Nintendo has published a new “Iwata Asks” interview on the official Wii website. The interview once again focuses on the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., and, like previous interviews, contains a number of interesting nuggets about the series. You can check out a few of the details below.
– In earlier years, Miyamoto focused on asking questions such as “Is that fun?” and “Does that feel right?” rather than the essence of Mario
– Hiroyuki Kimura thought about making Super Mario Advance 5 for DS since people were asking about a fifth game around the time the system was released
– New Super Mario Bros. would have been Super Mario Advance 5
– Without the Super Mario Advance series, New Super Mario Bros. may never have happened
– Super Mario Advance series started when Satoru Iwata first came to Nintendo and saw a list of GBA titles in development, and noticed there were no Mario games
– New Super Mario Bros. Wii development began right after New Super Mario Bros.
– As Kimura presented a prototype of New Super Mario Bros. Wii multiplayer to Miyamoto, Miyamoto suggested there be 4 players instead of just 2 (prototype only included Mario and Luigi)
– Nintendo experimented with multiplayer in Super Mario Bros. 3
– Multiplayer featured simultaneous gameplay with Mario and Luigi, but scrapped the idea because the screen wouldn’t pull forward well when scrolling and players would fall even though they jumped
– While developing Super Mario 64, Yoshiaki Koizumi had some difficulty making Mario move in some areas, so Miyamoto used gestures to show how Mario should look
– One of the issues Koizumi experienced was making Mario swim, so Miyamoto was literally sprawled out on a desk and was doing swimming motions (this was at 2-3 in the morning)
– Disputes about the “cuteness” factor in Super Mario Sunshine
– Some suggested making the pole at the end of the levels in New Super Mario Bros. Wii bigger due to 4 player action, but the idea was scrapped since, if it was too long, players wouldn’t be able to reach the top
– Flagpoles (at the end of levels) aren’t used at the end of levels in 3D Mario games because Nintendo felt it would be hard to grab it
Collection Includes Classic Games, Music CD and History Booklet
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Few video game characters can claim to be going strong after a quarter century. But Nintendo’s Mario™ isn’t your average character. For two and a half decades he has delighted millions of fans all over the world. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros.™ game on the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has released the Super Mario All-Stars™ Limited Edition package, a collection featuring four classic Mario games playable on the Wii™ system, a soundtrack CD and an illustrated commemorative booklet. Super Mario All-Stars will be offered while supplies last at a suggested retail price of $29.99.
“Whether you’ve been a Mario fan for 25 years or are just now discovering his games, this limited-edition collection is packed with hours of fun,” said Marc Franklin, Nintendo of America’s director of Public Relations. “These classic games, along with the soundtrack CD and Super Mario History booklet filled with rare concept art, make this a must-have collection for every video game fan.”
At this time of year, it’s especially important to find a store that truly offers something for everyone. Luckily for Nintendo fans, both the Wii™ Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi™ Shop boast a huge variety of downloadable games to satisfy every taste, size and experience level. Best of all, these online stores are open 24 hours a day and remain consistently free of big crowds and parking headaches. New additions to the WiiWare™ service this week include lilt line, an award-winning rhythm game that combines racing thrills with an irresistible soundtrack (there’s even a demo version you can download for zero Wii Points™). Meanwhile, Family Games™ delivers eight family-friendly gaming favorites straight to your Wii console, while fans of classic sci-fi shooters will rejoice to find the Super NES™ gem DARIUS TWIN on the Virtual Console™ service. And for something completely different, new arrivals on the Nintendo DSiWare™ service include Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ, a wild action title that invites players to ring in the season by fighting off a spooky supernatural threat. Whether you’re shopping for a loved one or for yourself, check out these and hundreds of other games from the comfort of home.
A World of Keflings – 8.25
Babysitting Mama – 3
Bejeweled 3 – 9
Blood Drive – 4.5
Create – 5
DanceMasters – 4
Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance – 7.75
Epic Mickey – 7
Flip’s Twisted World – 3.5
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: The Videogame – 5.5
ilomilo – 8.75
Kinect Adventures – 7.5
Kinect Joy Ride – 7
Kinect Sports – 8
Kinectimals – 8
Marvel Pinball – 8.5
Michael Jackson: The Experience – 6.5
Nail’d – 8
Pac-Man Championship Edition – 9
Pinball FX 2 – 9
Sonic Colors (DS) – 8.5
Sonic Colors (Wii) – 7
The Fight: Lights Out – 6.5
The Shoot – 6
Time Crisis: Razing Storm – 6.75
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon – 4.5
Tron Evolution – 4.5
Tron Evolution – Battle Grids – 6
Ys: The Oath in Felghana – 8.5
Thanks to Chestah for the tip!
The Last Story is a little more than a month away from launching in Japan. To gear up for the launch of the game, Nintendo will be holding a conference on December 27 at 2:00 PM. Specific plans related to the event aren’t clear, though it appears that Hironobu Sakaguchi will be leading the presentation. Fans will be able to watch the conference as it happens, as a Ustream page will be available as soon as Sakaguchi kicks off the event.
– Kanan is nobility
– Kanan is a daughter in the Arganon Family
– Arganon Family is the ruling family of Ruli Island
– Kanon lives in secret in Ruli Castle
– Count Arganon, Kanon’s uncle, watches over her
– Kanan hopes to leave the castle and travel the world, but can’t because she’s under close supervision
– Visit an upgrade shop to strengthen equipment
– This will improve their properties and add special skills
– Weapons could change into different weapon types through fortification
– “Appraisal” system determines the identity of mysterious equipment that you pick up
– “Identify Shop” can be accessed in town, appraiser will identify items for you
Thanks to Thomas N for the tip!
