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Nintendo is reportedly planning to remaster classic Mario games this year
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. and Nintendo could be set to mark the legacy of its flagship franchise in a major way. The company is reportedly working on several Mario games for this year, including remastered versions of some classic titles.
Nintendo Game Boy at 30: As fun as it ever was
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Game Boy's release in Japan. Three decades ago, the portable gaming landscape would change forever. Whether you owned a Game Boy or not, it's likely something you're familiar with. The legacy reaches far beyond a retro gaming handheld. Three Engadget editors share their personal favorite version, and why it matters to them.
Animated 'Super Mario Bros.' movie tentatively planned for 2022
That Super Mario Bros. animated movie in development finally has a release window. In a chat with Variety, Illumination founder Chris Meledandri confirmed that the animated flick was in "priority development" with hopes of putting it in theaters by 2022. And yes, as Nintendo announced in January, Shigeru Miyamoto is involved -- the iconic game designer is "front and center" in the process, Meledandri said. The involvement of the series creator will theoretically add depth to the (frankly rather threadbare) plot without souring the spirit and producing a fiasco like the 1993 live-action flick.
‘Super Mario Flashback’ is a stunning pixel art fan game
If you fancy playing some classic Mario, there are plenty of ways to go about it. You can buy a tiny NES or SNES Classic, for instance, or subscribe to Nintendo's Switch Online service. There's also Super Mario Maker, legally grey emulation and, of course, the original cartridges if you own a NES, SNES or modern console equivalent like the Analogue Super NT. In the not-too-distant future, though, there might be another way to get your fix of Nintendo nostalgia: a beautiful fan game called Super Mario Flashback.
'Super Mario 64: Ocarina of Time’ is the perfect Nintendo mashup
Super Mario 64 is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time. Its large, imaginative levels and increasingly difficult challenges have defined the 3D platformer genre since its release on the Nintendo 64. Similarly, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — the first in the franchise with 3D graphics — is considered a classic with a record 99 rating on Metacritic. Both have been celebrated with portable re-releases and a deluge of fan movies, artwork and soundtrack remixes. But never have the two games been combined in a fan-made ROM hack like Super Mario 64: Ocarina of Time.
'Super Mario Bros.' encyclopedia comes to the US October 23rd
Nintendo did many things to mark the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., but there's been one you couldn't usually get your hands on unless you lived in Japan: the Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia. You'll be glad to hear that it's coming to the West, though. Dark Horse Publishing has announced that the official guide to Mario's universe will be available in a standard edition in the US on October 23rd for $40. Amazon is also hinting at releases in the UK and Europe, although we don't have official information as of this writing.
Fans make 80 new levels for 'New Super Mario Bros.'
If you're pining for some classic Mario and don't have a copy of Super Mario Maker to hand, there's always Newer Super Mario Bros. DS. As the name implies, it's a fan-made successor to the portable title from 2006. The 80-level campaign was created with the free and legally dubious New Super Mario Bros. Editor, and requires a ROM of the original DS game to run. If you can find one and a compatible emulator (the team says it works "pretty much perfectly" with DeSmuME) you can play the game for free.
Prepare yourself for 'Super Mario' cereal
It seems even the Mushroom Kingdom eats cereal like the rest of us. Following the release of Super Mario Odyssey, breakfast blog Cerealousy has uncovered a new breakfast treat with Mario and Cappy on the box. Inside, you'll find star-shaped oats and marshmallow pieces in the shape of Super Mushrooms, 1-Up Mushrooms and ? Boxes.
The best Nintendo Switch games
The Nintendo Switch is an excellent game console. If you don't want to quit collecting Power Moons in Super Mario Odyssey but need a change of scenery from your living room, that's entirely doable. Simply take the tablet out of its dock, slide your Joy-cons back on and you can pick up right where you left off, regardless of venue. But there's so much more to play on Switch. The problem is, aside from the games you can buy at retail, they can be hard to find, because Nintendo's digital storefront isn't very well organized. Which is what our list of the best Switch games is for. Simply search for these games by name in the eShop and you're guaranteed to have some fun.
Nintendo might be making an animated 'Super Mario Bros.' movie
Nintendo's plans to return to movies appear to include its most beloved franchise. Wall Street Journal sources understand that Nintendo is close to a deal for an animated Super Mario Bros. movie from Illumination Entertainment, the Universal-backed studio behind the Despicable Me series. While the exact terms aren't clear, the pact would theoretically allow multiple movies. Nintendo has also been bending over backwards to maintain creative involvement, and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto is expected to be a producer.
'Super Mario Run' update breathes life into Nintendo's mobile plans
You'd be forgiven for wondering what was happening with Super Mario Run. After a flurry of activity in its first few months, things have mostly quieted down. However, Nintendo is about to spark a bit of life into its signature mobile game. It's releasing an update on September 29th that adds some (frankly needed) variety. You can play as Daisy, for instance. There's a new world (World Star) with new gameplay elements, and a Remix 10 game mode that randomizes parts of 10 levels for a fast, perpetually fresh experience. You can also listen to your own music while you play, and your character will even don headphones to reflect that you're not listening to the usual Super Mario themes.
This Japanese VR arcade put me inside 'Mario Kart'
Back when Bandai Namco opened its first VR arcade in Tokyo last April, I was keen to check out its various HTC Vive-powered VR games. My first ride there would have been Gundam VR: Daiba Assault, just so I could get a taste of what it's like hitching a ride on a Gundam's hand. The problem was by the time I got to the city the following month, this pop-up store already had a three-month waiting list, and I never got around to visiting before it closed in October. Luckily, as of last Friday, VR Zone is back in new form. Not only is it now the world's largest VR arcade, but it's also moved to Shinjuku, a more accessible downtown area in Tokyo. And this time, it's staying for two years. More importantly, the arcade has added some widely anticipated games that may sound familiar to you -- namely, Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, Dragon Ball VR: Master the Kamehameha and Evangelion VR: The Soul Seat. As a bonus, Gundam VR has also been brought over from the previous site.
Mario 'Monopoly' adds power-ups to the tired classic
If there's one thing that Super Mario Bros. and Monopoly share, it's their innate ability to engender family arguments in otherwise placid households. Which is why it's such a delight to see the pair reunited in the new Gamer Edition of Monopoly, thanks to a partnership 'twixt Hasbro and Nintendo. Unlike previous Mario-themed versions of Monopoly, the rules here have been tweaked to offer a twist on the traditional formula.
You'll never play 'Super Mario' like this
You have a lot of Super Mario games to choose from, but you'll probably never be able to play one of the most fun versions out there. That's because it was created as an unofficial augmented reality game by developer Abhishek Singh for the Microsoft HoloLens. It's a first-person AR game, to be exact, so you'll literally have to walk and jump around to avoid virtual pipes, step on Goombas and chase mushrooms. Singh told CNET that the thought of recreating a whole Super Mario Bros. level struck him while learning the basics of HoloLens development, because why not?
'Super Mario Odyssey' comes to the Switch October 27th
When Nintendo announced Super Mario Odyssey alongside the Nintendo Switch reveal, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Sure, the Wii U had New Super Mario Bros U, Mario Maker and the excellent platforming of Super Mario 3D World -- but the open-world exploration mechanics of Sunshine, Galaxy and Super Mario 64 skipped Nintendo's last console. When Nintendo teased Odyssey as a refreshing return to form, it didn't give us a lot to go on. We knew Mario would explore a earth-like metropolis named New Donk City. We knew he could dance. We knew he had a magic hat. Now, we know when we'll be able to play it all: Today at E3, Nintendo announced that Super Mario Odyssey would launch on October 27th.
Real-world 'Mario Kart' is headed to Japan's Nintendo theme park
To celebrate the start of construction on Super Nintendo World, Universal Studios Japan has released its first teaser trailer for the upcoming park attraction. And what's more, the pair confirmed that a Mario Kart ride will be the jewel in its crown, which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. Previously published patent documents suggest this guaranteed crowd-pleaser will run on a rail, but let one rider control drift while their kart partner concentrates on power-up and weapon use. Super Nintendo World is set to open at some vague time before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, though, so it's unlikely we'll get any firm details in the immediate future.
'Super Mario Run' gets an update, if you're still playing
The first Nintendo game that came out on smartphones, Super Mario Run, got its first update since launching on Android last month. Assuming anyone's still rocking and hopping in the mobile Mushroom Kingdom, they can finally track friends down by their Nintendo Accounts.
'Super Mario Run' lands on Android a day early
Nintendo notoriously resisted making any of its games available on mobile platforms, a significant move for a company that's been making handheld titles for almost three decades. Then, with almost no notice, it released Super Mario Run for iOS back in December to cacophonous fanfare and promised an Android version in March. Originally planned to come out on March 23rd, the floodgates have opened a bit early: Super Mario Run is live in the Google Play store.
Nikkei expects Nintendo Switch will sell for less than $250 in Japan
It's almost a tradition: Nintendo teases a new product and Nikkei reports a key detail just before its official reveal. The Japanese paper successfully called the Nintendo DSi, key details of the 3DS and got pretty close to the Wii U's launch price. Now, paper is predicting a ballpark price for the Nintendo Switch. Nikkei says fans should plan to spend about ¥25,000 for Nintendo's next device in Japan -- about $215 at today's exchange rate.
After Math: Come undone
It's been a hell of a week, folks. American intelligence confirmed that Russia conspired to hack of our election, Uber unleashed a pack of poorly trained autonomous automobiles upon the streets of San Francisco, Snapchat's Spectacles went all medicinal and Super Mario Run debuted on iOS. Numbers, because how else are you going to know how many fingers are feeding you magic?
