Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary and Developer Interviews
Since this is the week of Super Mario Maker’s release, there have been several news associated with it and with Super Mario Bros. 30th anniversary. As expected, this brings forward several interviews with Miyamoto and Tezuka who have been working on the series for ages. I tried to include as much stuff as possible below and linking to relevant interviews with both of them. Read up and watch below…
Official Overview , Patch 1.01 and other details:
Enter a Virtual Playroom to Create Levels, Play Levels Created by Others and Experience Mario Like Never Before
REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 10, 2015 – Flying Piranha Plants? Bill Blasters that shoot helpful coins instead of dangerous Bullet Bills? A level full of 20-Goomba-high stacks, dozens of trampolines and Hammer Bros. flying in Koopa Clown Cars? Mamma mia!
While all this sounds like some kind of amazing Nintendo fever dream, it’s all possible in the Super Mario Maker game, launching exclusively for the Wii U console on the 11th of September. This new game lets players’ imaginations run wild! Anyone with an Internet connection can play a near-limitless number of Mario levels created by people all over the world. Using the Wii U GamePad controller, players can quickly and easily create their own original levels using items, enemies, graphical styles and even power-ups from four classic Mario styles: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U. These levels can then be uploaded online to share with players everywhere. Things that were never possible before in a Super Mario Bros. game are now possible in Super Mario Maker – and players are in control of it all.
“Super Mario Maker is a dream come true for Nintendo fans of all ages,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Whether you prefer creating levels or playing ones created by others, the game is a virtual Mario playground.”
With the Wii U GamePad, players simply have to drag and drop elements on the controller’s touch screen to create levels using a set of intuitive tools. Breaking the rules of normal Super Mario Bros. games is encouraged, as items, enemies and sound effects can be combined and used in unexpected ways. Toying around with the different combinations and numerous options is a big part of the fun. Once players have created their Super Mario Maker masterpieces, they can name and upload their levels for others to play. To avoid frustration, levels can only be uploaded if players can actually reach the goal themselves. This ensures that all uploaded levels can still be challenging, but not impossible.
A robust online ranking and search system makes creating, playing and sharing in Super Mario Maker a seamless process. Want to know which levels are easy or hard? A helpful course-difficulty display is determined by the percentage of players that complete the level. Players can also see new arrivals and “master makers” (creators that upload the highest-ranking levels). Players can even create a “Follow” list to keep an eye on submissions from the level creators they like the most.
In addition to the four game styles, players can set their levels in six themes: above ground, underground, ghost house, airship, castle and even underwater. Seeing iconic enemies like Bowser underwater for the first time is certainly a sight to behold. And it’s this kind of imaginative scenario that is at the heart of Super Mario Maker. Whether it’s experiencing outrageous game-play elements or manipulating the dozens and dozens of items and enemies in the game in unexpected ways, Super Mario Maker allows players of all ages to laugh, smile and have fun.
Launching on the same day as Super Mario Maker are two special 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo figures – both inspired by the 8-bit look of Mario – with one retaining the classic colors from Super Mario Bros. and the other sporting the modern-day color scheme. If players choose to use these amiibo figures in the game, the amiibo adds a Big Mushroom power-up to the level, allowing players to play with a giant Mario. The 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo figure with the classic colors will be available at a suggested retail price of $12.99. Walmart will also be the exclusive retailer for a special Super Mario Maker Wii U bundle that includes the game, Wii U console and the 30th Anniversary Mario Modern Color amiibo. The bundle goes on sale the 11th of September at a suggested retail price of $299.96.
Additionally, many of the other currently available amiibo are compatible with Super Mario Maker. In the game, players can access a Mystery Mushroom to include in their levels. This mushroom is used exclusively in the Super Mario Bros. 8-bit-styled levels and, when picked up, changes Mario into an 8-bit costume of a random character – picture an 8-bit Wii Fit Trainer, Link from The Legend of Zelda series or even Chibi-Robo hopping around the level with their own sound effects and animations. With 99 different Mystery Mushroom costumes to unlock in the game, using a compatible amiibo with a corresponding character will automatically unlock it, allowing players to tie that specific character to the Mystery Mushroom as they design levels. Mystery Mushrooms can also be collected when players complete the 100 Mario Challenge. In this mode, players will be given 100 Mario characters representing 100 lives and challenged to complete a series of randomly selected levels.
Super Mario Maker launches exclusively for Wii U in stores, in the Nintendo eShop and at Nintendo.com on the 11th of September at a suggested retail price of $59.99. All physical versions of the game sold in stores will contain an idea book that illustrates the boundless possibilities of the game. This collectable book features ideas from the Nintendo development team, special codes that can be entered in the online manual to watch creation videos from the development team, concept art and level designs from the original Super Mario Bros. game. For digital games purchased through the Nintendo eShop on Wii U, players will receive access to a PDF version of the book. The PDF is also available to download from the game’s website for anyone, even if they have not purchased the game.
For more information about Super Mario Maker, visit http://supermariomaker.nintendo.com. To view a list of compatible Super Mario Maker amiibo, visit http://amiibo.com.
The first patch for the game is now out and it seems to make small adjustments to improve the enjoyment of the game, and also increases the number of ways to unlock usable level parts.
It seems like rather than having to wait a full days for these new parts to unlock they now do so for each 15 minutes you spend with the level editor.
I have also heard some people claim that if you spam-place a lot of blocks in the level editor it will help unlock the new parts faster too.
It has also been recently discovered that players can unlock a CRT mode in Super Mario Maker by using the 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo, or simply by holding down on the d-pad and pressing B and A together, on the level’s loading screen.
Moreover, Famitsu has recently announced that its mascot Nekki will be added to Super Mario Maker as a costume in the near future as part of a special partnership with Nintendo.
Finally, we have word that Nintendo will be shipping a 256-page Mario encyclopedia in Japan. It contains content from 17 Mario games from the original Super Mario Bros. up through Super Mario World. In terms of content, readers can expect coverage of characters, enemies, power-ups, items, stages, techniques and graphics of each game. The encyclopedia will go on sale on October 19, with the price set at 3,132 yen.
More game trailers and commercials:
https://youtu.be/3BaEKUUHLUo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLO3_4-3Veo
Interviews and Gameplay Videos:
In this first video, Shigeru Miyamoto answers to some Super Mario Bros. myths. I totally knew all along that he was Bowser Jr.’s mom, there was no other way…
In the Eurogamer videos below, you can watch Miyamoto and Tezuka talking about Super Mario Maker, level building and part of the thought process behind the creation of the famous “World 1-1”, Super Mario Bros. most iconic level.
There’s also now a new english version of the video uploaded last week, where both of them take on Michel Ancel’s Pac-Mario Super Mario Maker level. Watch it below:
You can find another interesting interview with Miyamoto and Tezuka in the video below:
Nintendo Treehouse also joined in on the fun with a Super Mario Maker Workshop, showcasing some of the things you can do while level building. Take a look below:
Following suit, Nintendo UK did another livestream with some levels created by the Playtonic Games developers. You can find it below:
This week’s episode of Nintendo Minute also features some level created by Kit and Krysta. You can watch it here:
Meanwhile, NintendoLife put up a special video with Charles Martinet enjoying some game time (I swear this man is hyper! XD). Check it out below:
Nintendo Life also interviewed Yosuke Oshino on “The Origins And Evolution Of Super Mario Maker”. You can read that interview here. Curiosly enough, according to this, Super Mario Maker was never intended to release as a 30th anniversary game, or a game at all, so it’s all a fortunate coincidence.
IGN recently uploaded another interview where “9 Nintendo Legends Share Their Mario Memories”. You can read it here. The video at the top of the page also includes memories from the IGN team, by the way.
For another interview, you can also check out this interview with New York Times where Miyamoto says he made Mario as his own Mickey Mouse and Eguchi comments on how he thinks Super Mairo Maker will keep motivating Nintendo. You can read it here.
Finally, in Japan, an official video has gone up for Super Mario 30th Anniversary Live, which is taking place on September 20 and 21.The rehearsals have started and you can get a sample of those below:
Pikmin 4 and possible new Super Mario Galaxy
Shigeru Miyamoto recently confirmed to Eurogamer in an interview that Pikmin 4 has been in development and is close to reaching completion. Moreover, he explained that a new iteraiton in the Super Mario Galaxy series is always in the cards as long as hardware keeps improving and they keep thinking of new ideas that might be suited for it.
You can read about these two topics in their repectives interview pages, here and here.
Splatoon
Splatoon has received a new weapon this weekend, with the arrival of the H-3 Nozzlenose.
You can find the official overview and some screenshots of it below:
“You want a weapon that packs a wallop and also kind of looks like a garden hose rolled up? This here’s your pick. A long interval between shots is made up for by high attack power. With the H-3 Nozzlenose, a one-hit kill is a real possibility.”
Meanwhile, the 5th North American and European Splatfests have been announced.
Here’s the official annoucement for the NA one, that pits Art agains Science:
“The next Splatfest draws near! Next week, we pit art against science! Now, we here at the Squid Research Lab know that you’re a talented bunch of artists. We’ve seen what you can do in art contests, on Miiverse and, not to mention, all the rad fan art uploaded to Tumblr! It seems at first glance that art will have no problem taking it all. BUT! When you think about all the greats hanging out on the science side (Bill Nye! Neil deGrasse Tyson! Beakman!), it’s not hard to see how science could win this one!”
The Splatfest in question will ne held on September 18 at 9 PM PT (12 AM ET on September 19).
The European Splatfest will pit the “My bedroom is messy” faction against the “My bedroom is tidy” one.
The competition will begin around 6 PM, 5PM for UK if I’m not mistaken…
Finally, on the Japanese front, Famitsu revealed that Splatoon will be getting an official artbook on October 10th. The book will feature over 300 pages of concept art, character designs and more.
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
Japan is getting an update for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on September 16.
This update adds a few new features to the game, such as:
– The ability to upload villager houses you design and share them online;
– You can then search for new or popular designs, within four different categories. These are “Cool”, “Cute”, “Unique” and “I’d live there”, and you can combine two of them while searching if you want to find an house with a little bit of both;
– You can then go visit another player’s design, and check out their ranking points for each category. You can also leave them your own score;
– Monthly “Home Contests” will be held each month from the 1st through the 15th, and will be based on certain specific themes;
– Once the results are shown, players will get to check out the homes of the winners. These can win some exclusive rare items by achieving top place at these contests.
You can also find a new trailer and commercial for the game below:
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
This week’s Famitsu has shared some new details about Tri Force Heroes’ plot, items and costumes. Keep reading for the details.
Plot summary:
There was a beautiful, fashionable Princess in a beloved, fashionable Kingdom. However, a witch curses the princess to wear tights that cover her completely and cannot be removed. The king then sought the “Legendary Hero” to defeat the witch in order to undo this spell.
Character summary:
King Carrking
– The King of the story that seeks to gather those who resemble the hero in order to help the Princess;
Madame
– The owner and top designer of “Madame Tailor”;
– The clothes she makes have various powers.
Princess Frill
– A stylish and beloved teenager;
– After a witch cursed her with tights that cover her body, she has been confined to her room.
Sir All-Back
– The hot blooded and leader of the “Anti Witch Suppression Group”;
– His hairstyle seems to explode during intense training.
Mysterious Witch
– The witch who cursed Princess Frill;
– She seems to know “Madame Tailor’s” Madame.
Outfits:
The game contains 36 outfits in total, and has eight areas, each of which is comprised of four levels, making for 32 levels in total. You’ll find one outfit in each, and the remaining four apparently come from bosses.
Big Bomber Outfit
– Uses bombs, but produces much larger explosions;
– You have to be careful so others don’t get caught in blast.
Goron Outfit
– Like the race in the series, allows you to resist fire;
– Can climb pillars of flame and the like without worry.
Kokiri Outfit
– An outfit that harbors the spirit of the forest dwelling Kokiri;
– Allows you to fire 3 arrows at once instead of 1.
Great Spin Armor
– Harbors the spirit of the warrior who mastered the Great Spin;
– Hold down the B button to unleash a spin attack larger than normal.
Balloon Tights
– An outfit that looks like Tingle from other Zelda games;
– With balloons on the back, it looks like you can descend into steep areas.
Warrior Outfit
– When worn, doubles sword power;
– When swinging your sword, unleashes a sword beam to hit enemies that are far away.
Hyrule Dress
– A dress like Princess Zelda’s;
– Increases chances of hearts appearing upon defeating an enemy.
Aristocrat Outfit
– Increases rupee drops of defeated enemies;
– Useful for when saving money.
Water User Robe
– Water colored robe and an item new to this game;
– Increases the Water Rod’s effects and range by 2.
Items:
There are nine types of items. Each hero carries one item for a total of three on the field at once.
Here are some of the items you will find:
Arm Shot
– Extends an arm that allows one to grapple to far away places that cannot be jumped over.
Boomerang
– Can retrieve items such as hearts and rupees at a distance;
– Able to attack enemies, too.
Water Rod
– Creates pillars of water wherever there are bodies of water that can be walked on;
– Effects increase with Water User Robe.
Gust Jar
– An item that blows a gust of air;
– Might be able to push allies as well as enemies.
Finally, you can find some new screenshots in the gallery below:
Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash
A new Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash gameplay trailer has been made available by Nintendo. Check it out below:
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Nintendo has now posted a recap video of the Xenoblade Chronicles X panel at PAX Prime 2015. You can watch it below:
Genei Ibun Roku #FE
Nintendo has recently announced that Genei Ibun Roku #FE will be making its way to store shelves on December 26th.
The game will be released in three different formats: the Standard Edition, the “Fortissimo” edition, and a Wii U bundle.
The Standard edition is just the game for its normal retail price, while the Fortissimo edition will include tons of extra goodies, like an art book, a soundtrack, costume DLC codes, and a special boxart. The Wii U bundle will have everything included in the Fortissimo edition, plus the console, added stickers, and DLC for three extra quests. Additionally, those who purchase the Fortissimo Edition or Wii U bundle will be able to obtain tickets for a concert taking place in Japan on May 15.
You can find some packaging shots, artwork and screenshots in the gallery below:
Hyrule Warriors Legends
In the latest Famitsu article, Toon Link was revealed to be a playable characters in Hyrule Warriors Legends. He has a sword-based, quick attacking style. While he’s smaller, he can send large groups of enemies flying. Toon Link can jump high or use the Deku Leaf to attack. He has a very technical battle style, and naturally, different actions than regular Link. He has a new hammer item which lets him smash the ground to shake all the surrounding enemies.
The Helmaroc King will also appear in Hyrule Warriors Legends as an enemy. He can cause huge gusts of wind using its great wings, and it possess great strength in attacks compared to the usual enemies. Miniblins (Wind Waker) and Big Blins (Spirit Tracks) are also shown in the various Famitsu screenshots.
Wind Waker content will be added as a new chapter in the Legend Mode with an original story. However, Toon Link will not be playable in that specific mode. When it comes to the story, it is mentioned that a new unusual event happens in Hyrule and Link sets off on another journey. The magazine teases: “Just what kind of story will it be featuring the heroine Tetra and the King of Hyrule?”
There will be a number of new areas added for the Wind Waker section of Hyrule Warriors Legends. Famitsu shows Windfall Island, Dragon Roost Island and Forsaken Fortress in its screenshots.
Toon Link and the other new characters will be playable on the Wii U version, and based on the screenshots shown in Famitsu, it seems that these new locations will be available in the console version of the game as well.
Other than the 3 already announced characters, there are plans for characters that are still unannounced. These characters from previous works will come as DLC too.
(I wonder if Aryll will be one, since we are talking Wind Waker now…)
We also have information that a new golden ocarina item is being added to the game. It apparently causes a great twister to appear that can take you to various Owl Statues you find throughout the battlefield. It might become an important component in time-based missions.
Additionally, we have news regarding a live stream from Tokyo Game Show 2015, that will be held on Niconico at the following times:
– 8 PM PT (Wednesday)
– 11 PM ET (Wednesday)
– 4 AM in the UK (Thursday)
– 5 AM in Europe (Thursday)
The stream can be watched on Niconico, here.
Finally, you can check out a new batch of screenshots in the gallery below:
Pokémon
This month’s issue of CoroCoro magazine reveals new information on Zygarde.
Apparently the Pokémon can take upon many forms, which are the following:
– The regular Zygarde form is called Zygarde 50% Forme, due to being at 50% of its full power;
– The dog like form is called Zygarde 10% Forme, due to being at 10%. Has sharp teeth and speed;
– The green blob is Zygarde’s Core and becomes the brain of every form. This flat form is called Zygarde Cell;
– The large form is called Zygarde Perfect Forme and retains the Dragon/Ground typing. It is the Order Pokémon and is 4.5m tall and 610kg in wieght. It is said to exceed Xerneas and Yveltal in power.
The new anime series, known as Pokémon XY & Z, will begin on October 29th in Japan, after the Mega Evolution Act 4 airs.
It will debut a new look for Greninja, labeled “Ash Greninja”, that is said to look sort of like Ash’s clothes.
You can find the scans with Zygarde’s new forms and “Ash Greninja” below:
Pokémon Go
The Pokémon Company recently announced a new game for smartphones named “Pokémon Go”, made in partnership with Niantic Labs and Nintendo.
You can find the trailer, announcement and official overview of the same, below:
TOKYO, JAPAN — September 10, 2015 — The Pokémon Company, Niantic, Inc., and Nintendo Co., Ltd. today announced their collaboration on a new project for mobile devices called Pokémon GO. This ground breaking mobile game will encourage fans to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon. Pokémon GO will be available for download at no charge on the App Store and Google Play in 2016.
In the past, the Pokémon video game series has used real world locations like the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, as well as New York and Paris, as inspiration for its fantasy settings. In Pokémon GO, players will be able to catch, trade, and battle in the real world by utilizing location information. Pokémon GO’s gameplay experience goes beyond what appears on screen as players explore their neighborhoods, communities and the world they live in to discover Pokémon alongside friends and other players. Junichi Masuda, game director of the Pokémon video game series at GAME FREAK inc. will be contributing to the project. His involvement will ensure that the fun of Pokémon makes its way into Pokémon GO, while developing new types of gameplay and thinking of ways to connect this project with the main series of Pokémon video games. In-app purchases will be available in Pokémon GO.
“Our challenge was to develop a great game for smart phone devices that expressed the core values of Pokémon,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company. “Pokémon GO is the answer to that challenge.”
“Pokémon GO is a wonderful combination of Niantic’s real world gaming platform and one of the most beloved franchises in popular culture,” said John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, Inc. “Our partnership with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo is an exciting step forward in real-world gaming and using technology to help players discover the world and people around them.”
Players will be able to enhance their Pokémon GO experience even when they are looking away from their smartphones by using a unique device called Pokémon GO Plus. By pressing a button on Pokémon GO Plus, simple in-game actions like catching a Pokémon can be performed. Developed and manufactured by Nintendo Co., Ltd., Pokémon GO Plus will connect to smartphones via Bluetooth and by flashing and vibrating, will notify players about events like the appearance of a Pokémon nearby.
Pokémon GO is being developed by Niantic, Inc. Originally founded by Google Earth co-creator John Hanke as a start-up within Google, Niantic is known for creating Ingress, the augmented reality mobile game which utilizes GPS technology to fuel a sci-fi story encompassing the entire world. Ingress currently has 12 million downloads worldwide.
In addition, the latest Ingress report reveals that Pokemon Go will be receiving a beta version in winter 2015. The title also has now a more specific “early 2016” launch window.
Yo-kai Watch
Nintendo has recently opened up the official North American Yo-kai Watch website. You can find it here. You can find a trailer, information about the game and various screenshots, in it.
Moreover, it has been announced that the Yo-kai Watch anime will be premiering in North America on Monday, October 5 at 5 PM ET / PT. Disney XD will be airing the show, and new episodes will launch every day until October 9. Following this initial stretch, there will be weekly Monday evening debuts at the same time. All episodes of the series will be available on Watch Disney XD the following day after its television premiere.
The lineup of the U.S. voice cast has also been announced: Johnny Yong Bosch as Nate, J.W. Terry as Whisper, Alicyn Packard as Jibanyan, Melissa Hutchison as Katie, Pierre Holloway as the Teacher and Manjimutt, and Brent Pendergrass as Nate’s friend, Eddie.
You can watch two sample clips from the anime dub below:
DeNA & Mobile
In a recent interview with alistdaily, DeNA West CEO Shintaro Asako expressed his belief that there’s a big opportunity for Nintendo’s upcoming mobile games to reach a huge number of people and that “at least 150 or 200 million people” will try out these offerings when they’re ready for launch.
Asako told the site:
“Hundreds of millions of people have bought Nintendo consoles. Those are people who decided to spend a minimum of $200 just to get access to Nintendo IP. That number is already twice as big as the Candy Crush total user base. Not only that, every single person buying Nintendo devices spends an average of about $100 per year on software. So I have no question that when Nintendo’s mobile games come out, at least 150 or 200 million people will try it. These people are super core Nintendo fans who used to spending $150 to $250 just to access the content. Let’s say only 10% end up playing, and then those users pay $3 a month, that’s still perhaps a $60 million dollar a month game.”
alistdaily then asked about the marketing strategy he thinks will be necessary for Nintendo’s mobile games to succeed. Asako answered with the following:
“We know Nintendo IP is powerful, but we need to let people know the game is coming out. From that perspective I think mass marketing makes sense for Nintendo games. Usually you have more on digital marketing and later on the mass marketing kicks in, because you don’t want to start mass marketing until you’ve evaluated LTV (long-term value), because otherwise you might be wasting money. When you have strong IP like Nintendo you can kind of predict what kind of installs you can get, so to reach the level of mass-marketing isn’t that much of a risk.”