Why is Super Mario so popular?

What is the rudest email you have ever received? We all deal with emails on a daily basis, but sometimes people can write them too quickly, without thinking enough about how it makes the other person feel. Is there anything that people write in emails which you find impolite? And ... Show More

Are you a fussy eater? Many of us remember foods that we used to hate as children – some of us still do hate those foods! But what can parents do to help encourage their children to eat a healthy diet, without turning every dinner into disaster? Neil and Georgie discuss this and ... Show More

Many parents worry that their children spend too much time on screens. Governments around the world, such as in the UK, Australia and China, are introducing online safety measures to limit the amount of screen time for children or prevent them accessing social media. Neil and Bec ... Show More

Nintendo's Mario franchise is the largest video game franchise of all time. As ruler of the game's fictional Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach (or Toadstool, if you prefer) seemingly spends most of her time getting kidnapped. Anney and Samantha trace the history of Princess Peach ... Show More

Genre defining, boundary pushing, console selling; Super Mario 64 had it all. One of the defining games of the Nintendo 64 and of the early 3D era left a huge legacy behind, but we can only really talk about it in full if we go back to where it all began. There's a letter, a ... Show More

Mario isn’t just the most beloved plumber in history - he’s the most successful video game character of all time. With over 800 million games sold, Mario and his brother Luigi have “wahoo-ed” their way into multiple spinoffs, (Mario Kart sesh anyone?) Hollywood blockbusters… even ... Show More

For the holidays in 1986 (and ’87) (and ’88) the most stupendous, most wanted, most amazing thing any kid could possibly get – outside of a pony, *maybe* – was the NES. That year, video games came back from the dead and changed forever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info ... Show More

Jump in and explore the music of Super Mario Bros, in all of its 8-bit glory. We discuss the surprising power of video game music, the technology and innovation that drove it, and the creative process that led to this 1985 classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon ... Show More

The Year of Luigi is coming to an end soon, so this week NVC looks back on Nintendo's first yearlong character theme. Host Jose Otero, Peer Schneider, Brian Altano, and Tim Gettys also briefly look back on Luigi's memories. But bigger questions loom in 2014: Will Nintendo approac ... Show More

Jeremy and Bob convene with Chris Kohler and Henry Gilbert to take another look at the ways a recent hit release draws on the heritage of a long-running game franchise. It's Super Mario Odyssey, and it celebrates 35+ years of Mario (and Donkey Kong!).