MetaFilter posts tagged with hints

Nintendo Demo Mode: Optional Walkthroughs on the Wii

filthy light thief — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:31:08 -0800

At this year's E3, Shigeru Miyamoto told Kotaku (video interview included) and USA Today that the "Kind Code" patent (noticed back in January 2009, and well summarized on Kotaku) will be implemented in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The tentatively named "Demo Mode" was discussed by developers and received early approval from a teacher. With this new, slightly more solid information, feelings are mixed. As noted in Red Herring,

The actual patent that was filed offered three modes to demo play (then referred to as the “kind code”): a video of gameplay that does not interrupt the action on screen; a full automatically controlled walkthrough that players could jump into at any time; and a DVD-esque scene selection mode that would allow players to choose where to start. The patent also notes that if players jumps ahead with the full video walkthrough, they will not be able to save their progress.

Rules of Thumb, collected, categorized & peer evaluated

jonson — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:41:16 -0800

Rules of Thumb is a user submitted (and voted upon) collection of the world's greatest rules of thumb for different situations, from playing Blackjack to choosing a bicycle frame.

Act like a drunk acting sober

planetkyoto — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 08:21:36 -0800

Tricks of the Trade . In an article in The Morning News, Defective Yeti asked readers to reveal the secrets of their profession:

Attorney: Do whatever it takes to fit your contracts onto a single page. Even sophisticated negotiators can be charmed by the lack of a staple.

Auto Mechanic: Always put copper grease on the battery terminals after servicing a car. The performance benefit is negligible, but when customers look under the hood they will immediately see that something’s changed and thus feel happy to pay you.

Handyman: If you have to change a light bulb where the glass is broken, you can press a potato into the metal base to unscrew the remains of the bulb from the fixture. Got any secrets to success or even just survival in your racket?