Gameography

In 1989 with Mario mania in full swing, American TV cached in, bringing us The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! a part live action sitcom, part cartoon show based on Super Mario Bros. 1 and 2. This week we take a look at the first episode with its child-logic jokes and slappin rhymes... Patty cake patty cake pasta man, give me pasta-power as fast as you can!

The post S1 Ep. 8: The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! first appeared on Gameography Podcast.

"Not having fun is bad when you're a company selling fun." This is how a game evaluator for Nintendo of America summed up the sequel to the best-selling game of all time. Thus, the true Mario 2 never saw a release outside of Japan and was later dubbed "The Lost Levels". Instead, Nintendo reskinned and revamped an innovative Fuji-TV licensed game with Mario characters and called it good, thus introducing a new cast of characters to the Mario universe, including Shy Guys and of course, Birdo. This week, we talk both versions of Mario 2 and come to some surprising conclusions!

The post S1 Ep. 7: Super Mario Bros 2 and The Lost Levels first appeared on Gameography Podcast.

This week we journey into the unknown of space and time to discuss the critical hit, Outer Wilds and how its radical exploratory design was influenced by Miyamoto's Zelda series. We follow the game from its beginnings as a student project through its long crowdfunded development, exchange stories of exploring the universe, and praise the game's literary sensibility.

The post S1 Ep. 6 Outer Wilds first appeared on Gameography Podcast.

The Legend of Zelda released in 1986, based around Miyamoto's experience wandering the countryside was in many ways ahead of its time. This week on Gameography we exploring the sprawling land of Hyrule, marvel at its scope and the freedom it offers and puzzle at the rougher unpolished edges of this gem of a game.

The post S1 Ep. 5: The Legend of Zelda first appeared on Gameography Podcast.

Though known as the first NES game by Americans, Super Mario Bros. was created as a swan song to the Famicom in Japan. Miyamoto wanted to put everything that Nintendo had learned about creating games for the system into one ultimate game. This week on Gameography, we get into the nitty-gritty details of the NES hardware, how Super Mario Bros. was created despite extreme limitations, and its legendary status as one of the greatest and best selling games of all time.

The post S1 Ep. 4: Super Mario Bros. first appeared on Gameography Podcast.

In 1983 Nintendo released the Famicom, short for Family Computer, in Japan and in need of games, Miyamoto made the transition from an arcade game designer to a home game designer with his directorial debut on the Famicom, Devil World. Though never released in the states due to its religious iconography, Devil World, a Pacman-like, shows Miyamoto struggling to adapt to the new format. Later, he released Excitebike, a fast-paced sidescroller with hints of Mario and Zelda. This week on Gameography we look at Miyamoto's first attempts at making home games. We look at how they hold up, and at what they tell us about the development of Miyamoto's game design style.

The post S1 Ep 3: Devil World and Excitebike first appeared on Gameography Podcast.

Fresh off of the company saving Donkey Kong, Miyamoto must prove himself more than a one hit wonder. In this episode we cover the follow ups to Donkey Kong, DK Jr., the strange Donkey Kong 3, and the debut of his most iconic characters in the Mario Bros arcade game.

The post S1 Ep 2: Miyamoto’s Arcade Beginnings Part 2 first appeared on Gameography Podcast.

Shigeru Miyamoto, born in 1952, lands an interview at a modest toy company of the name of Nintendo fresh out of college and is quickly tasked with saving the fledgling North American branch of the company from financial ruin. What he comes up with, a carpenter in overalls and a large mustache and a large, villainous gorilla, change the fortunes of Nintendo and change video game history. This episode we cover Sheriff, Radar Scope, and Donkey Kong.

The post S1 Ep 1: Miyamoto’s Arcade Beginnings first appeared on Gameography Podcast.