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As the years march on it’s always impressive to see how much technology improves and changes. We have computers thousands of times more powerful than the ones used on the moon landing in our pockets, journeys across the country that used to take weeks now just take a few hours, and the most important 3D platformers of all time is being remade for the Game Boy Advance.

A fan by the name of Joshua Barretto has posted a video of a work in progress remake of the acclaimed N64 title running on the Game Boy Advance. As you can see in the above video, while the game is in a rough state, it is still undoubtedly recognizable as the N64 legend. Honestly, the fact that the 3D camera is working at all is imprressive.

In the description for the YouTube upload Joshua gave some insight into the development of the project, you can read it down below.

This is not actually Super Mario 64: it’s my attempt at rewriting SM64 for the GBA.

I initially considered attempting a port, but the GBA is an order of magnitude slower than the N64 and has no GPU or native support for floating-point numbers.

So far, I’ve implemented a basic physics and collision system, along with a fully 3D camera, rasterization, texture-mapping, transparency support, etc.

Because the code is written from-scratch, I should be in a position to release the code into the public domain in the future: although I can’t distribute it with Nintendo’s assets, obviously.

[Joshua Barretto]

While there was an attempt at a port of Mario 64 to GBA a few years back that project fell by the wayside due to technical limitations so hopefully this project will bare more fruit.

Super Mario 64 is no stranger to fan made projects but it’s always fascinating to see the lengths fans will go to reshape this classic title. It’s works like these that showcase the impact of Mario 64 and we wish Joshua all the luck in remaking the game.


UPDATE: A new look at the project has been shared, and it’s clear that things are coming along extremely well. Get an updated peek at how this fan-made port is coming together in the video below.


UPDATE 2: Another video sneak-peek of this fan project has been released, and it looks like some serious progress has been made. This time we get some insight into audio, the necessary process of simplifying geometry and polygons, and more of the game in general. Check out how things are coming along below.


UPDATE 3: The developer behind this fan project has shared another video update, and things have progressed considerable since the last check-in. Now we’re seeing multiple locations, improvements to special effects, numerous playable characters and more. Get a detailed look at how things are coming along in the video below.


UPDATE 4: The developer behind this fan project has shared another video update, and this project keeps ticking along with impressive speed. In this video, we get a look at how the enemies and movement are coming along, as well as a look at the port running on actual hardware.


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Back on MAR10 Day of this year we got the official announcement that a sequel to 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie was in development, an announcement that surprised literally no one who saw the box office returns.

The animated Super Mario Bros. Movie was the second highest grossing film of 2023 at a whopping $1.36 Billion. It makes perfect sense that Nintendo would want to fast track a sequel and, given my previous article on the recently announced Legend of Zelda Movie, it makes perfect sense that I want to talk about it.

I actually wanted to write an article about my ideas for how the Mario Movie could work before we got the first trailer but I kept procrastinating until it was too late, now I’m determined to not miss the boat.

That said, this will be slightly different than the Zelda Movie article. That article was about me looking at the announced crew and history of the Zelda series while trying to craft an idea of what form the movie could take and I don’t have that same problem here. With this new Mario Movie we can be pretty safe in assuming how it will turn out, given the fact that Illumination and the crew who worked on the first film are back on board. Thusly, we don’t really have to worry about predicting tone or animation style as it’s safe to assume that all of those things will be the same with this movie meaning we’ll be able to focus purely on the new characters and plot.

Before we continue on though, I must confess that I lied to you earlier. I stated that Nintendo announced a sequel to the Super Mario Bros. Movie when in actuality they announced “a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros.”

Rather odd wording wouldn’t you say? If this was a sequel why wouldn’t Nintendo just come out and call it a sequel? They had no problems initially revealing Tears of the Kingdom as the sequel to Breath of the Wild or Metroid Dread as Metroid 5 so why be so particular with the phrasing now?

You can probably guess where this is going. I, like many others, believe that this new animated film is in fact a spin-off not necessarily focusing on Mario as the main character. This would make sense as the original movie opened up many plot threads that seemed to be hinting at too many ideas for one sequel to address.

However, to play Devil’s advocate, Miyamoto does go on to say in that same announcement video that the team is “thinking about broadening Mario’s world further.” Which could suggest that Mario will in fact be the star as it’d be pretty difficult to expand his world if he’s not in the movie. Personally, the phrasing is so vague I personally took it to mean they’re expanding the scope of the Mario Movie universe rather than just the scope of the world from strictly Mario’s perspective. They could do a movie about Waluigi and Birdo’s passionate love affair and, as long as it was set in the universe of the first film, it would still technically be expanding Mario’s world.

So, to get to the chase, this article will be the first in a series delving into three ideas I have for what this follow-up could be, starting with the one I think is most likely. I intend to release these in a timely fashion so that they can be out before new information on the next film drops, but we’ll just have to see how that goes.


Following the release of Donkey Kong Land a few days ago, the game’s sequel Donkey Kong Land 2 is now available for Switch Online Members. Embark on an epic adventure with Diddy and Dixie to rescue DK.

K. Rool is demanding the entire banana hoard as ransom! Donkey Kong has been ape-napped, and it’s up to Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong to rescue their pal. Play as either Kong and take advantage of their unique abilities. Diddy’s Cartwheel can take out the bulkiest of baddies, while Dixie’s Helicopter Spin will let you hover over some tricky spots. There’s also a wild assortment of friendly animals ready to help out the two little Kongs. There are over 40 levels in all—each filled with traps, collectibles, dastardly Kremlings, and a boatload of barrels to blast out of!

Japan’s Nintendo Switch Online members also received Donkey Kong Land 2 today. You can check out the Japanese version of the trailer below:


Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be ending it’s service on November 29th, 2024 and if you log into the game right now it seems Nintendo have prepared a special thank-you message for all the happy campers.

As you can see in the above video by Kolma you can activate a special “Thank-You Finale” sequence where Isabelle will read you a thank-you letter for all the work you put in to make the campsite a fun place to visit, concluding with a group shot of you and all your animal pals. Considering other Nintendo Mobile games have gone dark with very little fanfare it’s nice to know that Pocket Camp is getting a fittingly wholesome send-off.

We won’t spoil all the details of the event for you but if you want to experience it for yourself we suggest booting up the game again before it ends service of November 29th. Obviously, Nintendo have announced the paid offline version of the game entitled Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete but it’s unclear if this specific finale sequence will be viewable in the offline version.

Thanks to Kolma for the heads up!
[Kolma]

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Pokemon have announced a new line of candy called Pokemon Meets Mary Chocolate. The candies are available for pre-order on December 26th and are meant to be used as Valentine’s Day gifts.

Each tin costs around 1,404 yen (~$9) and is themed to a different Pokémon type: grass, fire water or electric. You can check out the selection down below.

There are also additional sets themed to different groups of Pokémon.


Xenoblade/gears developer Monolith Soft have taken to Twitter/X in a new series of posts detailing the different jobs that go into making a video game. The first post as seen above covers being a Scenario Planner and Tetsuya Takahashi provides insight into the job. You can read a rough translation of the above post down below.

[Scenario Planner’s Job] This is a job that involves not only the text of the story, but also the comprehensive planning and supervision of the fun of the game. In addition to being a scenario expert, I am also required to think about the design and play feel, such as the kind of game experience I want to provide, which allows me to be involved in the general framework of game design. #MonolithSoft job introduction #Recruitment

It’s unclear how many of these posts will be made, what topics they will cover, or when they will appear but whenever they do we’ll be sure to let you know.


Rec Room announces new 'Rec Room News' series

Straight from the horse's mouth!

25 November 2024
by jmaldonado 0

Rec Room have taken to YouTube to announce a new series for their channel entitled Rec Room News which will provide updates for the latest goings on in Rec Room. You can watch the debut episode up above.

One of the news updates mentioned is how the Crescendo update has now come to more platforms, including Nintendo Switch. They also cover several new patch note updates the biggest of which being the return of the Doubleshot feature to the bow. This news was so important Rec Room even posted a separate interview with content creator Boethiah about the feature’s return, you can watch the interview below.


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Nintendo TOKYO/OSAKA/KYOTO have announced a line of bikkura egg figures themed to Super Mario Bros. Wonder are now available. If you’ve never heard of bikkura egg it is essentially a bath bomb with a small toy inside of it.

There is a total of 8 random figures to collect, you can check out the full roster below.

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Prime 1 have announced new 1/4 scale figures of Ramlethal and Dizzy of Guilt Gear fame.

At this stage the only images we have of the figures are of their unpainted prototypes and details of release date and pricing have not been shared yet. You can get a better look at the prototypes in Prime 1’s showcase video which we will post below (The figures show up 1 hour and 30 seconds in).

You can also check out some screenshots below.


Nintendo Australia have just posted a new trailer highlighting how new friendships can be made with Nintendo Switch.

This trailer specifically highlights how a young boy is able to make a new friend after a move thanks to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, culminating with both families getting together for a round of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.


GameStop reveals pre-order bonus for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

The barrel is mightier than the sword

11 November 2024
by jmaldonado 0

Earlier today we got a sneak peek at DK’s new land at Super Nintendo World but that’s not all for the prime primate as GameStop have announced the pre-order bonus for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD.

As you can see in the above post by Wario64, in store pre-orders for the game will receive a pen/pencil holder themed to the iconic DK Barrel. You can check out the full image down below. If this offer has enticed you, click this link to pre-order the game which releases January 16th, 2025.

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Help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong recover their precious banana hoard from the villainous Tiki Tak Tribe in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD! Stomp enemies, blast through barrels, and ride rockets and mine carts (and even Rambi the rhino) in 80 levels across nine worlds.


Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is out now on Nintendo Switch and Square Enix have posted the above video highlighting various tips and tricks players might want to know before they start up the game.

Even if you’ve already started brushing up on the basics of battle will certainly be useful as you embark on this generation-spanning RPG adventure.


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A generally reliable leaker by the name of Billbil-kun has claimed that Sonic x Shadow Generations is releasing on October 25th for $49.99.

Following this initial claim it seems that the box art as well as some additional content for the game has leaked courtesy of Twitter/X user @MysteryLupin.

For those who want to remain unspoiled about potential new content for the game turn back now but if you want to see the leaked image press onward.


QUByte Interactive has posted a new video showcasing Rage of the Dragons NEO’s new Online features. You can check out the above video to learn about the game’s Ranking system, Lobbies, and Leaderboards.

While a release date has still not been finalized, QUByte has promised to post more videos discussing details on the coming port, which we will be sure to report on when they become available. You can check out their comments on the above video down below.

Check out the exclusive series of videos called “INSIDE Rage of the Dragons NEO”, made up of two episodes in which Rage features will be presented.

In this first video, we take a closer look at Online Mode with features such as: Ranked, creating and searching for lobbies of up to 8 players, replays and leaderboards.

Rage of the Dragons NEO brings back the cult-classic Rage of the Dragons, originally released in 2002 for the Neo Geo, including Arcade, Local Versus, Training Modes, Online Modes and a new exclusive game mode called Dragons Challenge, a mode with different challenges for you to play.


Pokémon have posted the above video to their official YouTube channel announcing that smartwatch support has finally come to Pokémon Sleep. Along with the adorably animated trailer, Pokémon gave some insight to the new feature in the video’s description which you can read below.

Pokémon Sleep is now compatible with most smartwatches!

You can now use the sleep data tracked via smartwatches—such as Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Google Pixel Watch, and Fitbit—to conduct sleep research in Pokémon Sleep. Not all devices are compatible.

By tracking sleep with your smartwatch and syncing with Pokémon Sleep, you can meet even more Pokémon!

[Pokémon]

If you want to learn more on how to connect your smartwatch up with Pokémon Sleep you can check out the site for official details and instructions right here.