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CultureOdds and EndsHere Are Some Great Video Game Victory Fanfares For No Reason At All
With the world in crisis, just straight-up, feel-good moments are few and far between. So some of us here at Kotaku, for no other reason at all, much less one dominating the current news cycle, have grabbed a bunch of our favorite fanfares from a bunch of our favorite video games to help you close…
By Ian Walker -
CultureShop Contest‘Shop Contest: Mario Action Figure
You’ve seen Mario in LEGO form, you’ve of course seen him in video game form and you’ve probably seen him in his animated form. But now he’s a big toy that makes noises. On Friday, Nintendo posted a tweet advertising the Mario action figure. Apparently, this thing has been out for a few months? Well,…
By Zack Zwiezen -
CultureSuper Mario 64’s Weird ‘Gay Bowser’ Line Isn’t In Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars landed on Switch today, but with that occasion comes some bad news: Mario no longer says, “So long, gay Bowser!” during the Super Mario 64 boss fights. A travesty, for sure, but there’s a good reason the iconic voice line is missing. The mystery of Mario’s dialogue that has eluded fans…
By Ian Walker -
CultureOdds and EndsSuper Mario Galaxy’s Opening Is Still Terrifying
Super Mario 3D All-Stars, launching tomorrow for the Nintendo Switch, gave me the opportunity to revisit a trio of classic video games. It also brought me face to face with what is perhaps the most terrifying opening of any Mario game, wherein Bowser literally carpet bombs the Mushroom Kingdom. As with most games in the…
By Ian Walker -
ReviewsSwitchSuper Mario 3D All-Stars: The Kotaku Review
Anyone who says “you can’t go home again” obviously never played a Mario game. My history with the Mario games isn’t a secret. As soon as I could hold a controller I was transfixed, especially when jumping. Unlike in Castlevania or Street Fighter, jumping as Mario was dynamic. You could tap the button for short…
By Ian Walker -
CultureSuper Mario Galaxy‘s Spin Won’t Be As Annoying In Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario Galaxy is an incredible game, but let’s be honest: the motion controls were annoying. In its appearance as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, launching on Switch on September 18, some of this inherent frustration will be removed by allowing players to use the Y button to perform the game’s all-important spin technique.…
By Ian Walker -
ReviewsToysLego Super Mario Is A Weird New Way To Play With Lego
The partnership between Nintendo and Lego, two of the world’s most popular family-friendly entertainment brands, has born fruit. Lego Super Mario is an odd amalgam of gaming and building that requires a healthy imagination to be enjoyed to its fullest. The Lego Super Mario launch lineup is massive and hard to find. Since launching earlier…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureSmoking Toad, F-Zero Beavis, And Other Weird Nintendo Gigaleak Finds
The recent “Gigaleak” of Nintendo assets has given us an inside look at the development of some of our favorite games. But as one might expect from a massive collection of prototypes and early builds that were never meant to see the light of day, there’s a good deal of weird and otherwise out-of-place stuff…
By Ian Walker -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryThrowing Paper Mario‘s Confetti Is My Happy Place
Sadly, it feels like I’m reaching the end of my time with Paper Mario: The Origami King. I’ve loved everything about it—well, almost everything—but my favorite part has got to be the simple act of tossing confetti around. The Mushroom Kingdom is in total disarray by the time you get to explore it thanks to…
By Ian Walker -
CultureOdds and EndsWaluigi Debuted 20 Years Ago Today, And I Respect Him A Lot
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Waluigi’s debut in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. In the decades since, the lanky loser has become something of a meme among gamers. But I’m here to say that, no, my love for Waluigi is pure, and I’m sick of hiding it behind a veil of irony. There…
By Ian Walker -
CultureOdds and EndsNintendo Veteran Explains Some Of The Restrictions Around Creating New Paper Mario Characters
Last month, Nintendo revealed that some of Paper Mario: The Origami King’s boss fights would be against office supplies instead of traditional Mario villains, and a new interview sheds some light on why. “Since Paper Mario: Sticker Star, it’s no longer possible to modify Mario characters or to create original characters that touch on the…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureRare Copy Of Super Mario Bros. Sells At Auction For Record-Breaking $114,000
A mint-condition sealed copy of the original Super Mario Bros. sold at auction for $114,000 on July 10, setting a new record for the sale of a single collectible video game. The previous record, a private sale for $100,150 in February 2019, was another sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. “How the heck did they…
By Ian Walker -
OpinionImpressionsHow Paper Mario: Origami King‘s Puzzle Battles Work
Nintendo’s next big Switch game is Paper Mario: The Origami King, announced less than two months ago via a humble tweet and arriving on July 17. The Paper Mario series’ reputation has been a bit spotty as of late, but Origami King has by and large gotten rid of the more annoying parts of the…
By Chris Kohler
