2023 marked 30 years since the opening of Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel's notorious Super Mario Bros. movie, a film that no one in their right mind was defending at the time of its release. Flash forward to today and it has plenty of fans willing to go to bat for its bizarre Dinotopia vision, all culminating in an absurd new box set from Australi??a. 

One of the great things about physical media is, in the right hands, you can see the love for film bursting forth from whatever totem you may be holding. We live in an age of boutique labels that pours tons of time an??d resources into getting their releases just right, and Aussie distributor Umbrella Entertainment pulled out all the stops for this particular Thwomp Stomper. Beyond two versions of the film �including a vastly different workprint that runs about 20 minutes longer than theatrical �the set includes a 48??0-page hardcover book, and some unique recreations of promotional ephemera from 1993. 

This ain't no game

The main piece on display in this mini-museum is as wildly uneven as ever in 2024. Super Mario Bros. isn't a? film that was entirely put together by people who love video games; that wasn't something you were going to get in 1993. There wasn't a ton of Mario lore to expand upon at the time, and interviews with everyone from screenwriters like Parker Bennet to late Mario actor Bob Hoskins illustrate the fact that they considered its story to be little more than "jumping around from left to right." 

Whatever the thoughts on the source material may have been, they wanted to do for Mario and Luigi what Tim Burton did for Batman. They designed a suitably gritty world â€?more Total Recall than Batman for my money â€?and established a narrative that saw Dennis Hopper embodying a dictator-like Koopa?? bent on merging the dying desert world of the dinosaurs with the thriving metropolises the mammals so wrongfully called their own. 

It's kind of a beautiful mess, and as a result it ends up being more interesting than whatever kids like myself might have wanted three decades ago. I was a huge Nintendo nerd; wild for lovable crud like The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and Valiant's Nintendo comics. In my mind, the nonexistent promise of the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie was a faithful translation from game to screen, whatever that would have been. I pictured Mario leaping from chasm to chasm, bouncing off mushrooms and stomping Koopa Troopas in big screen splendor. What I was really imagining was probably closer to a cacophonous approximation of Super Show leads Lou Albano and Da?nny Wells shouting about spaghetti in the multiplex??. 

Trust the fungus

That's not what I got, and while I was disappointed in 1993, I eventually came to look back on the Super Mario Bros. movie fondly. In 2023, we got a better idea of what a straight-up cinematic spin on the Mario universe would look like in the aptly-titled Super Mario Bros. Movie. And you know what? It's fairly dull and lacks any form of idiosyncratic inspiration. This may shock you, but it turns out that what I wanted when I was 12 wasn't all that unique or exciting. I'm not saying Morton and Jankel's production is some kind of revelatory lightning bolt from the past, bu?t at least they tried to do something with what they had.

The fact that they were able to do it in the fir??st place is the best argument for "showing up" I've seen in a while. Produ?cer Roland Joffé recalls that he flew to Nintendo's headquarters in Japan and met with then-president Hiroshi Yamauchi. During the meeting, Yamauchi noted that other studios were also interested in the material. When asked why they should give it to them, Joffé simply said "Because I'm here." As the story goes, Yamauchi quite liked that response. 

There are plenty of anecdotes like that in Umbrella's Super Mario Bros. set, which is as close as we're likely to get to a historical artifact on the subject. One piece of ephemera in particular lit a latent portion of my aging dino-brain ablaze. The box contains a smaller, but otherwise perfect recreation of the Official Movie Magazine that was released to promote the film, right down to all the advertisements inside. It's one thing to get insight into a production like this, but it'??s also helpful to see the other side of the coin; how it was sold and what flavor of unfiltered hype fueled it in that exact moment. 

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo(lved)! 

The information on the discs and within the expansive hardcover tome will be new to many of those who peruse this set, but much of it has been kicking around online thanks to the tireless efforts of the SMB Movie Archive. Founder Ryan Hoss and Editor-in-Chief Steven Applebaum shared their thoughts on the trajectory of their fandom �Toad actor Mojo Nixon once called their archeological quest an "insane obsession" �in the book's introdu?ction. The artwork, photos, and stories that follow are worth the price of ad?mission alone.

Even if you've never come around to the '93 Super Mario Bros. movie, Umbrella's collection goes a long way to emphasize the fact that no one sets out to make a "bad" f??ilm. All of the artists and creatives behind the production put a ton of work in to realize the vision fueling it all, even if that vision did a complete 180 at one point, leading to more painstaking work. The results are unlike anyt?hing one would expect from a Mario movie, and if that wasn't the cast we might not still be talking about it to this day. 

When I first received the set from Umbrella I was hesitant to post much about it simply because it sold out almost immediately. Thankfully, on March 22 Umbrella announced a reprint, complete with everything the original set included but without the limited numbering. There's also the option to go disc-less for those ??who just want to upgrade their standalone 4K c??opy. At some point in my life I decided it was okay to spend one hundred U.S. dollars on a stupid movie from time to time. This fungal blast from the devolved past easily earned that distinction. 

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Given the sheer length of time Mario has been around, it's not surprising that people are able to beat the original Super Mario Bros. in record time. Speedrunning is a huge part of the gaming community, and the iconic Nintendo game is close to having the ??perfect run.

Over on YouTube, runner Niftski has set a new world record, beating Super Mario Bros. in just 4:54.631. Watching the challenge itself is quite spectacular, but if you're curious as to?? why they're so elated when they finish the game, it's due to how near-perfect the run was.

//youtu.be/Khu9BB2g4Ks

You see, according to Niftski, someone just needs to shave off 0.366 seconds (or 22 ?frames) for it to be the absolute fastest �the literal limit �anyone can beat the classic platformer. Until now, this time was deemed impossible for human hands. But now a "new era" has begun for the speedrunning community.

Heart-pumping stuff

According to GamesRadar, this particular run is impressive because of something called "framerule." This is, as the report says, the "hidden in-g??ame time??r that checks every 21 frames to see if you've completed a level."

There's a 45-minute breakdown of how this works from YouTuber Summoning Salt, if you're interested in learning more. Suffice it to say, Nift?ski's record sets a new bar for ot??hers who want that perfect speedrun.

Speedrun.com has validated this latest run, which puts it just 0.233 seconds ahead of second place. Things are only going to get tighter, and it's going to be interesting to see who can come along and essentially do a frame-perfect run of Mario.

The post Supe??r Mario speedruns are close to perfection, as a new wor??ld record is achieved appeared first on Destructoid.

So they’ll be�fresher?

Nintendo and Oreo have revealed that Luigi and the rest of the Super Mario gang are going to be crossing over into the world of cookies. Pre-orders are now open for limited edition Oreo x Super Mario cookies. And I do??n’t know how? I can remain shocked that this is where the FOMO market has gotten us.

A pack of Orea x Super Mario includes 12 cookies, and there are 16 designs in all. Of the 16 e??mbossed designs, one of them features Luigi, and none of them depic?ts Monty Mole. If you eat the entire package by yourself, you’ll be treating yourself to 720 calories and immeasurable shame.

Oreos are also challenging you to balance the allegedly rare Bowser cookie on the edge of a glass and then stack all the other characters on top of it unt?il it all collapses. I guess this is a social media thing. No prize has been announced, but they say, "The Oreo brand may even have a surprise in store for fans who rise to the challenge, defeat Bowser and save the Mushroom Kingdom." Oh, gosh, there's a trailer on the site.

Huh. Oreos definitely aren’t bad cookies, and I have no problems with product marketing. This just seems a bit extra. Preorders for a Cookie? Maybe this is normal, and I'm the one who's out of touch. It reminds me of the Super Mario Cereal, where the box was also an Amiibo. I?? still have never see??n a physical box of that stuff. It disappeared the moment it hit the shelf. Even still, I wouldn’t have pre-ordered it.

If you do wan?t to pre-order some cookies, there’s a limit of 1 per order. That means your pre-order can’t possibly net you all 16 designs. Weird. However, they will appear in stores like any normal cookie. Their release into the world begins on July 10, 2023.

The post You can pre-order your limited edition Mario ?Oreos appeared first on Destructoid.

Pocket Plumbing

As previously announced, Nintendo has brought three classics of the Game Boy Advance era to the Nintendo Switch Online archives. As of today, Expansion Pack subscribers can revisit the Super Mario Advance trilogy, consisting of Super Mario Advance (2001), Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (2001) and Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (2002).

For those yet to experience these pint-sized classics, they are essentially revamped editions of some classic Super Mario Bros. titles, namely Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario World, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. They feature all of the worlds, stages, and shenanigans of their ori??ginal releases, complete with additional features, characters, and secrets. Upon launch, they were the first-ever official portable option for these classic adventures, and as such were incredibly popular GBA releases.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRyFVwRqUKI&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.videogameschronicle.com%2Fnews%2Fthe-whole-super-mario-advance-series-is-now-avail?able-on-switch-online%2F&feature=emb_title

The fourth title in the series, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, is already available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online archives, having arrived alongside the service's debut back in the fall of 2018. All four titles are most assuredly worth a revisit, and it'??s cool to have the quartet of classics available to hand as some of the most timeless releases in platform gaming history.

The Super Mario Advance s??eries is now available to play for all Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion?? Pack subscribers.

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They've got a friend in you

Sometimes you need a friend to succeed against the greatest foes. Just like Woody & Buzz in the Toy Story films, you can also have g??reat companions in ga??ming.

They'll guide you to the next location, give your charact?er moral support, or sometimes even support you in battle. Here are the best companions in gaming history, ranked.

10. Midna (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

[caption id="attachment_374779" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

The most memorable companion in The Legend of Zelda series is Midna. Her cheeky nature intrigues you as she gives a sly grin whenever you question her motives. That laugh is still in the back of my head too, even though I played Twilight Princess over a decade ago. Seriously, Nintendo, bring Twilight Princess HD to the Switch already.

She also helps Link turn into a wolf and take out foes in one fell swoop. Whenever the emotional track "Midna's Lament" plays, you also remember the moments in which the character is on the brink of death. You care ab??out the character and want to make sure she's safe. That's a sign of a great companion.

9. Donald & Goofy (Kingdom Hearts)

[caption id="attachment_374913" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

As you'd expect from Mickey's best pals, Donald & Goofy are extremely loyal to Sora. They were tasked with following the key in the first game and have since grown a strong relationship with the keyblade wielder. Goofy surprisingly acts as the voice of reason in the group, giving the teenager advice, while Donald becomes the irrational-but-kind comedic relief. They're extremely helpful in the games, healing Sora whenever he's in trouble or teaming up for powerful attacks like Trinity Limit and Duck Flare, among others. They're even looking for their lost friend in the Kingdom Hearts IV reveal trailer within the darkness of Hades' Underworld.

8. Pey'j (Beyond Good & Evil)

[caption id="attachment_374915" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Ubisoft[/caption]

One of the best companions in gaming that very few have heard of is Pey'J. He's the uncle of the protagonist Jade in Beyond Good & Evil. He's a charming little pig that provides humor along the way as he encourages Jade to follow through on her plans. Without a father, Pey'J becomes that figure for her, providing valuable advice to the heroine. He's also a technical whiz, building elaborate boots that lift him off the ground and help Jade solve puzzles. Play Beyond Good & Evil and realize how cool Pey'j is in this game.

7. Sully (Uncharted series)

[caption id="attachment_374916" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via PlayStation's YouTube?? Channel[/caption]

Someone that's always been there for Nathan Drake through thick and thin is Sully from the Uncharted series. Seeing potential in the youngster,? Sully practically raised him to become a treasure hunter from when Nate was a teenager. During Nate's adventures, Sully has hilarious banter with the protagonist as he keeps up with the death-defying platforming ahead, despite his age. He's very loyal and treats Nathan Drake like a son. Their relationship is very sweet, and this comradery makes Sully one of the best companions in gaming history.

6. Atreus (God of War series)

[caption id="attachment_374922" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via PlayStation[/caption]

The father-son relationship in the Norse-era God of War series is impeccable. Before Kratos teamed up with Atreus, he was ferocious, blunt, and, quite frankly, lacking in depth. However, as the relationship grew between Atreus and Kratos, the walls of his stoicism began to crumble. He finally began to care about the well-being of someone's safety, and it showed another side of the Greek god. It strengthens further in God of War: Ragnarok as Kratos learns to give his son more freedom and lets ??Atreus become who he wants to be. The natural progression of this father-son dynamic is astonishing and should be praised. Other than the story elements, Atreus is helpful with setting up attacks for his dad and can cause damage with his bow and arrows.

5. Kazooie (Banjo-Kazooie series)

[caption id="attachment_374925" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via Super Sm?ash B??ros' YouTube Channel[/caption]

There are few other platforming duos that are more iconic than Banjo and Kazooie. In the Nintendo 64 era, they were the bee's knees as Kazooie helped the bear climb tough hills and glide across Treasure Trove Cove. The speech between the characters is endearing, even though Kazooie can be irrational from time to time. They also appeared as an exciting duo character in the Super Smash Bros. series. Hopefully, one day, Microsoft will finally remake Banjo-Kazooie or even devel??op a new entry for the Xbox Series X and S. Let's cross ou??r fingers.

4. Ellie (The Last of Us Part 1)

[caption id="attachment_374928" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via PlayStation[/caption]

There is a reason why Ellie is featured on the front of the cover rather than Joel. In The Last of Us Part 1, she is a key component of why the game has connected to so many fans around the world. This companion, like Atreus, grows throughout the adventure as she begins to trust her father figure and is ?trusted to wield a gun to protect herself. Through her funny humor and sharp wit, Ellie is a great counterpart to Joel's furious nature. They work together as a duo so well, which makes the sequel devastating. By the end of the game, we truly believe how much Joel cares for Ellie due to the horrendous acts he pulls against the Fireflies to save her.

3. Clank (Ratchet & Clank series)

[caption id="attachment_374929" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via PlayStation[/caption]

Clank is a quirky robot that stands (or hangs on) by Ratchet's side (or back). With his goofy laugh, the robot offers funny remarks about Ratchet's adventures. The two play off each other well as Clank provides the brains of the operation, while Ratchet is the brave warrior taking out waves of enemies with his cavalcade of guns. Their friendship is believable, and both the lombax and the robot go out of their way to help each other. Sometimes, it's even to their detriment, as we see in Rift Apart. 

2. Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog series)

[caption id="attachment_374930" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Sega[/caption]

Despite his young age, Tails is a genius inventor that helps Sonic in every way he can. Their friendship is endearing and has led them to many adventures, especially in the original Genesis/Mega Drive trilogy. One of the coolest moments is when Tails pilots the Tornado and escorts Sonic in Sky Chase Zone. In Sonic Heroes, he also helps Sonic and Knuckles fly through the air and land on the other side of hard-to-reach platforms. Sonic and Tails' friendship is like the hedgehog looking after a little brother; it's adora?ble. Tails is easily one of the best companions in gaming.

1. Luigi (Super Mario series)

[caption id="attachment_374932" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Mario's longest companion and brother, Luigi, has always been by his side. As a fellow plumber, he has assisted Mario through many levels, fought goombas with his brother in the portable RPG series Mario & Luigi, and win tennis games as a duo. He was also successful in saving Mario in Luigi's Mansion, despite his huge fear of ghosts. While Mario and Luigi don't have the depth of Joel and Ellie's relationship, they are inseparable in the hearts and minds of many Nintendo fans around the world. Luigi's shy personality matches well with Mario's brave and upbeat quirks. It's evident from the movie adaptation of the series that Mario and Luigi?? are an amazing team in the final battle against Bowser.

The post Top 10 best companions in gaming history, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Songs we remember

The Super Mario series is known for some of the best songs in the video game industry. From the sweeping orchestra of Super Mario Galaxy to the nostalgic 8-bit NES original, there are some themes that will stick in our memories for the rest of our lives. Below, we've listed the best Mario songs ever written by Koji Kondo and other talented composers in the industry. But, because Nintendo is prone to removing YouTube videos featuring music pulled straight from its games, we've de?cided to include incredible covers from the wonderful VGM community. Let's-a-go!

Super Mario Bros. - "Overworld Theme"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkluiXUDy6o

Arguably the most iconic video game theme of all time, you have the classic "Overworld Theme" from the original Super Mario Bros. It's upbeat, has a charming melody, and a backbeat that keeps the action forward. Even though the 8-bit sound font can be limiting, Koji Kondo found a way to make a catchy song that still sticks in our heads today. The talented Qumu made a lovely remix of the tr?ack, modernizing the piece but still keeping the original charm of the composition.

Super Mario Bros. 3 - "Airship Theme"

//youtu.be/fq2ruq62dhM

Not every track in the Super Mario Bros series is upbeat. There can be some tense moments as well within the soundtrack. Super Mario Bros. 3's "Airship Theme" perfectly illustrates the tension between Mario? and the danger he faces to save Peach. In the third game on the NES, you're on a flying ship, avoiding cannon fire and trying to stay alive. I remember feeling so scared because of this terrifying music. The tune sets the stage perfectly with deeper notes and a marching drum beat that lets you know Mario is in trouble. ToxicxEternity published a great metal cover of this track, which reflects the darker?? tone of the "Airship Theme" in a mesmerising way.

Super Mario World - "Athletic Theme"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-bN2lnE1Lc

The Mushroom Kingdom is quite a whacky place. Green warp pipes that take you from place to place, ridable dinosaurs with large tongues, goombas that can be squished like marshmallows by jumping on them. It's pretty wild. The "Athletic Theme" keeps up that wild energy with an upbeat piano melody that's fast and ?goofy. The higher-pitched drumbeats and erratic sound design of how the instruments play in your ears do a great job of elevating the? nuttiness of the world in the best way possible. It's one of the best Mario songs due to how many people have nostalgia for the track and how well it reflects the action in-game.

Cover artist PPF brought all kinds of instruments to the par??ty for the??ir interpretation of the "Athletic Theme." Banjos, spoons, and even a plastic box were used as musical objects for the piece. It's just as wild as the original piece.

Super Mario RPG - "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms"

//youtu.be/j4CbazPjL20

It's not from a mainline game, but Super Mario RPG's "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms" by Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura should get a mention. The track is upbeat but has layers of intrigue within it. It's mostly a higher-pitch melody, but every minute or so, it dwells into a creepy-sounding tone that adds so much atmosphere to the level that Mario and Geno are exploring. It sounds like some of the best dramatic Final Fantasy music mixed with the upbeat tone that the Super Mario Bros. series is known for. Perhaps, this is why Shimomura was hired later on for Kingdom Hearts as she is kn?own for blending two mus??ical styles perfectly.

The Noble Demon does a wond?erful job covering this piece with some grand strings samples and sound effects inspired by the forest like the thud of wood.

Super Mario 64 - "Bob-Omb Battlefield"

//youtu.be/LPq8_HB8QBA

"Bob-Omb Battlefield" was my first introduction to the world of Super Mario, and man, the stage's theme is still bangin' today. It's jazzy and cheerful and will have you bob-ombing your head up and down to the beat. And then when you think it doesn't get any better, the main section of the song escalates the track. The bras?s goes hard and the drum beat becomes more apparent.  Also, don't forget about the tasty bassline to "Bob-Omb Battlefield."  This track made my experience with the stage Bob-Omb Battlefield even more memorable.

The Grammy-winning 8-Bit Big Band does a fantastic job bringing "Bob-Omb Battlefield" t??o the 21st century. The brass instruments sound epic,? and the jazzy spin from the saxophone on the track is a great hook to the overall composition.

Super Mario 64 - "Dire, Dire Docks"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTrlrFUnFxc

"Dire, Dire Docks" from Super Mario 64 is arguably one of the best Mario songs. It has a gorgeous orchestration with a calming xylophone melody at first. You're at ease as you swim around the water of t??he stage. However, the song steps it up a notch once Mario is facing an enemy by including a rocking drum beat and snares. It somehow bl??ends the two perfectly as the game switches between each mode. "Dire, Dire Docks" has been listened to millions of times and has been covered by the VGM community often.

One of the best versions comes fr?om Insaneintherainmusic. The piano is beautifully played, and the soprano sax on the cover works so well with the melody. The jazzy solos are also inventive, adding a neat spin to the original track. "Dire, Dire Docks is such a beautiful melody," said Insaneintherainmusic in the video's description. "It's one of my go-to melodies when I sit d??own at a new piano I haven't played before, just because the melody is so great."

Super Mario Galaxy - "Gusty Garden Galaxy"

//youtu.be/EAWk1D67PKM

When Super Mario Galaxy introduced an orchestra to the series, it was a game-changer. The compositions flourished, adding so much more levity, personality, and grandeur to each track. The best instance of this is "Gusty Garden Galaxy." It's an absolute spectacle with the phenomenal strings work, imaginative use of the harp, and wonderful brass section that brings the piece altogether. Once you hear this track in-game, you know you're off on another memorable adventure with your favorite Italian plumber. This song ??swooped me off my feet.

DSC brought t??he original charm of this track with the acoustic guitar and then adds a rocky element to the overall piece. Give it a listen above; it'?s pretty awesome.

Super Mario Odyssey - "Fossil Falls/Cascade Kingdom"

//youtu.be/VxKuA0is0UU

Just like "Bob-Omb Battlefield," the "Fossil Falls" theme is a great introduction to the game you're about to play. The sweeping strings and grand brass section blends into an epic theme that takes your breath away. The composition also takes on an adventurous spirit with the rocking percussion in the background. You can't help but be excited to play Super Mario Odyssey, and that's thanks in part to this wonderful Mario song.

gabocarina96 does a swell job of bringing the energy of "F?ossil Falls" into the cover. The rocking guitar plays the melody wonderfully, and the ocarina delivers bringing in the beautifu??l introduction of the piece.

Super Mario Odyssey - "Jump Up, Superstar!"

//youtu.be/kxcVvaKDv1o

The best Mario music finds a way to lift your spirits, and "Jump Up Superstar" from Super Mario Odyssey certainly does that. The vocals of this track are marvelous as the song takes you through a magical odyssey of jazz. It fits the vibe of nightlife in New Donk City as "we jump up in the air" and "our cares will soar away." You can't help but sing or dance as the music lifts you up. Hearing this song in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is also a delight.

The piece sounds awesome without vocals as well, as Sam Griffin proves with the acoustic guitar. He does a stellar job of bringing the energy of the piece to YouTube with just one instr??ument.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle - "Peach's Castle"

//youtu.be/BKFdGd0nn_c?t=277

The original "Peach's Castle" music in Super Mario 64 is iconic, but Banjo-Kazooie composer Grant Kirkhope did a wonderful job of bringing the song to Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. He injects personality into the track with playful takes on the original song and is guaranteed to give you a smile as a flute section and triangle-like percussion play the original melody. You can hear a bit of it within the mini-doc Ubisoft uploaded for the game above. Can we please get Grant Kirkhope to orchestrate a mainline Super Mario Bros. game please?

As you've heard from the last 10 Mario songs, this series contains so many magical soundtracks that both kids and adults will remember for years to come. It's no wonder why the soundtrack to the Super Mario Bros. movie is well-regarded as it's heavily influenced by the games that came before it. What are your favorite Mario songs because we've certainly missed many?

The post The 10 best songs from the Mario series, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Make Captain Lou Albano proud

During the weekend's Super Bowl LVII festivities, production studio Illumination rolled out the big bucks to present fans with a brand new trailer for its upcoming release The Super Mario Bros. Movie �And this latest preview was a real treat for old-school Nin??tendo fans, as it? featured the return of the "Super Mario Bros. Rap".

For folks younger than my aging self, the Super Mario Bros. Rap featured as the title music to the choppy (it was) animated series Super Mario. Bros Super Show, which originally aired way back in 1989. The show was famed for producing short, rubbish adventures, which were sandwiched between some wild, live-action bumper segments. These moments fam??ously featured WWE star Captain Lou Albano as Mario and Canadian actor Danny Wells as Luigi. Once, Elvira showed up, though the Mistress of the Dark is yet to make her official Mario game debut. Sadness.

//??www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu57M7cjSD4&ab_channel=Illumination

The new Super Bowl ad features the rap as a backing track to a "Real World" advertisement for the Mario Bros. plumbing services, promoting their fast, speedy, and low-cost pipe repair. This then gives way to a new montage of clips from the upcoming movie, with a look at some fun and familiar platforming sections, a Smash Bros.-style showdown, and, of course, a ride down the Rainbow Road. The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt as Mario, and will also feature luminaries such as Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), Keegan Michael-Key (Toad), Jack Black (Bowser), Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong), and Charlie Day (Luigi).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is scheduled to launch in theaters in the UK and Europe in late-March. It will premiere in North America on April 7. So far, it's looking to be a perfectly fun p?iece of entertainment.

The post Super Bowl Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer brings back ‘Super Show Rap’ appeared first on Destructoid.

All of them, actually

I will never say no to a rhythm game spinoff. I am, of course, a loud and unashamed fan of the genre. I'm always down for more rhythm games, but I'm especially fond of titles that recontextualize the music found in other games. I think nearly every video game would?? benefit from? a supplemental mechanical examination of its soundtrack.

But obviously, some franchises are more suited to rhythm gaming than others. If I were to make a list of the greatest video game series soundtracks of all time, it would probably include Metroid and Halo, but those scores aren't exactly full of toe-tappers. So while I would play a rhythm game based on absolutely any soundtrack, I'd like to outline the franchises I think truly deserve the Theatrhythm treatment.

[??embed]//www.youtube.com/??watch?v=T0IxUMu036k[/embed]

10. Shovel Knight

Jake Kaufman is a very prolific and accomplished composer. The Shantae series could easily have made this list, but limiting myself to one Kaufman-heavy franchise, I have to give it to Shovel Knight. These games, from Shovel of Hope to Shovel Knight Dig, emulate the strict and structured chiptunes of the NES era but with more contemporary musical stylings. These are perfect rhyth??m game soundtracks because they're stable and rhythmically readable, even to the layman.

Plus, Shovel of Hope has a couple of tracks by Manami Matsumae, and I felt really bad about leaving Mega Man off this list.

[embed]//ww??w.youtube.com/wat??ch?v=UND5wgnIino[/embed]

9. Assassin's Creed

I don't play Assassin's Creed very often. It's just not my cup of tea. But I do listen to Assassin's Creed pretty regularly. A ro??tating cast of phenomenal composers has brought an awful lot of wonderful tracks to life. A lot of score pieces from the series' history are so driven and thumping that I can practically see the beatmap in front of me.

I'm particularly fond of the Assassin's Creed Odyssey soundtrack, and I've found myself finger-drumming to the beat of "Legend of the Eagle Bearer" more than a few times. At the very least, we deserve a shanty-filled Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag rhythm spinoff.

[embed]//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH-GAwLAO30[/e??mbed]

8. Undertale

Across Undertale and the first two episodes of Deltarune, series creator/composer Toby Fox has established a coherent and delightful sound to accompany his series' world. Like Kaufman, Fox plays in the realm of chiptunes, and his?? are especially earworm-ish.

Some of Undertale's bullet hell moments already feel like a carefully orchestrated dance set to one of the game's wonderful battle themes. Concretizing that comparison with a full-throated Undertale rhythm game would be pretty great. As an aside, you can get a pretty Undertale-ish rhythm game experience out of 2021's Everhood.

[embed]//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTLfV7Ru??5VY[/embed]

7. Donkey Kong Country

We've gotten pretty close to a Donkey Kong Country rhythm game in the past - there were no fewer than three Donkey Konga games, and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat almost counts - but there's never been a rhythm game solely focused on music from the actual DKC series.

Across the first three DKC games, David Wise, Eveline Fischer, and Robin Beanland redefined what Donkey Kong sounded like. Just about every track from the series is groovy and pleasant. To me, the beautiful soundtracks are the number one reason to return to Donkey Kong Country. A game dedica??ted to those soundtracks would be a dream.

[embed]//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikQHkhL8Y??MM[/embed]

6. Guilty Gear

The precise inputs fighting games demand make them feel like natural siblings to rhythm games, but Guilty Gear feels particularly suited to travel between genres. Music has always been central to the franchise—series creator Daisuke Ishiwatari has composed music for nearly every franchise entry, and as of Guilty Gear Strive, every character ha?s an independent absolute banger for a theme.

Guilty Gear is indebted to music on nearly every level. Characters like Axl Low take blatant inspiration from real-life rockstars, and there are probably more fans of the Guilty Gear soundtrack than there are fans of the actual series. A rhythm-based sp??inoff is an all-too-obvi?ous pitch.

[embed]//www.y?outube.??com/watch?v=nO3Ap0xOcAE[/embed]

5. Chrono

The Chrono duology will get a bit of rhythm representation in the form of DLC for Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, but honestly, I'm not sure that that's enough. Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross collectively play host to some of the greatest JRPG music around. Yasunori Mitsuda is an incredible composer and his work alongside the legendary Nobuo Uematsu elevates the first game to incredible he?ights (the second on??e is pretty wonderful, too).

The presence of these soundtracks in Theatrhythm proves that they translate into a gamified context, so I think it would be nice to see them in their own game entirely. If you'll permit me to dream for a moment, I'd love a rhythm game incorporating some of Chrono Trigger's classic dual and triple techs.

[embed]//www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9r5h??x47kxM[/embed]

4. Super Mario

I honestly can't believe this doesn't exist. If you ask a random person to hum a tune from a video game, good money says they'll go for the main theme from Super Mario Bros. There's no denying that the Super Mario series plays host to some truly iconic music.

After The Legend of Zelda got its own Crypt of the Necrodancer-themed rhythm spinoff, I figured Mario, king of the side-game, would follow close behind. But somehow, the series' soundtrack is still limited to cameo appearances in different rhythm games. I do want a Mario rhythm game, but m?ore than that, I'm just shocked that there isn't one yet.

[embed]//www.youtube.c?om/watch?v=N8??OHSXvneOE[/embed]

3. Celeste

I dig the soundtrack from the original PICO-8 version of Celeste, but the series' sonic identity really came into view when composer Lena Raine joined the team for the 2018 remake. Raine's music makes Celeste feel like a sincere musical adventure, and that ??feeling is only enhanced by the game's "B-Sides"—tougher takes on individual levels featuring bri??lliantly remixed takes on the original soundtrack.

Raine returned to score Celeste's DLC, Farewell, and she also wrote a couple of smaller tracks for the game's miniature PICO-8 sequel, Celeste 2: Lani's Trek. All of this music is phe?nomenal, and all of it would be as well-suited to a rhythm game as it is to ?a series of precision platformers.

[embed]//www.youtube.com/watc??h?v=55uDJ39W4i0[/embed]

2. Sonic the Hedgehog

I'm not even gonna write anything for this one. Jus??t listen to it.

[embed]//www.yo??utube.com/??watch?v=9XV7TeThdVA[/embed]

1. Nier

Like the Chrono games, the Nier series will be featured in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, but it deserves an awful lot more. Composer Keiichi Okabe's work is responsible for at least a solid 40% of my personal fondness for Nier, ?and I don't think it's a stretch to call it some of the best video game music ever. Okabe's work is often melancholy and complex, but it's al??so frequently catchy and light.

The music of Nier is truly brilliant. I'd love to see it paired with a set of mechanics specifically built around it. The only issue?? I can see with this plan is that I would probably never play anything else again.

The post 10 video game franchises that deserve rhythm g?ames appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm bad, and that's good

Heroes get a lot of love. The main character of a game is, by their very nature, the star of the show. But a great villain is often even more compelling than a great hero - everyone wants to save the world, but it t??akes a special so??ul to want to destroy it.

It's almost impossible to whittle a list of iconic video game villains down to just ten. It would be easy to simply point to the villains from games that sold really well, but that's not really what it means to be iconic. So I tried my hardest to compile a list of ten video game villains who are real icons; the ones who stand tall in the world of gaming, ??whose silhouettes are enough to send shivers down your spine.

[caption id="attachment_358899" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

10. Ridley - Metroid

The Metroid games have all sorts of great villains, but if you want to talk about iconography, Ridley's your guy. This?? nasty space dragon has done battle with Samus Aran on nearly every single one of her many adventures. To be fair, Samus has?? a pretty good reason to want Ridley dead: he killed her parents way back when.

Secretl??y, though, I think Samus got over that a while ago. She just wants to f??lex about beating the same alien pterodactyl like a dozen times.

[caption id="attachment_356767" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Nintendo[/caption]

9. Sephiroth - Final Fantasy VII

If you asked ten people who played Final Fantasy VII what Sephiroth's motive was, you'd probably only get three answers, and you'd be pretty lucky if one of them was correct. Honestly, it's hard to remember much about Sephiroth himself. He wears that really cool coat, he's got a huge sword, and he's a weirdly chill co-worker in Crisis Core, but that's about it. He's not even really the main villain of Final Fantasy VII Remake. So how does a character like that wind up on a "most iconic" list? Why does Sephiroth keep cropping up in Final Fantasy VII spinoffs and crossover events?

To answer that question, I'd like to give you a few instructions.?? First, I want you to open up a new tab on your computer. Now head on over to YouTube, and type in "One-Winged Angel Distant Worlds." Go ahead and click on any of the first three results. See? Iconic.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVZVo2J53TM

8. Albert Wesker - Resident Evil

Looking at Albert Wesker now, it's kind of hard to believe that Resident Evil briefly tried to trick us into thinking he was a nice guy?. See those sunglasses? Those are very evil sunglasses.

Wesker is such a classic villain. He meddles in things beyond his understanding, he ge??ts arrogant about playing God, he t??hrows his buddies under the bus. Even his death is incredible - how many guys can make it through multiple self-engineered zombie apocalypses just to get launched into a volcano by a missile explosion? Just one. And his name is Albert Wesker.

[caption id="attachment_358901" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Capcom[/caption]

7. Dr. Wily - Mega Man

Speaking of guy?s who love to play God, who could forget Dr. Wily? This old weirdo has one of my favorite backstories in all of video games. He had a friend in college, his friend was smarter than him, so he got mad and moved to the ocean to build world-dominating robots. Who wouldn't?

Mega Man games are great on their own, but they're even better for their wrinkly antagonist and his stupid petty robo-army. Now, only one question remains: where is Dr. Wily?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMTizJemHO8

6. Dracula - Castlevania

Maybe it's cheating to include Dracula on this list. I mean, he's Dracula. Of course he's iconic. But Castlevania's version of Dracula is a very specific take on the character, and one who's surely earned his place in the rankings. He's a frig??htening and sinister foe, and as if his long-standing ?anti-Belmont policy wasn't bad enough, he's also an awful father.

??But, I mean, you've gotta give him credit for that dope line about miserable little piles of secrets. What a cool guy.

[caption id="attachment_358903" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Valve[/caption]

5. GLaDOS - Portal

I have a feeling that anyone who's ever heard a single line from GLaDOS would include her on this list. You don't need to have finished Portal, or even played?? very much of it, to appreciate GL??aDOS.

Ellen McLain's performance as GLaDOS in the original Portal is one of the best pieces of video game voice-acting ever, and she delivers similarly impressive results in every other Portal project and crossover. She's so deliciously cruel to Chell, both as a demanding taskmaster and as a very rude friend, and the amazingly resentful songs that play over the credits of both Portal ?game?s only serve to cement her as one of gaming's greatest bad guys.

[caption id="attachment_358905" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Konami YouTube[/caption]

4. Pyramid Head - Silent Hill

..Sorry, Masahiro Ito.

[caption id="attachment_358906" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via The Pokémon?? Company YouTube[/caption]

3. Team Rocket - Pokémon

Team Rocket rules. Why does this organization of super-crimina?ls have such a bone to pick with one random kid? Why is their plan for world domination centered entirely around children's sporting events? What, exactly, are they planning on doing once they've stolen all the most expensive pets in the world? How will that materially help them?

I don't know. But I'm glad they're out there trying, because I think they're very funny. They're also undeniably iconic. While they're only the main villains in two generations, they've been cropping up in remakes for years, and they even made a full reappearance as a secondary villain team in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

[caption id="attachment_358907" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via SEGA[/caption]

2. Dr. Eggman - Sonic the Hedgehog

You can call thi??s guy "Dr. Robotnik" if you want, but he'll always be Dr. Eggman to me. He's a man who kinda looks like an egg. It just makes sense.

Ever since Dr. Eggman first started putting animals inside of robot suits, he's been one of the most ridiculous villains in the medium. That's fitting, given th??at his nemesis is a hedgehog who can move really quickly. There have been other Sonic vil?lains, but I'd bet good money that you can't name three of them. Dr. Eggman, on the other hand, is a true icon. He's been given deeper characterization since his first appearance, but players have been enamored by this rotund rabbit trapper from minute one.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=03bAayBtcb0

1. Bowser - Super Mario Bros.

Was this spot ever going to belong to anyone else? Bowser, the big lizard who hates plumbers, is one of the greatest villains ever. He's also probably the only character on this list my grandpa would?? recognize, which is a huge argument?? in favor of his iconography.

Sure, Bowser has oscillated back and forth between "kidnapper" and "reluctant buddy," but at the end of the day, this guy can only be called a villain, and a very good one at that. Any dinosaur who can be a doting dad, a piece of paper, a tyrant king, a go-karting superstar, and Dennis Hopper is okay in my book.

The post 10 most iconic video game villains of ??all tim?e, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The money makers

Video games are a pretty darn profitable industry. As it turns out, a lot of people are willing to pay a lot of money to press little buttons. But only a select few button-pressing facilitators can claim to have made the most money. ??And only an even more selec?t few can claim to actually be good.

High sales don't always translate into high quality. That's not a secret �there's a reason the fine folks at the British Film Institute don't factor box office take into the Sight & Sound poll (I like Avengers: Endgame, but it's not standing side-by-side with 2001: A Space Odyssey). Still, the Top 10 best-selling games in history have turned ??a lot of copies, and there's got to be some reason they connect with so many players.

So let's look at that Top 10 list and see which of these games are worth playing, and which are collecting dust on many millions of shelves. Before we get started, I'd like to clarify �there are a lot of different metrics by which one can measure the "best-selling games of all time," but for the purposes of this ranking, I'll be borrowing IGN's rigorously maintained top 10 list and backlinking to original sources.

[caption id="attachment_358334" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard Entertainment[/caption]

10. Overwatch

Per Bloomberg, Blizzard Entertainment's hero shooter Overwatch sold somewhere around 50 million units during its time on the market. By IGN's estimation, that makes it the seventh highest-sellin??g game of all time. It's also tough to recommend, given that you can't actually play it right now.

Overwatch might be a little higher on this list if it was still playable. Unfortunately, it's been replaced by a free-to-play sequel, Overwatch 2. While the second game isn't dramatically different from the first, most of the changes made to the formula have made the game less entertaining. Pay-to-win battle pass progression, heroes locked behind heavy grinding, a team comp overhaul that feels more like a downgrade, making Overwatch 2, in its current state, less than pleasant.

[caption id="attachment_358335" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via KRAFTON, Inc.[/caption]

9. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

According to The Verge, PUBG sold about 75 million units before going free-to-play, making it the fifth best-selling game ever. There's a good reason for that: when it came out, PUBG was a bit of a revelation. There had been battle royale mods and modes for various other games before, but a game designed from the ground up with 100-person death matches in mind was an uncommon sight. And PUBG was a solid first foray into a budding genre.

In 2023, you can't toss a twig without hitting a battle royale. They aren't all as good as PUBG, but, well, free-to-play PUBG isn't quite as good as 2017 PUBG either. If you really want to play a battle royale game, you're pretty spoiled for choice, and while PUBG isn't the worst option, it is a bit stale.

[caption id="attachment_358336" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Rockstar Games[/caption]

8. Grand Theft Auto V

Publisher Take-Two Interactive says Grand Theft Auto V has sold more than 170 million copies as of September 2022. That's a pretty hefty figure, one that makes it the third third-highest seller in the medium. To be completely fair, though, it's not like GTA fans are spoiled for choice. There hasn't been a fully new GTA game in nearly a decade, and Rockstar just keeps porting GTA V.

The game is solid! It's a Grand Theft Auto game. It's a pretty incremental series, and the incremental improvements made in V are good. The writing is decent (if a little cynical for my taste), the open world is fairly compelling, and the primal joy of ramming cars into civilians has remained potent for many years. But, well... it's not really special at this point. Once again, we've seen an awful lot of great open-world games in the last nine years, and GTA V is getting a little long in the tooth.

Let's hope the next game is wo?r??th the long, long wait.

[caption id="attachment_358337" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

7. Pokémon Red/Green(/Yellow/Blue)

The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), a Japanese publication that tracks the games industry, claims that the four original releases of the first Pokémon generation have sold somewhere around 45 million units, and Nintendo says we can add 1.5 million units to that figure for the 3DS re-releases. That makes the original Pokémon the ninth hi??ghest-selling game in his??tory (even if it had to be four games to earn that spot).

I think most video game fans have at least a small soft spot for Pokémon, and the first generation is undeniably lovable. There are better JRPGs out there �hell, there are better Pokémon ga??mes out there �but you can't discount t?he raw charm of the classics.

[caption id="attachment_358338" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

6. Super Mario Bros.

Turning once more to CESA's 2021 White Papers, Super Mario Bros. has reportedly sold aro??und 48 million units across various platforms. That makes it the eighth best-selling game of all time. It's an undeniable platforming classic, genre-defining title that somehow still feels fresh.

When a game has been so foundational to a genre, going back to it can feel like visiting a museum �it's interesting, sure, but there's other, more fun stuff you could do. That's not the case with Super Mario Bros. The game may have laid the gro?undwork for 2D platformers to come, but it also mastered its own mechanics, with level layouts that are still fun and clever nearly 40 years later.

[caption id="attachment_358339" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

5. Wii Sports

Wii Sports was bundled with the Nintendo Wii at launch in all territories except Japan, which certainly helps its incredible Nintendo-reported 82.9 million unit sales. That figure makes it the fourth highest-selling game of all time. Honestly, though, I have a feeling that even without the pack-in numbers, Wii Sports could've made this list.

There's simply no better proof-of-concept for the Wii than Wii Sports. Every included sport demonstrates a different use for the Wiimote, and while no other game really found the same level of versatility in the device, Wii Sports was a shining reminder of what motion controls could be. It was the perfect pack-in ga??me, yes, but it was also an excellent game in its own right.

[caption id="attachment_358340" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Microsoft[/caption]

4. Minecraft

The first time I played Minecraft, I probably wouldn't have guessed that it was fated to become the second highest-selling game of all time. And yet, according to Microsoft, this unassuming survival sandbox turned proto-Metaverse has sold a staggering 238 million units.

In some ways, calling Minecraft one video game is a little unfair. In addition to having nearly two dozen editions across different platforms, it's also more of a host for gam??es than any??thing else. The single-player survival mode is still a lot of fun, and creative mode is a good way to bang out some architectural concepts, but multiplayer servers and mods are where the real party is at.

There are so many different things that can be done with the foundations of Minecraft, and that adaptability is the game's greate????st strength.

[caption id="attachment_358341" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

3. Mario Kart 8

Nintendo's financial reports put Mario Kart 8, across its ??two editions, at about 57 million uni?ts sold, making it the sixth highest-selling game of all time. It seems pretty staggering that a Wii U game, of all things, could climb so high in the rankings, but I guess that's the power of the Nintendo Switch port.

Mario Kart rules. It's a simple fact of life that everyone on earth likes playing Mario Kart, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is probably the best entry?? in the franchise, period. That's really all there i?s to say.

[caption id="attachment_358342" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Rockstar Games[/caption]

2. Red Dead Redemption 2

According to Take-Two Interactive's Aug??ust 2022? financial report, Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold over 45 million units (not counting individual copies of Red Dead Online). That makes ?it the 10th h?ighest-selling game of all time, but it's number two in the quality rankings.

Red Dead Redemption 2 can be slow, monotonous, and long, even by AAA game standards. But that meditative quiet is in service of one of the best narratives in high-budget gaming history. Red Dead Redemption 2 is p??onderous and quiet, which has left it saddled with the descriptor of "boring" by folks who prefer their action a little hotter and heavier. Regardless, it's an uncommonly thoughtful game in a field often dominated by bright lights and flashing colors.

[caption id="attachment_358343" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via The Tetris Company[/caption]

1. Tetris

Sometimes bright lights and flashing colors are good. Quickly, throw a stick somewhere in your room. Good money says you just hit a copy of Tetris. According to The Tetris Company, somewhere in the area of 520 million copies of Tetris have been sold, making it the highest-selling video game in history. It might a??lso be the single best video game in history.

Tetris is one of those concepts that just works. Trying to fit things together in a tight space is satisfying on a primal level, and Tetris is a masterful piece of design work. It's almost silly to praise Tetris. Because everyone ??already knows it's great. Because everyone ??has already bought it.

The post The top 10 best-selling video game ti???tles of all time, ranked by quality appeared first on Destructoid.

Some of them are actually good!

Video game movies have been the subject of plenty of ridicule over the last handful of decades. Wounded fans have long complained that out-of-touch Hollywood bigwigs just don't get the things they're adapting, and conventional wisdom has always held that video game mov?ies are simply bad.

Fortunately for me, conventional wisdom is wrong. Yes, there are a lot of awful video game movies made by lazy filmmakers trying to cash in on a brand name. But there are also a lot of really excellent films based on video games - particularly in recent years. Video game movies show no sign of slowing down, so I'd like to go through?? ten of the finest examples eve??r made.

10. Uncharted (2022)

Uncharted, the 2022 adaptation of Naughty Dog's beloved action game series, does not reinvent any wheels. It is a competent-enough pastiche of better adventure movies and not much else. In that way, it's kind of a perfect Uncharted movie.

The original Uncharted was a fairly unassuming riff on adventure films like Indiana Jones and The Mummy. The Uncharted movie simply moves that formula back into the medium of film. Like the games, the movie Uncharted is buoyed by a charming cast of well-realized characters. Tom Holland may not quite resemble the Nathan Drake we know and love, but he's still a fantastic screen presence. Even Mark Wahlberg, who's spent the last several years sleepwalking through Transformers movies and faith-based films, is actually delivering a pretty solid performance. It's nothing new, and there are certainly better adventure films, but Uncharted is a damn good time.

9. Tomb Raider (2018)

Remember all that stuff I said about Uncharted? That's all entirely true of 2018's Tomb Raider, too. It's another solid (but not particularly groundbreaking) riff on adventure movies of old, held alof?t?? by some very choice performances.

The performances here are a bit better than they are in Uncharted -- we've got Walton Goggins in a very Walton Goggins-ish villain role, Daniel Wu playing the obligatory gruff alcoholic sailor, and even Nick Frost, whose appearance is brief but delightful. The star of the show, though, is Alicia Vikander, who brings a renewed sense of playfulness and humanity to the role of Lara Croft. It's the rare adaptation that offers new depth to?? a character rather than making them more shallow.

8. Super Mario Bros. (1993)

In the early 90s, directing duo Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel were on track to become beloved figures in the world of cult cinema. Their 1988 remake of classic noir film D.O.A. was relatively well received, and their off-kilter cyberpunk TV series The Max Headroom Show had just wrapped up its final season. Where would this duo, best known for their grimy cynical bent, land next? Th?e Mushroom Kingdom, apparently.

Super Mario Bros., the 1993 film loosely adapted from the original NES game, is a mess... but it's also really fun and interesting. It's a bizarre crustpunk dystopian take on the story of Mario and Luigi, s??et in a dinosaur-infested alternate universe. It's entirely odd, but it's a truly fascinating watch. It's the kind of movie that simply couldn't be made today (as evidenced by the much more conventional children's movie coming out of Illumination next year), and it should be celebrated for that, if nothing else.

7. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Both Sonic the Hedgehog movies probably belong on this list. They're both really endearing family films that do a good job of adapting the Sonic the Hedgehog iconography without totally alienating their target audience (children). They're also both examples of a studio finding space to build a truly charming franchise on the foundations of a bad idea, and they should both be applauded for that. But I don't like to go the easy route, so I'm only allowing one Sonic film on my list.

And Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has a scene where Sonic does a d??ance ?battle set to the song "Uptown Funk."

So, uh, Sonic 1 gets the slot.

6. Detective Pikachu (2019)

It's hard to understand why, exactly, The Pokémon Company chose Detective Pikachu for its jump to live-action cinema. An adaptation of one of the mainline Pokémon games probably would have done better at the box ?off?ice, and an adaptation of the anime probably would have been an unstoppable juggernaut. Instead, they chose to adapt the 3DS adventure game where Pikachu is a detective.

And boy am I glad they did. Detective Pikachu is a delight. It's a noir??-ish mystery centered around a young wannabe Pokémon trainer and his dear friend, a talking Pikachu in an adorable little hat. It's?? strange but incredibly fun, serving as both a solid mystery film in its own right and an impressive showcase for what Pokémon would look like in the real world.

5. Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV (2016)

Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV was a tragic casualty in the explosive mess that was Final Fantasy XV's release. This cinematic prequel was burdened with being both the first exposure many fans would have to the world of FFXV and a necessary addendum t?o that game's story. It couldn't really stand up to all that scrutiny.

Divorced from the context of its release, though, Kingsglaive is actually an excellent animated fantasy film. Director Takeshi Nozue (known for various cinematics across different Square Enix games) does a wonderful job of balancing action, emotion, and intelligent worldbuilding in a way that's both pleasant to watch and sincerely thoughtful. Kingsglaive's all-star Hollywood voice cast brings a frankly unnecessary amount of talent to the table that makes the whole thing feel very prestigious, too. It's a wonderful film, and a very welcome title after the first two Final Fantasy movies (the less said about those, the better).

4. Resident Evil (2002)

Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil series is understandably a bit divisive. The films borrow very little from the games in the way of actual plot and characters, and they are forever doomed to be compared to the canceled George A. Romero Resident Evil adaptation. It??'s tough for anyone to live up to Romero, but Anderson actually does a fairl??y good job here.

Like I said, Resident Evil doesn't borrow a whole ton from the original games. Jill Valentine and co. are nowhere to be seen here. Still, Resident Evil expertly captures the tone of those PlayStation titles and delivers a taut, mean little zombie infestation story. If Welcome to Raccoon City taught us anything, it's that all the recognizable names in the world can't save a movie that doesn't feel like Resident Evil. Thankfully, this one is Resident Evil through and through.

3. Werewolves Within (2021)

You probably didn't play Werewolves Within, Ubisoft's 2016 VR social deduction game. You should still watch Werewolves Within, Josh? Ruben's 2021 adaptation of said game, because it is very good. This charming horror-comedy centers on a cabin full of mistrusting small-town Americans whose anxieti?es are compounded by the discovery that one of them may be a werewolf.

Werewolves Within is funny, scary, and biting. It also features Sam Richardson in his second best role ever (right after the Baby of the Year guy from I Think You Should Leave).

2. Indie Game: The Movie (2012)

Indie Game: The Movie is the only documentary on this list, chronicling the journeys of three independent video games as they inch ever closer to release. It offers both compelling insight into the development of three beloved indies (Super Meat Boy, Fez, and Braid) and a careful image of an industry teetering on ??the precipice of legitimacy.

Indie Game: The Movie is a truly compelling piece of documentary filmmaking, and one of the few works that actually treats video game developers as artis??ts. It's thoughtful and interesting for just about anyone with a passing?? interest in indie games - whether you love or hate Jonathan Blow, you can't deny that the guy thinks hard about video games, and listening to him speak is genuinely fascinating.

1. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

I had a little bit of an internal crisis when considering whether or not Wreck-It Ralph belonged on this list. It is a video game movie, but it's about a video game that doesn't exist. If I'm allowed to put those on the list, then how could I exclude something like Cronenberg's eXistenZ? How could I leave last year's criminally underrated The Matrix Resurrections off the list? Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that Wreck-It Ralph counts, not only because a promotional Fix-It Felix arcade cabinet used to be playable at Disney's now-defunct indoor amusement park DisneyQuest, but because it just feels like a true video game movie.

John C. Reilly's eponymous video game bad-guy-trying-to-be-good expertly embodies the cuddly faux-villainy of video game antagonists of a certain era. He's Bowser, or Dr. Eggman, or any other bad guy who just doesn't seem all that bad. Reilly's central performance is key to Wreck-It Ralph, and he's the reason the movie s?till makes me cry as a grown-ass adult.

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No literally, it was made in Unreal

Chris Pratt's casting of the voice of Mario in Illumination's upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie has been one of the most talked about events of the year in the g??aming sphere. Most fans (like me) have been pretty skeptical that he'll be able to pull off a fitting tribute to our favorite plumber, and every time a new trailer drops, we scrutinize and discuss, scrutinize and discuss. While I'm still excited for the movie as a whole, I'll admit that seeing an amazing fan project has reignited my enthusiasm a bit. Enter a meticulously made realistic version of Super Mario Bros. with a realistic art style, featuring a lifelike character model of the one and only Chris Pratt.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNTCsFewP2I

The creator, known as Re-Imagined Games on YouTube, released a trailer for the project a few months ago, but it's been gaining more traction online recently. It looks like a fully-playable, hyper-realistic version of some of the most iconic Mario levels �my personal favorite feature is the fully controllable camera to give players a new perspective on the side-scroller. I'm also really impressed at how good the model of Pr?att looks, because trying to recreate famous faces 1:1 in games is usually a one-way ticket to Jankville, USA. The fact that a fan did this all on their own without the help of a huge team or budget makes it an even greater feat in my eyes.?? It's amazing how far someone will take something simply because they love a game or franchise.

The fan behind this project isn't stopping there, either �other videos show off Jack Black as Bowser and Charlie Day as Luigi, and there are also plans to include Anya Taylor Joy as Princess Peach and Keenan Michael-Key as Toa??d. In the description of the trailer, the creator also s?ays that they had no prior experience with game development or Unreal, having learned it all along the way "in an effort to make this a legitimately great action game." Hats off to you, Re-Imagined Games.

The post This fan remake of Super Mario Bros. featuring? C??hris Pratt is unreal appeared first on Destructoid.

Chris Pratt is fine, just... maybe not as Mario

When the news dropped that Chris Pratt was gonna voice Mario in the upcoming animation The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the reaction was mixed at?? best.? The wave of skepticism only grew with the new trailer and players heard more of Pratt's work as everyone's favorite plumber.

Now many fans are pondering who else could have taken on the r?ole of Mario, and I've taken it upon myself to put together a shortlist of actors who wo??uld likely have done a better job in terms of capturing the character's essence. I know that sounds kinda snobbish, especially for a character in a children's movie, but I've never let my own pretention stop me in the past.

5. John C. Reilly

John C. Reilly is known for movies like Step Brothers and Talladega Nights, but gamers probably know and love him best for his voice work as the titular Ralph in Disney's Wreck it Ralph. Maybe this one is just latching on because of that movie's video game theme, but I feel like his voice has a friendliness that would lend well to the character??. I also like the idea of Mario having a deeper, raspier voice �I feel like that fits better with his whole thing as a plumber, you know?

4. Tom Hanks

Okay, this one is a bit of a wild card, but hear me out. We all know that Hanks plays Woody in the Toy Story series, but it's easy to forget just how good he is in those movies. He's one of those mainstream actors who really seems to understand the nuance of voice-acting roles, and I personally think he'd knock a role as Mario out of the park. There's the chance his voice is t?oo familiar to the point that it would be distracting, but I think I'd still be on board nevertheless.

3. John DiMaggio

John DiMaggio is another modern voice-acting legend, best known for his roles as Bender in Futurama and Jake from Adventure Time. I'm sticking to my take that if this new movie is going for a Mario-as-an-everyman kind of thing, something with a little more "gruff" might ??help sell the whole thing a bit more. DiMaggio also has immac??ulate comedic timing, so I think he'd be able to pull off the quippy tone they're going for better than pretty much anybody on this list.

Related | The reason why Chris Pratt'?s Mario?? doesn't have an Italian accent on The Mary Sue 

2. Billy West

You have absolutely heard Billy West in your lifetime, even if you don't know his name. He's voiced Bugs Bunny, Popeye, Philip K. Fry from Futurama, (as well as the Red M&M) from the commercials, just to name a few. West has some of the most incredible range of any voice actors working today, and I for one think he could bring a really fresh, interesting take to Mario as a character. No one quite understands how to make a voice performance pop like the actors who specialize in this field, and Billy West is one of the actors working to??day who understands voice acting better than anyone.

1. Charles Martinet

This one was just a given. Martinet is known as the English voice for Mario, playing the character?? since the series started back in 1992, as well as others in the Mario universe like Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Waluigi. He's nothing short of a legend �beloved by Mario fans around the world.

When the announcement of Pratt's casting dropped, Martinet was the first person everyone thought of. It was a shock to fans of the series that such a prolific person in Super Mario legacy was left behind in lieu of a stunt cast, but that's Hollywood for you, I guess. He was incredibly graceful about the whole thing, as one would expect from him, and fellow voice actors like Tara Strong even spoke out in support of Martinet. It's such a disappointment he was overlooked ??for the role, but if nothing else, the backlash has drawn much more attention to his amazing talents and body of work. There's a silver lining to everything, I guess.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie premieres in U.S. theaters April 7, 2023.

The post 5 actors ?who could have voiced Mario over Ch??ris Pratt appeared first on Destructoid.

He isn't so bad

Welcome back! It’s another Tuesday, which means tonight there will be a new episode of the Spot Dodge Podcast exclusively on Destructoid. Topics: The crew reacts to the new Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer. Aside from that, the team discusses recent releases like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, God of War Ragnarok, Somerville, and more!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3ck0??Nuh_3A&ab_channel=SpotDodge

Today we finally got a longer look at The Super Mario Bros. Movie and it did not disappoint. The CG looks breathtaking, the writing seems charming and witty, and it looks to be a celebration of the Super Mario franchise as a whole.

One thing many people were upset with from the first teaser trailer was the brief snippet we heard of Chris Pratt’s Mario voice??. It just didn’t have the same personality and familiarity as Charles Martinet, so it was hard to accept. That said, I tried not to judge it too harshly, as it was extremely brief. Turns out, Chris Pratt’s Mario voice isn’t so bad after all. Now that we have all the context of what’s going on with Mario in this film, Chris Pratt’s Mario seems like a totally competent iteration of everyone’s favorite plumber.

He’s no Charles Martinet, but Nintendo is obviously aiming for star power with this movie??, and with such a star-studded cast, it’s hard to imagine the film doing anything less than great at the box office. One thing is for sure, Jack Black as Bowser wa?s the best choice they could’ve made for a Mario movie. Pure perfection!

Our lovely cast from around the web: Brett Medlock (me) and Mary Stowe from Destructoid, John Friscia from Th?e Escapist, Greg Bargas from PC Invasion, and Brett Larsen, our extra special guest. Behind the scenes, Gamurs�Eric Weichhart is live-editing this week’s show. Do you dig the Chris Pratt Mario voice? Let us know in ??the comments!

Spot Dodge is a weekly Nintendo-focused Podcast here at Destructoid where we dedicate an hour or two to go over the latest Nintendo news and discu??ss the games we’re playing. If you’re a fan of Nintendo Switch, RPGs, or having a good time, Spot Dodge will be a great addition to your podcast rotation. So be sure to subscribe!

Spot Dodge is streaming live every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET on Twitch channel. ICYMI: We now have a dedicated Spot Dodge YouTube channel! ??All future episodes will be live-streamed an??d uploaded there.

Afterward, the show will be available on-demand for audio listeners via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. The live video version will remain on both YouTube and Twitch (don’t forget ??to follow and subscribe). So many options!

The post We were wrong about Chris Pratt as Mario appeared first on Destructoid.

The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach is now in 4K

A little piece of Nintendo history is being preserved thanks to the efforts of dedicated fans. Super Mario Bros. - The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach ??is available right? now, in a 4K restoration of the original 1986 animation.

Originally released in 1986, the animation predates shows like Captain N or even the Super Mario Bros. live-action movie. It's been easy enough to track down a fan-dub or other version on YouTube. But this restoration takes some significant steps to be the go-to version for?? classic Mario.

The upload from FemboyFilms has both a 4K UHD and 1080p restoration, which you can find on YouTube or here on the Internet Archive, as spotted by Polygon. The restoration comes from a 16mm reduction pri??nt, likely used ?for local screenings when the animation was first released.

One fan, Carnivol, managed to a??cquire a reel, believed to be one of, "if not THE only surviving print" in the world. They scanned it, and set out restoring it. After years working on the project, Carnivol entered an agreement with FemboyFilms to restore the film based on the existing scan.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzlZy9zpw0Q

A clearer picture

Two team members spent months removing thousands of individual pieces of debris manually for the restoration. The latter color-corrected the entire film, using manga and promo materials for the movie as ref??erence. Forest of Illusion contributed additional reference materials too, which helped with deciding what colors should look like.

Then, using the original VHS as a source, the crew created a brand-new audio capture. Alongside all of this, there's also a new subtitle track. It sounds like a?? titanic undertaking, even for a whole te??am like this.

The result is the bizarre, offbeat Super Mario Bros. animation in a great resolution. The actual movie of The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach is fairly strange and different ??from modern Mario. Yet without this effort, this piece of Mario's history might just be lost to time. In the great legacy of video game adaptation??s, it's good to have this so well-preserved moving forward.

The post Classic 1986 Super Mario Bro??s. animation has a new 4K restoration appeared first on Destructoid.