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It’s-a Mario World: Classic Secrets

January 4th, 2009 by Kenneth Caldwell

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Along with the New Year’s celebration comes a heap of (potentially unrealistic) personal resolutions for the future and an equal dose of nostalgic recollection of 2008. You have already seen our 10 Best Games of 2008 and the 10 you should have downloaded among dozens of other annual lists, so your sense of hindsight should be fairly well-attuned during this first weekend of 2009. So where, you might ask, does our Mario fit in?

This week we are highlighting some classic Mario game secrets which did not necessarily occur in 2008, but which should nevertheless be recalled during all possible occasions if only to reaffirm our steadfast allegiance. These recollections are like wormholes to our early platforming pasts, histories in which the surprising discovery of a well-hidden 1-up or warp zone could redefine the realm of the possible in the Land of the Mushrooms. Yeah, and they are also reminders of what we were doing earlier today. Now, we are no soothsayers, but it’s a good bet that 2009 will be full of more coin-hoarding, cape-rippling good times. For now, though, let’s look back at some of the top secret areas of early Mario games. Warp to the gallery!

It’s-a Mario World is a recurring feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo’s flagship character is celebrated. Check back each week to find out what strange and wonderful thing has us seeing power stars. * * * Links of the week: The beat behind Mario 3! | Aren’t the Olympic Games over? | Mario > 2008? | This is a Mario Thermos!

It’s-a Mario World: Classic Secrets originally appeared on Nintendo Wii Fanboy on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted in , joystiqfeatures, super-mario-bros, its-a-mario-world, mario-brothers, easter-egg, hidden-levels, secrets, warp | No Comments »

It’s-a Mario World: Our Unfulfilled Christmas List

December 27th, 2008 by Kenneth Caldwell

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In the days immediately following Christmas, we do several things: Sink hours into replaying timeless Mario classics (currently we’re collecting Ace coins in Super Mario Advance), ponder all kinds of Mario-related things we could buy with our Christmas money and begin scrawling out a list of Mario gifts we want for next Christmas. Pretty standard, right? Problem is, there are so many wonderful Mario trinkets and toys that have been released in the last twenty years that it’s hard to decide which search terms to use on eBay.

Worry not, Mario fiends! This week we present a gallery teeming with Mario stocking-stuffers old and new. Yeah, some of them were released only in Japan over ten years ago, but that doesn’t mean we can’t covet them greedily. Others are available on shelves at the time of writing. Either way, you’re sure to be amazed at the breadth of material goods upon which Mario’s trademark has been shamelessly stamped. Check out these sweet toys!

It’s-a Mario World is a recurring feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo’s flagship character is celebrated. Check back each week to find out what strange and wonderful thing has us seeing power stars. * * * Link of the week: Mario vs. Master Chief!

It’s-a Mario World: Our Unfulfilled Christmas List originally appeared on Nintendo Wii Fanboy on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted in , joystiqfeatures, super-mario-bros, christmas, its-a-mario-world, mario-brothers, gifts, mario-toys | No Comments »

It’s-a Mario World: Two Years on Wii

November 22nd, 2008 by Kenneth Caldwell

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As both game character and flagship intellectual property, Mario has long been the focal point of Nintendo’s efforts. Thanks in no small part to creative genius Shiggy Miyamoto, Mario’s adventures have ushered in some of the most pivotal games in the history of electronic entertainment. His moves have established and defined the entire platforming genre, and he almost single-handedly paved the way from 2D to 3D action-adventure games.

To put these landmark achievements into perspective, consider the Wii: This week marks the second birthday of Nintendo’s current money-printing console. To what extent has Mario enriched the platform in the two years it has been sold out available? The increasingly casual (and characteristically generic) orientation of popular first-party titles like Wii Sports and Wii Fit have stolen some of the Nintendo spotlight from under the ’stach of our able plumber, and the marketing appeal of the Wii Remote has powerfully overshadowed the age-old run and jump control mechanic. Does Mario still sell games? Good god, yes. But how much have his games determined the success of the Wii? In this week’s gallery, we examine the significance of Mario’s Wii appearances to date. Enjoy!

It’s-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo’s flagship character is celebrated: We’ll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.

It’s-a Mario World: Two Years on Wii originally appeared on Nintendo Wii Fanboy on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted in , joystiqfeatures, super-mario-bros, releases, Release, anniversary, anniversary-week, its-a-mario-world, mario-brothers, happy-birthday | No Comments »

It’s-a Mario World: Super Educational

November 15th, 2008 by Kenneth Caldwell

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Greetings, Mario fanatics young and old! Finally, after innumerable requests and a handful of death threats, we are responding to high demand for a gallery wholly dedicated to educational Mario games. Awesome, let’s learn! So, what is it Mario is going to be teaching us anyway?

As it turns out, quite a lot. His heroic deeds over the years have promoted such abstract virtues as bravery, selflessness and chivalric duty, but at the end of the day, hands-on skills and craftiness are to be rewarded. Rarely has Mario demonstrated his alleged ability to install and repair plumbing (aside from setting flame to the occasional pipe-dwelling piranha plant), and one must wonder whether he ever spends time away from his eccentric and widely-varied hobbies, like being an athlete in virtually any sport and solving picture logic puzzles. Does Mario know anything worth teaching? Ride a hyperlink over to our new gallery stuffed with pedagogy and find out! Oh, and bring a notepad.

It’s-a Mario World is a weekly feature in which the ubiquity of Nintendo’s flagship character is celebrated: We’ll incessantly ruminate about mustache wax, debate the curious whereabouts of the princess and covet the luminous power stars strewn about the galaxy. Check back here every Friday to find out what strange and wonderful thing has got us tipping our caps.

It’s-a Mario World: Super Educational originally appeared on Nintendo Wii Fanboy on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted in , education, joystiqfeatures, super-mario-bros, edutainment, its-a-mario-world, mario-brothers, mario-is-missing, marios-time-machine | No Comments »

Deaths that don’t mix with Super Mario Bros.

May 20th, 2008 by David Hinkle

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Oh, the memories we have from our days playing Super Mario Bros. in our PJs, bellies full of sugary cereal. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve watched Mario die, whether it be falling down an endless chasm or getting torched by a runaway fireball while penetrating the darkest corners of Bowser’s castle.

What would you get if Mario’s death animation was swapped out for the death animation of, say, Mega Man? Or Q-Bert? Our personal favorite? The use of Friday the 13th.

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Posted in Nintendo, , capcom, Mario, super-mario-bros, friday-the-13th, mega-man | No Comments »

Unreal Tournament meets Super Mario

April 27th, 2008 by Candace Savino

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If any of you own either the PC or PS3 versions of Unreal Tournament 3, you might enjoy downloading this Mario-inspired map made by FrontAXL. The blocky platforms will look familar to players of the original Super Mario Bros., as well as many of the background elements. It’s not an exact replica (nor is it meant to be), but the similarities are impossible to deny. Also, the PC version of the map includes music and sounds from the beloved classic.

Check out the awesome in-game video of the stage in action after the break, along with some other screens. You can also download the stage here at the UT3 forums.

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Posted in , PS3, PC, epic, super-mario-bros, ut3, map, epic-games, fan-made, unreal-tournament-3 | No Comments »

The VC Advantage: A Very Special Anniversary Edition

November 21st, 2007 by JC Fletcher

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The internet has made it easy to find cheats for games, but we miss the tips pages from game magazines, when the discovery of a new code could inspire you to go back to an old game. These codes aren't exactly new, but oldness is the essence of the Virtual Console! We're bringing back the classic codes every week on The VC Advantage.

It's another special celebration this week at Wii Fanboy, and we thought that we would do something special in this week's VC Advantage, involving one of the most iconic Virtual Console games -- in fact, one of the most iconic video games of all time. Even though Super Mario Bros. didn't come out in the U.S. until Christmas, it's the canonical Nintendo game and thus seems like a perfect candidate for the Wii anniversary week VCA.

Two (more) caveats before we delve into our subject matter: first, we'd like to bring up the point that not all secrets are cheats, and not all are intentional. Some of the most interesting discoveries in video games were put in there totally by accident, or are the result of someone's imagination. Second, the images and subject matter of today's VCA are as not safe for work as unaltered Super Mario Bros. footage can be.

The Kintamario

In 1-2, or any other level in which you can get on top of the line of blocks acting as an upper screen boundary, you can perform a puerile visual gag that makes Mario resemble a tanuki, but not in the same way that Super Mario Bros. 3's Tanooki Suit did. Simply position the coin in the coin display between Mario's legs. The coin's "flashing" color is the same as Mario's skin tone, so Mario will appear to have a rounded protuberance between his legs. That's right, Kintamario is a portmanteau consisting of the words kintama 'balls, testicles' and Mario. Oh, how clever!

The Unkomario

This equally childish gag uses the same setup: positioning Mario in front of the coin icon. If you then crouch, it sort of looks like Mario is defecating, right there on the bricks! "Take that, bricks," we imagine Mario saying, "maybe next time, you'll just give me the star instead of making me beat it out of your friend over there." Unko means 'feces', of course!

Something as ridiculously silly can only be funny to children, right? Maybe not. Check out 9-Volt and 18-Volt's intro video from Wario Ware: Smooth Moves and see if you see anything familiar. Apparently someone at Intelligent Systems thinks it's funny too!

We like stuff like this not only because we're giggling man-children, but because we like the idea of finding new ways to enjoy our games. This is user-created content, right here.
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Posted in , nes, Mario, vcadvantage, super-mario-bros, supermariobros, hurr, kintamario, poop, unkomario | No Comments »

Somebody’s top ten NES games

October 17th, 2007 by Eric Caoili

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Most "Top Ten NES Games" lists, of which there are two hundred released every second, turn out predictable and entirely skippable, but through the power of creative video editing, ScrewAttack managed to make their tally of favorites something worth the time spent watching it. You don't have to take our word for it! Dun-un, dun!

As expected, their list isn't perfect -- if it were, River City Ransom would occupy at least seven of the spots, leaving just enough room for Super Mario Bros. 3, Mega Man 2, and an emergency copy of River City Ransom. But it would be naive to think that any collection of NES games with "Top anything" written in proximity would satisfy everyone, unless, of course, it was a list of Top Gun titles (all two of them). So feel free to comment with your own selection of "Absolutely Best NES Games Ever."
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Posted in , Ninja-Gaiden, zelda, nes, super-mario-bros, river-city-ransom, tetris, contra, Final-Fantasy, batman, kid-icarus, list, mega-man-2, top-ten | 2 Comments »

VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 10/1/07

October 1st, 2007 by David Hinkle

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Today is a very special day for the Virtual Console. Not only does it mark the occasion where those of us in the states received our first import titles, but also it marks a new age for VC Monday Madness coverage from here on out. Hopefully, the new set we're recording gameplay from will enhance the overall quality of our coverage. Better coverage equals more happy readers (er, viewers, we suppose), correct? And, a happy reader makes for a happy blogger.


Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (NES, 1 player, 600 Wii Points)
Wii Fanboy says: download it!

Who doesn't like Super Mario Bros.?! Nobody, that's who, and given that Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels is just more of the same, nobody can find any fault in this title. Sure, it's 100 Wii Points over the usual asking price for NES titles, but it's easily paid given the fact that we finally get this import.


Sin and Punishment (Nintendo 64, 1-2 players, 1,200 Wii Points)
Wii Fanboy says: download it!

Sin & Punishment is the kind of game that should it have released earlier and in the states, it could've saved the N64. The only fault we can find in the title is it's quirky control scheme, which will only take you 15 minutes or so to get used to. With its frenetic, fast-paced action, we find a title that is easily worth the 1,200 Wii Point asking price. Download. This. Now.

That concludes our look at this week's Virtual Console games. As always, if you have any tips or rumors regarding Nintendo's Virtual Console service, be sure to let us know and come back next week when we take a look at the latest titles available on the Nintendo Wii.
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Posted in , nes, Mario, n64, super-mario-bros, super-mario-bros-lost-levels, supermariobros | No Comments »