News Articles
Friday7th Nov 2014
News The Man Behind Sega's Wonder Boy Series Hates The Controls In Super Mario Bros.
"The movements just didn't feel right"
Super Mario Bros. is one of the most influential video games of all time, and has gone on to inspire countless titles over the years. While the vast majority of these subsequent games have tried to capture the magic which made Shigeru Miyamoto's NES classic so popular, Westone Bit founder Ryuichi Nishizawa has...
Monday8th Sep 2014
News September's Club Nintendo Reward Details Are Confirmed
Another eight games after your coins
It's that time again, as Club Nintendo in North America has updated its rewards for September; once again there are eight downloads that you can pick up with some hard earned coins. This batch follows the same trend as the August equivalent, with six Virtual Console games and two DSiWare titles; the eight...
Sunday7th Sep 2014
Video If You Love Mario Easter Eggs, This Series is for You
Covering Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario World, so far
One of the delights of retro Nintendo games is in discovering their secrets, little snippets of interesting features that can only be spotted with close attention. Hunting 'easter eggs' is a major part of retro gaming. A current series on the Did You Know Gaming channel is looking to reveal...
Monday21st Jul 2014
Nintendo Download 24th July (Europe)
A Sen'SeY, Master Reboot, Siesta Fiesta, Mega Man, discounts and more
It's Monday morning, which means it's time for the European Nintendo Download Update, and the latest line-up certainly starts off our week with a bang. There are three promising new titles on the Wii U eShop, an equally tempting and colourful release on the 3DS eShop, three Mega...
Saturday5th Jul 2014
Video DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jeremy Ellis and The Roots Perform an Awesome Super Mario Bros. Remix
Which DJ wins?
With the recent Independence Day celebrations in the US, there were plenty of events and concerts taking place around the country. One of these was the 2014 Philly Jam, and for those watching there was a bit of a retro Mario treat to enjoy. In the clip below DJ Jazzy Jeff — who most may know as Will Smith's buddy and musical...
Friday27th Jun 2014
News Someone Has Beaten The Super Mario Bros. Speedrun World Record
Game completed in less than five minutes
Think you're a pretty hot Super Mario Bros. player? You're probably not as good as speedrunner Blubbler, who has just finished the game in 4:57.69, beating the previous record of 4:58.09. Blubber is clearly a talented individual, and in the video below you can see just how perfect this particular run is —...
Tuesday17th Jun 2014
News A Fresh Super Mario Bros. Infinite Lives Trick Has Been Discovered
It never stops
Super Mario Bros. is a title that, even after all this time, remains as a central pillar and identifying feature of Nintendo — as a launch title for NES and the game that brought Mario to prominence as a mascot, it's still played and loved to this day. It also helps that it stands up to modern standards in some respects, even if its...
Tuesday20th May 2014
News Book Series Will Take In-Depth Look at Original Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack
By an author who knows the score
The 33 1/3 book series offers individual, journalistic studies of influential albums by performers ranging from James Brown to Radiohead. In a departure from their standard venues, an upcoming book is going to focus on a smaller but no less memorable collection of work. Super Mario Bros. - Koji Kondo has been...
Thursday10th Apr 2014
Weirdness Realistic Mario Probably Wouldn't Have Been As Successful As Super Mario
Head + block = ouch
In case the size-altering mushrooms and cartoon-like environments didn't make it obvious enough, Super Mario Bros. takes place in a world of fantasy. However, it's always fun to consider what Nintendo's most famous franchise could have been like if the company had decided to adopt a more realistic approach. In this segment from...
Tuesday11th Mar 2014
Weirdness Engineer Uses Four Monitors to Display Whole Super Mario Bros. Levels
It's a me, Mario!
It's always fun when people use their skills to display a beloved video game character in an interesting way. Twitter user Morikuma_Works, who works as an engineer in Japan, has done just that with his four computer monitor display of Super Mario Bros. World 1-1. He also posted a picture of World 1-2, warp zone and all. Quite...
Tuesday4th Mar 2014
Nintendo Download 6th March (Europe)
Pac-Man, Tappingo, Luigi discounts and more
A day later than normal — probably due to a public Holiday in Nintendo of Europe's homeland in Germany — we now have details of what will be gracing the Nintendo download platforms this week. There are some retail options on both Wii U and 3DS, the latest title from Goodbye Galaxy Games, the return of...
Sunday23rd Feb 2014
Weirdness Listen To The Super Mario Theme On A 3,000 Year Old Chinese Instrument
A bit trickier to play than a warp whistle, probably
Doodoo doo do dooo do, dah! - It's the Super Mario theme! Known across the globe and endlessly catchy, this tune has been played on every instrument under the sun, as well a few renditions that should barely count. Hearing a cover version is certainly nothing new, but allow us to present one just...
Friday21st Feb 2014
News Super Mario Bros. Stop Motion Pixel Art Kickstarter Campaign Hops Over Its Target
Funding goal passed with weeks of funding remaining
Nintendo's titles, particularly of the retro variety, inspire many fan projects in the form of music albums and, of course, videos. One example we highlighted in the past was an impressive stop motion video featuring the original Donkey Kong, which was remarkably produced with beads. That was the...
Thursday20th Feb 2014
Weirdness Super Mario Bros. Record For Lowest Score is Beaten
A 500 point play-through done without tool assistance
Normally while playing a game, the goal for most people is to see how many points they can rack up; more often than not they aim for the most points possible. There are, however, a select few who flip that idea on its head and shoot for the lowest score possible. Going out of their way to avoid...
Saturday25th Jan 2014
Weirdness Famicom Cartridges Turned Into Chiptune Harmonicas
Because some of you will just never stop blowing into them
The idea has been sitting right under our noses (where our mouths are) the entire time: we blow into cartridges; we blow into harmonicas. Why not merge the two together? Finally, we have the technology — or at least someone creatively wily enough to use it. The gadgeteer(s) at Ugoita...
Friday29th Nov 2013
Weirdness Drink Your Troubles Away With This Nintendo Flask
Non alcoholic beverages are an option, of course
Retro gaming and whiskey, does it mix? One inventor on Kickstarter thought so. Matt Cornell describes himself as a passionate gamer and one who is lucky to have been raised alongside the video game industry as it has developed. Now he is repaying it with a throwback to the legends he was raised on...
Thursday28th Nov 2013
Nintendo Download 28th November (North America)
SEGA Classics go 3D, discounted Mario, touring the Louvre and more
It's Nintendo Download time again, North America, and this week brings a fairly diverse range of options. We have plenty of retro goodies on the Wii U eShop, reduced retro Mario on both Wii U and 3DS, revived SEGA classics on the 3DS as well as a tour of the iconic Louvre museum...
Monday11th Nov 2013
News Full Screen Mario Web Game Closed Down Following Nintendo's Copyright Complaint
Popular HTML5 remake is no more
In mid-October we told you about Full Screen Mario, a free, open-source HTML5 web version of the original Super Mario Bros., the work of college student Josh Goldberg. The site attracted publicity due to its recreation of the original game, as well as a random map generator and level creator. With publicity came the...
Friday18th Oct 2013
News Nintendo Wants To Close Down This Open-Source Web Version Of Super Mario Bros.
"Full Screen Mario" infringes copyrights, claims Nintendo
Full Screen Mario is a recreation of the original Super Mario Bros. which runs in your web browser. It has all of the original levels and even allows you to create your own stages. It's an impressive feat of programming by a single person — college student Josh Goldberg — but Nintendo is...
Saturday21st Sep 2013
Weirdness Watch Nearly 1000 Mario Players All At Once
Super Mario Boy
For those that have played Super Meat Boy, which unfortunately never made it to a Nintendo system, a highlight can be the replay that follows every completed level — all of your attempts are shown at once. If you can imagine that with a Super Mario Bros. level, but with 974 players on display, then you can imagine what's coming...
Thursday19th Sep 2013
Nintendo Download 19th September (North America)
A legendary HD release, monstrous discounts, classic Mario and much more
We have a bumper Nintendo Download week for you, North America, with over a dozen games gracing the Wii U, 3DS and even the DSi. A certain Zelda title is headlining, but we also have terrific — but brief — Monster Hunter discounts, some retro goodies and enough new 3DS...
Monday9th Sep 2013
Nintendo Download 12th September (Europe)
Dungeons & dragons, classic Mario, Toki Tori 2 with a + and more
It's Monday, which means Nintendo Download news for Europe. This week brings a modest number of titles, though they do include a long awaited Wii U download from Capcom, classic Mario, a major Toki Tori 2 update and the download arrival of the blue blur's most recent adventure on 3DS...
Monday22nd Jul 2013
Weirdness Check Out This Mario-Style Tribute To Manchester United Legend Alex Ferguson
English soccer's most successful manager scores a 1-up
Sir Alex Ferguson recently called time on the most successful managerial career in English football ("soccer" to anyone in North America), having secured an incredible 49 trophies over almost four decades. How do you pay tribute to such a sporting legend, one of the finest managers the world...
Tuesday25th Jun 2013
News Ouya Heralds Emulation By Tweeting Image of Super Mario Bros.
It wants Mario to be free, apparently
Ouya - the Android-based, open source console that has the capability to run emulators - is now available to buy and has already whipped up a storm of controversy. Naturally, piracy is an issue that has surrounded the new console ever since its inception and will always swarm around it, but Ouya hasn't exactly...
Monday17th Dec 2012
Nintendo Download 20th December 2012 (Europe)
Escaping vektors, Clive in the Wild West and heroes in castles
It's the final Nintendo Download update before Christmas, so Nintendo's got a helping of festive cheer for us to download. Only Wii is left out to ask Scrooge for some new content, with both handhelds getting new games and Wii U joining in with some juicy price reductions. Let's get to...
Thursday18th Oct 2012
News Brick-Based Mario Videos Prove Everything Looks Better In Lego
Build it and they will come
Following on from the awesome Lego Zelda shield we featured a while back, we've stumbled across some amazing Lego-themed Super Mario videos. Created using what appears to be a clever combination of computer editing and actual brick images, these videos replicate the look of Mario's early NES adventures via the medium of...
Friday31st Aug 2012
News Mario Warfare Teaser Pokes Fun At Call Of Duty
Tactical Mushroom Action
The advent of YouTube and the emergence of affordable video creation and editing tools has given game fans the world over the opportunity to parody the living daylights out of pretty much anything they like. Beat Down Boogie are masters of this craft, having already scored a sizable satirical hit with Modern War Sear Solid...
Tuesday24th Jul 2012
News Retro Mario Discounts Jumping Onto North American eShop
Celebrating New Super Mario Bros. 2
When it comes to New Super Mario Bros. 2, you'd have to live in a deep, dark cave to not know about it. Trailers and videos swarm the web and its status as the first retail download being offered by Nintendo has given it even more profile. Still, that won't stop Nintendo of America doing some additional marketing...
Thursday29th Mar 2012
News The Mystery of the Super Mario Bros. U.S. Release Date
If you know for sure, let us know
Occasionally, an enthusiastic researcher will embark on a quest to find information on obscure gaming facts, so it's surprising that one of the great unknowns in video game history is the U.S. release date for Super Mario Bros. on NES. Considering the fact that this is one of the most successful and iconic video...
Wednesday29th Feb 2012
Nintendo Download 1st March 2012 (Europe)
NES comes to 3DS
3DS gets a demo and two Virtual Console games this week while Wii owners are left sadly without. Still, there's plenty of Virtual Console games coming to Wii in March, so that's something. 3DS Virtual Console: Punch-Out!! (NES, Nintendo, £4.50/€5) — The classic boxing game is the first non-Ambassador NES game to reach 3DS...
