Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo

Consoles: Super Nintendo

A little late of a post this evening, haha. It's RTF again, I haven't been here in a while, and I hope to get back into the swing of things with relatively little ease. My first October Flashback review will be Super Mario Kart for the SNES.

Super Mario Kart is one of the most well-loved titles from the SNES library, and rightly so. It kick-started an insanely popular spin-off series that is both still going today and, in essence, created a whole new genre. I feel, however, despite its being well-loved it is often negelcted and terribly overlooked, as many people got their introduction to the series through Mario Kart 64.

The game itself is very easy to pick up and play on the 50cc difficulty. Its difficulty wildly increases when jumping to 100cc, and when playing the highest difficulty, (you guessed it) 150cc, you had better pray to whatever god you believe in that you play everything with the accuracy of a machine because it is a VICIOUS MONSTER. 150 cc is not available from the beginning of the game, you have to unlock it. That should tip you off that there's trouble in paradise.

NO THIS IS NOT OKAY
The game has several playable modes. First, the actual meat of the game, the Grand Prix/GP mode. This mode can be played alone, or with a friend. You (and your friend, if playing) face off against CPUs, with a grand total of eight racers. Each racer can only be selected once, so if both of you want to play as Princess Toadstool, rock paper scissors for it, or fisticuffs may ensue. Games have gotten fucking nasty over who gets to be the princess, believe me. You pick a Cup from Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and the Special Cup. Each cup has five races, each more difficult than the last. Time Trial is a separate mode (but who the fuck likes time trials anyway?), which is pretty self-explanatory. You race a track versus a ghost racer that follows the exact route of the current best time. Also featured is Match Race, which is one vs. one racing, available only in the 2p mode. The last mode set Super Mario Kart aside from every other racer at the time- with a second player, you can duke it out in Battle Mode! Your karts are adorned with three balloons apiece. Using one of nine different powerups, your objective is to pop the other guy's balloons. The first racer to pop all three of his or her opponent's balloons is the winner. The prize? Sweet, sweet fucking glory. Priceless.

Okay, okay. So who can you play in this bad boy? All the biggest Nintendo stars at the time were available as racers! You can play Mario or Luigi, both of whom are in the average/balanced class. Their stats are basic/an average of everyone else's so they're well-rounded and pretty good for beginners. Yoshi and Princess Toadstool round out the speed/acceleration class with their ability to zoom by at the start with their extremely high acceleration- they're good for intermediate players, though their top speed leaves a bit to be desired. Bowser and Donkey Kong Jr. (... Jr.? the FUCK?) are your heavyweights with low accel and the highest speed- they're definitely for advanced players because when you hit a wall, their speed plummets and you gotta start all over again. They also cause the greatest knock-away when bumping into someone. In the final class is Toad and the Koopa Troopa. They have good traction and are easy to steer around. They're great for learning tracks and practicing sliding, and are good for beginners.

Eight star racers! Well...

No, seriously. Who the fuck let THIS guy in?
The game has twenty tracks, all made with at the time (1992) brand new Mode-7 graphics, and it made the tracks pop with a background that rotated, giving the appearance that it was 3D! At the time, this shit was mind-blowing, and, going back and playing again to get ready for the review, I could really appreciate what I was seeing.

The game has several innnovations to the racing series, which are what make it the grandpappy of the kart-racing genre. It had radically wild weapons, including a speed-boosting Super Mushroom, a slippery banana peel, and a thunderbolt that shrinks other racers. It implemented a little known about coin system- if you gathered ten+ coins, you could hit your top speed. Coins also protect you from being spun out when others run into you. If you get bumped with coins on your person, you lose a coin and have a short, slight speed reduction. If you get bumped without coins, you get spun out, which is a SEVERE penalty in 100 and 150cc races. With the shoulder buttons, you can perform a jump and a "powerslide". Press L or R to jump. It's not terribly useful, as you can't jump over weapon obstacles, but you CAN jump small gaps, which is a necessity in at least one race. Press and hold L or R when rounding a corner to perform a "powerslide" during which your character turns their kart hard, sliding it on the ground. In some areas, it's easier and more practical to powerslide a corner rather than steer it. It is near impossible to be competitive without it.

For a game that is nearly two decades old, Super Mario Kart has held up remarkably well. I, among many others, conisder it to be the best incarnation of Mario Kart with later installments nothing but mere graphical upgrades and gimmicks. It is a stellar addition to any game library and one of the most addictive games of all time. So, for a good ol' time with friends, or a good waste of time alone, pick up your copies of Super Mario Kart (or buy it on the Virtual Console!) and rock out with the best kart-racer of all time.

P.S. Undefeated in two states at SMK. Get at me, bitches.

Thoughts: Escapism

Video games are looked down upon by so many. Sure, it may have racked in more money than any other form of entertainment in the last several years, and the Wii has been seen in more homes than Blu-Ray players, but that doesn't mean games and gamers have lost the bad rap they get. It's viewed as a horrible waste of time as well as money, a terrible addiction, and, for people that refuse to put blame on parents that don't raise their children properly, a source for violent behavior.

What they're not seeing is the "good" side to video games. Video games aren't just a fun activity to some people. They're not just a hobby and they're not just a time waster to some of us. Some people use it as a job, some people use it as a teaching tool. But most importantly, some of us use video games to escape.

Just think: that could be YOU...

Work is stressful. Family and friends can be, too. But not everyone can just jump in a car and get away, or find a way to get rid of their everyday stress. That's where video games come in - sound like bullshit? It really isn't, and it's not as sad as you might think.

Think of all the places you can go without ever leaving; the Mushroom Kingdom, Azeroth, Liberty City, Hyrule, Robotropolis, Guardia, the Underworld, Kanto, Willamette Parkview Mall, Midgar, Dracula's Castle... That's just a few places. They're different from our dull, drab, boring every day lives, and that's why we visit them so often.

Ram riding?! What's NOT to love?!

Many people look at World of Warcraft players, for example, including other gamers, and degrade them as worthless addicts. Nerds without lives or friends. However, not only is this a terrible lie (as the MMO world they're in is much more social than nearly any game on any console), but many of those players find the vast world of Azeroth as an escape. Leaving their own world and all of its stress behind, they have many options that other games don't offer, such as fighting, making friends, fishing, learning professions such as mining and tailoring, making money, forming groups to take out large mobs or huge bosses, collecting pets, riding mounts, exploring, and more. It's no wonder why its players are so involved; there's TOO much to do NOT to.

It's the same reason why when a Zelda game is released people disappear. Everyone wants to play and explore and see what tools they can get or how many rupees they can collect, as well as smite evil and save the day. Zelda and Final Fantasy are two of the best examples of console or non-MMO games that people become addicted to. It's because the worlds become so vast it's easy to lose yourself in them; to feel as though you are a part of that world, and to help you forget about what troubles you in every day life.

Yeah, I can't wait...

As for me, I plan on getting lost in the far-away land of Toronto once Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is released. Being able to escape my ordinary life to fight alongside Scott, Ramona, Kim, and Steven Stills, to fight seven evil exes, to collect money and rock out... Between the beat-em-up style gameplay, the retro look and style of pixel art, the classic sounds of the chiptune songs (done by Anamanaguchi, at that), and the wonderful story of the Scott Pilgrim comics, I doubt I can hold out for the XBox Live Arcade release of the game.

Perhaps it's not the worlds one gets lost in, though. Some people relieve their stress by escaping to music. Be it the instrumental style of Rock Band, the dancing style of Dance Dance Revolution or Pump it Up, or the technical style of beatmania, many lose themselves in creating music, dancing to it, or going on a tour with their friends to become a world famous plastic band. Likewise, other people may run away to get lost in thought. Games like Tetris, Picross, Columns, Puzzle Fighter, and others can steal our time from us, too. This may be because we find ourselves focusing our thoughts on how to clear jewels or destroy lines of blocks as opposed to thinking about our problems.

Who knew dropping blocks could be so involving?

I can't say I condone getting so absorbed into a game that your problems don't get resolved. If you have money issues, playing a game until after the payment due date won't fix anything. Likewise, playing WoW or Mario Kart or Chrono Trigger to avoid a spouse will not only upset them further, but may get you into more trouble than its worth. But what many non-gamers, politicians, and jackasses (Bill O'Reilly, I'm looking at you) don't realize is that gaming is a hobby that helps people more than they realize. It's a stress reliever, a thinking tool, lately a form of exercise, and most overall a place to go when life kicks you in the balls so many times you want to give up. When things get you down, gamers, don't give up - the future of your favorite worlds depend on you.

E3 Press Conferences: Nintendo

So I wasn't here yesterday to work on the articles, and missed the original airing of Nintendo's press conference (which I rarely miss each year). So I caught the end of the conference and looked up a lot of information, so the Nintendo conference won't be as in depth as the Microsoft one, but I will go over what I've researched.

The conference begins with ol' Reggie Fils-Aime coming out with his badass haircut, and hypes up all gaming, including the ideas from Sony and Microsoft, only to say their technology is only a tool. It's kind of odd, considering not only did they start this whole motion control technology craze, but also release ridiculous amounts of hardware (I'm looking at you, Wii Pulse). This year, oddly enough, Nintendo is focused on "the experience."

The first trailer shown is the new Zelda, flashing back to each major console game's Link, before revealing the new title and a bit of gameplay for Zelda: Skyward Sword. The graphics are nice, and Paul has said it looks like a mixture of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker. Next, Shigeru Miyamoto comes out and explains a little about the game, before turning the game over to Nintendo's translater and representative.

After he fails a bit, Miyamoto himself comes out (in a fairly magical manner and with a mass applause) and shows off a lot of Zelda. While Miyamoto has trouble at times (at one point blaming it on wireless interference), the game's 1:1 with Wii MotionPlus is impressive, as are some of the items and their usage. Bombs can be set, thrown, or bowled, and the whip looks pretty badass. I've been out of the Zelda scene for a while, but this game certainly looks good enough to pick up. They said it should be coming out in 2011.

Reggie comes back out and talks about universal appeal, and talks about how sports games can bring that out. He mentions NBA Jam, but sadly shows nothing of it. Reggie announces Mario is doing more sports, and a new trailer is shown, starting with Mario and friends playing volleyball. After a few scenes, it shows the crew playing ice and beach hockey. Next appears to be a game of dodgeball, which looks fun, before changing to basketball, looking very much like Mario Hoops. The title is revealed as Mario Sports Mix, and will be out next year.

Reggie begins talking sales, how great the Wii has sold, how the games have sold, all the records broken, etc. He talks about Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, New Super Mario Bros Wii... He introduces a new "bridge" title involving Miis. New game is Wii Party, looking like Mario Party without the Mario. It looks silly; perhaps boring. Could possibly be the next Wii Music, new first party shovelware.

The Nintendo president introduces us to a new trailer for Just Dance 2. I know a lot of people hated the first game, but even if it was dumb I kinda enjoyed it - I know it's not graphically impressive; hell, I know it's not good. But something about making an ass of yourself in front of friends is always entertaining (or rather, watching your friends making asses of themselves), so with new Dance Crew battle modes and the ability for 8 players to dance in their tiny ass living rooms, I can't say I'm excited, but I'm not disappointed or surprised.

The new Golden Sun game is now subtitled Dark Dawn, and a trailer shows off the beautiful 3D graphics of the title. The battle scenes look wonderful. I haven't played much of Golden Sun, though I have wanted to, so I can't say if it's a remake of the original like it was hinted at last year. The game will be out this holiday.

As Reggie mentions another "golden" game, a trailer for a new Goldeneye game begins. Looking like a remake of the N64 classic, it's a pleasant surprise for this November, exclusive to Wii. Multiplayer is back (though looks limited to only 8 playable characters), there's new voice acted scenes, and the gameplay looks downright awesome. It'll be out this November - so let's hope it doesn't disappoint.

Next, Reggie talks about Mickey Mouse, instantly alerting the crowd to Epic Mickey. Warren Specter is introduced to the stage to show off the game. Gameplay elements is shown off, showing Mickey in a world called Wasteland that involves rejected movies, cartoons, and theme park locales and rides. The art style looks interesting in the cutscenes, but is shown as a 3D title outside of the cutscenes. Mickey appears to constantly be "dripping", but is armed with a paintbrush and paint and paint thinner. Mickey can erase items and repaint them to make them look better. He'll be able to tear out sections of rock and walls to find items, and you can even erase enemies to defeat them, or paint them to become friends and allies. There's a lot that can be done. The demo then jumps to a Steamboat Willie scene, which is also very exciting and entertaining. Expect to see a lot of characters that have been forgotten when the game comes out exclusively for Wii.

Reggie talks about keeping classic franchises fresh. Reggie hints at a new Kirby game, which is totally awesome. After 7 years, Kirby will be able to star in his own game. While Reggie makes some silly ass cloth and yarn annalogies, the trailer is revealed as the title comes up - Kirby Epic Yarn. ...Wait, seriously? This isn't a joke? Yarn? Gameplay shows a yarn outline of Kirby, using yarn to whip at enemies and throw them, or to manipulate the background (which is made up of other clothing related items, like zippers and buttons). Wait, seriously?! Kirby no longer eats things to steal powers?! According to the trailer, which shows NO instance of Kirby doing what Kirby's KNOWN for doing, he instead uses a yarn whip like a pre-school Simon Belmont, and changes into shit without the use of stealing powers LIKE KIRBY DOES IN EVERY OTHER VIDEO GAME EVER. He randomly turns into cars and parachutes now? Why the fuck is he a surfing penguin or a UFO?! A two player co-op mode for this abomination looks possible. I've argued about this game since I saw the trailer, and sure, I can forgive the cutesy yarn art style. Hell, I can even forgive the horrendously shitty music. But the fact that Kirby no longer does what he's known for doing is a fucking joke. Hell, how about we make Mario wheelchair bound, and he has this new power to smell his enemies to death?! Yeah, that's good! Shit, why don't we make a Zelda game, where Link is a merchant, and all you do is sell shit and not rescue Zelda or save Hyrule or anything? That's a pretty new and clever idea! Fuck it, why even keep Donkey Kong a gorilla anymore?! This trailer is, in and of itself, the worst thing I've seen about E3 so far. And yeah, I saw the Just Dance 2 trailer earlier.

Dragon Quest IX is mentioned for its sales numbers in Japan. It's a Nintendo DS exclusive with 120 mini-quests, 300 monsters, over 900 items to customize your characters, and unlimited randomly generated treasure maps, the game can seek out other players to add new stuff to your game. It seems like a lengthy game, and will be out on July 11. Other than this, nothing else is mentioned.

Metroid Other M, out August 31, shows off a new trailer. The game looks very impressive, and looks to have 2D levels, 3D levels, and first person segments. Cool morph ball sections are shown, a Mega Man X style wall jumping sequence is played out, several puzzles and fights look fun, and even some epic boss fights are seen. It's revealed it will be a more emotional game than previous Metroid titles.

Retro Studios, who has worked on Metroid in the past, reveals it's new work, a new Donkey Kong game. Surprisingly, this game doesn't look like a pile of shit! It appears as though the apes known for their shitty Nintendo titles is finally getting a legit adventure game as the original Donkey Kong Country theme is played. After showing off several really cool scenes and gameplay actions, the title is revealed to be Donkey Kong Country Returns, and will be out this holiday.

Satoru Iwata hits the stage to reveal some information on the 3DS. OH SHIT, A KID ICARUS GAME!! KID ICARUS UPRISING!! The game looks pretty amazing, looking like it could be a Gamecube or Wii title on a handheld. The trailer shows off Pit's ability to fly, his third person shooter bow controls, his close quarters dual knife fights, and as the trailer ends with the title, the eggplant wizard is shown, as does eggplant Pit. Kid Icarus Uprising will be a 3DS exclusive.

3DS will have a sleep mode that will still connect with other 3DS systems and WiFi networks. Nintendogs + cats is revealed to be a 3DS title. A list of companies to work on 3DS titles is shown, including EA, Harmonix, Atlus, Activision, Sega, Konami, Sega, Capcom, THQ, Namco Bandai, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and more. Iwata announces that Activision will have DJ Hero 3D, Level 5 will do Professor Layton, Square Enix will have Kingdom Hearts, THQ will have Saints Row, Capcom will have Resident Evil, Ubisoft will have Assassin's Creed, Konami will bring Metal Gear Solid... 3DS looks promising with software.

A trailer is shown with several developer's comments. Reggie returns to show off every game that's been shown, before talking about 3DS and showing off a trailer of Satoru Iwata walking out to play his 3DS. Mario jumps out and slaps a mustache on him before getting sucked up into the game. Shigeru Miyamoto comes out next, seeing a puppy pop out of the screen before also getting sucked up into the game. Arrows, Link's sword and shield, DK barrels, and an Arwing all jump out of the DS next, and Reggie walks out to the handheld, seeing coins and mushrooms pop out. He picks up the console, laughing at the two japanese guys running from Bowser, before Bowser jumps out and breathes fire on a screaming Reggie. Reggie returns to the stage in a burnt up jacket for giggles.

Reggie, being the man that he is, brings out a shitload of hot women with 3DS systems strapped to themselves for live demo testings in the theatre, and Wii consoles rise from the floors to allow testing of the new Zelda game as well. Reggie ends the conference here, but there's still plenty for the attendees to do. Nintendo, surprisingly, didn't show off a bunch of gimmicky new hardware like they normally do (and like Microsoft and Sony did this year... what the fuck?), and instead surprised in a way they should've been doing for years now - by revealing a load of kick ass games that we've been waiting for.


Excitements:
-Kid Icarus Uprising
-Donkey Kong Country Returns
-3DS title lineup
-The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Letdowns:
-Kirby Epic Yarn
-Some major franchises still missing new Wii titles (F-Zero, Star Fox)
-Nothing on Pikmin 3 or Wii Pulse (both teased about last year)
-Kirby Epic Yarn


Sony also did their press conference yesterday, which I did manage to catch. For those of you who didn't, I'll talk about it later tonight, and stay tuned, as the rest of the week we'll try to talk about some of our favorite games shown at E3!

Rants: Things That Piss Me Off, Vol. 1

Items in video games



The super mushroom. The potion. The bombs. Nearly every video game made has some form of items, normally useful in every way for the player, scattered about the world of the games they're within. Sonic has rings and super shoes. Mega Man has health and ammo power-ups. Billy and Jimmy Lee have weapons dropped by their foes. They've become a staple to helping the player not only have an advantage, but sometimes are necessary in order to progress.

But does anyone ever question them? They're just there, and we're supposed to take them, right? But what is the actual point? How do we know it's just as useful as the same item we had grabbed previously? In other words, how do I know that potion hasn't been tampered with? How do I know someone didn't spit on that turkey leg? How do I know that energy can isn't empty and I'm grabbing litter?

Sure, it doesn't sound like much sense, but let's look at certain items in gaming. Mario grabs mushrooms, fire flowers, feathers, leaves, stars, and a whole shitload of other items. How does he get them? Normally, through a question mark block. But WHO THE HELL PUT THEM INSIDE THE BLOCK TO BEGIN WITH?! Bowser, as a form of an advantage through his own arrogance? Why would he do that?! And if he did, why not poison all the mushrooms, flowers, and stars so that they'd be useless or kill Mario? "Because he's looking for a challenge," you say? If he was looking to help Mario, why send out his goombas and koopas? And if Toad had done it, why not use the items himself to save his beloved princess that his people look up to? It makes no sense...


Mmmm, wall meat...

Now, let's take a look at Castlevania. How the hell did Dracula force bags of money and hearts into his candles?! "Oh, shit, the Belmonts are coming! Death, get the golems to hide all of my money! ...I don't care where, in the fucking candles for fuck's sake, as long as my money is safe!" And better yet, who cooked a pork chop and hid it in the wall?! Better yet, would you eat a pork chop inside of a castle of the undead that was hidden in the walls?! And LOTS of games do this! In what situation would I ever be in where I would eat food that had been left in the wall? How can I trust food that was in the wall, in a treasure chest, inside a block, or that dropped out of an enemy I just killed? That shit's gotta be dirty!


Wait, I fought a constructed lab experiment... Where did he get that Talisman from...?

Then comes the RPG element. You fight a horde of wolves, and after a long battle you defeat them. That's when you find 127 gold, an ether, and an amulet of burning. Why the hell were these wolves packing cash?! Let's focus on that first. If I killed a wolf, I would expect to get a pelt, perhaps some guts or a paw. I would NOT expect some shopping funds, much less an ether and an accessory. Did the wolves think their MP might run low, but decide not to use it anyway? And why the hell did they have an equipable item on them? WHO EQUIPPED IT TO THE WOLF?!


Treasure chest, "hidden" out in the open.

Next is the treasure chest. Can we please do away with this? They should be left buried underground, perhaps in a pirate video game, not in the middle of a dungeon or a field to be easily found. Everything from The Legend of Zelda to World of Warcraft has them just sitting out in the open, waiting for someone smarter than a rock to walk up to it. If I owned a castle, and thought someone might at some point or another invade it, I certainly would not leave valuable shit in a treasure chest in the middle of an open room. I would hide that shit in a hiding spot, or maybe in the fucking walls with all the pork chops I'd just recently cooked! Who fills these chests and leaves them out in the open?!

I mean, why would you leave a detailed map of your hideout in a treasure chest near the front door? It doesn't make any fucking sense. Games recently like Fallout 3 and Borderlands have done a decent job hiding the treasure chest feature - they might have metal boxes, or even better are some busted up looking lockers. Desk drawers, kitchen cabinets, filing cabinets, under the bed, between the sofa cushions, in your pants pocket, please just ANYWHERE but a fucking treasure chest. There's no point, if you're going to leave the chest out in the open, why not simply just leave the shit on the floor?! Get those old cliche treasure chests OUT OF HERE!


A Rabite was holding a treasure chest, out in the open, that contained an item inside of it...? I'm speechless.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind items in games. I don't know what I'd do if I had to play Contra without a gun upgrade, or Pokemon without status healing potions. But if you're going to hide the items, be creative enough to not make it a treasure chest, but not so extreme that you can find food inside of candles. Don't make non-humanoid characters hold stuff that humans can use, because, as I've said repeatedly, it doesn't make sense; how can anyone understand that the eagle you killed was carrying a sword better than your own?

I would either like to see new ways to distribute items to the player, or some form of explanation as to why they got there. Perhaps Rosalina left the different mushrooms across the galaxy for Mario to use in order to help him. Maybe the energy tabs Mega Man can pick up were old power cores of the defeated robot that still has energy left in it. But a chicken out of a chandelier? A treasure chest with JUST the right item you need to further your progress within the same dungeon? Give me a fucking break.

The Pause Screen: Muppet Babies

Most of us remember the Muppet Babies, a show that came on after we got out of school or played on the weekends, and showed the Muppet cast as toddlers that let their imaginations take them to new worlds. The show brings a lot of nostalgia, especially if watched today, but within the show as well, as there were many parodies and references made to other entertainment, such as Indiana Jones and Star Wars to name a couple.

One episode, however, revolved around video games. In "It's Only Pretendo", the children play video games on their Nintendo -- or, rather, "Pretendo" -- system, and plenty of parodies were made from beginning to end. For any fans of Muppet Babies and retro gaming or Nintendo classics, this episode is practically a must-see.



Gonzo as Mario right from the start. That's the shit.

The show opens with a blocky construction site that resembles a colorful version of the first Donkey Kong stage. A dragon wearing a crown is perched at the top, throwing down what looks like fluffy yellow cloud balls at the hero, "Super Bario Weirdo," whom is Gonzo dressed up as Mario. He travels across the level, only to be seen outside of his dream world to be messing up everyone else's fun. He claims he's going to defeat the evil "King Koopa Cabana," although the clip shown on the nursery's television is clearly Donkey Kong.

Piggy unplugs the game, and they argue over whether they enjoy watching Gonzo play. When no one agrees with Gonzo, he gives the controller to Piggy, who plays Donkey Kong Jr. Upon nearly instantly failing, she tries again where the game is magically Donkey Kong again, and beats King Koopa Cabana on the first try. While everyone congratulates her, Gonzo decides to start a competition and find a game he can beat Piggy in.



Donkey Kong Jr.? In MY Muppet Babies? It's more likely than you think...

At this point I'll point out that most of the show's music is composed to sound synthesized and 8-bit. Most of it sounds generic or original, though a few sound like parodies. One sounds like a distant take on Tetris, while the RPG themed game ironically sounds like a take on the underground theme from Super Mario Bros 2. It's certainly a nice touch to the episode. On top of that, all the games are takes from real games, such as "Galaxy Invaders," and "Adventures of a Link Sausage." It's entertaining to see what they can come up with.

Fozzy finds a game he thinks he can play, which turns out to be a puzzle game that looks like a cross between Tetris and Q*Bert. When blocks continue filling the room Fozzy's in, they switch games, dumping Fozzy into a new game. The Skate or Die knockoff, called "Skateboard of Doom," leaves Fozzy on a skateboard trying to outrun three evil skateboarders that chase after him.



Skate or Die! Die die die die die!

Gonzo shuts the game off, throwing Fozzy aside in a wagon, in order to play "The Legend of Emelda: The Quest for the Golden Key" with Piggy. The other kids get up to defend Fozzy and his chance to play, until Piggy shuts them up to play with Gonzo. The two start the RPG, which looks like the beginning of Zelda II, and make their way to a swamp. Gonzo is attacked by completely round reptiles, but reveals he knows how to beat them using gumballs, which he had kept a secret from Piggy. The reptiles look like Pac-Man with sharp teeth, and the gumballs remsemble the pellets from the same game.

Gonzo runs into Animal, who teams up with him to find the Golden Key. On their way to a shortcut, Fozzy passes by, still being chased by skateboarders, before the duo try to beat Piggy to a distant village. Piggy is already there waiting, however, and a musical number begins where the two sing-argue about which one is better. The song has cameos of Space Invaders and Goombas from Mario, as well.



Totally looks like Zelda II's beginning...

After the song, Gonzo jumps over a pit, and Piggy tries but misses, clinging to the edge. Gonzo finds a 500-point banana and chases after it, leaving Piggy to fall; the screen shows a still from "Keith Courage", which was actually a Turbo-Grafx 16 game instead of an NES game oddly enough. The other kids, obviously having never heard of COMPETITION, scold Gonzo for not helping out his opponent, before Piggy gets up and chases after him. Once gone, Skeeter grabs a sports game and hooks up a "Mighty Mat," a play on the NES' Power Pad. She convinces Skooter to join her, despite him not wanting to play and would rather enjoy a chess game.

The two play a game, looking like World Class Track Meet, and start running down the in-game path. Fozzy once again goes by with his skateboard buddies, and upon being thankful that skateboarders aren't chasing them, find they've been running from a stampede of angry bulls. The two end up jumping off of the pad in order to escape them.



Mighty Mat, MIGHTY MAAAT!

Piggy walks up and throws the twins' game aside, putting in another game for her and Gonzo to play. The footage on screen shows Fantasy Zone, and when animated shows Piggy, Animal, and Gonzo inside the cockpit. When Gonzo and Piggy start arguing over who the captain is, their ship explodes. Gonzo and Animal escape with secret parachutes, and Piggy loses a second life. The crew gets mad at Gonzo again for being competitive, and Piggy once again chases Gonzo away.

Kermit decides he wants to play a game, and puts in a game like Frogger. Kermit tries to think of a way to cross, when another frog shows up on crutches and completely beaten up. He throws a beach ball with a frog on it into traffic, telling Kermit there's no way to cross as the ball comes back deflated and run over. Kermit, however, grabs some crossing guard gear, stops traffic, and helps his new friend across the street. Once there, though, the alligators in the river scare Kermit away from playing.



Fantasy Zone's cameo in Muppet Babies

Rofle decides to play a game, showing footage from Vigilante on the nursery television. The detective game, looking like it'd be either Sam & Max, Roger Rabbit, or Dick Tracy, has Rolfe looking for a case, when Fozzy comes in. Rolfe decides to try to find the skateboarders after Fozzy, and the two get seperated, where Fozzy is chased once again by the evil skateboarders, and Rolfe runs into Piggy, Gonzo, and Animal, who take the game back away from Rolfe.

Gonzo tells Piggy she needs to start from the beginning since she lost two lives, and Piggy, dressed as a ninja, starts to make her way back through the games. Gonzo, meanwhile, finds the box that holds the golden key, when Piggy shows up. The two fight over the treasure chest, only to find that Fozzy pops out. While hiding from the skateboarders, he says the key wasn't in the box, and saw it around there somewhere. Gonzo and Piggy find the key and have a tug of war over it, and decide to ask everyone else who truly won. To their surprise, though, no one was watching; they had all gone off to enjoy themselves with influence from the games they were playing. Animal, of all people, convinced them in broken english that it didn't matter who had won, but that they enjoyed themselves, and when Piggy agreed, Gonzo claimed himself as the winner, causing the two to fight all over again.



He looks so terrified...

Sure, it's a kids' cartoon, but to look back to a cartoon that came out over 20 years ago and see a lot of gamer love in it is pretty interesting and nostalgic. From the change in music to fit the episode, to the parodies of both game ideas and titles, there was a lot of thought put into this episode, and it feels like someone in the Muppet Babies' crew had a love for video games. It's like a wonderful little kids'-show-tribute to gaming, and gets a salute from The Pause Screen.