are out of reach. This is commonly required to solve a puzzle in the rooms to reach aDiamond. Arewo Shitain has a unique sound clip (a loud exclamation of "Oww!") that is heard whenever Wario harms him. Unlike most enemies however, none of Wario's attacks actually defeat Arewo Shitain. If he ends up falling in water, he dons scuba gear and swims along the bottom.

Arewo Shitain-hakase also appears as an obstacle in the beginning of theminigameThe Wario Hop, where he is seen eating an onigiri, as well as various places on the game's main map. He also has various in-game idle animations, including one which depicts him playing with aGame Boy Advance. After Wario defeats theGolden Diva, ruler of the pyramid, Arewo Shitain falls from the ceiling after the pyramid begins to collapse. He is later seen trying to escape the pyramid alongside Wario and theblack cat. While panicking, Arewo Shitain-hakase jumps on Wario in order to safely exit first. This is the final time that Arewo Shitain-hakase is seen in the game.

An interview with Arewo Shitain-hakase's character on theWario Land 4 official Japanese gamepage confirms that he occasionally plays games to take a break from research. The same interview also suggests that he reads adult magazines and performs other activities while on his breaks that he cannot discuss with young boys.^[7]

Dr. Mario 64[edit]

Mad Scienstein, facing off against Dr. Mario

InDr. Mario 64, Mad Scienstein once again serves as a minion toRudy, assisting in his plan to steal theMegavitamins fromDr. Mario after Wario made an attempt to steal them in order to become a doctor himself. Mad Scienstein in this game is slightly stockier compared to his appearance inWario Land 3, and wears a metallic helmet in this game. Both Dr. Mario and Wario chase Mad Scienstein throughout the land as they approach Rudy's castle, facing various foes fromWario Land 3. In Dr. Mario's ending, he cures Rudy to Mad Scienstein's joy, whilst in Wario's ending, Mad Scienstein steals the Megavitamins from Wario leading to the latter pursuing him in an apparently never-ending chase. He is playable in multiplayer mode.

Super Mario-kun[edit]

Arewo Shitain-hakase inSuper Mario-kun Volume 28

Arewo Shitain-hakase appears in volume 28 ofSuper Mario-kun.

Profiles[edit]

Wario Land 4[edit]

• Shogakukan guide: "Robot engineering authority, Honors Professor [at the] Masakachotto University Engineering Department. [He] heard the rumours of the Golden Pyramid [and] set off on his own expedition. His age is about 90 years old."^{[better source needed][6]}
• Nintendo Power Advance: "To get thediamond, you have to employ the good doctor's help."^[10]
• Faux character interview on the officialWario Land 4 webpage^{[citation needed]}

"Oh! My name is Professor Shitain! I also appeared inWario Land 3! So of course you know me well! What? You never heard of me? Well, listen carefully. I came to this pyramid because I’m an archaeologist. As you pointed out, I do show up in Wario Land 4 to play games from time to time. Sometimes, I need to take a break from my research. Forgive me. Actually, I do some other things during my breaks, but it’s not appropriate for young boys... so have your mother explain to you someday!"

"It’s not easy to say out loud... I looked at something for adults. Even though I looked behind me to make sure no one was looking, it seems someone found out. I guess I’m a man after all!"

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Artwork of Mad Scienstein, fromWario Land 3.

• 

  Mad Scienstein, as seen in theDr. Mario 64 cast selection screen.

• 

  Arewo Shitain-hakase jumping on Wario while escaping the crumbling pyramid, fromWario Land 4

• 

  Arewo Shitain-hakase as seen duringThe Wario Hop mini-game inWario Land 4.

• 

  Official character description in theWario Land 4 Shogakukan game guide.

Sprites[edit]

• 

  Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru

• 

  Wario Land 3

• 

  Wario Land 3

• 

  Dr. Mario 64

• 

  Wario Land 4

Names in other languages[edit]

References[edit]

• Humans
• Characters from other Nintendo games
• Scientists
• Playable characters
• Dr. Mario 64 characters
• Wario allies
• Wario Land 3 enemies
• Wario Land 4 characters
• Super Mario-kun characters

• Articles with sources lacking page numbers
• Articles with stub sections
• Articles with poor sources
• Articles with unsourced statements