A few days ago I posted about a Kickstarter project to make a handheld system that can play retro games built on the Raspberry Pi. If you are interested in building the ultimate retro emulator to hook up to your TV pparently building a Raspberry Pi console isn't too hard and Gizmodo made an awesome video about it. You can even buy a kit that includes all the parts you need right now on Amazon for $70 while we are all waiting for that NES Classic to be back in stock. I don't recommend you pirate all these games but if you want a one stop shop to play all the games you do own, this is a great option.

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Looks like Nintendo is partnering up with Universal Studios to bring a themed Mario experience to park goers. As a Harry Potter fan we made our way to Universal Orlando to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and I thought that stuff was incredible. That said, much of the other attractions weren't entirely to my liking and if Universal added Nintendo rides I think that could really make for a more fun park experience. I do wonder how general audiences would do with Nintendo themed rides?

Would you make a trip to Universal Studios to check out a Nintendo themed experience? Does a Mario or Zelda ride interest you?


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Cheerful Ghost had a booth at this years Portland Retro Game Expo and as part of that ran several NES Tournaments. It's a fun thing people enjoy and as we were winding down our first tournament and setting up for our second my NES died. Having your Nintendo die at a retro gaming convention isn't the worst timing I suppose but I wasn't sure if I should buy a replacement NES or get it repaired. I wanted to get it repaired but I didn't have time to track down some repair person at the expo so I decided to try something different. That day I had seen Hyperkin's RetroN 3 for sale and I was interested in trying it out in our tournament. The RetroN 3 plays NES, Genesis and... Read All


The NES Classic looks like it will be this holidays hot item. I wonder if Nintendo purposefully limited stock to create more demand for the product or if it's simply a case of the system being way more popular than they anticipated? Either way if you want to get a system pre-Christmas, right now, it looks like you will have to do a bit or work or pay some crazy ebay scalper prices, which I don't recommend. I was at Target today and they recommend calling in at 8.30am to see if they have any in stock and if they do to come in and pick it up. I don't love that method but I really would love opening this up on Christmas and so i'll be calling for now.

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In this episode of Nintendo's new online web show the Nintendo Minute they show off the upcoming NES Classic and quite a few games that come with it. There are a few details confirmed here such as the 3 foot long controllers and the incredible NES Classic interface in action. Not thrilled with the cord length and i'm honestly curious what the thinking was here? Do they expect us to stretch out the HDMI cable to make room from the TV to the couch? I hope someone makes some extension cables or something because that would make using the system in the living room much easier. I imagine if you were plugging the NES classic in to your monitor then the small cords wouldn't... Read All


From the first mention of the NES Classic I was in. 30 amazing NES games in HD that hook up to your modern TV? Hell yes. Nintendo is known for producing good quality stuff but we didn't know how it would look in person or what the user interface would be... until now. Nintendo has launched a new commercial with a song that sounds like Don't You Want Me by The Human League which basically means it's pitch perfect for the NES classic. The TV spot shows off how easy it is to create save points by pressing the reset button. The NES classic interface is a 8-bit themed homage to that era and it looks very easy to use. When you move through each game there is a 1P or 2P icon... Read All


The Super Mario Brothers minus world warp glitch was the first game secret I was ever taught. I say taught because game secrets were passed down from person to person back then as the Internet and even Nintendo Power wasn't a thing. When I heard about it I was really impressed that such a thing was even possible in a video game and my young mind was completely blown when a friend showed it to me. Later on I learned another Mario glitch where you could shoot fireballs while small that I loved even more than the minus world glitch. The video linked above talks about the minus world glitch and gives an in depth explanation as to how it works.

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New world record speedrunner Darbian has completed his goal of getting the new best time for Super Mario Brothers at 4:57.260. The video is linked above and you need to watch it. As he continues with the last few levels you can tell he knows he is doing well when he starts getting nervous. The nerves don't sink him as he elegantly speeds by Bowser to save the Princess to fame and glory.

So what will Darbian do now that he has broken the world record? Disneyland?

"I have reached my potential in this category - I'm done! My quest is over."

Solid work.


You can file this in this "what the..." section but apparently the Super Mario Theme has official Nintendo sanctioned lyrics. See if we take our time machine and go back to 1985 Nintendo fans submitted lyrics for the theme song to a Japaneese radio contest. The winner was selected and the song pressed to a vinyl record that someone later recorded and posted above. Some awesome person at Destruction later translated the song to English and what follows will really give you a deeper understanding of Mario and the entire series.

Oh and the title of the song? Go Go Mario of course!

"Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running
Go save Princess Peach! Go!
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In this latest Game/Show video Jamin asks why Mario's theme is so gosh darn catchy. He discussed the limitations of the early NES and modern music and what properties are more ear pleasing that others.

Mario's theme is catchy but nothing brings me back to a nostalgic adventure trip like hearing the music from NES Zelda.

"The Mario theme song is HARDWIRED into our brains. It's SO CATCHY! You absentmindedly hum the first six notes in your head when youā€™re doing laundry, or even find yourself hearing echoes of it in the modern music of today. What was it about your experience with games like Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Tetris that made their music so memorable? The... Read All