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Super Pixel Bros is Super Mario for squares (video)
Is the complexity of regular Super Mario Bros. getting you down? Good news: modder Retro Brad has been putting a lot of time into his own version of the game, recreating levels of the original title on an 8 x 8 LED matrix, with all of its characters represented by a single pixel. Below that screen is an LCD, which lets users keep track of their score, lives and level, while a Monofonic Audio Chip offers sound effects played through a built-in speaker. All of this is housed in a portable eight-button system that, for the record, is decidedly less clunky than Nintendo's new circle-pad add-on for the 3DS. Video of Super Pixel Bros in action after the break.
Nintendo to release Flame Red 3DS console next month, sunglasses not included
Better dust off your finest pair of shades, because this Flame Red Nintendo 3DS is on its way to the States. The console, which launched earlier this summer in Japan as the Red Flare, will hit stores next month (alongside the new Star Fox 64 3D game), joining a 3DS lineup that already features Cosmo Black and Aqua Blue. The company will also be releasing two new games this winter -- Super Mario 3D Land in November and Mario Kart 7 in December -- in the hopes of rectifying its disappointing Q2 earnings report with a strong holiday campaign. Only time will tell whether or not it has any effect on Nintendo's bottom line, but if you're interested in adding a touch of Santa-like cheer to your yuletide gaming season, you can grab a Flame Red console on September 9th, for $170. Find more information in the full PR, after the break.
With Wii U, Mario will use two screens and Zelda won't look like this
Yoshiaki Koizumi, producer of the Super Mario series, has his team working on a new Mario game for the Wii U, even though he didn't know what Nintendo's new console would even look like prior to its unveiling at E3. In an interview with Wired, Koizumi said now that he knows what the Wii U can do, he wants to "create a console game where two people are playing at the same time but can't see each others' screens." You know, much like how the internet operates, but without all those messy tubes. Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma also spilled some secrets about the HD demo Nintendo used to show off its new graphics -- mainly, don't believe everything you see. "You probably remember that when we introduced the GameCube, we showed a somewhat realistic Zelda demo," Aonuma said. "And what we actually created was the cel-shaded Wind Waker. So when we show a graphic demo, people think, 'Oh, this is what the next Zelda will look like,' but that's not necessarily the case." Secrets and lies, Nintendo. Secrets and lies.
Super Mario gets a Portal gun, you monster (video)
Before Portal 2 there was Portal, and before Portal there was Super Mario Bros. Bring these together and you get a mushroom-chomping Italian plumber ruling the 2D world -- outside the cold confines of Aperture Science -- with the infamous Portal gun. The next logical step? Turn this into a first-person game. Go on, Reggie, make it happen.
Super Mario reimagined as a first-person game, conquers the castle of our hearts (video)
You've seen Super Mario evolve from a modest 2D sprite into a 3D world-exploring superhero mechanic, but have you ever seen life through his eyes? Here's your opportunity, as a fanmade animation treats us to a first-person view of the intrepid Italian's adventures through the familiar World 1-1. There are kill streaks, achievements like "headbanger" and "pole dancer," and some extremely realistic sound effects to set the mood. The priceless video follows after the break.
Kinect used to control Super Mario on a PC, redefine convergence (video)
If, like us, you've been waiting to see Kinect in control of a truly marquee game, your wait has now come to an end. The same fella that brought us the Kinect lightsaber has returned with a hack enabling eager nostalgics to enjoy a bout of Super Mario controlled only by their body contortions. OpenKinect was used to get the motion-sensing peripheral -- originally intended exclusively for use with an Xbox 360 -- to communicate with his PC, while a simple NES emulator took care of bringing the 25-year old plumber to life. The video awaits after the break.
Nintendo rolls out orange and green DSi bundles especially for Black Friday stampedes
Black Friday is one of those new school traditions we can really get behind: the consumer's holiday, where trampling an elderly person is perfectly acceptable as long as you end up with a $40 netbook. Well, Nintendo's getting in the spirit this year with two new orange and green DSi bundles for your shopping pleasure. The bundles serve to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the famous Super Mario Bros. games and come with Mario Party DS. The bundles will be available on November 26th (yes, that's Black Friday) for $149.99. Full press release is below.
Nintendo Wii turns red with glee for Super Mario's 25th anniversarii
First of all, put away those credit cards, American readers, this is so far a Japan-only affair. Nintendo's celebrations of Mario's 25th birthday are extending beyond custom DSi and DSi LL consoles to a repainted Wii machine and a pretty sweet bundle to go with it. The sporty red number above includes one of the newfangled Wii Remote Plus controllers -- which can do MotionPlus tracking without the additional appendage -- along with a similarly rouged-up nunchuck, and, perhaps best of all, a preinstalled copy of Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Edition. That's still the game you know and love, but it now comes with bricks embellished with the number 25 on the front. You'll catch a screenshot after the break, while the Japanese audience can expect the tasty bundle to drop on November 11 for ¥20,000 ($241). Hey, if you really want it that bad, you've got a whole month to figure out an import strategy.
Nintendo shows off special edition Super Mario Bros. DSi and DSi XL
Yeah, Super Mario Bros. was kind of a big deal, and we can't fault Nintendo for wanting to celebrate: September 13th marked the 25th anniversary of the game's launch, and Nintendo is pushing out special editions of the DSi and DSi XL (pictured) to celebrate, along with some pretty sweet swag. We mentioned the handhelds this morning, but now we've got a couple pictures -- way to play it subdued, Nintendo. Unfortunately, the consoles are for Japan only, but what we're particularly digging is this Super Mario Collection Special Pack that Nintendo will be launching alongside. The pack will include a version of Super Mario All-Stars for the Wii, a soundtrack CD, and a "Super Mario History, 1985 to 2010" booklet with some unreleased materials like initial development planning sheets handwritten by Shigeru Miyamoto himself. Again, announced for Japan only. Sounds like the import industry is going to be hot this October when these things land! %Gallery-103649%
Nintendo 3DS ships in Japan February 26, US and Europe in March, auto-generates Mii from camera (update: video!)
Enough with the rumored prices and launch dates for the 3DS already, let's get official. Nintendo just announced a February 26 ship date in Japan for ¥25,000 (about $298). It'll then land in the US and Europe in March for an undisclosed amount. Launch colors are aqua blue or cosmo black. At a press event in Japan, Nintendo demonstrated the ability to take your picture using the 3DS' front-facing camera and then automatically converting the image into a Mii -- you can edit it too using Mii Studio on the 3DS. You can even merge two photos into a single image if you choose. Images can then be exported as QR codes in wireless "tag mode" or as a file to the bundled 2GB SD card. Ninty also announced a special edition Super Mario DSi LL (no hardware changes) set to launch for ¥18,000 in Japan on October 28th. It also confirmed that a Wii Remote Plus is in development (it'll be announced at a date some time in the future) and a partnership with Fuji TV that will trial 3D video streaming to Nintendo's new handheld. Finally, a virtual console-style store was show serving up downloadable Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games to the 3DS. Update: Nintendo just launched its 3DS microsite in Japan with a bit more product detail including new feature overview and software lineup videos found after the break. There you'll see a built-in pedometer with activity graph and what looks like background multitasking (or at least a state save) letting you launch other apps and then return to a game at the exact same point you left it. Nintendo also demonstrates the Mii Plaza app that lets you collect and view Miis from 3DS owners you pass throughout the day (even when the 3DS is sleeping); Augmented Reality gaming with six AR cards included in the box; a long-press home button for in-game access to web browsing, WiFi toggle, and more; a Book app; and note writing / diary software.%Gallery-103589%
Eye Mario System enables your face to control any NES game (video)
We'll be straight with you -- prior to this fine day, we'd never heard of the whiz kids at Waterloo Labs, but we'll be keeping our focus locked on their initiatives from this point forward. Why, you ask? Just look at that bloke above, who is in the middle of asking Mario to leap over a tunnel with a simple eye movement. Granted, we've seen eye-controlled interfaces before, but there's just something -- shall we say... inspirational -- about being able to control your favorite NES titles with your own face. Better still, the crew is providing the full blown how-to down in the source, and if you're not a fan of strapping an array of electrodes on your person, you still owe it to yourself to peek the video past the break. Oh, and it's good to see these guys still have to blow on their NES cartridges to get 'em to work right -- misery adores company, eh?
Mario live wallpaper for Android: better than a Tanooki Suit in the summer
Seriously, words cannot describe how incredibly entertained we are by this Mario Live wallpaper for Android 2.1 and above devices. All across the home and locked screen, our favorite Italian faux-plumber protagonist runs through randomly-generated levels across various themes like outside, underground, and castle. It's very customizable, allowing you to change the level's difficulty, see the alternate paths Mario's AI has plotted, and rendering the background (all at a cost to CPUs and battery life, of course). Free download -- donations suggested, of course -- and if you're looking for a way to stare at your phone even longer, well, look no further. Videos through which you can live vicariously are after the break.
It's-a Mario World: Mario's Many Professions, Part 1 of 2
Welcome to another edition of It's-a Mario World, where we seemingly spend more time blathering about Mario games than we do playing them. In last week's feature debut, we presented a gallery detailing some of the elusive pickups of Mushroom Kingdom history. This week, we begin a two-part catalogue of our hero's job experience, analyzing the many professions Mario has belonged to in his 27-year career, and in what capacity. Attempting chronology and comprehensiveness, this is indeed Mario's Super Résumé.Not content with the popular belief that Mario is simply a plumber by trade, we've scoured the known Nintendo universe to find out exactly what else he has been. Considered altogether, the results are pretty impressive. More than a mere adventurer, Mario has championed everything from the assembly line to the tennis courts. Refer yourself to our gallery where you'll be shocked and amazed at the varying talents of our red-capped protagonist. 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 Thursday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.
Rock Band Mushroom Drum Pads: nearly too awesome to hit
Until very recently, Rock Band on the Wii was little more than a pipe dream. Still, that didn't stop Jennifer and Vance from whipping up what's likely the hottest Rock Band drum kit mod we've seen to date -- one Mario and friends would unquestionably appreciate. We doubt the shrooms will help those fragile pads resist breakage if you're heavy-handed by nature, but it's entirely likely to make rocking out that much more fun when banging on these guys. Leap on past the break for a video demonstration, and check the read link for lots more pics.
Playable Paper Super Mario... no really, he's made of paper
Taking Paper Mario to its logical -- albeit extreme -- conclusion, an artist / DIY'er named Keith Lam has created the first physical, playable implementation of Super Mario Brothers. By emphasizing Mario's movement on the background, and turning the "TV" into the object which moves, the character appears to traverse the familiar landscape of SMB, complete with collision detection, brick movement, and mechanized jumping. The "system" is built using a chain-driven platform, which is shakily directed with an actual NES (well, Famicom) controller, thus allowing for some game play -- though with response times like this, you're better off just watching. Speaking of, check the video after the break and see the system in action.[Via Wired]
E307: SMG developer walkthrough - Stardust Galaxy
This latest Super Mario Galaxy video doesn't introduce any new outfits like the last developer walkthrough, but it does demonstrate star-hopping, gravity tricks, and other essential skills for traveling in this 3D platformer. The latter half of this two-minute movie even features that curious portion of the E3 trailer in which the level builds itself as Mario moves around.How will we make it to November 12th without our heads exploding from all this exciting media? Collect five star shards and fly past the post break for the embedded video.%Gallery-4735%
ScrewAttack hammers away at Wrecking Crew
Mario worked a lot of odd jobs back in the 80's, but none may be more forgettable than his brief stint as a hammer-wielding psycho. No, we're not talking about Donkey Kong, otherwise we would have added "simian slave trader" to that as well. Wrecking Crew is the name of the game and much like we were back then, the boys at ScrewAttack are baffled by its existence.There is but one objective in Wrecking Crew which is to, uh, wreck stuff. At its heart is a puzzle game where there is typically a right and a wrong way to go about that process. Wrecking Crew does have a respectable place in history, however, as one of the eighteen original launch titles for the Nintendo Entertainment System.You have to give credit to Mario for actually being able to fall more than two feet without dying in this one, unlike his Donkey Kong performance. Take that, jerk from Spelunker!
E307: SMG developer walkthrough - Honey Bee Galaxy
Of all the scenes we spotted in yesterday's Super Mario Galaxy trailer, the ones that excited us most were the moments we saw our mustachioed protagonist bedecked in his bee and Boo outfits. Tears of joy came to our eyes, salty with the nostalgia of Super Mario Bros. 3's frog suit, raccoon leaf, and other fondly-remembered power-ups.GameTrailers has a six-minute developer walkthrough of Honey Bee Galaxy, explaining the game's two-player mechanics and Mario's bee apparel along the way. Buzz past the post break for the video honeypot and an awkward clip in which Mario gropes a distressed queen bee.See also: Hands-on with Super Mario Galaxy
E307: Super Mario Galaxy screenshots and trailer
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/New_Super_Mario_Galaxy_E3_Trailer'; Mario in a bee outfit! Flying around as a ghost! Hanging onto a Thwomp! If you missed the Super Mario Galaxy trailer that premiered at Nintendo's E3 press conference this afternoon, we've got the video embedded for you past the post break. Our image gallery has also been updated with new treats for you to tweak your mustache to. November 12th couldn't come sooner!%Gallery-4735%
VC Monday Madness: Super Mario 2, Ecco and Dragon Spirit
This week the Virtual Console gets a couple of good titles, which is good considering that there aren't many retail games for Wii owners to get their hands on. Blame the upcoming holiday, as it arrives mid-week and messes up our delicate game release cycle.Today's Virtual Console update includes: Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Ecco: The Tides of Time (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Dragon Spirit (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Anyone going to download some, or all, of these? If you're on the fence, be sure to stop by later for our VC Monday Madness video wrap-up.
