its-a-mario-world
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It's-a Mario World: Classic Secrets
Along with the New Year's celebration comes a heap of (potentially unrealistic) personal resolutions for the future and an equal dose of nostalgic recollection of 2008. You have already seen our 10 Best Games of 2008 and the 10 you should have downloaded among dozens of other annual lists, so your sense of hindsight should be fairly well-attuned during this first weekend of 2009. So where, you might ask, does our Mario fit in?This week we are highlighting some classic Mario game secrets which did not necessarily occur in 2008, but which should nevertheless be recalled during all possible occasions if only to reaffirm our steadfast allegiance. These recollections are like wormholes to our early platforming pasts, histories in which the surprising discovery of a well-hidden 1-up or warp zone could redefine the realm of the possible in the Land of the Mushrooms. Yeah, and they are also reminders of what we were doing earlier today. Now, we are no soothsayers, but it's a good bet that 2009 will be full of more coin-hoarding, cape-rippling good times. For now, though, let's look back at some of the top secret areas of early Mario games. Warp to the gallery! It's-a Mario World is a recurring feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated. Check back each week to find out what strange and wonderful thing has us seeing power stars. * * * Links of the week: The beat behind Mario 3! | Aren't the Olympic Games over? | Mario > 2008? | This is a Mario Thermos!
It's-a Mario World: Our Unfulfilled Christmas List
In the days immediately following Christmas, we do several things: Sink hours into replaying timeless Mario classics (currently we're collecting Ace coins in Super Mario Advance), ponder all kinds of Mario-related things we could buy with our Christmas money and begin scrawling out a list of Mario gifts we want for next Christmas. Pretty standard, right? Problem is, there are so many wonderful Mario trinkets and toys that have been released in the last twenty years that it's hard to decide which search terms to use on eBay.Worry not, Mario fiends! This week we present a gallery teeming with Mario stocking-stuffers old and new. Yeah, some of them were released only in Japan over ten years ago, but that doesn't mean we can't covet them greedily. Others are available on shelves at the time of writing. Either way, you're sure to be amazed at the breadth of material goods upon which Mario's trademark has been shamelessly stamped. Check out these sweet toys! It's-a Mario World is a recurring feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated. Check back each week to find out what strange and wonderful thing has us seeing power stars. * * * Link of the week: Mario vs. Master Chief!
It's-a Mario World: Sweating the Small Stuff
The holidays are a time for cheer and gift-giving, but it isn't quite the holidays yet. Instead of subscribing to that whole positive spirit thing, we're going to continue venting our frustrations from last week, only this time with an finger pointed at the tiny enemies that sneak under our skin. "But wait," you ask, "aren't you just channeling unrelated rage at the simple challenges of a video game?" Probably. But try saying that with a group of Micro-Goombas crawling all over you.Check out this new gallery spotlighting a few of Mario's smaller (but no less menacing) foes. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated. Check back every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps. * * * Links of the week: Literal Mario paint! | Predictably rehashed boxart! | Club Nintendo Mario swag! | Wintry new Mario Kart tournament!
It's-a Mario World: Infuriating Items
Let's make one point very clear from the onset: The Mario Kart series has thoroughly rocked our boxers since 1992. Despite some shortcomings we still have pretty high praise for Wii's latest iteration, and most fanboys agree that there currently exists no better Nintendo Wi-Fi experience. For everything Mario Kart does right, though, there always seems to be a cheaply overpowered item that renders even the most skilled racer indefensible.So this is us venting. We have seen too many races (and online VR points) slip away on account of nasty item distribution. The series' long-standing method of reserving the best (or at least most destructive) pickups for trailing racers can be especially frustrating to those who would have otherwise earned a legitimate first place rank. Competition, in effect, is deadened by a deliberately equalized playing field. Mario Kart's algorithm for item probability is more at fault than the items themselves, but you know you've cussed out a spiny blue shell before. Now get angry with us in our new rant gallery. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated. Check back every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps. * * * Links of the week: SMB clone revived! | Mario Tennis comes out swingin'! | Delgrego disses the Party! Get him! | New Mario and Luigi 3 screens!
It's-a Mario World: Coin Heaven
One of the first things we do Friday morning is pull out our huge Mario-themed dartboard from under the bed, blindfold ourselves, take a small sip of OJ, spin 2.5 times, then wildly toss sharp darts at what we hope is not anything expensive. When that whole process is finished, usually we have landed a dart somewhere on the board, thus determining our topic for It's-a Mario World that day. Just so happens today we're talking about coins. And you're going to like it. Please like it.Today we are also introducing a hip new aspect to our already fairly hip feature. At the bottom of this post you'll notice a place where we have listed "links of the week," where we will hereafter link you to recent Mario content on WiiFanboy as well as to other cool Mario thingamajigs on the Intertubes. Hopefully, this will serve as a means for all of us to continue agitating our unhealthy addictions to Mario & friends. Before you go clicking away on them, though, check out our new gallery in which the currency of the Mushroom Kingdom is discussed at uncomfortable length. Coins! It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated. Check back every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps. * * * Links of the week: Wario steals Born for Wii! | Real Mario-karting in France! | Cheap BK toys! | Mario Paint lives! | Jazzed SMB2 theme!
It's-a Mario World: Mushroom Feast
Commence with the spending frenzy! Black Friday's door-busting sales and no-holds-barred consumer fistfights initiate holiday shopping today, and that means the annual limited-edition Nintendo swag is now being clawed from store shelves. As many of you know, this year is no slouch with two new DS Lite colors, one of which is a phenomenal Mario-red. No cause for alarm; some foaming at the mouth is to be expected. Almost harder to believe is DS Fanboy's current giveaway where one lucky reader will take it home free. The rest of us can bag it at Amazon.com while supplies last.ANYWAYS. We still have a gallery this week amidst all of the excitement. It started out as a series of photographs capturing every possible angle of the aforementioned DS Lite, but that didn't quite work. Instead, being so stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey and delicious pumpkin pie, we couldn't help thinking about what comprises Mario's diet. The short answer? Mushrooms. Lots of them. Seriously, what is it about fungus? Chomp down on our new gallery in which you'll taste a smorgasbord of 'shroom varieties Mario has consumed throughout his career. Yum. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: Two Years on Wii
As both game character and flagship intellectual property, Mario has long been the focal point of Nintendo's efforts. Thanks in no small part to creative genius Shiggy Miyamoto, Mario's adventures have ushered in some of the most pivotal games in the history of electronic entertainment. His moves have established and defined the entire platforming genre, and he almost single-handedly paved the way from 2D to 3D action-adventure games.To put these landmark achievements into perspective, consider the Wii: This week marks the second birthday of Nintendo's current money-printing console. To what extent has Mario enriched the platform in the two years it has been sold out available? The increasingly casual (and characteristically generic) orientation of popular first-party titles like Wii Sports and Wii Fit have stolen some of the Nintendo spotlight from under the 'stach of our able plumber, and the marketing appeal of the Wii Remote has powerfully overshadowed the age-old run and jump control mechanic. Does Mario still sell games? Good god, yes. But how much have his games determined the success of the Wii? In this week's gallery, we examine the significance of Mario's Wii appearances to date. Enjoy! It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: Super Educational
Greetings, Mario fanatics young and old! Finally, after innumerable requests and a handful of death threats, we are responding to high demand for a gallery wholly dedicated to educational Mario games. Awesome, let's learn! So, what is it Mario is going to be teaching us anyway?As it turns out, quite a lot. His heroic deeds over the years have promoted such abstract virtues as bravery, selflessness and chivalric duty, but at the end of the day, hands-on skills and craftiness are to be rewarded. Rarely has Mario demonstrated his alleged ability to install and repair plumbing (aside from setting flame to the occasional pipe-dwelling piranha plant), and one must wonder whether he ever spends time away from his eccentric and widely-varied hobbies, like being an athlete in virtually any sport and solving picture logic puzzles. Does Mario know anything worth teaching? Ride a hyperlink over to our new gallery stuffed with pedagogy and find out! Oh, and bring a notepad. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: Yoshi Spinoffs
Remember last night when we broke into spontaneous discussion about Yoshi during our weekly Game Night assembly? Oh, that's right, you weren't there for some lame reason, opting instead to race computer-controlled players in a sad, lonely session of Mario Kart's single player Grand Prix. For shame. Just know that you missed a hell of a time, and although Yoshi was only mentioned in passing (i.e. the word "Yoshi" was typed once or twice), you still should have been there to see it happen. Maybe next Thursday, then?But isn't it high time we payed tribute to Mario's egg-dispensing, always-hungry dinosaur steed? Yoshi has been around since the prevalence of big, bulky cartridges, and while he has not always played a large role in Mario's adventures, his lovable character has spawned a handful of spinoff titles that exist almost entirely without Mario's help (well, sort of--only one of the Yoshi games have "Mario" in the title). Our new gallery spotlights Yoshi then & now, detailing all of his starring roles in between. Now saddle up, unfurl your tongue and gobble down everything in sight. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps. For additional Mario jollies, sing along here or express your U.S. nationalism by experiencing this strange flash game which finds president-elect Barack Obama and Super Mario World inextricably combined. Wow.
It's-a Mario World: Curious Costumes
Costumes are an integral part of any proper Halloween celebration, and we didn't have it in our little video gaming hearts to exclude Dear Mario from today's internationally recognized festivities. This is because we are obsessively enamored with Him, yes, sometimes to the extent of unnecessarily capitalizing pronouns, but also because we are under a rigorous blogging contract by penalty of death. Thus, we come to your monitor on this spooky evening with a mind for Mario's unconventional garb. It isn't often that we see Mario dressed in anything other than his trademark overalls. Even in his more athletic role he seems to prefer his mainstay red and blue outfit, however constricting and warm it may be, topped with his all-too-familiar cap. So any time we see him decked out in a fancy suit or in powered up form, we do a double take. Today we have gone ahead and compiled some of these less usual costumes in a new gallery that will FRIGHTEN and AMAZE, probably. Get to it! It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: Mushroom Matriarchy
This week we knew we wanted to talk about females in the Mario universe, but we couldn't decide on an angle. "Mario's Love Life"? Too scandalous. "Damsels in Distress"? Anti-feminist. It seems almost offensive to feature a gallery with such a generalized premise as female characters (as opposed to something as specific as Rare Koopa Kids and Underrated Mini-Bosses Golfing at E3). But then we realized, maybe the mere fact that there are hardly enough major female characters to populate a gallery substantiates the need for one. Women are criminally underrepresented in Mario games and in the industry at large, but today we'd like to call attention to some of the lovely ladies shining through an otherwise testosterone-fueled bachelor party.Most female characters in Mario adventure games are ridiculously susceptible to kidnapping and all manner of perilous occasion. Today, though, let's look at them without the cliched rescue plot and inane stereotyping. Here's a gallery of females worth giving all of your lives for. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: Fan Art
This week has been relatively quiet in terms of Mario-related news, but should that deter us from our regularly scheduled plumber fanfare? If you answered "yes," you're wrong. It was a trick question. Today is Friday and we are going to damn well talk about Mario. We don't take this feature lightly. In fact, each Friday the WiiFanboy offices are rife with Mario cosplay and Mush Kingdom decor. We even release various species of turtles and name them after the Koopa Kids to keep us company during the course of the rigid blogging workday.* This blogger is presently sporting his sweet denim overalls, beneath of which are a pair of Goomba boxer briefs that he probably grew out of years ago and a Toad tank top that reads, "I'm the best!!" So! All things considered, let's dive into this thing. Today we're admiring Mario fan art, and our new gallery is comprised of what we feel to be the outstanding work among so many scribbled Mario atrocities on the Internet. We kept this collection mostly limited to hand drawings, digital renders and photographs, which means you won't be seeing any wedding cakes. Now kick back and click through!*No turtles were harmed during the making of this blog. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: Golf Career
This past Monday was met with the Virtual Console re-release of Nintendo 64's fairly amazing golf outing, Mario Golf. As you can probably imagine, there are few things that excite us more than a Mario release, and especially so since an aging game such as this one might be overlooked without the VC service. But setting aside our hopeless allegiance, golf is a sport in which Mario has long participated (along with tennis), and today we are clinking glasses with his extensive career on the greens.The best-known Mario golf games are those developed by Camelot Software Planning as part of their ongoing Mario Golf series, totaling four games to date. While arguably the best in terms of gameplay and all-inclusive Mario thematics (i.e. playable Mushroom Kingdom characters and related powerups), the Mario Golf games were by no means the first to introduce our fair plumber to the course links and a set of irons. Indulge in our new gallery for the full story. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: In the fall conference
As you all well know, Nintendo's fall media summit dropped some serious megatons this week. In the wake of a fairly exciting press conference, the Internet is predictably bustling with skeptics reaching for a reason to be angry with Nintendo's business model. But to be fair, Tuesday's presentation sort of displaces the disappointment of E3. So how should we interpret this onrushing flood of Nintendo news? If you have any idea what this feature is about, you know where we're headed."But wait," we hear you ask, "is it healthy to filter all of our life experiences through a Mario-centric worldview?" And the answer, fair reader, is yes. Perfectly healthy. So let's begin: Aside from the obvious Mario & Luigi 3, how does our Super Bro factor in to Nintendo's recent news? Direct your attention to this week's gallery in which we process all of this hubbub in terms we know best. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's a WARIO World: Transformations
We couldn't help ourselves--Mario fashion is so last Friday. In case you didn't notice, maybe because you were too busy getting domineered by the formidable boss roster of Mega Man 9, a little game called Wario Land: Shake It! landed at retailers on Tuesday. And you can bet we've been shaking it all week (besides listening to Charles Martinet ham it up, of course). What better way to welcome this momentous release than to dedicate our humble gallery to the big scoundrel himself? It is appropriate that we have transformed this feature to accommodate Wario's oversized rear end. Transformations are Wario's speciality; whether he is provoked by status-changing characters or influenced by elements of his environment, Wario relies on his many forms to effectively navigate level design. Adopting forms that range from animal to mechanical, this rude evil genius is unquestionably a Master of Disguise. Let's take a look back at the numerous transformations Wario has undergone in our new gallery chock full of yellow, purple and poor manners. It's-a WARIO World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's EVIL GENIUS is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax garlic pizza, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess MY treasure and covet troves of gold. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps shaking our butts.
It's-a Mario World: Final Bosses
The workweek is nearly over, which means it's time again to rehash the delightful, if discontinuous, mythology of the Mushroom Kingdom and its many colorful characters. Last week we had you grinding the gears of mini-boss semantics while ogling the usual gallery-candy, and today we want to continue in a similar vein. But let's up the ante, shall we? Who are the real bosses Mario has battled? No more of this egg-spitting mediocrity and three-hit nonsense. Half-assed baddies, step aside.The road has been long for Mario, and each of his victories have been marked with the defeat of a substantial villain, restoring order to various kingdoms and rescuing their fair and easily kidnapped damsels. The extended Koopa Troop family has long been a threat to the 'stache, but who are these other punitive powers that precede the credit screens? Let's take a gander at final bosses in a new gallery rife with heavyweight evildoing. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: Mini-Boss Mayhem
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Mario_s_10_greatest_mini_bosses'; Last week we prompted some rich scholarly debate about Bowser's kids, as literally hundreds of comments (precise statistics unverified) argued back and forth as to whether the Koopaling characters are worth a damn. Today we return to pose another question: What are mini-bosses, exactly? Are they, like, regular Koopas after chomping down a few mini-mushrooms? Are they the less-popular bosses who have shrunken from our memories? What is so miniature about a mini-boss? Size? Reputation? Well, neither, really. A mini-boss might be defined as an antagonist too powerful to be categorized as a standard henchman, yet too weak to provoke any controller-throwing frustration. Much like their more difficult counterparts--area and final bosses--mini-bosses are usually faced in an enclosed, 1-on-1 setting, albeit with considerably less fanfare. With some exceptions, no trumpets sound as they enter, and no medals are award when they are defeated. Mini-bosses occupy a liminal position in villainy as the halfway hurdles of an overarching challenge. Mario has encountered dozens of these types, a few of which have continued their careers as playable characters in sports and party titles. But do you recall the most famous reindeer mini-bosses of all? We hope so, because we've stuffed a piping hot new gallery full of 'em. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps. And if that isn't good enough, check out the retro Mario you never knew in the latest, greatest Virtually Overlooked.
It's-a Mario World: Koopa Kids
Lately we have found ourselves pondering the Koopa family lineage in all of its complexity. Bowser seems to have outdone himself in the procreation department, but no one seems to know who mothered his children. It seems likely that Princess Peach did at least some of the laboring, given the amount of time she has spent in captivity with Bowser, but Bowletta or Kammy Koopa could have just as easily nursed a Koopaling or two. Details of intimacy between King Koopa and females in the Mushroom Kingdom remain relatively obscured. Regardless, we know that at least 8 children were born to him and his anonymous bedmate(s), with dozens more probably carrying the Koopa genes.Of course, the Koopa kids first appeared in the famed Super Mario Bros. 3. After two subsequent SNES games they vanished for ten years (excluding games like Hotel Mario, which no one really played anyway) until resurfacing in 2003's Game Boy Advance RPG, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, albeit without any dialogue or consequence to the main plot. We are left wondering how they dropped from the radar so abrupty, and why they have recently been condensed into the new Koopaling on the block, Bowser Jr. While such questions might be attributed to marketing and sales the phases of the moon, we can still pay homage to the classic Koopa kids in our new gallery. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
It's-a Mario World: In the Batter's Box
In case you are a newcomer to the unchecked exuberance characteristic of It's-a Mario World, you should know that we are obsessed with the thematic nuances of the Mushroom Kingdom. From the trivial to the crucial, we like to keep up on what's happening in the Mario universe, particularly since much if its mythology is further developed with each new release. That said, we should no doubt acknowledge the most recent entry into the Mario canon, Mario Super Sluggers.Because we are incapable of making any objective evaluations of Mario-related content in this feature, this is not our review for Sluggers. Instead, think of this as unwrapping the cellophane. Well, tearing it off. Then rolling around in it just shouting, "Let's-a play ball, woo-hoo!!!" If you're not into that kind of thing, or prefer reading a critical analysis, refer to our official game review (I'm assured it will be up on the site on Monday). Otherwise, spread out your capes and fly to our new gallery, in which we highlight nine characters who make one hell of a batting lineup. *Note that this gallery features some unlockable content, and therefore possible spoilers. Now, go read it anyway. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps. Is your rabid lust for Mario yet to be satiated? Check out this week's new Virtually Overlooked for more Mario goodness.
It's-a Mario World: The Lost Premises
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/The_Mario_games_that_never_were'; Being a solitary Mario fanatic is rewarding in its own right, but when the obsession is affirmed by other people, gaming geekery reaches new heights. More cultural icon than game character, Mario has inspired everything from an animated television series to an extremely lengthy scarf. And probably a couple of other things in between, like cakes and stuff. Most recently, though, we've become infatuated with the thriving community over at VGBoxArt.com, a website dedicated to all kinds of game box artwork, both real and imagined.Barring occasionally subpar Photoshop skills, voluntary contributors to the site's public database have created an interesting collection of box art. Whether it be a reinterpretation of an existing cover or a completely new idea for a game, box art in the Wii category is worth checking out. Of course, the Mario-themed works take precedence in this humble feature, and we've assembled a new gallery showcasing the finer of the bunch. Click on and imagine the Mario games you'll likely never see. It's-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo's flagship character is celebrated: We'll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
