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Spanish labor association honors Mario

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 11th 2009 at 5:45PM }

ASEFOSAM, a Spanish labor association has announced (translation) that it plans to make Nintendo's Mario Mario an honorary member. Mario is to be presented with a silver badge, which is given to members of the association who improve the image of laborers. In celebration, a contest will be held in Madrid over the weekend to determine the best Mario Bros. player (though we're not sure exactly which of the many, many Mario games is to be played).

So, yeah, it sounds like the Italian labor associations really dropped the ball on this.

[Via GoNintendo]

New Super Mario Bros Wii launch event in NYC this Saturday

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 10th 2009 at 3:15PM }

Nintendo is holding a little family-friendly launch fiesta for New Super Marios Bros. Wii this Saturday, November 14, at its flagship store in New York City. The House of Mario will "transform" Rockefeller Plaza into the Mushroom Kingdom, providing demo stations, "costumed characters, trivia challenges, prize giveaways (while supplies last)."

The event takes place from 3-7PM and NSMBW is available to purchase early from the Nintendo World Store during that time. The game officially launches the following day, November 15. If getting it a day early seems worth the trip, remember to add NYC's lovely (8.875%) sales tax to your budget.

This is the story of New Super Mario Bros. Wii

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 5th 2009 at 6:00PM }

We know many Joystiq readers don't want to read spoilers on the site. That's why, for your sake, we've carefully posted the intro movie to New Super Mario Bros. Wii after the break. The upcoming 2D platformer returns the series to its roots, but adds a number of features that make it "new" -- it says so on the box. New power-ups and the addition of multiplayer radically change the feel of NSMBW, but we're not sure if gamers are prepared for the revolutionary new story featured in this latest adventure.

Check it out after the break.

[Via GoNintendo]

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Super Mario Galaxy commercial brings a tear to our eye

by David Hinkle { Oct 30th 2009 at 4:00PM }

We're not afraid to admit that Ed Peduzzi's Super Mario Galaxy commercial gets us all misty. It's a powerful combination of Sigur Rós' "Hoppípolla" and the classic footage of Nintendo's Italian plumber, crescendoing in a mighty display of Super Mario Galaxy that really gave our heart strings a tug. Check it out for yourself past the break and if you don't get goosebumps, well you just may be a soulless husk of a human being.

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You are not likely as hardcore as these Mario fans

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 29th 2009 at 6:45PM }

You might have noticed a less than offensive Nintendo tattoo donning the image space above this sentence you're reading, and could very well be wondering why this is the case. As it turns out, the Super Mario Bros.-themed images of Princess Peach and a Star are a bit too graphic for use on Joystiq. They are, however, quite unique – rather than the ol' ink-permanently-embedded-in-skin treatment of traditional tattoos, the aforementioned two employ a method of tattooing that involves skin removal. Check out the original shots over at BodyMod.org if you want to see 'em, but click through at your own discretion.

[Thanks Adam!]

[Image credit: Drew Olanoff]

New, super character art from New Super Mario Bros. Wii

by JC Fletcher { Oct 26th 2009 at 1:15PM }

The new multiplayer mode in New Super Mario Bros. Wii is great, as is the apparent difficulty of the new levels. We're curious about the Super Guide feature as well. But for some Mario fans, the real draw to the latest sidescroller can be seen above: the Koopalings, returning for the first time in a traditional Mario game since Super Mario World. While, of course, we'd still prefer a 2D adventure, Iggy, Morton, et al. have made the transition to 3D quite well!

Nintendo released that render along with some other character and enemy art, and an image of the bizarre all-red box art. See what a Goomba looks like now in our gallery. Spoiler: pretty much like it always looks.

Gallery: New Super Mario Bros. Wii character art

Mario World marriage proposal is clever (but kinda creepy)

by Randy Nelson { Oct 19th 2009 at 10:00PM }

Marriage proposals via video games aren't exactly new, but they're still clever -- and usually cute. Last Thursday, Brad Smith proposed to his girlfriend of five years using a hacked version of Super Mario World, placing coins in world 1-1 to spell out, "Will you marry me?" Cute, right? But we have to question Brad's filming of the occasion, because, if we didn't know better, we'd think the couple was being watched by a serial killer hiding behind their couch. You can see what we mean after the break.

Seriously -- tell us that, when the camera pulls back to catch Brad on his knee, ring in hand, you don't want to yell out, "Look out! There's someone else in the room!" Or maybe it's just the close proximity to Halloween that's got us all on edge. Still ... Brad, if you're reading this, please drop us a line to let us know you're alright?

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Shock! Nintendo developing another 'new Mario game' says Martinet [update]

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 18th 2009 at 5:00PM }

Ahh, the world of social networking services, where everyone from Joystiq to Charles Martinet (the voice of Mario and many other Nintendo characters) can coyly hint at things of interest to the world. Why just yesterday morning, Martinet dropped hints at an "Awesome new Mario game." Normally such a statement would provide us little in the way of excitement, except it came paired with "And it's not NSMB [New Super Mario Bros.] Wii, and it's not Galaxy 2," as well as assuring us "it's going to be crazy fun!"

Considering the recent release of Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and the two he mentioned in his Tweet, we're fairly sure Mr. "It's a me, Mario!" is dropping his dulcet tones into an unannounced "new Mario game." We've shot Nintendo a note for some clarification and will update this post as soon as we know more.

Update: Unfortunately, The Big N hasn't offered us much in the way of information, saying, "We're always working on new games and experiences, but we have nothing to announce at this time."

[Via GamingTarget]

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is 'pretty difficult'

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 16th 2009 at 11:20AM }

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is "pretty difficult," series creator Shigeru Miyamoto told us at a NYC press demo yesterday, acknowledging complaints that the previous 2D iteration of the franchise was too easy. After our disastrous performance in last week's hands-on, we'd agree with that assessment.

While "Demo Play" makes concessions towards novice players, NSMBW celebrates hardcore gameplay. By earning the super coins hidden through each level, you'll be able to unlock a series of "Super Guide" videos that highlight "super skills" tactics. These videos will reveal how to get infinite 1-ups, find the secret goals and show alternate ways of playing the game. (One video we saw showed three Yoshis working in tandem to lick and spit a hapless Luigi throughout the level.)

The newly released video above highlights some of the various stages in NSMBW. Does it look "difficult" to you? You can also check out North America's all-red packaging after the break.

Gallery: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

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UK retailer offering Limited Tin Edition of New Super Mario Bros. Wii

by JC Fletcher { Oct 15th 2009 at 10:00PM }

We've all heard the complaint, and most of us have thought it ourselves: New Super Mario Bros. Wii looks great, and we appreciate the new multiplayer focus and all, but you just can't easily use the box as a coin bank. And that's a shame.

Well, there ain't no shame in UK retailer GAME, who is taking preorders on a Limited Tin Edition of the game. The Tin Edition comes in a rather fetching tin case, with a slot at the top that makes it suitable for use as a bank. It'll be out in Europe on the same November 20 date as the normal edition, for 49.99. The regular, non-tin version is currently on the site for 34.99.

Miyamoto foresees more user-generated content in the future

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 15th 2009 at 8:30PM }

Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto may not play many of his competitors' games, but he does see a future where games like LittleBigPlanet will become increasingly commonplace. After demoing a few levels from the upcoming New Super Mario Bros. Wii, we asked Miyamoto if he'd ever consider giving everyday players the tools to make their own Mario levels. "This is an area that I have a lot of interest in, and I think that the side-scrolling Mario games in particular are well suited to that idea," Miyamoto said (as translated by Bill Trinnen).

Miyamoto then pointed to previous Nintendo works in an attempt to prove his openness towards the idea. "Of course the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series is one that's made in North America by NST, but it's one that I've been involved in and from early on. We did have a lot of discussions about how to enable that kind of level creation in that series. And of course, more recently on Nintendo DSi, we have released Flipnote Studio, which is another kind of utility or tool-type of software that's really about letting users let their creation out and share it with others."

Neither examples have the depth or scope of what we wanted Miyamoto to do: Confirm a LBP-esque community-driven Mario platformer. As implausible as that may sound, Miyamoto reiterated his interest, and admitted that the future will see more of these kinds of games. "And I think those types of interactive experiences are going to continue to broaden and we'll see a lot more user-generated content going forward. I've always had an interest in those kinds of creative tools, so I will definitely be open to ideas like that in the future."

Hands-on: New Super Mario Bros Wii

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 8th 2009 at 8:10PM }

Like New Super Mario Bros. before it, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is instantly playable, addictive and fresh. It plays like every Mario game before it, embracing its NES legacy by requiring players to hold the Wii Remote on its side. Although the gameplay is immediately recognizable, the addition of four-player competitive multiplayer makes it feel, as the title reminds us, new. After even just one level, we had to question, "Why didn't Nintendo think of this sooner?"

New Super Mario Bros. Wii makes the arbitrary distinction of offering a "cooperative" Story mode, and a competitive multiplayer mode, but after a level or two, it's clear that there really is no such thing as cooperation in the Mushroom Kingdom. There's no real reason to switch between either mode, as both feature the same levels and a finite number of lives for the players. The only real addition to the competitive mode is the scoreboard at the end of a level, which ranks players based on their score, coins collected and the number of enemies defeated.

Why do we say there's no real cooperation in the Mushroom Kingdom? Simple: there are so many ways of being murdered in NSMBW. You can grab a fellow player and throw him down a cliff, into an enemy or into some molten lava. Grab a Yoshi and eat your friend ... and then spit him into a Piranha Plant. They won't be your friend anymore! You can even kill someone before they get to live a full life, by finding their spawn bubble and destroying it in an -- ahem -- inconvenient place (over a pit, perhaps?).

Gallery: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

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New Super Mario Bros. Wii coming down the pipe Nov. 15

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 23rd 2009 at 10:30PM }

Though the recent Nintendo press release announcing the Wii's new $199 price point was, for the most part, completely devoid of surprises, one new nugget of info was embedded in the stuff we already knew -- the release date for New Super Mario Bros. Wii has transformed from the ever-ambiguous "holiday 2009" to a decidedly more rigid "November 15." We can think of one mustachioed plumber who's not afraid of a little Modern competition. Bold, sir. Rather bold.

Gallery: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Fan makes Mushroom Kingdom in Left 4 Dead

by Justin McElroy { Sep 15th 2009 at 11:11AM }

We'd love to have a psychiatrist take a shot at this one. What kinda dude says, "You know, the Mushroom Kingdom from Super Mario 64 is all very nice and whimsical, but what I'd really like to do is murder hordes of the undead in it. Oh, and I'd call it 'Mushroom Massacre'"?

We're feigning being troubled by it, but, whatever the diagnosis, we're supremely glad people like DoritoClock, who made this particularly colorful Left 4 Dead map, exist.

[Via GoNintendo]

Mad Catz making Wii, DS peripherals with licensed characters

by Xav de Matos { Aug 20th 2009 at 8:45PM }

Third-party accessory developer Mad Catz has announced a non-exclusive agreement with Nintendo to create and market licensed accessories for the Wii, DS and DSi which include the "select use of Nintendo's intellectual property." According to a press release, the new Mad Catz line will include cameos from Nintendo's beloved stable of characters, such as Donkey Kong, Zelda, Link, Mario, Luigi, Wario, Yoshi, Bowser, Toad, Princess Peach and Metroid's Samus Aran. No further details on the upcoming products are available, but we're currently preparing a petition for a Philips takeover of Mad Catz and a CD-i revival. We're kidding; that would signify the end of times.