Do You NintenKnow: May 2024

Below is a set of clues for games that have a notable US release date anniversary (5, 10, 15, etc.) in the current month. See if you can figure out the title before clicking the blurred image to find out if you were correct! Head down to the comments when you’re finished and reminisce about the personal memories that were dredged up. Remember that these are going by the release date in the United States. Have fun!

May 1999

Maybe the most famous thing to come from the prequel film trilogy of the famous “galactic” franchise was podracing. LucasArts turned that into an entire game on the N64 featuring racers and courses from The Phantom Menace with the actors from the movies providing voice roles for the game. “Now this is pod racing!”

Titus Interactive developed and produced this N64 title featuring Clark Kent’s alter ego which is widely regarded as one of the worst video games ever made. You have all these powers of the hero and have to fly through rings? Really? Even Nintendo Power gave it a 4.7/10!

May 2004

Nintendo Software Technology developed this puzzle-platformer for the GBA which pits the mustachioed plumber against the angry ape. It’s a spiritual successor to a well-regarded 1994 GameBoy title and gives the main character the same moveset including handstands and triple jumps to help bring the key in each level to the locked door. There’s a story to this one, however fleeting it may be. After seeing a toy advertisement on TV, the ape steals all of the wind-up toys from the factory because the toy store was sold out. The main character attempts to get the toys back. Hijinks ensue.

May 2009

This Wii remake of a PlayStation side-scrolling platformer was developed by Paon and published by Namco Bandai Games. As the titular character, use your ring to fire “wind bullets” that can inflate enemies. You can throw the enemies or use them as double jump to reach higher platforms. The original game had 2D sprites in a 3D environment, while this version has full 3D graphics – through it’s still a side-scroller. Travel along with your companion Huepow to try and save Lephise from Ghadius.

Next Level Games returned to a classic Nintendo series with this Wii boxing title, essentially rebooting the series. Control Little Mac and punch the bejeepers out of King Hippo, Von Kaiser, and others. I wish they would revisit this but since many of the characters are stereotypes, it may not happen. That’s a shame because who doesn’t like to knock the croissants out of Glass Joe?

May 2014

This Nintendo developed and published kart-racer released for the Wii U way back in 2014 and eventually became the best-selling title on the platform. Anti-gravity sections of the courses are the new addition here, allowing you to race on the walls or ceilings in certain parts of the tracks. There were also some new items including the Super Horn which finally allowed you to avoid Spiny Shells…also known as “blue shells”, hated by many players! This game was the genesis of the “Luigi death stare”.

Nintendo’s pink puffball got a 2.5D platformer on the 3DS which added the Hypernova ability, allowing the main character to inhale very large objects. Plenty of copy abilities make a return along with a few new ones such as Circus, giving the player the ability to weaponize balloon animals. Can Dream Land be saved from Queen Sectonia?

After a nearly decade-long hiatus, the Mushroom Kingdom friends finally hit the links again on the 3DS. Many of the series staples are back including the simple, arcade-style controls along with Super Shots. As a first in the series, players are able to compete in online tournaments. The game has a whopping 16 courses, including those purchased as DLC. Also new this time are items found in Question Blocks that add effect to your shots. I wish I had some of those in real life…maybe I wouldn’t want to throw my clubs into the woods as often!

Bonus

This live-action movie based on the famous monster collecting franchise hit US theaters in May 2019 to great box office success – certainly better than Nintendo’s first live-action movie from 1993! I’m sure we all remember that one… This film follows a wise-cracking electric mouse voiced by Ryan Reynolds as he tries to help Tim find out what happened to his father. At the time of its release, the movie was the highest grossing video game film adaptation of all time.