It’s hard to believe that the last brand-new 2D Mario game came out more than 10 years ago. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate updates to classics like Super Mario 35 or remixes such as the Super Mario Maker series. But without a fresh entry to the franchise, it felt like there was something missing. However, after getting a chance to go hands-on with Super Mario Bros. Wonder ahead of its official release on October 10th, it feels like the magic is back.

By shifting locations from the Mushroom Kingdom to the Flower Kingdom Nintendo gave itself the freedom to update practically every aspect of the game, while staying true to the core formula that is running, jumping, smashing blocks and collecting everything in sight. There are power-ups like the new elephant suit that lets you bash enemies with your trunk. And while classic items like the Fire Flower are still around, there are refreshing twists like the Bubble Flower that give you the ability to both attack and reach new heights by jumping on the orbs you shoot out.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder also boasts the largest roster of characters in any Mario sidescroller yet, including the 2D return of Daisy along with, Peach, Luigi, Toad, Nabbit and multiple colors of Yoshi (the latter two having some important gameplay implications). Unlike the others, Yoshi and Nabbit can’t transform, but they also don’t take damage from enemies, projectiles or even the environment (like falling debris). Not only does this provide an easy way to adjust game difficulty on the fly, it’s also the perfect way to introduce 2D platformers to a new generation. After all, think about how many kids whose first glimpse of Mario might have been in a movie theater instead of on an 8 or 16-bit console. And if that’s not enough, Wonder even provides individual difficulty ratings for every level.

Mario’s horde of enemies has increased as well. There are Koopas wearing roller skates and herds of angry rhinos to contend with. We’ll even see entirely new genera of foes like Goombrats, which look like Goombas if they were based on tomatoes instead of mushrooms.

Aside from in-game power-ups, there’s also the new badge system which is divided into two types (Action badges and Boost badges), giving you yet another way to customize your gameplay. Action badges like the “Wall Climb Jump” and the “Floating High Jump” can make it easier to reach secrets while Boost badges like the Coin badge and the “Add ! Blocks” badge can change how you traverse a stage. And because you can swap in new badges before starting each level, it adds another measure of gameplay customization and replayability. Unfortunately, my preview didn’t show how new badges are earned, so that’s something we’ll have to figure out when the game officially goes on sale. 

The most impactful new mechanic though is Wonder Flowers, which can completely turn a level on its head. Suddenly, warp pipes are crawling around on the ground like worms while Super Stars fall from the sky. Day becomes night and in some levels you might even find yourself floating through the sky. The effect of Wonder Flowers on each stage is different, but no matter what happened, I found myself smiling at the delightful subversion of my expectations.

On a more granular level, I love all the little details and animations Nintendo has added. This is easily the most expressive 2D Mario game yet. Mario’s face changes the faster he runs while his hat flaps around in the wind. Meanwhile, small gouts of flame pop off your feet every time you jump with a Fire Flower equipped. And in the background, there are happy little flowers that cheer you on as you speed by. Everything looks sharp and snazzy to the point where I feel like I’d be happy just sitting there watching someone else play. It’s a real treat for the eyes.

Finally, while it’s not as big a part of the game as in something like Super Mario Maker, I enjoyed Wonder’s online multiplayer. You can play with up to four people online (or up to two locally with another two online) in two different modes. There’s a straightforward race mode similar to time trials in Mario Kart with ghosts (or in this game, shadows) that show the progress of other players as you zoom through levels. There’s also a more collaborative mode that allows you to see how other players tackle certain challenges, but more importantly, they can even help you out by hitting checkpoints so you don’t have to go all the way back to the beginning of a stage if you die.

With Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Nintendo has managed to reinvent its platformer for a new generation while keeping all the charm and playfulness that made the series a classic almost 40 years ago. And, even though I only got a quick preview of what’s in store, Nintendo’s next 2D sidescroller already feels like an instant buy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/super-mario-bros-wonder-hands-on-a-delightful-reinvention-of-a-classic-180012480.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Super Mario Bros. Wonder hands-on: A delightful reinvention of a classic

Bumble is trying to make its apps safe spaces for meeting new people, and that extends to real-life meetups. The latest community guidelines (which also apply to Badoo and Bumble For Friends) take aim at ghosting or people failing to turn up for pre-arranged meetups.

The guidelines “discourage no-show behavior through disallowing the act of not turning up to an in-person meet up despite clear plans agreed by both parties,” Bumble said. It claims its the first dating platform to “take a stance” on users over the issue, noting that according to experts, being stood up or ghosted can “sometimes have a profound impact on a person’s mental health, leading to feelings of depression, anxiety and deflated self-esteem.” 

Ghosting and no-showing IRL meets are now classed as bullying and abusive conduct under the updated policies, but it’s not clear how Bumble plans to enforce rules around the topic outside of users reporting such behavior. Engadget has asked Bumble for clarification.

Victim blaming (such as shaming someone for being a survivor of sexual assault) is outlawed across the three apps as well. Bumble says this is an industry-first measure that’s part of its efforts to foster “a community that is safe and promotes mutual respect.” The updated Violence and Bullying Policy includes clarified language related to the platform’s ban on doxxing. 

Many services take action against illicit off-platform activity — Bumble’s no-show policy is one of those — so it may be the case that Bumble will take action against those who victim-blame or doxx users outside of its apps. If someone posts Bumble screenshots on X/Twitter to attack a victim and Bumble finds out, it might take action against the offender’s account on its platforms.

One other problem Bumble is targeting with the latest community guidelines is the use of bots. From now on, Bumble, Badoo and Bumble For Friends “prohibit any attempts to artificially influence connections, matching, conversations or engagement through the use of automation or scripting.” So, anyone caught using ChatGPT to try and seem interesting after making a match might not stay on Bumble for very long.

The same goes for those who use any of the company’s apps to promote an OnlyFans page or profiles on similar services. There’s now “a blanket ban on the promotion of adult content in profiles, including attempts to sell, advertise, or buy adult sexual content.” The goal is to try and crack down on this kind of spam, which appears all too often in dating apps.

Bumble said it will continue to update the guidelines to deal with “emerging risks and potential harms that may occur from new behaviors.” The company notes that it uses automated safeguards to tackle guideline violations before users report them, including instances of “harassment, identity-based hate and other inappropriate content.” So far this year, Bumble has blocked more than 8.2 million accounts across its apps, most of which were detected and removed by its automated systems.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bumble-tackles-no-shows-for-irl-dates-with-its-updated-community-guidelines-173027784.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Bumble tackles no-shows for IRL dates with its updated community guidelines

The first trailer for the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie was pretty nifty, but suspiciously light on the game franchise’s renowned murderous animatronics. That issue has been rectified with the latest trailer, as it features prominent appearances from Foxy, Bonnie, Chica and of course, Freddy himself. The homicidal puppets are doing what they do best, murdering people.

You also get a bit more of the plot, which seems to mirror the game. It zeroes in on a character played by Josh Hutcherson, from the criminally underrated Future Man, as he starts a new overnight gig as a security guard at a family entertainment center. However, Freddy and his animatronic gang of thugs pose a terrifying threat to anyone in the building after dark.

The US Copyright Office (USCO) wants your thoughts on generative AI and who can theoretically be declared to own its outputs. The technology has increasingly commanded the legal system’s attention, and as such office began seeking public comments on Wednesday about some of AI’s thorniest issues (viaArs Technica). These include questions about companies training AI models on copyrighted works, the copyright eligibility of AI-generated content (along with liability for infringing on it) and how to handle machine-made outputs mimicking human artists’ work.

“The adoption and use of generative AI systems by millions of Americans — and the resulting volume of AI-generated material — have sparked widespread public debate about what these systems may mean for the future of creative industries and raise significant questions for the copyright system,” the USCO wrote in a notice published on Wednesday.

One issue the office hopes to address is the required degree of human authorship to register a copyright on (otherwise AI-driven) content, citing the rising number of attempts to copyright material that names AI as an author or co-author. “The crucial question appears to be whether the ‘work’ is basically one of human authorship, with the computer merely being an assisting instrument, or whether the traditional elements of authorship in the work (literary, artistic, or musical expression or elements of selection, arrangement, etc.) were actually conceived and executed not by man but by a machine,” the USCO wrote.

Although the issue is far from resolved, several cases have hinted at where the boundaries may fall. For example, the office said in February that the (human-made) text and layout arrangement from a partially AI-generated graphic novel were copyrightable, but the work’s Midjourney-generated images weren’t. On the other hand, a Federal judge recently rejected an attempt to register AI-generated art which had no human intervention other than its inciting text prompt. “Copyright has never stretched so far […] as to protect works generated by new forms of technology operating absent any guiding human hand, as plaintiff urges here,” US District Judge Beryl Howell wrote in that ruling.

The USCO also seeks input on increasing infringement claims from copyright owners against AI companies for training on their published works. Sarah Silverman is among the high-profile plaintiffs suing OpenAI and Meta for allegedly training ChatGPT and LLaMA (respectively) on their written work — in her case, her 2010 memoir The Bedwetter. OpenAI also faces a class-action lawsuit over using scraped web data to train its viral chatbot.

The USPO says the public comment period will be open until November 15th. You can share your thoughts until then.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-copyright-office-opens-public-comments-on-ai-and-content-ownership-170225911.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – US Copyright Office opens public comments on AI and content ownership