The humble goomba.

In the course of battling through innumerable levels and jumping over all kinds of stuff, Mario and Luigi were plagued by all kinds of bad guy flunkies. Goombas, Koopa Troopas, you name it, they had to deal with them before breakfast. But which of them was the most awesome?

Image: NeoGAF

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata held his keynote at GDC today, and he did not disappoint.

He confirmed a new 3D Mario game for 3DS is on its way (that is to say, a game with polygonal graphics with stereoscopic effects and with Mario 64/Mario Galaxy style 3D gameplay). The game is being developed by the same team that made Galaxy and Galaxy 2, so odds of face-breaking quality are high.

Only a few screens were shown, but they betray two important facts: Mario can lose his hat and the graphics are spectacular. The game’s logo was also shown, and it includes a “tail,” which indicates that either the “Super Leaf” or “Tanooki Suit” upgrades from Mario 3 are back. I have to wager on the Super Leaf.

“Some” say the 3D effects allowed by the 3DS allow for more precise jumping in 3D space.

Source: NeoGAF

Image: Nintendo.

In a new installment of the ever-amusing “Iwata Asks” series that Nintendo runs on its official site, Lord Miyamoto declared:

Yes. So, in the interests of adopting new technology for the Super Mario Bros. tradition, I am now making a new Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo 3DS system.

…

Yes. (laughs) I want to show everyone as soon as possible what the new Super Mario Bros. will be like on the Nintendo 3DS.

I feel it necessary at this point to recycle my own material and state in the most dignified fashion possible: augh augh augh, give me Mario, augh augh augh. Let’s hope the laughing genius behind plumbing’s most famous practitioner is serious about this latest promise.

Don’t be too hasty in assuming Shigeru is planning a new installment in the “New” series of Mario games, either. Only a couple of months ago, he was talking about making games of both the 3D play-style and 2D play-style that have diverged for the 3DS.

Source: Gamespot

]]> http://shufflingdead.com/videos/sdgr/super-mario-all-stars-25th-anniversary-edition-review.php/feed 0 http://shufflingdead.com/news/the-miyamoto-saga-promoting-greed-over-healthy-eating.php http://shufflingdead.com/news/the-miyamoto-saga-promoting-greed-over-healthy-eating.php#comments Fri, 24 Dec 2010 20:51:18 +0000 Newbs http://shufflingdead.com/?p=12103

Image: New Super Mario Bros. Wii coin. Copyright Nintendo. From Super Mario Wiki.

There’s no denying the joy of collecting coins in Super Mario Bros. They look shiny and appealing, and that “ting” sound effect is just so satisfying.

Legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto made the conscious decision to go with coins over another collectable idea he had, fruit, because he feared the healthy snacks may cause players to become confused and run away. Miyamoto explains “we were thinking about something that anybody would look at and go ‘I definitely want that!,’ we thought, ‘Yep, it’s gotta be money.’”

Well said Miyamoto. I can’t even imagine the number of coins Mario has now collected all-time, world-wide.

Source: GoNintendo

In a recent interview with USA Today, Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto correctly identified Super Mario World as his favourite in the Mario series. His reasoning? It combined the gameplay of the original Super Mario Bros. with the excitement of the overworld map.

In an interview with Techland, the father of Donkey Kong also admitted “I’m a little embarrassed but Mario is sort of my doppelgänger.” Come to think of it, Miyamoto might look pretty good with a moustache.

It wasn’t all fun during that Techland interview, however, as Miyamoto also heavily hinted at a Wii Music sequel. Apparently, the new game holds “potential,” as “we’re going to change it up, a new interface is coming, and all of that.” Thankfully, Mario’s good name won’t be sullied by an appearance in any such title, Miyamoto feels the plumber’s fingers are too short to play instruments.

Image: Adapted from E3 2010 Nintendo Media Event – Mr Shigeru Miyamoto demos the new Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword by popculturegeek.com under a CC-BY license.

During a recent earnings briefing, Mario maestro Miyamoto was asked about the plump plumber’s future on 3DS.

Shigeru, or Shiggy as I call him, explained that he plans to make both New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Galaxy style games for the system. That is to say, Nintendo will be working on games with polygonal graphics that are stuck on a 2D plane, and others that will allow the player to venture into the third dimension. Of course, both will have 3D effects (that is to say, the Avatar kind of 3D).

Miyamoto’s response resulted in a humorous aside with his boss, CEO Satoru Iwata, or Sats as I call him. Iwata remarked “You went more in-depth than I’d been expected. This is the first I’ve heard of this.” Miyamoto’s response? “No good? Don’t tell any game magazine people.” That’s pretty funny to people like me, who maintain a sense of belonging by pretending we are friends with rich and eccentric middle-aged Japanese men.

Source: andriasang
Image: Super Mario Galaxy 2. Nintendo.

In the spirit of Halloween, I would like to remind everyone that The Walking Dead TV series debuts tonight.

Nintendo has finally announced that they will be bringing the Super Mario Collection to North America on December 12. This is the Super Mario All-Stars port the rest of the world already knew it was getting a long time ago. It’s $30 and you get an art book and CD along with the games. Maybe it’s worth it as a collectible, I don’t know. Newbs tells me he already owns most of the games in the package about six times over.

In a strange turn, the great bloviator Rush Limbaugh has decided to support video gaming in its battle against the state of California. The Supreme Court will soon hear arguments in the debate over a state’s right to limit the sale of certain video games to minors. Nice try Rush, but you would love to limit many rights to many people in all kinds of other ways, I still hate you.

Self-described “troll” Colm Coss of Manchester has been jailed for 18 weeks after he trolled Facebook memorial pages. Another indication that the internet is leaking into reality.

Steve Jobs wasn’t too happy about Microsoft’s purchase of Halo maker Bungie. He even called up Steve Ballmer to complain as soon as he got the news.

Battlestar Galactica spin-off Caprica has been cancelled. The good news is that Syfy has ordered a pilot for a new BSG series called Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome, which will follow the antics of young William Adama during the first Cylon war.

Finally, I should probably mention that Chicagoans had a few chances in October, and will have more in November, to go see “Boobs and Goombas: A Super Mario Burlesque.” Could be hot.

As you can see, many responders thankfully chose the correct answer, putting Mario on top. That guy would rescue you no matter what. Phoenix Wright is also a good choice, he just seems like a chill dude who you could get along with. I’m less convinced of Snake as a friend though. How long could you put up with his voice?

[source]

Although it landed several years after Mario’s debut as Jump Man in Donkey Kong, SMB has ultimately become Mario’s most famous appearance. Until Wii Sports, the game was the world’s best selling, at over 40 million copies moved. It can also take credit for popularizing the NES, and revitalizing the video game market in North America.

Super Mario Bros. profoundly changed the world. Video games would not be what they are today, in both financial and artistic terms, if it were not for this game. The music, levels, and characters of Super Mario Bros. are engrained in the very core of popular culture. It is for many their earliest, and also most fond, gaming memory.

[source]

Over the years, Nintendo has repeatedly set Donkey Kong and Bowser up as rivals and equals. Both race the same in Mario Kart, play the same in Mario Tennis, and are clearly both capable of kidnapping the same princess. Nintendo has pitted these two titans against each other again and again, and each time the result is a mirror-image staring match.

So lets throw these two into a no-items, three-stock, winner takes all grudge match in Hyrule Temple and let history decide once and for all. Who Would Win in a Fight Between Bowser and Donkey Kong?

[image source]

Through the power of photography, mrksaari over on flickr has realized an awesome, violent, and zombified visual style for the Mario gang. Hit the link above to view more from his series, including a close-up of Zomb-Toad that is sure to terrify.

Welcome back to Games In Review. Today, we’ll be reaching way back into my childhood to the ol’ SNES days and reviewing Super Mario RPG.

Story

The game starts out like any other Mario game: the Princess is missing, and it looks like Bowser is up to his old tricks again. After a bit of investigating, however, we discover that the true culprit behind all of the goings on is a villain named Smithy, a smith, who has somehow managed to put a stop order on all the wishes in the stars. If he isn’t stopped, nobody’s wishes will ever come true again…

Gameplay

As the title might imply, this is a Mario game, except it’s an RPG. The usual Mario linear world map applies, and each area is free movement until Mario gets into an encounter, followed by a turn-based battle to the death. I’ve gotta say, this game is full of Mario-themed fun. Lots of running, jumping, dodging enemies, and movement based mini-games; it’s a hell of a good time. Mario once again navigates the world with runs and jumps. This game was a refreshing change from the simple Mario platformers more common with the franchise to this point, as Mario was free to move in eight directions.

Mario is joined in combat by four friends: Princess Toadstool, Bowser, and two new characters; Geno and Mallow. Each has varying strengths, weaknesses, spells, etc. What is really different about this game is the Timed Hit functions. Each weapon has a method of timing to it that allows extra damage, what other RPGs usually deem a critical hit. This game allows you to, if you’re paying attention, constantly dump critical hits on your enemies. The spells work the same way after a fashion. You might have to press Y repeatedly, or hold Y to charge depending on the spell, but the game ends up being some button-mashing fun.

Graphics

For a Super Nintendo game, this game has amazing graphics. Well-rendered sprites abound and bounce around the screen and our heroic plumber’s frantic gait takes us past well-rendered environments. No grainy crap for this game.

Sound

Just what you would expect from Mario, the soundtrack is perfectly fitting for the game. It almost seems to fit the mood everywhere. From exploring the Mushroom Kingdom town to battling the Axem Rangers, Super Mario RPG manages to keep it’s sound on track throughout. Sound effects are the usual Nintendo bonks and smashes, but my only complaint is possibly the battle music. I found that it started to get old fairly quickly.

Overall

This game is beautiful, and an absolute treat to play. The story moves along quickly, and the game can be played through in a relatively short amount of time without missing anything important. The characters are fun, and the dialogue is certainly entertaining. And let’s not forget that this game introduced one of the most iconic characters of all time, the infamous Chef Torte. With all of the new-gen games on my shelf, I could easily sit myself down and play through this title again.

Gameplay:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall:

His beginnings were humble, starting as a mere partner for Wario in that first game, but Waluigi has become a vital part of the Mario universe. This lanky, awkward looking potential rapist has shown up in everything from Mario Party to DDR: Mario Mix since his debut, and the world is truly better for it.

If only Charles Martinet would get his way, and Waluigi could finally land that starring role he’s so deserving of.

[source]

Muramasa: Spoiler alert: this game’s got an SDGR review coming up. Another spoiler: we’re very positive about it. Muramasa is a joy. From the beauty of its art-style to the simplicity of its beat-em-up play, the game never fails to entertain. Even in its bizarrely long backtracking sessions, the game maintains an hypnotic draw.

Pokémon Platinum: Garage sales are simultaneously my best friend and worst enemy. They lure me in with the hope of bargains and hidden treasures, and all too often let me down with absences of games, or, worse yet, abundances of games to spend money on. I picked up Kirby Super Star Ultra and Pokémon Platinum at one earlier this summer. I had to get Pokémon out of curiosity, I hadn’t played one since the GameBoy Color era, and it seemed time to finally check if the sluggish menus had been fixed. Of course they had. Platinum maintains the simple design of the old games I remember so well, and still finds room for all the conveniences of modern game design.

Stay tuned for another Dungeon’s Boss in a couple weeks when I update the database for Q2 2010.

The woman hates Mario Galaxy 2, and for all the wrong reasons. In a recent Feedback session over at G4 (her insanity starts in at about 24:30), Webb decided to go on a 90s-style anti-Nintendo “kiddy” trip. She exclaimed the game “looks too cartoony for me,” and went so far as to announce “I’m not four.” She says she loves platformers, and supposedly loves Mario as much as anyone, but that the second highest rated game of all time isn’t adult enough for her.

I made Morgan Shameful Human of the Week back in November of 2009 when she trolled lovers of the first Galaxy hard by claiming it was “aimed so much for kids,” that she prefered Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time. It seems the release of its sequel was an unmissable chance for more poorly argued ranting.

Hopper’s passing follows the death of 80′s TV legend Gary Coleman, who died Friday from an intracranial hemorrhage.

Sources: Reuters, CNN

The voice of Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi himself, Charles Martinet recently recognized the plight of Waluigi, stating he would “love to see a Waluigi game where you have to cheat to win, ya know. That would be funny.”

I’ve always wanted to so the purple one join his three brothers (he is related to them, isn’t he?) in a proper Mario adventure. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the perfect opportunity, and yet the chance was wasted by giving playable spots to Ala-Gold and Bucken-Berry instead.

[source]

Quick aside: this video stands as Shufflingdead.com’s 1000 post.

]]> http://shufflingdead.com/comics/neckwolf/where-in-the-galaxy-is-mario.php/feed 0 http://shufflingdead.com/news/new-super-mario-galaxy-2-and-metroid-other-m-trailers.php http://shufflingdead.com/news/new-super-mario-galaxy-2-and-metroid-other-m-trailers.php#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:51:20 +0000 Newbs http://shufflingdead.com/?p=5361 Nintendo continues to amaze with their willingness to actually show off their products. New trailers for Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M have just surfaced.

This new Galaxy 2 footage shows off several new aspects of the game. For starters, it now appears certain that Galaxy 2‘s levels will be navigated via the “branching path” style, usually reserved for Mario’s 2D outings, rather than the “hub world” method originated in Mario 64. Flag checkpoints also appear to have finally made the transition from 2D to 3D Mario. A new “Rock Mario” suit also appears, which turns the plump plumber into a Geodude-looking rolling rock. The video also shows Yoshi grabbing a “Light” power-up that allows him to navigate what would otherwise be the deadly void of space.

Metroid: Other M‘s new trailer has finally got me believing. I still feel a little Metroid-ed out, but the transitions from sidescrolling to first-person mode appear quick, and the action of the game overall seems fast, and I dare say, furious. It’s strange how this Wii-mote-turned-sideways thing has inspired Nintendo developers to go back and explore retro playstyles, and yet the N64 and GameCube controllers were just as, if not more, capable of doing the same kinds gameplay.

]]> http://shufflingdead.com/comics/neckwolf/luigis-legend.php/feed 0 http://shufflingdead.com/news/more-mario-galaxy-2-footage-to-wank-over.php http://shufflingdead.com/news/more-mario-galaxy-2-footage-to-wank-over.php#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:28:57 +0000 Newbs http://shufflingdead.com/?p=4855

Yesterday, we brought you some seriously arousing Nintendo news, including plenty of Mario Galaxy 2 media, but a little more footage has surfaced, and I can’t help but post it. This game just looks so good it inspires me out of laziness.

Watch the video above to see more of Mario’s battle with the penis monster, as well as plenty of Yoshi action, and even a little more of that “giant” galaxy I’m massively excited about.

Famitsu polled their throngs of dedicated losers for who they consider to be the coolest game character, and the otaku responded by depriving more deserving characters like Mario and Link. Snake most likely won because he betrayed Nintendo and switched to being a PlayStation-focused character, which is exactly what all of the worst people in the world, that is to say, most people, did too.

The list is full of absurdity. Additional upsets include Mario in second place, Sora from Kingdom Hearts above Link, the dog-god thing from Okami above Pikachu, and Luigi in at 18 instead of on the list of least-cool characters.

Hit the jump for the top 15.

1. Snake
2. Mario
3. Cloud Strife
4. Slimes from Dragon Quest
5. Sora
6. Link
7. Yuri Lowell
8. Amaterasu
9. Pikachu
10. Sonic
11. Kazuma Kiryu
12. Kirby
13. The Felynes from Monster Hunter
14. Toro, Sony’s PlayStation pseudo-mascot
15. Professor Layton

[source]

[Image source]

Source: This Creature of the Week comes to us partly from reality, and partly from mythology, it’s the Japanese raccoon dog known as the tanuki (sometimes spelled “tanooki”). Tanuki have a special place in Japanese folklore, and statues of them can often be found outside Japanese temples and restaurants. The tanuki of folklore is known to be mischievous, jolly, a master of disguise, absent-minded, and the possessor of a giant scrotum.

Depicted Above: Most westerners know the tanuki from the rare Tanooki suit item from Super Mario Bros. 3, which seems to have been inspired by the folklore version of the tanuki. Since Mario games were always intended to have family appeal, the massive set of balls which tanuki are traditionally represented as possessing were omitted from the suit. I have remastered Mario as he should have appeared in the game while wearing the suit, and placed him against some traditional Japanese art in order to remind the viewer of the tanuki’s proud history in Japanese culture.

Vital Statistics: The tanuki’s big belly is said to symbolize bold decisiveness, and his even bigger balls are said to represent financial luck. Tom Nook of Animal Crossing is also a tanuki. His giant testicles are represented metaphorically by means of the outrageous demands he makes upon the player.

Fury Factor: 2300.

Someone by the name of NicoNico Douga has used the art of Automatic Mario, that is the creation of Mario levels using Super Mario World assets which play themselves, to perform Queen’s glorious anthem “Don’t Stop Me Now.” The masterpiece actually recreates the parts performed by all four of the band’s members separately.

Since we’re on the subject, how about another Mario video using the same song?

I love that one, it reminds me of how fucking awesome Galaxy is. Now for one more video, since I’m on a role. You’ve probably seen this, but it’s The Muppets performing Bohemian Rhapsody.

]]> http://shufflingdead.com/news/dont-stop-me-now-with-automatic-mario.php/feed 0 http://shufflingdead.com/videos/sdgr/new-super-mario-bros-wii-review.php http://shufflingdead.com/videos/sdgr/new-super-mario-bros-wii-review.php#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:54:23 +0000 Newbs http://shufflingdead.com/?p=2632

]]> http://shufflingdead.com/videos/sdgr/new-super-mario-bros-wii-review.php/feed 0 http://shufflingdead.com/news/captain-lou-mario-albano-has-died.php http://shufflingdead.com/news/captain-lou-mario-albano-has-died.php#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:01:57 +0000 Newbs http://shufflingdead.com/?p=2458 At the age of 76, Lou Albano, who played Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, has died. Sadly, this legend of my childhood, and I’m sure many others, will no longer be able to hang out with live-action Inspector Gadget. Lou Albano was also known as a wrestling manager in the WWE, and for showing up in Cyndi Lauper music videos.

[source]