Using Mario to Create the Perfect Date!

[Saint Cornelius]

No wonder certain people are so upset with Nintendo supporters - they get all the action!

How to Use Mario to Create the Perfect Date:
The home console industry has been around long enough that it's managed to develop a nostalgic appeal. If you want to see someone really enjoying themselves, hand them a game that they remember playing over and over again in their childhood.

For many of us, games like Mario, Zelda, and Metroid have developed a near mystical ability to trigger close-to-heart memories. Hearing the original theme song to a Mario Brothers Castle gets us sentimental and weepy.

If you're dating someone that has this sort of nerdy sentimental side, how can you use that to your advantage? Well, a little creative investigation on the Internet might reveal a way to turn your significant other's nostalgic affections into a clever element in a romantic evening.

As games on the NES and SuperNES age, they become easier and easier for the average person to customize. Games that once required programming knowledge in order to design for, such as Super Mario World, can now be opened and manipulated via map editors freely available on the Internet. Adding a secret message into Mario Brothers or Zelda is now as easy as pointing and clicking with the mouse.

While planning a recent date, I used Super Mario World as part of an elaborate scavenger hunt. Not only did the idea go over well, but it inspired me to take a look at what other classic NES and SuperNES games could be turned to romantic purposes.

First, let's take a look at what I did with Super Mario World just to give you an idea of what can be done.

Turning Mario romantic:
Inherently, I wouldn't describe anything about the pudgy plumber as particularly romantic. However, a map editor called Lunar Magic can be used to edit the individual levels and graphics in Mario World to create a hidden message.

Lunar Magic is available for free, and can be used to edit the NES ROM for Super Mario World on the SuperNES. First we'll take a look at what was done, then we'll go into the details of how exactly you go about finding a SuperNES ROM, how you edit it, and then how you play it.

How Mario turned messenger:
Ever since I was little I've been a great fan of scavenger hunts. With a little creative application, Mario World becomes the ultimate clue. The person I was designing the date for was not incredibly familiar with video games, so I had to make sure the clues were easy to find once she launched the title. For this reason, I chose the very beginning levels of Super Mario World; she wouldn't have to play very hard in order to find what I wanted her to find.

First, I created a map and gave it to my date as a clue:

(Image removed from quote.)

I also included a note that gave her basic instructions about how to play the game, and what she was supposed to do. You can download unedited versions of the Super Mario Overworld map that I used here, and here.

Using Lunar Magic, I first edited the Yellow Block world to convey a message or two, written in gold coins throughout the level. You can take a look at the screenshots on the next page.

Mario Editing for the Romantic Nerd:

Using gold coins, the text had to be fairly large. As a consequence, you won't be able to see the full message in screenshots, only parts of the words. It gives you an idea, though.

(Image removed from quote.)

As you can see, the level has been edited to contain a clue. In this case, the message reads, "A car will pick you up at 7:00." As your date runs along the level, they can read their instructions. In this case, my message was to look in a certain location in the house for the next clue, ultimately ending in with a message saying to dress nicely and to expect to be picked up at 7:00, but you can be as creative as you like.

I choose the Yellow Block level for a number of reasons. First, it's easy to get to. Even inexperienced players can complete the one level required to reach it, and once beaten it makes all the subsequent levels easier (beating this level makes little yellow blocks with power-ups appear throughout the rest of the game.)

I then modified a second level, and presented this map as a later clue:

(Image removed from quote.)

By carefully selecting which maps I used, I could control how long it took for the clues to be found, a valuable tool when planning an intricate scavenger hunt. While I used Mario as only one clue in a long line of clues, I could easily have used many levels to create a scavenger hunt with many clues, all based around the game.

With map editors available for other games, too, such as Metroid, Harvest Moon, and Zelda, you can feel free to branch into other genres to make things more interesting.

But let's take a look at exactly how I modified Super Mario World, in case you were interested in giving it a shot for yourself.

First, you're going to need some tools. With the right tools, editing Super Mario World is fairly straightforward. Point and click. Finding the right tools can often be the hardest part.

    * 1. You'll need a Mario Level Editor, to start with. I recommend Lunar Magic, which you can find here. There are several available, though, so feel free to pick and choose for yourself with a little Googling.

    * 2. You're going to need a copy of the Super Mario World ROM. In this case you're pretty much on your own, since unless you already own a copy of the game, owning the ROM is considered piracy. However, this hasn't exactly stopped people from downloading the ROM from the Internet for years. You can probably expect Nintendo to start caring more about this sort of thing now that the Wii has the virtual console, but for now the ROM isn't exactly hard to find if you know where to look. Sites like Rom-world.com have a huge collection of back-up ROMs; do what you want with them; you have to deal with your conscious in your own way if you don't have a legitimate claim to the title.

    * 3. Finally, to test your work you're going to need a Super Nintendo Emulator. After you edit your ROM, you're going to want your date to be able to play it. Unless you've got some significant technical skills, this is probably going to be done on your Windows PC. I personally recommend SNES9X, a fairly versatile Super Nintendo emulator that will serve your testing and playing purposes well. It is open source, and exists for any operating system you're likely to have, including Linux, Windows, and MacOS. Snes9X also supports a number of different gamepads, so feel free to pick up a gamepad somewhere to make the experience feel more like a classic home console. Otherwise your date will be playing with the keyboard.

You're now ready to edit your first level. Use Lunar Magic to open the Super Mario World ROM. You can cycle through levels by pushing the Page Up and Page Down buttons. This is important, since Mario World stores its levels on a hex system, meaning that not only does it have levels 00 - 100, it also has 1AF, and so forth. Finding the level you want to edit can be sort of a pain, but scrolling through levels using your Page Up and Down buttons makes it easier. Just so you know, the levels I decided to edit (as marked by the map) were levels 14 (Yellow Block #1), CA (Yellow Block #2), and 102. 106 is the very first level in the game.

You get to choose for yourself which levels you want to try. Assuming you're editing level 106 you'll be looking at a screen like this:

(Image removed from quote.)

Using Lunar Magic can be a bit confusing, so I'll point out the most basic of commands. Learning the system in-depth can take some time, but luckily you probably won't need to. There are two levels of editing that you're going to care about. The first is for editing the characters such as bad guys and shells, called Sprites. The second is for editing the ground, called Objects.

You can switch between these two modes by clicking on the buttons in the top bar. They're labeled in the picture below:

(boring pic)

Now that you've made your edits, launch your SuperNES emulator. If you followed my recommendation, you'll be using Snes9X. Use it to open the Super Mario World ROM you just edited. Level 106 is the first level to the right when you first begin a new game. Try playing it, and see how it works. Afterwards, you'll have to go back and play with the levels to make the changes that you want, but you have the idea now of what can be done.

Once your level is done, I'd recommend setting up the computer in full screen mode and having it running when you give your date the first clue. Have her (or him) hunt for chocolates after the first level, or find that bottle of champagne in the fridge after the second level.

If you end up using the idea, drop me an e-mail and let me know how it went. Best of luck!

I don't know whether it's cute that this guy went to all this effort or if it's borderline insane. I just hope he made a Love Connection from all that! Boy that would suck if homegirl was like "yeah, I'm more of a Sonic fan"

[Tauntaun]

I'd get someone to be the "king kuppa" bad guy (either a mexican or a black dude cause they scare white women) and have them kidnap supposed date, then I'd put the hurtin on "kuppa" and save the "princess".  Here's the process broken down for you:

1. Get date
2. Hire negro/mexi to kidnap date
3. Open can of whoop ass on negro/mexi
4. Rescue girl
5.
6. Profit

[Himu]

what the fucking shit

[Robo]

This is some vile shit, Corney.

[Saint Cornelius]

Tsk! Why is it vile, because it's Mario / Nintendo related? Would it be more romantic if he made Halo maps?

I think it's cute. And so did some of the ladies on Metafilter (where I found the article)

[Shuri]

Any grown woman would laugh at you for doing that. But I bet it will be popular with the 12-14 demographic

[Wobedraggled]

Ultra nerdy.

[Saint Cornelius]

Any grown woman would laugh at you for doing that. But I bet it will be popular with the 12-14 demographic

From Metafilter:

As a woman who used to spend almost every day of her childhood playing NES and SNES games, I can see how this would be very sweet, romantic and, of course, nostalgic.
posted by inconsequentialist at 8:09 PM on July 18

Another girl here who would have loved this.
posted by trishthedish at 8:59 PM on July 18

i'd be smitten!
posted by sleep_walker at 10:19 PM on July 18

it would work on me and Im a MAN
posted by subaruwrx at 11:13 PM on July 18

(TVC?)

[Howard Alan Treesong]

this is embarassing and awful

[Saint Cornelius]

WHY though? Because it's Nintendo related?

I think it's fucking charming that someone's willing to go through all that effort. Most fucking dudes won't even hold the door open for a woman, you know?

[Himu]

No, if it has nothing to do with being Nintendo related. If it was Master Chief or something equally stupid like Sonic, it would be just as bad.

[Saint Cornelius]

Yeah, making an effort is bad. He should've just sent that bitch a smiley face. 

[tiesto]

I don't make efforts for girls anymore... either they like me or they don't, and no campy appeals to her nostalgia are gonna improve her standing with me.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

if you're going to go to a lot of effort for a girl, paint a picture or write a poem or get tickets to a hard-to-see show or throw a surprise party or go to the beach or anything anything at all

don't edit Super Mario World coins into awkwardly phrased "clues"

the reason this is embarassing and awful is because the editing is done FOR THE GUY'S BENEFIT not the girl's. he mentions that the girl doesn't play videogames and wasn't aware of how to play SMW. Why the hell would you make a ROM edit for her, then? It's insensitive and selfish. It's like "merry christmas honey I got you a 48-piece tool kit" only much much nerdier

[TVC15]

Jesus, Corny, no wonder you're a virgin.

[Saint Cornelius]

the reason this is embarassing and awful is because the editing is done FOR THE GUY'S BENEFIT not the girl's. he mentions that the girl doesn't play videogames and wasn't aware of how to play SMW. Why the hell would you make a ROM edit for her, then? It's insensitive and selfish. It's like "merry christmas honey I got you a 48-piece tool kit" only much much nerdier

did you see the post above where I copied quotes from Metafilter girls who enjoyed it?

Jesus, Corny, no wonder you're a virgin.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I like how he says "A car will pick you up at 7:00" instead of "I will pick you up at 7:00."

As a Nintendo fan, he is clearly too embarassed to make himself the subject of a sentence with a girl as a direct object, so he transfers the transitive verb to his car; nay, the indefinite a car.

What the hell. Also, very few romantic gestures start with, "First, install Snes9X. Wait, you do have a USB gamepad, right?"

[Saint Cornelius]

What the hell. Also, very few romantic gestures start with, "First, install Snes9X. Wait, you do have a USB gamepad, right?"

Dude that's how I start all my dates. I can't even accurately describe my wild success rate.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

did you see the post above where I copied quotes from Metafilter girls who enjoyed it?

Yes, but none of them were the girl he actually made the ROM hack "for."

"You better get dressed up tonight, honey! 'A car will pick you up at 7:00.'That's right--we're staying in and emulating Super Mario World! ...but wait! I hex edited the coin locations! To show how much I love you! ...Baby why you gotta be like that??"

[cubicle47b]

I think it's a pretty good idea if your live-in girlfriend happens to be at least a little nerdy and you want to do something different.  Some parts of the execution I liked (scavenger hunt around the house between levels for chocolate/champagne).  Some parts weren't so great (the changes to the game were lame).

[Van Cruncheon]

the girls who think it is "cute" on the interwebs would be utterly mortified if their date did this in real life. fortunately, if they were even moderately attractive and had the option to do so, they'd immediately ditch the geek with the nintendo fixation for the first edgy alterno-stud with random piercings and my chemical romance tickets that swept their way.

[Saint Cornelius]

the girls who think it is "cute" on the interwebs would be utterly mortified if their date did this in real life.

See, this is kinda the problem I have with your spiels; you always speak in absolutes.

fortunately, if they were even moderately attractive and had the option to do so, they'd immediately ditch the geek with the nintendo fixation for the first edgy alterno-stud with random piercings and my chemical romance tickets that swept their way.

From one type of a nerd to another? Doesn't seem like a fair trade to me.

[Mupepe]

the girls who think it is "cute" on the interwebs would be utterly mortified if their date did this in real life. fortunately, if they were even moderately attractive and had the option to do so, they'd immediately ditch the geek with the nintendo fixation for the first edgy alterno-stud with random piercings and my chemical romance tickets that swept their way.

QFT

sure it's cute, but think about the kind of guys that would actually do this.... (i.e. all the nintentards on GAF)

Kind of like how women always say they want a nice sweet guy but are turned on by the bad boys 

Edit: But imma try it anyways!  lolz

[Saint Cornelius]

* Saint Cornelius puts gun in mouth, pulls trigger

[TVC15]

All the women that post at metafilter are whores.  They would spread for both 25 dollar and 400 dollar jeans.

[Mupepe]

* Saint Cornelius puts gun in mouth, pulls trigger

i still love you.

[Saint Cornelius]

All the women that post at metafilter are whores.  They would spread for both 25 dollar and 400 dollar jeans.

Oh, TVC

[Van Cruncheon]

i speak in absolutes, hippie, because the margin of error on comments like that is so fucking small as to not merit notice. exceptions that prove the rule and all, right?

really, if you were a chick, would you REALLY be excited by a guy for whom nintendo appears to be the whole and sum of his interests, and to which even his sense of romance cleaves? i can't imagine anything that screams stay away from my vagina louder than that, save maybe an all-consuming desire for animu or authoring more than 1000 posts on oa.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

fortunately, if they were even moderately attractive and had the option to do so, they'd immediately ditch the geek with the nintendo fixation for the first edgy alterno-stud with random piercings and my chemical romance tickets that swept their way.

as a geek who is moderately attractive and had the option presented, I am going out with an edgy alterno-babe to a my chemical romance concert next week 

i will bring a camera and provide evilbore exclusivo review

[Saint Cornelius]

really, if you were a chick, would you REALLY be excited by a guy for whom nintendo appears to be the whole and sum of their interests?

So in Drinky's world, a person that uses a level editor = someone who has no other interests other than level editing?

God I'm glad my parents too back the Commodore 128 before I could really get into Adventure Construction Set!

i can't imagine anything that screams stay away from my vagina louder than that, save maybe an all-consuming desire for animu or more than 1000 posts on oa.

How many times did you have to club your wife before you could bury your seed in her?

as a geek who is moderately attractive and had the option presented, I am going out with an edgy alterno-babe to a my chemical romance concert next week 

I have an opportunity to go on a date with a really funny, gorgeous young lady who really, REALLY loves country. I don't know what to do! But that's for a different thread

[Cyanista]

i can't imagine anything that screams stay away from my vagina louder than that, save maybe.....authoring more than 1000 posts on oa.

Seriously.  I have SUCH trouble finding people willing to come near my vagina.

[Mupepe]

i can't imagine anything that screams stay away from my vagina louder than that, save maybe.....authoring more than 1000 posts on oa.

Seriously.  I have SUCH trouble finding people willing to come near my vagina.

WELL MAYBE IF YOU DIDN'T FIND ME SO DISGUSTING

[TVC15]

Corny, I did put 100s of hours into Adventure Construction Set (on an Apple IIc).  Come hump my manpussy.

[Saint Cornelius]

Corny, I did put 100s of hours into Adventure Construction Set (on an Apple IIc).  Come hump my manpussy.

Sorry, I'm too busy nerding out over my SMB level editor.

[tiesto]

fortunately, if they were even moderately attractive and had the option to do so, they'd immediately ditch the geek with the nintendo fixation for the first edgy alterno-stud with random piercings and my chemical romance tickets that swept their way.

as a geek who is moderately attractive and had the option presented, I am going out with an edgy alterno-babe to a my chemical romance concert next week 

i will bring a camera and provide evilbore exclusivo review

I'd be looking forward to the review! I've got a date with an edgy alterno-babe tonite, but it's not to any emo concerts... Edgy alterno-babes love us nerdy guys, they tend to be WAY more interested in me than the preppy, goody-2-shoes girls i usually go for.

[Mupepe]

Corny, even if I think it would end in looks of disgust if I did it or someone, I'd find it SUPER cute if a girl did it for me 

[TVC15]

Corny, I did put 100s of hours into Adventure Construction Set (on an Apple IIc).  Come hump my manpussy.

Sorry, I'm too busy nerding out over my SMB level editor.

Ugh, Mario is so 8 year old.  Adventure Construction Set is like, at least for 12 year olds.

[Mupepe]

TVC, did you like my singing?

[Saint Cornelius]

I'd be looking forward to the review! I've got a date with an edgy alterno-babe tonite, but it's not to any emo concerts... Edgy alterno-babes love us nerdy guys, they tend to be WAY more interested in me than the preppy, goody-2-shoes girls i usually go for.

I don't make efforts for girls anymore... either they like me or they don't, and no campy appeals to her nostalgia are gonna improve her standing with me.

It's almost like you solved your own problem! Send a cheque for $59.99 to:

Cornelius Can Help! (TM)
1313 Mockingbird Lane
San Diego, CA 90210

Corny, even if I think it would end in looks of disgust if I did it or someone, I'd find it SUPER cute if a girl did it for me 

That's basically my whole fucking point. I'm not saying this would be awesome for a first date thing - if you busted this out during the first date, you can pretty much forget about a second one - but if you found out after a few dates that homegirl was the first person on her block to find the warp zones (without even looking at Nintendo Power), she'd probably find this very charming.

And since I am the proud owner of a sandy vagina, I know what I speak of!

[Mupepe]

I've always had a thing for my friends sister and she fucking loves mario but she's totally out of my league.  Imma try this and I'll post results

[Van Cruncheon]

don't be an foc, corny. remember the context! he used a super fucking mario level editor to create an elaborate romantic prank for a woman who wasn't even interested in nintendo games. it is clear that this guy's world -- even his urge to score poonani -- is defined in terms of NINTENDO. in fact, he probably wants to get her interested in nintendo games more than he wants to split the uprights with his vestigial little pigskin!

as for my wife, i don't advertise that i like games. i don't encourage her to play games. it's really very good this way. it makes her tolerant of my distinguished mentally-challenged hobby, and i don't have any competition for the pc/console when i feel like gettin' my nerd on. when we were dating, i didn't talk about games, or try to get her to play them, and surprise! we developed connections over things we actually had common interests in, rather than forcing them into one person's narrow nerd sphere. this is how normal people interoperate; of course, given that a preference for nintendo games is a gross personal (and possibly legitimate psychological) disorder, it's no surprise that LOL MARIO DATE seems common sense to these folks.

[Saint Cornelius]

Drinky Crow hyperbole:

don't be an foc, corny. remember the context! he used a super fucking mario level editor to create an elaborate romantic prank for a woman who wasn't even inteersted in nintendo games.

Actual quote:

The person I was designing the date for was not incredibly familiar with video games

Don't you be a FoC.

[tiesto]

Yeah, I made a lot of mistakes with my first girlfriend (I was 19 and she was 18)... one of them was trying to get her to play games with me - I'd try to convince her to give Virtua Tennis, Soul Calibur, and original Smash a try... but it never worked and she wasn't interested at all in them. Though a few years after we broke up, she became a lesbo and big RPG fan... the Xenosaga series of all things!   

[Saint Cornelius]

Yeah, I made a lot of mistakes with my first girlfriend (I was 19 and she was 18)... one of them was trying to get her to play games with me - I'd try to convince her to give Virtua Tennis, Soul Calibur, and original Smash a try... but it never worked and she wasn't interested at all in them. Though a few years after we broke up, she became a lesbo and big RPG fan... the Xenosaga series of all things!   

I don't know if it's worse that she changed teams or got into RPGs after you.

[TVC15]

"Finally, I can get a woman all of my own!  I have tightly clenched together the legs of my Cabbage Patch doll and plunged my waggler in between for the last time!"

[Van Cruncheon]

it's the BLUE OCEAN religion -- nintendo games are for EVERYONE, even your potential romantic interest!

[Howard Alan Treesong]

how WII SPORTS helped me lose my virginity several times over

[tiesto]

Yeah, I made a lot of mistakes with my first girlfriend (I was 19 and she was 18)... one of them was trying to get her to play games with me - I'd try to convince her to give Virtua Tennis, Soul Calibur, and original Smash a try... but it never worked and she wasn't interested at all in them. Though a few years after we broke up, she became a lesbo and big RPG fan... the Xenosaga series of all things!   

I don't know if it's worse that she changed teams or got into RPGs after you.

I don't either... I mean... Xenosaga!!! And she also likes Kingdom Hearts!!! Ugh...

[Cyanista]

(Image removed from quote.)

"Finally, I can get a woman all of my own!  I have tightly clenched together the legs of my Cabbage Patch doll and plunged my waggler in between for the last time!"

 

TODAY, I AM A MAN!

[xnikki118x]

I'd play a Mario game that someone made for me. That's fucking awesome!

[Saint Cornelius]

I'd play a Mario game that someone made for me. That's fucking awesome!

Aw, that's sweet. Ecro, better get to work!

TASTE OF THAT, PATEL