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A couple of years back, some engineering students from UC Santa Clara were bored and decided to decorate their building with a tribute to Super Mario Bros. -- done in Post-Its.
Now, a new batch of students have made a sequel of sorts, and have come up with a more elaborate tribute to Donkey Kong, complete with giant monkey, damsel in distress, barrels, girders, and Mario -- again, all done in Post-Its.
Ok, I admit, I have a soft spot for these incredibly geeky things that people do with their spare time.
By now, most people have heard of the Nintendo Wii, which comes with the Wii Sports game that includes a simple bowling game. LEGO Mindstorms, on the other hand, is a toy line from LEGO that is targetted at teenagers and young adults. Basically, it allows you to make simple robots using LEGO bricks, some motors, and software to program your robot with. It has a good following around the world, especially with burgeoning robotic enthusiasts.
So some guy recently gets a Nintendo Wii, and being a Mindstorms builder, decides to make a Wii Bowling robot. He gets it to automatically bowl a perfect game...
Another little interesting tidbit from the Internet.
Nintendo held a live concert a few years ago, with strings and percussion, and did the Super Mario Bros. theme with a Latin-style arrangement. But to add a little extra oomph, they had someone sing some lyrics to accompany the music.
While this clip doesn't have any subtitles, the translation can be found below.
Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running Go save Princess Peach! Go! Today, full of energy, Mario runs Today, full of energy, jumping! Today, full of energy, searching for coins Today, keep going, Mario!
Get a mushroom - it's Super Mario! Get a flower - it's Fire Mario!
Goomba! Troopa! Buzzy Beetle! Beat them all! Mario is always full of energy and strong!
[Spoken] The only one who can reverse the spell that has captured the Mushroom People is Princess Peach. But Princess Peach is hidden underground, in a far-off castle. Ah, the days of peace... if we could once more return to those days... to save Princess Peach and bring peace back to the Mushroom Kingdom, that is why Mario is on his journey today.
Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running Go and beat the Koopa tribe, go! Today, full of energy, Mario runs Today, full of energy, jumping! Today, full of energy, searching for coins Today, keep going, Mario!
Get a star - become invincible! Quickly, go save Princess Peach!
Lakitu! Blooper! Cheep Cheep! Beat them all! Mario is always full of energy and strong!
Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running He's made it to the castle and gets fireworks! Lightly sidestepping the Hammer Bros. Show the last of your power, Mario! It's been a long journey but it's nearly at an end You've done it, you've done it! You've defeated Bowser!
Princess Peach says "Thank you" Mario's got a great big heart!
Mario's adventure is over for now, but Mario's dream lives forever...
1up.com recently posted a couple of interesting articles about one of the sessions in the Game Developer's Conference ongoing in San Francisco. The session was given by the main producer, Keiichi Yano, of "Elite Beat Agents", one of the more popular Nintendo DS games to be released this year.
In the session, Yano explains how a popular rhythm-based game in Japan named "Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan!" evolved into a "Elite Beat Agents". The challenge: to change a game full of Japanese quirkyness about male cheerleaders who encourage regular people to complete their difficult tasks by using play mechanics similar to Dance Dance Revolution -- to something more engaging to the Western palate.
Needless to say, they almost bit off more than they can chew. Read on how "Ouendan!" almost became a weird Village People clone...
Another Internet gem I stumbled upon. Greg Patillo is a street performer in New York who specializes in mixing beat boxing and flute playing. 'Nuff said.
Check out his renditions of the Super Mario theme, Sesame Street theme, and a funky mix of Inspector Gadget/Axel F.
The Nintendo Wii has been out for almost a couple of months, and it's an early success for Nintendo. The Wii was a best-seller during the Christmas season, had a lot of positive stories from the mainstream media, and just general good word-of-mouth. So it's no surprise that the Wii would be a subject for the many fan-made videos on the Internet...
Yesterday saw the release of a funny (and a bit racy) video that explores the intersection between video gaming and the mating ritual...
An extended version of the Nintendo Wii commercials now showing on US television. All 4 versions have been edited together and shows a variety of games that are available in the launch period.
The first Wii commercial that's part of the $200M marketing campaign of Nintendo. They surprisingly didn't show scenes from Wii Sports, which, to me, seems more fitting for the mass market. Instead, they show scenes from Zelda and Red Steel. Guess they want to get the hardcore gamers first.
Of course, this commercial did first air during "Dancing with the Stars"...
For all you "Legend of Zelda" and/or Nintendo fans out there...
Seeming like a counter-point to the string quartet playing the Zelda medley, we have a guy playing another medley on his ukulele. The funny thing is, it makes it seem more medieval... like listening to a bard's mandolin. :)
A little disclaimer: I'm a PC user -- I've never owned a Mac, and could never justify getting one (even a Mac-mini) just to play around with. That being said, I'll admit that Apple makes some of the best advertisements in the computer industry. Apple's latest "Get A Mac" campaign is one of their wittiest, spawning may spoof ads on the Internet.
Both console video game machines are scheduled to come out in the last quarter of 2006. Based on the available facts, hype and buzz, the gaming community is torn between what machine to purchase. Here are the arguments for each machine, in a nutshell:
Sony Playstation 3 PROS: arguably the most powerful machine, will have a blu-ray drive (to high definition movies or games), very strong brand image, great 3rd party game support CONS: most expensive console ($499 basic version, $599 premium version that most gamers will want), blu-ray still unproven (and one of the reasons the PS3 costs so much), games mainly target males from teens to mid-20s, very expensive to produce games for
Nintendo Wii PROS: most affordable machine (no more than $250), very family friendly image, great 1st party games, targets wider audience to expand the video game market, relatively cheap to produce games for CONS: the least powerful among the latest generation of machines, no plans for high definition content, been at 3rd place in video game industry for 2 generations
With these points in mind, see the video below as it explains it in another way...
Sony just held a press conference revealing the pricing for their upcoming gaming system, the Playstation 3 (aka PS3). The highlights are:
Launching on Nov. 11 in Japan and Nov. 17 in the USA
Features a wireless controller with motion-sensors, similar to the Nintendo Wii
Will come in 2 SKUs: one with a 20GB hard drive, the other with a 60GB hard drive
The 20GB version has less features than the 60GB version aside from hard drive space
The 20GB version will retail for US$500; the 60GB version for US$600
Ouch. That's a lot of moolah. I think that officially makes the Sony Playstation 3 the most expensive next generation machine, followed by the Microsoft XBox 360 (2 SKUs: US$300 or US$400), then Nintendo's machine (no official announcement yet, but rumored to be US$250).
Now how do I afford these things without going bankrupt...
This week's issue of Time Magazine takes a look at Nintendo's latest console, formerly known as the "Revolution", now simply "Wii".
Pronounced "We". I know, I know... it's not the greatest name in the world. You can stop with all the wee-wee jokes now. (On a side note, this will make an interesting case study for marketing classes...)
Anyway, it takes a look at Nintendo's strategy against Sony and Microsoft, who have new gaming machines that are coming out, or have already come out. To reiterate, Nintendo is trying to expand the market beyond their typical audience of teenage boys and men in their 20's. They want to appeal to non-gamers, and are trying to address the barriers that keep new potential players away by focusing on more user-friendly designs and innovative gameplay. The writer gives his impressions on some games that will come out on the system.
When people think about me, a couple of things always come to mind. One, that I'm a techie (i.e. geek). And two, I'm a foodie (i.e. fa... er... healthy). So imagine how excited I was when on a recent trip to Singapore, I picked up something that merged my two interests.
Introducing: Cooking Mama.
This is a very quirky game for the Nintendo DS. A cooking game, believe it or not. It's actually a bunch of mini-games put together to simulate making a dish. You'll go through all the steps, from doing all the prep work (like chopping vegetables), to the actual cooking, to even plating the dish -- so you get to express your inner Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, or any of your favorite chefs!
Cooking Mama is chock-full of Japanese flavor -- both in its quirky presentation and the dishes you can make. The menu includes ever-popular dishes like tempura and beef curry, as well as not-so-well-known-but-still-yummy dishes like okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza/pancake) and tako (octopus) balls.
Admittedly, you need a big sense of humor to get into this game. It's definitely wacky thinking you can make a game about cooking, but it's actually fun! Because the game is in Japanese, however, I have no idea what to do from time to time.
[UPDATE] Nintendo just announced that they will release the DS Lite in the US market on June 11, 2006, and will retail for US$129.99. Click here for more details.
Something wonderful happened during the weekend of the 21st to 23rd of April. And I'm not just talking about the 40th Luke 18 Weekend (though that in itself was quite wonderful).
We got a lot of people hooked on the Nintendo DS. While playing Tetris, of all things!
But to be fair, this isn't the Tetris that debuted over 15 years ago,
or became popular in the Philippines as the "brick game". This isTetris with a big twist -- multi-player Tetris (having 10 players at
most) while just using 1 copy of the game!
It all started when a bunch of us (Chips, Jj, Chrissie, Gino, Carlo Pastelero, Franco and myself) started playing Tetris during a break on Friday night. Our intense game brought about several curious onlookers, who instantly recognized the familiar falling bricks, and were enraptured by the new additions to the gameplay.
The next morning, several people (both boys and girls, mind you) borrowed our Nintendo DSes, started a game of Tetris, and that was that. I never played with my DS for the rest of the weekend. And now a big group of Ateneans, La Sallites, Povedans, and Assumptionistas are begging their parents to get them a Nintendo DS!
So for all the people dying to get a Nintendo DS, I present a 3-part video review of the Nintendo DS Lite, an improved version of the DS that came out in Japan last March. Think of it as a guide to help your buying decision of whether to get the 1st generation DS, or shell out a little bit more for the newer version.
Oh, and keep this in mind when you buy your DS: one of Nintendo's
greatest strengths is that they really know how to
make a great party game. Their games are just plain fun, no matter what
age or gender you are. And Nintendo knows that the fun factor is
greatly enhanced when playing with others. So get your family and
friends to try out your DS when you get it. You never know, you may get them hooked,
too!
Video premiered by Nintendo in the Tokyo Game Show 2005 about their secretive controller for their upcoming console, the Revolution. Definitely thinking out of the box. Will innovative design truly revolutionize the industry, as Nintendo predicts, or will it go the way of the Powerglove? Only time (and games) will tell.
Video downloaded from IGN.com. To download and view the movie, right-click the image below and choose "Save Link As..." or "Save Target As..."
Despite all the hype behind the Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's XBOX360,
I've been following the buzz behind Nintendo's upcoming console,
code-named "Revolution".
Admittedly, Nintendo has made some questionable business decisions the
past few years, first by being late in adopting an optical-disc format
for their video game consoles (they still used the expensive cartridge
for the Nintendo64, and then finally using a non-standard
disc for their
GameCube), and next by not really having an online gaming strategy,
which Microsoft did well with their XBox Live service, and Sony to a
lesser extent when they released a broadband adapter for their PS2.
But despite this, Nintendo has two great strengths: they make great muti-player games that anyone (and I mean anyone -- male, female, young, old, casual gamer or hardcore) can get into, and they know how to innovate!
With their upcoming Nintendo Revolution, it looks like Nintendo has finally learned from its mistakes, and is set to make great changes in the video game industry.
Why should people care about the Nintendo Revolution, when it seems to
be serving up the least powerful machine (on paper, at least) among the
next generation consoles? Because Nintendo is taking a totally
different approach to the video game market.
Traditionally, the video game console manufacturers focus on putting
together the fastest hardware with the best graphics, and try to one-up
each other point per point. This practice harkens back to the
early days of Nintendo vs. Sega back in the 80's. Sony and
Microsoft are still sticking to that strategy with their upcoming
consoles.
Nintendo, however, is focusing on innovation. They don't just
want their games to look prettier. They want to also change how
you interact with the game. They want to make playing a game a
simple and pleasant experience. They want their games to attract
everyone, especially non-gamers.
And that is what makes Nintendo's strategy different. They don't
want to just get a larger market share. They want to expand the
entire market!
We first saw this when the launched their portable system, the
Nintendo DS. The dual-screen system had a touchscreen that you can
interact with using a stylus or even your finger; a built-in microphone
that would be essential for some games; built in wifi for multi-player;
and an application called Pictochat that you can use to communicate
with other DS owners. It came out with games for both hardcore
gamers and casual gamers, as well as titles for non-gamers, like the
recently released (and bestselling) Nintendogs.
So looking at the upcoming Revolution, the strategy to expand the market is apparent in every aspect of the console:
It has a more sophisticated design, to blend in with your home
electronics, so it can attract older players, and not just kids.
It has built-in wifi, so it can connect to the Internet if you have a wifi router at home. Why
only wifi and not ethernet? They assume you don't want the hassle
of laying a data cable from where your tv is to wherever your cable or
dsl modem is.
It is backwards compatible with Nintendo GameCube games, so you
can still play a huge library of GameCube games as well as the newer
Revolution games.
An expected price point of under US$200. This is huge,
because Microsoft announced that their console starts at US$300 and
goes up to US$400. Sony has hinted that because their machine is
so good, people won't mind paying more. Some analysts predict
that the Sony machine will debut at US$500. So with Nintendo
sticking to a sub-US$200 price point, their package suddenly looks a
lot more attractive to hardcore-, casual-, and non-gamers.
But the latest announcement by Nintendo in the Tokyo Game Show this
September, 2005, firmly cements their commitment to expanding the video
game market.
When Nintendo revealed the Revolution in the E3 trade show last May
2005, they didn't want to show their controller just yet. They
said they put a lot of new ideas into the controller that will change
the way we play video games, but they weren't ready to show a working
prototype to the public.
Nintendo finally unveiled the mysterious
controller, and it definitely deserves all the excitement behind it!
First of all, it's a wireless controller, to get rid of the cable
clutter from having a lot of controllers. The Nintendo Revolution
can support up to 4 controllers.
At first glance, it looks like a remote control. This is a
conscious decision, because Nintendo did a study and found out that a
lot of people were intimidated and confused by the new controllers with
several buttons and joysticks. So by streamlining their design,
Nintendo took away the "intimidation factor". So picking up the
controller feels instantly familiar.
But that simple looking, remote control-like controller has a lot of
tricks under the hood. It has a rumble pack, which is a standard
among video game controllers. It has a tracking system with possibly a gyroscope built-in,
so depending on how far you are from the television, or where you are
pointing the controller, will affect gameplay. And it has a port
to attach add-ons for extra controls to be used for more hardcore
games.
What was unveiled was just a prototype, but the demonstrations gave a
hint of what was possible. However Nintendo fares in the upcoming
Next Generation Console Wars, it will definitely leave its mark with
its bold, out-of-the-box thinking. Long live the Revolution!
