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Ben Heck's Hackbotz, part 1
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-2").style.display="none";}catch(e){} With the return of BattleBots and Robot Wars, The Ben Heck Show team produce a real-life Nintendo Mario Kart battle arena with robot kits. In this first of a three-part series, the robots are assembled -- and weaponized -- without instructions. Join Ben as he shows us how to combine motor controller driver hardware with a custom LiPo battery pack. Meanwhile, Felix introduces us to XBee to wirelessly remote control the robots, and considers using Bluetooth with an Intel Edison chip. However, Felix is keeping his weaponizing details under wraps; it'll have to be something good since Karen has something crazy in mind! Tell us your ideas for your battling robots over at the element14 Community.
Nintendo tour lets you try 3DS games this summer
If you or your kids are jonesing for something to do this summer but would rather play Super Mario Bros. than go on vacation, Nintendo has your back. It's launching a free Play Nintendo Tour that, as the name implies, gives you a chance to play a range of 3DS games in a kid-friendly environment. On top of getting to try some of Nintendo's better-known titles (ranging from the shiny new Kirby: Planet Robobot to an older title like Mario Kart 7), the 12-stop US tour has contests, photo ops and prizes.
ICYMI: Rubik's phone, underwater bomb bot and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-997807{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-997807, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-997807{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-997807").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The University of Bristol's Interaction Group made a phone prototype out of small cubes that can be flipped around to form different shapes. Saab created an underwater robot to help detect explosives. And Colorado State University students made a real life Mario Kart game with carts that we are dying to experience for ourselves. In case you want to share it with friends, the video for the bottle opener that automatically messages your friends when you open a beer is here. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Nintendo 2DS drops to $80 on May 20th
The 2DS is getting yet another price cut on May 20th. Less than a year after Nintendo brought it down to $100, from $130 originally, the company revealed today that its handheld console will now cost $80. That puts the 2DS in impulse-buy territory, so long as you're willing to live without the three-dimensional effect found on the flagship 3DS. It does come with a digital copy of Mario Kart 7, though, which is about a $20 value on its own.
Fan mashup of 'Mario Kart' and 'Star Wars' is a gaming dream
If you're like me, you spent your youth imagining what it'd be like if your favorite fictional universes got together -- heck, Aliens vs. Predator and Kingdom Hearts are practically kids' dreams made real. Well, some fans weren't willing to keep their fantasy locked in their heads. YouTube team Dark Pixel made Star Kart, a video mashup of Mario Kart and Star Wars that's pretty much the blend you'd hope it would be. The project (which took a year to produce) has Mario, Yoshi and crew racing Star Wars ships across a galaxy far, far away, complete with cute touches: shells replace laser cannons, getting knocked out means leaving hyperspace... and of course there's a Death Star trench race. Frankly, we wish Disney and Nintendo would find a way to make this a proper game, even if it's just a Mario Kart 8 add-on.
'Mad Max' meets 'Mario Kart' in this rad mash-up
Mad Max: Fury Road is already one of the year's best movies, but you know what was missing in all of director George Miller's gear grinding under the desert sun? Mario Kart's banana peels and green shells. Check out the video below for a quick look at the mashup that'll almost positively never, ever happen: Chomp chains destroying dune-buggies, Bob-ombs attached to the kamikaze-like warboys' staffs and so, so, so much more mayhem than Nintendo would likely ever allow. We're just going to have to close our eyes (for a different reason this time) and imagine sucking dairy dust from our teeth in Cheese Land in a Mercedes is the same thing.
Mario Kart 8's super-fast 200cc class almost made me puke
It could've been the latent heatstroke setting in from the three days I spent tut-tutting millennials under my breath at Coachella, or the five coffees I'd drunk to sustain some form of consciousness. But when I finished playing a demo of the new 200cc level in Mario Kart 8 with some folks from Nintendo on Monday, my eyes felt looser in their sockets and a barely containable feeling of nausea lingered in my gut for about an hour. It was as if I'd come off a roller coaster -- like one of those daring, metallic serpents from Six Flags or Busch Gardens in the '80s that jolted you just a bit too much and gave the impression you'd nearly avoided whiplash. All of which is to say, 200cc is not for the weak. It is stupid fast and stupid good.
'Mario Kart 8' is about to get absurdly fast
How big of a difference do those extra 50 cubic centimeters in Mario Kart 8 make? Well, Iwata and Co. have a video showing the current fastest/most difficult setting (150cc) side by side with the 200cc level the outfit announced last week. The trip around Piranha Plant Slide starts out slowly enough, but it isn't long before the differences start to show. There's roughly a five second gap between when Mario passes the first eponymous flora on the 200cc speed and 150cc, for instance, and the lead only grows from there. By the end of the lap, the lead is almost 15 seconds. That's quite a bit! Anywho, the video, along with a few others, is just below and the free update hits April 23rd -- see you on Rainbow Road.
Nintendo's new 'Mario Kart 8' add-ons put Link and Luigi on the same track
Nintendo has taken a few steps to modernize its gaming experience, but downloadable content (DLC) is still a sore point; even New Super Luigi U is more of a separate (and fairly expensive) title than a proper booster pack. Today, though, there are signs that the company is getting serious about improving its less-than-stellar reputation with add-ons. Nintendo has offered a sneak peek at a Mario Kart 8 expansion that adds The Legend of Zelda's Link, F-Zero's Blue Falcon ship and eight new courses, among other things -- that's a lot of goodies to keep you coming back. It should arrive in November for $8, and Animal Crossing-themed DLC due next May will add similar numbers of cars, characters and tracks.
'Mario Kart 8' couldn't save Nintendo from a $97 million loss
Mario Kart on the Wii U is really good. Unfortunately it's just one game -- and it looks like it won't be enough to rescue the Wii U's sales. Nintendo apparently agrees, stating that its 9.9 billion yen loss was due to a lack of hit titles outside of the flagship racer. Matter-of-factly, Nintendo said: "The operating loss was 9.4 billion yen because total selling, general and administrative expenses including fixed expenses exceeded gross profit. " Which is, well, exactly how you work out an operating loss. The company is now betting on the power of Super Smash Bros. as well as the best-selling Pokemon series to improve results later this year. Wii U console sales have improved in the Americas and Europe: 510,000 units were sold worldwide in the last three months, compared to 160,000 in the same period last year. In Japan, however, Wii U sales have decreased year-on-year. Revenue was 8.8 percent higher than the same period last year and Nintendo is hoping its plans for a series of console-connected toy figurines along the lines of the hit Skylanders series will help to improve that bottom line.
Joystiq Weekly: 'Mario Kart 8' in review, co-op 'Killzone' and a new Jurassic tour
Welcome to the Joystiq Weekly wrap-up where we present some of the best stories and biggest gaming news from our sister-publication.
Nintendo's smartphone efforts start to surface
At the start of the year, Nintendo explained that while it wasn't bringing its gaming properties to the smartphone carrying millions, it would be tackling the platform as a way of attracting more people to its games and consoles. Let's not get too excited -- the above isn't an app (apparently), but a web-based portal. Nintendo's done these in the past, but they haven't been quite as feature-rich as this. You'll see a feed of your friends activities (this one's all about Mario Kart), while there's apparently separate pages for movies and rankings. There's no Nintendo Network ID required to access the service, but you will need said ID to login and establish your own rankings and upload videos. No launch dates, but we'd assume it will fall in line with the launch of the next Mario Kart installment. Oh, and there's E3 next month.
We kick off SXSW 2014 with some real-life Mario Karting (video)
The first few days of SXSW have brought quite a bit of excitement for our team on the ground. After starting the show with a stun-copter demo, we stopped by the Palmer Events Center to play a little a live-action Mario Kart. Pennzoil has set up a go-kart track here in Austin to promote its new Platinum line of natural gas-based motor oils, though -- let's face it -- we were really only here to be Mario (and Luigi, Bowser and Princess Peach) for a day.
Nintendo's Wii Mini arrives in the US by 'the middle of November' for $100
Despite discontinuing Wii shipments in both Japan and Europe, Nintendo is apparently charging ahead with Wii sales in the US by offering a $100 Wii Mini this month with MarioKart Wii packed in. The previously Canada-exclusive console is the final iteration of Nintendo's extremely popular Wii game console, and looks distinctly different from the original hardware. In terms of functionality, the Wii Mini lacks backwards compatibility with the GameCube and cannot access the internet (yes, seriously). But if your'e looking to play some disc-based Wii games and hate less expensive used Wiis, this is your best bet this holiday.
Nintendo needs to embrace iOS as a games platform
In 2011, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata vowed that his company would absolutely not create games for iOS devices. That same year saw the launch of the 3DS, Nintendo's new hope for mobile gaming dominance. Now, in 2013, with its marquee home console, the Wii U, thoroughly underperforming in sales and the 3DS falling considerably short of its predecessor's performance over the 28 months since its release, it's time for Iwata-san to reconsider. I believe Nintendo could be successful making games for iOS, and it's the kind of "creative destruction" that's necessary to keep the gaming giant relevant in the App Store era. Times have changed When the original Nintendo DS hit the market in 2004, the Motorola RAZR was all the rage. Since then, Nintendo has launched an all-new platform in the 3DS. Fliphones have given way to smartphones, with current devices like the iPhone 5 producing gaming experiences that oftentimes surpass those of dedicated portable gaming systems. Mobile gaming is now dominated by app stores, and a franchise like Angry Birds can draw downloads by the billions. There's still room for a console like the 3DS, and that's made clear by the fact that its sales are still climbing. Profits from the 3DS have saved Nintendo from fiscal disaster with the Wii U. However, with 32.5 million units sold over the first 27 months of availability, the 3DS still falls well short of the 40.3 million units the original DS was able to move in the same amount of time. The ground is ever so slowly shrinking beneath Nintendo's feet. On top of this, Nintendo -- perhaps more than any other company -- has franchises that are perfectly suited to life on the iPhone and iPad. Pokémon, Animal Crossing, and even the various iterations of Mario could be easily adapted for iOS. With the generally outstanding quality of first-party Nintendo releases, there should be little doubt that these games would be fantastic. It's hard to imagine a Mario Kart, Pikmin, or WarioWare title not taking the App Store by storm. "But why iOS? Why not Android?" Simple: Apple already caters to many principles Nintendo believes in. Most notable in this regard is piracy prevention. It's the reason Nintendo often chooses irregular media formats for its devices, such as the tiny GameCube optical discs, and why the company has aggressively fought the sale of devices like the R4 card which mimics a DS game card. Unlike Android, Apple's marketplace is highly policed even before software is put up for sale, meaning Nintendo would have less concern over losing money to cracked versions of its games. Google Play generates more app downloads overall, but when it comes to monetization the iOS App Store blows the doors off of Google Play. iOS apps generated more than double the revenue of Google Play, and if there's one thing that would push Nintendo to build mobile games for a platform other than its own, it's cash. Will it happen? I'm not going to say it will definitely happen, but it could, and it most definitely should. Nintendo has already shown that it's not entirely against the idea of iOS apps in general with the release of its Pokédex app. Right now, the Pokédex is seated in the top 25 of the reference section, after having been released in March. But it's not a game, and games are what Nintendo is (obviously) known for. The company may have been just testing the waters with the release of the Pokédex, but from there it's not exactly a stretch to publish a proper game, whatever it might be, on the App Store as well. Nintendo knows that people would buy its titles on iOS, and it knows the money is here waiting, so it may be just a matter of time before it decides to cash the check.
Mario Kart 8 launching on Wii U in spring 2014 (video)
At Nintendo's E3 presentation that's not actually happening at E3, we've heard the next installment of the Mario Kart series is coming to the Wii U sometime in spring 2014. Mario Kart 8 doesn't stray too far from what fans expect of the casual racer, but there is one new twist. Courses now have 3D aspects to them, allowing you to "defy gravity, racing up vertical walls and upside down." Features like air gliding, underwater racing and the option to ride motorcycles have been included from previous games, but apart from that, it's standard red-shelling carnage. We didn't hear much about online multiplayer, but we're told it "will have deep integration with Miiverse." Head past the break for the E3 trailer. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-191042%
Exercise bike connects to original Mario Kart, Rainbow Road shortcut gets even trickier (video)
Canadian modder Brent Smith has managed to connect an aging exercise bike to Nintendo's perennial racer. Naturally, there's some Arduino involvement, but the whole setup plugs directly into an original SNES console -- no emulation necessary. Power-ups are accessed with a button in the center of the exercise bike's handles, each of which has a directional button for steering, while the pedals function as the acceleration button, accurate to one sixth of a rotation. According to Smith, "it's a lot harder than it looks" -- and we believe him. Watch his test-drive kart plow off-track in the video demo after the break.
Caption Contest: Mario stops by for a surprise visit
What often gets lost amongst all the flying and painting and partying is that Mario, he's just a regular dude. He's a blue red collar plumber just looking to earn an honest days pay, hangout with his lady and occasionally deliver a racing kart to unsuspecting Tennesseans. When the artist formerly known as Jump Man rang the bell of Nathanial Stehley to drop off his West Coast Customs-built ride, we can only imagine what went through his mind -- probably something about not eating Toad's relatives.Tim: "Honey, there's a plumber on the porch again."Michael: "Wrong castle, buddy. All the 'word-up' posturing in the world won't get me to bring out Princess Peach."Brian: "You called for a plumber?"Jon: "Imma da new mailman. Yeah, M is for mailman."Joe: "So, uh, you brought the mushrooms, right?"Dan: "Yeah, the name's Cooper. King Cooper. You wanna see my girl? You'll have to go through me, pal."Brad: "I'm sorry Mario, but your princess is in another condo."Dante: "What do you mean you were expecting Xzibit?"Terrence: "Hey Pauline, this guy says he knows you."Zach Lutz: "In a desperate attempt to return to the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario swallows his pride and asks for directions."James: "I told you before Mario, Princess doesn't want to see you, you have to stop calling like this."Richard Lai: "Which part of 'stay 100 yards away from her' do you not understand?"Sean Buckley: "I'm a bit short on change, mind if I bang my head on your wall for a little while?"David: "No, I don't have any 'powerups' today, come back tomorrow."Darren: "All I do is win, win, win no matter what."
Caption Contest: Blue shells can't slow Miyamoto down
Monumentally important game designer and producer Shigeru Miyamoto made waves this week by saying he was / wasn't retiring from duties at Nintendo. There's been plenty of confusion regarding what his new duties at the company will entail, but this image makes it pretty clear. All hail Nintendo's new shopping mall test driver. Tim: "I'm developing a new power-up. It's called Golden Parachute." Richard Lai: "I once gave Kaz's ex a ride on this." Myriam: "I guess the shrink ray finally works." James: "The new Hotel Lobby level proved a success" Billy: "What? At least it's a hybrid." Mat: Miyamoto looks forward to exhibiting at next year's Tokyo Motor Show. Brian: "Miyamoto had an important message to impart on the youth of today: do enough magic mushrooms, and you're going to end up driving your car through a mall food court." Sean: A clean shave and a suit jacket revealed far more than Mario had ever intended. "Well," he thought, "at least I can still keep the 'M' logo." Jon: "In movie news: Photos from the 'lost camera' sequence in the upcoming The Hangover III started surfacing today..." Darren: "You should see what happens when I get Star Power."
MakerBot's Turtle Shell Racers cruise around our offices (video)
This weekend's Maker Faire in New York City was lousy with 3D printers. Every tent in the outdoor area was packed to capacity with the things, their owners standing beside them, showing off the small trinkets they'd created with the devices. Judging from their presence, there seems little question that the technology has proven a success with the maker community. Amongst the general public, however, they've been a much harder sell. Perhaps it's the price, or maybe it's the generally dull connotations of the word "printer," or it could just be the fact that there hasn't been the right iconic image to help sell the products to the public at large. MakerBot's Turtle Shell Racers may well be just the ambassador that the world of 3D printing needs. The toy football-sized RC cars are proof positive that the devices can turn just about anything you can imagine into reality. There are certain limitations, of course, like the fact that the objects printed can't be larger than five inches in diameter. The Shells' creator circumvented that admitted shortcoming by assembling the products out of small pieces that snap together. Check out more hands-on impressions and a video with the racers after the jump.%Gallery-134372%
