🎮 Super Mario Wonder BTS & All Things Japan
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The Ten News: Season 4, Episode 7
Today on The Ten News: 🎮 Ryan takes us behind the scenes of Super Mario Wonder before it comes out in October 🇯🇵 Learn about 10 things to do in Japan with Ten'ers, Nola & Elan, plus find out the latest gaming rumors from Ryan 🤔 And, on the trivia throne: what is the second best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time? 📣 Send us your audio!! Find out how you can help us celebrate World Teachers' Day that's right around the corner on October 5th!
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TRANSCRIPT:
00:00 PAM: Good morning, Ry!
RYAN: Ohayo! O genki desu ka?
PAM: Ummmmm, I don’t know how to answer this…are you speaking japanese?
RYAN: Hai. I said good morning, and asked how you were.
PAM: So why are you speaking Japanese today?
RYAN: I took Japanese in high school. And Kap said we could do one of those, “My Favorite Things” episodes, so we’re covering video games and Japan!
PAM: Okay I’m definitely down for that. Should we start the show?
RYAN: Hai. Watashi no namae wa, Ryan Willard.
PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland. It’s Thursday, September 21st.
RYAN: This is the Ten News.
PAM: Ryan, I thought we were going to start the show…
RYAN: We just did, I literally just said This is the Ten News.
PAM: Right, but now you’re just…gaming.
RYAN: That’s correct Pamela, but it’s because Nintendo is letting me play Super Mario Wonder BEFORE it comes out on October 20th.
PAM: Ooooooh! That’s cool, why are you so hyped about this game?
01:26 RYAN: Well Super Mario Wonder is another great adventure where you’re going up against Bowser. But it’s the first new traditional side scrolling Mario game since Super Mario Bros U in 2012. Yes, there have been other side scrolling Mario games since then, but they were all remakes.
PAM: I love side scrolling Mario games, can I play?
RYAN: Honestly, I thought you’d never ask.
PAM: Oooooh, who should I play as? Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Toadette, Yoshi or Nabbit?
RYAN: Well, Yoshi and Nabbit are for beginners, they don’t take damage, BUT they can lose a life if they fall.
PAM: I’ve got some experience with Mario games, so I’m going to go with… Daisy.
RYAN: Tremendous choice. She’s a new addition as a selectable character. Fun fact: One of the reasons Daisy was included in the game was because the director, Shiro Mouri, has two daughters that used to fight over playing as Princess Peach. He was happy to include Daisy so he could, “resolve fights within his own household.”
PAM: Are you gonna be Daisy, too?
RYAN: Nah, we could be the same character. But Luigi’s my guy.
PAM: Wow, these graphics are awesome. These are the best graphics I’ve ever seen in a Mario game. Wait, we aren’t in the Mushroom Kingdom like usual?
RYAN: Nope, it all takes place in the Flower Kingdom! They’ve also added badges that you collect through the game, which give your character special abilities, like turning your hat into a parachute or a crouching high jump, or a speedy dolphin kick when you’re swimming. It adds a whole new element to the game and how you tackle each course.
PAM: Ooooooh, I’m gonna grab that power up. WHOA! Am I an elephant?!
RYAN: Yuuuuup. There’s a bunch of new power ups, like Elephant form, where you turn into a big elephant and can swing your trunk, store water in it to spray and you can ride Yoshi in Elephant form.
PAM: Yoshi doesn’t look like he’s enjoying it.
RYAN: Yeah we’re putting Yosh to work. There’s also Bubble form that allows you to blow bubbles to catch enemies. And with Drill form you get a drill on your head which allows you to drill into the ground or the ceiling.
PAM: I recognize the goombas, but I feel like there’s a ton of new enemies…
RYAN: Uh huh! My favorite are these Maw Maws which are cute little creatures, but if you get too close, their mouths get HUGE and they chase you around.
03:56 RYAN: The biggest game changer is the The Wonder Flower, it’s what Bowser tries to steal at the start of the game. If you grab one, it immediately transforms the course into a whole different experience.
PAM: Oh my gosh, that pipe is suddenly crawling like a worm!
RYAN: Yeah! Or also, a stampede might appear that you have to ride, or you might transform into a goomba! The Wonder Flower makes the game very unpredictable and a lot of fun.
PAM: Yeah I wanna keep playing…this counts as us working, right Ry?
RYAN: It’s called research Pamela, and we always double check our facts, so we need to play this course again.
PAM: Game on! Hey Ten’ers, World Teachers’ Day is coming up on October 5th and we’re going to celebrate but we need your help. What would you ask a teacher if you were going to ask them ANYTHING?
RYAN: ANYTHING?!?
PAM: Anything. We’re going to have a teacher on the show to tell us what it’s really like to be a teacher. Send us a voice message at 877-TEN-NEWS and we might include your question on the show!
RYAN: I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
PAM: Nintendo isn’t the only great thing to come out of Japan. There’s Studio Ghibli, Pokemon, and of course ramen.
RYAN: I love all of those things.
PAM: Have you ever been to Japan, Ryan?
RYAN: I have, but it was a long, long time ago. I’ve been jonesing to go, but a couple of our Ten’ers were there this Summer. So in case you have any interest in ever visiting Japan, here’s Nola and Elan with 10 cool things to do in Japan.
06:02 Nola: Hi, I’m Nola and I’m 13 years old.
Elan: And I’m Elan, 7 years old.
Nola & Elan: We both went to Japan this past summer, Not together!
Nola: Right, not together, Elan but we did overlap our dates! We’re excited to be here today to tell you about 10 cool things to do in Japan. Number 1: Sushi breakfast at the Tsukiji fish market. On your first day in Japan, the jet lag will help you get up super early and head to the fish market for some of the best sushi you’ll ever have! Number 2: The Ghibli museum. Are you a fan of Ghibli movies?…then don't miss the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. It's like Studio Ghibli's world comes to life. You can even watch exclusive short films there!
Elan: Number 3: Akihabara in Tokyo. It's like gamer heaven with all those anime shops and arcades. Grab some cool merch and test your skills at the games! Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. It’s like the Times Square of Japan. Cross the street with a gazillion other people, and you'll feel like you're in a movie. Also look up for 3-D billboards!
Nola: Number 5: A Baseball game. Head to Osaka, Japan for a baseball game at Kyocera Stadium. Cheer on the home team the Orix Buffaloes. Get amazing food, some in sync cheering, and make sure to take your trash with you at the end of the night! Japanese baseball fans leave the stadium as clean as they found it! Number 6: The Fushimi Inari Shrine. Head to Kyoto for one of the coolest shrines. It has thousands of red torii gates. See if you can count each gate as you hike up the mountain!
Elan: Number 7: An owl cafe in Toyko. You may have been to a cat cafe but how about an owl cafe? From little tiny owls to big ones, enjoy a sweet treat with a new friend. Number 8: The Deer Park in Nara. Speaking of animals, Nara is where you can visit some cute friendly deer. They even bow to you, which is, like, the cutest thing ever.
Nola: Number 9: The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. This is a magical spot in Kyoto! There are towering bamboo trees everywhere and it goes on for miles.
Elan: Number 10: Last but not least, Nintendo World at Universal Studios. The Mario Kart Bowser ride is not to be missed! That was 10 Cool things to do!
Nola: And one last thing that wasn’t cool, the mosquitos! So if you go to japan in the summer, make sure to pack some bug spray!
09:46 RYAN: Domo arrigato–(will finish later)
PAM: Thank you so much Leena and Nola! I’m definitely excited to check these things out!
Ryan: Hey, I have a couple rumors to share. To be clear, these are RUMORS, not FACTS, so take them with a grain of salt. That being said…Producer Eiji tAonuma says Nintendo has no plans for the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom DLC and is apparently moving on to a brand new game in the series. Eurogamer reported that behind the scenes at last month’s Gamescon, developers were shown tech demos for the Switch 2. That’s right, the Switch 2 might be coming sooner than you think. And the tech demos allegedly included a suped up version of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. AGAIN, those are just rumors, so we’ll keep tracking them and will keep you posted!
Owen: Welcome to the Trivia Room! (distracted, playing switch, add SFX of a Nintendo game)
Tracy: Hey Owen!
Owen: Oh, what are you doing here? (throws switch, sound of game turning off)
Tracy: Just making sure you weren’t on your switch in here.
Owen: I wasn’t, definitely not,... while you are here…want to hop up on the trivia throne?
Tracy: Sure, let’s do it!
Owen: Nintendo was originally founded in Japan in 1889 as a playing card company and is now known for creating some of the best video games and consoles. I love my Switch. You might know that the best selling Switch title so far is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. But do you know what the second best selling Nintendo Switch game of all time is?
Owen: Is it:
Zelda, Breath of the Wild
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, OR
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Did you guess it? The answer is B! Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold more than 42 million copies, Super Smash Bros Ultimate sold over 31 million copies and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the wild sold over 30 million. Animal Crossing was released on March 20th, 2020, right in time for the Covid 19 lockdown. It was widely celebrated as a perfect stress reliever, so it’s no wonder it did so well! Ten’ers, do you want to join me in the Trivia room and drop some knowledge? Visit The Ten News Dot Com Slash Contact to get in touch, and we might have you on the show!
Tracy: Alright, see you later!
Owen: Is my mom gone? Time to get back to my Switch,
Ryan: Pam, I think we’re done for the day–
Pam: Yeah I’m just gonna play a few more games before I go.
Ryan: Is this the part where I’m supposed to tell you to stop playing video games…?
Pam: How about I keep playing and you give Ten News Snaps to one of our listeners!
Ryan: That’s a good idea, but before we do, here’s a quick note for the grownups.
Ryan: Time for Ten News Snaps!
Pam: A Ten’er who did not leave a name, left us this review on apple podcasts: “I love this podcast! I listen to it every night before I go to bed. Anyways, love the podcast, keep it up Ryan and Pam. Have fun playing VR for 16 hours straight :)”
Ryan: Oh, I will have fun playing VR for 16 hours straight. Maybe this weekend? Anyways, thanks nameless Ten’er and thanks for listening to the Ten News! Ten Things You Need to Know drops every Tuesday and our in-depth reports drop every Thursday. And if you want some bonus content, you could join the Ten’ers Club on our website or on Apple Podcasts.
Pam: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Media podcast network.
Ryan: The Ten News creative team is gaming all night and eating Japanese nom noms and includes Tracey Crooks, Logan DeYoung, Corinne Catibayan, Carson Potter, and Chad Chenail. Thanks to our friends at Nintendo for the sneak peek at Super Mario Wonder and to our Ten’ers Owen, Elan, and Nola for contributing to this episode.
Pam: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan.
Ryan: I’m Ryan Willard
Pam: And I’m Pamela Kirkland; thanks for listening to The Ten News.
Ryan: Sayonara!
