Latest news with #MarioKart
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Getting To Know You Tuesday: Brad Garland
Brad Garland Raeley Stevenson Brad Garland is a Certified Public Accountant who understands the concept of giving back. He serves as a partner and founder at Honeycomb CPAs & Advisors—and he's a dad—all while staying busy in his community in Huntsville, Alabama. Brad is also a founding member of the Accelerate chapter of BNI. He serves the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville, the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Kinertia (the entity that curates TEDxHuntsville), and the Liberty Learning Foundation. He sits on the Auburn University's School of Accountancy Advisory Council and is also a co-founder of Rocket City Scholarship Granting Organization. Here's what else Brad had to say: Where are you now? I'm in a historic school turned multi-use space – above a brewery, below a tattoo studio, next to a ping pong facility. What's your job title, and what does it mean? Partner of a CPA firm, meaning curating and managing the team, the clients, and the culture of a practice in the community. Tax, law, and accounting are such broad topics. What's your area of special interest? The tax world has always been a fascinating one – a mix of understanding personal needs of the taxpayers while navigating the ever-changing tax code that's the result of political forces in the local and national economy. What's the first thing you typically do while at work? Make myself a cup of coffee! If you had an extra couple of hours open up in your day—outside of work—what would you do? Honing my Mario Kart skills so my kids don't taunt me. What's one tool or resource that you couldn't live without at work? I use a trackball instead of a mouse, and it makes navigating PDFs, websites, and emails much easier. If you weren't working in the tax profession, what would your dream job be? Paleontologist—but maybe indoors? What's the best tax or financial advice that anyone ever gave you? Invest in Roth IRA early – especially before kids and the messy middle. What books or magazines are on your nightstand? Some X-Men graphic novels and 'Rise of the Creative Class.' What would I be surprised to know about you? I was an extra in the movie 'Big Fish.' If you had the opportunity to make one change in the tax code tomorrow—an extra credit, a disallowed deduction, whatever—what would it be and why? Raise the Form 1099-NEC threshold. Adjusted for inflation, it should be at least $10,000. ( Note to readers : The One Big Beautiful Bill Act raises the Form 1099-NEC and Form 1099-MISC thresholds to $2,000 beginning in 2026.) What was the best tax conference, continuing education (CE), or continuing legal education (CLE) event that you ever attended? This year's RightNOW event with Rightworks was insightful and fun. What has been the biggest change that you've seen in the tax profession in the last five years? Staffing—with record numbers of CPAs leaving the profession, and not enough coming in to replace them, it's created a staffing challenge but also, an opportunity for new CPAs. What are you most concerned about or excited about with respect to the profession moving forward? Tax law complexity—for proper consulting, projections, and planning, the tax law needs to be established in a timely and reasonable manner. Last minute (or even, mid-year) changes make it difficult for taxpayers—and their CPAs. If Uncle Sam handed you a huge refund check right now, what would you do with it? Go on a long summer vacation! You can find Brad on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). This article is part of our Getting To Know You Tuesday series—a chance to get to know all kinds of tax professionals and understand that the field of tax is bigger than April 15. If you'd like to nominate tax professional to be featured, send your suggestion to kerb@ with the subject: Getting To Know You Tuesday. Forbes Getting To Know You Tuesday: Arielle Tucker By Kelly Phillips Erb Forbes Getting To Know You Tuesday: Nicole Davis, CPA By Kelly Phillips Erb Forbes Getting To Know You Tuesday: Dorothy K. Butler By Kelly Phillips Erb
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
3 of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games are already on sale — save on Mario Kart and Zelda
Gaming is an expensive hobby these days, especially if you're looking to play them on the Nintendo Switch 2. The price of first-party games has risen to as much as $79 in some cases, which makes picking up games like Mario Kart World expensive. Fortunately, there are already some rare discounts on Nintendo Switch 2 games, and you can pick up Mario Kart World for $71 at Woot. While $8 may not be the biggest discount in the world, it's still 10% off the full retail price — and that's pretty good by Nintendo standards. Mario Kart World takes Luigi's brother out onto the open road, to visit stunning new locations and with a bunch more friends tagging along. If you missed out on the Mario Kart World Switch 2 bundle, then this is your next best way to pick up the game without paying the full $80. If Mario Kart isn't your jam, then Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch 2 edition) is enjoying the same discount, meaning it too is $71 at Woot. Meanwhile, Breath of the Wild (Switch 2 Edition) is down to $62 — 11% off the full retail price. Hyrule goes open world, with Link waking up to a land stricken by Calamity — and it's up to him to save the world from Ganon and rescue Princess Zelda (again). You can do as much or as little as you like towards that goal — the world is yours to explore as you see fit. And now with upgraded performance and visuals on Switch 2. The direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, giving you free reign to explore Hyrule once more — alongside a bunch more areas. This time Link has new weapons and abilities, with the ultimate goal of saving Hyrule once again — this time from the Demon King Ganondorf. Like its predecessor, this too comes with new visuals and performance upgrades exclusive to Switch 2. If you weren't lucky enough to get your Nintendo Switch 2 bundled with Mario Kart World, this is your chance to save some money on the full game. Considering how rare it is for Nintendo games to go on sale, let alone get any significant discount, this is a deal you can't really afford to miss out on. Because there's no telling when the next discount might happen. Mario Kart World is a lot of fun, though, and the new 24-person races are an absolute omnishambles when things get going. More so at high speeds and during online play. It's a perfect storm of chaos and competition, which is what makes Mario Kart so great. This means Nintendo has added brand new characters, all-new weapons, revamped tracks and, of course, the open world gameplay that gives this game its name. If you can see it, you can drive to it, and that really turns that classic Mario Kart formula on its head. As for Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild, you're not getting any significant gameplay changes compared to the original Switch versions. But you do get upgraded visuals, including 4K resolution, higher framerates, HDR, faster load times and improved visuals. The new Voice Memories feature also adds lore to both games, but it relies on linking your system up to the smartphone app. Those of you who already own the Switch cartridges for these games won't get much out of buying them again. Nintendo offers upgrade packs on the eShop for $10 a piece if you want to experience the newer versions. Which is worth doing, especially if you're like me and haven't done much Hyrule exploring for the past few years. But those of you who missed out on two of the best Nintendo Switch games the first time round can experience them in a superior form — and with some money off to boot.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Nintendo Switch 2 First Impressions: The Devil You Know
Nintendo Switch 2 I've owned a Switch 2 for exactly three days now, and if the initial experience has taught me anything, it's the clear difference between good and interesting. While those terms aren't mutually exclusive, they probably are for Nintendo's new console, at least (to this writer) for the time being. It took me ages to finally track down Nintendo's follow-up to the Switch, and last week, late one night—while disappointingly sober, mind you—I bought the Mario Kart World bundle from Target's cursed website. With my own salt mine wages, no less. Are there more versatile and more powerful handheld gaming options available? Oh yes, yes indeed. But…Mario, though. And Peach. And that weird little Yoshi dog, too. What's its name? Smoochy? Whatever, man. My point is: You won't find first-party Nintendo magic on a ROG Ally X or a Lenovo Legion Go. Not legally, anyway. Here's the stark truth: The Switch 2 is very good, predictably good, boringly good, even. And from my present vantage point, that's the biggest drawback so far. Or maybe… it's the Switch 2's greatest strength? A complicated matter, yes. Like meaning and love and the argument for the best Pepsi flavor. (It's cherry) FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Déjà Vu For Switch 2 Boys (and girls), I think we've been here before. The Switch 2 is an upgraded Switch 1 that can theoretically output 4K/60fps/HDR visuals in select games when docked (up to 120Hz in stuff like Fast Fusion, if update rumblings are to be believed), has a bigger 1080p HDR-capable portable display, and sports larger, improved Joy-Cons that aren't only for tiny children. But foundationally, it's still a Switch, through and through, for better and for worse. Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World I'm far from the first person to utter such blasphemy, that Nintendo's approach to the Switch 2 has been less than exciting or innovative. Hell, even Nintendo undoubtedly knows its newest console doesn't break much new ground, especially when compared to the likes of the motion-controlled Wii, the 3D-pioneering N64 or even the original hybrid-centric Switch. Playing it safe is likely by design, especially if you've sold the amount of Switch and Switch 2 consoles Nintendo has to date. If you're smart, you don't fix what isn't broken. You subtly enhance. You tweak. You carefully iterate. And for someone who lived through the Dreamcast's legendary 9/9/99 launch, how annoying I find this strategy. Where's my VMU equivalent? Where's my ground-breaking SegaNet service? I guess there are simply less amazing surprises in gaming in 2025—I fear we've already experienced them all. Mouse Trap Yeah, with the Switch 2, you've got the added Joy-Con 2 mouse functionality, which borders on compelling and has a lot of potential. I've played around with this alternative control option a little bit, and I like it a lot. It's cool and quirky and undeniably Nintendo, but since I don't own a copy of the controversial Welcome Tour, I've only been able to use it on the Switch 2's main menu, desktop PC-style. Beyond sheer novelty, though, all the mouse feature has managed to do is make me long for another Mario Paint, and I consider it a crime against gamers everywhere that this machine didn't launch with a long-awaited follow-up. MP might be my most-played SNES title, now that I think about it. It literally never got old. But also, my brain hadn't fully developed, so take that with a grain of salt (from the mines—see above). Pokémon Legends: Z-A But come on, Nintendo. You have mice literally built into the Switch 2 controllers. Total missed opportunity here, although for all I know, there could be another Mario Paint in development. If there is, I'll be there day one, and I finally can stop complaining. In the meantime, I guess there's always DK Artist to mess around with. DK Artist is an extra mode in GOTY contender Donkey Kong Bananza, a supposedly stellar game that helps prove out the the contention of this article, which is: Hardware doesn't need to be flashy or cutting-edge to deliver excellent software. The legacy Switch proved this time and time again, and given enough runway, I think the Switch 2 will as well. Yay And Nay The Switch 2 hardware feels obviously premium, utterly dull, and oddly comforting in a way that remains wildly confusing to me. I don't think I've ever been so incredibly underwhelmed by a brand new console, yet continually impressed at the same time. The PS5 Pro exists in the same baffling category, so perhaps this is simply an indication that most future gaming consoles will feel similarly, disappointingly, dependably same-y. That said, I like that the dock seems of a higher quality, and the more substantial Joy-Con 2's—paired with the bigger display of the Switch 2 itself—make playing in portable mode more appealing than on the Switch 1. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond I have large hands, and as hard as I tried, I could never get comfortable with the original Joy-Cons. The feel of the Joy-Con 2 controllers is definitely improved, most notably the thumbsticks with their extra surface area, and how they magnetically snap into the Switch 2 slab. Satisfying! Still, I prefer using traditional, less-cramped gamepads, like the excellently refreshed Pro 2 Controller. Additionally, the physical game card slot is now easier to open thanks to a helpful divot, and I dig the inclusion of a top-facing USB-C port, which is great for passively charging random accessories, simultaneously charging the console, or plugging in a wired controller while in battery-powered tabletop mode. Honestly, I'm determined to attach an eGPU to this thing through the top USB-C port at some point—5090 Switch 2 gaming?! Lastly, I installed Lexar's 1TB microSD Express card on my Switch 2, which nicely expanded the included 256GB of system storage. You need to use Express cards on the Switch 2, by the way. Older microSD cards aren't compatible. It's-A-Me, Hardware Boost! The Switch 2's UI is noticeably faster than the Switch's, especially when browsing the store or NSO, and that's a godsend. Mario Kart World, even in 1440p, looks fantastic, and it's rather obvious you'd never be able to run it on a legacy Switch. That Wave Race water, though! Wipeout homage Fast Fusion plays like a dream at 4K/60fps and shows off what the system is capable of. Cyberpunk 2077 runs surprisingly well. GameCube games on NSO run pretty well, too, and I bought a GameCube controller on Nintendo's store to fully and authentically partake. More on all these titles in a future article. NSO GameCube controller I will say that games utilizing HDR look a tad washed out when docked and outputting to (in my case) a 4K monitor, but apparently this is a widespread issue, and I'll look into fixing it this week when I have some time. Not a huge deal, but irksome, nonetheless. Moreover, the Switch 2 reduces load times across the board for many older games, and I've grown to really appreciate this aspect of the hardware. Animal Crossing may as well be a new game with how quickly it loads on the current hardware. I also booted up Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, which has pretty short load times to begin with, and on the Switch 2, load times are practically nonexistent. This means you can watch me in the game's Crocumentary instantly. I did additionally check out the upgrades for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom (turns out they're 'free' if you're an NSO subscriber) and while they're running at an upscaled 1440p and not at native 4K on my docked Switch 2, the stable 60fps gameplay makes these titles immeasurably more playable by today's gaming standards. There's no going back to the 30fps Switch versions, that's for sure. I think my loudest complaint with the Switch 2 hardware is the arguably inferior LCD screen. While thankfully larger and totally serviceable in regular gameplay situations, it ultimately feels like a technological step backward. I got quite accustomed to my Switch's rich OLED display over the years and I really miss those deep, dark OLED blacks on the newer Switch 2 screen. I'm sure a Switch 2 OLED is coming in the next few years, so I understand why Nintendo is holding back here. I'll no doubt buy that version too, damn it. Accessory to a Shrine The new Pro Controller, which I bought alongside the Mario Kart World bundle, might be the best controller I've ever used. This is coming from someone who still worships the original Pro gamepad as some kind of false idol. Sony's DualSense still places a close second to both editions of the Pro, but the Switch 2 Pro is a peripheral masterpiece, minus its admittedly dry, unpleasant texture. I can't describe it any other way; the feel of it skeeves me out, although I do forget about it after a few rounds of MKW. Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller The thumbsticks are pure butter and have just the right amount of tension. The d-pad is nice and springy, as are the chunky face buttons, though I'd prefer a touch more travel in the ZL and ZR triggers. The Pro 2 adds two programmable back handle buttons this time around, GR and GL, plus a C button on the front of the controller that triggers Nintendo's new GameChat feature. I didn't buy a Switch 2 camera, unfortunately, and I also don't typically chat online, so I didn't test this feature. Switched On, Switched Off Ultimately, my first impression of the Switch 2 is one of slightly disenchanting familiarity, but it's somehow okay, because in the end, I'm dealing with the devil I know. Would I have preferred a higher resolution OLED display right out of the gate? Yes. Beefier internals? Sure. Innovation that wow'd me at a childlike level of wonder and awe? Absolutely. Donkey Kong Bananza But Nintendo isn't trying to reinvent the wheel with the Switch 2. It's delivering, in the most conservative way possible, a modestly leveled-up continuation of its past success. We're cool with the lack of forward design progress because we've been conditioned to accept Nintendo's successfully stubborn approach to technological change. It just works. As I've labeled it in the system menu, the Mitch Switch 2 will still get plenty of playtime, even if this generational leap has been more of a respectable hop. Maybe, just maybe, this will refocus gamers' attention on what actually matters: Fun. Sony and Microsoft and the PC world can keep playing the cutting-edge hardware competition while Nintendo luxuriates in its bizarre boutique silo, unbothered, moisturized, in its lane, consistently content with winning its own solo race. Is the Switch 2 good? Yes, resoundingly. Is it interesting? Well, not right now, but it might be getting there. We'll see.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Fans only just finding out how Super Mario got his name and are stunned
The iconic video game character Super Mario has been a household name for decades - but he could have been known as something very different if it wasn't for a landlord Over four decades ago, Nintendo's Super Mario video game took the world by storm, outshining rivals to become the most recognised and widely played game of its era. The Super Mario Bros. game was launched in September 1985, initially captivating Japan before making waves in North America a month later. With around 40 million copies sold through the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), it quickly became one of the most beloved video games ever. The game features Mario, a moustachioed plumber sporting a red cap - an image that has become synonymous with Nintendo, regardless of whether you were a gamer back then or not. Mario's character has made appearances in over 200 different video game titles, including Mario Kart and Mario Party. This popularity has propelled Mario-themed games to become the highest-selling video game franchise of all time, reports the Mirror US. But how did Mario get his name? The Nintendo video game designer who conceived Mario drew inspiration from an unlikely namesake, leading to the swift abandonment of his initial moniker, Jumpman. Employees at Nintendo's Washington warehouse started referring to the Jumpman character as Mario, owing to his uncanny resemblance to their landlord - and the new name stuck. The landlord, Mario Segale, unwittingly became the muse for Super Mario, according to the book, Game Over, Press Start to Continue. Had it not been for this unexpected name change and subsequent rebranding, Mario's character might have taken a very different path after the Jumpman title was discarded. An earlier incarnation of the Mario character was actually crafted for Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, where he took on the role of a carpenter trying to save a damsel from a colossal ape. It wasn't until four years later that Mario swapped his tool belt for a plunger, becoming a plumber to better fit the game's underworld of pipes and sewers. Initially dubbed Jumpman, the character made his mark by vaulting over hurdles in the hit game Donkey Kong. However, Nintendo's American bosses were keen on a catchier moniker, and when Shigeru Miyamoto, the mastermind behind the original video game, caught wind of the suggestion to rename him Mario, he was all for it. In a 2015 interview with National Public Radio, Miyamoto reminisced: "They started calling the character Mario, and when I heard that I said, Oh, Mario's a great name, let's use that." After the success of Donkey Kong, Nintendo commissioned several follow-ups before tasking Miyamoto with fleshing out Mario's backstory and giving him a starring role in his own title. Miyamoto didn't stop there; he went on to introduce Luigi in the 1983 arcade hit Mario Bros as Mario's sibling, although the game saw limited release outside Japan. Then, in 1985, Mario truly leapt into the international gaming limelight with the launch of Super Mario Bros, which revolutionised home gaming for an entire generation.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Nintendo Stock Is Slipping Today
Key Points After regularly selling out since its launch in June, it's reportedly much easier to find a Switch 2 in stock at stores now. The Switch 2 is off to a very strong start for Nintendo, but investors are wondering what the platform's future sales trajectory looks like. The Switch 2's performance is very important for Nintendo over the next five years. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) stock is seeing a modest pullback in Friday's trading. The gaming giant's share price was down 1.9% as of 3:30 p.m. ET, and had been down as much as 2.8% earlier in the session. Even with some recent sell-offs, the stock is still up roughly 49% in 2025. Nintendo stock is moving lower today in conjunction with news that the company's Switch 2 console is no longer selling out at retail. Nintendo stock slips on Switch 2 supply news Nintendo's Switch 2 console launched on June 5 and was a massive hit out of the gate. The video game system has gone on to become the fastest-selling console in the U.S. ever, and moved over 1.6 million units in its first month on sale in the country. While the console was regularly selling out almost immediately after being restocked by retailers, it's now reportedly become much easier to walk into a store and find a Switch 2 system on the shelves. What's next for Nintendo? The Switch 2 has gotten off to a very strong start, and early sales data for key software including Mario Kart World has also been very encouraging. Nintendo seems to have done a good job ensuring that it had numerous systems ready to sell in the launch window, and news that the console is no longer immediately selling out after being restocked doesn't necessarily mean that the gaming platform won't be a big success over the long term. On the other hand, the Switch 2's explosive launch performance doesn't guarantee that the console will be able to match the sales longevity of its predecessor -- and there's a lot of guesswork involved in charting its future sales trajectory. Should you buy stock in Nintendo right now? The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,774!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,942!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,040% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Nintendo. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Nintendo Stock Is Slipping Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
