Today's rambling: Mario games rock
Written on June 19, 2001 at 4:18 a.m.
while feeling a bit

Amber is a happy berry today! Not for any particular reason, really, but I am. Maybe it's because I got to borrow Mario All-Stars from my friend today, so I get to play all the 'old school' Mario games? *grins* I beat the first Mario Brothers, then I went on to Mario 2...but that game has never held my interest for very long.

Y'know, after looking at this site called The Mushroom Kingdom (don't have the URL handy), I found out that the US's Mario 2 was actually a somewhat changed version of this Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic (or something to that effect)! The Japanese Mario 2 was just another version of Mario 1, but with some changed levels and harder stuff. They didn't release it in the US because they thought it was 'too challenging' for American players. Now what does that say to you? That we can't beat the tough stuff? Granted, I probably wouldn't have been able to. ^^; But I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who could have beat that game! Oh well, even though the US version of Mario 2 is kind of boring after a few levels, I think it's probably a nice change from another Mario 1 with different levels. Even the graphics were the same! How boring! (Ha! Take THAT, People-Who-Think-We-Can't-Beat-Tough-Games!)

Mario 3 is probably my favorite game ever, though I can't exactly say why. I was never able to beat it on my old NES, even when I got a cheating-type book! But it was just cool...I liked the Koopa kids. ^_^

Mario All-Stars is cool because you get to play all 3 of those games AND the Japanese version of Mario 2 (which they call "The Lost Levels"), but the thing I DON'T like is that they 'updated' the graphics. Mario, in the first SMB, is all pudgy like he is in the original Mario 3, and he wasn't like that in the original game!!! Granted, that's more of a true representation of his character, but I would have liked it much better if they'd just kept him to his original SMB form! Mario 2 has some more detailed backgrounds, and Princess Toadstool now has blonde hair again...she had dark hair in the original game (which I thought was cool, 'cause then she looked like me ;) )...all in all, if I had my choice, I'd rather play the original games, and updated graphics be damned! :oP

If no one has noticed, I've kinda gotten back into my video gaming phase. Haven't even picked up a controller in who knows how long, but for some reason, finding those little Mario graphics (some of which are at the bottom of this page), I just felt like playing all the games! I'm an odd one, I know.

I entered the Croc Hunter sweepstakes again...you can enter once every day, and thus far I've entered both days...if I win, I get to fly over to Australia and see the Australia Zoo in Queensland, which I think Steve owns or runs or something? I love his shows...he's so insane, I can't help but like him! And he's so passionate about what he does, which is something I really respect. I might not ever want to get that close to a crocodile or a snake, but the fact that he cares so much about animals is just really cool! And I've wanted to see that zoo for ages, so if I won this contest...not that I will, because I've yet to EVER win a contest, but if I did, I'd just be too excited for words!

Of course, then there's the down side...I want to go to Australia to meet Janette, too, but she lives all the way on the other side of Australia! Things never work out exactly like you want them to, do they? Well, if I did win, I'd have to see if I could just stay longer, travel down to where she lives, and visit for a little bit! ;) That would make for a terrific road trip...but I don't think I'd have that much time...or money!

Melissa, the girl who wrote that Labyrinth fanfic, sent me a few more things today...she's so cute, LoL! She's sent me 3 or 4 emails in the past couple of days, and in her last one, she was like, "Had enough of me yet?" But we're trying to work on a story together, so frequent correspondence is kind of a must! It's really weird how easy it is to make friends sometimes...I mean, had I never wrote those two Laby fics, then she never would have written me, and we never would have met! Well, we might have met (online, obviously), but I doubt we would have gotten to know each other very well! And some of my best friends (like Janette and Emma!) were met through roleplaying at a Wheel of Time site...this Internet thing can be kind of cool sometimes!

I told Kathy and Amy that I'd call them tomorrow...as late as it is right now, I probably won't even wake up until late afternoon! My sleep cycle's gone all screwy in the past couple of days...for 2 days straight, all I wanted to do was sleep! "Yeah, well no wonder, staying up 'til 5 and 6 in the morning!" I can hear everyone saying. But I've been doing this practically ever since I got out of school (back in '99), and it hadn't bothered me as much as it had these past few days! Wonder if I was sick...oh well, I might just have to start forcing myself to go to bed at a decent time! Who knows!

For now, though, I'm going...because I don't have anything interesting to say now. I know, like what I've already said is interesting, right? Well, you didn't have to read it if it bored you! :oP Heh!