iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

4/4 Nor will I have Mana Bean rapidly (and haphazardly) tap the screen while I’m in a frenzy. Sigh....

artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

3/4 I won’t be able to pass the iPad back and forth between me and Mana Sprout to have her play the challenges after I play the races. Nor will I have her swipe away Blooper ink while I drive and she’s cuddled up with me.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

2/4 Now I’m a bit melancholic at the idea that I can still pick up and play the first game I ever played (Super Mario Bros. for the NES), but this Mario Kart game from seven years ago is gone. That’s not an experience I’ll have again.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

1/4 And that’s a wrap. I have footage and screenshots I would love to share but I don’t have the heart at the moment. I enjoyed my final few hours of playtime and I enjoyed the experience.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Mana Sprout and I got to go to the new Mario movie today and I can confirm it is great. Like the first movie, it goes a mile-a-minute and feels like watching a video game. Some incredible callbacks to games both of us have loved playing. Let’s-a go!

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

A blessed feast of St. Patrick to you!

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Happy MAR10 Day! Hard to believe we’re celebrating 40 years of Super Mario Bros. The original was my first video game and it stuck with me. Now I enjoy sharing the games with Mana Sprout and we can’t wait to see the new movie. What was your first Mario game and what are some of your memories?

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Despite being quite a full few weeks, I managed to play a bit of Tour before settling in for bed each night and even got through all the courses a little early with some skip tickets. Quite relaxing. I had a lot of good karts and characters for this one.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Happy release day of the game that launched my favorite video game franchise: The Legend of Zelda!

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Reposted by artofmana

Philip Summers @heyphilsummers.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

The Legend of Zelda turns 40 this weekend! 🎊 To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to post my entire strategy guide, along with production shots and some additional thoughts. So, whether you've seen this guide a million times or not, I hope you learn something new. MEGA 🧵

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

No way! I hadn’t heard that! What a disappointing thing to have not happened! The game is great! It always boggled my mind that we didn’t at least have VB games ported to the 3DS. I think they underestimated people’s interest in the VB catalog.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

5/5 Still, I’m happy to see Virtual Boy games being remembered and highlighted as they really are quite fun. I’m looking forward to the unreleased games that are coming.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

4/5 There really should be a controller since the original was so unique, there should be a VR set with a strap and they should allow users to play in 2D mode like standard Classics collections.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

3/5 Heck, I would’ve bought each game at a sizable cost just to have them on that platform. My biggest gripes about the Switch release:

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

2/5 The image is small, duplicated, and allocated to an awkward place on the screen, but it is sharp and not distorted like the menu. Even more I wonder why Nintendo missed the opportunity to release these games on the 3DS where they would’ve made the most sense.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

1/5 For those of you who are interested, you most certainly can play Virtual Boy games on the Switch without the intended VR accessories. I played for a while in handheld mode.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I’ve been making small repairs and setups on guitars lately. This is the third guitar I’ve used the “toothpick trick” on. Basically, to fill a small hole so you can drill a fresh pilot hole and screw in a stable screw, fill the hole with wood glue and tooth picks. 👌 🎸

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Sad to say I put Mario Kart Tour on the back burner for a few of busy weeks (and tours). However, I was planning ahead and looking forward to tonight when I could get back in the race. I did not race well, but I had fun!

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. Alas, it was a beautiful day today and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Don’t put the cozy blankets away just yet and prepare the hot chocolate.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Okay, a milestone in Dragon’s Crown today: I managed to complete the last of the quests! Now to complete the story with the other characters, I think.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Attachment to #Nintendo franchises: 💚💚💚💚💚 Zelda 💚💚💚💚💚 Mario Kart 💚💚💚💚💚 Metroid 💚💚💚💚💚 Star Fox 💚💚💚💚💚 Mario 💚💚💚💚💚 Donkey Kong 💚💚💚💚🔴 Animal Crossing 💚💚💚💚🔴 Kirby 💚💚💚💚🔴 Pilotwings 💚💚💚🔴🔴 Splatoon 💚💚💚🔴🔴 Kid Icarus 💚💚🔴🔴🔴 Smash Bros. 💚💚🔴🔴🔴 Mario (RPGs) 💚🔴🔴🔴🔴 Mario Party 💚🔴🔴🔴🔴 Pokémon 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Fire Emblem

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

And this is a taste of what makes Dragon’s Crown so enjoyable. This quest and its surrounding story and artwork is fantastic. The moment you encounter the boss is brilliant.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Cruising through more Dragon’s Crown quests today. These four were completed in a single run! Sadly, I couldn’t get all five done at once.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

I visited the doctor today.... But, while resting, I did dust off some space on my PlayStation Trophy shelf for some new Dragon’s Crown achievements. PS3, aw, yeah!

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

As we move into the weekend, I’m going to do the cliche thing and share a meal photo. This was lunch. There’s a place in town that has an amazing avocado toast bruschetta so I was inspired to make my own at home. How’d I do?

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

I’ve been very tired today after a busy week. I very much needed some relaxing video gaming. Here are my 80th Nintendo World Championships NES Edition entries. Wow! Haven’t missed one yet.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

If you’d like to see a more in depth look at my physical tabletop kit as it currently stands, please let me know! I’ll film it.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Today I want to share some sneaky stills of my printed roleplaying boards, character figures, maps and tokens. The artwork is not my own (except for the hand drawn maps), but I used rubber cement, corner cutters, foam board, cardstock, magnets and more to make these.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

(5/5) Attached to these posts are some pictures from some book resources of the movie that I have.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

(4/5) It would be interesting to see the second part concluded today in a modern attempt at some of the rotoscoping and animation techniques used in the first. I forgot or never knew that Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) voiced Legolas!

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

(3/5) Dialogue might seem obvious due to the same source, but there were times where both took the same liberties with Tolkien’s wording. I imagine this film informed the Jackson crew a good bit. And it makes sense why. It does some things very well.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

(2/5) But it also feels like a storyboard prototype for LotR in cinema. In fact, watching the movie so close to the Peter Jackson films, I was surprised to see some beats, angles and dialogue that the two have in common.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

(1/5) You thought I was done?! Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings was tonight’s viewing (at home). This was the first film adaptation I had seen and there are some nostalgia goggles I wear. The movie does stand on its own despite our not getting a part two.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Symmetrical, but I am the biggest fan of the Wii U controller layout. Second best is no sticks. GameCube is great, though. I like PS4 controllers. Then probably the Logitech F310.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Today I continue the Tolkien journey by sharing what came in the mail. The Ralph Bakshi version of the first half of The Lord of the Rings (the first three books or one and a half volumes or halfway through The Two Towers) was rereleased this past June. I’ve never seen it in widescreen.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

A lot of demo kiosks showcased this game which is why I have nostalgic memories of taking turns with other kids in a Walmart trying to beat each other’s times.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

(4/4) We may never meet again, but it was neat to share the experience with them. I saved a candy bar as my treat for making it all the way to Mordor and back.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

(3/4) There wasn’t a lot of depth, but we shared in common our appreciation of the films and could crack a few jokes together.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

(2/4) Each night, I sat in the middle chair, off one to the right, in the row just in front of a group of three guys. Every night we would chat just a little bit more.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

(1/4) Tonight marked the third night of my movie marathon in the theater. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition. Each night I arrived for a 6:45 p.m. showing and tonight I left the theater at 11:15.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

“How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come.”

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Tonight was The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition. There were liberties taken with the story and pacing, but several pay off in surprising and meaningful ways.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

I got to watch The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition with introduction by Peter Jackson tonight. It is the same theater in which I watched the original theatrical release 25 years ago. I am forever indebted to J.R.R. Tolkien and blown away at how the film holds up.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Now, I can’t wait to share this one with you! The Slow Mo Guys take a look at the Virtual Boy. The tech involved in this machine has always fascinated me and now I understand it so much more! Mesmerizing! youtu.be/jW7M8H99x7Y

youtu.be

Nintendo Virtual Boy at 1 Million Frames per second - The Slow Mo Guys

YouTube video by The Slow Mo Guys

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Hey! Did you know The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions are in theaters starting tomorrow through the 29th? Anyone want to go with me? Also, apparently the HD remaster of Ralph Bakshi’s version was rereleased in June, so I picked that up for a post-Jackson watch. Good timing.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

A few nights ago, the family and I sat down with this enormous bowl of popcorn to watch Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Such a gorgeous movie. Watching it, I realized something: I miss movies that take their time and let you soak in the atmosphere. The similarities to the Mana series struck me as well.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

This is a neat reflection. The time spent in each game seems a little low, but I did play a lot of other Switch titles and many retro games during this last decade as well.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

The Switch has been closely connected to my streaming. Around its release I picked up a capture card so I could share the console video games I loved and looked forward to. It’s how I worked through and beat Breath of the Wild. It’s where I poured hours into New Horizons.

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artofmana @artofmana.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

It may not be Christmas anymore, but 'tis the season ... of getting sick. Our poor littlest is gonna have to sit the next several days out with Mommy and Daddy while Sissy goes to school. So much crud floating around! Hope I don't catch something! Eek!

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