News

Fan Spends 7 Years To Create Super Mario Bros 5

Nintendo won’t be making a Super Mario Bros 5, so a dedicated fan took matters into his own hands — and the results are epic.

Published

4 years ago

September 27, 2022

Nour Nasir

fan spends 7 years to create super mario bros 5

A Mario Bros fan known as “Metroid Mike 64” has finished a massive project over 7 years in the making. Mike used Mario Maker 2 to build the new game and has unofficially given the 2D platform game the Super Mario Bros 5 moniker.

Metroid Mike heavily utilized the World Maker update for Mario Maker 2, which allows users to stitch together multiple levels into full games, including world maps. The dedicated fan brought together 40 courses spread over 8 worlds, with, according to Mike himself, “24 courses from Super Mario World, 14 from SMB3, and 2 courses from SMB.”

This Super World features 40 full courses spread across 8 worlds. 24 courses from Super Mario World, 14 from SMB3 and 2 courses from SMB. There are no courses from NSMBU or SM3DW, only the classics. So if NES/SNES 2D Mario is your jam, this game is for you. pic.twitter.com/y1hFPXhRW5

— Metroid Mike 64 (@MetroidMike64) September 25, 2022

The unofficial game comes from a fondness of the NES and SNES era of games, with obvious nods to some of their hallmark bosses, world maps, and puzzles.

“[I’ve been trying to] provide players with something Nintendo should’ve done already, and a full Mario game within Super Mario Maker 2, that’s fun as heck,” says Metroid Mike 64.

The response to the epic project has been overwhelmingly positive, with Mike’s announcement generating 4,000 retweets and 25,000 likes at the time of publishing this article, with users highly praising the attention to detail and satisfying gameplay.

Also Read: Nvidia Announces New Flagship RTX 4090 & RTX 4080 GPUs

Many people on Twitter have pointed out the oddity of a fan having to take matters into their own hands since Nintendo hasn’t released a 2D Mario game since 2012. Although the console giant has made games in that timeframe, none have been in the classic 2D format that fans seem to love so much.

If you’re a fan of the classic 2D SNES and NES games yourself, you can take Mike’s Super Mario Bros 5 for a spin by typing in the Mario Maker 2 ID, 0G9-XN4-FNF.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.