Mario’s Death Date, Next Fest Celebrates Games

Mario 3D All-Stars can still be redeemed after it goes off sale on March 31st

Mario 3D All-Stars may go off sale on March 31st, but you can still download your copy later if you get hold of a redeemable retail code.

The collection was marketed as a special limited edition for the Super Mario 35th anniversary, and will be removed from the Switch eShop once the promotion is over.

Redemption: Retail codes will still be redeemable after the game is removed from the store, and of course those who already own Mario 3D All-Stars can keep playing the game to their heart's content. Only the store listing will be removed from the eShop on March 31st.

Too physical: Nintendo will also pull the 35th anniversary merchandise from its retail locations, and servers for the battle royale Super Mario Bros. 35 will also be turned off on April 1st, effectively killing the game since it won't be playable without them.

What was the first live-action movie based on a video game?

a) Mortal Kombat
b) Super Mario Bros
c) Tomb Raider
d) Street Fighter

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today's issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Starfleet’s finest medical technology

Raven Software’s cult classic Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force has two unused items that can be enabled using cheats. The first is a Tricorder that would add a sensor display in the bottom right of the screen, adding dots indicating friends and foes and describing anything you pointed at.

The other item is a Hypospray that would spray healing blue particles. The item is very obviously unfinished, though: It actually kills you rather than healing your wounds if you try to use it.

Join our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today's fact.

It Takes Two review round-up

It Takes Two is a splitscreen co-op adventure about the magic of love for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S that has taken critics by storm.

• Game Rant (Score 5/5) – ”It Takes Two is co-op gaming genius and is going to go down as both a classic of the genre and a Game of the Year contender. There's not a single dull moment in the entire game, and we didn't run into any glitches or technical issues of any kind either. It Takes Two is polished to near-perfection, and an absolute must-play for co-op gaming fans.”
• GamesBeat (Score 5/5) – ”I struggle to think of another co-op puzzle game that's better. Maybe Portal 2? Even if that's true, It Takes Two belongs on that same tier.”
• GamesRadar+ (Score 5/5) – ”It Takes Two is a Pixar-worthy adventure that consistently innovates, offering players an excellent co-op experience unlike any other.”
• VG247 (Score 5/5) – ”Honestly, It Takes Two is one of the most pleasant surprises in video games I’ve ever had. I went in more or less expecting a fairly gimmick-laden brief but fun escapade, but it’s so much more than that. This is a game that I would recommend to anyone who longs for the kind of no-holds-barred childlike fantasy so common in the 80s but seems less common today. If that is you, don’t sleep on this real gem.”
• Game Informer (Score 9.25/10) – ”It Takes Two may not be the platforming juggernaut that it aspires to be, but it more than makes up for it with its big heart, wealth in variety, and gorgeous imagery… The action will have you laughing and screaming at your TV, and the story stays strong throughout, creating the backbone for an entertaining adventure that roars with excitement and should keep you glued to the controller to see if this couple’s lost love can be rekindled.”
• PlayStation Lifestyle (Score 9/10) – ”It Takes Two is endlessly creative. Gameplay speaks to narrative, while narrative informs gameplay, and the entire experience just feels incredibly polished and detailed… It’s not just one of the best action platformers in recent memory, but also a fantastic and unique story representing a dynamic that you don’t often see represented in games, at least not to this depth and nuance.”
• PC Gamer (Score 80/100) – ”An excellent co-op adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's the only place it falls short.”
• TheSixthAxis (Score 8/10) – ”It Takes Two is a great rom-com romp filled with action, oodles of variety, and more than a few twists and turns. No, you won't like Cody and May for much of the game, and some segments do feel a touch drawn out, but grab the right co-op buddy and this is a hoot.”

Steam Next Fest returns this summer

Steam Next Fest is the new name for Steam Game Festival, a week-long celebration of upcoming games starting in June, featuring hundreds of demos and more streams than you can shake a stick at.

”Announcing Steam Next Fest, a multi-day celebration of upcoming games. Explore and play hundreds of game demos, watch developer livestreams, and chat with the teams about their games in progress, coming soon to Steam.”

Sample the delights: The last Steam Game Festival was in February, and the new name is meant to communicate the event's focus more clearly. It represents a big shift in promoting games, targeting consumers rather than specialist press.

Immense reach: Steam is perfect for this new way of promoting games since it is the market leader on PC and already has the necessary features and infrastructure. Next Fest begins on June 16th and lasts until June 22nd.

Grab Beyond a Steel Sky for the PC

Get ready for some point-and-click cyberpunk from masters of the craft Revolution Software in Beyond a Steel Sky, the long-awaited sequel to 1994 classic Beneath a Steel Sky, and it will also be coming to Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch later on this year. 

We have 5 Steam codes to give out this week, and all you need to do is check out our Beyond a Steel Sky page on Gleam. Winners will be revealed on Monday, good luck!

• Japanese workers use holiday time to play Monster Hunter Rise cementing the series as a cultural phenomenon along the lines of Dragon Quest
• Verdun developer BlackMill announces Isonzo which takes the WWI shooter series to the Italian front
• Rayquaza returns to Pokémon Go raids in late March during the first-ever Weather Week event between March 27th and 28th
• Llama-rama returns to finish Rocket League Season 2 on March 25th and the “party doesn't stop” until April 9th
• Activision swings the ban hammer in Call of Duty: Warzone and cleans out over 13,000 accounts suspected of cheating

What was the first live-action movie based on a video game?

ANSWER: Super Mario Bros!

At the time, the Super Mario Bros. movie was seen as an oddball aberration – but it turned out to be a bellwether for videogame adaptations. The 1993 live-action movie starred Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper in a weird, dark and futuristic vision of the mushroom kingdom that couldn't recoup its $48 million budget. How did this happen?

Nintendo gave the filmmakers full creative control and they took it with aplomb, making a movie that had very little to do with the Super Mario universe it was based on. While it flopped at the box office, it eventually grew into a bit of a cult classic. Nintendo clearly learned its lesson too: It was the only live-action adaptation of a Nintendo game until Detective Pikachu.

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Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey.