So, when I was a little mischief maker, I encountered a bug in the SMB+Duck Hunt cart that came with my NES. I managed to become a small fire Mario... Very peculiar, and no one believed me when I told them about it.

Yesterday, I was browsing Kotaku, and found a YouTube video of the 'Minus World' from the Famicom Disk System version of SMB, and that got me wanting to recreate that, so I set out and got a copy of NEStopia, and some FDS disk images. Sure enough, I was able to reach the Minus World (I may be getting old, and am unable to match my former glory in SMB, but I'm not dead yet!), then I decided to see if I could recreate the circumstances of the small fire Mario of my youth. This is something I've tried before on various remixes of SMB, and apparently the glitch is now absent... But on the Japanese FDS version, I was able to recreate it!

How to do it:

On any world, I used World 1, go to Level 4 as fire Mario, get behind Bowser so he walks towards you...then jump up so when you come down, you hit him and the axe at the same time. You'll get hit, but won't shrink, and this screws with the program a little.

The technical stuff:

Okay, I don't know anything about programming, but from these results it seems to me that your status is governed by two things. The first, is what sprite is being displayed. The second is the palette. It appears that fire Mario status is merely a palette switch. Also, it seems the part of the program that governs the powerup boxes is blind to these two factors.

When you hit Bowser and the axe, you palette-switch back to Super Mario, but before you can shrink, the 'game' goes static for the whole 'Our Princess is in another castle!' thing. So it forgets to change your sprite.

The part of the program that governs the powerups thinks you're small, but because your sprite is still Super Mario, you can break bricks. (And in fact, if you got hit right now, you would die.) Now, after you get a mushroom, you will SHRINK. Because the mushroom triggers a switch between the two sprites. (And is oblivious to the fact you are using the 'Super' sprite.) At this point, even though the program thinks you're 'Super Mario' you're now using the small Mario sprite, and can no longer break bricks.

Next, when you get a flower, the program is likewise oblivious to your apparent normal Mario state, and palette switches the small Mario to fire Mario colors.

So, there you go. You'll then have a little Mario throwing fireballs. However, when you throw them, the sprite will change momentarily to the correct Super-sized fire Mario. (The 'throw' frame of animation is only available for the full-sized sprite.)

Anyway, enough of that. Here's the video!

YouTube! -or- Direct Download High-Res (XviD/MP3 .avi 8.38mb)

Click 'Read More!' for a breakdown of the match, and links to all the videos!

Read more! »

So, with the news of a new US AC:FF on the horizon (Including a Japanese reverse-port), I decided to dig up my beloved AC:FF PS2 game and play around with my designs a bit.


Up first, was my Fenrir Mk. I... Up last, was my Fenrir Mk. I... Damn that's a nice design.


As everyone knows, I've been jonesing for a PSP ever since AC:FF came out, and it turns out, it may be closer than I thought! The new Ceramic White Japanese PSP value pack, has dropped $50, to a mere $249.90. In a scant couple of days, AC:FF is coming out in the US, followed by the Japanese re-release in the form of AC:FF International.


To go with this post, I dug up a couple of vids, as well as capped a few new ones.


Armored Core: Formula Front PS2 - Opening Video


Fenrir Mk. I test - Round 1
Fenrir Mk. I test - Round 2

Fenrir Mk. I test - Round 3
Fenrir Mk. I test - Round 4

Fenrir Mk. I test - Round 5


Armored Core: Last Raven (Newest AC game) - Opening Video


Another Century's Episode (Oh, why not?) - Opening Video

So, I was going through the small collection of roms I'd culled from my Super Famicom MASTER ROM COLLECTION (kekeke!), when I decided to check out Tales of Phantasia... I still haven't actually played the GAME because I've been too busy playing with the SOUND MENU.


Behold! (5mb xvid/lame mp3)


That's the coolest thing ever.

Wow, I'm on a roll. Some more videos from Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny: Generation of C.E.


Really damn awesome vids:
Athrun super attack versus EAF Mobile Armor.

Dearka and Yzak wasting a ZAFT conspirator at the battle of Junius 7.


Super attack vids:
Shinn versus Stellar, from the attack on Armory 1.

Stellar going berserk on Shinn.
Luna going all-out against an EAF redshirt.

Sting blasting the hell out of Yzak.

Auel taking a shot at the Minerva from underwater.

Some more videos from Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny: Generation of C.E.


These vids aren't perfect, but they've got sound, and they're reasonably HQ.


From 73 C.E. Destiny mission 6:
Athrun evades an attack.

I fail, Athrun gets owned to hell.


Profile system:

Viewing mobile suits.

Okay, so I haven't been making any progress on the site, I've still been playing that damn game. But, atleast now I'm playing it at my desk, with the possibility of capturing videos. So it's a head-fake towards, you know, doing what I'm supposed to be doing.


Anyway, my capture card is all shitted up, so I only got one good vid out of the whole session.


Awesome cinematic.


Totally friggin awesome attack combo.
Sorry, no sound, and some video problems on the second one...but you HAVE to see it! Look two posts up for a totally working HQ copy!


So, now I remember why I've been procrastinating about getting down to business and capturing videos... It's because my capture setup sucks shit. -_-;