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‘Super Mario 3D All-Stars’ comes to Nintendo Switch on September 18th
Nintendo just announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a Switch collection of three of Mario’s most notable adventures. The package includes Super Mario 64 (the first 3D Mario game, originally released for the Nintendo 64), Super Mario Sunshine (for the Game Cube) and Super Mario Galaxy (for the Wii).
Lego's buildable NES console comes with a 'playable' game
Following yesterday’s tantalizing tweet, Lego has officially unveiled its brick-based replica of the iconic Nintendo Entertainment System (which just so happens to turn 37 tomorrow). The kit also comes with a special 'Action Brick' that can be scanned by the Lego Mario that comes with the upcoming Starter Course play set. Of course, any NES wouldn't be complete without a rectangular controller and cartridge.
Lego is teasing a buildable NES console set
The first Lego / Super Mario Bros. mashup will be on sale in just a few weeks, but Lego is already teasing the next collaboration it has in the works with Nintendo. A tweet on the official Lego Twitter account shows off a mostly-unidentifiable set in silhouette, but a series of photos from VJGamer says the set will be a full-size replica of the original NES, complete with a controller, cartridge and even a TV you can build that has Super Mario Bros. set on its screen. To be clear, this set is entirely brick-built and is sadly not a functioning NES, though the photos show a crank on the TV that’ll put Mario on the TV screen into motion.
Lego Super Mario is a charming attempt at real-life ‘Mario Maker’
Lego Super Mario replicates not only the visual splendor of the Mushroom Kingdom, but what it’s like to play through levels with a controller or handheld console.
The first Lego Super Mario sets launch on August 1st
Lego and Nintendo are ready to share a few more details about their unusual Mario-themed collaboration. The aptly-named Lego Super Mario will launch on August 1st with three sets called Adventures with Mario Starter Course — which serves as the foundation for the entire product line — Piranha Plant Power Slide Expansion Set and Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set. You can pre-order the Starter Course now for $59.99/€59.99 — the same price as most Nintendo-made games at launch — from Lego’s online store and select retailers.
Nintendo is reportedly planning to remaster classic Mario games this year
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. and Nintendo could be set to mark the legacy of its flagship franchise in a major way. The company is reportedly working on several Mario games for this year, including remastered versions of some classic titles.
‘Dreams’ player forced to remove his fan-made Mario assets
Sony's long-awaited Dreams arrived earlier this year, a LittleBigPlanet-esque wonderland in which players can build almost any kind of world they can imagine -- but only if it doesn't infringe on copyright, apparently. According to Dreams content creator @Piece_of_Craft, "a big video game company" has come after him for his use of Nintendo's Super Mario character on the platform.
Lego's new sets put 'Super Mario Maker' in the real world
Lego and Nintendo feel like a perfect match. The pair's first official partnership is more than a basic licensed set, though. The aptly-named Lego Super Mario will come with a chunky version of the plumber -- one that's larger than a standard Lego minifigure -- with a couple of switches on his back and some digital displays that represent his eyes, mouth, and a chest area just above his blue overalls. You'll then be able to build and play through classic levels from the Mushroom Kingdom that feature Goombas, Piranha Plants and question blocks. Somehow, Mario will know what they are and react accordingly when you mock-jump and stomp on them.
Nintendo offers a rare discount on select Mario games
It's rare to see first-party Nintendo games go on sale. But thanks to Mario Day (otherwise known as Mar10 in honor of the moustachioed plumber), you can get several of the company's recent releases at a decent discount. With multiple retailers taking part in the event, you have some choice when it comes to where to pick the games up. As you'll see below, we've mostly linked to the eShop and Amazon, but you can also take advantage of the deals below at Gamestop, Target and Walmart.
'Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games' will feature three 'Dream Events'
The Mario and Sonic series will feature three new "Dream Events" in its upcoming 2020 Tokyo edition. Nintendo offered a glimpse today at the three events in a trailer for the game, which will be released exclusively on Nintendo Switch this November. They include "Dream Shooting", "Dream Karate" and "Dream Racing".
The next 'Mario & Sonic Olympics' game has a retro 2D mode
Over the past 12 years, Nintendo and Sega have faithfully published their mashup, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, to correspond with the iconic sporting event. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo will be a homecoming of sorts for the two mascots, who were both created in Japan. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Tokyo Games 2020 will also see them returning to their roots in 10 "Classic Events" that use 2D sprites and environments.
Players have created over 2 million levels on ‘Super Mario Maker 2’
Super Mario Maker 2 players are having a busy summer. Nintendo announced today that players have uploaded 2 million courses on the level creator since its worldwide release on June 28th. The highly-anticipated Nintendo Switch sequel to Super Mario Maker also lets users create courses that anyone can play, but with a world of assets and features not seen in the original. Players can choose between 100 Nintendo-designed levels or any of the levels created by other Mario fans.
'Super Mario Maker 2' is another love letter to Nintendo’s 2D platformers
It's impossible to play Super Mario Maker 2 without having a huge smile on your face. It's a total deconstruction of what makes Nintendo's 2D platforming franchise so special. You're just a plumber, standing on a stage, hoping to make it to the goal intact. The real hook, of course, is that you can take everything you've learned from Mario games over the years and craft your own levels, with the freedom to make them as simple or thumb-numbingly complex as you'd like. And if you're just in the mood to play, you've got a practically endless supply of levels from Nintendo and the online community to feed on. There's no doubt Super Mario Maker 2 banks heavily on nostalgia, but it's also a way for both old and new players to truly grasp the power of 2D platformers.
Watch the 'Super Mario Maker 2' Nintendo Direct here
If you're excited for Super Mario Maker 2, you'll want to watch the dedicated Nintendo Direct livestream tonight at 6PM ET (3PM PT, 11PM GMT).
Nintendo Labo VR review: Cute, cardboard and kinda boring
Virtual reality devotees scoffed at the introduction of Google Cardboard five years ago: Why would anyone settle for such a limited, feeble-looking piece of paper when "real" headsets were on the horizon? But Cardboard was never about competing with Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Instead, it was a way to give non-early adopters a low-cost taste of immersive technology. Years later Cardboard has faded into the background as the VR scene has taken off, but Nintendo never forgot about the promise of low-tech VR. Labo VR builds on both the initial ideas of Cardboard and the inaugural Labo sets to create a unique, endearing and most important, playful experience.
'Mario Kart Tour' beta will arrive on phones next month
It's almost here! Today, Nintendo announced a "Closed Beta Test" for Mario Kart Tour, a long-delayed mobile spin-off that we currently know diddly-squat about. (Seriously, Nintendo hasn't released a single screenshot.) The sneak-preview will be available to Android users in the US and Japan between May 22nd and June 4th. (The final game, of course, will also be available on iOS devices.) If you're intrigued by the title, you can sign up using the QR code on the official Mario Kart Tour website. The long-delayed app is scheduled to come out in "summer 2019," the same time as Doctor Mario, a new game co-developed with messaging titan Line.
'Super Mario Maker 2' hits the Switch this June
It took its sweet time, but Super Mario Maker is coming to Nintendo Switch! Far from a port, this is a bonafide sequel, Super Mario Maker 2. Details are scant, but from the brief trailer Nintendo showed during its Nintendo Direct presentation, we noticed some assets from that other superb Wii U game, Super Mario 3D World. The best news? You'll only have to wait a few months to play it: Super Mario Maker 2 will land in June 2019. Expect to hear a lot more about it in the coming months.
Nintendo delays mobile 'Mario Kart Tour' game until the summer
Unsurprisingly, Nintendo needs a little more time to polish its mobile-friendly version of Mario Kart. Beyond the name and target platform, we know precisely zilch about Mario Kart Tour, which was originally scheduled to come out by March 2019. But we haven't seen a single screenshot or Nintendo Direct-style video explaining what the game is like or how it works. So it wasn't a huge shock when the company announced today that the game is now scheduled for summer 2019. Why the delay? "In order to improve [the] quality of the application and expand the content offerings after launch," Nintendo explained in its Q3 earnings report.
‘Super Mario Flashback’ is a stunning pixel art fan game
If you fancy playing some classic Mario, there are plenty of ways to go about it. You can buy a tiny NES or SNES Classic, for instance, or subscribe to Nintendo's Switch Online service. There's also Super Mario Maker, legally grey emulation and, of course, the original cartridges if you own a NES, SNES or modern console equivalent like the Analogue Super NT. In the not-too-distant future, though, there might be another way to get your fix of Nintendo nostalgia: a beautiful fan game called Super Mario Flashback.
Nintendo's 'Mario Tennis Aces' combines charm with surprising depth
Before Mario Tennis Aces appears in stores and on your Switch, Nintendo offered up a weekend of tournament play to whet appetites and convince you to preorder its first in-house sport title for the Switch. The demo sticks to purely tournament play, and while we didn't get the chance to play one another, there's something addictive here. That is, once you've figured out what the heck's going on. Two editors offer their very early impressions.
