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Games

Mario Gets a Portal Gun In New Indie Game 85

Posted by Soulskill from the princess-is-a-lie dept.
jjp9999 sends word of a game in development that mashes up Super Mario Bros. and Portal. Dubbed Mari0 by its developer, the game is being built on the Löve framework and will be released for free. The original Super Mario Bros. levels will be included, as well as some puzzle-style maps and a level editor. They also plan to include simultaneous multiplayer.
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Mario Gets a Portal Gun In New Indie Game More

Mario Gets a Portal Gun In New Indie Game

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  • How do they plan to avoid the wrath of Nintendo? (Score:3, Informative)

    by intellitech ( 1912116 ) * on Tuesday August 30, 2011 @12:23AM (#37250230)

    I wonder what Nintendo has to say about all this. If I remember [soshable.com] correctly [joystiq.com], they tend to protect [slashdot.org] their trademarks [newgrounds.com] and [slashdot.org] other intellectual property [theage.com.au].

    • I was thinking the same thing. And then when I clicked this article, I noticed the slashdot ad was for "Super Mario Bros", but clearly not from Nintendo. Ad leads to: http://www.flashgamespy.com/gog/Mario-Games.html/_FGS?ce_cid=000hLZ0000001nOb8G8xBRqz3l000000 [flashgamespy.com]

      Classy, slashdot, classy.

    • If I remember correctly there are hundreds of Mario games in the web.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by vidnet ( 580068 )

        But this one brings something new and interesting to the Super Mario franchise. They must cease & desist at once!

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by trum4n ( 982031 )
          the music style "Mashup" has been deemed protected, and is fair use. Maybe this is too?

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by AP31R0N ( 723649 )

            "Maybe this is too?"

            What is this question asking? It doesn't parse.

            • The question you refer to is in itself asking nothing. However, the person who uttered it very likely wished to use it as a means to ask if the mario/portal mashup the article brought to our attention could also be considered fair use.

    • The article on TV Tropes about fanwork bans [tvtropes.org] links to interviews with Nintendo executives after Nintendo's overreaction to the "Suicide Girls" incident, such as a Kotaku article [kotaku.com] that quotes Nintendo president Satoru Iwata: "it would not be appropriate if we treated people who did something based on affection for Nintendo, as criminals." So avoid porn and commercial use, and you'll probably avoid "diminish[ing] the dignities" of the settings and characters of Nintendo products.

      • Man, there goes my "Peach Porks Portals" game.

      • Avoid porn? I think you need to go to a comiket man, and buy some super mario doujins.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *

      Don't worry, of course I'm sure that whoever created this project got permission from Nintendo and Valve before starting it--and so won't have to bitch and moan about them sending him an inevitable cease-and-desist letter at some point in the future.

    • Now you can run around with Micky-O. I'm sure Disney has no use for that old, dried up copyright, right? ;)

  • ..And rolled my eyes. Did not look fun to play despite the novelty.

    • Similar impression here. Hilarious blasphemy. Won't stop Nintendo from attempting to Koopa this thing away though.

    • Indeed, it seemed tacked on and contrived in the Mario level shown. Also, there must be numerous 2d portal "clones" by now surely? Why bother with this, just because he ripped the Mario levels/sprites?
      • New indie game manages to rip off two non-indie games at once, showing the strength of indie game development! Pfffft.

    • The current footage is of remade Mario levels, but the plan seems to be to release completely original levels with the finished game. That could be fun, but I don't see why they need to use Mario when they could just make a 2D Portal game with the same mechanics (Jump height, running speed, enemy types) as Mario and an original art-style.

  • Oh dear... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by atomicbutterfly ( 1979388 ) on Tuesday August 30, 2011 @12:31AM (#37250248)

    From developer's link:

    and will be released for free (so we don't get stabbed by lawyers)

    Being released for free doesn't mean much. Even completely free mods for other games, if they impinged on the intellectual property of another company have been taken down through the typical use of cease and desist letters.

    Which means that

    Original SMB levels and Lost levels will be included

    is likely going to bite this guy in the ass, assuming he didn't get permission from Nintendo (which from a lack of mention on the site I doubt he has).

    • Re:Oh dear... (Score:5, Informative)

      by Sc4Freak ( 1479423 ) on Tuesday August 30, 2011 @01:22AM (#37250438)

      Absolutely correct. People have the misconception that making something free somehow absolves you of all copyright liability. Free may be less bad in the eyes of the copyright owner, but they still have every right to send a cease and desist.

      I mean, if I was making my own games and somebdoy decided to take my work without permission and distribute it for free, I certainly wouldn't be happy about it.

      • they shouldn't have announced it beforehand.. they should have just finished it and release it(though publicity gives them a motivational boost, sure).

        but still, I don't find this story to be that interesting, a new indie game that piggy backs on mario.. I mean, the 2d portal done in flash seems cooler and the portals aren't that cool nor hard to implement when it's a 2d sidescroller.

    • Which means that

      Original SMB levels and Lost levels will be included

      is likely going to bite this guy in the ass, assuming he didn't get permission from Nintendo (which from a lack of mention on the site I doubt he has).

      Even if he did get permission, it doesn't stop the company from tearing up that agreement. Bomber Games did an incredible remake of Streets of Rage, and had gone to the trouble of asking Sega, who gave them permission. Years later when the final version was released Sega demanded it was removed a couple of days after release.

    • " Even completely free mods for other games, if they impinged on the intellectual property of another company have been taken down through the typical use of cease and desist letters."

      And this is exactly what is wrong with copyright and software never entering the public domain. The original Mario is over 20 years old if anything this clearly an example where IP laws are interfering with the publics ability to remix and build upon old stuff (which they bought). The whole idea that customers never own anyth

    • Even completely free mods for other games, if they impinged on the intellectual property of another company have been taken down through the typical use of cease and desist letters.

      Now that it has been posted on Slashdot, it's almost a certainty. If they had laid low it probably wouldn't have been a problem. Now Nintendo knows about it and has to do something.

    • Well, Super Mario Bros. Crossover [explodingrabbit.com] is still out there.

    • They're completely screwed. They were screwed as soon as they used the Mario name in a non-parody way; adding to this that they're illegally distributing the original levels gives them a nice copyright infringement charge as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo skipped the C+D and just sued them outright.

  • Cease and Desist Letter in 3... 2... 1...

  • welcome to 3 weeks ago

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *

      Are you kidding, last week they posted an article announcing the upcoming release of the Commodore 64.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Pope ( 17780 )

        But is JonKatz going to use it to interview kids in Afghanistan this time?

  • Closest time until DMCA without going over, and you win one fine, only slightly used internet. Me, I'll go with noon tomorrow.

  • Please make a version that is SNES compatible so I can play it on my PSP.......

  • Lawks, if I'd known that all it takes to get free marketing for a no hope project is to rip off not one but two other companies' lovingly crafted ideas, I'd have announced Sonic the Star Fleet Ensign years ago.

  • Similar Project - SMB Crossover (Score:3)

    by loimprevisto ( 910035 ) on Tuesday August 30, 2011 @04:48AM (#37251192)
    http://www.explodingrabbit.com/games/super-mario-bros-crossover [explodingrabbit.com] I came across a similar project last month. It has been active for about a year now and features the original mario levels that you can play through with any of several other old NES characters. Maybe Nintendo is actually playing nice with the fan community?
  • And if you can't wait for some 2d portal action, there's a flash game: http://portal.wecreatestuff.com/portal.php [wecreatestuff.com] Very fun, and someone has actually created a map pack for the original Portal inspired by levels in the flash game.

  • This news pleases me. I wouldn't play it, but sometimes I like watching a guy named raocow play through these. His voice makes my ears tickle.
    http://www.raocow.com/ [raocow.com]

  • Don't forget about Super Mario Bros. Crossover! http://www.explodingrabbit.com/games/super-mario-bros-crossover [explodingrabbit.com] Almost the same idea and it's an amazing game.
  • What an ingenious way to avoid points! A mere 2,500 AND missed the flag to complete the level. Perfection.

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