The return of the Tanooki suit?

At this year’s GDC, just a few hours ago, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata took to the stage and spoke about the troubles gamers had with Mario platformers when the franchise moved from 2D to 3D in Super Mario 64. It’s been almost 15 years and now Iwata with his compadre Shigeru Miyamoto believe they have the answer thanks to the 3DS, officially announcing Super Mario 3D. The clever folk behind the highly celebrated Super Mario Galaxy are said to be currently working on the new Mario game with a temporary logo, seen above, including what appears to be a tail. Iwata referenced the tail in his talk but only to say they’ll be discussing it in greater detail at this year’s E3.

I’m not one to jump to conclusions, oh who am I kidding? Of course I am and can only think that the suggestion of a tail would point to the return of Mario’s Tanooki suit, the furry get-up which first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3 allowing the hairy-lipped Italian to fly. This would add up with Miyamoto’s statements at the start of February when the project was first revealed in an Iwata Asks feature. Mario’s metaphorical father excitedly said “I want to show everyone as soon as possible what the new Super Mario Bros. will be like on the Nintendo 3DS,” specifically using the name Super Mario Bros. whose third game is often argued as the best in the series. Because it is. Super Mario 3D‘s logo and presumably the name isn’t set in stone so could well become Super Mario Bros. 3D adding credence to the idea that the tail is indeed part of a Tanooki suit. The spanner in said theory is how the Super Mario Bros. name is incredibly popular so omitting it at any stage would seem a little odd. Roll on E3 to find out just what’s going on.

I am one of the people Iwata spoke of, those who find jumping in 3D Mario games to be a tad tricky. I can do it, I’m not a complete loss but have always favoured the jump mechanics of the 2D titles while appreciating the ever unfolding creativity found in the 3D games. If Nintendo have cracked it thanks to the optical 3D of their new handheld and have the brains behind some of the most imaginative Mario games working on it, Super Mario 3D could be reason enough to own a 3DS.

Super Mario Bros. 3 has a complete graphical overhaul

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The commitment of loyal fans is mostly a wonderful thing, especially if they spend all their time prettying up one of the best platformers ever. Going under the pseudonym SKJmin, the devoted admirer of Super Mario Bros. 3 has remade the entire game using the New Super Mario Bros. engine. Four gaming generations separate SMB3 on the NES and DS’s NSMB but since they’re both heavily guarded properties of Nintendo, SKJmin urges people not to download his patch unless they already own New Super Mario Bros. The ROM isn’t even included in the download to make sure no solicitors come a knocking!

A 15 minute trailer has been posted on YouTube showing SKJmin’s laborious but welcomed efforts and even though nothing can beat the retro beauty of SMB3, the updated sprites are still ever so pleasing to watch.

Mario was born with a gun in his hand

Nintendo’s loveable mascot and game-selling mascot has always been a family friendly character. The type of person you’d be happy to leave your kids with while he fixed your pipes and stamped on turtles. According to the free retrospective booklet that comes with Super Mario Collection Special Pack on the Wii, Shigeru Miyamoto’s original vision was a tad more violent. While a lot of the basics are the same – that of Super Mario Bros. being a platfomer of sorts – the highly detailed book states that the control scheme featured buttons for shooting rifles and beam guns or kicking his opponents. A rocket was also mentioned but would have been used for aerial propulsion rather than utter destruction.

Can you imagine how Mario would have turned out if his beginning had such weaponry? The ability to throw fireballs at Koopa Troopas seemed a bit harsh at the time so kicking and then gunning them down with a rifle would have been downright disturbing!

Europe will be getting a version of Super Mario Collection, known as Super Mario All-Stars, on December 3rd this year.

{Thanks Andriasang}

Super Mario All-Stars Wii dated for Europe

Remember the Japanese-only 25th anniversary edition of Super Mario Collection for the Wii? Nintendo have announced that it’s coming to Europe on December 3rd, just in time for Christmas. And what’s best is that all he bonus content remains intact – the special edition booklet featuring previously unreleased artwork and CD with the full 25 years worth of Mario music. What is Super Mario Collection for Japan becomes Super Mario All-Stars in Europe, as it did back in 1993 when it was first released on the SNES and includes the three original Super Mario Bros. and The Lost Levels too. Hopefully the  ¥2,500 budget price it received in Japan comes to Europe as well as the bonuses since that works out to be around £19. But I doubt it. Sorry.

{Thanks TVG}

Super Mario Collection getting a special edition Wii release

Happy birthday Mario! One of, if not the, most famous faces in video games is celebrating 25 years in the business. Okay, maybe not the virtual character himself but Nintendo certainly are after their hugely popular mascot has spurned a franchise with over 240 million sales worldwide. One of those titles is getting a Wii remake as part of the celebrations with some rather special goodies bundled in. Super Mario Collection – known as Super Mario All-Stars here in the West – was a compilation of all three Mario games that appeared on the NES, Super Mario Bros 1, 2 and 3, plus the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros 2 including The Lost Levels. The pack originally came to the UK back in 1993 but is now coming to the Wii in a swanky red box with an art-book featuring unreleased scribbles and lovelies from Mario’s past. The most exciting part of the pack, for me anyway, is a soundtrack CD that spans all the Super Mario games from the beginning right up to Super Mario Galaxy 2. Joy! Here’s the catch, Super Mario Collection Special Pack so far has only been announced for Japan (coming October 21st costing ¥2,500/£19/$29). Curses! At such a low price, hardcore fans wanting nothing else but the art-book and CD could always import the game though it seems a shame to have to miss out on such a great compilation… though they probably already have it in some form or another, but that’s not the point!

{Thanks Siliconera}