Luigi
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Mario Bros. in ur Shopping Channel, stealing ur coinz
We've been privy to undocumented Wii features like the 192-Piece Picture Puzzle and the elusive Help Cat for a while now, but did you know that there's a secret Shopping Channel animation of Mario and Luigi swimming together while you're at the download screen?During a recent roundtable, the developers behind the Wii Shopping Channel talked about how they overcame obstacles with the project, which elements they're proud of, and what they hope to see implemented in the future. One little touch that the developers were pleased to include was this Minus World-esque scene of the Super Mario Bros. paddling through and collecting coins while you download games. It doesn't show up very often, so don't be too upset if you've never come across anything besides the Fire Mario animation before. We didn't even believe it at first, but Nintendo included a video with the interview transcript to prove its existence. It's a good thing they did too, or we would've gone through our life savings downloading Virtual Console titles, trying to get this alternate animation!
Ugliest Luigi ever
Poor Luigi. The lanky plumber already has enough problems dealing with his older brother always stealing the spotlight and Princess Daisy's failure to commit to a serious relationship, but now he has to worry about embarassing photos from 20 years ago resurfacing on the internet. We all have our fair share of unflattering pictures from the 80s, but the images posted for this vintage Super Mario Bros. doll auction are downright embarassing. This 3.5'-tall toy was a promotional item from Nintendo that was never released to the general public. Head past the post break to see what the green guy looked like before he tamed his hair and trimmed his mustache. He really let himself go back then -- look at that hat![Via GameSniped]
Sonic & Mario finally team up for a game
Once embittered rivals, Mario and Sonic were at each others' necks during the 16-bit console wars, both of them vying for the Top Mascot prize that awaited the victor at the end of the battle. Tensions eventually eased between the two combatants and their respective companies, and after years of respectful neutrality, Nintendo and Sega are making their friendship official with a game that joins both franchises.Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games will be released during the holiday season this year for the Nintendo DS and the Wii. Mario, Sonic, Luigi, Tails, and the rest of the extended casts will be competing in events set in arenas modeled after the venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.Hisao Oguchi, Sega Corp.'s President and CEO, had nothing but praise for the project: "For the first time, two of the world's greatest games' characters come together to compete in the world's greatest sporting event and we couldn't be more excited." While we can't imagine anyone from the Mario troupe besting Sonic at the 100m run, the blue hedgehog might have trouble with swimming competitions if he has to stop and replenish his air supply with bubbles too much.This might not receive the same fanfare as a Sonic appearance on Super Smash Bros. Brawl would, but maybe this is just a hint of what's to come from Nintendo and Sega? There's not much at the video game's official site yet, but head over there to check out forum discussions and sign up for email updates.
New Super Mario Brothers plush toys are new, super, and plush
We really weren't fans of Mario's blue shell ability in New Super Mario Bros., because it tended to steer us inexorably into a lava-filled grave. But we want to hug this plush Blue Shell Mario. And then maybe toss him into lava. Play-Asia is selling these adorable NSMB toys, produced by Banpresto, for about $11 each. You have your choice of the aforementioned Mario, a Mega Mushroom, Boo, Luigi (in casino minigame regalia) and Toad. Does anyone else find it odd that Luigi still wears his green hat, even when he's in formal attire? [Via Siliconera]
A very special Mega64 event
Those lovable scamps from Mega64 are at it again! There's never a dull moment when these friends go on a wild, madcap adventure that you'll never forget. Join them, as they discover... the true meaning of friendship.... what? Oh, we were thinking about a different movie. This one's just, you know, some dudes jumping around in Mario Bros. suits and stuff. But it's the patented brand of Mega64 funny-- video game characters accosting random (and not so random) people on the street-- that makes their work worth our few seconds of download time.Please, click on the limited-edition post break, and watch the movie that your whole family is sure to love!
Mario is the downfall of our society
That plumber may have ushered in the revival and rebirth of the modern video game industry, but everything isn't all sugarfairies and butterscotch. A retrospective study on this phenom reveals some startling truths about our favorite crimson-adorned pipe-jockey: a history of drug addiction, racism, and dealings with the seediest portions of the underworld. Destructoid has put together an eye-opening list of the egregious offenses this plumber has leveled against you, the gaming populace, and it's your responsibility to educate yourselves forthright.
Joystiq on the Video Game Awards yellow carpet
Warning: video is NSFW Joystiq attended Spike TV's 2006 Video Game Awards last week, and here's the video to prove it. We literally had to shove our way into our designated spot at the press line and jockey for position with other outlets like Hustler and The Greater Cuyahoga News-Press. Once we were set, we asked the hard-hitting questions that have been on gamers' minds for some time. Some highlights: Joe Rogan literally going insane on camera talking about virtual reality Mark Ecko talking about Britney Spears' underwear allergy Samuel L. Jackson not popping us in the face One word of warning, the video isn't safe for work by a long shot. Joe Rogan uses some very colorful language near the end that has to be seen to be believed ... then again, maybe not. It is Joe Rogan after all. The 2006 Video Game Awards air tonight on Spike TV. Tune in if you want to see Sam Jackson drop some F-bombs, Stewie Griffin insult Sam, and Sarah Silverman insult every gamer in the world. The best thing about it is the Burning Crusade opening cinematic that premieres during the show. That and the skits about the motion-capture guy. Nothing is funnier than jokes about balls, right? Alternatively, you could also go back and start beating Gears of War on insane. The night is yours!
Fake Luigi invades Japanese Wii launch
During the Wii launch over the weekend at the Akiba Yodobashi, a Japanese store, an over-enthusiastic cosplayer was mistaken for an actual Nintendo employee. Dressed as a huge Luigi (pictured), which was excellently crafted if we say so, he was invited to take part in the festivities upon arrival, walking up to the stage and handing out the first Wii console to a happy customer. Shortly after, everyone realized this chap was not here on Nintendo's behalf and store employees gripped up the skinnier brother, ushering him out of the store. This was not before news crews had taken tons of footage featuring the cosplayer, which was featured on the local news. Someone took that broadcast and put it on You Tube, which we've embedded into the post past the jump.[Thanks Alex!]
Mario and Luigi take vacation in Vice City
The guys in charge of Robot Chicken, adult swim's stop animation show featuring action figures that takes stabs at pop culture and the gaming world, have shown that when they set out to make something funny, they often succeed with ease. In last night's new episode, their next targets were the Mario bros. and they showed us a much darker side of the brothers than we are used to seeing. Check the video out, which has been embedded into the post after the break.[Via Joystiq]
Fuzzy new Mario Party 8 screens
Mario Party started a multiplayer frenzy back on the Nintendo 64 that has yet to die down. Now, seven years later, gamers are getting ready for Mario Party 8. We haven't heard or seen a lot about the game aside from a few seconds in a Wii trailer but judging from the blurry screens, we expect it to hold true to traditional Mario Party. From what we can tell, players will compete in activities like tightrope walking and painting. Check out a few more screens after the break! [Thanks Mickey!]
Myspace invades Mario
Poor Toad. He's always getting kidnapped, plays the role as the third wheel for Mario and Peach and now no one will come to his band's shows. Luigi, after deciding to kick the crack-like habit known as MySpace, has left an empty slot in his brother Mario's Top 8. For those of you smart enough to not give in to the succubus that is MySpace, a Top 8 is a list of your dearest friends who also belong to the cult. Toad longs for that slot in an overly creepy way. Witness Toad's sad social skills after the break! [Via Go Nintendo]
Translated Itadaki Street scans
Remember those recent Itadaki Street scans? Dedicated Nintendo fan and amazing translator CTU Kyoto has put them all into English for your reading pleasure. Now you can read all about the Volcano of Death and Jessica's "charming assets" without flipping back and forth through a kanji reference until you give up and toss it angrily through a window. Maybe that last one was just us. Enjoy the updated scans, and thanks again, CTU Kyoto! Having some idea of the information packed into these sets gets us charged up over the game. Too bad it's not finished ... we're ready to throw down over WiFi.
Super Mario Bros. stylus
We have shown you all the stylus options and let you ponder which one fits you best as a gamer. Now, we have to tell you that you were wrong in your choice and you have to go with these! Not really, but they are fun to look at plus you get a pair with Mario and his trusty sidekick and brother, Luigi. These are only 9 bucks and would come in handy if you lost your current stylus like the bad gamer you are. Thinking about it, we would bet dollars to donuts that this guy already has an entire case. [Via Siliconera]
1up Mario Hoops review -- did Mario serve an airball?
Mario Hoops 3 on 3 has had so much hype that we were ready for a game full of more fun than a circus. But from the sound of it, all we got were peanuts. Having played the game ourselves, we see where the review is coming from and we are 100% catching what they are throwing -- something Mario and his pals seem to fail at. The review basically states that the controls are good in theory, but iffy on paper. Stealing is difficult and passing is okay, when it works. Your teammates are pretty much useless. They never try to steal or use items to help you out. They are especially difficult to work with against perfect AI on harder levels. Good luck on unlocking all your favorite Final Fantasy characters. The levels are difficult and your opponents ruthless. While it sounds like a challenge, it lacks an important element -- fun. Mario Hoops 3 on 3 received a 6 out of 10 -- a passable grade and rightful score for an average sports title. Check out the rest of the review to see what else 1up found wrong with the game. Or, pipe up and let us know that we and everyone else is completely wrong (we know you like doing that anyway) and Mario Hoops is zomg teh best game evah kthxbye! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Love Mario, win 2 DS Lites
Do you love those Mario brothers? Do your dreams encapsulate not the sheep languidly springing over an undefined, isolated wooden fence, instead opting to fill your mind with the pleasing sounds of a fat plumber and his skinny brother stomping Goombas to death and riding around in pipes? Are you a sick, obsessed fan with a ridiculous mural of Luigi on your wall? If you've sat there anxiously reading that above paragraph, feverishly biting what little bit of nail you have left on each of your fingers, sweating that someone might find you on a site called DS Fanboy only to out you to your friends and family, then how about signing up for this contest? That way, when people look at you with disgust in the street, you can hold your head high and say "Yeah, well who bought you 2 DS Lites?!" You'll likely then proceed to jump on the person's head.[Via DS-x2]
It's Luigi! (in the form of a quilt)
I'm not sure that this is exactly my kind of bedsheet (despite the obvious connection I have to these types of things, and before you ask, my surname does not mean "quilt-like"), but if second-best Italian plumbers are your thing, then feel free to dream about snuggling up to Luigi with this home-made quilt.[Via Kotaku]
Codebreakers get punk'd by Nintendo.com
NOA_Rufus assembled a code puzzle at Nintendo.com, dubbed "The Luigi Code," that promised to reveal the secrets of the "Secret Society of Plumbers" to those clever enough to break the code. What could it be? A new Mario game? More Wii secrets exposed? Oh boy, it reads like an international mass market crime-thriller!Read on if you lack the inclination to break the code on your own, or read our title and realize that doing so would be a complete waste of your time.[Thanks to everyone that sent this in]
Super Console Wars puts spin on mascot Gamepires
We've seen Mario in the Matrix, Luigi as a Braveheart, and what we thought was everything in between. Well, hold up, 'cuz now we've seen everything: classic game icons have been mashed up with Star Wars.Super Console Wars: The Gamepire Strikes Gold is that hybrid that with good and evil roles spread out onto each platform and various gaming mascots, ranging from Mario clone troopers vs. Princess Zelda to a VMU droid and GPU-enabled android (erm, peripheral).About two-thirds of the way through the 20-minute video, you're gently encouraged to wear 3D glasses to enhance your video viewing, but even without glasses, the parody stands as an amusing take-off of gaming standards, pop culture, and retro reminiscing. Obi-Wan Shinobi, indeed.[Thanks, Cradrock]See also: Super Mario Reloaded Ready for an "Oldschool Revolution"?
