25 years ago today I won the Nintendo World Championships AMA!

What has your life become, Mike, now that the coke fueled orgies, groupies and endless parties of the Nintendo W.C. scene are over?

I'm not sure if I drink more or less now than I did then. I know that I ran up a $600+ hotel bill at a NYC hotel because I invited a bunch of friends over from NJ and we cleared out the mini bar. Nintendo was not happy with me. I also made a bunch of long distance phone calls. heh

To answer more clearly. I do a bunch of streaming these days. Gaming is a huge part of who I am so that is never going to change. As I get older though the physicality of some of it gets harder. Hands don't want to cooperate as much as they used to and such.

Just gotta wait for that Neural Link, jack in and leave the limitations of that spongy meatbag behind!

I love when new tech comes around and claims to be the new great thing we're all going to love and they show us how we can play pong with it and how awesome it is in the new thing. New tech takes us 5 steps backsward in gameplay and 5 steps forward in complexity. But wait that thing you used to do with a simple button press you can now do by waving your hand in the air 6 times! I just wanna press the button.

Do you mean like arthritis and physical hand problems, or just your coordination isn't what it used to be?

My hands shake pretty often these days and it can prevent you from being accurate.

:( not looking forward to that.

Take care of yourself better than I did and you'll be fine.

Was it like the movie The Wizard?

They did try to make this one more like the wizard at the finals because they changed the game when it got to the final 4 kinda of like the movie did. It changed to Donkey Kong Country at the end.

Had you played that game before? Or was it brand new... definitely one if my fav games.

Nintendo gave a demo copy to stores and that demo was the whole game. I borrowed one from a local Software ETC because I knew the manager. Played it over night while they were clsoed and invited a bunch of friends over to play it. We finished it that night.

I bought my copy the day I left for the tournament from the same store so I was playing it in my hotel room during the finals. We didn't know they were going to have it be part of the tournament though and the cart in the tournament was score based and had missing secrets. The other top 2 finalist also had the game but the other 3rd and 4th place finishers did not.

Software ETC

I am a little young for that one, but I do remember Electronics Boutique.

There was an EB just downstairs from it.

Ahem, unfair advantage, ahem

Eh. Nobody knew it would be in the tournament. It just happened to be and only after the final 4.

any speculation on why they wouldn't just use something unreleased, to make (reasonably) sure nobody could have played it before? That seems like too crucial a Wizard detail to mess with lol

Promotion. The game was releasing that week and this helped promote it.

Was it the software etc in Menlo? I worked at that one.

Wayne, NJ at Willowbrook mall.

The Nintedo World Championship cart? I hope you have it still, it's worth a pretty penny. But I'm sure you knew that.

Thats a different cart but I did have one.

1. Are you Fred Savage, and were you in the movie "The Wizard"?
2. Did you use the Power Glove or the Power Pad during your competition?

1. No but I am quite Savage. I was not in the movie.
2. I think I tried it once when it was new but it was not very good if I remember right. It was not used in the competition in 1990 or 1994.

Would you say it was so bad, then?

so SO bad

But your favorite console is the Virtual Boy, right?

Jaguar 4 lyfe. Need me that Tempest 2k and AvP action.

In all seriousness PS3 gets a serious nod. Uncharted 2, The Last of Us, Demon's Souls, Dragon's Dogma, Bayonetta, Tales of Graces/Xillia/Xillia2 and Ni No Kuni. Just to name a few.

Favourite non Nintendo game ?

Dark Souls

What did you win for being the champion? I can't imagine they only gave your a statue of Mario...

So the advertised prizes were a new Mustang and $5000 cash among other things. In reality they tell you they will either give you $15000 cash or give $15000 to a dealership so you can go pick out a car. I took the cash and they sent me a check for $20000.

I got a 30 something inch tv, a VCR, a Nintendo exercise bike which I still have laying around and 50 SNES games which were all unopened and I returned for Jeffrey money at Toys R Us and got full value on each. I already had the ones I wanted and was able to just buy what I wanted for months after that.

Funny story I got pulled over once and a cop patted me down and I had the TRU money in my pocket and he was like "What's that?" I had to explain the whole story and he let me go saying "Nobody could make that up".

All told is was around $33000 in cash and prizes.

I know this is 8 hours old, but "Nintendo exercise bike?" Like, it hooks up to an NES/SNES? Any pics?

https://www.nintendoenthusiast.com/rare-snes-bike-video-surfaces-on-rerez/ There is a pic of one. Mine is buried right now.

That bike is worth some serious cash. Hang onto it. My friend had one growing up. I asked him where it went and I think it ended up donated to Goodwill or something.

I have friends that are collectors and it would go to them before I sold it.

Did you have to pay a bunch in taxes?

It was a couple thousand in taxes.

Mike, who is your favorite Ninja Turtle? Thanks.

Donny

Thoughts on Mario Kart Mobile?

I actually play it but the gacha part of it is terrible. I know Nintendo farmed it out to another company but I am disappointed that they would go down this road. They used to be better than that.

Thoughts on Death Stranding? It's the first 'strand-type' game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukqZ5VOoK5s

good summation

Wow It's been a long time since I was early for an AMA.

How's life ?

Ups and downs. Doing ok currently though. Been a rough few years but I manage.

Hope you have a better future ahead.

Me too :)

What do you think about the state of most Nintendo games nowadays? Most titles back then had difficulty reminiscent of some arcade cabinets (or at least closer to), whereas Nintendo gaming nowadays is meant to be more accessible and easier than ever. They still have titles that can challenge the players like Mario Odyssey, or Mario Maker, but there are plenty of games that are going the route of the new Kirby or Yoshi games.

So I think some of that has to do with how games have advanced over the years. Games were much more limited in scope in the early days. I think most games that Nintendo made were not all that dissimilar to what we see now but we view them through a different eye and have had more exposure to a wider variety so it's easier for us to have a skewed view.

that being said I don't play many Nintendo made games these days outside of the Mario main line games. I have a Switch but I own maybe 4 games for it. I play most of my stuff on PC these days and Nintendo doesn't make much that I want to play. I do want Bayonetta 3 and the next No More Heroes but not much else for me there unfortunately.

I will say that Super Mario 3D World was fantastic and had a good amount of difficulty once you passed the initial story missions.

Not a Zelda fan?

Honestly no. I used to be. I loved the original and a Link to the Past but then I played every Zelda after that until Skyward sword and finished none of them because I just wasn't enjoying them. I just found the lack of real character advancement to be unfulfilling. I started playing more CRPG's like the Might and Magic or Wizardry games and enjoyed them much more.

I am a massive Dark Souls fan though.

Breath of the Wild is great, this is coming from a die-hard Dark Souls fan.
It's not a fair comparison but I like both.
You have the ability to dive straight into the really hard part of the game with no preparation, Catacombs style.

Mmm... The minute to minute play experience for me was closer to an Elder Scrolls or a modern Fallout, setting out for a goal and getting distracted by all the stuff there is to do and see.
The combat rewards mastery, like a Nintendo version of Dark Souls, but it's certainly not going to be a challenge for a Dark Souls veteran. Unless you want to go fight the boss with a broken sword hilt.
The weapon condition system means you need to constantly be adapting your strategies. You can't just get the Best Weapon and coast through the rest of the game. Sometimes your Thunderfury: Blessed Blade of the Windseeker shatters and you have to beat three guardians with a deku stick and some hope.

My issue with Zelda games became the lack of character progression and boss simplicity. Link follows the same trajectory in each game and I just wasn't enjoying it. I'd play them for a few hours and then just stop. I get that Wild was more open world and was somewhat different but I wasn't interested.

Favorite Nintendo youtuber?

I don't watch much in the way of Nintendo Youtube stuff because I don't play many Nintendo games anymore but I know AbdallahSmash026 is pretty good.

There's been a few "The Wizard" questions already but was that movie like everything to you at the time kinda the way Roadhouse was for bouncers? Pretty iconic movie. Did your friends call you "the wizard"?

Or since you were in the 18+ age group, was that movie to childish for you?

I still get the Wizard ribbing to this day but it's fine. I give all my friends a hard time constantly so the few things they have on me are ok. I can't say I was a big fan of it though. It came out more around the time of the 1990 NWC which I was a part of but it didn't match up well with it. The 94 tournament tried to do the finals a little like that but the movie was still just eh. It's just not an accurate representation.

Any thoughts on Nintendo today?

Still a good company but starting to conform to modern times in bad ways like the mobile gaming stuff. Unfortunately they don't make much that interests me these days.

Have Nintendo told you when the new Animal Crossing is coming out? EDIT: I just realised how dumb I am

yup

Did you get that rare cartridge handed out at the tournaments?

I did have a 1990 Cart but I sold it a long tiem ago. I have had contact with the current owner though and when he decides to sell he will be contacting me about getting it back.

Did you win it using the power glove? Wait, you don't need to answer that. I know you did.

I won't disappoint you then.

Do you have any of those super collectible old competition game carts?

I had one for being a finalist in 1990 but I sold it long ago. I plan to buy it back from the current owner eventually and have been in contact with him. One of my best friends has a 1994 cart of which there are only 2 and that's worth even more than the 90 ones because of it's rarity.

the current owner

James Rolfe?

I don't think so. Doesn't live in the US.

Goldeneye: Oddjob? Slappers?

How did they go about selecting who would compete? Was there some sort of "screening"?

Since I started playing shooters on PC it was hard for me to give them a fair shake on consoles and I never got into Goldeneye because of that. Controllers just don't cut it when you have played on Mouse and Keyboard for years.

There were qualifiers in 132 cities and when you won a local you were flown to the finals in San Diego.

Do you still play first person shooters now? Since you started early, I assume it was UT and Quake like me. Do you wish for arena type games today? Thoughts on Overwatch? I agree pc ruins all console fps once you switch.

I play them but not in pvp type settings. I play single player or co-op. Borderlands 2 I have close to 1000 hours on. Division 1 and 2 although 2 has been kinda shit. Doom, Remnant, Fallout. I remember when the original Wolfenstein was out and shown to me. Went and got it then played Doom, Heretic, Hexen and a bunch more.

What are your thoughts on BL3?

I'll let you know in April when I can play it with a clear conscience.

What do you mean by that?

It comes out on Steam in April and I won't have to deal with the Epic launcher or support exclusivity agreements. BL3 has been one of my most wanted games for years but I won't support a company buying a user base. I'll wait til I can play it somewhere else.

I like that. I haven’t bought it yet either and I think I’ll do the same thing.

You. I like you.

So what would a qualifier look like? What sorts of games were involved in that?

It was the same games in the qualifier as the finals (Mario All Stars, Mario Kart, Ken Griffey baseball) until it changed at the final 4 to Donkey Kong Country.

All right. I have one final question: Favorite Board of Donkey Kong Country and Favorite Soundtrack?

Wow. I don't think I can remember the stage names because it's been so long. I enjoyed the rhino stages.

Game soundtrack I assume. I was never really into video game music much. I end up turning it down or off a lot of times that I play. If I did pick one though... I remember Bayonetta having a decent soundtrack.

What is your fav Nintendo game? Super Nintendo game? For me, Super Mario 3 Nintendo, Donkey Kong country Super Nintendo.

I'd say games like Zelda 1 and Zelda: a Link to the Past, SMB3, SMW and F-Zero.

Silly but didn’t own Zelda growing up...however had willow. Loved willow. 😂🤷‍♀️

I remember the game existing and I know I played it and I saw the movie but I can't remember what the game was like.

Do you follow the classic games speedrunning scene? (like https://www.twitch.tv/speedgaming )

Do you still compete or do you think you could if you set your mind to it?

I don't follow speed running much. I stopped competing and don't do much competitive gaming at all anymore. Competitive gaming has too many highs and lows and not enough middle ground I didn't want to deal with the stress. Speed running is more indirect competition which I enjoy more but I tend to just enjoy games at my own pace these days and not push myself to be the best at something. I just enjoy playing. It's getting harder to find games I enjoy though.

what game u win in... ??

why dont you say in post?

The games were Super Mario All Stars - Clear the first stage

Super Mario Kart - clear the first race using Mario

Ken Griffey Jr. baseball home run derby for the remaining time.

You had 6 minutes total.

Oh and in the final 4 we played Donkey Kong Country to decide the winner.

Do you have any plans to enter a future NWC if one is announced?

I entered the 2015 one and while I was capable of qualifying I still missed the cut but they don't run the qualifiers well these days so in 2017 I just skipped it altogether. The finals they do are great and I would love to be part of that but they aren't even giving out prizes for winning anymore. John Goldberg won a trophy and a DS for winning in 2015. That is ridiculous.

I might’ve participated in the same thing. Blockbuster video (rip) held some video game championship where the winner would go onto nationals. You could pick Nintendo or Sega .. I owned a Nintendo but for some reason I picked Sega, maybe I was more familiar with the games because my cousin owned one? It was like NBA Jam, Sonic and some racing game. I remember crushing the top score by a large margin, then suddenly some player signs up late to the competition and mysteriously beats my score. All I got was a sticker that I put on my Nintendo (which was later stolen). I’m still bitter about all of this if you can tell.

Those were the Blockbuster tournaments. I want to say one was in 94 and another in 95. I know the 95 one was based around the DKC cart that was used in the NWC 1994 finals that I won.

A shame there aren’t any classic SNES tournaments where I can go and prove that my all my time spent as a youth behind a controller wasn’t in vain. Age sucks though and seeing how much time I’ve clocked into Overwatch and how terrible I still am versus the majority... maybe I still have muscle memory from the original Mario Kart.

Happy Cake Day! Check out some Retro gaming expos. I had Mario Kart 64 in one of my tournaments this year in Arizona.

Will you ever be as cool as Lucas Barton from the 1989 film The Wizard?

You mean power glove douche? He was never cool. This is a low bar.

Ever tried any kaizo mario romhacks?

No but they make for entertaining videos.

How is your relationship with the two time champ Dr. Disrespect?

Non existent but good for him for creating a persona that people enjoy watching.

How many time can you beat Contra on the NES without losing a life?

Divide by Zero.

My record is 5 :)

I liked the old Contra games and was decent at them but not to that extent. I was able to do that with stuff like Gradius, Lifeforce, Ghosts and Goblins and Smash TV.

Life force was my first NES game I was decent at it what a classic! I only beat Ghost and goblins once. :( It took me an entire summer lol.

Did you get the true ending? Ghosts and Goblins had to be beaten twice to actually get the ending.

Do you agree that Genesis does what Nintendon't?

Yeah it sucks.

You’d be the coolest older bro to watch play Mario and also beat my bosses for me!

1.) Are you bored of Nintendo now??

2.) What is your current and favourite new console atm?

3.)What is your favourite all time console?

I like Nintendo but I find a lot of what they make doesn't appeal to me.

The PS4 has been a good console. Bloodborne, Uncharted 4, God of War. They've been delivering on games.

NES/SNES are damn good. A bunch of classic there I truly love. The PS3 is also really really good though with a bunch of games I mentioned replying to someone else. Demon's Souls, Uncharted 2, Last of Us and others.

Do you have a Nintendo switch?

Yup.

The orignal or the switch lite?

Also what are your opinions on pokémon sword and shield?

I never got into Pokemon so... no real opinion. Original Switch black/grey.

If Nintendo ever hosted another World Championship (say a 30th anniversary one), would you participate?

Depends on the rules. I competed in 2015 but skipped 2017 because they are just not done very well. Prizes are also non existent.

How did you get your first console? I found my Dad’s Atari-a-like Pong in the basement, set it up on my 13” b/w UHF TV and became obsessed with the idea of leveling up. Earned my NES for straight As. Grounded from it every time I refused to let my little brother in as Player 2.

I got my first Atari 2600 from my Aunt for Christmas around 1979 or 1980.

What exactly was the Nintendo world championships ? What game did you play / win at the time?

There have been a few iterations. In 1990 the first NWC had Super Mario, Rad Racer and Tetris and is the most widely known of the 4 NWC's. I was a finalist that year also but did not win. Then in 1994 they had another and the games were Mario All stars, Mario Kart and Ken Griffey Baseball. I won that year. In 2015 they brought it back and used Mario 1, Mario 3 and Dr. Mario. In 2017 It was based around Mario Kart on DS.

Do you remember a movie called Wizard? Were these competition as portrayed?

Yeah there are lots of comparisons but the movie isn't that good and it doesn't compare well to what we actually did.

What did you win it in?

The games you mean? it was a timed cartridge consisting of Mario all stars, Mario kart and ken griffey jr baseball. You cleared the first stage in each of the first 2 games and used the remaining time to hit home runs in griffey's HR derby for score with the remaining time.

Sounds like alot of work. Congrats tho

It was a lot of practice to become consistent enough to win.

What game do you think you were the best at?

Tetris in the late 80's early 90's. I was good enough then that I could have competed in CTWC (classic tetris world championships) if it existed then. I was also a god at Kung Fu on the NES when it was the only game I owned.

Another game was Everquest. Now I wasn't the best EQ player but I led a really great guild for a while and we had a lot of success. It's one of my fondest memories and I still have contact with many of them today.

I feel like this is an example of 1. Videogames bring people together 2. Not everyone on the internet is a predator... im looking at you boomers

Video games absolutely bring people together. I met all of my best friends because of video games.

Did you ever think you would achieve this? How would your younger self react to what you've accomplished?

Winning? I mean I was only 23 when it happened so I was pretty young still. I'm not sure if a 10 year old me would grasp it very well.

What's dr disrespect like?

I mentioned earlier that at least he made a persona people find entertaining so good for him. It's just an act though.

What did you do with the prize money?

I bought an 89 Mustang LX 5.0 for 6000. The rest I spent over time.

Did you ever meet Nintendo Ninjas?

I didn't know what this was and had to look it up.

No.

But now I want to.

Were you ever active on the old Nintendo Nsider Forums before their demise? I was a member, but not long before they became "Tech Support Only."

I was not.

What is your favorite Nintendo game?

Hard to point to one. Zelda 1 and 3, SMB3, SMW, F-Zero. Those are some of my favorites that are made by Nintendo.

What was the hardest part of the championships?

Making the top 16 when all 132 players had to play at the finals. The tournament wasn't the most skillful they could have done so making the top 16 had a lot of luck to it. Once I made top 16 though I knew I had a very good chance of winning because I was very consistent.

Do you like other Nintendo games ? Like breath of the wild and splatoon 2?

I didn't play either Splatoon game but they did look cool. I don't really play the Zelda games anymore. I do still enjoy the main line Mario games though.

What are your favorite switch games?

Mario Odyssey. I didn't get much for it. I want Bayonetta 3 and No More Heroes 3. I also have Xenoblade 2 and Sushi Striker. I play most of my games on PC so if there is a PC option for anything then I get it there.

Has anyone recognized you in public?

I go to classic gaming expos and get recognized there often but just off the street just once back in the 90's before I won in 1994. It was for winning the qualifier in NJ for the 1990 NWC and they recognized me from that.

I'm not an easy person to forget. I kind of stand out in a crowd and am very recognizable.

Billy Mitchell?

Any views on the scandal?

Did he have any affect on what you were doing?

I've met Billy and he's a decent guy. I know Walter really well also. I don't think Billy knowingly did anything wrong. I think he played on a machine that someone used an emulated board in and he caught hell for it. It's not like he hasn't repeatedly gotten the scores that people call foul on him for. I don't think Billy is the villain everyone wants him to be. Has no effect on me.

I could probably google this, but, why is your last name not capitalised?

It is

Such an honest question and honest answer 😂 ... OP.. his last name starts with an “i”

For whatever reason a lot of people have a hard time seeing a last name start with ia. My entire life I have been called Mr. Larossi from people who can't see anything but a lower case l instead of a capital I and it's all because of stupid fonts that have taught us they look the same.

your thoughts about cosmo ?

like 2015 finals Cosmo?

yes

I don't know much about him really. I know John Numbers though. I do some stuff for Game On Expo in Arizona every August and in 2017 I invited him there to talk on a panel and participate in one of our tournaments.