Alan (Who Is Awesome)

For #MAR10Day, here's a reminder from the original Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet regarding how to topple the Turtle Tribe. 🐢

Because art is greater than the sum of its parts.

...you know, the exact OPPOSITE structure of a video game review.

Hey mutuals, anyone available for an illustration prompt?

“Today we are sharing decisions that will impact Phil Spencers across our organization. To position Phil Spencer for enduring success, we will end or decrease work in certain Phil Spencers across the business, following Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of Phil Spencer to increase agility.”

The entire gaming industry has been disproportionately impacted by his bummer, kowtowing decisions.

Spencer is a rank-and-file corporatist, a visionless guy who led with endless layoffs and industry destabilizing mergers & acquisitions, never by example.

His lasting legacy will be of trend chasing, for maximizing profits (streaming, subscriptions, influencers, etc).

Link’s Crossbow Training clears both eras by a mile 😎

OKAY, that’s a wrap!!! Thanks for looking through random swag boxes with me!!

Um.

Is this something…? I have a few of them #Pokemon

Damn!! Iykyk!
#SmashBrosInvitational

Sorry for stealing your Comic-Con menu, Blizzard!!!

Nintendo gave me these cool bookmarks when I visited NOA headquarters (okay, they gave every visitor these just let me enjoy it okay)

I’m 100% certain I have the world’s only Professor Layton Cafe merch set 🎩

(Those are unopened tea bags!!)

Ah yes, here’s where I kept my unfolded Super Mario Bros 3 Happy Meal boxes… 🍔

Damn these are probably worth something right??

lol

ANYONE NEED A WONDERFUL 101 MASK???

Soooooo much freaking E3 swag 🫨😵‍💫

“How many different toys for the Pokemon promotion, boss…?”

“….57.”

Okay NERDS, I recently moved, so I’m doing another episode of “Looking through Alan’s old game media boxes”!

I picked this random box. Let’s see wtf is in it 👀 📦

They are ""scored"". It's their portfolio. You're thinking of a writing portfolio.

2/2 If & when Nintendo scales down what's possible — from a game making philosophy — it's bc they are eminent designers that harbor an OBSESSION with curating experience.

Kudos to us pushing their games to the limit, but we should at least endeavor to understand their work, even when we disagree.

I know this tweet is cynical, it's a common accusation often leveled by Smash Bros and speedrunner fans in particular. (I'm both.) But it reminded me of @ibogost.com's book about play.

Remember: "Play" isn't doing what you WANT, it's doing what you CAN with whatever is at your disposal. 1/2

Wait do you take pitches in 2026 👀

I sincerely can't tell if this quote by Tanabe is breathtakingly creatively bankrupt, or fucking baller.

I am dead fucking serious when I say THIS is what a REAL journalist is supposed to ask when they speak to the CEO of a controversial company.

You fucked the bread.

Absolutely nothing escapes Nintendo’s deft hand. This project is the one collab that lets an appreciable amount of light in. That’s just my opinion though!

Oh it's DEF not as burdened as the Pokemon operettas! Nintendo clearly loves Metroid for Metroid's sake more than it wants to make Metroid Tennis.

I WILL go out on a limb though... given Retro's very unique position at Nintendo, it's the one game most influenced by NOA, and to me, it really shows.