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New Super Mario Bros Wii crosses 10 million copies sold
New Super Mario Bros Wii reached 10 million copies sold, Nintendo announced via Twitter. The side-scrolling platformer first launched on Wii in November 2009 and became Japan's fastest-selling game for the console two months later. Nintendo's return to 2D platforming action in the Mario series was popular for its multiplayer offerings; up to four players could traverse the Mushroom Kingdom's environments together, knocking into one another along the way. The publisher has since returned to Mario-leaping action on Wii U with games like 2012's New Super Mario Bros. U and last year's Super Mario 3D World, the latter listed by Joystiq as one of the ten best titles that launched in 2013. Nintendo shipped over two million copies of Super Mario 3D World as of May. [Image: Nintendo]
New Nintendo eShop releases: A Link to the Past, Mario Bros, indie sale
Nintendo brought forth three games to the 3DS and Wii U eShops today. This week's selections are highlighted by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which is now available on the Wii U Virtual Console for $7.99. The 3DS side of the eShop sees the release of Selectsoft's strategic puzzler Castle Clout 3D as well as the addition of Mario Bros. to the Virtual Console for $4.99 each. Nintendo also started a "Super Indie Connection Sale," in which players that buy one of five select indie games on the Wii U eShop will get the others at a 60 percent discount. The five games included in the deal are Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party, Bit.Tip Presents Runner 2, Gianna Sisters: Twisted Dreams, Toki Tori 2+ and Mighty Switch Force Hyper Drive Edition. As for sales this week, Big John Games' 3DS physics-based puzzle game Ohno Odyssey is on sale for $3.99 until February 20. Lastly, Nintendo is making The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition available for free this weekend for 3DS owners. Wii U The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Nintendo, 1 player, $7.99) 3DS Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 2 players simultaneous, $4.99) Castle Clout 3D (Selectsoft, 2 players simultaneous, $4.99)
'The Other Brothers' pays homage to Mario Bros., needs to be paid for
Only you can decide what to do with your own hard-earned income, and in today's rapid digital society we know your purse strings are being pulled in many different directions at any given time. Kickstarter can pinch your pennies all on its own, so it's important to be particular – and particularly, The Other Brothers looks like it could be a worthwhile, wonderful investment.The Other Brothers is an homage to Mario Bros. and the retro platformers of yore, created by a team of industry veterans such as 3D artist Thomas Pasieka and Björn Hurri, lead artist at Opus Artz who has worked on Dead Space 2, BioShock Infinite, the Total War franchise and other mainstream IPs. The Other Brothers is being developed on Unity and it looks to have a gorgeous grasp of the cheek and charm of old-school platformers.The Other Brothers needs to raise $50,000 to finish the game and have it out this fall, and it has already raised more than $10,000, with 22 days to go. The developers would like to see it on PC, Mac and mobile first, with options for Linux, Ouya and more if the money comes through. Check out the game's full description and reward tiers here.
Insert Coin: 'Epic Mario' aims to build entire Super Mario Bros. Level 1-1 with Legos (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. What's cooler than Super Mario Bros. and Legos? Why, Super Mario Bros. with Legos, of course. That's the premise behind Lego artist Zachary Pollock's "Epic Mario" project, which aims to recreate the entire Level 1-1 of Super Mario Bros. using one Lego block at a time. At one brick per pixel, Pollock's project is expected to come in at around six feet tall and 90 feet wide once completed. He also estimates that he's going to need "just over 780,000 Lego studs" and some significant coinage -- to the tune of $26,400. Unfortunately, money just doesn't come from punching bricks in real life, and Pollock is turning to Kickstarter to get all the extra coin he needs for the project. This isn't the first time Legos were used to re-imagine a beloved classic -- heck, it isn't even the first Mario level to get the blocky treatment. That doesn't make the concept any less amusing, however, and Pollock promises to hold brick-building parties and take his project on the road to various conventions if it gets funded. Check out the potential project in all its blocky glory in the video after the break, as well as an update on our last Insert Coin project, the Berlin Boombox.
Free for All: Free-to-play MMO versions of your favorite Nintendo games
I have to be honest -- I wasn't the biggest Nintendo fan. I grew up right as the whole thing was really smashing and keeping kids glued to their TVs, but I generally went outside and played more than stayed inside and played games. (Odd, huh?) Still, I had my fun with certain titles. Contra rocked my boat, along with Kid Icarus and a bit of Mario Brothers. My friends, on the other hand, were full members of the Nintendo nation. They subcribed to the magazine, played the same games for hours and hours, and generally acted as though the fate of the real world hung in the balance as they attacked that last boss monster. Stylistically, the games have left a mark on the genre. Many of those same titles still sell as well, some of them reaching so many variations that I lost track a long, long time ago. I thought it might be fun to list off some free-to-play MMOs that remind me of those old classics. See what you think, and leave any suggestions in the comments section!
London Philharmonic Orchestra goes cover band with tribute to video game themes
If you've ever caught yourself humming the Angry Birds theme song, then perhaps you should check out tonight's London Philharmonic Orchestra's video game tribute concert. The group will play more than 20 songs made famous by games like Tetris, Zelda, Call of Duty and of course, Mario Bros., as part of London's annual music festival. When asked to create the ultimate gaming remix, composer and arranger Andrew Skeet vowed to keep it old school, while giving folks the best bits of music. It's not the first time someone's paid tribute to these hits, and we're hoping it's not the last. Check out the full setlist and video after the break.
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.
RFID-enabled vending machine ditches coinage, gets Mario Bros. tone (video)
A Twitter-enabled kitty door it is not, but this RFID-equipped soda machine is by far one of the most practical DIY projects we've seen in sometime. A Canadian tinkerer picked up this pop pusher a few years back, and has been using it to sling drinks in his building ever since. Unfortunately, finding the right change to feed the machine proved an issue for his neighbors, so he did what any logical hacker would do, and built in a contactless payment system. Using an Arduino, an Ethernet shield, an LCD screen, and an RFID reader, he created a system that allows customers to swipe a card and easily add funds from an online account. Best of all, every time you press that little blue button you get a Mario Bros. sample. Big ups, PopCARD. Video after the break.
Rise and Shiny recap: Dragonica
I was so glad to get back to normal this week, logging into a new (well, newish) game to enjoy and to write about. Dragonica, from what I remember, had been shut down some time ago. Somehow, magically, the announcement of its return slipped past my eyes, but here it is. It seems gPotato EU is going to be publishing it, considering that that's where I found it. I know, I know -- I work at Massively.com, the worlds' coolest and most reliable source for all things MMO, so how did this news get past me? I have no idea. Still, I was glad to see it sitting on my hard drive, waiting to be played. I never gave it much of a chance before, mainly because side-scroller combat games were normally good for just a weekend jaunt or two. I hate repetition, generally, and sometimes the combat in these kinds of games can be boring at best. I was pretty surprised, though, once I gave the game a chance and learned some of my moves. It grew on me really, really fast. Also, it ran like a dream and was adorable to the point of nosebleed, which always helps. Still, there's more. Click past the cut and find out!
This piranha plant keepsake box is ironic
Honestly, we're not sure how anyone could come up with the idea of a piranha plant keepsake box. A keepsake box, ideally, is designed to keep your precious items in a safe place so you'll always know where they are. Piranha plants, on the other hand, are about as far away from safe as you can get. They're man-eating plants, some varieties of which can breathe fire. Still, despite all that, this keepsake box -- designed by Etsy user lostmitten -- still manages to be kind of cute. As of this writing, there is a single one available for purchase at $60. We suppose you could pick it up and store your old high school love notes in there. Just watch your fingers when you open it up.
College Humor writes a complaint to Mario Bros. Plumbing
We've all seen Super Mario Bros. parodies before -- some that even make Mario a pretty sick and deranged dude. Been there, done that. But, what makes this College Humor video so special -- aside from its unusually grody depiction of the brothers Mario -- is its surprise ending. We won't spoil it for you, so you'll have to click on over if you want to check it out.
Men dressed as Mario and Luigi rob a cab driver
While it's unbelievably tempting to litter this piece with allusions to the various Mario and Luigi properties, we're instead going to bite our tongues and tell the story of some less-than-gentlemanly gents who beat and robbed a NYC cabbie at 4AM on November 1. According to police reports, the cabbie stopped his car at a gas station when one of the four patrons attempted to steal money out of his pocket. He asked the men to pay their fare and get out, which resulted in the attack. In the video found on the NY Daily News website, two men dressed as Mario and Luigi can be seen assaulting the cab driver while another person in their party stands about, presumably watching for interference. The men are still at large and police are asking those with information to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, log onto NYPD Crime Stoppers, or text 274637 then enter "TIP577." [Image credit: Bob Dob] [Via GamePolitics] [Thanks, Adam]
Nintendo takes the fun out of discovery with New Super Mario Bros. Wii tips video
Remember all those secret areas and level-skipping tactics from way back when you first played Super Mario Bros. on NES? Back before you could watch videos created by Nintendo showing off those very same tricks passed from friend to friend by word of mouth – before the internet was even a gleam in Al Gore's eye! Though our old, embittered brains remember those days fondly, you kids today with your shiny electronics and worldwide exchange of information get the not-so-secret tips straight from the horse's mouth (in sorta high-resolution, no less) on New Super Mario Bros. Wii. After watching the video you see above, we came to a scary realization: there are people out there who might not have any 2D Mario strategies already embedded in their brains. Folks, if you don't have any sort of tactic worked out for red coin collection, we're not sure this video can help you. Or if anyone can, for that matter. Thankfully, we have a much cooler video after the break. %Gallery-75137%
New Super Mario Bros. Wii coming down the pipe Nov. 15
Though the recent Nintendo press release announcing the Wii's new $199 price point was, for the most part, completely devoid of surprises, one new nugget of info was embedded in the stuff we already knew -- the release date for New Super Mario Bros. Wii has transformed from the ever-ambiguous "holiday 2009" to a decidedly more rigid "November 15." We can think of one mustachioed plumber who's not afraid of a little Modern competition. Bold, sir. Rather bold. %Gallery-64968%
Show and Tell: It's-a room!
The only thing better than playing video games is pretty much living in one. When Antoinette sent this one into us, it was an immediate lock for today's fan spotlight. Not only is redoing a room all in Mario Bros. decor the ultimate in fanboyism, it's also just really cool -- and this particular take on it is tremendous. Forget the decals, folks; this is the real deal, complete with 3D blocks you can slam your head into.Check out a selection of shots from the project, or hit up her page for even more! And don't forget: we're still looking for all your Final Fantasy swag. Figures? Game collections? Cosplay? Snap a few pics and send 'em in to us at showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. Of course, we're still interested in regular submissions, too.%Gallery-27044% Show and Tell is all about your stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts. Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.
Dojo update: Pipes and a POW block
There's a pungent retro flavor to proceedings on the dojo today, a nod to Nintendo's early history. If you'd like to know more, head past the post break for spoilers. If not, just keep on scrolling.
Promotional Consideration: Mario's DIY signs
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.Giant advertising firms with international clients and extravagant budgets aren't the only people working hard to push their video games on you; small mom-and-pop stores also develop stratagems to attract the casual shoppers who haven't yet decided on what to buy. These sales-generating tactics can be something as simple as putting up a notice about in-demand consoles being in stock, or as annoying as hard-selling you on preorders and magazine subscriptions.One of our favorite schemes, and the topic for this week's Promotional Consideration installment, relies on setting up homemade signs with creative interpretations of video gaming's most recognizable mascot, Mario. Join us past the post break for some of the interesting Japanese in-store displays that we've come across.
This is why we're dorks
Considering the amount of remixes Mims' hit rap single "This is Why I'm Hot" set off -- R. Kelly's "This is Why I'm Cold," the NBA's "The Phoenix Suns Are Hot," and Chubbs' "This is Why I'm Fat" for example -- we're surprised that it took this long for its catchy hook to reach video gaming's catch-phrase-hungry communities. Mirroring Mims' insipid lyrics, the simplicity of SnorgTees' shirt design leaves no room for confusion on its message or the company's plans to rake in crazy money by exploiting our nostalgia-addled minds. We can imagine the office congratulations and "props" received by the young designer who paired the 8-bit fire flower with the narcissistic mantra. They all agree, this is why he's hot. The $16.95 shirt comes in royal blue and black, its lowercase Myriad Pro text staying chalky white on both colors. If you haven't heard the song several hundred times already, you have the option of checking past the post break for an embedded music video of the club track.
The plant has his time
We've played through enough Super Mario Bros. games to have learned that no pipe should be approached without caution. After a lifetime of suffering piranha plant attacks, always at the least opportune moments, we've trained ourselves to scrutinize every green tube before hopping over it. We'll sit there for up to two minutes, staking out the pipe to make sure there isn't a hidden fly trap hoping to dupe us with its delayed pattern. Sometimes, we'll even see their eyes poking out, anxious to see why we haven't jumped yet.These guys seem to pop up everywhere! In addition to their appearances in almost every Mario-related title over the past two decades, the piranha plants extended their roots to Tetris Attack and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening! They've also been spotted in last Wednesday's Extra Life comic, illustrated by the always-awesome Scott Johnson. It's a predictable punchline, but no less hilarious because of it. We implore you to check it out!
LBP taunts us with Mario Sack Boy concept art
We're more than just a tad bit envious over LittleBigPlanet, Media Molecule's ultra-cute, ultra-customizable platformer for the PS3; ever since the title was announced at GDC, we've been downright jealous. Videos of the game's cooperative possibilities have turned us into internet stalkers, following every online preview and press release in secret, constantly reloading LBP's MySpace page every five minutes to make sure that other guys aren't moving into our territory with flirtatious comments. So seeing that players will not only be able to create landscapes that mimic scenes from classic games (e.g. Super Mario Bros., World 1-2), but likely also dress up their characters to look like Nintendo's mustachioed mascot has inflamed within us the sort of covetous lust that Moses warned against after coming down from the mount. The Virtual Console has been a great way for us to play old classics, but seeing Sony's plans for its PlayStation Network and comparing it to what we've heard so far about original, downloadable games coming to the Wii has us feeling like chumps. [Thanks Elmer!]
