One night at my church youth group, I thought I played the best game of Mario Kart in my life. Somehow the controller perfectly interpreted my moves better than it usually did - I wasn't crashing or going the wrong way at all! At the end, I realised I had actually been watching my opponent's screen, and I'd never caught on that I wasn't actually controlling it. Meanwhile my character had just been careening randomly into the side of the racetrack.
Lightning bolts suck. Thankfully, the painstaking work of software engineer Stephen Cook doesn't include any of these (cheater) tricks. In his simplified version of Mario Kart, which you can play right in your browser, you just have to worry about easy driving, not item management.
The same guy who created the ever-crazy Super Mario 64 Online last year - which Nintendo quickly hit with the copyright hammer - is back with a brand-new creation. This time, he's taken the world of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and stuffed it full of Super Mario 64 characters. Before Nintendo's lawyers grab their Super Stars and come running over to stop him, here's how you can play Emanuar's mega-mashup for free.
Back in 2014, Google teamed up with Nintendo to hide Pokemon across Maps. It was surprisingly fun, paving the way for Pokemon GO. Now, the two companies are working together again to transform your turn-by-turn driving directions into a little homage to Mario Kart.
For Mario, 3D used to mean freedom. In 1996, Super Mario 64 broke Nintendo's mascot from the shackles of having to run in a straight line, letting the player choose their own path. But for quite some time now -- no matter how 3D the graphics may have been -- Mario's adventures have reverted back to running on a straight line.
With Super Mario Odyssey, that changes once more, and it's a glorious thing.
Over 3000 years ago, a man named Homer wrote “It is hateful to me to tell a story over again, when it has been well told” in his book The Odyssey. The story of Mario, Bowser and Princess Peach has been well told, multiple times, over the last 30 years. On October 27, we get to hear that story again.
If you're looking for a copy of Super Mario Odyssey this is where you can find the absolute cheapest copies in Australia.
Brief news items of note for Lifehacker readers, including: Mario is no longer a plumber!?, you're probably not gluten intolerant, the critics' picks for best TV shows every year since 2000 and more!
