Issue 9: Get Equipped

Letter from the Editor…

We’re not sure what exact game had the first power-up, but there’s little doubt that the original Super Mario Bros. set an iconic standard with its mushrooms, stars and fire flowers. As a child I wondered how they worked in the real world. Do you eat them? Just touch them? If you just touch them do they get absorbed into your skin via osmosis? What does it feel like to suddenly have those abilities or go through that transformation?

I won’t ever know the real world physics of them, but I do still get to experience them over and over again in Mario titles that came out as recent as a couple months ago. And since that classic ’80s game, so many other titles and series have embraced the concept of a “power up”– you could say the core Mega Man series is literally defined by them. And even in your modern-day shooters like Call of Duty, power ups are available in an implicit fashion, via gained experience points translating into better guns and tactical options.

Power ups really define where the line between reality and fantasy is crossed in video games, and we couldn’t love them more for that. This week we get into our favorites in some of Nintendo’s classic franchises.

Enjoy,
Noah

Issue 9: Get Equipped

Real Superheroes of Dream Land (and Beyond) by Andrew Hsieh
People the world over idolize the likes of Superman and Captain America, but there’s another hero out there who really deserves the praise. And fear.

Flight within Mario: What Else Do You Need? by James Labalokie
Mario can do a lot of things in his main-series platform adventures. But there’s one item that pretty much makes the rest irrelevant.

Nester64x: Feel the Power within Your Hands! by Nester64x
Some of you may want to experience power ups in real life, but did you know there already was an ultimate power up? You passed it up, I bet.

Round Table: Our Favorite Power Ups by Nintendojo Staff
We discuss our favorite power ups of all time.

Cloudy with a Chance of Smash Balls by Adam Sorice
The Smash Bros. forecast predicts you should head for cover unless you’re in a fighting spirit.

Tidman’s Take: Link’s Armament by Matthew Tidman
Out of all the Nintendo heroes, Link probably has the broadest set of tools at his disposal. Tidman takes a look at the finer implements.

Super Mario Rehab by Adam Sorice
Mario may have taught us all to be optimistic and never give up in rescue missions, but there’s something else he does that you should beware.

Hot Air: Powered by Aaron Roberts
Just what Hot Air needs: power ups!

The Ups and Downs of Power by Andy Hoover
Andy looks at how power ups have improved and weakened game design over the years.

Now You’re Playing With Power by Robert Thompson
Nintendo has tried to bring the magic of power ups into the real world through a vast catalog of peripherals. Here are the best and worst.

Additional features in this issue…

Monday

• Nightly News Roundup by Carter Fagan
  

Tuesday

• Poll: What power up saved you the most? by M. Noah Ward
• Nightly News Roundup by Abhinay Sawant
  

Wednesday

• Dojo-Show-Go! Episode 102 by M. Noah Ward
• Nightly News Roundup by Evan Campbell
  

Thursday

• Nightly News Roundup by Andrew Hsieh
  

Friday

• Nightly News Roundup: Video Edition by Aaron Roberts
  

Coming Up Next Week…

Issue 10: Nintendo Wasteland
Remember that game? You know, that one game. What, you don’t? Ah, welcome to the wasteland.