MediaBrowser
It has been requested that at least one image be uploaded for this article. Remove this notice only after the image(s) have been added. Specific(s): Screenshots of the browsers discussed here are paramount. It would be nice to also have images of each toolbar graphic for the lists below, in both their default and "hover" forms.
MediaBrowser.com, Inc. was a company that designed Internet Explorer shells themed after various brands and media franchises. MediaBrowser partnered with Nintendo to produce a number of browsers inspired by video games, including two games of the Super Mario franchise, Paper Mario and the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Tennis. MediaBrowser dissolved following a filing for bankruptcy on December 5, 2001,[1] and its original line of custom browsers was discontinued on Nintendo's website.[2] MediaBrowser's successor company, Braun Communication, would be licensed by Nintendo to produce further browsers,[3][4] none of which involve the Super Mario franchise.
Overview of the browsers[edit]
These browsers have a sidebar with links to Nintendo's official websites, as well as a space for advertisements tailored to the browser's theme underneath the webpage display. They use characters and iconography from a specific game to represent the buttons in the toolbar. Among the general navigation buttons in the toolbar, there is also a "Microtron" button that opens a trailer for the game after which the browser is themed.
The following sections cover the browsers that are relevant to the Super Mario franchise in some capacity.
Mario Tennis browser[edit]
The Mario Tennis browser contains bespoke links to several webpages of the website mariotennis.com, including the home page and the "Waluigi Tennis" page. The navigation buttons, listed below, feature playable characters from the game:
| Button | Visual |
|---|---|
| Back | Toad |
| Forward | Bowser |
| Home | Baby Mario |
| Refresh | Birdo |
| Search | Wario |
| Stop | Boo |
| Yoshi | |
| DKJr. | |
| Microtron | Paratroopa |
Paper Mario browser[edit]
This browser features links to Nintendo's main website, as well as the official microsites of Paper Mario, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and Mario Tennis for the Game Boy Color. The buttons in this browser's toolbar feature the game's Star Spirits; each button is listed below with its corresponding character:
| Button | Visual | Hovering icon |
|---|---|---|
| Back | Mamar | Lady Bow |
| Forward | Muskular | Red Goomba |
| Home | Kalmar | Mario |
| Refresh | Misstar | Tutankoopa |
| Search | Eldstar | Bowser |
| Stop | Skolar | Sushie |
| Klevar | Blue Goomba | |
| Mamar | Lakilester | |
| Microtron | Muskular | Goomboss |
Nintendo Power browser[edit]
This browser is themed after issue #139 of the magazine Nintendo Power, having an overt emphasis on Banjo-Tooie. The only graphical element in this browser that is related to the Super Mario franchise is a "Donkey Kong Country" button that leads to the website nintendopower.com, now defunct.
External links[edit]
- Pokemon GS and Mario Tennis Web Browser. archive.org. Added May 1, 2021, 20:34:55 UTC. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- Michael MJD (January 23, 2024). Nintendo's Bizarre Web Browsers for Windows. YouTube. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
References[edit]
- ^ Leavy, Pamela Griner (December 3, 2001). Bankrupt dot-com a high-profile story. Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved January 24, 2024. (Archived October 25, 2012, 18:12:28 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ Browsers. Nintendo.com. Archived August 2, 2001, 04:53:26 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ Portfolio. brauncommunication.com. Archived January 29, 2016, 17:46:00 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ Michael MJD (January 23, 2024). Nintendo's Bizarre Web Browsers for Windows. YouTube. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
