I assumed Super Mario Maker 2 wouldn’t offer enough to keep me occupied. It is, after all, a game about making levels and sharing them with the world. Game design isn’t my top talent, particularly when compared to the professional work of Nintendo. Where the storied developer makes masterful stages that test old mechanics while subtly introducing more advanced techniques, I make a square dog house with a Chain Chomp inside and call it a day’s work. But making levels is just one slice of this giant, delicious pie of a video game. The more I eat, the more I’m amazed that Mario Maker 2 can appeal to such a varied array of players. Don’t let the title confuse you. Nintendo hasn’t merely made a game for makers; it has made a nearly full (and fittingly experimental) Super Mario title that just so happens to be paired with an exceptional creator’s suite. Taking it easy The most approachable part of Super Mario Maker 2 is Story Mode. Here, the game … [Read more...] about Super Mario Maker 2 review: much more than a game design toolkit
Mario teaches typing
The unlikely origin of StreetPass and a Mario DS game you never knew about
Yutaka "Yoot" Saito had a special relationship with Nintendo. He, the creator of SimTower, Seaman and Odama, considered Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto friends, and he would regularly meet them for tea around the turn of the Millennium. It was during one of these rendezvous Saito told Miyamoto and Iwata a story. "Once, when we were discussing some of the things we'd like to be able to do with a new piece of hardware, which will be coming for next generation of Game Boy, I told them a story from when I was a middle school student," Saito shared with a Reboot Develop 2018 audience I was in. "Every morning on the way to the school there was a girl on the train I rode. I was almost 15 years old and I was too shy to talk to her. So in the meeting I raised my idea that if we had a kind of magic machine so I can talk to her, that would be wonderful. "A few years later," he said, "my company was invited to Nintendo headquarters by developer relations after Nintendo DS was announced. And the … [Read more...] about The unlikely origin of StreetPass and a Mario DS game you never knew about
Great Loves
Video: Tim Tracy | Design: Collin Oguro- posted Feb 14, 2006 Some people might argue that the closer you get to video games, the farther you get from having a normal love life. But that's only because those people don't know that some pretty powerful romantic relationships have been portrayed in video games over the years. OK, so watching two people get all lovey-dovey in-game is no substitute for the real thing, but that doesn't mean the love of two game characters can't teach you valuable lessons about what to do, and in many cases, what not to do, and perhaps most importantly, whether or not you should totally beat up your twin brother. Without an equivalent to the "romantic comedy" movie in the video game world, love stories have popped up in a number of different genres, and sometimes in the most unlikely places. Most notably found in adventure games and RPGs, love can also be found in brawler, action adventure, and platforming games. And, like the love stories told in … [Read more...] about Great Loves
The 500 best games of all time: 300-201
This week, we’re running a big list of what we — and a group of trusted friends — recently voted as the 500 best video games of all time. For the backstory, criteria, explanation of why Breath of the Wild isn’t on the list, etc., head to the beginning here: The 500 best games of all time. For numbers 300-201, scroll down. 300. Microsoft Flight Simulator (1982, PC) Though technically not the first flight simulator, Microsoft Flight Simulator revolutionized the simulation genre with how many real world variables it threw at players. The changing weather, time of day, new coordinate systems and a new engine were seen as so realistic at the time, the game's advertising claimed if it were any more lifelike "you'd need a license." 299. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013, Nintendo 3DS) The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is one of the best classic Zelda games in the series. Building upon the series' dungeon design and overall presentation, A … [Read more...] about The 500 best games of all time: 300-201
Hey Nintendo, there’s a Mercedes in my Super Mario Maker
Right now, you can test drive a Mercedes Benz GLA at absolutely no cost, and you don't even have to leave the house to do it. That's right, just pop in Super Mario Maker and you can take this $32,000 car for a spin on the Mercedes Benz Jump ’n’ Drive challenge level, located in the Event Courses menu. Thankfully the vehicle's 8-bit version is a little cheaper than the real thing, retailing for zero dollars and zero cents. Just complete the level and it'll be added to your collection of Mystery Mushroom avatars. Okay, having a Mercedes in Mario Kart 8 I understand. I mean sure, it was a little weird to see cartoon plumbers, princesses, and dinosaur-turtles driving the Power Wheels equivalent of a luxury sedan, but whatever. It had wheels, and Mario Kart is a racing game. It made a certain kind of sense. Putting an 8-bit Mercedes in Super Mario Maker though … I'm afraid you've lost me. Then again, if my driver's ed would've had me avoiding Piranha Plants and Goombas … [Read more...] about Hey Nintendo, there’s a Mercedes in my Super Mario Maker