Solution to Hammer Time

by David Poland and Tracy Yonemoto

The theme of this puzzle is the Hammer Brothers, recurring Mario-game villains.

Each crossword-style clue solves to a single word that is one letter off from the name of a famous set of brothers. Taking the changed letter from the answers in the given order yields the clue phrase TOMMIE'S HAMMERIN' BRO, which clues the solution: HANK AARON, whose nickname is "The Hammer".

This is the first of several puzzles in the Hunt that were originally proposed as metapuzzles and were repurposed into regular puzzles after not getting selected as metas.

TINGLING: Prickling sensation 
OVERLY: Excessively 
BROOMS: Curling implements
WARMER: Nearer, in a children's game
SMITHERS: Burns' admirer
WEIGHT: Burden
ISLES: Shivering, e.g.
JONAH: Book read on Yom Kippur
MARIA: Name of the wind, in song
MAYANS: 2012 prophets
MARKER: Gates McFadden vehicle
GRIME: Dirt
BLURS: Makes hazy
COIN: Mystery hunt prize
MANX: Recently revived Celtic language
BOOBIE: #1 Cavalier nickname
TAPPER: Classic bartending game
CHOPS: Popular pork cuts

RINGLING	TINGLING	 T
EVERLY		OVERLY		 O
BROOKS		BROOMS		 M
WARNER		WARMER		 M
SMOTHERS	SMITHERS	 I
WRIGHT		WEIGHT		 E
ISLEY		ISLES		 S
JONAS		JONAH		 H
MARIO		MARIA		 A
WAYANS		MAYANS		 M
PARKER		MARKER		 M
GRIMM		GRIME		 E
BLUES		BLURS		 R
COEN		COIN		 I
MARX		MANX		 N 
DOOBIE		BOOBIE		 B 
TAPPET		TAPPER		 R
CHAPS		CHOPS		 O