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1-Up Mushrooms Make Extra Noise

Twenty years after gamers began to explore Super Mario Bros. 3, there are still a few odd things popping up from time to time.  We've seen lost levels and gone behind the scenes on the creation of the game, but there's still more to see.  Or, in this case, hear.  Consider a glitch that causes the game to tack some extra notes onto the "you earned a 1-up" musical cue.

That's kind of neat, but we'll never know why it happens.  Nope, it's one of those unexplainable myst-

The "glitch" involves the tail wag sound effect and the 1-up sound effect's calls getting merged. The sound code reads both, treats it like a 1-up sound effect, but writes the wrong length, so it plays more notes than it should. We're still doing some research here, but the general consensus among us is that it's just a glitch.

Alright, so there's a working theory about why it happens, but we'll never know how to deliberately trigger the effect.  Nope, it's a secret to everyb-

Simply wag Mario's tail 5 frames (1/12sec) after the "1UP" symbol appears. Done right, the sound effects will conflict and the longer "version" will play. This is extremely difficult to replicate on purpose, which might explain why it was never caught.

Fine, so it can be reproduced under exact circumstances.  But an exact explanation as to why the game glitches in this exact way?  Some questions just don't have answ-

The tail wag sound effect is written (B0), then the 1-UP (40) is ORed, resulting in F0. It writes the wrong "length" for the 1-up, and as it reads bytes in reverse, the beginning is broken instead of the end.

I love that the Internet is home to people devoted enough to explore these sorts of things.  "Video Game Archaeologist" isn't a real job title yet, but it definitely should be.

(via The Mushroom Kingdom)

Mega Man Invades Atari 2600

A video of an art project featuring Capcom's classic Mega Man for the Nintendo Entertainment System reworked by David Galloway for the Atari 2600 has been circulating lately, as who can possibly resist seeing a two-color blue bomber take on five screens worth of Elec Man's lair?  Better yet, the demo is now available for play on Atari 2600 emulators.  Check it out one time, won't you?

I just missed the landmark Atari 2600 years, so this video doesn't send shivers down my spine like it may those who were around for that console generation, but I can still appreciate the concept. Still, demos like this Mega Man creation and its five screens worth of playable content make me glad that I came aboard the world of gaming during the Nintendo Entertainment System era.

Happy Independence Day!

On this Independence Day in the United States let us pause and remember one of the most patriotic moments in gaming history.  No, it's not about a pair of bad dudes rescuing the President, nor is it about an army of two that answers the call of duty to win a medal of armor.  No, it's all about the time that the Statue of Liberty went for a swim in the Hudson River and then marched through the streets of Manhattan while shooting at ghosts and logo icons all the while.  Semper fi, Miss Liberty!

Mega Man X3 For Sega Genesis Tries Hard, Bless Its Heart

Bootleg video games are nothing new, but sometimes an unofficial game featuring an unlicensed property actually comes sort of close the original.  Consider the story of Mega Man X3, a game that Capcom released for the Super NES, Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and PC back in 1996.  With the Sega Genesis left out of the fun, the pirates aspired to the challenge of creating a watered down version of the game for Sega's 16-bit entry in the console race.  How does the bootleg compare to the original Super NES version?  YouTube comes to the rescue thanks to MegaMan 52.

Compared to other bootlegs, the Genesis version of Mega Man X3 actually manages to match enough of the source material to at least resemble the official release. It's not a substitute for the real game, of course, but I think it's admirable that software pirates cared enough to put some effort into their project's development.  The controls are a mess, but at least the visuals are close.

(via Protodude's Rockman Corner)

Capcom Plans Expanded Presence On PSN

On average, Capcom produces some darn good video games, but they don't always sell as well as the company would like.  It happens to everyone in this business eventually, but Capcom isn't one to shrug its shoulders and say "Oh well," when a quality game fails to make a dramatic splash.  Some games you missed the first time around are coming back, while other games that were mega smash hits are returning for an encore as downloadable titles on the Sony PlayStation Network.  The first title out of the gate in this renewed effort is Capcom Classics Remixed for the PlayStation Portable which releases Thursday in North America, while the official PlayStation blog has news on the rest.

• Capcom Classics Collection Remixed (UMD Legacy)
• Mega Man Powered Up (UMD Legacy)
• Dino Crisis (PlayStation Legacy)
• Power Stone Collection (UMD Legacy)
• Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (UMD Legacy)
• Resident Evil 2 (PlayStation Legacy)
• Darkstalkers (UMD Legacy)
• Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max (UMD Legacy)
• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PlayStation Legacy)
• Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded (UMD Legacy)

This is but the first wave, it seems, as more titles will be announced later.  Now, I have an assignment for you.  Do you see the two Mega Man titles on that list?  You're going to buy them when they are released on PSN and you're going to enjoy them.  You're going to tell your friends and family to do the same.  It's time to show Capcom that Powered Up and Maverick Hunter X are fantastic Mega Man experiences that can generate profit.  Then maybe, just maybe, the company will finally get going on Mega Man 2: Powered Up and Maverick Hunter X 2.

Don't Expect New Mega Man Legends Anytime Soon

Capcom is specializing in breaking hearts and squashing dreams today as another older Capcom game has been denied the chance for a re-release or sequel.  The game in question?  Mega Man Legends from the Sony PlayStation era.  I direct you to GamingUnion for the paragraph in question.

GU: Is Capcom planning anything new with the Mega Man Legends series such as a 3rd installment or us getting the PSP ports of the 1st two games from Japan?

Seth: After Marvel vs Capcom 2, MM Legends is probably one of our most fan-requested games. MM creator Keiji Inafune is certainly aware of the fans' request—his office is basically a shrine to the stuff he’s gotten from fans over the years. There are no plans right now, but Mega Man 9 came totally out of left-field, so you never know with that guy. If he gets inspired, and things can happen very quickly.

I have to agree that a sequel is pretty far-fetched at this point as is a UMD release of either game in the series for the PlayStation Portable.  However, once again I see an opportunity for digital delivery to come to the rescue.  If Capcom is uncertain if a new Mega Man Legends game would perform in the market, then why not bring the original game to the PlayStation Network?  Sell it for $6.99, make it playable on both the PlayStation 3 and PSP, and see what happens.  Moreover, Legends hero MegaMan Volnutt is coming back into the spotlight in North America in the upcoming Tatsunoko vs Capcom, and if Super Smash Bros. Melee taught us anything, it's that players are interested in the history of unfamiliar characters (hello, Marth from Fire Emblem).  Volnutt's appearance in Tatsunoko could be just the springboard he needs to make a proper return in a new adventure.

(via Protodude's Rockman Corner)

Don't Expect HD Remix Of Street Fighter III Anytime Soon

With the recent successes of Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, one might think that Capcom would want to bridge the gap and revive Street Fighter III for a HD Remix of its own.  One might think that, yes, but one would be wrong.  Kombo summarizes for us.

The question now presented before Capcom is "will you make an HD version of Street Fighter III?"  That is what one user in Capcom's "Ask Capcom" forums laid before the company, and to which VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development Christian Svensson soon answered.

"An HD Remix on SF3 would be a challenge in and of itself given the number of frames of animation and effects that would have to be redone, especially in light of what we learned onSSF2THDR," Svensson reveals. "As such, the very nature of the project you're suggesting is somewhat unlikely."

Street Fighter III certainly has its fans, but after finally playing the game for the first time not too long ago, I came away from the experience, well, just not feeling it.  There's plenty of Street Fighter material available for modern powerhouse consoles this generation already, so personally I don't see the need to oversaturate the market with yet another installment of the franchise.  Let Capcom spend the time and resources HD Remixing something different.

Beyond Beeps: Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

The online gaming community has zeroed in on Michael Jackson's gaming career in the past day as fans of the King of Pop remember his musical legacy when it comes to video games.  The 1990 Sega Genesis title Michael Jackson's Moonwalker has been name-checked quite a bit during these discussions, but nobody seems to mention the game's soundtrack.  It's loaded with some of Jackson's most memorable songs of the era converted into 16-bit chiptune equivalents.  I can't let this event pass without highlighting the game's surprisingly memorable soundtrack, so let us dive right into this special edition of Beyond Beeps and explore the music of Moonwalker.  You probably know all of the songs featured, but have you heard them rendered by a Z80 processor and YM2612 FM processor before?

"Another Part of Me"

"Billie Jean"

"Beat It"

"Smooth Criminal"

"Bad"

But wait a minute!  What about "Thriller"?  Surely "Thriller" has to be in the game, right?  Well, some versions of the game include it as a secret song, while others do not.  This YouTube video attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Escape From The Curse Of The Secret Of Monkey Island

Assumed dead and buried for some time now, the fondly remembered Monkey Island series is coming back courtesy of Telltale Games in the episodic Tales of Monkey Island and LucasArts in a modernized special edition of the original The Secret of Monkey Island.  Yes, pirate wannabe Guybrush Threepwood is back in a big way, although many modern gamers are unaware of his exploits and adventures (and in-jokes).  What is this "Monkey Island" thing and what makes it important?  Alistair Wallis over at GameSetWatch guides us through the series through his own childhood experiences, while Monkey Island maven Ron Gilbert takes us on a personal journey over at Grumpy Gamer.  Here's a bit from Alistair:

For a story driven game, it’s actually a relatively simple task to sum it up quickly: Somewhere in the Caribbean, Guybrush Threepwood wants to be a pirate. He works his way through a series of trials, falls in love with Governor Elaine Marley, only to have her kidnapped by the ghost pirate LeChuck, and then rescues her. It’s not so much the plot that really drives the game forward – it’s the scenarios, the characters, the little details, and most of all, the humour. Oh, the humour.

I'm not up to speed on my Monkey Island lore, so the past few days worth of research have been an interesting crash course for me.  We'll be talking with someone from Telltale Games about Tales of Monkey Island this week on Kombo Breaker, so if you have anything you'd like us to ask, feel free to let me know (by Wednesday afternoon; we do have deadlines, after all).

Great Moments In Movie History: Super Mario Bros.

Assemble all of the fantastic moments in movie history and you'll probably wind up with a list that includes such scenes as the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man stomping his way through New York, Doc Brown hanging from the Hill Valley Clock Tower as lightning strikes, Indiana Jones not looking as the Ark of the Covenant is opened, and The Joker robbing a mob-controlled bank in Gotham City.  What won't you find on that list?  This moment from the 1993 film adaptation of Nintendo's popular Super Mario Bros. video game.

Granted that I haven't seen this movie in about fifteen years, but who was that woman with the meteorite fragment?  I don't remember her.  At all.  In any capacity.  Whatsoever.  Normally that would be a sign that it's time to rewatch the film, but short of a DVD commentary that explains/apologizes for the production, I just don't see that happening.  Or maybe a Blu-ray release.  I'll watch just about anything if it's in high definition.

(via Metafilter)