MGTT Longplay to Unlock Ace: FINALE!

Video Log Playlist:    • MGTT Ace Unlock Video Logs 2020  

Ironically, I am uploading the Finale first in order for the cogency of a new hypothesis regarding Ace CPU unlock criteria to be proven straightaway. The rest of the series is just a segmented but contiguous longplay that proves the hypothesis. This is a commentated playthrough of the final trophy I needed (Star PT at Star Badlands) with the reveal at the end.

Back in 2013, some quiet posts on Reddit and Twitter cropped up independently of dedicated progressions of all the Tournaments in Toadstool Tour, with Titandude eventually revealing the unlock of an Ace CPU later that year. I can't remember how I got involved, but there was correspondence with ShadowMario3 - a prolific let's-play YouTuber with a long history with MGTT - at some point. When I pursued this myself, I found that I didn't need all 384 Trophies (   • You Don't Need All 384 Tournaments in NTSC...  ). It was hard to figured out what happened, so I did it again!

The rest was discovering that only the Star trophies were necessary, and since I used un-Star characters, I thought that was that. It felt insanely good to show that 102 rather than 384 trophies were needed, but something seemed off... (   • Official Ace Unlock: 96th Star Tournament ...  )

Nonetheless, I returned to the Ace CPU for what may be the most fan-favorite "Shadow Mario vs The Aces" series through the later half of 2015 - and what a ride it was! But I thought nothing further of the actual unlock criteria.

Flash forward five years. KCamper has been streaming gameplay through Twitch at first accidentally using Star characters, then being informed that - based on assumed knowledge of the time - the UN-Star characters were what counted. Poor lad then proceeded for a while - about six trophies each day - then suddenly he had the unlock for Aces - but not with all un-Star trophies. The plot thickens. Occam's Razor must be at it again.

TL;DR:
YOU CAN USE EITHER STAR OR UN-STAR CHARACTERS TOWARD STAR TROPHIES FOR EACH CHARACTER!
Well, that's make a lot more sense! And it's much more approachable for most players. These Star Tournaments are tough without the appreciable power buff from star characters. But hey, you'll need all of this practice and experience to take on the Ace CPU. You've seen my Ace series. They are disgustingly hard to beat.