Tech

Super Mario RPG Review: Small plumber, big quest – Stevivor

Published

12 months ago

November 16, 2023

Originally released as Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars on the Super Nintendo back in 1996, this game has been a long-standing oddity AND beloved gem in the Mario oeuvre. An unexpected collaboration between Nintendo and Squaresoft, makers of the Final Fantasy series, Super Mario RPG introduced the platforming plumber to a new, turn-based alternative for how to do things.

After 27 long years, Super Mario RPG is getting the remake treatment and transitioning to the Switch, marking the first time the game has been available to players in any form since the shutdown of the Wii U’s Virtual Console. Noted as the inspiration for both the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series, this is the game that led to some of the best in the franchise – including Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door, another historic gem receiving a facelift next year.

The game begins with Mario once again on his way to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, when a giant living sword named Exor smashes through both Bowser’s castle as well as the Star Road, high above it. Taking the castle in the name of the Smithy gang, Exor scatters Mario, Peach and Bowser across the land, along with seven stars from the shattered Star Road.

Setting out to find Peach and return her home, Mario soon finds unlikely allies along the way – the surprisingly fluffy “tadpole”, Mallow, Geno the living puppet, and even a surprising friend in the form of his long-time enemy. United under a common cause, Mario and friends team up to retrieve the seven stars, restore the Star Road and send the Smithy gang packing.

Super Mario RPG takes one of the best paths a remake or remaster can take with its visual upgrades – it upscales the graphics of the original game, but preserves nostalgia by lovingly updating those original models to match the embellishment of your memory. Mario is perpetually in his stubby, mini-Mario form for the whole game, the Toads are chunky and off-model for what we see in modern titles like Super Mario Wonder, and some “unique” characters, like a certain Booster, will haunt me for longer than I’m comfortable with.

It all comes together to form a unique take on the world of Mario, more like the bizarro instruction booklet art of the Gameboy era than the meticulously maintained brand guide of modern Mario. In 2023, it’s exciting to see two Mario games released that take such radically new angles on the Super Mario setting – in Super Mario RPG and Super Mario Wonder respectively – that come from such different times. Whether it’s from 27 years ago or only a few weeks back, the result of Nintendo getting a little loose and wild with their favourite plumber is a memorable game for the ages.

Given that the original Mario RPG comes from an era of much lower resolutions, the game’s maps are a lot smaller in scale than we’ve become accustomed to. As a result, Super Mario RPG is a perfect fit for playing in handheld mode, especially on the OLED’s vivid screen. The isometric look of the game’s world makes everything ‘blocky’ in a way that telegraphs the world around you clearly, without needing to squint at the details on the smaller screen.

This is something that some games on the system have struggled with (hello, Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I still love you). That said, key story moments as well as combos in battle have all been given lovingly-rendered CG cutscenes that dial the cuteness of the character models to 11.

The story-beat cutscenes feel like a treat for advancing through the game’s story, and building up your combat meter for a party combo is as much about the reward of massive damage as it is getting to see the flashy – and fast-paced! – combo animation. It’s a way to reward a player’s diligence while still respecting their time when playing, which I really appreciated.

Speaking of combos, one of the larger changes from the source material is the addition of the Action Gauge to the game’s combat system. The core combat system of the original remains unchanged, with every attack or special move offering some kind of button prompt that can boost its effectiveness if you succeed. On top of increasing the move’s effect, each successful action prompt fills up a portion of the Action Gauge.

Once full, you can use a Triple Move which is specific to the combination of active party members. Some combination might heal the party, others hit all enemies, or perhaps a single target for extra damage.

The accompanying cutscenes are always fun to watch, and I found the only time I ever skipped them was if I used the same move multiple times in a single boss battle. The combat loop itself is tight and fun – challenging yourself to maintain a combo for damage boosts and other buffs is a great incentive to work on nailing the action prompt timing – and made easier by the addition of a visual prompt.

Even so, I found the timing for the various attacks a little hard to absorb; some of the button prompts feel like they are timed to the wrong moment in the animation, compared to what I’d expect from the more recent Mario & Luigi games, for instance.

It’s also a little counterintuitive that the visual clue won’t show at all if you hit the button too early – it feels disruptive to your flow in combat to fail the prompt, break your chain and not have an indicator of how to improve. Especially when upgrading to a new weapon with a new prompt, it can be disheartening to suddenly lose that feeling of “mastery” in combat, even as your odds of winning improve.

All in all, Super Mario RPG feels like a remaster done right. All of the spirit of the original has been maintained, while subtly updating things here and there to make the game more pleasant to play today.

Small improvements make all the difference with Super Mario RPG, like a less impossible minigame post-battle to double your winnings, or even just the addition of an autosave function – which Toad winkingly calls out, even as he goes through the original game’s tutorial on manual saving. It feels like a game made in reverence to the original, bringing it to a new audience while also reminding returning players what was so great about it in the first place.

Super Mario RPG was reviewed using a promotional code on Nintendo Switch, as provided by the publisher. Click here to learn more about Stevivor’s scoring scale.

This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.

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Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

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