Re: Ts Mario Demo Special
Basilio Jarvis
The Strong National Museum of Play has obtained a rare demo of Super Mario Bros. 3 that a pre-Doom id Software coded for MS-DOS PCs back in 1990. The acquisition will ensure that the historical curiosity will be preserved and accessible to researchers well into the future.
"The individual who donated it was a game developer," Borman told Ars. "But they did not work on this pitch, instead receiving [it] during their work. It wasn't something I expected to see in this donation, but it was extremely exciting, having seen the video Romero shared back in 2015. One of my favorite things at the museum is helping to process incoming donations, especially when we can help share stories from important developers like id Software."
Before testing the game for himself, Borman said he imaged the original floppy (to help preserve the physical artifact) and verified the contents by comparing a run on the DOSBox emulator to Romero's 2015 video. He was then able to explore the little-seen demo for himself, including Level 1-4, which had never been seen by the public, and a cheeky "IFD" logo spelled out in stars and mushrooms in the upper-left corner of Level 1-1. He described 1-4 as "a fairly flat level, though it has a nice pyramid at the end."
"It is an early demo, though, and lacks many features and polish that would have been seen had the developers been able to work with Nintendo in creating a full retail release," Borman said. "For being such an early demo, it is a lot of fun to play, especially 1-1, which recreates that iconic first level from Super Mario Bros 3."
Borman said the demo will be available upon request to researchers and other parties with a relevant interest. There are no current plans to exhibit the game to the public in the Strong's soon-to-be-expanded Rochester museum space or elsewhere. But Borman said that "there are plenty of opportunities to come in the future" for that kind of display.
The Museum of Play will also ensure that this piece of history will be accessible to future generations of gaming historians. "Our preservation work focuses not only on the research needs of today but also how researchers decades from now, some who may not even be born yet, will access material," Borman said. "Proper climate-controlled storage helps to preserve those physical artifacts, especially when materials like plastic degrades over time. We are also building out our digital preservation capabilities, allowing us to preserve the many forms of media that we find, including the various cartridge and optical mediums."
So far, the fastest time appears to be Jacob Babione, who's managed to complete the demo's Tostarena level in five minutes and 28 seconds. You can watch him speedrun through the sandy Super Mario Odyssey level right here. Just two days prior, he finished the level in six minutes and 39 seconds.
Super Mario Odyssey will be released for Nintendo Switch on October 27. A console bundle that includes a copy of the game, a pair of red Joy-Cons, and a Super Mario Odyssey-themed carrying case will launch on the same day, as well as trio of Mario Odyssey amiibo. While the amiibo unlock special in-game outfits, the content isn't exclusive to the figures.
Mario Tennis Aces will bring back quirky and competitive tennis to the Nintendo Switch, but with a twist. This will be the first Mario Tennis game with a story mode that brings players an original adventure filled with challenges and mystery.
But before fans can get their hands on the game on June 22, a special pre-launch online tournament will be available for one weekend. This is similar to how Nintendo promoted Splatoon 2 before its launch, giving fans a weekend to test the online features and new mechanics.
To download the Mario Tennis Aces demo, simply go to the Nintendo eShop and search "Mario Tennis." It should also be on the front page of the "Recent Releases" list. The pre-release online tournament should appear and you can just download the software.
The biggest aspect of the Mario Tennis Aces demo will be the pre-release online tournament. Once the software is downloaded and you join the online tournament, you will be put into one-on-one matches for points. Players will be able to use these points to unlock more characters, which we'll talk about more below.
Nintendo has confirmed that there will be four playable characters during the Mario Tennis Aces pre-launch tournament: Mario, Peach, Yoshi and Bowser. However, earning points by winning matches will unlock five additional characters that players will discover as they play through the demo.
On the special demo you can take to the court to experience a variety of game modes, and by doing so you can collect rewards that will carry over to the full Mario Tennis Aces game. Rewards include an outfit for Mario that decks him out in classic overalls as well as the ability to unlock blue, red and yellow Yoshi.
Publisher Dear Villagers has released a playable demo for its upcoming Paper Mario-inspired RPG Born of Bread, and it's available to download right now on the European eShop (so if you're in another region, get yourself an additional European account).
The game currently doesn't have a release date, so it's actually quite refreshing to be able to play a sample of something that, for now at least, might still be quite a way off. You play as a 'Flour Golem' who must team up with a colourful cast of characters and use his eclectic range of abilities to succeed in combat. Attacks require specific button prompts in order to maximise damage, and of course, knowledge of what your enemies are weak against will also give you a much-needed edge.
Artistic direction
Unique artistic direction
Born of Bread's visuals are a nice mix of 2D characters evolving in a 3D world.
While the camera angle is fixed like in a side-scroller, the environment features a lot of depth and players are encouraged to explore the vast levels.
A light-hearted storyline
Born of Bread is packed with humor and likable characters.
The storyline while tackling serious topics, such as characters growth and the consequences of choices, always manages to remain joyful and funny.
A wonderful cast of buddies!
Loaf quest will take him to every corners of the kingdom, where he will meet new buddies who will tag along on his adventure.
Each buddy will bring their own set of abilities to the party to help, either in combat or during exploration.
Weapon types
Born of Bread's combat system features different type of weapons with a combination of physical damage types that enemies can resist & special damage types to which enemies are weak to. Find the most efficient combination to overcome villains in style.
I'll probably try out the demo if it comes to NA, but man... I really just want an actual, classic Paper Mario game. It's one of the few missteps in the Switch's otherwise incredible legacy. These indie games just don't feel the void, imo. I bought Bug Fables while it was on sale a couple months ago, but I haven't gotten around to playing it. It just isn't a high priority to me because I don't think I'll be able yo connect with the characters. Super Mario RPG gives me hope Nintendo will eventually remaster Thousand-Year Door. One Paper Mario clone I am quite impressed with, though, is Scrap Story.
Edit: Having watched the trailer, this game certainly looks a lot prettier than Bug Fables, which I don't even think surpasses the N64 Paper Mario in terms of graphics. It still isn't the same, but I can't deny the level of quality that's gone into this.
@Not_Soos Bug Fables' characters do grow to be somewhat likeable, especially if you go out of your way to do the sidequests which - as far as I remember - build on their backstories as well as unlocking new abilities and items, Chrono Trigger style. World has some interesting lore too. I'd also love a new Paper Mario akin to the first two though.
@Not_Soos Bug Fables has solid characterization, the story and world are taken in interesting directions, and I thought it was a great game even without having played the first 2 Paper Mario games. It's not much of a looker, but I'd definitely encourage you to at least start it
There's no option to save during the demo from what I gather, and choosing to go to the menu from settings will do so without warning you about losing data. I tried it early on in the demo as I was curious, consider it a warning if you want to take a break in the middle of it.
The Good
Mario Kart: Double Dash is another fine addition to the Mario Kart series. You have all of the action, thrills, and laughs you would have if you bought the normal version. Only this time... you get more bang for your buck! Now, granted, I bought it at a fairly cheap price, but even at full price, I'm sure it would be worth it!
On the main game, you have Double Dash: a fun racer and a very good sequel to Mario Kart 64 for... the Nintendo 64. What you basically do is race (obviously). But what makes this game different is the fact that you can pick 2 racers for the price of 1. Double the racers, double the fun, weight, and items :)
On the bonus disc, however, you have games from differing genres, including Action (Sonic Heroes), Arcade (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and even racing (F-Zero)! This bonus disc has demos of then new games, which have about 1 to 2 levels on them. This is good, because it can convince you to buy other great games (like how it persuaded me to buy Sonic Heroes). It also has trailers of games.
The graphics aren't the best, especially for GameCube standards. Ironically, the graphics on the demos are slightly better than the main game's itself! Odd, huh?
The Bad
The main game can sometimes be boring and frustrating, especially by yourself. Also, the demos don't exactly have the biggest lasting appeal. The voices are also cheesy. But overall, I have few complaints.
The Bottom Line
Mario Kart: Double Dash ALONE is worth it, but with the inclusion of the Bonus Disc, it just makes all worth while, for it could lead to more purchases of more fun games. So, I have no choice but to give it a 5! If you are into racing games, this is a good choice. But if you aren't, you should still get it I believe.