Mario News, Mario Features

Turning things upside down

Imagine the Mario Kart series as an enormous living being made out of adorable cars, happy drivers, delightful loops passing through volcanoes and haunted houses and vicious blue shells. Envision this being, this body of Kartdom, and now answer this simple question: where is its heart? What is the thumping engine within...

Stranger things have happened

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how weird Mario games are. Think about it: A pudgy plumber in overalls who can jump ridiculously high, throw fireballs when he touches flowers, get huge when he eats mushrooms and make it with a princess provided he kicks the seven shades of crap out of a giant turtle dragon. That is...

Thank goodness he's not, then?

Peter Molyneux and Ian Livingstone are two of British gaming's most influential figures. The former — who has been quite outspoken about the Wii U lately — founded Bullfrog and Lionhead, and is responsbile for titles such as Populous, Fable, Dungeon Keeper and the recent "gaming experiment" Curiosity. The latter...

Explosions, fireballs and madness

YouTube can be a funny, strange and at times silly place, and video game culture delivers some of its quirkiest videos as talented animators and directors mess around with gaming conventions. With such a prominent history in the industry, Nintendo naturally features in plenty of cameos and mash-ups, occasionally...

Operation Wii U Revival, perhaps?

As Nintendo has made clear both in its Wii U Direct earlier in the year and in recent notes to investors, the second half of 2013 will see a major, sustained effort to kick-start a Wii U resurgence. We have a number of known releases that are set to grace the system in the Fall period, such as Pikmin 3 and The...

Possibly more than it deserves?

Twenty years ago, Mario and Luigi starred in a pretty dismal Hollywood movie which almost ruined the career of Harold Ramis and still annoys star Bob Hoskins even today. However, there are still plenty of people who grew up loving the film — in the same way you come to love a tatty old teddy from your childhood, we...

“Nothing of concern” found inside

A gold box with a question mark is the universal symbol of goodies for any gamer, but finding one in the middle of an Arizona neighbourhood prompted a much more careful response from area police. News station KNXV-TV reported that about 50 people were evacuated on Friday as a precaution while bomb technicians...

If you didn't, allow us to save you the bother

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate launched worldwide recently to a somewhat mixed reception. We really liked it, and the fact that it contains an amusing reference to Nintendo's Super Mario series only endears it to us even further. The Easter egg of which we speak is found on a dead body...

"We need innovation that retains 2D Mario's play sensation"

At E3 2012 Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime stated that Nintendo gamers want Mario at a system's launch, and that's what was given with New Super Mario Bros. U, the latest in the re-born 2D series. After a notably mixed reaction among Nintendo gamers to New Super Mario Bros. 2 on...

Science wins

Occasionally we like to show the best of video game culture, snippets of creativity and ingenuity that show the love some have for our favourite hobby. Today the spotlight should focus on the engineers from student-run organization X-Labs from the University of Florida (USF). According to scientific explanations that we don't fully...

If it gets made, that is

Wreck-it Ralph may have been released in North America way back in early November, but it's not long since it arrived in movie theatres in the UK, bringing its own brand of classic gaming cameos and animated hilarity. For retro gamers and Nintendo fans alike the movie has plenty of references to pick up, including an...

Use the ekto-thingy-majig

YouTube is a home for many lovingly-crafted fan creations, whether real-life dramatisations, animations or someone sounding off in front of a camera about the latest big thing. Some of its gaming content is rather neat, with production values often going beyond humble origins; one example of this is the animated cartoon...

Mix of 2D and 3D appealed greatly in Japan

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata held a Corporate Management Policy Briefing recently in which he explained how the video game market had begun to contract in recent years, meaning hardware and software sales were flagging. There has been some cause for optimism this week, though, with the revelation that...

Global coin total hits a staggering 500 billion

There's no denying that most of us have checked into therapy to overcome our coin collecting addiction in New Super Mario Bros. 2, and with the global coin total hitting an incredible 500 billion, Nintendo Australia has a reward for players who have become coin millionaires in the popular platformer...

Mamma mia!

Not only did we get spectacular news about a Wind Waker HD remake for the Wii U during the Wii U Direct broadcast today, we were also told that a new Super Mario title is currently in development for the console. The Nintendo EAD Tokyo Software Development team behind the incredible Super Mario Galaxy titles for Wii and popular

Metal rock, that is

It's Monday, the Holiday season is well and truly over, and despair may be the feeling of the day. Still, fear not, because YouTube has the answer to brighten your mood! No, it's not a sneezing panda, or a puppy doing the cutest things, or even a rubbish Gangnam Style routine. Oh no, it's music from Super Mario Bros. with a metal...

"Impossible" and "Mystery" packs available in North America today

Nintendo has revealed the final DLC Course Packs for New Super Mario Bros. 2. The "Impossible" and "Mystery Adventures" packs will be available in North America from today for $2.50 a piece. Both contain three new courses for the game's popular Coin Rush mode. Mystery Adventures is...

It's a me...Commander Video?

Gaijin Games has announced that its upcoming title, BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, will be narrated by none other than Mario voice actor Charles Martinet. The renowned voice actor will be voicing seven cut-scenes that appear in the downloadable game. Rather than lending his voice to a new...

Keep running right

Occasionally we bring you news of charitable marathons that not only bring amusement and entertainment for interested spectators, but also raise a lot of money for charity. With the recent glut of 2D Mario titles — well, two — we feel we should share the news of an upcoming 72 hour Super Mario marathon being organised by The...