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Daily Tech: The Second Gen Chumby Makes Its Debut

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:10:30 -0800

Labeled the "Chumby One," the second gen Chumby costs $100 and includes a 3.5-touchscreen and handy widgets - Engadget
Some iTunes links now open to a direct website called iTunes preview, so you can check out songs without opening the app - Apple Insider
Best Buys' juicy Black Friday deals have leaked - Gizmodo
Take a look at some classic Mario suits, and ones that he should sport in the future - Kotaku
Dells Black Friday ad actually includes some decent laptop sales - CrunchGear
Check out some gadget deals of the day - Lifehacker

Lifelike Homer and Mario Freak Me Out

GeekSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:00:27 -0700

So you should all know by now, I love Mario just as much as the next geek. However, I would have to think twice before wishing he was a real live person! I've been putting off posting about these textured (and scarily lifelike) photos of Homer and Mario 'cause they kinda freak me out!

Seriously though, I gotta hand it to the devoted dude over at Pixeloo, because he really put some effort into "un-tooning" my fave plumber and the number one dad of Springfield in some serious weeklong sessions of Photoshop. To hear about how he did it, just read more

The artist started by cutting and pasting different parts of faces from random pics (including one of John McEnroe), then layered them on top of reference photos of the toons to create these 3D renders. Although he does say these aren't meant to look like real folks:

"For clarification, these aren't studies of what Homer would look like if he was a real person, its just what a cartoon like Homer would look like if he kept his toon proportions but had realistic texturing and lighting."

I still can't help but think that if I saw these guys on the street, I would have to immediately run in the other direction! Since he's remained anonymous on his blog, we'll just give him some kudos here for freaking us all out!

Source

The History of Mario and His Power-Ups

GeekSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:35:22 -0800

It's hard to believe that Mario has endured so many changes in his power-ups over the years! This interesting power-up evolution chart which was featured on TechEBlog, displays Mario in most of his power-up personas. Some of my faves include the froggy suit and Kuribo's Shoe from Super Mario Bros. 3 as well as the helicopter in Super Mario Bros. for Game Boy. I'm just about to save the princess in the New Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo DS and although it's not on this chart, I'd have to say that the mega mushroom that supersizes Mario is now my all-time fave.

Hot Holiday Item to Pre-Order: New SMB For the Wii

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:33:19 -0800

I'm not gonna lie, after getting a sneak peek of New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii back in June at E3, I've been secretly counting down the days until I can pop this game into my shiny white console.

In less than five days (this Sunday!) SMB for the Wii ($50) will be released across the country, and I can tell you this much - it's going to be on many wish lists this holiday season - heck, it's already getting rave reviews.

There's no denying that Super Mario Bros. games have staying power - SMB3 did win our best video game ever bracket challenge! And with this game you can experience multiplayer fun (Mario, Luigi and two toads are playable characters), use the new propeller suit, and shake and tilt your wiimote to do fun things like tilt seesaws and transform Mario into a penguin.

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10 Sweet Super Mario Bros. Treats

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:44:26 -0700

Edible geek treats are one of my sweet tooth weaknesses - just when you thought you couldn't love your favorite video games or favorite gadgets more, you get to enjoy them in cake form and smothered in frosting.
Speaking of favorites, it's time to turn the attention on some delectable Super Mario Bros. sweets that are so irresistible, I had to put them all together for you to drool over too!

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Super Mario Galaxy Review: We Aren't in Mushroom Kingdom Anymore!

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:15:55 -0800

I was never so happy to see Super Mario Galaxy land on my desk Friday afternoon, knowing that I would have all weekend (and I do mean ALL weekend) to play and bask in the glory that is Super Mario. Not since 2002 in Mario Sunshine, have we met up with the pint-sized powerhouse, and it was good to catch up with an old buddy. Rushing home to get my first taste of one of the most anticipated games all year, I finally settled in for a serious Mario Marathon. After playing for much longer than originally planned, I could fully attest to this game's awesomeness.

Mario has been stealing hearts ever since the original Super Mario Brothers back back in 1985. Prepare to be swept off your feet again ladies because the plumber is back and going farther than ever to save his princess. Super Mario Galaxy begins with Mario on his way to a hot date with Peach for the 100-year Comet Festival. But natch, Bowser comes in and kidnaps Peach, this time taking her and her entire castle into the final frontier. Mario - being the knight in shining armor that he is - goes after her and will stop at nothing to get her back. With the help and direction of Princess Rosalina (love triangle anyone?), Mario will gather the Grand Stars needed in order to run Rosalina's space observatory and get back his Princess. A timeless story indeed.

So what's so great about this game, you ask? To find out just read more

For starters, Super Mario Galaxy brings back all the nostalgia of Super Mario Brothers, Super Mario Brothers 3, and Super Mario 64, but has reworked them to fit into this cool space-age installment. The music that you know and love are now all dramatically scored to fit in perfectly with each new level. More than once found myself walking away humming to the soundtrack that was stuck in my head, even hours later. The controls are fresh and you know right off that the Wii was made to play this game. The Nunchuck and Wiimote are both used during gameplay, one for directing Mario and the other for collecting weapons, currency, battling foes, and jumping from planet to planet. It may take awhile to master, but thankfully you get some practice maneuvering before jumping into the game. The levels are totally satisfying - you can wander around finding little secrets in each one or just go right through, enjoying the sights while you battle Goombas, Koopas, Piranhas, and some new pests to add to the list.

To say that this is the ultimate, Mario gaming experience is an understatement. It really is at the head of the class in gameplay, controls, graphics, and sound. Obviously, I am a total Mario groupie, having played since I was a little girl while others were playing with Barbies. But even if I wasn't such a superfan, I would be pining for this game anyway. For some, this will be THE game to own for the Wii, for others it will be the final straw to get in line and finally pick up the console. A final word of advice for all you Marioheads out there: Keep your Wiimotes charged, you're going to be playing for a loooong time. You can get your copy online or in stores tomorrow.

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SMB 3 External Hard Drive Sends My Gaming Heart Aflutter

GeekSugar — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:05:45 -0700

I'm not ashamed to say that I think Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the best games of all time - but which game is your favorite? - so when I saw this SMB 3 External Hard Drive on Etsy, I couldn't contain my excitement. In an excellent example of recycling old games, this crafty DIY'er installed a 160GB HDD Seagate SATA II hard drive inside the gaming cartridge, which is totally USB powered so you don't have to plug in.

Even better? It comes with the original black protective encasing. . . amazing! If you have some game cartridges lying around at home from days gone by, you could probably DIY this yourself on the cheap, but if you want the novelty of having your own SMB 3 cartridge to hold all of your important data, this great external drive will set you back $120.

The Best Video Game Ever Is Super Mario Brothers 3!

GeekSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:47:28 -0700

Our Best Video Game Ever Bracket has sadly come to an end, and after a close race between Tetris and Super Mario Bros 3 in the final round - the ultimate winner of the challenge is Super Mario Bros 3!

And who takes home the coveted prize? After all your votes, it's PopSugar community member tinkerbell12 who was randomly selected from thousands of readers to win a Nintendo DSi, a Sony PS2 Slim, and a G.I. Joe game! Congrats and thanks to everyone for participating!

Love giveaways? Be sure to Match the Melrose Place Character With Their AT&T Smartphone for your chance to win one of three AT&T devices!

And just for fun and to honor our Best Video Game Ever winner, here's a nostalgic video of someone beating Super Mario Bros 3 in 11 minutes! To watch, just read more.

Adorably Geeky Proposal: Super Mario World Edition

GeekSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:13:08 -0700

I've seen some good proposals in my day, but this one has to take the Super Mario cake. Using his geek smarts, this gaming guy asked his equally Mario-obsessed gal to be his "player two" by the light of their Super NES, and a hacked copy of Super Mario World. It doesn't get any better than that! And although the vessel of this sweet surprise wasn't Super Mario Bros. 3 (which is battling Tetris right now to take the title of the Best Video Game Ever, it's still pretty sweet. Check it out below.

Daily Tech: Mario Voice Actor Confirms New Game

GeekSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:35 -0700

Mario voice actor confirms new Mario game - Blast Magazine
Google is paying for Virgin America to make the WiFi on all its flights free from Nov. 10 to Jan. 15 - Gizmodo
How to manage your Google reputation - Lifehacker
Apple unbans 3G TV app - The Register
Mozilla unblocks Microsoft's Firefox plugin - PC Mag
Internet heavyweights put for net neutrality - PC World
Twitter cofounder's new mobile payments venture explained - Crave
Miyamoto: New Mario tests your hardcore gaming chops - Wired
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar