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Messages - n64forever

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46
Mario Chat / Re: Favorite Mario Kart
« on: June 15, 2014, 09:31:31 AM »
Definitely 64 for me. I've played every version except for DS and 3DS (aka 7).

They're all great games. I still remember playing the SNES version for the first time (this was a few years after it had come out, but before 64). I had played some other racing games in the past, but this was unlike anything else I had encountered. Shells as projectiles? Bananas to slip on? Quirky Mario characters? Yes, yes, yes!!!

The 64 version only built on that. I loved having the wacky voices (no other game has as great of dialogue--64 is simple but effective, and you've got to love Wario going "wahhhh" all the time), the new items (still remember when the game came out; a buddy of mine got it first and he wouldn't stop talking about the spiny shell being added), the graphics (yeah, we all know the racers are 2D sprites, but it was pretty darn good for 1997), and the music. Not sure if they had a CD soundtrack for this game, but I'd definitely buy it even today.

Super Circuit was great too, and I admittedly bought a Game Boy Advance solely for this game. (I did get a few more games later, but being able to take Mario Kart in your pocket pre-smartphone was a good thing).

Double Dash and Wii were OK, but I felt they lost a little bit of the magic of 64. Maybe it was because I was getting older, but I just felt they could have benefited from better soundtracks, fewer characters (8 worked well, 12 is plenty enough, anything over is just overkill), and addition of lost features (like the inability to jump on Double Dash). You can read my opinions on the Wii U (aka 8) in the other thread.

As I said, they're all great games, and I've pre-ordered any version which came out if I had the system to play it on at the time. To me, one of the biggest advantages of the game is the broad age appeal. I'm 27, almost 28, and enjoy Mario Kart as much as I did when I was 10. I know guys in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and even 60s who play the games, and we're not talking parents who are playing it to play against their kids. Not too many games have that great of appeal.

47
Mario Chat / Re: Favorite Mario Party
« on: June 15, 2014, 09:23:00 AM »
Funny you ask on this one. I remember seeing the original Mario Party in the store and passed on it, since I felt it looked too "kiddy". I was 12 years old at the time and wanted something with more action, not something that looked like the board games I had just unloaded at a garage sale. I wound up with Ocarina of Time instead, but secretly wanted another Mario game for my 64. (Thankfully, Smash Bros came out the next year, which was Mario enough for me).

I sort of ignored Mario Party for the longest time. Then, one of my cousins got a Game Cube. She was 8 at the time. We got a copy of Mario Party 4 for her, thinking it would be a good, age-appropriate game. A few years later, I spent a few nights at my uncle's house. I was now an 18 year old senior in high school and wound up in the spare bedroom where the Game Cube was. We all know what happens when there's a Game Cube in front of someone who happens to like video games. Mario Party 4 was sitting in this particular 'Cube at the time.

A little older now, I went in with an open mind, clearly remembering how I wrote off the series at Wal Mart many years earlier after just looking at it for ten minutes as a know-it-all 12 year old. Sure, it had some cartoon elements to it, but it was actually a lot of fun. In fact, I was a little disappointed when I left since I knew I'd be leaving that game behind!

I debated about getting a copy of my own and would have if it weren't for all the college expenses I had at the time!! I'm voting for Mario Party 4, not necessarily because it's the only game I have legitimately played in the series, but because it made me a believer in the Mario Party series as a whole.

48
Mario Chat / Re: Mario Kart 8
« on: June 15, 2014, 09:15:05 AM »
The lack of the map was a frustration for me unless I had the controller. I'm wondering if it's a subliminal ploy by Nintendo to get more people to use them rather than stick with the classic controllers in an attempt to move the gaming public forward.

Think about it--how many people do you know who play some Wii variant of MarioKart on a classic controller? I have a buddy who bought a bunch of knockoff Game Cube controllers for his Wii so he could have four people playing on them at one time. I actually don't know of anyone personally who LIKES the Wii Wheel. I own two of them and they mostly are dust magnets underneath my bed. The novelty wore off pretty quickly, but I think most of it is because we've all been used to using analog sticks on Mario Kart games since 64 came out.

Yes, most of my friends have been around since the 64 was new (this guy still remembers unboxing his 64). One thing I was pleasantly surprised with on the Wii U was the ability to use the D-pad--a definite throwback for us SNES vets!! (Raise your hand if you were gaming when the SNES Mario Kart was the ONLY Mario Kart!)

49
Video Game Chat / Re: Pokemon Cards - Worth Anything?
« on: June 15, 2014, 09:08:47 AM »
Weegee: That was my thought. Ah well, maybe I can give them out as rewards for kids who are into them or something.

The Chef: Any idea where I could find a price guide? I know they make those for things like baseball cards, coins, stamps, and even McDonald's toys (actually saw one at a bookstore many years ago).

50
Mario Chat / Re: Character voices
« on: June 13, 2014, 09:53:47 PM »
This gives me a chance to chime in with something here.

Mario's voice has been largely the same since Mario 64, but before that, there was a case where his voice was low-pitched.

A long time ago, there was a typing tutor for the computer called Mario Teaches Typing. I have it, and it runs on my old black and white Mac Plus. I'll have to boot it up sometime to check (I do have the computer, and yes, it works) but I think I remember hearing somewhere that the voice was actually that of Charles Martinet.

Speaking of consistency, I noticed today in the Smash Brothers credits on N64 (which I normally bypass but actually didn't today) that his name was spelled "Martinee". It sort of makes sense since the name is French and would be spelled similarly (like "matinee" or "melee"). Source: I have a French last name ending in "et" which sounds like the "ay" sound.

Luigi has a ton of voices. Some of the late 90s/early 00s stuff has him with a really high-pitched voice. The Game Boy Advance version of Mario Kart has a voice where he sounds like he's 12 years old. He wasn't as monotone in Mario Kart 64 as other games, too.

I think they've changed the Peach actress a few times, but she was definitely lower-pitched in the early N64 games.

51
Video Game Chat / Pokemon Cards - Worth Anything?
« on: June 13, 2014, 09:43:25 PM »
OK, Pokemon experts. This is the million dollar question for the night, and one I am hoping to get some help on.

I am a tutor and work with many children who enjoy video games. One of them is very into Pokemon and decided to give me a bunch of her cards one day for no reason except for the fact she appreciated me. (I get lots of various "gifts" like this, and I've actually gotten quite a few rocks, old pencils, Lego men, and other crazy objects--you know how younger kids place value on this stuff!)

This student told me these cards were worth something. They look pretty new, but I can't be sure, because I have a confession to make...

I know nothing about Pokemon!!!

OK, this may sound crazy since this is a Nintendo-related board, but I never got into Pokemon and never really had a desire to. Back when it was becoming popular in 1999, I completely ignored it, thinking it was one of the silliest fads ever. It didn't matter to me that it was a product of Nintendo. I entered seventh grade in the fall of 1999 and had no desire to deal with these cards. I was your typical trendy seventh grader--you know, the one who dressed in Abercrombie and American Eagle, cheered for the Yankees, watched all the popular TV shows, chatted on AIM about all those crazy seventh grade happenings, and had a celebrity crush on Britney Spears. (I'll confess to owning some of her CDs, too--yes, CDs--it was that long ago). Oh, and if I needed to crash, I always had the N64 waiting for me.

The only exposure I had to Pokemon until these cards came my way was through Smash Brothers. I know they all do different things, they come out of red and white balls, and I know the yellow guy is Pikachu, but I'm not sure of much else from there. (I do realize there are a bunch of video games and the cards get traded sort of like baseball cards, and I know there's something called a "trainer"--all of this I have picked up from listening to kids since I used to be a classroom teacher before opening my business).

Here's what my student gave me. Are these really worth something if I pawn them off on eBay or something?

1. Blue cards with the Pokemon Ball on them and "Pokemon" written around it on both sides:

--Kricketot
--Snivy
--Hitmonlee
--Slowpoke (she told me this one was worth $500)
--Darumaka
--Raichu
--Simisear
--Purrloin
--Ducklett
--Teddiursa
--"Supporter" Professor Elm's Training Method

They all have a copyright date of 2011 on the bottom in fine print except the Raichu and Kricketot (both are 2012) and the Slowpoke (this has 1995, 96, 98 in that order).

Also, being a fan of word origins, I love the "Teddiursa" name--the creature sort of looks like a bear and I could see someone getting the biological name of a bear easier after seeing this one. (File this one under "educator problems"--my friends are always on me for pointing out teaching moments everywhere).

2. Pokemon World Champions 2013 Cards (simulated wood background, Pokemon ball has red/yellow/blue/green around it)

--Thundurus
--"Trainer" Hypnotoxic Laser

The "trainer" card has a 2012 copyright, the Thundurus has a 2013.


Now, to be truthful, I'm not expecting these cards to be worth much more than a buck or so apiece, if that. I have a Jason Kendall rookie card in my desk (guy who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and a few other teams) and it's only worth about five bucks, and my Pete Rose rookie card (the Cincy Reds legend) which I've seen going for about thirty max. Still, I know what these cards can go for if they're genuinely rare.

I get a feeling the student who gave them to me was simply trying to boost my ego, but I figured some of you would be in the know on here, so why not run it past everyone? I could use that extra $500 if it really is worth that much--my business turned a year old today and while it's going strong, I'm not exactly Bill Gates yet!!!

52
Mario Chat / Re: Is Birdo a boy or girl?
« on: June 13, 2014, 09:21:51 PM »
I actually had a debate with a friend about this when we had a N64 tournament a while ago. We're both on the older side now (late 20s) and are old enough to have played Mario 2 when it was being sold for NES.

After about ten minutes of discussion, we believe Birdo is a boy who wants to be a girl. The Mario 2 manual did come up, and we believe Nintendo uses the female pronouns in newer media because Birdo has decided to adhere to the female gender. This actually happens quite often with people who are unsure of their gender at some point and decide to live as the opposite gender. There have been cases in the news about this recently in which the family and friends of such a person would start using the opposite gender pronouns and identification. This, I believe, is what happened with Birdo.

Notice how Birdo has no bow in Mario 2. The later versions do have a bow (although I really can't remember if the Mario All Stars game on the SNES has a bow). This is, to me, equivalent to someone unsure about their gender eventually going to identification through clothing and the like. It reminds me of a case I heard on the news about a year or so ago where a boy from a western state (Colorado? Texas?) started to dress and look (i.e. long hair) like a girl. (This was the child who wasn't allowed to use the girls' bathroom, which led to a court case).

Someone mentioned eggs. The thing is, we don't really know much about Birdo's species, and if eggs are being shot out of what appears to be a nose, this definitely isn't the classic egg-laying creature we're used to. Perhaps they aren't really even eggs at all and only resemble them. In Mario 2, after all, you don't see them cracking open. Birdo was also in Mario RPG and I don't remember anything like that happening there either. They're more or less projectiles, and it could be more a means of self-defense than reproduction.

OK--I hope this post wasn't over-political or anything like that!!

53
Mario Chat / Re: Mario Kart 8
« on: June 13, 2014, 09:11:44 PM »
I have a friend who has a Wii U. Since I've had a few MarioKart 64 tourneys in the past, he decided to invite me to a Mario Kart 8 tournament he had hosted this past weekend. I've played every version of Mario Kart except for the DS and 3DS games and, after a whole night, can come up with some legit pros and cons for it.

PROS
--The graphics. Considering I normally play Mario Kart on a 64, I think my "wow" factor was to be expected. Still, they look great.
--The music. I was a little disappointed in the Game Cube and Wii versions in terms of music (in general, some songs were good). Sure, it sounds a little bit like Wheel of Fortune music in the Wii U version, but it's still pretty good.
--The new item where it gives you one of everything is pretty neat.
--The fact you can use almost anything to control it is nice for those of us who have preferences. My buddy had practically every controller Nintendo has made in recent memory sitting out for us to choose from. Interestingly, nobody picked the wheels.
--Lots of kart customization options. It was honestly a little overwhelming at first!!
--Coins are back. It feels like SNES all over again.

CONS
--Maybe I'm going to be in the minority here, but there are way too many characters for my liking. 12 would have been more than adequate. Why do we really need a baby version of everyone, and how do these babies exist alongside their grown-up versions anyway? (I would have narrowed the roster down to Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Rosalina, Toad, Koopa Troopa, Bowser, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, and a Goomba--they really need to get one into a game sometime!)
--No fake item boxes!! Seriously, these were a classic item, even if N64 didn't have them.
--Not sure if maybe it's just me getting older, but it seems the computer got better on every lap. I'd be out in 1st or 2nd for the first lap or two, but then I'd always fall to 3rd/4th even with the computer on easy on the final lap.
--Only one SNES track. It's a good one though!!

54
General Chat / Re: New/Returning Members Post Here!
« on: June 13, 2014, 09:01:45 PM »
Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums by name, but not "new" to the forums per se. Years ago, I was a member here. However, I have some general questions about Nintendo-related things and have come back. For the life of me, I can't remember my login, so I went with a new username. I don't think I've posted here in nearly a decade now!

I was still a student when I was last here. Today, I own a tutoring business. As such, I do still keep up with what the kids are playing, although I don't own a current console (the Wii is my most recent). That's not to say I don't enjoy an occasional game or two, even as an older guy. In fact, I played a round of Smash Brothers on my old N64 earlier this evening before coming here (which is also how I cooked up the username).

I had actually gotten away from video games entirely for a while. Prior to starting my business, I was in a terrible work environment in a city where I knew almost nobody. One night, I dusted off the N64, which I had moved with me just in case I had decided to pick it up again, and played a round of Starfox. I hadn't felt that good in a long time. Since then, I've played on occasion (usually when I need some "me time") and have actually gotten into having retrogaming tournaments with my friends. (As you can tell, my friends and I are getting old).

Since I sold my SNES when I was between jobs (bundling Mario RPG with it used to fetch a good premium!) I actually have a renewed interest in the system and have bought the games for the Wii. In fact, I ordered a classic controller a few days ago, which is the most I've spent on video games in about four years. This includes the iPhone (which, if you ask me, is a terrible choice for gaming--give me back my old Game Boy any day for gaming on the road, or even a TI-83 calculator since I did have the Mario game for it).

Hopefully I can be a contributor of some sort on here beyond the questions I want to ask!! I've only played a Wii U a few times, but if you've got a problem with the older stuff, especially Mario-related, chances are good I've played it at some point.

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