NOC Review: ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is Super Fun but Far From Invincible

April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 Mike Manalo

In 1983, a spin off of the popular Donkey Kong arcade game hit arcades in Japan. That game was called Mario Bros., and featured the Jumpman hero of Donkey Kong, now named “Mario,” teaming up with his brother Luigi. The game became legend and 40 years later, the Super Mario Bros, as we know them today, are finally getting the big screen treatment they deserve (as I said before the 1993 movie doesn’t count). But is it the movie we deserve? Keep reading to see what we thought of The Super Mario Bros. Movie!

Interview, Movies, Video Games

Discussing Donkey Kong with ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Star Seth Rogen

April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 Mike Manalo

Donkey Kong is an icon! Little do people know Mario was actually a spin off of the original Donkey Kong game where the eponymous ape threw barrels at the then-unnamed character, “Jumpman,” who later became Mario. So when jumping into the role of the most famous video game ape in the world for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Seth Rogen had a lot to live up to. And thankfully, he nailed the role, like he was the king of the jungle!

Gone Too Soon, Video Games4 Comments

Nintendo Nostalgia: The Passing of Hiroshi Yamauchi

September 20, 2013February 26, 2014 The Nerds of Color

If names like Donkey Kong, Mario, Power Pad, or Gameboy mean anything to you, then you may shed a tear for this news: Hiroshi Yamauchi, the Japanese businessman who took the Nintendo franchise from a trading card company to video game royalty, passed away yesterday from complications of pneumonia. Yamauchi, who was named the president of Nintendo in 1949 when he was only 22 years old, claimed that he knew nothing about video games, but he obviously knew enough to turn Nintendo into one of the most recognized — and successful — video game companies in history (you may be a Nintendo nerd if you recognize these games). For those of us who grew up watching Mario and Luigi destroy Koopa Troopas and rooted for Link to rescue Princess Zelda, it has been a sad time in the NOC offices.

To honor the man who gave us a reason to stay up past our bedtime playing video games instead of doing homework, a few of the Nerds reflected on our favorite Nintendo memories:

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