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Brain droppings from the TMK crew. Read, reply, repeat.

If you've got something cool, interesting, funny, or weird about Mario, let us know and we might post it here!

Note: Click a headline for a permanent link to the article.

December 5, 2022
WTMK has begun its annual Christmas-like music broadcast!  Tune in for all sorts of Christmas-esque winter Mario music!  Who knows what the next year will bring...

Link: WTMK: All Mario Radio
July 19, 2021
In July of 1981, the very first Mario game appeared!  Donkey Kong was released in arcades in the USA and Japan during July, and Mario has been barreling out ever since!  What's your favorite Mario title?

If you'd like to reminisce, might we suggest tuning in to WTMK ("All Mario, All the Time"), which is running a special 40th anniversary musical Mario-thon.  Tune in now!

Link: WTMK: All Mario Radio
March 2, 2021
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (Mobile) are both currently holding Super Mario crossover events.

In New Horizons, 33 items from the Mario series are now in Nook's catalog. The good news is, you can order them from Nook Shopping right away. The bad news is, you have to order them from Nook Shopping, which limits you to five orders per day. If you want one of each item, it will cost 75,650 Bells total. Download the Version 1.8.0 update and get "Mushroom mural" in your mailbox for free (it costs 3,000 Bells in the shop).

Pocket Camp's Super Mario 35th Anniversary event runs from March 2 to March 24 at 12:59 a.m. (CT). Log in and you'll get the brand-new "Mario's hat cushion" for free! Also, Mario-related items from previous Super Mario crossover events are reissued for crafting, and a "Mario Jump!" pose is available in Fave Photos.
December 15, 2020
WTMK has begun its annual Christmas-like music broadcast!  Tune in for all sorts of wintery musical goodness, while supplies last:

Link: WTMK: All Mario Radio
August 12, 2020
It's Mario & Mario & Green Mario in ...

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

The first (and only) crossover between the two Mario RPG series, Paper Jam featured Paper Mario teaming up with Mario & Luigi.  The excuse for this was that Luigi knocked over a magic book containing the paper Mario characters, resulting in Paper Bowser escaping and joining up with Bowser.  The two Koopa Kings then kidnap Peach (and Paper Peach), leaving it to Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario to save the day.

Paper Jam was developed by AlphaDream, the same folks who developed the rest of the Mario & Luigi titles.  The idea to add Paper Mario the game came when the team was trying to figure out how to change the basic gameplay -- Mario & Luigi games have always focused on the use of two primary attack buttons in battles, representing the brothers.  They wanted to use a third button, and while brainstorming ideas for which character to add to the team, the Paper Mario idea was suggested.  Paper Jam made use of a three button battle interface, allowing control of all three Mario brothers.  Paper Mario had some paper-themed attacks and moves, team up with the others for Trio Attacks, and the ability to attack using copies of himself.  Giant papercraft versions of characters were used in some special battles.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam was released on the 3DS in late 2015 in Japan and Europe, and early 2016 in North America.

August 11, 2020
Summer of Mario: NES REMIX 2 02:00:46 PM CT [David]
Mario & Luigi & Link & Samus & Kirby & more get together to play in ...

NES Remix 2

In April 2014, a little over four months after the release of NES Remix, a sequel was released -- NES Remix 2, featuring a new selection of NES titles.  Complete challenges "remixed" from classic NES games: beat a level quickly, get a high score in 60 seconds, play through a familiar game segment with a twist (in the dark, backwards), or even help Princess Peach save herself from Bowser!

The challenge "remixes" were spread across twelve games.  The Mario related titles included Dr. Mario, NES Open Tournament Golf, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, and Wario's Woods -- the remaining games were Ice Hockey, Kid Icarus, Kirby's Adventure, Metroid, Punch-Out!! (featuring a Mario cameo), and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

NES Remix 2 featured a few additional bonus modes.  Super Luigi Bros. was a Super Mario Bros., but with Luigi as the main character instead of Mario, and all the levels reversed.  Play through the game backwards, with Luigi's higher jumps and skidding landings!  If the first NES Remix was installed on the same Wii U, a special Championship Mode was unlocked in NES Remix 2.  In Championship Mode, players were tasked with completing a a three game challenge across Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Dr. Mario, reminiscent of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships challenge cartridge.

Overall, many gamers might enjoy this collection more than the first, given that this collection focuses more on the later, more complex NES titles.  The game was released in a physical bundle with NES Remix as NES Remix Pack, which was also later released on the 3DS Ultimate NES Remix.

August 10, 2020
Almost a year ago, Ars Technica published a short story about Gary Kitchen's port of Donkey Kong to the Atari 2600.  The story is excerpted from the book Arcade Perfect: How Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, and Other Coin-Op Classics Invaded the Living Room by David L. Craddock, and provides an interesting look at the struggles of adapting an arcade game to the 2600's limited specs.  Read more over at https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/09/how-a-basement-hacker-transformed-donkey-kong-for-the-atari-2600/.
Summer of Mario: NES REMIX 03:55:22 PM CT [David]
Party like it's 1985 in ...

NES Remix

Play through remixed bits & pieces of classic NES titles in NES Remix for the Wii U.  This game was announced and released on the same day, December 18th 2013, and features "remixed" segments of a variety of different NES games.  Beat a level as quickly as possible, get the highest score in 60 seconds, or have Link save Pauline from Donkey Kong -- more than 200 challenges between 16 different NES games await.

Of the sixteen games, six are Mario related: Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 3, Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros., and Wrecking CrewPinball is known for the cameo appearance of Mario and Pauline, Tennis features Mario as a referee, and Golf's main character is often mistaken for Mario.  The remaining games include Balloon Fight, Baseball, Clu Clu Land, Excitebike, Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, and Urban Champion.

The was later released in a physical bundle with NES Remix 2 as NES Remix Pack, which later saw a 3DS release as Ultimate NES Remix.

August 7, 2020
Summer of Mario: MARIO KART 8 03:38:29 PM CT [David]
Sliding around corners with Mario & friends in ...

Mario Kart 8

In 2014, Mario Kart 8 was released on the Wii U.  The biggest change in the game was the introduction of anti-gravity segments, in which bumping into other players actually gave the racer a speed boost.  Gliders, underwater segments, and customization returned from Mario Kart 7, while the Lucky 7 item was replaced with the Crazy Eight.  New items included the Boomerang, Piranha Plant, and Super Horn -- an item capable of destroying an attacking blue Spiny shell!

One of the biggest changes to the game was the virtual elimination of standard battle mode tracks.  Instead, all battles took place on standard race tracks, which made the battles a bit longer and less fun.

As part of a promotion, free DLC for three Mercedes-Benz cars were added to the game, allowing the racers to compete in oddly-realistic vehicles.

This was the first Mario Kart title to received paid DLC, in the form of additional race courses.  Two paid packs were available: "The Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8" and "Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8."  The Legend of Zelda pack added two new racing cups (including tracks based on The Legend of Zelda and Excitebike), additional kart parts, and three new racers: Link, Tanooki Mario, and Cat Peach.  The Animal Crossing pack included two new racing cups (including tracks based on Animal Crossing and F-Zero), kart pieces, and the racers Dry Bowser, Isabelle, and Villager (from Animal Crossing).

In 2017, the game was released on the Nintendo Switch as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, with all DLC included and the addition of racers and tracks based on the Splatoon games.

August 6, 2020
Take it to the fridge with Cranky in ...


Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

After the success of Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro studios was tasked with creating a new Donkey Kong platformer.  In 2014, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze hit the Wii U.  Once again, terrible things are afoot on Donkey Kong Island -- in this case, the Snowmads, who have covered everything with a layer of snow and ice.  Donkey Kong must save the day once again, by generally beating everything back into shape.

Donkey & Diddy Kong are the only heroes this time -- Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong are playable characters as well.  Cranky even gets to hop around on his cane, as if it were a pogostick!

Whereas Donkey Kong Country Returns used updated arrangements and covers of music from the original Donkey Kong Country, Tropical Freeze features all-new music by series composer David Wise.

In 2018, the game was ported to the Switch, with Funky Kong added as a playable character.

August 5, 2020
Mario & Luigi get squirrelly in ...

New Super Mario Bros. U

Bowser has kidnapped the princess again, and the Mario Bros. are back to save the day.  Up to four players can play together using Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad and Yellow Toad.  Boost Mode allows one player to use the Wii U Gamepad to add platforms and give the players small boosts as they play.

New Super Mario Bros. U has some notable changes and improvements from the prior games in the series.  A new power-up item, the Super Acorn, activates the Squirrel Suit, which allows characters to float across the stage or swoop up into the air.  Baby Yoshis return, this time offering a unique power based on their color (spitting bubbles, swelling up like hot air balloon, and more).  The game overworld map is one large map, akin to the one found in Super Mario World.  A new Challenge Mode gives the player a list of small challenges to complete for reward coins -- can you stomp all the enemies in a stage without touching the ground?  The fat, round Goombas from Super Mario World are back -- but now they have a unique name, "Galoomba."  Speaking of Goombas, Goombrats are introduced in this game -- small, Goomba-like stompable enemies that rather resemble persimmons.

Oh, did we mention that the main musical theme for the game is new?  Yes, it's a New Super Mario Bros. game that doesn't reuse the same "waah waah" theme!

Another notable aspect to the game is that it is the second Mario platformer to receive paid DLC.  While New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS received additional packs of courses, New Super Mario Bros. U received an entire "second quest" in the form of New Super Luigi U, a $20 set of replacement levels for the entire game.

New Super Mario Bros. U was released on the Wii U in 2012.  In 2019, it was updated and released on the Switch as New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.

August 4, 2020
It's our first summer of Mario title to not include Mario at all!  It's ...

Diddy Kong Racing DS

Help Diddy Kong and his friends save the island from the nasty Wizpig -- by racing in karts, planes, and hovercraft!  Collect rare Rare coins, shoot rockets, compete online, and free the island from the tyranny of the evil magic spacepig guy.

Released in 2007, this remake of the original N64 Diddy Kong Racing offers a few new features, but much of the core content remains the same.  Changes include four new tracks, two newly playable racers (Taj and Wizpig), tweaked races and music, and redone graphics.  In addition, two Rare cameo racers from the original have been replaced -- Banjo & Conker no longer appear, with Tiny Kong and Dixie Kong taking their places.  Online racing was available, and there is even a level of customization, with the player able to create some racing tracks using the touchscreen and recording sound effects for the races.

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