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Acid, Leeches, Quicksand, Magic, Black Holes, And Other Ways Mario Can Die
Try your hardest to stay calm as you watch Mario die over and over and over again. I know, I know. It’s tough. But you can get through this. The video, which includes clips from almost every Mario-helmed game, from Super Mario Bros. to Paper Mario to Mario Pinball Land, is a journey through the…
By Jason Schreier Published March 19, 2012 -
Is Super Mario Bros. History’s Greatest Masterpiece of Surrealism?
The surrealism of Super Mario Bros. would seem to be self-evident but, as PBS’ Idea Channel on YouTube says, perhaps it has been around for so long that its non sequiturs are taken for normal. Its wide acceptance (and a catalog of work spanning more than two decades) may make the Super Mario Bros. franchise…
By Owen Good Published March 17, 2012 -
You Won’t Jump Over the Flagpole in These Awesome Mario Heels
Artist Jamie Ferraioli proves that stunning, feminine accessories are in no way at odds with nerd culture with her gorgeous, hand-painted shoes. These heels and flats display meticulously detailed hand-painted art from Super Mario Brothers and The Legend of Zelda. My personal favorite part is the lava painted onto the platform sole of the black…
By Kate Cox Published March 12, 2012 -
How Do You Make a Super Mario Game At a Time of National Tragedy?
Most of Koichi Hayashida’s talk at the Game Developers Conference today about making the most recent Super Mario game for Nintendo was silly. Some of it was even a joke. Until he got to the earthquake. March 11, 2011. Japan’s worst natural disaster in ages. He was in the fifth floor of a building in…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 7, 2012 -
Bowser’s Wife Seems Like The Brains Of The Family
Look, Bowser, we all know that plumber-killing and princess-snatching can take a lot out of you, but come on. If you’re going to buy an expensive clown helicopter, at least get your wife’s permission first. We finally get to meet Mrs. Bowser in this Dorkly comedy video, and she’s basically what you’d expect out of…
By Jason Schreier Published February 9, 2012 -
Turn-a Your Head and Cough-a, Peach
Whoa. That there is a custom toy scene by Donald Kennedy, an artist recently featured in iam8bit’s store. I can’t tell if the subject of the examination is supposed to be Toad or Peach. Either way, Dr. Mario seems set to earn his pornstache. Kennedy is now running a giveaway, if you can put this…
By Owen Good Published February 4, 2012 -
Nintendo Is Releasing a “Totally New” 3DS Mario Sidescroller
In the last few months, Nintendo put out a couple of Mario games—namely, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. But Nintendo isn’t finished. There’s another Mario title on the horizon; it wasn’t publically known until today. At a recent analyst meeting, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata explained that Nintendo is working on many titles…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 27, 2012 -
It’s Mario Versus Braid in the Ultimate Bar Conversation Battle of Indie Cred
Call him a sell-out. Call him a suit. Call him too mainstream. It doesn’t change the fact that Mario was jumping and saving imperiled females before it was cool. Ah yes, those young, hip fellows at the bar, sitting together exuding an aura of inapproachability. No one can get close enough to point out that…
By Mike Fahey Published January 24, 2012 -
Even Birds Can Get the Super Mario Theme Stuck in Their Heads
Koji Kondo created an earworm of epic proportions when he wrote the theme music for Super Mario Brothers more than 20 years ago. The tune’s become one of the most recognizable pop culture jingles of the last 40 years, to the point where tropical birds feel the need to sing it out loud. The feathered…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 22, 2011 -
The Giant Rainbow Super Mario in Just Dance 3 is Slightly Disturbing
The Just Dance series is the kind of red-hot gaming franchise that can pull in a guest character like Nintendo’s Super Mario. But who knew that such a combo would be so… colorful. Behold the sight of Mario dancing in the Wii version of Just Dance 3, last seen in the Japanese version of the…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 13, 2011 -
Their Goal Was to Make a Mario Game that Felt Like a Vacation
Video games as cinematic blockbusters? Sure. Video games as texts? I’ve heard that one too. Video games as vacations? That one was new to me, but that’s the concept Nintendo’s Yoshiaki Koizumi had when he was telling me (quoted above in postcard format) about his team’s approach to making a Super Mario game for a…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 29, 2011 -
This Super Mario Wedding Art Deserves a Star
Concept artist Larry Quach made the Batcave image I used for a piece on Arkham City‘s upcoming challenge maps DLC. But that’s not the only video game-related creativity that the California resident’s whipped up. Quach gave a total visual design treatment to the wedding of two friends, with invitations, a seating chart and a take-home…
By Evan Narcisse Published November 29, 2011 -
It’s a Me a Mario! An 8-Bit Opera
The guys at JonandAl put together a Super Mario opera for the world to enjoy. As ridiculous as it is, I still can’t get the song out of my head. I dare you to not be moved when Mario gets that star power. If only they can remake the original movie as an opera… You…
By Chris Carolan Published November 28, 2011 -
What Nintendo’s Game Creators Think of You
If you’ve ever played a Zelda game or a Mario game, you’ve played a game made by a bunch of people in Japan. Most likely, they were far away from you. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t think about you. They do think about you. A lot. In an unusual and interesting way. I recently…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 23, 2011 -
Nintendo Hopes Their Newest Mario Game is the Series’ Much-Needed ‘Missing Link’
There are millions of people who enjoy playing Super Mario games that are three dimensional, games you play from behind Mario’s back. But there are millions more who enjoy playing 2D Super Mario games, games that show Mario from the side. Those games, like New Super Mario Bros. on the DS and New Super Mario…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 23, 2011 -
In Defense of PETA’s Attack on Super Mario
Last week, the People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, ticked off a lot of people who like video games. But maybe the gamers shouldn’t have been so upset about that whole “Mario Kills Tanooki” thing? On one side we had the notorious animal-rights rabble-rousers complaining that Super Mario endorses the wearing of fur…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 23, 2011 -
‘When we show a power-up to Mr. Miyamoto, we get a bit nervous.’
You are working on a new Super Mario Bros. game. You have a new idea for a Mario power-up, something that could be as delightful as the original fire flower or the invincibility star for Mario to headbutt out of a block and temporarily try on. How do you do that? Real people have to…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 22, 2011 -
Super Mario Bros. 2 Was a Tiny, Tiny Influence on Super Mario 3D Land
Nintendo is a company in love with its past, or at least the popular parts of its past. Except for Super Mario Bros. 2, a game the company doesn’t talk about much. Sure, Super Mario Bros. 2 let players choose from one of four Mario-verse heroes, a pre-cursor to the multiplayer New Super Mario Bros.…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 22, 2011 -
Nintendo Debuting Limited Edition Super Mario and Zelda 3DS Bundles For Thanksgiving
This week, the time-honored American holiday of Thanksgiving rolls around yet again, serving as the kick-off to a month-long orgy of conspicuous consumption. To celebrate, Nintendo just announced that it’s releasing two 3DS bundles on Turkey Day. This announcement confirms the availability of the previously mentioned black Legend of Zelda handheld and outs a flame-red…
By Evan Narcisse Published November 21, 2011