Retro Gaming Australia

Time is proving to be the vindicator of the existence of Super Mario Bros. The first ever big budget silver screen adaptation of a video game rubbed audiences the wrong way with its unique interpretation of the Super Mario Bros. universe, but other video game to movie adaptations make it seem marvelous (thanks Uwe Boll!).

Two people with great appreciation of the Super Mario Bros. film are Ryan Hoss and Steven Applebaum, who run the website Super Mario Bros. Movie Archive. Hoss started the site to “help its viewers understand what the filmmakers were trying to do with this movie, and at least appreciate the immense amount of thought and respect that went into creating it.” A nice change of pace from the standard Internet vitriol.

After running a story on the Super Mario Bros. Movie Archive’s recent script acquisitions, I was contacted by Steven Applebaum who had a little bit of a surprise in the works – an interview they had conducted with one of the writers on the Super Mario Bros. film – Parker Bennett. The full interview has just gone up over on their site, but we got to have a look at it first.
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Last week, Nintendo announced that they would be providing 3DS earler adopters with 10 free GBA games as part of the 3DS Ambassador Program. Five of those games were revealed in that press release – Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames, and Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

It appears as though Nintendo of America’s customer service has inadvertedly revealed two more of the 10 GBA games planned for the program. Nintendo World Report contacted the company to confirm reports that Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 and Kirby and the Amazing Mirror will be made available to 3DS Ambassadors.

Given that Kirby and the Amazing Mirror seems to cost an arm and a leg on eBay, this is good news. Three more games are due to hit the service – any guesses on what they will be?

Kuribo’s Shoe for life.

Super Mario Bros. 3 was the biggest release on the Nintendo Entertainment System, selling over 18 million copies. It also features Kuribo’s Shoe, which is the best goddamn power up in any Mario game. This ad is for the French release of the game.

Search for Super Mario Bros. 3 on eBay

Some people have fond memories of the Super Mario Bros. movie. Others call it the “worst piece of shit movie” they’ve ever been involved with. Whatever your stance is, you may be curious to read about how the film evolved while it was being written.

A site dedicated to the film, Super Mario Bros: The Movie Archive has unearthed four early drafts of the film’s script. One of the scripts is a major departure from the final film, actually being closer to the source material.
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I’ll happily admit that I am not very good at the original Super Mario Bros. While I have actually managed to finish the game twice, I usually start to choke around 8-2.

Youtuber NotEntirelySure has decided to take a different approach to Super Mario Bros., attempting to complete the game with the lowest possible score. (continue reading…)

Nintendo didn’t do a whole lot of print advertising early on, but here’s one;

Click the image for the full size ad

Super Mario Bros. 2 was developed and published by Nintendo for the Famicom Disk System in 1986. The game was famously kept away from international audiences for many years due to Nintendo feeling that the game was not much of an improvement over the first game and too difficult for general audiences. The game eventually left Japan in 1993 as Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, debuting in the compilation title Super Mario All Stars. The game made another appearance as a set of bonus levels in Super Mario Bros. DX for the Game Boy Color. It is now available on the Wii Virtual Console. Obviously, this ad originates from Japan.