What do you get when you combine Halo 3 with several franchises in the Nintendo universe? A pretty darn funny video, if you ask us, so give it a chance. It has direct references to Super Mario Bros., StarFox and even Pokemon Snap. Let's see if you can get all of the Nintendo properties directly referenced! Winner gets our undying lovefor all of eternity.
The appeal of the Virtual Console is obvious: nostalgia. The VC is jam-packed with memories from yesteryear, spilling over with wonderful software that defined our childhoods. But it isn't all lollipops and puppy dogs. Nostalgia can also be very misleading, and some of those packets of data you download from Nintendo's service can end up souring childhood memories.
Personally speaking -- and this will probably sound like heresy in some quarters, so brace yourselves -- I was left disappointed by Mega Man 2, a game I adored as an eleven-year-old, but one that now seems slightly dated, with its repeated leaps of faith and enemies that like to spawn directly beneath you. On the other hand, a game such as Super Mario Bros. 3still feels like a breath of fresh air, almost two decades after it was released.
Thinking about this some more, we have three questions for you. One: which Virtual Console games don't hold the same magic for you as they once did? Two: have any titles aged better than you suspected they would? And three: have you ever held off from downloading a certain game, concerned that it may ruin one of those precious childhood memories?
We've missed out on a lot of gaming culture in the U.S. due to the fact that Japanese computer systems never caught on here. We didn't see the sequel to Metal Gear until 2006, because there was no MSX. We didn't see the superior X68000 Castlevania remake until it appeared on the PlayStation. Falcom's Ys made its first appearance on the NEC PC-8801, as did countless RPGs and arcade ports that we'll never see.
Perhaps most notably, the lack of support for the PC-8801 outside Japan means that we missed the sequel to Super Mario Bros. No, not The Lost Levels. Even lost-er.
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.
If you don't think this is awesome, you should have the nearest human being check you for a pulse. French modder Kotomi, who you might recall made some pretty awesome DS and Wii-based stuff, has put his skills to the test and managed to fit the guts of a NES into a Super Mario Bros. cartridge. Pretty impressive, if we may say so.
But, Kotomi, buddy, pal, couldn't you have gone with a game that was, oh, a bit crappier? Sure, Super Mario Bros. is a fairly common NES game, we get that, but if it were us, we'd probably find the worst NES game we could and rip the innards out of that. It sure would be satisfying to rip out the guts of a crappy NES game. But, hey, that's just us.
Frankly, we're amazed it has taken the plumber this long to blow a gasket. For how many times that princess gets kidnapped and how much of a scared punk his brother is, if we were Mario, we would've cut the cord ages ago. But hey, that's just us.
For all of you who think seeing pixelated violence and blood, consider this NSFW. The rest of you unconcerned with this, hit the play button above and peep the video.
[Note: Of course we love Luigi, but face it, folks: the guy couldn't beat his way out of a wet paper bag.]
Posted Mar 10th 2008 11:15AM by Eric Caoili Filed under: Mods
With Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, and even Yoshi-themed Wii casemods already out in the wild, it was only a matter of time before someone personalized their console with everyone's favorite mascot, Mario. BeerBellyJoe sculpted the plumber's figure out of clay, affixing him to one of the Wii's side panels before painting the entire system. Interestingly, that cloud looks nothing like the bush!
It isn't visible in the image above, but there's a pipe on the other side that doubles as a Wii remote charger. The front of the decorated base also has an extra USB port and an LED mushroom that lights up when the port is in use. Hit the gallery below for more shots or click the "read" link to check out Joe's guide on how to make your own Mario Wii mod.
This one's a bit of an old one, but we just love it when people come together to celebrate Nintendo and their many priceless contributions to the world. This video focuses on an a capella group with a love for Mario, Nintendo's Italian plumber we all know and love, as they lay down the music and even act a bit of the game out.
The real question is, though, does this group beat Ted's from Scrubs?
It's hard to argue against this modded, repainted NES in terms of looks, even if red and black isn't your thing. That sleek shine could put your eye out at twenty paces under the right lighting conditions, and the LEDs really set it off. But the best part? It works, and that's what really matters. We'd suffer even the most hideous NES so long as we could turn it on and have a chance to blow on a few old carts. In this case? Said old carts are Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3. All that's missing is a Zapper so you can get your Duck Hunt on.
If you want to see this baby in its full, glossy glory, eBay seller metrosqurl provided a video, which you can scope out after the break.
Do not adjust your monitor. This is still the Nintendo Wii Fanboy Dojo update you know and love, even if today's dojo announcement falls squarely in the region of "Dubya. Tee. Eff."
Basically, Brawl will be shipping to stores with several "Masterpieces," disc-based trial versions of Virtual Console games. There's nothing too obscure in the selection revealed so far (Super Mario Bros., Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Kid Icarus, Kirby's Adventure, Super Metroid, and Star Fox 64), but Sakurai has promised that more titles are on the way. Obviously, because they're trial versions, you can only play them for a limited time (though that may not deter some people).
You can view this feature in two ways, we suppose. Some will see it as a fitting tribute to the greatest videogame company of all time. Others might decipher this as a cynical piece of free advertising for the Virtual Console. As for us, we're just happy that new or younger players will be getting an insight into Nintendo's outstanding body of work. Just don't look at the games Japan is getting. That would make you angry.
It makes perfect sense: Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a game that oozes Nintendo from every pore. And if there's a level in gaming that is more quintessentially Nintendo than World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros., we have yet to see it. It is iconic.
The Mushroomy Kingdom -- note the extra "y" -- is Brawl's re-imagining of the most famous stage in Nintendo, nay, videogame history. It's not aged well, however. Nearly a quarter of a century has passed since Mario last visited 1-1, and it shows -- just look at the state of that flag. Some things haven't changed, though. As you fight, the stage still scrolls gently sideways, and every block and pit is still in place, just ... older. Better still, selecting this level may occasionally allow you the chance to visit World 1-2. Awesome, much?
Just looking at these pictures brought a smile to our faces this morning, and listening to the Mushroomy Kingdom theme only helped matters.
Gallery: SSBB gallery three
Gallery: SSBB gallery two
Read: Mushroomy Kingdom Read: Super Mario Bros.: Ground Theme
Many of us can remember the joy of playing Super Mario Bros. for the first time. Imagine how different that memory would be (something along the lines of pulling out our hair and screaming a lot, we're sure) if the game had been more like the ripoff in the video above. While this hack (which features the cheapest enemies and traps of all time) might be frustrating to play, its epic fail results in nothing but hilarity when watching. We would gush about our favorite parts here, but we don't want to spoil anything (the surprise is half the fun!). Feel free to share your favorite bits in the comments, though.
To experience this torture for yourself, you can download the game here (click the first link). Also, if you enjoyed the video, check out levels two, three, and four after the break.
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 anotherspecial 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.
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."
The appeal of the Virtual Console is obvious: nostalgia. The VC is jam-packed with memories from yesteryear, spilling over with wonderful software that defined our childhoods. But it isn't all lollipops and puppy dogs. Nostalgia can also be very misleading, and some of those packets of data you download from Nintendo's service can end up souring childhood memories.
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.
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.
