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Luigi Awareness Society News
Below are the 15 most recent journal entries.
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2003.12.05 17.41
Give the gift of gaming.
[December 5, 2003]
The creators of the popular video game webcomic Penny Arcade present Child's Play, a toy drive to benefit the Seattle Children’s Hospital this holiday season.
From Gabe on Penny Arcade:
"Here's the deal.
If you are like me, every time you see an article like this one - where the author claims that video games are training our nations youth to kill - you get angry. The media seems intent on perpetuating the myth that gamers are ticking time bombs just waiting to go off. I know for a fact that gamers are good people. I have had the opportunity on multiple occasions to meet hundreds of you at conventions all over the country. We are just regular people who happen to love video games.
With that in mind we have put together a little something we like to call “Child’s Play.” Penny Arcade is working with the Seattle Children’s Hospital and Amazon.com to make this Christmas really special for a lot of very sick kids. With the help of the Children’s Hospital we have created an Amazon Wish List for the kids. It’s full of video games, movies and toys. Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape and just having a Game Boy would really raise their spirits.
Please take some time to browse the Wish List. Maybe all you can afford is a package of batteries or maybe you want to go in with your entire office and get the kids a GameCube. Every single contribution will help out the Children’s Hospital and the 190,000 kids they treat each year.
All the toys and games will be delivered to us and we will in turn deliver them to the Children’s Hospital. As soon as the toys start arriving I’ll set up a web site and post as many pictures as I can. We will be making a trip over to one of the hospitals next week and we’ll bring you back stories from some of the kids along with more pictures.
Penny Arcade has a readership of something like 150,000 gamers across the world. We are arguably the largest community of gamers on the internet. The important word there being community. This isn’t IGN, this isn’t Gamespy, we are not a faceless corporation, you are not just a number tracked by a database and then relayed to hungry advertisers. You guys have proven yourselves to be a powerful force when stirred into action. Here is your opportunity to use that power to do some real good.
Let’s give these kids the Christmas that they deserve and let’s give the news papers a different kind of story to write about gamers.
-Gabe out"
I encourage anyone who has the means to contribute to this or any other charity this holiday season to do so, either online or through local organizations, to benefit those less fortunate. I just thought this was relevant since if you're reading this, you're probably a gamer. And to somehow relate this to Luigi, my donation was a copy of Luigi's Mansion through the Amazon Wish List. :)
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2003.11.17 14.54
Go buy games.
[November 17, 2003]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! come out today in the US.
Mario Party 5 came out about a week ago.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 came out about a month ago.
Go, buy games. Enjoy the Luigi goodness. That is all.
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2003.10.01 15.38
Review: Super Mario Bros.: King Koopa Katastrophe [Region 1 DVD]
[October 1, 2003]
Okay, so this DVD came out in July, but I figured I'd do a quick review of it, anyway.
For anyone who picked up the Mario's Greatest Movie Moments DVD released some time ago, you probably remember it as being, um, not so great, at least in terms of DVD quality and format. King Koopa Katastrophe isn't that much better, but it's a step in the right direction.
Unlike the first Mario Bros. DVD, which featured episodes from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show (minus the live action segments), the second DVD is based on The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. The DVD features 6 episodes, each running about 11 minutes.
Gone from the menus is Inspector Gadget (thank god), and they have been replaced with much more appropriate Super Mario Bros. imagery. There are still very few options on this DVD, however. You're given the option of simply playing all of the episodes straight through, beginning with the AoSMB3 theme, or selecting each individual episode. There is no scene selection option, but since the episodes are only about 11 minutes long, while still a little annoying, it's not as bad as it would have been if they were full half-hour cartoons.
Other than that, there is a language setup menu, giving you the option to choose between English and Spanish voices. It's disappointing that there is no option for subtitles like there was on the previous DVD, but the Spanish language option is new to this DVD, and the Spanish voices are well done and very similar to the English voices. Luigi's voice is actually much more pleasant in Spanish, in my opinion.
There is no quiz on this DVD as there was on the last one, however there is one "bonus episode." Those who picked up the last DVD may recall that that DVD contained two episodes of The Legend of Zelda (which was part of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show). This one does not contain any Zelda episodes. Instead, the bonus episode in this case is an episode of another DiC video game adaptation, Sonic Underground, the last of DiC's three Sonic the Hedgehog-based series.
The quality of the episodes on this DVD is not great. Better than VHS, most likely, but like the previous Mario DVD, it seems that the source material itself is not high quality, and it has not been digitally remastered. The Sonic Underground series was made much more recently, and as far as I can tell, the quality there is very good. The Super Mario Bros. 3 episodes, however, were made in the very early 1990s, and are showing their age. Still, it's definitely better quality than any episodes I have taped off of TV, and I would definitely recommend the compilation to any Super Mario Bros. fan.
As for the packaging... The DVD itself is printed in full color including the image that's found on the box. The box art is... well, it's better than the first DVD. There are a couple of typos on the back of the box, but I'll save my nitpicking there. :) The design is decent, maybe a little better than the previous release, but nothing too special.
And the episode list for this DVD:
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Reptiles in the Rosegarden
Sneaky, Lying, Cheating Giant Ninja Koopas
The Beauty of Kootie
Toddler Terrors of Time Travel
Reign Storm
Never Koop a Koopa
Sonic Underground
Sonic Tonic
Also of note are the other DVDs released by DiC along side this DVD as part of their "Animation Station" series. In addition to Super Mario Bros.: King Koopa Katastrophe, they've put out The Legend of Zelda: Ganon's Evil Tower, which features three of the episodes that were part of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show and one bonus episode of Sonic Underground, and Sonic Underground: Dr. Robotnik's Revenge, which features three episodes of Sonic Underground and a bonus episode of Super Mario Bros. The Mario Bros. episode featured on this DVD is "Do You Princess Toadstool, Take This Koopa" from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Instead of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show opening preceding the cartoon, there is a compilation of the openings from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World, all put together and without lyrics to the respective themes and titled "Mario All Stars." If I recall correctly, this opening was used after the initial run of these series when any of the three was aired randomly in a cartoon block a number of years ago.
For those of us who grew up with these cartoons, it'll certainly offer some nostalgic fun. For anyone who missed these when they originally aired or is too young to remember them, these episodes are silly and a little corny at times (especially the songs), but in a way that's pretty much true to Mario and company. The shows are full of characters, music, locations, and items taken straight from the games (with the Super Mario Bros. Super Show focusing on Super Mario Bros. 1 and 2, and the latter two series focusing on the games they were named after). Peach is still referred to as "Princess Toadstool" in these shows since her US name was not officially changed to her original Japanese name until Super Mario 64. The Koopa Kids were all renamed for this show for some reason that is still entirely unknown to me.
All three DVDs can currently be found on Amazon.com (and possibly at other select retailers). They are all Region 1. If these DVDs (or any other DVDs containing similar content) were released for any other region, please let me know.
Super Mario Bros.: King Koopa Katastrophe - US$13.49
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000AZT6K/102-5836536-5546563
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2003.09.20 23.02
Game and DVD Releases...
[September 20, 2003]
Upcoming releases featuring Luigi:
10.21 Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)
11.11 Mario Party 5 (GCN)
11.17 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)
11.17 Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GCN)
(release dates are subject to change)
Recent releases featuring Luigi:
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GCN)
Super Mario Bros.: King Koopa Katastrophe (DVD)
Super Mario Bros. The Movie (DVD)
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2003.04.23 21.15
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
[April 23, 2003]
Too tired to try to translate stuff now, but all the news sites will probably be all over it in the next day or so, anyway. Just drool over the screenshots until then.
www.late-show.net/mariokart.jpg
[EDIT] (jump to a few hours later...)
Article taken from the Nintendo Gaming Community:
"This new Mario Kart title is now official named Mario Kart: Double Dash and for good reason. In this new Mario Kart game you don't race alone. Each kart holds two racers, you choose from Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Yoshi, Birdo, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Koopa, and Paratroopa and pair them up any way you want.
The character up front of the Kart does all the driving while the one in the back hands out all the damage. Which he'll have six normal items and eight special items only that specific characters can use. Plus at anytime the two characters can switch places."
...not just one Luigi, but two! ^_^
And the screenshots...
www.fiyer.com/ningc/img/l...023361.jpg
www.fiyer.com/ningc/img/l...023362.jpg
www.fiyer.com/ningc/img/l...104253.jpg
www.fiyer.com/ningc/img/l...110650.jpg
www.fiyer.com/ningc/img/l...110641.jpg
www.fiyer.com/ningc/img/l...110637.jpg
www.fiyer.com/ningc/img/l...110633.jpg
www.fiyer.com/ningc/img/l...110628.jpg
Enjoy!
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2002.02.21 20.49
Super Mario Bros. Super Show on DVD
[February 21, 2002]
Just a reminder that the Super Mario Bros. Super Show DVD will be coming out on February 26th. It can be ordered from Amazon.com.
The episode listing is as follows:
"Kount Koopula!"
"Koopenstein!"
"Koopzilla!"
"Robo-Koopa"
"Toad Warrior"
"Raiders of the Lost Mushroom"
And for playing the Quiz Game on the Mario DVD, you get to watch:
"The Adventures of Sherlock Mario"
The Zelda episodes (selectable from the menu) are:
"The Missing Link"
"Kiss and Tell"
Thanks to Artie from Team Artail for the episode listings.
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2001.05.17 18.59
Games Update
[May 17, 2001]
Lots of new Luigi's Mansion pics today popping up on various sites, as well as downloadable footage. And, if you were watching Tech TV today or yesterday, you may have seen some of this stuff full-screen. :) There's still no word on if Luigi will be playable in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but there's always the possibility that he'll be a hidden character again. I hope so, as the videos I saw seemed to have all of the characters from the original game, other than Luigi and Jigglypuff. But with Luigi getting his own game at around the same time as that game's release, it would seem a bit odd to exclude him. On a slightly unrelated note, I think the addition of Peach, Bowser, and Sheik kicks ass. :)
For lots of new movies and pics, check out the following sites:
e3.nintendo.com
cube.ign.com
I should also mention that Luigi's Mansion is probably not "the" Mario game for GameCube, but we'll probably have to wait for SpaceWorld in August to get the details on that game. Also, there's word of new additions to the Mario Kart and Mario Party series in the works for GameCube. And of course, don't forget about Super Mario Advance and Mario Kart Advance for... (duh) Game Boy Advance. I got a chance to play Super Mario Advance the other day, and it looked and played quite nicely. :)
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2001.05.16 18.51
Luigi's Mansion: Officially Announced
[May 16, 2001]
The news all Luigi fans have been waiting for. It's now official. Luigi will be starring in his first solo title since Mario Is Missing, and under the watchful eye of Miyamoto-san, it's certainly looking good.
Details about the game were revealed earlier this week and today at the pre-E3 press conference. It's no secret that our boy Luigi scares easily, and this game is looking to take full advantage of that personality trait, helping to further develop Luigi's character.
Luigi's Mansion's story begins with Luigi and Mario winning a contest in which a mansion is the prize. However, as Luigi arrives at the mansion, he discovers that it is haunted, and his brother is nowhere to be found. Luigi is informed by an odd little doctor that in order to rescue Mario, he must collect all of the mansion's ghosts and turn them into paintings, armed with only a flashlight and a vacuum cleaner.
The gameplay stands apart from other Mario Bros. games. Luigi must locate ghosts with his flashlight and then suck them up with his vacuum cleaner. This vacuum appears to be his main tool throughout the game. He can use it to inhale ghosts, as well as items such as coins and mice, and it can also be used to spray water. However, players must watch that vacuum doesn't overheat, or Luigi's overalls will catch on fire. Ouch. :) While the game is fully 3D, it often takes on a side-scrolling perspective as Luigi makes his way through the mansion.
As for the graphics, they really show what the GameCube is capable of. The transparent glow of the ghosts, the real-time light and shadows cast by Luigi's flashlight, Luigi's cowering and frightened expressions, and various other effects add to the dark and creepy mood of the game. New pictures have been released in addition to the footage from SpaceWorld in August, and they really speak for themselves. Click on the links below. (Credit for these images goes to www.ign.com.)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
(drag or copy and paste links into browser address bar)
The game will be available November 2001, probably at launch, which is currently scheduled for November 5th. Check back later for further updates... ^_^
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2001.03.02 05.30
New Message Board
[March 2, 2001]
All righty... It's 5:30 am, and I haven't gone to bed yet, so I'll make this quick. ^_^;; There's a new message board up now, since the old one is shutting down. The new one's an ezboard, which I like very much. I hope to see you all there. ^_^
Other updates are slow simply because I don't have a lot of time on my hands at the moment. I have lots of new pictures and sounds to add, and the game list and links are seriously outdated. o_O;; Spring break is coming up soon, so I'll try to get a decent update done then (provided I get to take my computer home with me). Also, a lot of the mail I've been sent over the past couple of months has been lost, so if you e-mailed me and haven't gotten a reply, I'm really sorry. If it was something important you can try sending it again, or better yet, head on over on the message board, since I tend to check for new messages more often than I check my mail. ^_^;; And of course, keep those poll responses coming in! Once I have the time, I'll figure out the results and post them. ^_^
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2000.08.25 04.55
Spaceworld 2000 - Luigi's Mansion
[August 24/25, 2000]
So much to do and so little time! Well, it's almost time for me to head back to college, but with all the excitement surrounding Spaceworld 2000, I thought it'd be a good time to update. If you've been to www.nintendo.com and various other gaming sites recently, I'm sure you've seen screenshots of the Gamecube and Game Boy Advance in action. In case you haven't, just take a look at these Gamecube screenshots of Luigi braving a haunted mansion! ^_^
These pics do not necessarily represent actual scenes from the next Mario game, but they do give us an idea of what to expect. The clip (and maybe game?) has been dubbed "Luigi's Mansion." I like the detail in his shoes and overalls, and I thought it was interesting that his eyebrows and mustache are brown, like the rest of his hair, rather than the usual black. The effects and fluid movement in this clip are simply amazing. Try to see it in motion, if you can. And if you can't, check out the pictures section for some more screenshots. :)
Now for the update... As of 4:55 AM EST on August 25th, I've got the entire pictures section updated (for now). Lots of new pics this time. I've added some old favorites in with lots of new stuff. As I mentioned above, I've got a whole bunch of screenshots of Luigi in the Gamecube demo. I'll be watching out for any new info from Spaceworld. :)
I have some new sounds and links to add, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to put them on hold for a bit. Keep an eye out for them.
Oh well, I really need to get a little sleep now... Catch you on the message board. :)
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2000.07.07 20.08
Mario Tennis 64
[July 7, 2000]
I'm back! Luigi's been doing quite a bit since I last updated. ^_^;; What everyone seems to be most excited about now is Mario Tennis 64. In addition to the regular cast of characters from the Mario universe are the long absent Princess Daisy from Super Mario Land and Birdo from Super Mario Bros. 2 USA. Even though Birdo has popped up in games like Wario's Woods and Kirby Super Star, this is perhaps the first time that these two will be featured as playable characters. What Luigi fans are talking about, though, is the introduction of Wario's brother and Luigi's rival, Waluigi.
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[ The Luigi Awareness Society ]
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luigi_news's journal
