I’m super excited about the upcoming release of the 25th anniversary, limited edition Super Mario All-Stars Collection for Wii, arriving in about a month on December 12. Perhaps it’s because it spent hours and hours playing that old cart on my SNES, or perhaps it’s because the included games are some of the best you’ll find even today. (more…)

For those of you who were hesitant to place your pre-orders for the 25th Anniversary Super Mario All-Stars Collection because Nintendo of America hadn’t released any pictures of the set, relax. Today, at last, Nintendo has ponied up shots of the set, the Wii case, the soundtrack, and the booklet for your enjoyment.

Everything looks pretty much the same as the Japanese (and European) versions, with the main difference being the ESRB rating. Hit the break to see the collection in all its glory. (more…)

The simplest way to review Super Mario Galaxy 2 is to ask the reader if they played and enjoyed the first Super Mario Galaxy because technically, graphically, and thematically, they are the same game. Players still take the role of the timeless plumber and zip through the ever-expanding cosmos looking for stars with smiley faces. If Nintendo had released a new planet every couple of weeks after the release of the first game, we’d basically have the same thing only now on a disc. If this at all sounds like negative criticism, that could not be further from the truth. The first game was marvelous. The second game is marvelous plus one.

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When I saw this, it was like multiple childhood memories all smashing into one another, quite similar to…Mario Kart matches! See what I did there? Anyway, Takara Tomy, a toy company originating in Japan, has just announced plans to release this line of real Mario Kart racers. Not only are they remote controlled karts with our favorite Mario stars pretending to drive, but they even feature LED lights and infrared sensors that control powerups and weapons. Get a green shell and you can toss it at Yoshi in front of you. Get a star and your kart goes faster and can jar other karts by bumping into them. The remote controls also feature built in speakers for all your classic sounds.

No word yet on whether we’ll see a North American release. Takara Tomy has U.S. stores, but that doesn’t always mean we’ll see such lovely things. Personally, I may try to import one. They’ll run for 2370 (which is roughly 30 bucks).

This weekend Nintendo hosted a lovely launch party for the now released Super Mario Galaxy 2. Actually, Nintendo stuck it out all weekend for their fans and held two launch events: one on Friday for the media and high-ranked members of the Nintendo Club online, and another on Sunday again at the Nintendo World Store for fans (some of who I actually saw lining up on Friday when I was leaving the earlier event). When it comes to Mario fans, they are rampant, passionate, will come in droves, and live in every pocket of the world. Here’s a little taste of what Nintendo had in store for the SMG2 fans of NYC!

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Mario & Luigi. It truly seems like they’ve been through everything together. They’ve saved princesses, raced in go-karts, competed at the summer and winter olympics, and even battled the denizens of many Nintendo universes. If you can name a video game genre, chances are swell that Mario & Luigi will have their names somewhere within its history. They are certainly no stranger to role-playing games. We saw their induction into that genre when the aptly named Super Mario RPG was released for the Super Nintendo. To the surprise of many, it was a fantastic game. It provided innovation, comedy, and a fun experience. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story continues that tradition, sending it in new and funky directions, and at its core providing a quirky and fun handheld experience.
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You are an icon, Mario. You have adventured alongside gamers for nearly 20 years now, give or take. We’ve taken you through dungeons, across race tracks, and even engaged in Mortal Kombat with your friends and family members. And here we are in 2009 taking you back nearly to the start of it, barrel rolling and all. Do you retain your luster? Does controlling your dumpy plumber body still remain engaging and fun? Short answer: yes it does, you mustachioed magnificent man.

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