Koji Kondo's Super Mario Bros. (1985) score redefined video game music. With under three minutes of music, Kondo put to rest an era of bleeps and bloops-the sterile products of a lab environment-replacing it with one in which game sounds constituted a legitimate form of artistic expression. Andrew Schartmann takes us through the various external factors (e.g., the video game crash of 1983, Nintendo's marketing tactics) that coalesced into a ripe environment in which Kondo's musical experiments could thrive. He then delves into the music itself, searching for reasons why our hearts still dance to the “primitive” 8-bit tunes of a bygone era. What musical features are responsible for Kondo's distinct “Mario sound”? How do the different themes underscore the vastness of Princess Peach's Mushroom Kingdom? And in what ways do the game's sound effects resonate with our physical experience of the world? These and other questions are explored within, through the lens of Kondo's compositional philosophy-one that would influence an entire generation of video game composers. As Kondo himself stated, “we [at Nintendo] were trying to do something that had never been done before.” In this book, Schartmann shows his readers how Kondo and his team not just succeeded, but heralded in a new era of video games.

In perhaps the most famous switcheroo in all of game history, the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 was declared "too hard" by Nintendo of America and replaced with a Mario-ified port of the Famicom hit, Yume Kōjō Doki Doki Panic. The new game (dubbed Super Mario USA in Japan) was a huge success for its four playable characters, improved graphics, immersive levels, and catchy music, and eventually became the 3rd bestselling game for the NES. And yet. Because of its strange new villains, its wild gameplay, and its mysterious touches, SMB2 has for years been regarded as the Odd Mario Out, even as it has seen popular updates on the Super NES and Game Boy Advance. Irwin's Mario is not a simple retelling of a 25-year-old story, but instead an examination of the game with fresh eyes: both as a product of its time and as a welcome change from the larger Super Mario franchise. Along the way he searches for clues, pulling up a few vegetables of his own. What he finds is not at all what he expected.

From the pages of Nintendo Power magazine, a full-color graphic novel inspired by the classic Super Mario Bros. video game franchise! Super Mario Adventures, inspired by the bestselling Super Mario video game franchise, is a collection of comics that originally ran in Nintendo Power magazine in 1992-93. The peril-plagued Princess Toadstool is kidnapped by the diabolical deadbeat Bowser but super plumbers Mario and Luigi hatch a plan with their new friend Yoshi to rescue her. Are the Super Mario Bros’ plans a pipe dream? Can they stop the Koopa King before he forces the Princess to be his bride?! Long out of print, this stunning, full-color graphic novel is now available once again!

Power up your child's reading with Mario, Luigi and their friends in the Super MarioTM first-ever Step into Reading level reader! Nintendo and Super Mario fans ages 5-8 will love to meet Mario, Luigi, and all their friends and foes in this Step 3 Step into Reading level reader. Step 3 readers feature engaging characters in easy-to-follow plots about popular topics. For children who are ready to read on their own. Mario first appeared in 1981 with the arcade classic Donkey KongTM, and has since gone on to star in many adventures, allowing him to evolve into the beloved icon he is today. He is a video game sensation, appearing across all genres--from action-platformers to sports, kart racing and beyond.

Experience the zany world of Super Mario through manga! Join Mario and pals in crazy adventures inspired by the hit video games! In this collection of short stories, Mario and Luigi go on adventures that showcase the fan-favorite characters of the Mario world in new, unconventional and hilarious ways. This compilation, handpicked from years of Mario comics in Japan, has never been available in English—until now!

A celebrated performance artist's mesmerizing riffs on sex in American politics. Based on her widely praised performance pieceUnicorn Gratitude Mystery ("Wickedly funny," as described byThe New York Times), Karen Finley'sGrabbing Pussy explores the Shakespearean dynamics that surface when libidos and loyalties clash in the public and private personas of Donald Trump, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner, and now Harvey Weinstein. Standing in the tradition of Allen Ginsberg'sHowl, Finley's words jolt the reader into new insights about the ways the darkly private can drive the public realm in dizzying twists and turns. The aggression of intimacy, the disparity of gender, and the vital importance of hair are all encompassed in Finley's exhilarating canter.

Upon its 1990 NES release, Super Mario Bros. 3 flew in on the P-wings of critical raves, intense popular demand, and the most sophisticated marketing campaign Nintendo of America had ever attempted. Shigeru Miyamoto's ultimate 8-bit platformer lived up to all the hype and elevated Mario from mascot to icon. But what exactly made this game the phenomenon it was? With the help of her friends and family, critics inside and outside the realm of gaming, and former Nintendo of America employees, Alyse Knorr traverses the Mushroom World looking for answers. Along the way, Knorr unearths SMB3's connections to theater and Japanese folklore, investigates her own princess-rescuing impulses, and examines how the game's animal costumes, themed worlds, tight controls, goofy enemies, and memorable music cohere in a game that solidified Mario's conquest of the NES era.

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