When Mario stomps on Goomba does he really know that the evil mushroom is his enemy? That’s not one of those deep thoughts on par with the sound of one hand clapping.

It's actually something that computer science researchers have been working on by combining adaptive artificial intelligence techniques with the classic Nintendo platform game. The project, known as Mario Lives!, comes from the University of Tübingen in Germany and the aim is to make Mario self aware, helping him to learn about his environment. The user can speak to Mario, giving him orders and even new information that he "learns".

For now, this is an interesting entry to a research video competition but it could signal the future of interactive gaming with intelligent, adaptive characters. youtube.com /watch?v=AplG6KnOr2Q#t=34