Category: Nintendo News

Dark Horse Publishing recently released an official Super Mario Encyclopedia, which, according to the publisher’s synopsis, contains “information on enemies, items, obstacles, and worlds from over thirty years of Mario” and should be considered “the definitive resource for everything Super Mario”.

Sounds promising, right? Not quite. It has since come to light that portions of the book are lifted directly from the unofficial Super Mario Wiki, which is run by a group of enthusiastic fans without any input (or blessing) from Nintendo itself.

The Wiki page’s Twitter accounts shares the damning evidence:

This seems like an open and shut case, but for the Super Mario Wiki, it has created a serious headache.

As the Encyclopedia is officially-sanctioned by Nintendo and should therefore be considered ‘canon’, the people who run the Wiki are now debating whether or not they should cite the book – even though the book itself has copied content from the Wiki without credit:

…in short, hordes of names are taken from either this wiki or the Mario Wikia verbatim, even if it contradicts the original Japanese encyclopedia, isn’t originally from English, or was completely conjectural in the first place. This is different from the oft-cited dubiousness of other guides, which are mostly fine with occasional errors that can easily be set aside. Frankly, if we were to blindly and wholly cite every name in this book, we’d be citing ourselves, and that just seems disastrous for credibility. It’s also doubtful, if not outright improbable, that these names were specifically chosen by the authors because they sincerely believed that each and every one of them were perfectly acceptable names in English, especially when they’re Japanese transliterations that don’t even match the Japanese book. The fact that this book is official is worth considering, but it doesn’t mean that it should automatically be accepted without at least taking into account the quality issues that were previously mentioned.

With that said, there are certain names that seem to not originate from the wiki, such as “Sentry Garage” for Jump Garage, and with a lack of an English source, using that seems okay. On the one hand, it’d be like we’re picking and choosing what’s valid and what isn’t, but on the other hand, it’s plainly obvious which names were directly borrowed from the wiki, and therefore which names can be easily ignored. Think of it as salvaging whatever parts we can from a trainwreck.

Whether the guide is completely barred from being cited or is only allowed to be partially cited, let me make one thing abundantly clear: we shouldn’t allow citogenesis to creep onto our wiki.

Given the depth and detail seen in the Super Mario Wiki – which has been painstakingly built up over the years by a team of devoted fans – it’s easy to see why Dark Horse used it as a resource during the production of the Super Mario Encyclopedia – although not citing the Wiki was a poor move.

However, given that this is supposed to be the official book made with Nintendo’s input and blessing (there’s even an interview with Takashi Tezuka inside), you could argue that citing an external source would have undermined its credibility; surely Dark Horse could have simply asked Nintendo for the official names of these characters, and come up with new descriptions?

Whatever the reason, the evidence seems pretty watertight to us. Will you still be investing in this book now you know it has copied information from an external source? Let us know with a comment.

Thanks to Madison for the tip!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate doesn’t launch until December 7th, but a hardware bundle has just sold on eBay for a cool $1,095, which means that somebody out there is more than ready for the release.

Seller Whoyle08’s auction – along with loads of images which attest to its apparent legitimacy – ended today, with the winning bid coming in at well over the standard asking price for the console.

The catch here is that there’s a download code included in the box and not the physical game, so the winner won’t even be able to play Smash until review codes are issued to the press and media, which would be some time away yet. At least they have the rather natty Smash Bros. hardware – which includes a special Joy-Con and dock design – to keep them company until then.

How did the seller get this bundle so early? Well, units will obviously be in production now ahead of launch, and there’s a chance this is either a sample or even a unit intended for distribution among the games media. Or, it could be an elaborate hoax – given how talented and skilled some of these pranksters are, it’s important to not rule out that possibility.

Let us know your thoughts on this super-early bundle purchase by leaving a comment below. Would you have exchanged over $1,000 just for a fancy console design that in a few month’s time is effectively going to be worth considerably less?

If you’ve been keeping up with the Pokémon movies, you’ll know the next one is out this November in both the US and UK. After a name change from Pokémon: Everyone’s Story to Pokémon The Movie: The Power of Us, the focus has been on the initial trailer and plot.

The Pokémon Company has now released the full theatrical trailer highlighting the importance of the legendary creature Lugia in this upcoming story. In case you missed the synopsis the first time around, this is a sequel to the reboot of Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! – where Ash and Pikachu visit the seaside location of Frau City (known for its annual wind festival). Chaos erupts when the wind dies down, sending the citizens into a state of panic and requiring Ash along with some familiar faces to fend off a procession of threating Pokémon.

As can be seen in the trailer above, there’ll be plenty of Pokémon on display throughout including the electric-type mythical creature Zeraora, who not long ago arrived in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon as the final generation seven pocket monster. For more information about screenings in the US and UK take a look at the previous posts.

Do you like the look of Ash and Pikachu’s latest adventure? Tell us below.

Colin Thiele’s beloved 1964 children’s book Storm Boy is currently in the process of being adapted to cinema for the second time and is also being turned into a video game. We first found out about it coming to multiple game platforms including the Switch in August, and now the Australian-based developer Blowfish Studios has revealed Storm Boy: The Game will arrive on 20th November.

As previously described, the title is an interactive retelling of the novel. You take on the role of a young boy located on the beaches of South Australia, near the mouth of the Murray River. The protagonist rescues pelican chicks and goes on to raise one of them known as Mr. Percival. The video game adaptation recreates many moments from the novel while also including relaxing mini-games such as sailing, bird feeding, sand surfing, drawing and more.

Will you be playing this on release? Tell us in the comments.

Following yesterday’s eShop listing that revealed Rogue Legacy was on the way to the Switch, Cellar Door Games has now announced Full Metal Furies will launch the same day on 6th November. From the release date until 25th November, the title will also be 25 percent off.

Full Metal Furies is described as a team-based puzzle brawler for four players, where coordinated attacks are the key to victory. In existing versions of the game, you work alongside other your team mates (offline and online) to defeat special enemies, deal massive damage and save a war-torn world from extinction. The game was originally announced in 2017 and was first released on PC and Xbox One at the start of this year.

Will you be playing either or both of these games when they arrive on 6th November? Tell us below.

Following the news in September that a physical version of Deemo was coming in 2019, PM Studios and acttil have now revealed the rhythm game is arriving in North America on 29th January. Alongside this announcement was the confirmation the game would be compatible with the Nintendo Labo piano.

If you haven’t played Deemo before, here’s a bit about it along with the key features:

For those new to DEEMO, It is a music rhythm game that centers around the mystifying relationship between Deemo and a little girl. The game progresses as Deemo plays and completes musical piano scores in order to help the little girl return back to her world. A brilliant collection of music styles and genres are available in both instrumental and vocal music formats. For those seeking an extra challenge, all playable songs feature a number of difficulty levels and customizable note speed.

• Musical connection! – Play DEEMO, literally! Select songs will feature Nintendo Labo Piano support to allow you to dive into the game’s truly musical world!
• Heartfelt rhythms! – 250+ captivating songs from a variety of composers and genres await you! Let the melody of the piano soothe your soul!
• 3 difficulty modes! – Start with the beginning Easy mode and work all the way up to Hard to test your sense of rhythm via simple, intuitive gameplay!
• Beautiful hand-drawn artwork! –The gorgeous art of DEEMO will tug at your heartstrings as the gripping story unfolds!
• Mesmerizing story! – The music, artwork, and narrative all come together in this amazingly moving experience! Fall into the world of DEEMO!

Do you plan to pick up a physical copy of Deemo? Tell us in the comments.

Since it was released, there’s been much discussion about the potential educational purposes of Nintendo Labo. In June, Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aimé explained how Nintendo intended to run entry-level coding programs over the summer for kids and would move into the educational market in fall.

The next step for Nintendo Labo has now arrived, with Nintendo teaming up with the Institute of Play to bring the cardboard kits to elementary classrooms across the US. The rollout of kits across schools nationwide is to promote the basic principles of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (abbreviated as STEAM), and inspire children whilst making learning fun.

Nintendo will provide both Labo Variety Kits and Switch systems in all participating classrooms, in hope of reinforcing skills such as communication, creativity and critical thinking. The aim is to reach 2,000 students between the ages of 8 to 11 across the 2018-2019 school year.

The Institute of Play is responsible for building the curriculum for the program and already works alongside teachers and schools as a trusted partner when it comes to developer play-based learning experiences for youth. The nonprofit research and design organisation is comprised of a team of educators, researchers, game designers and school leaders. Here’s what the Co-Executive Director of the Institute of Play had to say:

We are always on the lookout for new tools and technologies that combine the best of learning with the spirit of play, and in NintendoLabo we found an inspiring and innovative approach in both areas. Teachers in the pilot program are already seeing the natural fit for Nintendo Labo in the classroom, and now we can bring that dynamic to schools across the country.

At this point in time, The Institute of Play is conducting pilot programs with schools in the greater New York area. These programs will be used to develop a Nintendo Labo teacher guide and allow other educators to then implement Labo into the classroom. This program will include sample lessons and learning modules focused on the basic elements of STEAM. The guide will also be released for free later this fall.

Upon completion of the pilot, the program will expand to 100 schools across the US and run until March 2019. In Canada, Nintendo will be partnering with Actua – the leading education-outreach organisation for STEM topics within the country – to inspire youth to innovate through digital literacy programs.

Here’s what Reggie had to say about the partnership and rollout in schools:

The ingenuity of Nintendo Switch brings Nintendo Labo to life to provide a fun way for kids to explore basic STEAM topics together and be entertained while building a fundamental understanding of the technology behind them. We hope our programs in the United States and Canada encourage kids to explore, tinker, problem-solve and, in the process, get excited about design and technology – all while having fun.

Do you think Nintendo Labo has a bright future as an educational tool? Tell us in the comments.

Kart racers are undoubtedly a style of game popularised by the original Super Mario Kart, and for a while back in the 90s these things were everywhere; if you named a popular children’s franchise, there was literally a chance there was a kart racer with that branding.

How appropriate then that Nickelodeon Kart Racers takes most of its inspiration from around that time period, omitting many modern characters for more classic offerings. Does it perform though? Well, not really, it’s a rather average kart racer that feels like it’s been ported straight from smart devices. You be the judge if you like though, watch the video above.