08/23/2004: Vintage Nintendo Storage Chest!
Two of our friends hooked up, got engaged and are now living in sin till the wedding nearby, and during the process of ma-ma-merging, some of their shit had to go. So, thanks to Justin for passing this one along — a beat-up old Nintendo chest from the rarely mentioned “crate craze” of the 80s, where we plowed on with silent obsession for milkcrates, storage chests and just boxes in general. There was a huge line of similar chests available for virtually every childhood franchsie you can think of. I’m pretty sure they’re officially licensed…
I’m not going to tell you what caused the damage shown above; I’ve heard the story and it’s disgusting. Our new Nintendo chest will never double as a plate. Each side features a different NES scene, alternating between Mario, Zelda and BOTH AT ONCE. Looks like a lot of the art was inspired by the old instruction manuals, meaning we get to see that old hag who told Link about glowy triangles and underground ghouls all over again. Here’s the pics, click to enlarge.
Discussion Thread: 80 comments
First!
Posted by
sillygolem @ 08/23/2004 10:00 AM EDT
Now that’s out of the way, I remember when I was younger you just weren’t cool unless you had one of these as a toy box. One of my friends had one that was either Transformers or Go-Bots.
Posted by
sillygolem @ 08/23/2004 10:02 AM EDT
My brother still has his Ninja Turtles chest. He uses it to hold empty phantom menace popcans(somebody had to collect them). Here’s hoping I’ll come upon the one with Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior on it.
Posted by
cheaptrick @ 08/23/2004 10:16 AM EDT
Holy crap!!! I (still) have the same exact chest!!! I have never seen another one like it before….but mine is in a lot better shape lol. Although it does have a few of the old mario stickers on it from the early 90s. For a pic email me: kingpaco015@yahoo.com
Posted by
Greg @ 08/23/2004 10:32 AM EDT
It’s stuff like this that makes me wish I’d bought that Super Mario 64 phone at a flea market in Pennsylvania this weekend.
Curses!
Posted by
Denise @ 08/23/2004 10:51 AM EDT
My cousin had that chest. Hell it’s probably still in her closet!
Posted by
MecaGeek @ 08/23/2004 11:05 AM EDT
Is it me, or princess Toadstools look a little kid when hold by Mario. Also, I’m guessing orginal Lugi was basically Mario wear green instead of red/blue and L on his hat.
Posted by
Beta-Theta @ 08/23/2004 11:05 AM EDT
Toad looks happy as Bullet Bill is heading toward Mario and Peach.
Posted by
Beta-Theta @ 08/23/2004 11:06 AM EDT
Why does Mario look so angry in all of those pictures?
Posted by
Ubu Rex @ 08/23/2004 11:22 AM EDT
Yups, I have a TMNT crate the exact same size as the Mario one. Its awsome, and it perfect condition. Infact its the holy of holies. I keep all my action figures in it from the days of boyhood. If anyone wants pics let me know, its a kickass box.
Posted by
Don't Touch, Willy. @ 08/23/2004 11:49 AM EDT
Dude, that story had better be extra-special super-de-duper disgusting, or else there’s no good reason not to tell it.
I’m willing to bet that the crate-damage story is all its cracked up to be. My sis-in-law works as a dorm matron at a junior college, and she has a very interesting tale to tell about why all the furniture, bedding, and books had to be repalced in one room. Hint: One student woke up one night, and thought his roomie was "fighting" with another guy, then realized both were naked. That’s all I want to say for now.
Are there belts in ITW?
Posted by
kingklash @ 08/23/2004 1:48 PM EDT
Damn, Mario looks unnaturally evil in that pic, and Toadstool looks scared shitless. Maybe its an alternate universe where Bowser is good.
w00t!
haha, As always Matt, You are the "King of Cool Shit"!
What’s with all the updates lately? Did you lose your job or something? 
Just kidding, It’s nice to see.. Keep it up, It gives us all something interesting to look at besides the wall!
Posted by
Cyanyde @ 08/23/2004 1:57 PM EDT
Okay, now my curiousity has been piqued. Tell the story!!!
Posted by
4thDown @ 08/23/2004 2:08 PM EDT
Wow, look at that. Peach almost looks like Olive Oyl.
Those crates came in all sorts of designs, but they had one common trait–they smelled inside. And the smell never goes away–it’s in there forever. From the day you open them until 15 years from now, you just can’t stick your head in because the smell is that strong. No wonder they don’t make them anymore. Or do they?
If the current Olympics is too boring for you, travel back to Atlanta with me and my Video Painter, in this super-duper video cartoon! Check my name…
Posted by
Mars @ 08/23/2004 2:23 PM EDT
I’m glad that someone called her Princess Toadstool. I’ve been boycotting the name "Peach" for, well, forever. And I do believe I’ve never seen a scarier looking Link before. I’m not sure I can stand looking at him. No passion, no passion at ALL!
Posted by
Meg @ 08/23/2004 2:49 PM EDT
Peach. Peach Peach Peach Peach Peach.
I think the reason Mario looks so scary is because he’s going through his withdrawl period during the HUGE War on Drugs renaissance of the 80’s.
I have a Mario & Zelda Pillow and bedsheet set from when I was a little kid.
Posted by
Teirusu @ 08/23/2004 3:26 PM EDT
Ah, yes, the smell. That odd combination of wood chips and industrial glue, sometimes blended with cheap paint and more glue to hold the printed paper on the outside. The universal smell of cheap toyboxes.
Posted by
kingklash @ 08/23/2004 3:57 PM EDT
Shit matt, for gods sake I GOTS TO KNOW what caused the damage !! Its driving me insane !!! PUH-LEASEE !!!!
Posted by
Pablo @ 08/23/2004 4:08 PM EDT
I have absolutely no memory of those chests whatsoever. And I was big into Nintendo and toys…go figure.
I might have had either Fraggle Rock or Ninja Turtles (money’s on Turtles), but then again I had too much crap as a kid.
Posted by
JG! @ 08/23/2004 4:18 PM EDT
It appear on the box there was once two toads but the incident, that Matt does not want to talk about, destory one of the toad.
Posted by
Beta-Theta @ 08/23/2004 5:31 PM EDT
My friend John had this crate I think. I was always jealous of him because he got Nintendo Power from issue #1, and my subscription started at #2. I was so pissed off for a long time about not getting that first issue. I still have the first year or two in my parents basement.
Posted by
kidneyboy @ 08/23/2004 6:44 PM EDT
I can’t wait to get my Alien VS. Predator box!
What? What’d I say…?
Posted by
AstroBoy @ 08/23/2004 6:48 PM EDT
"Nintendo" Box?! I never had one growing up. I’ve seen them but I never got one, my parents were too cheap they made my toybox out of old wood laying around the house.
Posted by
Caylor @ 08/23/2004 8:08 PM EDT
I have that crate. They also made one with Metroid and Kid Icrius together as well (my cousin got that one, the slimy bastard). I still have every action figure known to man in that thing.
That thing was awesome.
Awesome to the max.
Posted by
Dumass @ 08/23/2004 8:41 PM EDT
Yes! I love gross stories…that we don’t hear. C’mon! What happened with the damage?
Posted by
Walks @ 08/23/2004 11:53 PM EDT
Scariest Link ever? No, my friend, that’s in The Wind Waker.
Yeah, Mario does look evil in this and Toadstool/Peach does look messed up. But it was the early days and the artists had to improvise, so whatcha gonna do?
Wind Waker Link is cheap, because you don’t even believe that he’s Link to begin with! They trick you. Trick trick trick! But I’ll give you that THAT Link is the scariest one ever. You’ve definitely got me there. ::throws up hands in defeat::
Posted by
Meg @ 08/24/2004 1:43 AM EDT
Don’t deny Mario or any old school character for that matter. PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ANCESTORS!!!!! We will live upon them !!!!!
Posted by
phunqsauce @ 08/24/2004 2:25 AM EDT
Holy…CRAP! I too have this exact same crate! Even though mine happens to be in better condition…
For those still wondering what is left off of Matt’s crate, there was a Hammer Bros (its partially obscured in this one), the rest of the castle (with the cannon that fired the Bullet Bill), and what seems to be the lovechild of Bowser & Wart from SMB2
Posted by
Invader Norbert @ 08/24/2004 3:06 AM EDT
Link could easily beat mario in a fight He would just stab him.
STAB! STAB! STAB!
Posted by
sdffgfg @ 08/24/2004 10:16 AM EDT
Just read a review of Haute Tension/Swtchblade Romance, set to come out next year. It looks pretty awesome, as far as French horror movies go.
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/reviews.php?id=322
Posted by
trajeal @ 08/24/2004 10:40 AM EDT
I want a box!
Posted by
Barry J. Deeper @ 08/24/2004 10:50 AM EDT
Is there some sort of a Video Game hall of fame? I’m in KS and we have like 4 or 5 different "halls of fame" for stuff you’d never expect…
The Agricultural Hall of Fame, the Teacher’s Hall of Fame, etc. We’ve also got the world’s largest ball of Twine (eat that TEXAS!).
Anyway, my point is this: Is there a videogame hall of fame? Some place where Mario and Mike Tyson’s Punchout could join one another on a level playing field with sonic the hedgehog and Wonderboy? If so, let me know… but if not, I would reccomend a future article where the exploits of different nintendo characters (and maybe some nominations–complete with reasons) for the hall of fame could be posted.
The box only served as a catalyst for this thought!
Posted by
Barry J. Deeper @ 08/24/2004 11:03 AM EDT
For this was no ordinary box, no sir. This was a box of ideas!
Posted by
kingklash @ 08/24/2004 11:52 AM EDT
Good finally some updates. I don’t even recall seeing these boxes. And I think your trying to describe the intoxicating smell of ceader. If I’m not mistaken Mario looks a little frazzled what’s up with that and why is Mario assaulting the Princess? Mario your a very BAD Man!
Posted by
Rowan Steele @ 08/24/2004 1:19 PM EDT
A box of ideas indeed. Well said. 
Posted by
Barry J. Deeper @ 08/24/2004 5:03 PM EDT
Are we expected to believe(acording to the box art) that fireflower enhanced Mario was really Luigi? It makes sense since Luigi had no on screen role in SMB but appeared prevalently in the many sequels. Just something to think about.
Posted by
pygmalien @ 08/24/2004 6:39 PM EDT
I don;t think the smell is of cedar. I think these boxes were not quite that upscale rich type of box. The intoxicating smell would be more of particle board and wood glue. Not even plywood, cheaper!!
Cedar Nintendo boxes…heh. Only for the rich kids maybe.
Posted by
kidneyboy @ 08/24/2004 6:43 PM EDT
Well, off topic, you probable not hearing from me on blog from Wed.25 till the holiday since the Fall semster of college ( 
) is starting back up. But, some thing related to video-game: you guys got to check out http://www.mega64.com or buy the lastest issue of EGM. Think: video game characters (and tetris block) facing our reality 
Posted by
Beta-Theta @ 08/24/2004 8:30 PM EDT
Poor Daisy. She looks kinda young and small compared to Mario. Or, if it’s a mysteriously brunette Peach(and the Japanese have always called her Peach, so nyeh nyeh), she’s DEFINITELY too small. (Thank you SSBM! Finally we see Peach in her true size.)
But I digress to you all. The scariest Link is, in actuality, the Link on the box of the old Zelda board game. He looks like an angry cherub. And angry cherub raising his sword against hoards of Zoras.
Posted by
Freezair @ 08/24/2004 8:53 PM EDT
It’s shit like this that fucking rocks. However, I’d like 2 know the story behind the damage to the box. The reason why i want to know, is because it’s what appears to have destroyed King Bowser Koopa, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to do that since I was seven (j/k).
And no, that box is definitley not cedar. Do you seriously think that any product from a company that’s simply trying to sucker kids into spending their allowance on cool crap like this is going to be made out of something as expensive as cedar? I don’t think so.
The box is cheap, but it still rulz. I just feel sorry for Justin, who had to give up such a treasure under the force of pussy-whippings.
Posted by
Nate @ 08/24/2004 9:53 PM EDT
Y’know, now that I look at it more closely, it looks more like whatever happened actually destroyed a hammer brother, and not Koopa. Since I already know how to defeat a hammer brother, I don’t need to know the story of what happened. However, this does NOT change the fact that i may very well WANT to know the story of what happened. A whole new way to defeat a hammer brother? Hmmmm…
Posted by
Nate @ 08/24/2004 10:02 PM EDT
May be Freezair could has a point with girl Mario holding being Daisy, or may be she neither Princess Daisy or Princess Toadstools (Peach). May be she just a girl with Daisy’s hair and Peach’s outifit, think about it.
Posted by
Beta-Theta @ 08/24/2004 10:03 PM EDT
Also, I want to comment on Meg talking about how she does not want Princess Toadstools to be call now Princess Peach. Sega, lately is doing the same thing calling Dr. Robotnik now Dr. Eggman (though that what he name in Japan). So, Nintendo not the only one changing character(s) names. I’m guess now I have to get ready for class.
Here agian a link to site you guys should definitly visit: http://www.mega64.com.
Posted by
Beta-Theta @ 08/24/2004 10:11 PM EDT
A) They’re not changing names–they’re just unifying them for the markets.
B) I too like Toadstool better than Peach
C) Maybe the girl on the box is Pauline?
Posted by
Cameron T. @ 08/24/2004 11:08 PM EDT
No. Pauline was only kidnapped by Donkey Kong, and was never a princess.
Matt, did you just see the new show Totally Obsessed on VH1? It covers people with crazy obsessions, and one of the features on tonight was a 26-year-old girl who eats, breathes and lives TMNT. She has pizza every day, owns two of the original masks from the 3rd movie, took karate lessons, made a custom Mikey suit, and- this had me laughing so hard- memorized and sang the "Follow Your Heart" song from the Comin’ Out of Our Shells tour, and shaped her life around it.
People, it’s great to love TMNT, but don’t let yourselves go that far!
Posted by
Behonkiss @ 08/24/2004 11:20 PM EDT
Peach IS Toadstool! Her name is Peach Toadstool. Same person! I swear it’s true!
Posted by
Brandon @ 08/25/2004 1:59 AM EDT
Her name is not Peach Toadstool; Nintendo shot that rumor down. For some weird reason though in Super Mario 64 her name was Toadstool AND Peach.
Posted by
Mars @ 08/25/2004 2:10 AM EDT
Is there a single picture of Link where he looks like a badass? In every drawing I’ve ever seen of him, he either looks like a little girl or some guy who is going to remodel my house.
Link didn’t look so bad in Soul Calibur…
And the Peach vs. Princess Toadstool thing is a personal preference. No big deal or anything. It’s just like changing your child’s name. No one does that, and it’s awkward and uncomfortable and hard to adjust to.
Now I’m comparing Nintendo characters to my children…
Posted by
Meg @ 08/25/2004 3:01 AM EDT
How is it that Dave "Cut It Out!" Coulier looks better than Jordan Knight in the commercials for the new Surreal Life? Did Coulier have the Living Essence extracted from those unfortunate Olsen twins, so that he may regain his youth?
Posted by
ME @ 08/25/2004 3:30 AM EDT
Mountain Dew Pitch Black tastes like crap. Just passing it along.
Posted by
Mr King @ 08/25/2004 10:03 AM EDT
IMHO, Mountain Dew tastes like Crap, too!
Posted by
Cameron T. @ 08/25/2004 11:29 AM EDT
That Pitch Black is one of the most rancid soda’s I’ve ever tasted!
Posted by
Bizzar @ 08/25/2004 11:55 AM EDT
has anyone tasted this greenish/bluish mountain dew? somebody at my work went to taco bell and brought me back some from there but I haven’t seen it myself. Mountain Dew pitch black does suck, I knew it would, but I have to taste every new soda that comes out anyway.
Posted by
sailor moon @ 08/25/2004 11:12 PM EDT
Pitch Black is awesome.
And it’s Toadstool.
Posted by
Jim Brody @ 08/26/2004 2:12 AM EDT
Thats so cool!!! its funny that you say your friends are getting married and getting rid of it, b/c I just got married and I told my husband its gotta be in our room where I can see it all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by
Loozer @ 08/26/2004 12:04 PM EDT
yeah that box had to go…
And the box damage has to do with a sickly animal .. mreowwwww
Posted by
The Fiance @ 08/26/2004 12:53 PM EDT
Read ‘em and weep, folks… I still have everything from my boyhood PAC-MAN bedroom. Sheets, comforter, pac-shaped satin throw pillows, curtains, trash can, and this cheap cardboard mobile featuring pac and the ghosts. Of course, any day now I fully expect my son to realize what a dork his dad is, and run away from home carrying only a rusty lunchbox, and repeating the word "California" over and over again.
Seems like a fair price to pay, though.
Posted by
JC da King @ 08/26/2004 12:56 PM EDT
My friends… Back in the 80s, this whole game thing was still new and America was seemingly afraid of the bizzar Japanese culture unless they happened to be rich or just plain geeky (early Anime fans, you know this all too well). American companies did not have the internet to grab some of the brilliant stock art from Japan, nor the inclination to have someone get it for them. So that is why the early Nintendo memorbilia looks nothing like the good old Japanese stock art we love today. … So that is why some of the stuff, while utterly awesome, is inaccurate like this utterly awesome box Matt has inherited.
This lack of communication with Japan/crappy localization guys also plays in the case of names… She was called Princess Toadstool here because she was the Princess of Mushrooms, ha ha ha. That and Princess Peach seemed too /girly/ for what was considered a boy’s market. The much vaulted Mario movie used the name of the Game Boy princess because face it, Daisy sounds more normal than ‘Toadstool’. And hell, in all of the cartoons they just called her ‘Princess’ unless it was a formal situation. In Mario 64 they left it as ‘Princess Toadstool, Peach’. So we can consider Toadstool her last/family name, like Tudor. The spin is that she is from the Toadstool royal line, current rulers of the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach is her first name, and people generaly address royals by their first name… you see where this is coming from? It’s not just a bridge between markets, it’s an attempt to make sense.
Now mind you, Peach was first Peach in English for Mario’s Safari, a Super Scope game. That is during the period when Nintendo became more aware that the US audience wanted more things the Japanese audience had (art was first, nuiances such as names later). That is when anime started to become cooler in the ‘underground’ (ha ha ha) and the first truly die hard otaku were born.
Sooooooo all of my rambling concludes that with a more welcoming culture came a more positive change in translated video games and memorbilia amoungst other Japanese-related things. And Dr. Robotnik is still Robotnik here, but they made the English dialouge reflect that Eggman is a rude nickname for his shape to which he shruged and adopted to his fleet of stupendously incompitent robots. Since you know, back in the early 90s ‘Robotnik’ sounded cooler than ‘Eggman’.
Posted by
Kou Hotaru @ 08/26/2004 7:12 PM EDT
SuperStar: Have you seen the footage from the new Zelda game unvieled at E3? Not only does Link LOOK cool, but he ACTS it, too. Just him an Epona versus a two-dozen strong army of vile beasts on the horizon, backed by the flames of the setting sun… those beasties don’t stand a chance.
Posted by
Freezair @ 08/26/2004 7:41 PM EDT
That is… the coolest thing i have ever seen in my entire life.
Posted by
1983boy @ 08/31/2004 5:03 AM EDT
I saw one of those crates going for 30 bucks on eBay once…I envy you and your ability to recieve a free Nintendo chest.
Posted by
Drew @ 08/31/2004 2:10 PM EDT
I have that exact same box… except instead of the Nintendo logo surrounded by Link and Mario, it has a collage of the characters from Super Mario Bros. 3
Posted by
J-Fry @ 08/31/2004 4:40 PM EDT
i had a metal zelda garbage can in my room. it was the coolest thing ever. except it was sticky and sharp. and lockjaw-ey.
Posted by
Zac @ 09/02/2004 10:33 PM EDT
Excellent piece. You should do a more in depth and general piece about the box craze.
Posted by
Crimson @ 09/03/2004 12:13 PM EDT
wow.. I have that chest too.. it’s sitting next to me and I’ve had that bitch for a long time. It’s in perfect shape though and it currently houses 13 fetus’ that I use for stem cell research, what a small world we live in!
Posted by
Kroger @ 09/03/2004 8:35 PM EDT
Haven’t seen Pitch Black in stores yet but have tried the Mountain Dew at Taco Bell (Baja Blast). It is pretty good as far as sodas go. (They say it’s mountain dew with tropical lime flavor.) Try it out. Oh I remember those chests too.
Posted by
Paul @ 09/05/2004 10:58 AM EDT
Heh, I had me one of the TMNT ones.
Now is it just me or does Mario
look downright evil there?
It looks like he just waltzed in there and buggered off with the princess (who looks 8 years old in that picture)
of course those mushroom retainers seem awfully happy to see mario escaping with their princess…maybe she was a royal bitch.
MATT! Please write the story of why the box got damaged!!! Come on everyone, petition, we all want to know what damaged the box!
Posted by
Johnark @ 09/08/2004 7:19 PM EDT
some one probably said this already but isnt peaches hair blond?
Posted by
da man @ 09/09/2004 4:46 PM EDT
All of you bastards are stupid, you branch off into subjects not even related to the main subject….Ex. The thing about taco bell mountain dew and other little dork comments. Who cares if mario has a mean face, if you had to fight all the time against a oversized turtle you’d get mad to if he stole your girl. I have the box myself in great condition…if anyone wants to buy it contact me at rajones19@hotmail.com
Posted by
Ron Jones @ 09/10/2004 8:57 PM EDT
I’ve got one of those still, in better condition too. It’s in my garage, and I haven’t opened it since I was a kid. Roughly 15 years ago.
I’ll bet you’d have a field day with what I’d probably find in there.
Posted by
G @ 09/12/2004 3:36 AM EDT
That is Princess Toadstool on the box. I’ve collected Mario stuff -forever- (well, as much as I could being a poor kid growing up), and a lot of the old SMB1 products have the characters looking, well, odd. This picture is available also on a trading card and on a 60-piece puzzle for Super Mario Bros… actually, there’s one picture worse - it’s got Bowser on it, and his squished, misshapen face is GRAY and he’s got a shock of yellow-orange hair on top. Mario looks ok, but Princess Toadstool looks even MORE scared. Plus many of the baddie creatures aren’t drawn correctly.
But it’s an official Nintendo product, not a bootleg. I’m guessing that’s because when you’re working off 8-bit graphics, characters are fairly open to interpretation.
Oh, and if you recall, Princess Toadstool IS shorter than Super Mario in SMB1. And in all early pics, she’s got brown hair (yet orange hair on the cartoon). Odd.
Posted by
TR Rose @ 09/17/2004 10:04 AM EDT
That is Princess Toadstool on the box. I’ve collected Mario stuff -forever- (well, as much as I could being a poor kid growing up), and a lot of the old SMB1 products have the characters looking, well, odd. This picture is available also on a trading card and on a 60-piece puzzle for Super Mario Bros… actually, there’s one picture worse - it’s got Bowser on it, and his squished, misshapen face is GRAY and he’s got a shock of yellow-orange hair on top. Mario looks ok, but Princess Toadstool looks even MORE scared. Plus many of the baddie creatures aren’t drawn correctly.
But it’s an official Nintendo product, not a bootleg. I’m guessing that’s because when you’re working off 8-bit graphics, characters are fairly open to interpretation.
Oh, and if you recall, Princess Toadstool IS shorter than Super Mario in SMB1. And in all early pics, she’s got brown hair (yet orange hair on the cartoon). Odd.
Posted by
TR Rose @ 09/17/2004 10:05 AM EDT
If anyone has one of these toy boxes from this forum and wishes to sell it, please email me at rajones19@hotmail.com I will buy.
Posted by
Ron Jones @ 09/23/2004 12:29 PM EDT
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