Showing posts with label Mario. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mario. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, October 19, 2009
Nintendo introduces the "Super Guide"
Can't beat a level? Let the SUPER GUIDE beat it for you!
Sounds lame? You must be a gamer.
http://www.destructoid.com/using-mario-wii-s-super-guide-makes-miyamoto-regretful-152141.phtml
"When a players dies eight times on one of the game's 80 stages, they'll have a chance to hit a green "Super Guide" block. This will trigger a video in which you'll watch Luigi play through the stage. This isn't designed to give away all of the game's secrets -- it won't show you hidden paths or all of the hidden coins, for instance.
It will however give players the opportunity to see how the stage could be completed. At any time, the player can jump into the action and take over, which would give them the opportunity to let the game itself guide them through some of the nastier sections. If the player decides, letting the game complete the level will allow them to move to the next stage. "
"According to Miyamoto, there are a few disadvantages to using the "Super Guide." Players who persevere and decide not to use any "Super Guide" blocks will be awarded with something special (like some cool indicator on the game's title screen), where as those who rely on them will miss out. There's another downside to using the guides -- shame."
"I find that when [the "Super Guide" block] does appear," he says. "I kind of feel regretful and guilty that I've let that happen. So I've often found that playing the game, when that happens, it kind of inspires me [to say] 'I've already done this bad, now I have to clear the level on my own.'"
Sounds lame? You must be a gamer.
http://www.destructoid.com/using-mario-wii-s-super-guide-makes-miyamoto-regretful-152141.phtml
"When a players dies eight times on one of the game's 80 stages, they'll have a chance to hit a green "Super Guide" block. This will trigger a video in which you'll watch Luigi play through the stage. This isn't designed to give away all of the game's secrets -- it won't show you hidden paths or all of the hidden coins, for instance.
It will however give players the opportunity to see how the stage could be completed. At any time, the player can jump into the action and take over, which would give them the opportunity to let the game itself guide them through some of the nastier sections. If the player decides, letting the game complete the level will allow them to move to the next stage. "
"According to Miyamoto, there are a few disadvantages to using the "Super Guide." Players who persevere and decide not to use any "Super Guide" blocks will be awarded with something special (like some cool indicator on the game's title screen), where as those who rely on them will miss out. There's another downside to using the guides -- shame."
"I find that when [the "Super Guide" block] does appear," he says. "I kind of feel regretful and guilty that I've let that happen. So I've often found that playing the game, when that happens, it kind of inspires me [to say] 'I've already done this bad, now I have to clear the level on my own.'"
Monday, August 17, 2009
AI Tested on 'Super Mario Brothers' Game
AI Tested on 'Super Mario Brothers' Game
Eric Bland, Discovery News
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/17/super-mario-brothers.html
Aug. 17, 2009 -- Human players might have defeated Bowser decades ago in the original Super Mario Brothers video game, but a new competition is pitting computers against Koopa Troopas to save Princess Toadstool.
The contest is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of artificial intelligence programs.
"Basically we need a good way to compare different artificial intelligent techniques," said Julian Togelius, an assistant professor at IT University of Copenhagen and who, along with his colleague Sergey Karakovskiy, is organizing the competition.
"Computer games have a design that is relevant to humans, are fast paced and well defined. And besides, everyone loves games."
The computer programs will pit Mario and his brother, Luigi, against the same Goombas, Piranha Plants and Bullet Bills that human players have confronted for decades.
The specific levels, however, will be new to human and computer players alike.
Togelius has developed a random level generator that will create dozens of new, never-before-seen levels. To the possible chagrin of frustrated human players, the original Super Mario Brothers levels would likely be too easy for a computer, said Togelius.
Eric Bland, Discovery News
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/17/super-mario-brothers.html
Aug. 17, 2009 -- Human players might have defeated Bowser decades ago in the original Super Mario Brothers video game, but a new competition is pitting computers against Koopa Troopas to save Princess Toadstool.
The contest is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of artificial intelligence programs.
"Basically we need a good way to compare different artificial intelligent techniques," said Julian Togelius, an assistant professor at IT University of Copenhagen and who, along with his colleague Sergey Karakovskiy, is organizing the competition.
"Computer games have a design that is relevant to humans, are fast paced and well defined. And besides, everyone loves games."
The computer programs will pit Mario and his brother, Luigi, against the same Goombas, Piranha Plants and Bullet Bills that human players have confronted for decades.
The specific levels, however, will be new to human and computer players alike.
Togelius has developed a random level generator that will create dozens of new, never-before-seen levels. To the possible chagrin of frustrated human players, the original Super Mario Brothers levels would likely be too easy for a computer, said Togelius.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Of Mario and Myth
Some of the most toxic mushrooms found in the world are found within the genus Amanita. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning. About one gram of amanita muscaria is considered a toxic dose. In cases of serious poisoning it causes a delirium, characterized by bouts of marked agitation with confusion and hallucinations.
So why is Mario eating Amanita Muscaria?
He eats them like candy!
Reason: Size distortion.
In western Siberia, the use of A. muscaria was restricted to shamans, who used it as a method of achieving a trance state. They also use it during Yule celebrations, in which the shaman will bring A. muscaria to the people of the tribe. They will then eat them and see each other as huge giants or tiny elves. In fact, the consumption of A. muscaria in Siberia is directly responsible for the Christmas (Yule) legends of elves and Santa Claus!
So that's why he grows so big when he eats the mushroom! (or turns small if it's a mini-mushroom or dies if it has a skull on it)
Mario spends a lot of time eating Amanita. Could he be a shaman? No way! He's a plumber from Brooklyn, right? Well maybe when he isn't saving the princess in the Mushroom Kingdom, he's sitting at home studying shamanism and ethnobotany, because he seems to know exactly which mushrooms he needs and exactly which leaves he needs for size distortion and sensations of flying respectively.
Maybe Raccoons are his totem animal?
Or how about the Tanooki?
The Japanese legendary shape-shifting Tanooki is said to put leaves on its heads and to chant prior to transformation. In some legends, the leaf is the sacred lotus plant of Buddhism. When Mario gets a leaf, he gains pointy ears and the tail of a Tanooki.
"Tanuki" is the Japanese word for 'raccoon dog' (Nyctereutes procyonoides). They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times. The legendary tanuki is a mischievous master of disguise and shapeshifting. 
Okay.... so Mario is a shaman who eats mushrooms and leaves and his totem animal is the 'raccoon dog' of Japanese folklore..... interesting....
Speaking of Japanese folklore.... the Koopas are actually "Kappas" which are "river-children" of Japan. These legendary water-sprites are gods of the Shinto religion.
Kappa are mischievous troublemakers. Their pranks range from the relatively innocent, such as loudly passing gas or looking up women's kimonos, to the more troublesome, such as stealing crops, kidnapping children, or raping women. In fact, small children are one of the gluttonous kappa's favorite meals!!!
They feed on these hapless victims by sucking out the entrails through the anus. But don't bother trying to stop them, they are said to be masters of the "Koppo" martial arts technique (which was invented by them).
Mario EASILY kills these Shinto gods by jumping on their heads. Mario is awesome!!!!!
Note: I must say that not ALL kappa are evil. There are Shinto shrines dedicated to benevolent Kappa throughout Japan.
 In the Japanese manual for the original Super Mario Bros, the evil King of the Koopas is called Daimaō Kuppa ( "Big Devil Koopa" or "Great Demon Koopa"). |  | |
Keep fighting the good fight Mario!!!  |
Links:
Amanita -
http://www.erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?A=ShowDocPartFrame&C=ref&ID=6472&DocPartID=6005
Tanooki -
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tanuki.shtml
http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/mariosan.shtml
Kappa -
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