ChristopherChandler.net

A launch title for the Game Boy in 1989, Super Mario Land was the must purchase game for any Game Boy owner besides Tetris, which was already included with the system at the time. Mario travels not in the Mushroom Kingdom but to the four kingdoms of Sarasaland where the evil alien Tatanga has kidnapped Princess Daisy.

Wait what? Stop right there. Sarasaland? Aliens? Daisy? Are we sure we are playing a Super Mario game?

Well, we are.. Kind of. When this game was in development, Nintendo wanted to retain the smash-hit style game play that Super Mario Bros. had seen success with on the NES. However, game producer Gunpei Yokoi (Game Boy Inventor) decided that he wanted to take Mario to strange and new lands, giving the player a similar experience like when they first played Super Mario Bros. & Super Mario Bros. 2. This also was the first Super Mario game that Shigeru Miyamoto would not work on.

And it shows, but in a good way. Portable Mario had not existed to the mainstream (with the rare exception of a Game & Watch game) and this title was the must have title for new Game Boy owners. I personally believe the intrigue is what drew players to the title, helping it sell over 18 million copies.

Gameplay like stated before is pretty standard Mario fare, with some neat exceptions. There are a few shooter-esque levels where Mario can pilot a submarine and an airplane. These add a nice break from the standard Mario platforming that we have come to love, but still “feel” like a Mario game. Although this game is a bit different, you still collect coins, you still hop on creatures that look like turtles and mushrooms. There are still power-ups that resemble mushrooms and fire flowers (now a “super ball”). And you still get to rescue a princess, (just not that whiny Peach) all while listening to some extremely catchy music that is very impressive for a launch title.

This was the first stand alone Game Boy game I purchased as a kid, and it’s one of the best purchases I have ever made. At the time the technology was amazing, and despite it being in Black & White (or greenish) it showed that Mario didn’t need color for success. It holds up too, even though there are superior sequels on the same system. The success of Super Mario Land continues, because this will be the first title released for the new Game Boy on-line shop on the DSi & the 3DS systems. Overall, this is an instant classic, and if you haven’t played this one, you are missing out! Go now to Sarasaland and rescue Princess Daisy!

Collectors, for more info on Super Mario Land, visit GBDB.org

It has to happen. GO BAYSIDE BEAT VALLEY! Check this video out!

-C
(Facebook users click “original post”

Yeah. I can’t wait to see this.

2010. -C

Yes that is spelled correctly. My New Years resolutions are the typical of others.

• Put important finances first
• Work on my Game Boy collection/site/publication
• Eat better.  (Damn you French Fries. How I love you so.)

Just a quick shout out to the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, who I did see play this year, only once, but still a great time. Let me say this may be just what this city needed. In a time of economic downturn, and crime and murder rates soaring to an all time high, hopefully this historical win can help bring the city closer together, and restore the name of Philadelphia, “The City of Brotherly Love.” -C

FiveThirtyEight.com Prediction of the Current Presidential Election

         If you don’t know what the magic number of 538 means, you are about to find out. 538 is the total number of electoral votes in the electoral college. Each Presidential candidate needs 270 votes to win the presidential race. There is a website called FiveThirtyEight.com that has some great charts, graphs, and polls to inform voters of the current standing of the race to the White House. The best thing about the site is it is non-partisan meaning that it is not bias against one candidate. All polls are received and analyzed, and checked for bias. If a poll is by a new group or is bias, that particular poll does not go into account for the mathematical calculation of the graphs, charts, and predictions.
         From the chart you see here it is the current prediction of the Presidential race. The lighter the color, the more likely the state is split. So if you see a light blue state such as Indiana, it means that Obama is leading, but not by very much, as well as with McCain and a light red state such as North Dakota. In addition it gives many odds on different results of this year’s election, as well as numerous other stats for Senate and other important races. I encourage everyone to check it out, and read their FAQ if you have any questions. -C

Okay so apparently this excellent skit on NBC from last Saturday night, parodying the benefactors of the bailout plan was edited from the original version aired. On SNL’s site, the skit is still up, but has been significantly altered, and censored. Bloggers have posted the uncensored version on their blogs in numerous places on the internet. One of the funniest things about the skit is the captions that C-SPAN gave at the bottom. Also a comment about congress dismissing any accountability to those who made the economy what it is today has been removed as well. I am kind of upset by this censorship for a couple of reasons:

1. Comedy – This was a joke. People get very uptight when they are made fun of, and in this financial crisis that we are currently in, we as the American people NEED to laugh once in awhile. Especially about things that happen to us everyday, some more than others.

2. Free Speech – Really, there was nothing that offensive in the skit to the general American public. Did NBC think that we would just not notice the fact that it had been edited? I mean, it’s been on the internet in uncensored form already, and it hasn’t even been a week since it aired. It’s still fresh in our minds.

I am sure some very large wallets had something to do with this censorship, and I do not agree with it. I’d understand if a skit was blatantly offensive, but this is nothing compared to what else is on television these days. This makes me worry to for these so called “Complete Seasons” of Saturday Night Live on DVD. At the rate they are going to produce these seasons, some people may have missed a glaring omission like this in 10+ years. I am glad that people have an archived version of this skit so it will always remain in the hands of those who enjoy it. -C