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The Nintendo Power Glove: A Blast from the Past

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I love the Power Glove. It’s so bad

Ah, the 1980s. A time of big hair, neon colors, and the birth of some of the most iconic video games and gadgets. Among these was the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which captured the hearts of gamers everywhere. But let’s not forget one of the quirkiest and most ambitious peripherals of its time: the Power Glove.

A Revolution in Gaming

In 1989, the Power Glove hit the market, promising to revolutionize the way we played games. It was a bold statement in the gaming world, offering players a taste of the future with its motion-sensing technology. This wasn’t just a controller; it was a way to physically interact with your favorite games.

The design was straight out of a sci-fi movie, with its sleek black and grey exterior, and buttons spread across the forearm. Strapping on the Power Glove felt like gearing up for an epic adventure. The idea was simple: wear the glove, move your hand, and your in-game character would mimic your movements. It was the stuff of dreams for any young gamer.

The Reality Check

However, the reality didn’t quite match the hype. The Power Glove’s motion controls were far from perfect, often leading to frustration rather than seamless gameplay. The calibration process was complicated, and the games that were compatible with the glove didn’t always provide the best experience.

Despite its shortcomings, the Power Glove became a cult classic. Its appearance in the 1989 film “The Wizard” cemented its place in pop culture history. The scene where the character Lucas Barton declares, “I love the Power Glove. It’s so bad,” is iconic and resonates with fans to this day.

Why the Power Glove Matters

The Power Glove might not have been the game-changing device it set out to be, but its impact on the gaming world is undeniable. It paved the way for future innovations in motion-sensing technology, inspiring the development of devices like the Nintendo Wii Remote and VR controllers.

Looking back, the Power Glove represents a time of experimentation and bold ideas in the gaming industry. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and how important it is to dream big and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

A Collector’s Treasure

Today, the Power Glove is a sought-after collector’s item. Its legacy lives on as a symbol of innovation and the 80s’ fearless approach to new technology. Whether you’re a retro gaming enthusiast or just a lover of all things nostalgic, the Power Glove is a fascinating piece of gaming history.

So, next time you’re reminiscing about the good old days of gaming, don’t forget to give a nod to the Power Glove. It’s quirky, it’s iconic, and it’s a testament to the imaginative spirit that continues to drive the gaming industry forward.

The Power Glove: it may not have been perfect, but it was undeniably cool. And sometimes, that’s all that matters.

“Go ahead, make my day”

Nintendo Live 2024 Is Coming To Sydney

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AN EVENT CELEBRATING NINTENDO FUN FOR ALL AGES!
The two-day Nintendo Live event is coming to Sydney on Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September!

Nintendo Live is coming to Sydney in 2024! First debuted in Japan, this in-person event is a new way for fans of all ages to experience the games and worlds of Nintendo. In addition to Nintendo Switch gameplay, photo ops with costume characters like Mario and Luigi, a pop-up My Nintendo Store with merchandise and additional family-friendly activities, Nintendo Live 2024 SYDNEY will also host live stage events including daily special appearances from Mario Ambassador, Charles Martinet.

Held at the International Convention Centre Sydney on Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September, Nintendo Live 2024 Sydney is designed for families and people of all ages and gaming experience, whether you’re a lifelong Nintendo fan or new to the world of Nintendo.

“Nintendo Live has brought smiles to people of all ages in Japan, the United States, and other countries since its debut, and we’re excited to now bring this unique event to Australia”, said Nintendo Australia Managing Director, Takuro Horie. “We look forward to welcoming family, friends and the wider Nintendo community to Nintendo Live 2024 SYDNEY, to share in and experience the unique games, characters and worlds of Nintendo Switch.”

source: supplied

For those interested in attending Nintendo Live 2024 SYDNEY, here’s what you need to know:

How To Register:

  • First, visit the Nintendo Live website and register for an opportunity to be randomly selected to receive free tickets. The registration period starts on 17th June at 9:00am AEST and will remain open until 30th June at 11:59pm AEST.
  • Eligible Nintendo Account holders who are at least 18 years old can register for the drawing. You can easily sign up for an account here if you don’t already have one.
  • For groups of two or more, each attendee with their own Nintendo Account must be linked to the same free Nintendo Account Family Group. This ensures that all parties in the same group can attend together and on the same day.
  • If selected, attendance will be for one event day. More details about registering for and visiting Nintendo Live 2024 SYDNEY can be found on the Nintendo Live website.

Nintendo Live 2024 SYDNEY will also host the finals of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: AU/NZ Championship 2024, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: AU/NZ Championship 2024 and Splatoon 3: AU/NZ Championship 2024 tournaments! The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: AU/NZ Championship 2024 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: AU/NZ Championship 2024 finals will be held on Saturday 31st August, with the Splatoon 3: AU/NZ Championship 2024 final held on Sunday 1st September.

Online qualifiers for these tournaments will begin from 9th June with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where the top competitors will secure their tickets to Nintendo Live 2024 SYDNEY and the opportunity to compete against the best on the big stage. For more details, head to https://www.nintendo.com/au/tournaments/

Nintendo Live 2024 SYDNEY will take place on Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September from 10:00am to 6:00pm AEST in Halls 3 and 4 of the International Convention Centre Sydney. For more information about Nintendo Live 2024 SYDNEY, visit https://www.nintendo.com/au/nintendo-live-2024-sydney/

 

Long-Awaited Nintendo Museum Opening In Japan Later This Year

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Japan to Open Long-Awaited Nintendo Museum This Autumn (northern hemisphere)

Nintendo enthusiasts have reason to celebrate as the highly anticipated Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, Japan, is set to open its doors this spring (or autumn if you like in the northern hemisphere).

Originally slated for a 2021 opening, the museum’s completion has been confirmed in a recent financial earnings report. The final preparations are underway, with an official grand opening expected later this year. The museum promises to be a landmark destination for fans of the iconic video game company.

This will be another venue to add to the already growing “This to do and see in Japan” bucket list! For more details, visit the TimeOut article here.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition

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Nintendo brings home White Knuckle Speedrun Competition with Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition

How quickly could you collect a roomful of coins in Super Mario Bros.? Or snag the sword at the start of The Legend of Zelda? Or clear the entire first course in Super Mario Bros. 3? Could you do it faster than your friends? OK — can you do it faster than the rest of the world? It’s time to find out.

On 18th July, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition kicks off its worldwide competition on Nintendo Switch in living rooms across the globe. To get a taste of exactly what the game has in store, and to rev up the nostalgia, take a crash course in all things Nintendo World Championships with the announcement trailer below.

Paying tribute to the unforgettable in-person Nintendo World Championships held in 1990, 2015 and 2017, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition challenges players to battle through byte-sized bits of classic blockbusters. Both old-school and new-school players can enjoy the rush of over 150 speedrun challenges taken from 13 classic NES games. Warm up by setting and beating your own best times in the single-player Speedrun Mode, unlocking new challenges and unique in-game pins along the way, then, up to eight players* can compete locally in Party Mode. Nintendo Switch Online members** can also enter World Championships Mode to submit their best times in five challenges that rotate each week and compete for a spot on the global leaderboard.

Test your mettle against speedrun challenges taken from these NES titles:

  • Balloon Fight
  • Donkey Kong
  • Excitebike
  • Ice Climber
  • Kid Icarus
  • Kirby’s Adventure
  • Metroid
  • Super Mario Bros.
  • Super Mario Bros. 2
  • Super Mario Bros. 3
  • Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
  • The Legend of Zelda
  • Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

And for those whose NES roots run deep, prepare for the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition – Deluxe Set, also available on 18th July exclusively via EB Games Australia and New Zealand. This special-edition bundle includes a physical version of the game, a set of 5 collectible pins, 13 art cards commemorating each of the featured NES classics, and a replica of the fabled gold-coloured NES Game Pak (for display only, stand included) to commemorate the original 1990 Nintendo World Championships event.

The Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition will be available for pre-purchase shortly on My Nintendo Store and at select retailers.

 

‘Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!’ is Iconic

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

I saw that Mike Tyson has a fight scheduled with Jake Paul in July. Netflix (US) is airing it live. When I was a kid, I played a lot of “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!” on Nintendo.

The game, released in 1987, was an instant hit with all my friends. We spent hours playing what we thought was the greatest boxing game ever. Certain boxers were my favourites to fight. I liked Great Tiger for his flamboyancy and his comical footwork that had no business being in a boxing ring. He was a character, and he wasn’t easy to knock out. He made the funniest face when you would get a good hit on him. King Hippo was another favorite. He was marginally slow, but when he struck your chin…there were times when I didn’t think I would get off the canvas.

The game made Mike Tyson even more mythical at the time. I didn’t really care for him, or boxing, but if there was a Tyson fight on HBO, I would usually pay attention to the outcome. But when a friend would ask me to play “Punch-Out!!” with them, I never hesitated at the chance. Especially after a stressful day at school. It was like I was getting my aggression out when I was facing an opponent in the game’s ring. And most importantly, it was entertaining.

Nintendo predicted this fight in the 80s! image source: Retro Russ

The hyper extend punch was one of my favorite things to do in a game at the time; that would usually knock out my opponent and I could move on with ease. Some of the boxer’s punches were so slow that you could glance at your watch, take a bite of pizza, and move in time to avoid contact. I always thought the clip of your boxer running with his trainer, riding a bike ahead of him, a great touch.

After you defeated all the other boxers, and you got to fight Tyson at the very end of the game, it felt like an accomplishment of sorts.

Tyson’s tweets of his training for the upcoming bout are scary and intimidating. When he’s sparring, it looks like he’s still got it. But will it be enough to beat a much younger Paul? I’m sure the ratings for Netflix will be huge, just like the sells for the 1987 video game were. Even if you despise boxing and the two competitors, the match-up is intriguing.

 

 

The Legend Of Super Mario

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If Omega and Swatch can crossover, well so to can Nintendo’s biggest franchises!

Introducing, The Legend Of Super Mario 1.2 – a crossover between the original The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. NES games! Big thanks to hacker extraordinaire, NesDraug.

Enough said, enjoy this amazing abomination!


source: Mangrich1 Gaming via Facebook

Celebrate MAR10 Day In Australia & NZ

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Wahoo, Happy MAR10 Day!

Celebrate MAR10 Day in Australia and New Zealand with exclusive rewards on a range of Mario titles, including 10% back in Gold Points on Nintendo eShop, and collect an assortment of user icons parts from Super Mario games.

But wait, there is more! From now till 24th March, an assortment of user icons parts from Super Mario games will be available as Nintendo Switch Online member-exclusive rewards. There’s also a special mission you can complete by playing the Super NES classic Super Mario World to earn some Platinum Points.

Happy MAR10 Day to you all!

image source: Nintendo

Super Paper Cardboard Mario Bros.

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Now this is innovative, a handheld Nintendo system, completely made out of cardboard and paper!

Pfft, no need for a Game & Watch or a Game Boy/GBC/GBA or a DS. Oh yeah, no need for Paper Mario either 😉 Just check out those graphics!!!

 



LEGO Ideas: METROID – E.M.M.I.

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Ah LEGO Ideas, you do get some pretty darn awesome product ideas, just like this METROID – E.M.M.I. entry by DirectorInfamousCockroach100!

What’s there not to love here, there is Samus Aran (based on her Metroid Dread appearance) and the E.M.M.I. robot enemies  featured in Metroid Dread!

DirectorInfamousCockroach100 states that:

Originally I was going to build Samus’ ship but I couldn’t crack the design :/ so here is the E.M.M.I! The Robot enemies featured in Metroid Dread.

The design here is a bit bulky but I wanted to try and make it as posable as possible! Of course it comes with a transparent stand just in-case, the build is not the most stable!

So if you are yearning for a Lego Metroid set of some kind, then you better get voting on this one!



‘Zelda’ Film Needs a Good Script

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Off the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” we are now getting a “The Legend of Zelda” film adaptation. Money talks. It’s smart for Nintendo to get a “Zelda” film in pre-production. The “Mario Bros. Movie” made $1.36 billion at the box office, globally. And it had a budget of $100 million.

The thing about the “Mario” film was that everybody knows “Super Mario Bros.” Do people know “The Legend of Zelda,” yes, but is it as massive a global brand like “Mario”?

Nintendo must have an exceptional script. A good story that sticks to the video game’s lore is essential. That’s what the “Mario” film did so well, and audiences went back to see it more than once.

I hope the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, but the “Zelda” games have a more serious tone than the “Mario” games. The movie should still be a fun ride. If it’s live action, whoever is cast as Princess Zelda and Link is crucial. The film would be better if it was animated like “Mario.” They could have the same studio, Illumination, that worked on the “Mario” movie. Live action could work, but why take that risk when Nintendo hit a homerun with “Mario”? The voice acting was superb in “Mario,” especially Jack Black as Bowser. Will there be musical numbers in the “Zelda” film?

The “Mario” movie had a smart structure to it. It didn’t feel overstuffed with easter eggs, and the runtime was just right. “Zelda” will probably have to be a longer film. It needs to have the feel of an epic and still have a tight runtime and be fun for children. That’ll be tough to pull off, but with an intelligent, entertaining script, a good film is certainly possible.