News and updates posted after Febuary 2007 can be viewed here.
Site News: January 11, 2007
The Toads Castle radio is back online. As some of you may remember, it was up last year for a short time.
This time we got some new songs from the Ocremixers and will eventually add some new Nintendo songs as well.
To connect to the Toad's Castle radio you need Winamp, Windows Media Player, or iTunes. You can get the server's
current IP and status here.
Site News: January 6, 2007
Added guides for New Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong (GB), Super Mario Land 2, and Super Mario Land 3. Thanks Snow Dragon!
What better way to end nearly two months of daily updates than a month without any updates? Of course it was never
my intention to halt updates, but since I started college the workload has been tough. I'm talking about
eight to ten hours of homework a day plus my job. No exaggerations. So, until I reach the mythical promised
land of a month long winter break, I have decided to dedicate myself to updating every Saturday, and occasionally
at other random times. This does not mean I want less submissions, but it does mean it may take a little longer for
me to get stuff up on the site. Anyway, enough ranting. I have some Nintendo news and three major updates to announce.
Nintendo announced the Wii release details several days ago. The price will be $250 and the US release day is Novemeber
19th. Interesting, Wii will not be released in Japan until Demember 2nd.
The character battle between Bowser and Eggman has come to and end. Read the summery and vote in the next battle.
Toad's Castle now has an internet radio station. A page with stats and more information on connecting is coming soon.
For now, you may listen by connecting to http://75.0.231.106:8000 in Winamp, Windows Media Player, or iTunes. The
server is not currently up 24/7. If you have trouble connecting, try back in a few hours.
Fixed the pictures on the current character battle. I think they have been broken for weeks without anyone telling me, but at least I used good alt text.
I created a "18th Century" version of TC as a weekly page printed in a style and font popular in the 1700s. It is located in the random stuff section. If anyone likes it I may do another one sometime.
Notable updates have been made to the Mario Mix review and about page.
Toad's Castle now has an Amazon Associates member. By buying through our Amazon link a small portion of the cost goes to fund the site. Additionally minor updates to the about page and navigation bar have been made.
Continuing work on the Mario Media catagory, I have created a page about The Wizard with
a detailed summary and many screen captures.
Site News: June 15, 2006
A new Mario Media catagory was started today with the creation of the cartoons page.
Pages covering the movies, books, commercials, and music of Mario are in progress and will start appearing on
the navigation bar in the next few weeks.
Site News: June 14, 2006
Toad's Castle recently had the chance to interview Tommy Tallarico, a long time veteran of the gaming industry.
We discuss Tommy's views on gaming, Video Games Live, and more.
The
battle between Toadette and Omochao has finally ended, and the summary has been posted. Thanks to 269 people who voted, and sorry for the wait.
Be sure to vote in the new battle between Bowser and Eggman.
Don't forget to vote in this week's poll question about Wii, located on the navigation bar to the left.
Nintendo News: April 27, 2006
The Revolution has been officially named Wii.
Introducing... Wii.
As in "we."
While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that seperates videogame players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games... and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?
Wii sounds like "we," which emphasizes the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.
Wii has a distinctive "ii" spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames that sets it apart from the crowd.
So that's Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because it's really not about you or me. It's about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything.
In the past few weeks and months the forum has been greatly expanded.
We now have a stable and continuously growing user base, and sections have sprouted for discussion on many topics in addition to video games.
Please consider joining us. If you have any questions or suggestions contact me by email, or ask publicly in the site discussion
area of the forum.
Site News: April 1, 2006
I hope you enjoyed this year's April Fools jokes! At the time of this post the fool counter was at 191. The modified fan games page is now located here. The Revolution announcement from the top of the page is below.
Revolution to be released on June 9th
It looks like the rumors have been confirmed after all: we will be getting the Revolution much earlier than expected on June 9th of this year.
From the official Nintendo press release:
On June 9th Nintendo will break with more than 20 years of video game history by abandoning the traditional controller held with two hands and introducing an all-new freehand-style unit held with one hand. The intuitive, pioneering interface allows players to run, jump, spin, slide, shoot, steer, accelerate, bank, dive, kick, throw and score in a way never experienced in the history of gaming.
When picked up and pointed at the screen, the controller gives a lightning-quick element of interaction, sensing motion, depth, positioning and targeting dictated by movement of the controller itself. The controller also allows for a variety of expansions, including a "nunchuk" style analog unit offering the enhanced game-play control hard-core gamers demand.
Nintendo still has made no official announcement. IGN is basing these specs off claims from anonymous developers.
CPU speed: 729MHz
GPU speed: 243MHz
RAM: 24MBs main 1T-SRAM and 64MB external 1T-SRAM (total 88MB).
In comparision that makes it about twice as powerful as a Gamecube on paper, which is less than the Xbox 360,
but I suspect that the improvement in graphics quality will be quite good. Revolution doesn't support high definition,
so it needs less power and should look just as good in standard definition. Discuss on the forum
Nintendo News: March 28, 2006
Super Mario Bros Super Show DVDs
The complete Super Mario Bros. Super Show has been released on DVD. Discuss on the forum
Site News: March 28, 2006
Another two links. Updates have been slow, but expect something cool later this week or this weekend!
Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata gave a keynote speech today entitled "Disrupting Developement." Iwata did not let any new Mario news slip, but
did announce that Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx games on the Revolution virtual console, and there will be a new Zelda game coming to the DS.
Today we have four wonderful new links. Additionally, links to four evil sites that either removed their link to TC or never put up a link have been deleted.
Site News: March 9, 2006
Incase you are still deciding if Super Princess Peach is for you, I have written a review.
Nintendo News: March 8, 2006
The game Mario fans have been waiting a decade for is coming May 7th. Today I have some new information about it from Nintendo Power.
"In terms of other sound elements, you know, the last few Mario games have included voice samples and stuff. But this time, we want to get back to the sound style of the original Super Mario Bros. There will be no voices."
No more "Just what I needed"! I can play with the sound on!
Takashi confirms the game is set in the Mushroom Kingdom, and the plot is the same as the original. There will appearences by Mario, Luigi, Toad, Peach, and Bowser, but not Yoshi because he conflicts with the "back to the basics" additude of the game.
On another note, when asked about a 2D platformer on the Revolution, Takashi couldn't comment. I think this is a good indication that there is at least something in developement.
Site News: March 5, 2006
The first weekly poll has ending and a new one has begun. Don't forget to vote!
Reviews for Super Mario Strikers, Mario Super Star Baseball, and Super Mario 64 DS have been added.
To go nicely with the review, a guide for Super Mario Strikers has been added.
Nintendo News: February 27, 2006
Super Princess Peach is released in the US today. I will try to have a review up within a week.
Site News: February 26, 2006
Reviews for Mario Party 1 and Mario Party 3 have been added.
Starting this week we will have a new Poll of the Week every Sunday. Check the navigation bar to the left for more information.
Site News: February 23, 2006
Reviews for Mario Party 2 and Mario is Missing have been added.
A guide for Mario Superstar Baseball Guide has been added.
Site News: February 22, 2006
It's been exactly one year since I reopened the site and started updating it again, and I have a mega update to celebrate!
Two new sections have been created: Fan Movies and Fan Games. To start them off
there is five movies and three games. Enjoy!
Nintendo News: February 21, 2006
New Super Mario Bros. has been confirmed for a US release date of May 7, 2006! Below is the official Nintendo press release.
It's been more than 20 years since Nintendo's highly acclaimed franchise, Super Mario Bros.(R), first hit store shelves. On May 7, eager fans from Mario's classic days must wait no longer to see the brothers return in an all-new platformer with the launch
of New Super Mario Bros. for Nintendo DS.
On the heels of Valentine's Day romance is in the air, even in the Mushroom Kingdom. But Princess Peach wasn't able to celebrate with her special someone, seeing that she's been taken prisoner by Bowser and Bowser Jr. Only the Mario Bros. can rescue the princess from her evil captors as they battle familiar enemies like Goombas and Koopas along with new foes and big bosses.
New Super Mario Bros. is loaded with features and characters that could only exist in the Mushroom Kingdom, including all-new power-ups like the Blue Shell, in which Mario can ride, and a massive Mushroom that makes him ultra-huge. The title features stunning 3-D models moving through lavish, cleverly designed 2-D worlds, culminating in a final showdown for the freedom of Princess Peach.
I've written a script that displays the three most recent forum topics on the navigation bar.
In addition to the recent topics, I've written a Revolution countdown script that generates an image telling how many days remain before the Revolution.
Also, I finally got around to making a favicon for TC.
Site News: February 19, 2006
The battle between the Mario Bros. and Wicked Bros. has come to an end and the summary has been posted. The battle between Toadette and Omochao has begun. Don't forget to vote!
Site News: February 9, 2006
I've written an article about Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario.
Site News: January 25, 2006
Sorry about the recent neglect. I got caught up in other things. To make up for it I have a lot here for you today!
The new articles section has been started. If you want to help out, see the announcement above.
Site News: January 7, 2006
A new forum section has been created, and the sections are now sorted by theme. If you haven't tried the forum yet, or you didn't like it in the past there's never been a better time to join. With 52 registered members and over 3000 posts there's always something new to see and talk about.
53 new avatars have been added to the gallary on the forum.
Site News: January 2, 2006
Emails 6-10 have been answered on the mail bag page.
Site News: January 1, 2006
The first update of the year is a list of all Mario games in the random things section.
Site News: December 30, 2005
A guide to Mario Kart: Double Dash has been added.
Site News: December 29, 2005
The battle between Yoshi and General Guy has come to an end and the summary has been posted. The battle between the Mario Bros. and the Wicked Bros. has begun. Don't forget to vote!
The Luig's Mansion guide has been updated to include detailed strategies for all portrait ghosts.
Site News: December 23, 2005
Now that I've finished the mountain of school work, I can concentrate on stuff that really matters! I've posted a new
fan fiction story.
Site News: December 7, 2005
Another section has been added to the forum: role play. On a side note, everyone should know that I've been smacked with another two papers and updates will be slow for some time.
In case you haven't noticed, Mario Kart DS, the first Mario game to feature online play, has been released. Head over to the forum and challege someone to a game!
Five new episodes of the Darkness to the Light posted on the fan fiction page.
Site News: September 26, 2005
New episode of Mario in High School on the fan fiction page.
Nintendo News: September 16, 2005
Nintedo reveals the Revolution controller at the TGS, and it's simply amazing!
The design is simple and clean. It looks great. The main part of the controller is held in one hand and has only a few buttons.
The coolest thing about it is that it knows its location in 3D space. This opens up so many possiblities. It also has an expansion port at the bottom that allows attachments. So far we've only seen one: an analog stick.
A more in depth article is on its way, but for now here are some pictures.
The winner of Bowser vs. Boo battle has been decided: Bowser won 47
to 35. A summary of the battle has been posted. The next battle battle, Luigi vs. Donkey Kong, has begun. Don't forget to vote!
Notice: When we were forced to move to a new host, all votes for the Bowser vs. Boo match were lost. If you voted on the first day, or you haven't voted at all, vote now.
Once again Toad's Castle has lost its hosting. If you tried to send me anything yesterday, please resend it. Unfortunately, I lost the forum's database backup and it has to start again from zero posts.
I no longer have free hosting. If you enjoy this site, and have the means, please consider donating through the button on the right. A Paypal account is not required.
Site News: July 18, 2005
The results are in -- Mario has won the first Character Battle 59 to 10 against a Goomba. Thanks to all that participated, this was a much higher vote count than I expected. A battle summary was posted for Mario. Don't forget to go vote in the next battle.
Nintendo has released an offical news artical about Revolution on their website. It doesn't reveal much, but hopefully we'll get more at E3 this week.
Site News: May 8, 2005
Toad's Castle is now ad-free again. I've removed the banner at the top of the page because it only paid when someone bought something, which no one did. If anyone would like to purchase an ad, or suggest a different ad service, contact me.
The site is doing pretty well. It now has more unique visist than my old site which was twice as old ever had. The only problem is lack of support for the forums. Please consider joining today!
Several modifications have been made to the upcoming games list.
Please notice: Over the last week I've had hosting problems, and switched through several email clients, services, and forwards. If anyone else has sent me anything that I haven't replied to, assume I did not receive it and resend. Thank you!
Mario News: April 3, 2005
It is a little late, but Yoshi Touch & Go and Mario Party Advance were released for DS and GBA in March.
Site News: March 26, 2005
Toad's Castle has a new permanent host. Everything should be fixed now.
Site News: March 21, 2005
TC is currently being hosted on a temporary host. Current Issues: The forum is down. Only the home page has PHP (server doesn't like my .htaccess), so the layout is pretty much broken. It's usable, but annoying. Thanks for your patients, the problems should be resolved soon.
Added the Mailing List page. Subscribe today and be contacted when there's new Mario news or a major update.
Site News: February 22, 2005
Today Toad's Castle is re-born. I made a new banner and layout. I don't know what I was thinking in October with that blue. Toad's Castle now has it's own domain: toadscastle.net. I've decided to dedicate my self to this site again, as I am no longer updating my two-year-old programming site.
I added a new page for random mario things. Other random updates are everywhere. Expect more soon!
Site News: October 17, 2004
Made a new yellow layout to match the banner.
Site News: September 30, 2004
Not much for a month, but here it is. I changed the link to the forum so it now leads directly to the Toad's Castle section. Instead of having a seperate page for Mario news I decided to combind it all on here (notice the new "Site News").
Site News: August 29, 2004
I guess I went against what I said on the forums about not wanting to copy CPC's layout, but since no one even replied... It's still open for discussion of the current layout and modifications to it.
I decided I needed new welcome text too.
Site News: August 15, 2004
One month later... hehe. New forum. I started a new forum for my other site, and decided that instead of making a new one for here, I would just give this site a catagory in it. Makes everything easier.
Site News: July 15, 2004
It's been awhile, but this is the biggest thing yet. I wrote a complete guide to every level in SMB3. Although a few other sections of the guide still need to be written the main part is there.
Site News: July 6, 2004
Changed the colors from black on white to white on black. Minor updates in a few areas. Added SMRPG for GBA and Mario Quiz Cards pages.
Site News: July 5, 2004
Modified the navigation bar some more.
Site News: July 3, 2004
I changed the layout again. I really liked having the two side bars, but it really didn't look great on lower resolutions. I combined the two bars into one and now it looks good on 800x600.
Site News: July 1, 2004 Today I recieved the first submition, a glitch. See it in the glitches section.
Site News: June 29, 2004 I found out the chat applet I had was just a trial version and stopped working after a few minutes, so I got a better one.
Site News: June 28, 2004 Changed the layout a bit by adding the affiliates area to every page and making the main text area bigger. Made the 'become an affiliate' page. Added the first affiliate.
Site News: June 27, 2004 Made the banner for the top of every page, a button, and fixed a couple PHP errors. Made the forums, chat, and news page. Added two links on the links page. Wrote reviews for Donkey Kong, Mario Bros, Paper Mario, Super Mario 64, and Super Mario Sunshine.
Site News: June 26, 2004 Started trivia, links, and staff pages. Added reviews for Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 2, Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, and Super Mario RPG Legend of the 7 Stars.
Site News: June 25, 2004 Toad's Castle is born. The design has been completed, and the guides, glitches, fan art and fiction, reviews, and email bag pages started.
![[screen shot]](images/super-princess-peach-20050927044759892.jpg)
![[screen shot]](images/super-princess-peach-20050927044800580.jpg)
![[screen shot]](images/super-princess-peach-20041104095301012.jpg)
![[screen shot]](images/super-princess-peach-20051216012601628.jpg)
![[Screen shot]](http://www.toadscastle.net/images/ss_nsmb_pre03.jpg)
