Sunday, September 29, 2013

GoldenEye: Legend & Legacy

Last year, when I took a break from editing the GoldenEye missions, I got somewhat sidetracked by the incredibly addictive GoldenEye X. (The Perfect Dark Mod that incorporates all the GoldenEye weapons, characters, and levels, which has enabled players to re-live an enhanced experience of GoldenEye 007).






With a bit of time to kill, I downloaded the latest GoldenEye X patch, and went hunting for thrills. Coming up with twisted combinations of opponents & weapons, I've found myself playing Random arenas just for kicks...  Which led to a brief update of my GoldenEye Tribute Page to include a brief introduction to GoldenEye X, which includes a "Simulant Reference Chart"...





GoldenEye is more than just a game to me... It was a big cornerstone of my ill-spent youth, with fond memories of blasting friends to death for endless hours of harmless fun. Even guys who were "too cool" for video games were obsessing over this game, planning weekend deathmatches, or raving over the previous weekend's GoldenEye session.





Multiplayer mode of the original GoldenEye 007 contained weapon sets were frozen, a handful of single player maps, with no CPU opponents available. Despite these shortcomings, the game's Multiplayer mode was still incredible...








The things that have been done with the GoldenEye X project are simply unreal. But perhaps what's even more intriguing and awe-inspiring, is how GoldenEye X has been crafted so tastefully and elegantly. In the latest releases of  GoldenEye X, (especially with the new intro and music, displays and sound effects), the Perfect Dark atmosphere has been replaced by the classic Bond aura that we all know and love.



I definitely hope to see the Cradle and Frigate remain in future releases of the GoldenEye X patch. Even if they're imperfect, it's a thrill to have them available in the menu.












Congrats to Wreck, SubDrag, and the other skilled individuals that made GoldenEye X possible. The never-ending enjoyment of my favorite game has taken me back to a better time... A simpler time.


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Super Mario Bros 3: All Star Form

Obsessed with the Differences in the Super Mario Bros 3 Re-make...


Graphical makeovers were given to the classic Super Mario games when the original "trilogy" was remade for the Super Mario All-Stars version on the SNES. Characters, surfaces and background were all re-textured, along with a few other changes.

 Just like when "enhancements" are made to the original Star Wars films, people often get annoyed when certain things are changed in a re-release. I grew up with the original classics, and I've since played every level of Super Mario Bros 3 in the Super Mario All Stars version... Which of course, inspired me to go back and play through the original NES classic...

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Super Mario Bros 3: Interesting Stuff

Tidbits of Super Mario Bros 3 Trivia...

Examining a few of the intriguing little details that help keep me fascinated with Super Mario Bros 3... Some of them I've known about forever, some of them I'm just learning about now...

Monday, September 9, 2013

SMB3: Letters from the Princess

A Second Glance at Ye Olde Messages...


Upon rescuing the King of each world in Super Mario Bros 3, his Royal Majesty will present you with a message from the Princess.

The Dame speaks in code... Apparently, it's common knowledge that the messages seem to be out of order... Some clues are obvious, except for the strange hint at the end of World 3.









World 1:

"If you see any ghosts, be careful. They will give chase if you turn away."
(Enclosed Jewel: P-Wing)

One of the few messages that doesn't seem out of order... Boo ghosts tend to show up in the 2nd World, and that's where Mario is headed next.




World 2:
"You can stomp on your enemies using Kuribo's shoe."
(Enclosed Jewel: Jugem's Cloud)

Premature Information...? From a beginner's perspective, they might wonder what the hell she's talking about. Kuribo's shoe isn't found until world 5, yet Mario receives this message after completing World 2... So it's not a useless hint...







But as for help, inspiration, or encouragement after his battles...
Mario might have preferred to see a Princess Peach's pinup photo instead...
(Miss Peach Pinup Poster by Don't Blink Tees http://dontblinktees.deviantart.com/ )




World 3:
"The White Block contains magic powers that will enable you to defeat your enemies."
(Enclosed Jewel: Music Box)












"White Block... Magic Powers... Defeat Enemies" I haven't been able to find a definitive answer on this one... A popular belief is that it refers to the Ice Blocks, a favorite weapon of Buster Beetle... I've heard others claim it could be the bouncing note blocks, Jugems Cloud, or even the Music Box that puts the Hammer Brothers to sleep...










I tend to believe that "white block" refers to the odd white blocks that appear in various worlds... There are 5 or 6 of these unusual white blocks in the game, and one of them conveniently leads to a Whistle.












Getting the Warp Whistle in World 1-3.
In addition to this clue about the magic white block in this letter, the Princess also offers another hint to the Warp whistle in her World 6 letter. It seems odd that they would "Double Up" on the clues... Unless it's to ensure the player is pointed in the right direction, in a time before the Internet, when secrets had to be shared mouth to mouth... Perhaps it was decided that a couple mentions were needed to ensure the player would be able discover the first Warp Whistle.







 World 4:
"The thief who stole the Whistle has escaped to the east side of the sand dunes."
(Enclosed Jewel: P-Wing)

A little late for this hint, princess... We can't easily go back to the dessert at this point of the game. Unless it's encouragement to play the game again to see what we may have missed. I know that among friends, the Whistles in World 1 were found relatively soon, while the Desert Whistle was "discovered" later on...





World 5:
"Be careful in the Ice World. The creatures trapped in the ice will come to life if warmed."
(Enclosed Jewel: Jugem's Cloud)

This message from the Princess actually falls into place. Mario has just completed world 5, and he's on his way to World 6, which is Ice Land.



World 6:
"I am well. Please retrieve the magic Whistle hidden in the darkness at the end of the Third world."
(Enclosed Jewel: P-Wing)

Some people misinterpreted the clue to literally mean the game's third world, the Island World. But there's nothing hidden there, so the clue must pertain to World 1-3, which is the third stage in the game. Still, this message arrives rather late... Perhaps we need to shoot the messenger for his tardiness in bringing in the message to the castle...




World 7: We all know why there's no Princess letter here... If you're scratching you're head, then you definitely need to go back and play this awesome game again... I don't care if it's more than 20 years old! Super Mario Bros 3 is a classic, a bestseller, and easily better than half the stuff they're coming out with now...

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Back to Mario 3...

Kicking a Koopa Shell to kill the sun...
I never questioned how truly bizarre this is until now.
Super Mario Bros 3 is one of the best Mario games ever made. Deciding to go back to play the game all the way through the 8th world to explore it all again more than 20 years later was definitely well worth it.

So many hidden little secrets, especially in the 1st world alone. All this was first experienced back in the days before the Internet, when secrets were learned firsthand, and then shared among friends. Some secrets were deliberate cause and effect in a level, while other things like the magical Coin Ship seemed to appear completely at random (until The Players Guide revealed the specifics).

I played a bit of the original classic, but opted for the Super Mario All-Stars version so I could actually save my progress, all the while collecting random screenshots here and there.

As a sidenote, I also just happened to find an article called "Mario in Japan", which explains the meanings behind the names of "Kuribo's Shoe" and "Jugem's Cloud", as well as a bunch of other neat stuff:
http://themushroomkingdom.net/smb3_j-e.shtml


It's Rocky Wrench...
Man, how I hated Rocky Wrench!

Time for a fair fight against those Hammer Brother pricks...

Screwed.



Little Castle of Horrors!
I guess all that fire and lava really gets the Piranha Plants in the mood...



I've always thought that Stretch looks like Boo Diddly...


I always thought that the King in World 3 looks like Mario...
Upon researching it, I found an article that shows something interesting about the final islands in World 3...
The way the four islands are sized and positioned, it actually resembles Japan! No joke...
http://themushroomkingdom.net/smb3_j-e.shtml