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Did You Know Gaming examines even more Mario
For the sixth time, the trivia buffs at Did You Know Gaming have aimed their microscope at the world's favorite Italian plumber to learn that Super Mario 64 almost featured two-player simultaneous gameplay and that Yoshi could have been introduced into Nintendo's flagship series much earlier, if it weren't for hardware restrictions. [Image: DYKG]
DS Lite drops to $99 on June 5
The 3DS just got more competition. Not from Sony or another competitor, but from another, now impulse-buy-priced, DS. Nintendo just announced that the DS Lite has been officially dropped in price from $129.99 to $99.99, effective June 5. Perhaps the old SKU at the old price was what GameStop was clearing out? The same month, six Mario games (New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart DS, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, and Mario Party DS) will be re-released in red boxes, to " make it easy for [consumers] to find their favorite Mario titles." Not that anyone ever had trouble finding any of these -- Nintendo announced that more than 9.25 million copies of New Super Mario Bros. have been sold in the US. No price drop was announced for the games. Just fancy new boxes.
Tool-assisted speedrun shows Super Mario 64 beaten in five minutes
A group of five speedrunners has beaten Super Mario 64 with no stars in just five minutes. To do so, they used a whole bag of tricks, including glitches, weird jumping macros, and shortcuts. It's not pretty, but if you have 18274 frames of time to spare, you can see the whole video below.
Super Mario 64 DS: just a tired port?
What better way to launch the DS than with a Mario title? Heck, what better way to launch the DS than with a proven Mario title? Alright, let's be fair, instead of a port, we'll call it a "remake". And truth be told, Super Mario 64 DS is a remake, featuring its own unique additions and downfalls. So let's just get right to the question we've all been asking: How do you play Mario 64 without an analogue stick? Nintendo's answer to the dilemma, the "thumb strap" (Touch Mode) is more satisfying than the D-pad default setting, but this virtual analogue control will definitely merit some smash-DS-on-ground-and-stomp urges. But begin to master the technique, and you'll find a worthy "killer app", likely the best of the dozen or so DS titles out there. What Super Mario 64 DS does well is show-off some of the capabilities of Nintendo's coveted handheld. Specifically, that this remake outdoes its predecessor in terms of technical achievement-yes, the DS is more powerful than the N64. There's also a lite, but entertaining 4-player wireless mini-game thrown in for good measure; and you'll only need one copy of the game to play. And of course, there's the addition of four playable characters in single-player, will specific goals throughout-Nintendo has added, seamlessly, 30 new stars to collect. It's a great game, granted one that many of us have experienced before, but the new-and-improved DS model is a great way to reassure ourselves that the DS is the next level of handheld evolution rather than a step backwards. Letsago!!!
Super Mario 64 DS, a launch title?
Recently, GameStop sparked a bit of controversy when they displayed box art for the upcoming DS remake of Super Mario 64-the design has since been removed from the retailer's website. Initially, the appearance of the graphic ignited speculation that the Mario game would launch with the DS on November 21. Even though the box art has now be removed, it's still more than likely that the Mario title will launch with the handheld, and how could it not? A Nintendo release without their flagship mascot has bad omen written all over it. The classic remake now features four playable characters (Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, & Wario) and promises a 4-player wireless mode. Itsame, MARIO!
