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Posts with tag Mario

Remote-Control Car Plays Super Mario Theme On Water Bottles (Video)

by Blake Besharian, posted Apr 16th 2008 at 4:19PM



This video made us so nostalgic for the '80s that we just had to share. In the clip, an anonymous Chinese man has arranged a row of bottles filled with varying levels of liquid in a parking garage. Each of the bottles is filled with the right amount of water to play specific notes in the Super Mario Bros video game theme. The bottles are lined up in the right order so that when a remote-control (RC) car runs along the row with a piece of metal strapped to it, the Mario theme plays.

While a man named Michel Lauzière has done similar things with roller skates and a Mozart theme, we gotta admit that this 'Mario Bros' trick is a little bit cooler. Besides, the look on that parking lot security guard's face is priceless. Nice one, random Chinese guy! [Source: Break.com, via Autoblog]
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Modder Builds Portable Version of Super Nintendo Entertainment System

by Thomas Houston , posted Apr 2nd 2008 at 1:01PM



Yearning for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo 16-bit glory days of console-based video gaming? Brian Henderson modified the guts of a Super Nintendo (SNES) system to run in a handheld plastic shell complete with speakers, AV out, a 5-inch display and a "Player 2" port for multi-player fun.

The only downside seems to be that the "SNESp" requires the physical SNES game cartridge. There aren't any plans for production, but we can't help thinking way back to the early '90s and afternoons spent playing classics like the original Mario Kart, Super Metroid, Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.


From TechEBlog

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What Would Mario Look Like In Real Life?

by Peter Mychalcewycz, posted Mar 26th 2008 at 8:01PM




What would iconic video game character Mario look like in real life? One word: terrifying.

The anonymous creator of the blog Pixeloo has begun "de-tooning" cartoons, utilizing photoshop to transform fictional folks such as Homer Simpson and Mario into human-like representations of their animated selves. To clarify, they are not supposed to completely look like real humans. The "de-tooned" characters retain the exact proportions as the cartoons, but get realisti-looking facial characteristics and complexions. The results are unsettling, to say the least.

Mario, everyone's favorite G-rated superhero is transformed by this "de-tooning" into what can only be described as a homicidal pervert plumber/rapist. That is literally the first thing that came to mind. Credit has to be given to the creator of these startling images. It takes skill to make such a fluffy, bouncy character utterly capable of inducing night terrors.

Honestly, there just isn't much else to say. There are certain images that stay with you. We are sure the image of "de-tooned" Mario will visit you all very soon. In your sleep. When you are alone and vulnerable.


From boingboing

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Super Mario Galaxy is Heavenly, According to Reviews

by Ryan Rayhill, posted Nov 14th 2007 at 3:38PM


In 1985, 'Super Mario Bros.' defined what the next decade of 2D-platform games would and should be on home consoles. Mario did it again for 3D games in 1996 with 'Super Mario 64' on the Nintendo 64. And while we may have to wait a bit longer for 4D games, this week's 'Super Mario Galaxy' seems to have, according to a plethora of pro-plumber reviews, set the bar unbelievably high not just for Wii games but all "next generation" action titles.

With a current metascore (an average of all review scores) of 97 out of 100, 'Super Mario Galaxy' is garnering critical acclaim not only for its adherence to what's made Mario great in the past, but also for its innovative use of the Wii control, outstanding visual presentation, and orchestrated score (a first for Mario games). It's not ALL good news of course as no game is perfect, but here's what the critics say:

Yahoo! Games

The Good:

  • 'Super Mario Galaxy' is a reminder that games don't have to be ultra-violent, make clever social statements or ride the marketing machine to succeed. They simply have to be fun, and you'd be hard pressed to find one as genuinely enjoyable as Mario's latest.

The Bad:

  • ...a little disjointed from time to time.

    ...it would be nice to hear Mario say something other than 'Woo-hoo!' from time to time.

Game Informer

The Good:

  • ...the best Mario game since the NES classic, 'Super Mario Bros.' It innovates in a genre that we had thought we had seen everything from, and in doing so delivers some of the most entertaining gameplay to date.

The Bad:

  • While it's nice that you rarely have to fuss with the camera, there are times where walls will obstruct your view, or you won't be able to rotate the perspective to see where you are supposed to jump next. And worst of all, for a game that puts such an emphasis on going out of your way to get an extra life, all of your lives are reset when you turn the Wii off.

IGN

The Good:

  • One of the greatest platformers I have ever played, Wii's best game, and an absolute must-own experience.

The Bad:

  • Every so often ... you will find yourself in a situation where the camera isn't quite right ... When that happens and you can't center yourself, you have no recourse, which is unfortunate ... It's not perfect."

1UP

The Good:

  • 'Galaxy' proves that Mario matters just as much today as he did 25 years ago, and that makes him one of a kind in this medium. But don't play 'Galaxy' simply because Mario is the timeless godfather of gaming. No, play 'Galaxy' because it's fantastic.

The Bad:

  • With the health power meter now reduced from six sections to three, experimenting with new enemies and tactics can be a little fraught - try the wrong thing twice in a row and you're in immediately danger of dying.

It's great to see Mario still kicking ass among such big titles this year like 'Halo 3' and 'Mass Effect'. Mysteriously, our copy seems to have gone missing in the mail. But, we are more than excited to see Mario return to the throne. And we don't mean that in the plumbing sense.


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DIY Nintendo Controller for iPod

by Tom Conlon, posted Aug 9th 2007 at 2:00PM

Old School Nintendo Controller for iPod

Sure the Wiimote's motion-detection wizardry is all the rage these days, but for some gamers, that childhood love affair with the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controller never ended. Yesterday brought news of a touch version of the NES gamepad being hacked onto the iPhone to play such classics as 'Super Mario Bros.'

Now, a super geek has cracked open one of the old controllers and rewired it to control his iPod. His work, along with a how-to, is on display at the Instructables Web site, a place dedicated to DIY projects for hacking almost anything you can imagine.

You may want to keep your eye on that Instructables page. Down in the comments, a fellow Instructables solder monkey suggests building the ultimate iPod dock out of an old NES console where you'd push the iPod down into the cartridge slot and control it with the gamepad.

Holy Luigi, do we want one of those ...

From Shiny Shiny

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Nintendo's Fashion Runway Show

by Tom Conlon, posted Apr 26th 2007 at 4:00PM


Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Dolce & Gabbana. These are the names that immediately come to mind when one thinks of legendary Italian couture. And you can now add Mario and Luigi to that distinguished list. The fashion world has been abuzz since the pair debuted its new line of Nintendo-themed t-shirts, hats, backpacks and other apparel at a recent runway show in the Nintendo World Store in New York's Rockefeller Center.

You want the truth? It was actually Nintendo putting on the show, and not two fictional video-game characters. And, well, it's a pretty safe bet to assume that the fashion world failed to acknowledge the event. Still, this isn't your run-of-the-mill, crappy corporate propaganda -- these clothes definitely have style. Check them out for yourself in the gallery below.

SPOILER ALERT! This gallery contains photos of a pale, overweight gentleman in 'Super Mario Bros.' underwear. You've been warned.

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Gallery: Nintendo Fashion Show

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Video Game Picassos

by Evan Shamoon, posted Apr 18th 2007 at 9:00AM

Video Game Picassos
Last night in Los Angeles, a line extended down the street outside of Gallery 1988 as enthusiasts of art, classic video games and free booze waited to check out the opening of this year's I Am 8-Bit art opening. The diverse lineup of artwork (over 200 pieces by more than 100 artists) was fueled by gamer nostalgia, with all of the work inspired by old-school video games. Mario and Luigi drinking moonshine? Check. The Frog from 'Frogger' now on crutches as a result of being hit by multiple cars? Check. Link and Princess Zelda goofing off in a photo booth? Check.

Other highlights included performances by nerdcore bands ComputeHer and 8 Bit Weapon, a mammoth five-and-a-half foot Atari controller hooked up to games being projected on a wall outside, and a surprising number of living, breathing women (generally a rarity at video game-related events).

Get your art collector on at 1988 Gallery, and find more info at I Am 8-bit.

Gallery: Video Game Art Show

  • 'Donkey Kong' by Heshka Ryan
  • 'Great Tiger' by Jeff McMillan
  • 'Tetrico' by Ueno Yosuke
  • 'Turnip Moonshine Shack' by Amanda Visell
  • 'The Frogger' by Michael Leavitt
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Mario's Greatest Hits

by Evan Shamoon, posted Apr 17th 2007 at 9:08AM

Tanooki MarioThe folks over at GameDaily have put together a list of the top 10 Mario games of all time, and the results may actually surprise you. Nostalgia seems to have hit writer Chris Buffa like a Mack truck doing 85 down memory lane, as all of the top choices come from well into yesteryear, while more recent titles -- like 'Mario Sunshine,' 'New Super Mario Bros.' and 'Mario Kart DS' -- linger at the bottom of the list. What can we learn from this? That the state of humanity is on the rapid decline, that there's always a princess out there in need of saving, and that Nintendo seriously knows how to milk a franchise.

Their choice for numero uno Mario game of all time? 'Super Mario Bros. 3,' of course. Because let's face it: Who can resist the appeal of an overweight Italian plumber in a skin-tight Tanooki suit? Oh, and the strangest choice: a rather obscure RPG (role-playing game) called 'Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga,' which comes in at #4. Color us pleasantly surprised -- it's refreshing to see the quirkier titles get some props.

From GameDaily
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Gaming This Weekend 4.13.07

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Apr 13th 2007 at 6:00PM

Boom Boom Rocket
As far as new blockbuster releases, this week was a bit slow, but that won't keep you from catching up on some great gaming. We have plenty of fun in store for you in this week's edition.

'Boom Boom Rocket' on Xbox Live
If you have an Xbox 360 and don't feel like stopping by a store to pick something up, you're in luck. Boom Boom Rocket was released for the Xbox Live Marketplace, which means you can download the game right to your console. This music-rhythm game involves rockets exploding over a 3D cityscape and it will easily keep you entranced for the weekend.

Super Paper Mario
We warned you about this last week, and it turns out that this Nintendo Wii title is everything we hoped it would be. With an adventure that floats you between dimensions, into traps and puzzles, and multiple playable characters (including Peach and Bowser), you're sure to have a Nintendo-quality weekend of gaming.

PS3 for $499
Sony discontinued the less-expensive 20-gigabyte PS3 this week. If you were looking to get in at the lower $499 price point, scamper out now and try to pick one up before they're all gone.

Update Your Wii
Nintendo updated the Wii Internet channel this week. Flip on your Wii for the latest update, including a new Opera web browser that's free until June, so grab it now.
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