Mario Kart Retrospective - Super Mario Kart (SNES)

Tomorrow (OMG OMG OMG OMG), Mario Kart 8 will hit store shelves and the WiiU shop. In the day leading up to May 30th, I figured I would go back and look at each Mario Kart game, starting with the first (and most superior in my opinion): Super Mario Kart for the SNES.

Super Mario Kart was released in North America on September 1, 1992, just days after it launched in Japan. The idea, as put forth by developer Shigeru Miyamoto and directors Tadashi Sugiyama and Hideki Konno, was to create a 2-player themed game to contrast the F-Zero single player focus. This is why, even in single player, the screen is split horizontally.

Originally, this was not supposed to include the characters from the Mario universe, the first prototype used a generic man in overalls. The idea to use the Mario characters came about 2 or three months into production, after the team did some "What If?" testing.

There were 8 characters to choose from in Super Mario Kart, (compared to the robust 30 in Mario Kart 8); Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Toad, Yoshi, Koopa Troopa, and the only Kart appearance of the official Donkey Kong Jr. (I still get confused over which DK is which in the timeline, I think the one in returns is the grandson of the original DK, I should look into this sometime).

The game modes have remained relatively unchanged since the original, so I won't repeat myself every time. The single player consists of the Grand Prix and the Time Trials, while the multiplayer was made up of the Grand Prix, Match Race (Vs) and Battle Mode, with the latter always being a point of contention with players, some love it, some never touch it.

The overall theme of Super Mario Kart's tracks were inspired by Super Mario World levels, with the exception of the diabolical Rainbow Road (you son of a bitch track.....). There were 20 tracks to race in the game plus 4 tracks exclusive to Battle Mode.

Super Mario Kart went on to sell 8 million copies and become the third best selling game ever for the SNES. Guinness World Records even ranked it #1 on the list of top 50 video games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.

This was the game I played the most of (Until Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS), and while it wasn't the first racing game, it did invent the the "kart racing" idea and was a massive success, paving the way for many iterations and knock offs.

Keep checking the page as I delve into the other games in the series and have a panic attack in anticipation for tomorrow's release.

What to play over the weekend?

With Memorial Day weekend upon us (and thank you to the men and women serving our country here and overseas, this is Memorial Day, not national BBQ day) I figured I would share a list of games that you should play over the 3-day break, whether you are staying home or travelling (like I am).

Spoiler alert: This is gonna be a little 3DS-heavy (Man, I love my 3DS)

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

One of the best Zelda games and one of the best 3DS games available. Also worth noting it was #2 on my 2013 Game of the Year list (Behind Bioshock: Infinite). If you are traveling or just own a 3DS, you NEED to own this game.

2. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

If you go back to an earlier post, you will know why I love this game so much and now is a great time to get into a game that could very well own your soul, while looking so cute!

3. Persona 4 Golden (Vita)

The Vita version of the PS2 hit is well worth a playthrough for JRPG fans, and if you haven't messed with the Shin Megami Tensei series, this spin-off is worth checking out. I can honestly say I enjoy this game, and I am by no means a JRPG aficionado. 

4. Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)

Hot damn this game is awesome!

5. MLB 14: The Show (PS3, PS4, Vita)

Take the Memorial Day break with America's pastime. Being able to play your career on your console and then pull it from the cloud onto your Vita helps make this travel-friendly.

6. Pokemon X/Y (3DS)

See how many you can catch in a weekend? Then never stop playing since it's a Pokemon game.

7. Dota 2 (PC/Mac)

There is no better time to jump in and see why this is the most played game on Steam. Plus it may take you a full 3 day weekend of playing to figure out what the hell you are doing. Nobody likes a feeder.

8. Wolfenstein: The New Order (Basically everything)

Staying home and want something action-packed and fun? Here you go! Though it may take you all weekend to install it since it's 44GB on consoles and a whopping 50GB for PC. Great game though.

9. Hearthstone (PC, Mac, iPad)

The highly addictive card game from Blizzard which you can now take on the go via the iPad version.

10. World of Warcraft (PC/Mac)

Hey, it's still the gold standard for MMO's and you got all weekend to kill. Might as well get in and go questing.

Honorable Mention:

Shin Megami Tensei IV - (3DS)

Fire Emblem: Awakening - (3DS)

Transistor - (PC, PS4)

Halo 4 (always a good choice) - (Xbox 360)

Team Fortress 2 (always my go-to game) - (PC/Mac/Linux)

Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone! Also, if you see someone wearing military gear, or know someone in the military, make sure to say thank you.

Flashback Friday: Amplitude (PS2)

When people speak of the "Rhythm Game" genre, the first games that come to mind would be the various Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. For good reason too, they are awesome games and helped put companies like RedOctane (before Activision shut them down) and Harmonix on the map.

Back before Guitar Hero and Rock Band were mainstays, however, Harmonix had a few games that helped boost their image and their brand; Frequency, and the topic of today's Flashback Friday: Amplitude.

Amplitude was released in North America on March 24, 2003 for the Playstation 2 and is the sequel to Frequency. Even though the first game was not a commercial smash, Sony still gave Harmonix the green light for a sequel. While Amplitude did sell better than Frequency, it was still not considered financially successful for Harmonix, but it did help get their name out there and gave them the recognition they were looking for.

As the player, you assume control of a ship (or "Beat Blaster" as it's referred to in the game) traveling down paths (up to 6 different paths at once) that correspond to different musical instruments, such as drums, vocals, bass, guitar, etc. After hitting a string of successful notes, the track is "captured" and will play by itself for a set time, while you move on to the next instrument and hit more notes; lather, rinse, repeat.

The idea is to obviously finish the song while getting the best score possible. Miss too many notes, and you fail out of the song.

After completing sections of a track, you can claim a power up such as "instant capture" or "point doubler".

There were multiple modes of play, for single-player and multiplayer, including a full-on online multiplayer mode (which was shut down in February in 2007 in North America, and is actually still active in Europe).

The game featured 26 tracks from artists such as P.O.D., David Bowie, Blink-182, Garbage, Weezer, Freezepop, Papa Roach, and so on. It was an extremely eclectic group of songs and ended up being quite a kick-ass soundtrack,

I need a pick-me-up soon cause I'm about to make the bass DROP! Bwah wah wah wah!

If you can somehow get your hands on a copy of Amplitude (you can't have mine, back off), it is well worth a play. In lieu of that, you can always try Rock Band Blitz on PS3 and XBox Live Arcade, since it is very similar in gameplay mechanics.

I bring up Amplitude this week because it has been confirmed there will be a remake. Harmonix launched a Kickstarter campaign and reached their goal within the final 24 hours. What's more, your's truly put money into the campaign, which means I will not only be named in the credits, but I will get a download code and be playing the new Amplitude a full 2 weeks before it's released to the general public.

Na na....na boo boo.

Amplitude is a great game and without it, we would not have a Rock Band, and you wouldn't have all those plastic instruments clogging up your basement. Expect the remake to be out in Q1 2015, and look for me in the credits.

Why Little Mac is awesome!

As the hype continues to build towards the release of Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS and WiiU, the biggest news, for me anyway, was the inclusion of one of my all-time favorite video game characters: Little Mac. Best known as the guy who knocks out Mike Tyson Mr. Dream in Punch Out!, Little Mac finally gets his turn to beat up everyone else and will be the character I use most in the new SSB.

So what makes Little Mac as awesome as he is? Well let's take a closer look at the pint-size boxer who looks a lot like...well, me.

Little Mac made his official debut in Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! in 1987. That game was a home port of the Punch Out!! arcade games and while the player-character was never officially named, he was referred to as "Little Mac" due to his short stature and a play off the McDonald's "Big Mac". Through the NES game you play the ultimate underdog, taking down tall, mean baddies (and Glass Joe) until you beat up the "Baddest Man on the Planet" himself: Mike Tyson. How can you not love this kid?

I suppose it would be a lot harder to love him if Nintendo decided to use his original name: Peter Punch....yuck!

Here is the tale of the tape for Little Mac:

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 107
Age: 17
Hailing from: Bronx, New York

So ok, yes I am 11 years older than he is (though he hasn't aged since 1987), I am a couple inches taller than he is, weigh about 30 - 40 lbs heavier than him, but we do kinda look similar. Athletes look to somebody like Rocky Balboa for inspiration, we have Little Mac. He proved to us gamers that any obstacle can be overcome with work ethic, training, and a sweet pink jogging suit.

Little Mac has appeared in a few Nintendo games, including his appearance as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. Now we finally get to play as him in a Smash Bros. game beating the crap out of the rest of the Nintedoverse. I think this is long overdue, which I can attribute a bit to the fact that he hasn't been overused. Sure, Nintendo is all about Mario, Luigi, Link, Peach, Donkey Kong, Samus, etc., but give the little guy his due, he has inspired many gamers (including me) and defined what it means to be an underdog in the face of severe adversity.

Oh and also, he shows you that within every underdog, there is a beast waiting to get out, which you can do in the Wii Punch-Out! and in the new Super Smash Bros. when you release Giga Mac. (Couldn't really call it Big Mac, could they?).

Which brings me to my current dilemma - Now I have a decision to make: Should I be Little Mac for Halloween, or should I go with my earlier idea and be the 10th Doctor? HELP?

Also, don't forget to join the Nintendo Fun Club, apparently Doc Louis seems to really like it.

Flashback Friday: Wolfenstein 3D

When you think of First Person Shooters, several games come to mind: Doom, Call of Duty, Halo, Battlefield, Bioshock, the list could go on for miles. The FPS genre is a very packed market with more games being added to it on a seemingly weekly basis.

But before we had Master Chief, Soap MacTavish, Booker DeWitt, and even before the Doom Marine, we had William "B.J." Blazkowicz and the topic of this week's "Flashback Friday", the Grandfather of First Person Shooters: Wolfenstein 3D.

Ugh, he waved his stinky foot at me.

Wolfenstein 3D was originally released on May 5th, 1992 as a DOS game and was inspired by Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, which were 1980's stealth/action games for the Apple II, Atari PC's and the Commodore 64. It was developed by id Software, who at the time were a relative newcomer in the video game landscape, being founded in 1991 with the help of 2 of the biggest names in the industry: John Romero and John Carmack.

The initial commercial release came with 3 "episodes", each with 9 levels. In the first episode, Blazkowicz (an American spy of Polish decent) must escape from Castle Wolfenstein, which he is imprisoned in thanks to the SS. This is your now-basic run-and-gun episode, where you run from starting room to ending elevator, killing Nazis and finding treasures and secret rooms along the way.

The reason why Blazkowicz is imprisoned is because he was trying to find the plans for "Operation Iron Fist" (Eisenfaust), which is episode 2. B.J. discovers that the threat is real and the Nazis are creating an army of undead mutants. Grab your chain gun and get to killing.

Episode 3, entitled "Die, Führer, Die!", well that's maybe all the description you need. You go through another level and then kill Adolf Hitler, who by the way has a robot suit and 4 chainguns, because why not?

IN THE FACE!

3 more episodes were released shortly after, dubbed "The Nocturnal Missions" which was a prequel explaining the idea of chemical warfare by the Nazis.

Needless to say, despite the presence of Hitler and the Nazis and the historical setting, this is a pretty fantastical idea. This allowed id to add outlandish things, like say a Mecha-Hitler, or secret areas with secret easter eggs. This would set the stage for future ridiculously awesome shooters such as Doom and, of course, Duke Nukem 3D.

Of course, any game that would feature the Nazis, Hitler, and a liberal use of swastikas is going to create quite a storm. You can imagine how this may not be Germany's favorite game, so much so that it was taken off shelves, and, in the case of the Atari Jaguar version, confiscated.

Also, we know Nintendo is a family-first type company, so the SNES version was HEAVILY edited. Any reference to the Nazis, or any swastikas (and even Hitler's mustache) were removed. The blood was replaced with sweat and, in the German SNES version, was green!? They also replaced the dogs in the game with large mutant rats. So shooting people is fine, but dogs? Hell no! You can't tell me that's a PETA thing because, last time I checked, rats are animals too (and sometimes people).

Do I feel lucky? Well do ya? Zunderholz.

This started the wave of First Person Shooters and began the string of games id produced while evolving the engine, Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem, and their respective sequals helped make id (and, by association, Carmack and Romero) a household name and be regarded as the company that invented the First Person Shooter.

Wolfenstein 3D has won several awards and has been featured on many "Top games of all time" lists from companies such as IGN and G4, and helped invent and define the genre. Many (if not every) FPS game owes something to Wolfenstein, including one based off the bible. Wait, what? 

So why talk about 3D? Well, here in about 4 days (Tuesday), Wolfenstein: The New Order will hit shelves for just about every home console (including Xbox One and Playstation 4), so you can see "B.J." Blazkowicz in all his next-gen glory.

Remember this? : Tiger R-Zone

I was thinking about doing another "History of a Console" segment today since I have harped on Nintendo's Virtual Boy a couple times (who hasn't?). While thinking of failed devices showing one color that was supposed to give off the feel of "Virtual Reality", I was reminded of a product I had as a child and the topic for this post. I can't really count this as a console since it barely was one, so let's remember the Tiger R-Zone. Ugh.

Just so much "no" here.

If you are my age, you remember the old Tiger handheld "games". How can I best describe them? Crap. Each game had its own individual device that ran on its own set of batteries. The screen stayed the same but the illusion of motion came through by lighting up the different parts of the screen. There were a TON of these that were released and, against our better judgement, we bought them. HERE is a pretty good visual representation of what we went through.

It was 1995 and Tiger wanted to make the jump from crappy handheld games to a crappy system you strap to your head and play while supposedly going about your normal business while looking really cool and also giving you to worst eye strain you've ever had in your life. I'll say this much though, it certainly accomplished that.

I think the scream at the end is appropriate.

So let's take games people play, remove all color and graphics (except red, of course), strap it to kids' heads and give them a lifetime of headaches. (I can only imagine that's how the product pitch went at Tiger).

The games came in the form of small cartridges you put into the main device, it is then projected onto a screen that's smaller than a cell phone while you use a controller with like 10 more buttons than it needed.

Every game was virtually the same (pun intended). They all controlled the same and the only difference was the packaging. There were games from big franchises as well, including: Men In Black, Batman, Mortal Kombat, Jurassic Park, etc.

Why are there 10 buttons when there are only 4 directions?

Different variations of the R-Zone were released. The Super Screen brought in (gasp) color.....kinda! It amounted to a special lens you could use to get a non animating background with the gameplay being black, essentially making this a big "Tiger Handheld" (technically it was too big to be considered a handheld but you get the point). The Super Screen require 4 C batteries (who uses those anymore?) as opposed to the usual AA or AAA batteries of its earlier versions.

The X.P.G. (Xtreme Pocket Game) was released in 1997 and was a complete handheld version and was your more prototypical unit, with the screen protruding out of the main unit as opposed to being strapped on your head.

The gamer version of the "Rorshach test". What do YOU see here?

It was said that the R-Zone was developed to be a competitor to the Virtual Boy. If the competition was to see which one was worse, I am going to say R-Zone BARELY won that one, so there you go.

Even against handhelds like the Game Boy and the Game Gear, the R-Zone lacked many key features. Players could not save their games, link up to other idiots who bought an R-Zone, could not adjust the volume level (so everyone had to suffer...bwah ha ha), and there was no way to connect any accessories to the unit.

Needless to say, the R-Zone did not stick around long.

The idea of "Virtual Reality" is still very much alive however, now that we have the Oculus Rift and Sony's upcoming VR Headset. These will fare MUCH better in the market since they aren't really their own consoles, but rather extensions of current platforms and a different way to experience your games. Plus, that whole color thing seems to be all the rage, I hear.

But hey, Tiger will not go quietly into that good night. I am sure they will get it right the next time around....right?

Ah, Crap!

Awesome Video Game Music: Nate's Theme - Uncharted series

A couple weeks ago I mentioned a game from Naughty Dog that was...well...let's say it was a foundation for a fledgling company with aspirations of making it big. They started getting big and well known with games like Crash Bandicoot, and Jak & Daxter. As many gamers will tell you, however, Naughty Dog became a household name and a powerhouse in the industry with the Uncharted series. 

While this style of game already existed thanks to the Tomb Raider franchise, Uncharted looked fantastic, played fantastic, and gave us a character we all loved in Nathan Drake. In a way, Uncharted was the game we always wanted Tomb Raider to be like. We wanted a game to give us that real Indiana Jones feel. We got that feeling the second we put the disks in and heard this:

I present the newest entry into Awesome Video Game Music: "Nate's Theme" from the Uncharted series.

Above is a collection of the themes from all 3 games. You can hear the slight variations but they all give off the same feel of general badassery. You really felt like an Indiana Jones-type character as you barely escape death while trying to find the world's most precious treasures.

With every game series, everyone has their favorite (2 was best) but we all can agree that the series as a whole is very important to gaming. It gave us fantastic characters, gripping stories that even Hollywood can't pull off, showed how powerful the PS3 could be, put a company on the map, helped make Nolan North (voice of Nathan Drake and like a billion other characters) more well known, and helped define the "action/adventure" genre.

It will be very interesting to see what the plans are for the eventual "Uncharted 4" or whatever they end up calling it, but you damn well bet they will have some version of this song as its title.

Click "play" and enjoy, cause this music is awesome!

Why I Love Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

Yesterday, while talking with a coworker about how awesome the 3DS is, (and talking about Pokemon for WAY too long) I brought up the fact that I got "re-hooked" on Animal Crossing: New Leaf. My coworker responded by saying he "didn't get the hook" of the game. Well, let's talk about why I love it and why I am sitting at my desk (shaking like a caffeine addict in a Whole Foods store) wishing I was back in my town doing chores.

I downloaded New Leaf off the Nintendo eShop on release day, June 9th, 2013 (downloading games may be another topic I go into greater detail on in a future blog post). To that point I had not spent much time in an Animal Crossing game. I owned Wild World for the DS and played a few minutes before Mario Kart DS was calling my name again. I also owned City Folk for the Wii and just never got into it, maybe this series wasn't for me, was I just the wrong age range for something like this? Is this the "Pokemon syndrome" all over again?

I went into New Leaf with the same attitude I go into a session of World of Warcraft with; just buckle down, get a beer (or 3) and focus. Well, I did, and much like when I do a quick 12-hour WoW session, I fell into New Leaf and never looked back. While I am still a relative newbie at all the mechanics, here is why I love Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

I have always been someone who wanted (and preferred) to have objective laid out for me so I knew exactly what to accomplish, which is why games like Minecraft and The Sims have always been sort of lost on me. (Though I am trying to do a Sims 3 let's play over at my YouTube channel which you can find HERE). So the idea of "Here's your town, go nuts" may be why I never got into the Animal Crossing series before the 3DS incarnation. However, this series has always intrigued me the most since there was a devout following and, being it was a Nintendo product, how hard could it be to get in and get hooked? Plus, I was at the gaming age where I just wanted to try it all.

(Side note: When The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker came out for Gamecube, I was one of those guys that went 'WTF did they do to Link? I don't wanna play this game...UGHHHH' only to then realize it's one of the best Zelda games out there and the HD version on WiiU is fantastic.)

First day in town (I, of course, name it Gotham) and I get the mayoral treatment. I get my own office, my own house (and accompanying loan I need to pay off) and my own tree-planting ceremony. I had arrived and was leading the good citizens of Gotham.

Obviously not me, but you get the idea.

I spent the next few days shaking every tree (avoiding any bees that came at me), digging up every 'X' on the ground I could find, assessing fossils, fishing, planting fruit and making fruit trees, pulling weeds, and a whole lot more. That alone makes this game addictive, but it's the way the game feels like a living, breathing world that really gets me.

Since the game goes off the system clock, the day/night cycle and holidays are all reflected, as well as specific dates for specific events (fishing contests, new visitors, etc.) which adds to the addiction to the point where you write that on your own physical calendar, or set a reminder on your phone.

It's also really easy to start making "bells" (currency). I end up just picking up shells off the beach, selling fish and bugs I catch, smacking rocks with a shovel to get coins, and selling any extra fossils that the museum already has, you can rack up a lot of bells that way and can repay your loans in no time.

Good thing they're not a werewolf.

Of course, one of the biggest draws of the game is getting stuff, whether it's buying from the shops or finding them randomly, and decorating your house. The absurdity of the items is a nice hook as well, I have a very nice electronic eye-chart in my house, because why not? The game is also full of Nintendo nostalgia. If you would like to see an example of the extent to which you can deck out your house....HERE is the Regginator himself.

It's the little quirks that get you hooked, the fossils you dig up every day, the weeds you pull to make your citizens approval rating go up, the wilting flowers you need to water, the trees you can plant to make a nice little apple orchard (it's cute, what?), the random presents that can fall out of a shaken tree or floating on a balloon, the list goes on. It's that "I wonder what's happening today" mentality that keeps me coming back.

Your soul is mine, butterfly!

Then the unthinkable happened; I stopped playing, like for a long time. Much like World of Warcraft, I end up playing for a long time, then stepping away for a long time, before coming back and wondering what the hell I was doing. When I come back, however, and get reacclimated to what's going on, I get hooked all over again. I had a lot of catching up to do in my town, a lot of cleaning up and talking to my citizens letting them know I was still alive and here for them. Also a bad case of bedhead that I need to get taken care of. Luckily I ended up buying a pretty sweet chef hat to help cover up some of the mess on my head for the time being.

Now that I am back in the game, I see all along what the catch is, and what keeps me coming back for more. Also, there are parts of the game I haven't experienced yet, island tours, diving for fish, who knows what else? I have to find out. Some mornings I like to get my coffee, and sit down with my 3DS ready to do my duties as Mayor of Gotham.

If you have never played an Animal Crossing game before, you owe it to yourself to get involved, if you give it the honest chance it deserves, you will see why there is a big following, and why it's becoming a staple in the Nintendo lineup.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go, my people need me.

Let's Talk: Xbox Live news

Microsoft recently released some news about the Xbox One and a few changes to Xbox Live subscriptions, which you can read about HERE , but the gist is this: Xbox One will ship Kinect-less versions and you don't need a gold subscription to access several apps.

On June 9th, Microsoft will release a Xbox One bundle that does NOT include a Kinect for $399, making it the same price as the Playstation 4. Despite the earlier promise that every Xbox One would come with one, Microsoft decided to listen to the consumers and give them a choice. This seems fair since I only use my Kinect for Kinect Sports Rivals and when I want to tell my system to go to Netflix or something. My take on this is that Microsoft had big plans to use Kinect and currently has 2 games that require it, while forcing the console to cost $100 more than the competition. 

Microsoft claims they are not done innovating Kinect and I am sure they are going to do everything they can with it before they call it quits, especially with Sony still having its Playstation Eye camera that functions very similar. I would not say Microsoft is "abandoning" Kinect, but sales figures and consumer feedback left them with no choice but to put it aside and bring down the price.

The other piece of news being that you no longer need a Gold membership ($60 per year) to access apps such as: Netflix, Hulu, Skype, various sports streaming apps, and so on. This seems only sensible and a much needed (and long overdue) change.

Also, the "Games for Gold" program, where Gold members get access to a couple free games a month to download, may change as well. Taking a page from Sony's Playstation Plus program, rumor has it that you will need to keep your Gold account active if you want access to the games you downloaded. 

All of this is interesting (if not unexpected) news. It will be interesting to see how this impacts sales figures and if this is enough to get Microsoft and the Xbox One back on track against Sony. Expect to hear more about this and other changes (as well as the inevitable Sony response) at E3.

Flashback Friday: Super Mario Bros (the movie)

This one may be a little hard for me to write, not just because I am writing and having to think about a bad movie, but mainly because of the reason I am choosing to talk about a bad movie. On April 29th, 2014, we lost a great person and a great actor in Bob Hoskins. While he may be best remembered for his role in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, he will be best remembered by me for his role in today's topic for Flashback Friday.

Nintendo was owning everything in the late 80's/early 90's, every kid had an NES, a Game Boy, a SNES, whatever, if it was Nintendo branded, we ate it up. Hell, we even had a live action Mario TV show, a couple Mario cartoons, and let's not forget this gem.

When we as gamers heard of the possibility of taking our favorite characters and putting them on the big screen, we got pretty excited. We had not had the notion that movies based on video games may actually suck yet. Plus it hired 3 very successful actors in Hoskins, John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper, what could go wrong? Well this happened....that's what went wrong.

I won't spent too much time bashing this movie (I still will a bit) as this is more of a chance to remember Bob Hoskins. Truth be told, I watched the hell outta this as a kid, and while it may never be on my list of "Favorite movies of all time", I will still watch this with fond nostalgia.

The history and development of Super Mario Bros. is quite interesting. There were 4 versions of the script, including a first draft which was a comedic take on fairy-tale stories with Mario and Luigi rescuing a princess named Hildy from Koopa (Bowser). Once the script was decided on, Harold Ramis (also R.I.P.) was asked to be the director, which of course he declined. The job was eventually given to Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel due to their work on the British sci-fi show Max Headroom.

Once the directors were finalized, the cast needed to be assembled. Danny DeVito was approached to play Mario and to direct the film and, after reading the script, said no. The part of King Koopa was originally offered to both Michael Keaton and Arnold Schwarzenegger (could you imagine all the great Arnold soundbytes from this move? Get the PLUMBERS you Goomba!). Before Hoskins took over the role of Mario, it was already given to Tom Hanks. That would have made for a much different movie, I imagine (LUIGI!!!....WILSON!!!!).

The same expression after the premier.

The final draft hit theaters on May 28, 1993 (so we will very soon be able to legally buy it a drink, Lord knows they need one) and the ideas were there for a great Mario movie; 3 great actors in Hoskins, Leguizamo (who is legitimately one of my favorite actors), and Hopper, references to the game and Nintendo with Toad, Yoshi, Goombas, Koopas, Iggy, Spike, even the Super Scope makes an appearance.. It was all there, and it all ended up bad. I wonder what that first draft consisted of and how we ended up with 2 Italian Plumbers from Brooklyn who cross an inter-dimensional portal which was created by a falling meteorite that was reopened by a construction company to save Princess Daisy who has a shard of the meteorite from descendants of dinosaurs and their leader who wants to be dictator of both worlds.

Or I could just play the games. That might be more fun.

I agreed to be in this, huh?

Look, Super Mario Bros has always been an easy target, we all know it's a bad movie. Hoskins, Leguizamo, and Hopper have all spoke critically of it, with Hoskins even saying it was "the worst thing I ever did". It's worth watching just to see the absurdity of it and it still can be a fun nostalgia trip. Nintendo has not made any more live-action movies, though a Metroid movie was being talked about before being canned.

This is how I best remember Bob Hoskins. Sure, Roger Rabbit was a fun movie and way better than Mario Bros, but the mere fact that this movie was made shows how much of an impact Mario has in pop culture. Hoskins had a long, successful career which began with stage acting in 1968 and ended with his last movie role in Snow White and the Huntsman in 2012. It's always sad when someone is taken from us, but in this case, we lost a great actor, and someone who had an impact on not only my childhood, but my video gamer life as a whole, and for that I am eternally grateful. Yes, Super Mario Bros is a bad movie, and Hoskins hated every second of it, but I consider it a guilty pleasure and you better believe I will be picking up a copy on Blu-ray when it comes out August 11th.

So thank you Bob for the memories and the effort you put into your craft, you will be missed.

R.I.P.
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins
1942 - 2014

What I Think of: Kirby: Triple Deluxe

When people talk about the main Nintendo franchise characters, several names come to mind: Mario, Luigi, Link, Donkey Kong, Samus, Fox, and so on. If someone mentions Kirby, the usualy response is "Oh yeah, almost forgot". This may have something to do with the fact that, outside of the main Kirby games, one of the only places you would find Kirby is in the various Smash Bros games.

We shouldn't forget about our favorite small, pink, ball of fun, especially now that there is another entry into his lineage, the thirteenth platforming game of the series: Kirby: Triple Deluxe. Here is what I think of it after spending a few days with it.

Side Note: Triple Deluxe is Nintendo's fancy way of saying "3D".

Triple Deluxe is everything fans of Kirby and his games remember from the old days: Suck enemies up and steal their powers while traversing luscious landscapes, collecting trinkets along the way. Pretty simple. Now Kirby is on the 3DS which adds a whole new dimension to what he can do and how he can traverse said landscapes.

The story starts out with Kirby asleep, during which, a giant beanstalk called the "Dreamstalk" grows underneath Dream Land and carries several structures, including Kirby's house and King Dedede's Castle, high into the clouds. When Kirby awakes, he realizes he's not in Kansas anymore (Toto), runs to Dedede's castle to check on him, only to find him trapped in a prism by Taranza, a six-armed, caterpillar- like creature. Kirby must save Dream Land again.

The same engine from Return to Dream Land (Wii) is used here, which means it looks great, plays great, and runs smooth.

Ding, Dong...y'all are dead!

The gameplay mechanics should feel very similar to anyone who has played a Kirby game in their life. For those who haven't (for shame), the game does a good job of quickly getting into the swing of things and once you have it down, you'll be flying, dashing, and inhaling in no time (trying to avoid the term 'sucking' if at all possible).

With this being on the 3DS, Triple Deluxe needed to use the 3D in someway. The end result is well worth talking about and a big reason why I like this game. Kirby can go between the foreground and the background with the use of a warp star and many collectibles and puzzles use this mechanic. Enemies also utilize the 3D by either jumping from the back to front, or by attacking from one end to the other. It looks really cool seeing an enemy charge at you from the background and figuring out how to time your reaction.

Keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin'.

Of course, the star of the mechanics show is still being able to inhale enemies and copy their powers. There are at least 20 powers that return from previous titles, including "Wheel" (pictured above) which was not in Return to Dream Land. The new ones here include: "Bell" (pictured even more above) which allows Kirby to use bells as clubs, defending with them, and attacking with soundwaves; Beetle, which gives Kirby a rhinoceros horn to impale enemies and slam them down with; Archer, which lets Kirby shoot arrows in any direction and the power to pull out fake trees and boulders to be stealthy; and Circus, letting Kirby run over enemies with a giant ball, juggle flaming bowling pins to use against foes, or even use exploding balloon animals.

I haven't had the chance to use all the powers yet, but from the few that I have, it is just as fun and satisfying as it always has been.

Kirby can also inhale the "Miracle Fruit" to turn Hypernova, which turns an already powerful pink vacuum into the small, pink version of Galactus, inhaling anything on the screen in a tornado-like fashion. This mechanic does get used in various puzzles and is a lot of fun.

It's a miracle.....I think I'll eat it!

There are 2 other modes that come in Triple Deluxe (since 'triple' does actually mean '3'): Kirby Fighters is a Smash Bros-style beat em up game which you can play solo or against your friends. You choose which copy ability you want to use, then beat the crap out of eachother on stages themed on previous Kirby stages. I like this mode a lot and it's a nice little diversion, as well as SOMETHING to hold me over until the proper Smash Bros 3DS release this summer.

The other mode is Dedede's Drum Dash (I hear they are already working on the 5DS version of this....see cause there are 5 'D' sounds in....oh c'mon). It's a rhythm game where you control King Dedede across bongo drums, collecting coins and building up a score. Again, a nice little diversion here, worth checking out a few times.

Can't I all just get along?

Along your travels you will collect keychains that depict characters from various Kirby games. The chains based on the older games look especially good in all their 8-bit glory. These are purely collectable items much like trophies in the various Smash Bros games.You can also collect more via StreetPass.

I have fond memories of my time with the Kirby games that I played, dating all the way back to 1993's Kirby's Adventure on the NES. This game brings those memories back while throwing in some new tricks. Sure, this is an easy platforming game (as many Kirby games are), but it is still an enjoyable experience If you own a 3DS you SHOULD have added 2 new great games to your collection with this and Mario Golf: World Tour. While Kirby may not be on everyone's immediate list when they think of Nintendo characters, this game ranks right up there with some of the best platformers on the 3DS.

What I Think of: Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario has the best life ever. You rarely see him working, he gets to play the hero and save the damsel in distress, he can drive his car as fast as he wants, he hasn't aged a day in about 30 years, and he gets played by Captain Lou Albano!

He also gets to play (and be the best at) any sport he ever plays. Which leads us to the newest way for him to show off how Mario is the master of everything: Mario Golf: World Tour for the 3DS. So does this turn into a real Sunday Drive, or does it end up a Bunker Buster? (Wordplay is FUN, kids!)

Let's a-go! It's a-mFORE!

The presentation feels a lot like Mario Tennis Open, you boot up the game, you get a quick "How-To" tutorial on the basics, and you are sent into the menus with a pat on the rear and a "Go get-em, Tiger" (golf reference....just so we are clear). The layout is even similar to Tennis: with all the action on the top and the controls listed on the bottom screen.

The control scheme can be switched on the fly between "Auto" and "Manual". The 'Auto' option is the old 2-click style where you just set the power and the game does the contact part. The 'Manual' option is the typical 3-click approach where you set the power and the contact point, where you can put a little spin on the ball depending on how far away from the sweet spot you get. If you have played a golf game in your life, you know exactly how these mechanics work.

Oh yeah! Luigi tiFORE!

The main 2 options are "Quick Round" and "Castle Club". In "Quick Round", you can play a round quickly (I know, right?). You get the options to do Single Player modes like Stroke Play, Match Play, Speed Play, and Point Play. You also can jump into the VS. Mode and play against local players or online competitors. Also, you can join online tournaments. The online portion is pretty substantial so I will cover that later. Also, worth noting, you can play as any character in this mode, including your Mii.

In "Castle Club" you play as only your Mii and this is the "story mode" of World Tour. It's essentially a giant hub. When you first walk in, you are vaguely told about where to go, to the point where when the text was done, I didn't know what just hit me. After wandering aimlessly for a while, opening several doors, talking to random Koopas and Goombas, and yelling "Where do I go?" at my 3DS, I finally found the way out to the first course.

Insert Wario catchphrase heFORE!

Once you find the first course you are asked to do a practice round so the game can decide your starting handicap. Honestly I was a little surprised to see a game like this even mention the word 'handicap' let alone incorporate that into the gameplay. Once your handicap is set, you can play a handicap tournament and then eventually the Course Championship. The overall goal is to win the Championship on all 3 courses.

When you complete a round, you are awarded coins which you can spend in the boutique to unlock apparel and equipment, which can boost your stats in various ways, giving you more power and better control while also making you look dapper. I recently unlocked the Game Boy themed clothes set which include a fancy Game Boy branded visor. Ladies, look out!

You'll see this outfit at Augusta next year, guaranteed

In the basement of the Castle Club is where the action kicks off and begins my talk on the online play. There are 2 pipes you can travel through in the basement, one takes you to regional online tournaments, and the other takes you to international tournaments.

Let's clarify what I mean by "Tournaments" here first. There are set tourneys that Nintendo has made that have a set beginning and end with a specific ruleset and course. There is one where you can only play as Mario, there's one where you have to collect the most coins while also posting the best score, there's one for the DLC course, etc. You can play the tourney as many times as you want, but when the cutoff date passes, the tournament is over and coins are distributed to the best performers. You can keep track of your place on the leaderboards and also see who is doing the best and where they are playing from (your nation's flag appears next to your name).

That's pretty cool, right? Now let's add in the "Private Tournament" option. These are user-created and you can set all sorts of parameters, like which characters can be used, if items can be used, if the course can be random, how long the tournament runs for, etc. There are already a few of these out there and you can choose whether to post them for all to participate in, or generate a code you can give to your friends so only they can jump in. You can personally have 2 tournaments running at a time. I have one called "Luigi Time" happening where you can only play as Luigi (since I am Team Lean Mean Green Machine!).

The online potion of World Tour is what's going to keep this game going, it is excellent and already where I spent most of my time.

..........YoshFORE!!

Also worth noting is the future DLC plans for World Tour. You can (as I did) purchase the season pass for $14.99 and get access (when released) to 3 more courses and 3 more characters. You can also have access to Gold Mario after purchasing the Season Pass, or after buying all the DLC packs when released. Word is that they all should be availbe around June/July.

It is a 3DS game after all, and I'm finding that Nintendo has figured out how to make 3D work and look great. All of their trademark franchises has implemented 3D excellently and it shows again here. You really get a feel for how far away the hole is by looking into the "distance" of your screen.

My only real complaint is when I am on the green, my character seems really in the way, they do make him/her transparent to make it easier, and maybe it's my aging eyes, but it's a little hard for me to read the green. Doesn't break the game in any way and in the long run, doesn't effect my score too much, just worth noting.

Hello, I am Donkey Kong, I am going to hit this ball, just a heads up.

When all is said and done, I am surprised my 3DS hasn't caught fire with how much I played this yesterday. This is the 2nd game (apart from Mario Kart 7) where I legitimately pushed the battery to its limits. While I kinda feel the "Castle Club" seems shoehorned in (honestly, I would prefer some RPG element to the likes of Advance Tour for the GBA), the overall experience is absolutely enjoyable, the online functionality and suite of features is superb, and I can not recommend this title enough to anyone with a 3DS.

Man, I love my 3DS. It's an XL. Impressed? :)

Flashback Friday: Way of the Warrior

So there have been a couple mentions on this blog to fighting games: Killer Instinct, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat. I am a fighting game fan. Granted, I am not going to sit here and say I am the best or say I am going to go to EVO and kick ass and take names, but I do enjoy fighting games. Hell, I recently purchased Skullgirls off a Steam sale and will be playing some of that later.

I am sure throughout the lifespan of this blog I will talk about fighting games, so let's bring up a relatively unknown fighting game. By "unknown" I mean "It was on the 3DO". 

Let's look at the Naughty Dog classic: Way of the Warrior.

3DOh no! See what I did there?

Give it a second....

Yes, I said 'Naughty Dog' as in the company that would go on to make the Crash Bandicoot series, the same company that would make the Uncharted series, the same company that made The Last of Us. Of course, over time, people came and went from the company and the Naughty Dog of Warrior was way different than the Uncharted Naughty Dog, but it is kinda interesting to connect the dots there.

Way of the Warrior was released in North America in November of 1994 for the Panasonic 3DO. It was meant to capitalize on the success of Mortal Kombat by using digitized actors. Way of the Warrior looked to take down MK by promising more fatalities, more moves, and more gore. Did they succeed? Well considering you can still play new Mortal Kombat games today and there are (as far as we know) no plans on the "much anticipated" Way of the Warrior sequel, that should tell you all you need to know.

Back up or I will hit your knee with my face. I'll do it!

 In 1993, Naughty Dog was bankrupt when Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin decided to make Way of the Warrior. (I'm sure Naughty Dog doesn't have a big money problem anymore). Thus begins the tale of the young, aspiring company to make a big name fighting franchise. In lieu of a proper budget, the game was filmed in the developer's apartment in front of a yellow sheet glued to the wall. Rubin had to even open the door and film from the hallway to get all the "action". This caused his neighbors to believe he was shooting adult films. Imagine living next to that.

On top of that, they used pillows, sheets, anything in the apartment that wasn't nailed down, McDonald's Happy Meals and other assorted bits of junk were used to make up the costumes. I wonder if the actors dress as themselves for Halloween, it would be cheap at least, have you seen what it costs for costumes nowadays?

I wonder how high up the ninja ladder a pink belt is?

Rubin himself is in the game as 2 different characters, Konotori, and The Ninja. (Yep, it's just 'The Ninha'). Andy Gavin is the voice of several characters in the game. These guys poured their hearts into this game and showed several demos to Universal Interactive Studios (which eventually became Vivendi Games and later merged with Activision and is now a part of Activision Blizzard).

UIS liked the game and signed Naughty Dog to three more titles, these would become Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. So without this game, we may never have got these great commercials.

Are you happy you won?

The story mode consisted of you beating 9 warriors, your shadow self, a dragon (High Abbot) and a skeleton (Kuil) before having your name etched into the "Book of Warriors". There also were a number of secret characters you could unlock with cheat codes. There were around 15 fighters in total which pales in comparison to how many characters you can play as in the upcoming Ultra Street Fighter IV (I lost count around a bajillion), but at the time, was pretty impressive, not to mention painstaking work given Naughty Dog's financial situation.

Reception of the game in the demo phase was mostly positive. When the game was fully released, however, reviews started souring. Some of which was pointed at the clunky controls (which probably had more to do with the 3DO's 'controllers'), the unimpressive animations, and the games lack of fulfilling that whole "9 fatalities per character" claim, leaving it to be named "Just another Mortal Kombat clone". As far as other 3DO games were concerned, however, the game sold fairly well.

Yoga fire? Whiskey fire?

What about the developers? What happened to Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin? Andy Gavin stayed through the Crash Bandicoot series and worked on the Jak and Daxter series before leaving in 2004. He bounced around a few companies including Fox Interactive Media. He has recently released 2 novels: "The Darkening Dream" (2011) and "Untimed" (2012).

Jason Rubin also stayed through the Crash Bandicoot games and was the director during the Jak and Daxter series. Rubin also left Naughty Dog in 2004 and later joined and became president of THQ before their demise in 2013.

See kids? Follow your dreams, pour your heart into something you're passionate about and someday you can make a career out of it.

The game? Oh, it was ok. The 3DO was NOT OK.