Super Mario 30 years

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I do not see any thread sow here is a thread to celebrate 30 years of Mario.
 
Microsoft celebrates Super Mario Bros with a ninja cat easter egg

Yesterday marked 30 years since the release of Super Mario Bros. on the NES, a milestone that led to the 13th of September being marked as "8-bit Day." Nintendo celebrated the event in its own fashion, but the Japanese company wasn't the only console creator to celebrate the occasion. Microsoft created its own easter egg for 8-bit Day, rewarding people who entered the famous Konami code on its homepage with a slice of video game history, a cute little message from the company, and a pixelated version of Microsoft's ninja cat riding its T. Rex steed.

Microsoft's ninja cat has rapidly become the company's unofficial mascot since it was spotted in March this year. At first the bandana-sporting kitty rode a fire-breathing unicorn, appearing in sticker format in Microsoft's store, before switching over to the back of a Tyrannosaurus for its inclusion in Skype.

ms8bit.0.jpg



http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/14/9321867/microsoft-ninja-cat-easter-egg-mario-bros
 
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Super Mario Bros turns 30 | Photos, video

1. Super Mario Bros. (1985 in Japan, 1987 in Australia)

Though Mario was introduced as 'Jumpman' in 1981 and the brothers (Mario and Luigi) starred together in an arcade game two years later, it was Super Mario Bros. that made them famous, revolutionising the home video game in the process.

With 32 distinct worlds of smoothly-scrolling, secret-laden adventure, the game was unlike anything players had seen before. It was so well balanced that many of the elements — from the control design to all the enemies — exist in Mario games to this day, and its various quirks and features ("your princess is in another castle!") have become part of the modern lexicon.


r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

The original Super Mario Bros. debuted on September 13, 1985.

2. Super Mario Bros. 2 (198:cool:

Though the original was quickly followed by a very similar sequel in Japan, the rest of the world instead received a wildly different game themed after Arabian Nights, which starred the Mario brothers alongside Princess Toadstool (Peach) and Toad.

The game (which is a repurposed version of the Japanese release Doki Doki Panic and was not originally designed as a Mario game) is emblematic of series' magic that can turn a game about throwing vegetables at sand snakes into something indelibly stamped on thousands of childhoods.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Though it didn't begin life as a Mario game at all, many elements of the Western sequel have since been folded into the series.

3. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988 in Japan, 1991 in Australia)

While we were getting to grips with Mario in Arabia, Japan was experiencing Mario's first legitimate overhaul, with the game reimagined as a colourful-animated stage play in Super Mario. Bros. 3. Though the game arguably added more new enemies and elements to the series than any other in its history, it also introduced a graphical style and complexity of design that would endure for decades.

SMB3 also marked the start of the series' focus on power-up items, introducing the Super Leaf that turns Mario into a racoon.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Mario's racoon form was just one of many transformations in the third game. He also became a frog and a tanuki.

4. Super Mario World (1990 in Japan, 1992 in Australia)

Designed as a showpiece for the powerful new Super Nintendo, Super Mario World took the overhead maps and open level design of Super Mario Bros. 3 and made it into one connected journey. Even the music was cohesive, with series mainstay Koji Kondo composing various versions of the same track that change dynamically along the way.

Introducing dinosaur companion Yoshi and a whole host of new twists on the proven formula, World remains arguably the biggest and best-regarded 2D Mario game to this day.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Everything was bigger and better on the Super Nintendo, including Mario's enemies.

5. Super Mario 64 (1996 in Japan, 1997 in Australia)

When the Nintendo 64 first launched it only had two games, but since one of them was Super Mario 64 that isn't as bad as it sounds. The game was nothing short of a revelation, smartly translating the exploration and adventure of a Mario game into a smooth three-dimensional experience.

In an era where many older franchises (including rivals like Sonic the Hedgehog) couldn't quite manage the transition to 3D, Mario set the standard by which all other adventure games would be measured for a long time to come.

r1_0_618_347_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Mario entered the third dimension in Super Mario 64.

6. Super Mario Sunshine (2002)

Somewhat a black sheep of the family, Sunshine marks one step on a journey Nintendo didn't end up taking, utilising the GameCube's power to make the kind of narrative-heavy adventure game found on other consoles, complete with voice-acted cutscenes.

The game sees Mario on a tropical holiday, using a versatile water cannon to traverse the environments and battle enemies, all the while trying to discover who framed him for a crime he didn't commit. It's weird, but its adorable visuals and quirky characters introduced a new sense of charm for the series.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Nintendo's GameCube console gave unprecedented graphical fidelity to Mario's world.

7. New Super Mario Bros. (2006)

With its handheld Nintendo DS system becoming hugely popular with older demographics and non-gamers, Nintendo decided to go back to basics with a side-scrollingMario game that called back to the 1985 original. With a simplified artistic style and a few new touches, the game became one of the DS's greatest successes.

To the delight of some and the disappointment of others, New Super Mario Bros. proved so much more popular than 3D Mario games that Nintendo iterated on it for each of its machines thereafter: on the Wii in 2009, and both the 3DS and Wii U in 2012.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Mario went back to his 2D roots in 2006, and it proved to be his most popular outing in years.

8. Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

Though the Wii is best remembered for its sports games, fitness software and casual-friendly party fare, it was also home to the last Super Mario games made in the open-world style of Mario 64. In Galaxy, our moustached hero left the Mushroom Kingdom and took to the stars.

The crazy, gravity-bending platforming of the game was a brand new element for Mario and helped the game feel futuristic, a feeling helped by the unique motion-sensing Wii remote. Mario Galaxy 2 arrived in 2010, streamlining the whole experience in line with Nintendo's move toward greater accessibility.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Sci-fi influences were a perfect match for the futuristic Wii controller in Super Mario Galaxy.

9. Super Mario 3D World (2013)

With old-school-inspired Mario games selling better, but large-scale 3D Mario games being favoured by critics and the Nintendo hardcore, the company experimented with combining both in Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS in 2011. In 2013, it expanded the design and added the classic four-player lineup.

The result of the hybrid is a game that feels all its own and could very well be the shape of big-budget Mario games to come. Easy to pick up and fun to play with friends like a 2D game, Super Mario 3D World nonetheless feels like a premium experience and is packed to the gills with secrets and incredible challenges.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

2D Mario games can be played anyone and sell well, while 3D games please hardcore fans. Nintendo did both at once with 3D World.

10. Super Mario Maker (2015)

All this brings us to today, where Super Mario Maker provides an online community and a brand new way to interact with a Super Mario game while simultaneously paying homage to four of its biggest hits.

At the core of the game is an expansive course editor that hands level design over to the player, allowing you to build stages in the style of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World or New Super Mario Bros. Since the Wii U console features a touchpad and stylus, creation is as simple as drawing out the levels and dragging and dropping enemies and elements. Advanced capabilities include stacking enemies, creating sub-levels and plotting paths for platforms or enemies to follow.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Super Mario Maker hands the game design over to the gaming community with powerful level editing tools and online sharing.

Even if you're not into creating your own levels, the 'play' mode in Maker can provide a near endless amount of content. Players can sort through the hundreds of levels being created by the community, leaving comments and following their favourite creators. For a more surprising twist, you can also have the game throw a series of random levels at you from the community.


http://www.wellingtontimes.com.au/story/3345546/super-mario-bros-turns-30-photos-video/?cs=2805
 
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Super Mario Bros turns 30 | Photos, video

1. Super Mario Bros. (1985 in Japan, 1987 in Australia)

Though Mario was introduced as 'Jumpman' in 1981 and the brothers (Mario and Luigi) starred together in an arcade game two years later, it was Super Mario Bros. that made them famous, revolutionising the home video game in the process.

With 32 distinct worlds of smoothly-scrolling, secret-laden adventure, the game was unlike anything players had seen before. It was so well balanced that many of the elements — from the control design to all the enemies — exist in Mario games to this day, and its various quirks and features ("your princess is in another castle!") have become part of the modern lexicon.


r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

The original Super Mario Bros. debuted on September 13, 1985.

2. Super Mario Bros. 2 (198:cool:

Though the original was quickly followed by a very similar sequel in Japan, the rest of the world instead received a wildly different game themed after Arabian Nights, which starred the Mario brothers alongside Princess Toadstool (Peach) and Toad.

The game (which is a repurposed version of the Japanese release Doki Doki Panic and was not originally designed as a Mario game) is emblematic of series' magic that can turn a game about throwing vegetables at sand snakes into something indelibly stamped on thousands of childhoods.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Though it didn't begin life as a Mario game at all, many elements of the Western sequel have since been folded into the series.

3. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988 in Japan, 1991 in Australia)

While we were getting to grips with Mario in Arabia, Japan was experiencing Mario's first legitimate overhaul, with the game reimagined as a colourful-animated stage play in Super Mario. Bros. 3. Though the game arguably added more new enemies and elements to the series than any other in its history, it also introduced a graphical style and complexity of design that would endure for decades.

SMB3 also marked the start of the series' focus on power-up items, introducing the Super Leaf that turns Mario into a racoon.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Mario's racoon form was just one of many transformations in the third game. He also became a frog and a tanuki.

4. Super Mario World (1990 in Japan, 1992 in Australia)

Designed as a showpiece for the powerful new Super Nintendo, Super Mario World took the overhead maps and open level design of Super Mario Bros. 3 and made it into one connected journey. Even the music was cohesive, with series mainstay Koji Kondo composing various versions of the same track that change dynamically along the way.

Introducing dinosaur companion Yoshi and a whole host of new twists on the proven formula, World remains arguably the biggest and best-regarded 2D Mario game to this day.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Everything was bigger and better on the Super Nintendo, including Mario's enemies.

5. Super Mario 64 (1996 in Japan, 1997 in Australia)

When the Nintendo 64 first launched it only had two games, but since one of them was Super Mario 64 that isn't as bad as it sounds. The game was nothing short of a revelation, smartly translating the exploration and adventure of a Mario game into a smooth three-dimensional experience.

In an era where many older franchises (including rivals like Sonic the Hedgehog) couldn't quite manage the transition to 3D, Mario set the standard by which all other adventure games would be measured for a long time to come.

r1_0_618_347_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Mario entered the third dimension in Super Mario 64.

6. Super Mario Sunshine (2002)

Somewhat a black sheep of the family, Sunshine marks one step on a journey Nintendo didn't end up taking, utilising the GameCube's power to make the kind of narrative-heavy adventure game found on other consoles, complete with voice-acted cutscenes.

The game sees Mario on a tropical holiday, using a versatile water cannon to traverse the environments and battle enemies, all the while trying to discover who framed him for a crime he didn't commit. It's weird, but its adorable visuals and quirky characters introduced a new sense of charm for the series.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Nintendo's GameCube console gave unprecedented graphical fidelity to Mario's world.

7. New Super Mario Bros. (2006)

With its handheld Nintendo DS system becoming hugely popular with older demographics and non-gamers, Nintendo decided to go back to basics with a side-scrollingMario game that called back to the 1985 original. With a simplified artistic style and a few new touches, the game became one of the DS's greatest successes.

To the delight of some and the disappointment of others, New Super Mario Bros. proved so much more popular than 3D Mario games that Nintendo iterated on it for each of its machines thereafter: on the Wii in 2009, and both the 3DS and Wii U in 2012.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Mario went back to his 2D roots in 2006, and it proved to be his most popular outing in years.

8. Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

Though the Wii is best remembered for its sports games, fitness software and casual-friendly party fare, it was also home to the last Super Mario games made in the open-world style of Mario 64. In Galaxy, our moustached hero left the Mushroom Kingdom and took to the stars.

The crazy, gravity-bending platforming of the game was a brand new element for Mario and helped the game feel futuristic, a feeling helped by the unique motion-sensing Wii remote. Mario Galaxy 2 arrived in 2010, streamlining the whole experience in line with Nintendo's move toward greater accessibility.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Sci-fi influences were a perfect match for the futuristic Wii controller in Super Mario Galaxy.

9. Super Mario 3D World (2013)

With old-school-inspired Mario games selling better, but large-scale 3D Mario games being favoured by critics and the Nintendo hardcore, the company experimented with combining both in Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS in 2011. In 2013, it expanded the design and added the classic four-player lineup.

The result of the hybrid is a game that feels all its own and could very well be the shape of big-budget Mario games to come. Easy to pick up and fun to play with friends like a 2D game, Super Mario 3D World nonetheless feels like a premium experience and is packed to the gills with secrets and incredible challenges.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

2D Mario games can be played anyone and sell well, while 3D games please hardcore fans. Nintendo did both at once with 3D World.

10. Super Mario Maker (2015)

All this brings us to today, where Super Mario Maker provides an online community and a brand new way to interact with a Super Mario game while simultaneously paying homage to four of its biggest hits.

At the core of the game is an expansive course editor that hands level design over to the player, allowing you to build stages in the style of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World or New Super Mario Bros. Since the Wii U console features a touchpad and stylus, creation is as simple as drawing out the levels and dragging and dropping enemies and elements. Advanced capabilities include stacking enemies, creating sub-levels and plotting paths for platforms or enemies to follow.

r0_0_620_349_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg

Super Mario Maker hands the game design over to the gaming community with powerful level editing tools and online sharing.

Even if you're not into creating your own levels, the 'play' mode in Maker can provide a near endless amount of content. Players can sort through the hundreds of levels being created by the community, leaving comments and following their favourite creators. For a more surprising twist, you can also have the game throw a series of random levels at you from the community.


http://www.wellingtontimes.com.au/story/3345546/super-mario-bros-turns-30-photos-video/?cs=2805

The evolution of Mario is a beautiful thing. Best gaming franchise of all time.
 
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