- DC Mayor Bowser grilled on claim that city has just 221 homeless people: ‘What are you talking about?’ Fox News
- Washington D.C. mayor says states ‘all have more access’ to government #Shorts USA TODAY
- Comer: This Committee and DC Leaders Must Come Together to Address Rising Crime in Our Nation’s Capital – United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability House Committee on Oversight and Reform |
- Hands Off DC rally ahead of congressional hearing on D.C.’s current affairs ABC 7 News – WJLA
- DC Mayor Bowser testifies at House Oversight Committee hearing | FOX 5 DC FOX 5 Washington DC
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: Bowser
Universal’s new Mario Kart ride is under fire for size restrictions
It’s a classic theological question: Could Bowser (the Koopa King) create a theme park ride so restrictive that even he couldn’t ride it?
Said question is front and center for plenty of Nintendo fans this week, with new reports that the upcoming Mario Kart ride, Bowser’s Challenge—set to be the main draw (and only actual ride) at Universal Studio’s new Super Nintendo World—will only accommodate riders with a 40-inch waistline or smaller. This is per our colleagues over at Kotaku, who report on a number of people raising issues online this week about Universal’s decision to impose the size limits.
An import from the Japanese version of Super Mario Land, Bowser’s Challenge is what’s known as “dark ride,” i.e., one of those space-efficient, thrill-deficient arrangements where you’re strapped into a car and then swerved on a track in front of a bunch of 3D screens and actual live elements. (In this case, lifted from Nintendo’s beloved Mario Kart franchise.) As such, it’s not entirely clear why such tight size restrictions are being imposed; certainly, it seems like some alternative solution could be used. (Disney, for instance, tends to use benches and lap-bars for this sort of thing, which accommodates a much wider variety of body types.)
The 40-inch waistline requirement is fairly standard at Universal Studios, where it’s also applied to dark rides like Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey and Revenge Of The Mummy: The Ride. From personal experience, this 6′, 4″, 290-pound writer will note that there is some wiggle room on those requirements when you’re actually at the park—but also that the process of forcing yourself into those seats (or using the tester seat provided, as with Mario Kart) can be both uncomfortable and embarrassing. More to the point, it all feels profoundly unnecessary: There’s no reason for Universal not to update its sizing on rides to allow a more diverse group of riders to enjoy the Super Nintendo Land fun, especially as the opening of the new area has drawn renewed interest and attention to the park.
Super Nintendo World Opening Date Announced for U.S.
Prepare to level up at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023 with the opening of Super Nintendo World on February 17. The video game-inspired land finally makes its United States debut after the opening of the first Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan back in 2021, and in advance of the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The West Coast version will include immersive, state of the art experiences like the Mario Kart:Bowser’s Challenge attraction and interactive gameplay throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, with a wearable Power-Up Band that will bring to life iconic game moments in the real world.
Watch the official first look at the land in this preview released by Universal!
We’re excited to race to the finish-line and grab a bite to eat at the Toadstool Cafe, filled with themed dining options that are hopefully just as cute as the Japan offerings, though we have questions about the mushroom on mushroom crime that is the Super Mushroom soup. Then, of course, there’s shopping at the 1-UP Factory retail store filled with plushes, wearable casual cosplay, and retro Nintendo merch.
Here are the official descriptions for what to expect when Super Nintendo World opens:
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge: This all-new, technologically advanced ride, inspired by the popular Mario Kart™ video game series, will seamlessly fuse cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) with projection mapping technology and actual set pieces along a moving ride track. Set against a multi-sensory backdrop of color, sound, and movement, guests will be seated in stadium-style, four-seat vehicles as they navigate familiar courses through the creative use and integration of head mounted AR goggles. This unique feature is a key point of differentiation that distinguishes this ride from other theme park attractions.
G/O Media may get a commission
The premise of “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge” is simple but equally inspiring and challenging, appealing to guests of all ages regardless of gaming experience. As part of Team Mario, guests will steer through underwater courses and courses in the clouds to compete for the Golden Cup while collecting coins to defeat Team Bowser and win. “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge” raises the stakes for guests as an intriguing and repeatable ride with a variety of outcomes.
Mount Beanpole: This towering landmark sits at the heart of the land and also serves as the entry queue for “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.”
Bowser’s Castle: Adorned with a breathtaking sculpture of a large and powerful Bowser, this structure serves as a key centerpiece of the land, home to Super Nintendo World’s signature ride, “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.” As guests navigate the winding corridors and pass through the hall of medallions and trophies of the ominous castle towards the “Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge” ride, they will learn more about Bowser’s calculated plans to defeat Team Mario for the coveted Golden Cup.
Power-Up Band: These wearable, state-of-the-art wristbands sync with Universal Studios Hollywood’s free downloadable app to level-up the guest experience within the land and enhance its many interactive elements. These include, but are not limited to, keeping individual and team scores, collecting digital coins, and obtaining keys after winning challenges throughout the land. Power-Up Bands will also invite guests to enjoy extra-special interactions with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. They will come in six design options with character themes and will be available for purchase both within the land and at Super Nintendo World retail shops located in the theme park and on CityWalk.
Interactive Gameplay: Within the land, guests will become fully engulfed in an engaging world of real-life gameplay, including punching blocks to collect digital coins and a variety of interactives. They will discover a new dimension of Super Nintendo World via the interactive binoculars employing augmented reality technology positioned within the land. Guests can beat the four Key Challenges and collect keys from Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant, and Thwomp interactive activities to ultimately allow access to the culminating boss battle with Bowser Jr. These energetic, familiar, and fun interactive games will further enhance the entire kinetic experience within the land and immerse guests into the unique world of Super Mario.
Toadstool Cafe: The land’s signature restaurant Toadstool Cafe will serve a gourmet menu perfected by Chef Toad where he will greet guests upon entry. Menu items prepared fresh daily include Toadstool Cheesy Garlic Knots, Super Mushroom Soup, Piranha Plant Caprese, Mario Bacon Cheeseburger, Luigi Pesto Chicken Burger, Question Block Tiramisu, and Princess Peach Cupcake.
Super Nintendo World opens February 17 at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water.
Nintendo Of America Says It’s Investigating Labor Allegations
Yesterday, Nintendo of America’s president Doug Bowser sent out an internal message to employees acknowledging the “media coverage involving claims made about worker conduct.” He wrote that “We have and will always investigate any allegations we become aware of, and we are actively investigating these most recent claims.”
This message, which Kotaku has viewed and which was shared with us by a source Kotaku has confirmed currently works for Nintendo, was posted to the company’s internal SharePoint account. (Kotaku has also corroborated the message’s authenticity with two other current Nintendo employees.) In the message, Bowser reassured current employees that Nintendo was taking the allegations seriously.
“We have strict policies designed to protect our employees and associates from inappropriate conduct and expect full compliance with these policies by all who work for or with us.” Doug wrote. “We have and will always investigate any allegations we become aware of, and we are actively investigating these most recent claims.”
Bowser’s message was posted on the same day that Kotaku published an investigative report about female contractors who had experienced sexual harassment while working as game testers at Nintendo of America’s Redmond, Washington headquarters. Our sources accused two managers who work or had worked at Nintendo of workplace misconduct, and the report described an internal workplace culture that was like a “frat house.”
Last November, Bowser condemned the sexual harassment allegations at Activision Blizzard as “distressing and disturbing,” saying that “[sexual harassment and toxicity] run counter to my values as well as Nintendo’s beliefs, values and policies.” Several days later, Nintendo updated its corporate governance document with a commitment to increase the number of female managers at the company.
“Please remember that our HR teams are here to support you,” wrote Bowser. “If you experience, have experienced, witness, or have witnessed anything concerning such behavior that is contrary to our Standards of Conduct, employee handbook, or Company Values, please immediately contact your HR Business Partner.” Kotaku reached out to Nintendo for a comment, but did not receive one by the time of publication.
Lego Reveals Newer, Bigger Bowser Coming To San Diego Comic-Con
Remember earlier this month, when Nintendo and Lego revealed a massive new Bowser set? At the time we all thought that was a big Bowser. And to be fair, at a foot tall and nearly 3,000 pieces, it’s still pretty large (and will set you back $270). But now we have an even bigger Bowser. This massive new Bowser animatronic won’t be for sale, but will be hanging around San Diego Comic-Con later this week.
Bowser, the arch-nemesis (and occasional go-karting buddy) of Mario and company is a very large, powerful villain who’s appeared in countless Nintendo games over the last 37 years. So it only makes sense to recreate the iconic, destructive King Koopa as a massive, fully animated Lego animatronic. Earlier today, Nintendo revealed the first look at this new Bowser figure, complete with moving eyeballs, fingers, and eyebrows.
This massive Bowser figure was first teased earlier this month, after the reveal of the recently announced buildable Bowser Lego puppet set. As an interesting point of comparison, the Bowser set you can buy contains 2,807 lego pieces. That’s a lot of bricks! However, this animated San Diego Comic-Con King Koopa statue is made up of 663,900 individual Lego bricks, which is over 236 times as many as the home set. So yeah, just a bit bigger…
I probably don’t need to tell you this, but don’t expect Nintendo and Lego to start selling massive, human-scale Bowser builds anytime soon. In the video reveal of this biggest Bowser yet, small text at the bottom pointed out that this thing ain’t for sale. And even if it was, that amount of bricks would cost a lot more than $270. The Lego Titanic set has over 9,000 pieces and costs $630. I can only imagine how much this massive Bowser figure would go for at retail. You’d probably need to take out a bank loan.
G/O Media may get a commission
41% Off
LG Oled 55″ Smart TV
Pretty
Aside from being 55″ in size, this OLED TV has over 8 million pixels for truly stunning images, incredibly depth of blacks, and vibrant colors, uses an a7 Gen 4 AI Processor for 4K imaging, has low latency if you’re after a good gaming TV, and even has integrated Google Assistant and Alexa.
While you won’t be able to acquire your own several hundred pound animatronic Bowser, you can at least see this big boy at San Diego Comic-Con, which starts July 21 and wraps up on July 24.
And if you want your own (tiny) big Bowser Lego set, the one announced earlier can be found on Lego’s official website ahead of its October 1 release.
Super Bowser now has his own 2,807-piece Lego Mario set
How tall is Bowser, the fire-breathing dragon-turtle-lizard thing who regularly roils the Mushroom Kingdom as Mario’s chief nemesis? It is the age-old question, and there’s no single answer. But if you’ve been holding back on Lego’s cutesy interactive Mario sets because their Super Koopa didn’t meet your satisfaction, I might have the set for you.
You’re looking at Lego’s 2,807-piece “The Mighty Bowser,” a supersized $270 version of the reptile that looks ready for some of the biggest boss fights we’ve ever seen in the games. It’s the biggest Lego Super Mario build yet, and much bigger than the original:
While the company hasn’t told us quite how tall the new Bowser is, it’s quite clear he towers over Lego’s other Mario figures as only a Super / Mega / Giant or Giga Bowser can. His mouth, arms, legs, tail, head and neck are all moveable — the last two with the press of a button — and while it’s not clear at embargo time how you’ll activate it, there’s a fireball launcher in his head.
The Danish company has rolled out the red carpet for this Bowser, too, providing a small chunk of his famous Bowser Castle stage with, yes, a gold-trimmed red carpet and cracked pavement. It serves as a display stand.
And, like other Lego Super Mario sets, there’s some sort of interactive electronic element. “Fans that own a LEGO Super Mario Starter Course can choose to battle Bowser against LEGO Mario, Luigi or Peach, allowing for truly immersive and digitally enhanced play,” reads a line from the company’s press release.
The new Lego Bowser set will be available October 1st for $270. It’s just one of the many, many pricier sets the company is releasing now that it’s building for adult budgets. Here’s a shortlist of others we’ve covered recently:
I’ll leave you with some more high-res images of Lego’s new Bowser set.
Photo: Lego
Photo: Lego
Photo: Lego
Photo: Lego
Photo: Lego
Sonic Frontiers ‘Open Zone’ Sounds Like Every Open World Game
Morio Kishimoto, longtime Sonic Team dev and director of Sonic Frontiers, recently did his best to clarify what Sega means when it hypes up the game’s “open zone” mechanics. But his explanation seems to confirm the phrase is just a trumped-up marketing term rather than some sort of indication that Frontiers is substantially different from other sandbox games.
“Our Open Zone is a world map, only we’ve made it entirely playable,” Kishimoto told IGN. “A playable world map that includes stage-like elements is something that hasn’t really been done before, so we had to come up with a new name. What is often defined as a World in other level-based platformers is called a Zone in Sonic games, so we took that and combined it with Open, which refers to a freely explorable field.”
All due respect, Kishimoto, but you literally just described an open world.
If anything, what Sonic Frontiers is apparently all about sounds like a direct correlation with the design of Bowser’s Fury, the excellent expansion bundled with Super Mario 3D World on Switch. Although Bowser’s Fury scattered traditional Mario levels across a large map, it was still very much a seamless, open-world game at heart. And it seems, at least to me, like Sonic Frontiers is trying for the exact same thing.
“The Open Zone stands central in Sonic Frontiers’ gameplay, and the game’s levels exist as elements within this area,” Kishimoto said. “From grind rails to platform objects, loops and so on, the Open Zone is packed with the athletic action we love in Sonic games.”
I’m fine with folks describing their games in whatever way they feel is most appropriate, just to be clear. Language, especially language pertaining to game design, is constantly evolving. Most “roguelikes” these days have very little in common with 1980’s Rogue, but I immediately understand what someone is getting at when they use the term despite it being somewhat divorced from its original meaning. Same with terms like “Metroidvania” and “immersive sim,” for that matter.
I guess it’s just Kishimoto’s insistence that Sonic Frontiers is an entirely different thing that strikes me as funny.
“The [world map] system has been used by countless platformers since [Super Mario Bros. 3], even to this day,” Kishimoto said. “A true evolution of this structure is what we see as the essence of Sonic Frontiers’ field. We wanted to provide a next-gen, level-based platforming experience. But how do we evolve a level-based platformer like Sonic into this new Open Zone? That’s what Sonic Frontiers is all about.”
G/O Media may get a commission
Of course, no one asked Kishimoto to explain all that jargon or even nail down what truly sets Sonic Frontier’s “open zone” apart from an “open world” game during this recent media blitz. Kotaku contacted Sega for more information but didn’t hear back immediately.
Sonic Frontiers is scheduled for a late 2022 launch on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC. It looks bland and apparently the gameplay doesn’t inspire any confidence either, but Sega is committed to not delaying its release despite the largely negative feedback.
Nintendo Hacker Gary Bowser Sentenced To Prison For 3 Years
Recently indicted Nintendo hacker Gary Bowser has been handed a 40-month prison sentence by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington for creating and selling “console-hacking software and devices used to play pirated Nintendo Switch games.” This is according to a victory lap-style press release published by Nintendo this afternoon that dedicates much of its word count to praising American law enforcement.
We’ve included the full text below so you can see what a sizable chunk of gratitude it is. The way Nintendo thanks these feds, you’d assume they brought in the next Pablo Escobar instead of some guy who helped folks pirate video games.
Nintendo appreciates the hard work and tireless efforts of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to curb illegal activities on a global scale that cause serious harm to Nintendo and the video game industry. In particular, Nintendo would like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) of the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their significant contribution and assistance.
The U.S. government’s prosecution argued in court documents filed last week that Bowser was the “public face” of a “criminal enterprise” known as Team Xecuter, estimating that the group’s actions resulted in $65 million in losses for Nintendo (these statistics are usually questionable) and suggesting five years in prison as punishment.
Read More: Gary Bowser Pleads Guilty To Piracy Charges After Nintendo Pursuit
Bowser’s defense, on the other hand, claimed he was the “least culpable” of the three arrested members of Team Xecuter and was only being used to “send a message” because his co-defendants reside in countries that may not extradite them.
Bowser also agreed to pay Nintendo a sum of $10 million during a separate, civil case that was settled in December 2021.
I don’t know what to say here. I know we’ve made light of this whole thing because of the dude’s name, but it sure seems excessive that he’s losing three years of his life due to selling video game modchips.
Bowser sentenced to 40-month prison sentence for video game crimes
A US federal court has sentenced Canadian hacker Doug Bowser to 40 months in prison for his involvement in Switch hacking group Team Xecuter, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday. Not to be confused with Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser (or Mario’s nemesis, for that matter), Bowser was part of a collective that developed and sold devices people could use to play pirated games on their consoles.
The FBI arrested Bowser in 2020. One year later, he agreed to pay $10 million to Nintendo to settle a civil privacy lawsuit and another $4.5 million in restitution to the company. Leading up to today’s sentencing announcement, Bowser faced up to 10 years in prison. According to the Justice Department, video game publishers have lost more than $65 million thanks to Team Xecuter’s exploits. Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are still working to apprehend Bowser’s accomplices.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
What Are The Most Popular Games 2021? Resident Evil & Metroid
Resident Evil Village is a great game! It’s easily one of my favorite games of 2021. But it’s also a game that can, at times, be scary or tricky to get through. So, I was surprised to see stats showing it as the most completed video game released in 2021.
As spotted by Axios Gaming, you can see the most completed games of 2021 according to users on the site HowLongToBeat.com. This is a site that primarily tracks how long it takes various players to complete games, letting folks quickly look up how long it takes to finish a game before starting it. (I use this site a lot to help plan out what games I’ll play next, so I’m not jumping into too many big games in a row.)
According to stats from the site, here are the top five most completed games released in 2021:
1. Resident Evil Village
2. Metroid Dread
3. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
4. It Takes Two
5. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
I find it interesting how a large chunk of the most completed games are fairly family-friendly until you reach the very top and M-rated RE Village is number one.
Another interesting bit of data is the top games that users stopped playing for whatever reason. At the top of this list are Valheim, 12 Minutes, and Loop Hero. The site also tracks the games that are sitting in the most player backlogs, so the games a lot of people want to eventually get around to beating… one day. At the top of that list is NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… followed by Resident Evil Village and Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
Oh and perhaps the oddest bit of data I found while digging around HowLongToBeat.com and all of its stats was the overall most completed game by all of its users.
G/O Media may get a commission
Save $20
Logitech StreamCam
It’s time to start streaming bigger
The camera streams at 1080p and 60 fps, and it has a natural-looking video with smooth motion. The auto framing and intelligent exposure keep you in the middle of the shot even as you move around.
Wanna take a guess?
Well, then I’ll ramble for a bit so you don’t see the answer right away and so you don’t accidentally see it and okay that’s enough let’s get to the answer. Portal! Yup, Valve’s first-person puzzle-platformer, and its sequel are the top two most completed games according to the site’s stats. At number three? The 2013 Tomb Raider reboot. The more you learn!
Of course, keep in mind that all of these stats—while very interesting and fun to look at—are just a small sample of the millions of people playing games every year. Still, this is a nice bit of insight into what people are playing.