Messages

16

Mario Chat / Re: Super Mario Maker

« on: June 21, 2016, 09:46:27 AM »

I'll have to get the upload codes for my levels at some point!!

I actually have been writing Mario levels since before Mario Maker. A long time ago, back before kids occupied themselves with iPhones, we had to settle for our TI-83 Plus graphing calculators as entertainment in school. These calculators not only helped us survive Algebra and Calculus, but served as gaming devices. You could download simple games off the Internet to play on these things. They were cruder than the original GameBoy, but when it looks like you're doing your schoolwork and you're really shooting up bad guys, nothing else will do.

Someone made a Super Mario port for the TI-83, which happened to include an editor. Fifteen years ago, my freshman year of high school, we had these competitions in school to see who could make the hardest and best Mario levels. Looking back, I know why my Honors Biology grades could have been a little higher. I made some pretty good levels--and incidentally, the harder of those levels went unbeaten for a week until my friend who didn't even have a video game system beat it!! (This was WITHOUT help of her gamer boyfriend, who also made a decent level or two!)

When I got Mario Maker, I played around with it at first, then got my old TI-83 Plus out and started converting the levels to Mario Maker. They're still tough, but I do like to think they are well-made.

Anyone else on these forums a veteran of the TI-83 port?

I'm not even sure kids play games on those calculators anymore!! They have a color screen model out at long last (which is GREAT for figuring out which line you graphed--I actually teach math for a living and like the new model a lot) but if students are going to play a game, they usually do so on an iOS or Android device. Some of them are shocked when they find out we used to play games on our calculators (and no, I don't permit my students to do that during instruction and know EXACTLY what it looks like when you're gaming and not solving a problem).

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Game Help / Re: MarioKart 8 Learning Curve

« on: May 22, 2016, 10:40:27 PM »

This could be my issue, and again, I'm going to attribute this to my longevity with the series.

Keep in mind the early MarioKart games only had weight class differences, plus there were only 8 drivers. That was pretty easy to pick from in terms of finding one which worked.

The only kart I've really done a lot with so far has been the Mercedes-Benz, which I picked mostly because I happen to like that brand of cars in real life. It could be time to start branching out, but there are so many combos to choose from!!

Maybe some of you can help me based on my preferences from past games...I tend to do best as Peach in MarioKart 64 and generally am better with lighter weight characters in those early games. What would be the best equivalent, or at least a recommendation to get me started?

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Game Help / MarioKart 8 Learning Curve

« on: May 05, 2016, 08:07:13 PM »

I am a veteran of the MarioKart platform, having played every game in the series with the exception of MK7 for the 3DS (for the simple reason that I don't have a 3DS).

For the most part, I have had a lot of success with these games--against the CPU, against other human players, and against the online players when the Wii virtual console was still up.

MarioKart 8 seems to be a different story.

I was a little late to the Wii U party, mostly because I wasn't sure if I would play with a new console a lot. After a breakup a while ago, I figured video games would be a good thing to clear my head, so I treated myself to one at Christmas. It came with MarioKart 8 already included, a definite perk for a longtime fan of the series.

Trouble is, aside from playing at low levels like 50cc against the CPU, I seem to be having zero success with this game. I consistently come in last or close to it against virtual console players. I can't beat any of my friends. Yes, I do know how to do the slides and mini turbos. I know I don't play it every day, but I've never been this awful at a MarioKart game.

Is there some trick to mastering this game? Does it just have a steeper learning curve?

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Mario Chat / Re: Have you been colouring Mario wrong?

« on: December 04, 2015, 11:47:05 PM »

All characters evolve over time if they are given enough appearances, both in gaming and outside of gaming.

Consider Mickey Mouse. His appearance has changed from the early cartoons, and not just because the original Mickey was black and white. He gained pupils around the time of Fantasia, has been portrayed as a 3D model, and even looks different in the theme parks (where he wears a bowtie for some reason).

Mickey's personality has changed depending on which media you see him in. He's more mischievous at times, but when Donald and Goofy are in the same cartoon, he's actually the boring one most of the time. Sometimes, he has more spunk, sometimes, he's more a leader--yet at the end of the day, it's the same guy.

Mario is practically the Mickey of the video game world, so it would make sense to adapt him a bit for different scenarios.

Other characters have more inconsistencies. Ever notice how Koopa Troopas can be on four legs or two, even after there was no excuse to be made for the limitations of a gaming system? Why does Princess Peach have a ponytail in Mario Kart but not Smash, where it would seem advantageous to have one? What is with Luigi's voice changing and being high-pitched in some N64 games but deep in others?

I know I may be overthinking this, but I figured I'd put some thoughts out there.

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Mario Chat / Re: Marrymore Mystery

« on: December 04, 2015, 11:39:57 PM »

I have played through this game a few times and I seem to recall the Toad in question.

Y'all may be right, he may be referring to the bathroom, but maybe he's the kind of guy who just hates weddings? (Source: I'm not a fan of them myself and usually can't wait to go home--but even then, I wouldn't be as unstable as that Toad).

Raz and Raini were engaged from the time they were introduced in Mushroom Kingdom. You can explore Mushroom Kingdom before Mallow shows up and they'll talk about their upcoming wedding.

The time element of Super Mario RPG is a little unclear, but apparently the amount of time it takes you to get through Kero Sewers, the Forest, and Booster Tower (and a few other towns I'm probably forgetting offhand; it's been 4, almost 5 years since I last played this one) is enough time for those two to get married. You can sleep in the inns, but that's only one day.

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Game Help / DS Cartridge Not Always Recognized

« on: August 06, 2015, 12:10:35 AM »

If you have followed the other thread, you know that I'm about a decade late to the DS party.

When I inherited the DS, I got four games with it, then my buddy bought me the DS version of Super Mario 64. The four games that were Grandpa's all work fine, no questions asked. (Of course, three are of the "brain" type; he got the DS to work on his memory in his final years but also enjoyed the occasional game of Madden).

The Super Mario 64 game sometimes doesn't get recognized by the DS itself. Even if the cartridge was never removed, it sometimes will say "no cartridge inserted". This doesn't happen with any of the other games.

I know this wasn't the most used DS in the world, so I'm going to think it could be the cartridge itself (it did have three save files on it when I got it; I wiped the data so I could start over but it was obviously played quite a bit). I have heard of a few others saying Mario 64 DS is prone to this--could it be a result of the game being an earlier title and the cartridges maybe not being completely perfect design-wise yet?

More importantly, is there any fix here? I feel like I have a tiny NES here (those of you who survived the constant removal of cartridges know what I speak of). Heck, I even blew on the cartridge a few times, thinking the old NES magic would work on the DS. Tonight, it took me nine tries to get it to read.

Interestingly, the DS didn't even start up properly once. It froze while loading the title screen. Taking the cartridge out helped this immediately.

Again, this doesn't happen with any of the other games, nor does it happen with the one Game Boy Advance cartridge I tried (dug one out to test it). Any thoughts on what could be causing this and how to resolve it?

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Game Help / Re: Nintendo DS Learning Curve - Control Pad?

« on: August 06, 2015, 12:04:00 AM »

Hmm, I may want to track down one of these thumb nubs. Can't say the DS I have came with one--I'm guessing the Lites didn't? Everything is intact here (I even have the original box for this DS).

I tried something else tonight--playing a Game Boy Advance game (Mario Kart Advance). It worked great and it was awesome to finally play the game with backlighting! (I had the original Game Boy Advance--still do actually--and finding ways to get that thing working in less than ideal light conditions was probably the reason I didn't play it a whole lot).

Having broken up with my girlfriend this weekend, I suddenly have all this extra time to play games again...the silver lining of a dark cloud?

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Game Help / Re: Nintendo DS Learning Curve - Control Pad?

« on: August 01, 2015, 06:03:24 PM »

You know, maybe I should just spend a day with the camera control!

Ready for a case in point about weird muscle memory? I bump that L button for the camera all the time if I want to do something with the R button since apparently my reflexes are still trained to use that finger to hit the Z button on the N64!! I had no idea how ingrained that controller was in my mind!!!

One other comment--are the "bullies" from the lava board a little harder or is my timing just off? I remember beating them easily on the N64, even the first time I faced them, but they seem to be a little quicker on the DS game.

Final remark--it seems they made it easier to get some of the stars. I'm not complaining since it's been years since I've played the original, but the pink Bob-Ombs with the red coin locations are great (especially in the hazy maze cave where some of the coins are hidden).

Overall I do like this game, it's just the learning curve...maybe I'm getting old? Haha....

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Game Help / Re: Nintendo DS Learning Curve - Control Pad?

« on: August 01, 2015, 07:12:52 AM »

He actually seems to do that when holding it in two directions (really I notice this more with Wario than anyone). Maybe I'm just not pressing this thing hard enough? It just seems tough to want him to go where you want, and the camera doesn't seem that great either (of course, I thought there were faults with the C-button controlled camera in the original game, too).

Is there a way to go into the Mario perspective mode in the DS game? In the 64 game, you could press the L button and this would happen, but I haven't found this in the DS version. (My game didn't come with a manual).

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Video Game Chat / Re: Keyboard recommendations

« on: July 31, 2015, 11:00:52 PM »

If you want a different expensive but long lasting keyboard. you can go with something from Unicomp.

I realize their URL is sketchy as hell, but they are a perfectly legitimate company.

http://www.pckeyboard.com/

I will second that. I've typed on the original IBM keyboards before and they are wonderful. You'll get something well-made and while it will definitely be noisy, the feel will be better than almost any of the modern ones (some of which are flimsy, squishy, and just scream "low quality").

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Game Help / Nintendo DS Learning Curve - Control Pad?

« on: July 31, 2015, 10:57:06 PM »

It's been a while since this rusty old dude posted here, but I actually got a new/old system.

My grandfather died in June. I inherited his Nintendo DS Lite, which he used for playing Brain Age and occasionally for Madden (he always wanted to play football in high school but his father wouldn't let him, so he decided to live out the dream in his golden years).

First, let me just say, the hardware itself is great. I think he got it in either 2007 or 2008, not sure when, but I know he hadn't used it at all in the last few years. It charged up and the battery holds a better charge than any laptop or cell phone I own!

Now, the hard part. My best friend decided it would be good to get my mind off things (Grandpa was my father figure) so he got me a copy of Super Mario 64 for DS. I played through this game years ago on the N64 and, believe it or not, a lot of the stars came back to me as to where they were.

However, I'm having some problems adapting to using a control pad instead of a control stick. Namely, I find the following happen quite often:

--I can't really get Mario (or anyone) to move in a straight line. It seems worst with Wario (I have unlocked all four and am up to 45 stars).
--It seems I'm really prone to falls in this game, and it seems worst in the lava course.
--Running in circles is coming easier as I continue to play it, but swinging Bowser by the tail is tougher than I remember.

If I got my N64 out, I know these issues wouldn't come up. Any tips on adapting to the control pad? (No, buying the fancy new one with the stick isn't an option since I have other sources begging for my money...business, girlfriend, family, savings fund for a sailboat...)

I know there are supposedly ways to make Mario move with the screen but my friend told me they're sort of pointless...any other thoughts on that?

Unrelated, but is it indeed common for these Super Mario 64 cartridges to glitch occasionally and temporarily lose save data, then get it back? It happened to me a few days ago but things came right back when it was re-inserted (I looked it up and apparently others have had problems). Curious to see if it's widespread or maybe just a bad batch of cartridges.

Learning curve aside, I do like this little DS and may have to get another game for it once I come close to finishing this one. Good thing they're all cheap on the used market now!!

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Mario Chat / Re: Toad gender

« on: November 29, 2014, 10:32:46 PM »

Time to toss in a wrench--what about Super Mario RPG?

It's been a while since I played the game, but I do specifically remember two Toads getting married. There was also a Toad who had a son if I remember right (actually, I think there were several Toads with kids). Given the recent revelations, I'm guessing they chose those genders...or did the parents do it for them?

RPG wasn't the first Mario game I played, and I do remember multiple Toads on screen at a time in others (Super Mario 64 comes to mind) so I was always curious to whether they were all related or whatnot. I recall a bunch of Toads hanging together in Sunshine, and I think they were all "male".

Everyone mentions Toadette, but I really think she was just introduced to balance out the number of male and female characters in Double Dash--aside from her you had Peach, Daisy, and (maybe) Birdo.

Come to think of it, every Toad identified as "male" up until Toadette's debut with the huge exception of Super Mario RPG. (Unless there were "females" in Paper Mario; I actually haven't played through that one).

I know the recent articles have said he's not a mushroom, but if we do take fungi into account, they could reproduce via spores. I don't want to get too in-depth biologically here in terms of how fungi reproduce, but if Toads have any hint of fungi in them, it could explain something.

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Video Game Chat / Re: Super Smash Bros. 4 Wii U and 3DS

« on: November 18, 2014, 10:47:04 PM »

You'd better have some good beer or something if you'd do this and still expect guests!

Hmm...currently, I've got a local microbrew and some Sam Adams on hand...plus I usually have Mexicoke sitting around :)


TheMightyThor: I think the reason you'd think I'm older is because I started with a 2600. My mom bought this system when she was in grad school in the early 80s. I got started on it when I was 3 years old. It took a few years to get an NES, but even then, the 2600 was still my favorite for a little while. Then, my dad bought me a game called Super Mario Bros 3, and let's just say the 2600 got neglected a bit...

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Video Game Chat / Re: Super Smash Bros. 4 Wii U and 3DS

« on: November 16, 2014, 08:49:12 PM »

I understand where you're coming from, and as a proponent of competitive balance, I'm all for smaller rosters in fighting games, but being a Nintendo fan and not knowing who Jigglypuff was at the height of Pokémon fever is pretty [darn] strange.

Ah, perhaps I should explain--by the time 1999 rolled around, I was mostly focused on the established series. I didn't get Nintendo Power or any other gaming magazine and just bought the strategy guides for the games I had (this was before you could just go online and find quality walkthroughs or videos, and if sites did exist, they mostly seemed to have tricks/tips, not necessarily full walkthroughs--ah, the days of dial-up). Typically, I'd learn about games outside of those I played through friends or the newspaper (yes, I'm showing my age, I know), and most of the guys I knew who were into Nintendo were Mario/Zelda people to begin with.

It probably also helps to know that I didn't have a Game Boy. A little research revealed the first games were exclusive to it. None of my close buddies at the time had one, either (although a few of us did splurge for the Advance by the time it came out--I mostly got one for Mario Kart Advance).

The first I heard of Pokemon was Summer 1999 when it started appearing on literally everything at the stores. They had a report about it on the local news and they said who Pikachu was, so that's how I learned his name. I only learned Jiggly Puff when I got SSB.

I was 13 at the time and while a lot of people say Mario is "kiddy", I felt Pokemon was "kiddier". (If that word didn't exist before, it does now). I actually passed on Mario Party since I felt I was older and wanted more mature games, and Pokemon just looked like something for younger kids, so I ignored it entirely. I think this had more to do with being 13 than anything :)  Incidentally, I just bought Mario Party 2 for N64 this past year on eBay and while it does have some kiddy elements, I'm kicking myself for not looking past its exterior because it's actually pretty darn fun!!

Perhaps if I were 10, not 13, I would have given Pokemon more of a chance, but I was one of those 13 year olds who was too anxious to grow up. Now I'm that 28 year old who wishes he hadn't...

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Video Game Chat / Re: Personal Bests on non-Mario titles

« on: November 15, 2014, 09:29:44 PM »

I've topped 1600 on Star Fox 64 a few times. Not sure if this is a really good record or not, but it seems to be a pretty elusive mark for a lot of guys. I'm pretty sure my current mark is 1657 or thereabouts; I set it last March.

I tend to play the game really well after an awful day at work, so the next time my clients get unruly, I'll play again and see if I can beat that score. I do want to top 1700 at some point.

Also, if it counts for anything, back in fourth grade, I got to level 69 on Number Munchers. Anyone remember that game where you were the little frog-like guy and had to munch factors, multiples, primes, and the like?