Since the alphabet is the building block of our language, the Powet Alphabet is the building block of what makes us geeks.

The sixteen bit era of video games is considered by many to be the bridge between the past and modern eras of video gaming, and there were two kings of the ring: Nintendo’s Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega’s Genesis. Though there were more powerful systems that sprang up around the time, it would be these two that would outlast and outperform all of them, thanks to their accessibility. This was due not only to the technologies that the two systems boasted under the hood, but also with the library of games that were released for the two. It also gave rise to some of those most heated fanboy wars of our hobby. If you think system wars are bad now, you should have seen how bad it was during the 16-bit days, especially when system manufacturers were openly taking pot shots at each other. However, it was pointless for fanboys of both systems to argue with each other, as both systems not only had an equally impressive library of games (even if many multiplatform releases on the Sega Genesis tended to have inferior audio and visual quality to their SNES counterparts), but they outlasted and outsold the more powerful systems that sprang up around the same period. Click below to take a look back at one of gaming’s most exciting eras.
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Hope you guys had a good laugh for April Fools day. As you guessed by now, those aren’t this week’s real $20 GOTW and Lost Classics. So, for being a good sport, here you go. To make sure there is no hard feelings, I threw in an extra $20GOTW. All three of this week’s features allow players to flex their creative muscles, so click below and read the rest.
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Nintendo held a big media summit today and spilled that what everyone assumed would be their big fall/holiday games are actually their big summer/spring games! Super Mario Galaxy (new trailer above) will release on May 23rd. Metroid: Other M will release June 27.

Unfortunately, Nintendo didn’t feel like releasing a sweet compilation of footage for Metroid: Mother M. so you can enjoy this gallery of gameplay screenshots at Joystiq.

In New Super Mario Bros Wii, Nintendo has brought back the long dormant “Koopalings.” These seven characters are supposedly Bowser’s children and appear as stage antagonists in several Mario games. It is said that during the production of Super Mario Bros 3, Shigeru Miyamoto based each of them on a member of the design team.
But when Super Mario Bros 3 was released in 1988 to Japan, the kids were not given names. Only a year and a half later when Nintendo Of America released the game did they get names. The localization team did their best to match their appearances with some obvious, and less obvious names. See how obscure they get!
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On a somber note, Captain. Lou Albano, known for work in the older WWF, but famous for his portrayal of Mario in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, has passed away at the age of 76 in his Mount Vernon home.
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During the early 80s, the video game market was in danger of dying off before it could take off. Too many manufacturers were releasing too many consoles no one cared for, and developers were making too many games that were mediocre at best. This would lead to a diminished demand for them in the consumer market as well. If that wasn’t enough, the home computer market was slowly beginning to emerge, as PCs were becoming cheaper and more easily accessible to consumers. It would be a fool’s errand for a company to attempt to reenter the market, yet Japanese developer Nintendo would jump in the market head first.
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Last time we went to BotCon. As soon as we stepped on the plane to go home, E3 started. Catch up on all your E3 news here! Also, reviews of Terminator, Conan O’Brien on the Tonight Show, and much more!

(What did you think of the E3 announcements? Leave a comment below!)

Audio Netcast Details
Subscribe to the Powetcast on iTunes
Direct Link: Powetcast Episode 12: E3 and the 80s

Show notes after the jump!
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I review a butt ton of Nintendo themes candy, and give myself diabetes in the process.