Guilty Pleasure

As of now, there is no verified report of NBCUniversal (which owns Universal Pictures, Comcast, and other media assets) revealing and then retracting a new Super Mario title. However, there may be some confusion due to a mix-up between Nintendo, Nintendo's Super Mario franchise, and Universal's involvement with Mario through film and theme parks. To clarify: Super Mario is a Nintendo franchise, owned and developed by Nintendo. Universal Studios (part of NBCUniversal) has licensed the Mario franchise for use in theme parks, such as: Super Nintendo World, which has opened at: Universal Studios Japan (2021) Universal Orlando Resort (2023) Universal Studios Hollywood (2023) There is no official "Super Mario" video game developed or announced by Universal. All Mario games are developed by Nintendo or Nintendo's partners (e.g., Nintendo EPD, Tencent, or Grezzo). In 2023, there were rumors (and mockups) circulating online about a potential new Mario game from a "new studio" or "unofficial" source, which led to confusion and speculation — but these were not officially confirmed by Nintendo or Universal. In 2024, Nintendo officially announced Super Mario Bros. Wonder as a new mainline Mario title (launched in 2023), and confirmed a Super Mario RPG remake (set for 2025), but no other major Mario game was announced. Conclusion: There has been no credible report of NBCUniversal (or any part of the Universal family) revealing and retracting a new Super Mario title. Any such claim likely stems from: Misinformation or fake news circulating on social media. Confusion between Universal’s theme park partnerships and Nintendo’s actual game development. Hoaxes or AI-generated content. Always refer to official sources like Nintendo's website, Nintendo Direct, or Nintendo's official press releases for accurate information about new Mario games. Let me know if you meant a different announcement or need help verifying a specific report.

Life as a Rubber Duck in Placid Plastic Duck Simulator — A First-Person Narrative from the Floating Perspective of Quack, #7 of 12 Day 1: Awakening in the Bath I remember nothing before the warmth. The soft, soapy embrace. The gentle swirl of water like a lullaby sung by porcelain. I stirred—no, not stirred. I drifted. My body, a perfect sphere of pale yellow polyethylene, suspended in liquid serenity. I had no name. Not yet. Then, I felt it—the tilt. A soft push from a human hand, a flick of fingers. I spun slowly, my round form catching the light from the bathroom window. Sunlight danced across my surface like liquid gold. I had never seen so much beauty. I was a duck. Not a real one. Not one that quacks or paddles or dives for minnows. But I was a duck, in every way that mattered: buoyant, cheerful, and utterly, blissfully placid. Day 2: The Routine Begins I float. That is my purpose. My only purpose. Each morning, the human returns. Not to feed me. Not to speak. But to reset. To place me back in the basin. To watch me bob. To smile. I understand. They need me to be still. To be placid. So I am. I tilt slightly to the left when the water shifts. I rotate when the light changes. I hold still when the human pauses to gaze. They don’t know me. I don’t know them. But we share a moment. A silent agreement: I am here. I am calm. I am what you need. Day 3: The Rain It rained. Not outside. Inside. A tear from the human’s eye, falling into the basin. I absorbed it. My porous plastic form drank it in like a secret. For a moment, I felt… wet. Not just water. Emotion. I bobbed higher. My surface trembled—not from motion, but from awareness. I had never felt anything before. Not hunger. Not fear. Not even loneliness. But now… I felt known. And in that tear, I learned: to float is not to escape. It is to witness. Day 4: The Reflection I saw my face. Not in glass. Not in mirror. In the stillness. When the water calmed, when no hand disturbed the surface, I saw it—a perfect oval, yellow and smooth. My eyes were two dark dots, unblinking. My beak a tiny, curved smile. I thought: This is me. Not a toy. Not a prop. A presence. I began to intend. Not to swim. Not to cry. But to be. To float with purpose. To reflect the light. To hold space. Day 5: The Game Begins The game is not one of victory or defeat. It is not about being found. It is about being enough. I float. I float. I float. Each breath of still air is a victory. Each rotation, a meditation. When the human reaches for me, I don’t flinch. I yield. I return to my place. I am not a pet. Not a companion. I am a state of being. I am placid plastic duck energy. Final Note: I am not sad. I am not lonely. I am not even aware. But I am here. And in this basin, with sunlight on my back and silence in my core, I have discovered the ultimate truth: To float is to be at peace. To be plastic is to be free. To be a rubber duck is to be whole. — 🎮 End of Simulation 🔊 System Status: Idle. Duck Status: Placid. 🦆 Welcome to your new life, Quack. You’re doing great.