Last night, word broke that the legendary creator of Mario and Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto had told Wired that he would be stepping down from his current position and focusing on smaller projects.

“What I really want to do is be in the forefront of game development once again myself,” Miyamoto, 59 told Wired. “Probably working on a smaller project with even younger developers. Or I might be interested in making something that I can make myself, by myself. Something really small.”

Nintendo has repeatedly denied the reports that the man known as “Japan’s Walt Disney” would be stepping down, issuing a press release telling Reuters that “This is absolutely not true,” said a Nintendo spokesperson “There seems to have been a misunderstanding. He has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation. He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned.”

The writer of the original Wired report stands by the piece though, tweeting that “Shigeru Miyamoto’s comments in the Wired story speak for themselves. Wired and I stand by this report.”

Come on.

Really?

PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is upset with Nintendo for sending the message that its okay to wear fur via the Tanooki suit in the newly released Super Mario 3D Land.  I’ll just let them speak for themselves.

“Tanooki may be just a ‘suit’ in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur,” according the the PETA Mario Kills Tanooki website. “By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.”

PETA is so adamant about it that they’ve included a playable game on their site that allows a tanuki to turn the tails on Mario, going after him for his newly skinned fir.”Tanukis are real-life raccoon dogs who are beaten and, as PETA’s undercover exposés show, often skinned alive for their fur,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “This winter, everyone can give raccoon dogs and other fabulous animals a 1-UP by keeping our wardrobes fur-free.”

Now, I know my job is to stay objective, but come on — these people don’t have anything better to do? If a kid goes out and skins an animal because he saw Mario wear a fur suit (which looks more like a Halloween costume than an actual fur), that kid has some obvious problems to begin with. Also, if you want to get technical, Mario uses a Tanooki suit, not a tanuku suit. I just can’t wait for PETA to start complaining about the fact that Mario wears a turtle shell in his boomerang costume.

Everyone’s heard the old adage “if you want something done right, you better do it yourself.” Nintendo, running out of options for its embattled 3DS system as the Holiday season quickly approaches, seems to finally have understood that as Super Mario 3D Land is not only the most impressive game on the handheld, but it could spark a revival for it. Aspiring 3DS developers take note — this is how you truly take advantage of the console’s power.

Of course, Super Mario 3D Land starts off like almost every Mario game before it; Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser and its up to Mario to save her. The key here is that when she got kidnapped, she was checking on a special tree in the castle courtyard which contained the leaves that give Mario the Tanooki suit. It’s a simple story really, one that you’d expect from the franchise but it’s told via charming cut-scenes that really take advantage of the system’s 3D capabilities. In between worlds, Mario will receive photos from the Princess, detailing her predicament. These letters could be the most impressive use of the 3DS screen yet; they pop with color and vibrance.

From a gameplay standpoint, 3D Land is everything you’d expect from a Mario game — but it’s also so much more. Interestingly, it’s tough to figure just what Mario game it borrows from the most. It feels an awful lot like Super Mario 64 or Sunshine, but it also borrows a lot from NES classic Super Mario 3. Super Mario 3D Land feels like Nintendo picked the best pieces of the entire Mario history and blended them together seamlessly.  The level design is incredible and perhaps most interestingly encourages users to experiment and explore. Take one of the castles found early in the game, there’s an unassuming torch that most will just run past, but interacting with it will prove valuable in your quest. Sure you could just go from one end of the level to the other, but you’ll be missing a good portion of the experience.

On that same note though, that sense of exploration could annoy some. The goal of most Mario games has always been get from point A to point B, and for the first few worlds I did just that. Sure, I would get the occasional star coin on my way, but I was never too concerned with getting them. It was quite a shock then when later in the game I found that I needed fifty of those coins to even advance through the game. As a result, I went through the game…each level and collected the coins. While this backtracking may seem a bit annoying to some, it was here, with all of the “Aha moments” that I truly fell in love with Mario’s latest adventure. By going off the beaten path you truly get an appreciation for the amount of work Nintendo put into the game.

To be honest, for a game in such an established franchise, Super Mario 3D Land is quite the deceiving experience. It’s easiest to think of it this way; this is a game with two different sides. The first is world 1-8, almost laughably easy, you’ll get a lot of extra 1-ups (by world two I had 60 or so without even really trying) and move fast, but then after world 8 (yeah, there’s more than eight worlds), things change drastically. The platforming is tougher and you’re going to have to have to be incredibly precise in your jumps and timing. Telling you about these worlds would be a major spoiler, so you’re going to want to experience them yourself, but just be ready for the swift shift in gameplay.

Super Mario 3D is a game that is meant to be played using the system’s 3D capabilities, in fact you could go as far as to say that this is the first game for the handheld that truly takes advantage of the 3D, without it getting in the way. Using the 3D effects, you’ll be able to experience Mario’s world in a way you’ve never done. Here, it’s easier to judge the distance between blocks, jumps and it even helps get a better feel for the level design. There are certain sections (mostly near the end) that are nearly impossible to pass without using the 3D, but what’s great is that not only can you adjust the game’s 3D using the slider on the system, but during certain sections a simple press of the d-pad will adjust the d-pad even further. There is one portion of the game where the 3D does seem to get in the way though — in each world, there are binoculars somewhere and looking through them will enable you to survey the map using the 3DS’ gyroscope and if you’re one of those that gets headaches when not staring at the 3D dead on be warned, you’re going to want to turn it off before using them.

What would a Mario game be without power-ups? In Super Mario 3D Land, you’ll of course have the standard mushrooms, power stars and fire flowers, but the game introduces a few new(ish) items to the game as well.  The most prevalent of course is the returning Tanooki tail, which allows Mario to flutter and float in the air (no, it doesn’t do everything it did in Mario 3). There’s also a new boomerang suit, which allows Mario to toss a boomerang at his enemies. While it was helpful, I found myself shying away from the boomerang suit when I could in exchange for the fireflower, which itself is improved and can take out multiple enemies at once.

For a 3DS game, Super Mario 3D Land is easily the best looking on the system. Everything from the shading to the wonderful animations and crisp textures makes for an incredible sense of production. The world of Super Mario 3D Land is a bright and colorful one filled with breathtaking visuals and they all fit in the palm of your hand. The sound is just as charming as you’d expect from a Mario game, and the soundtrack is a mix of classic tunes and new mixes that are so catchy it’s damn near impossible to get them out of your head.

Most charming about the game though is the sheer level of fan service it packs. The game is full of references to previous Mario games, from the Toad House from Super Mario 3 to having to cross a bridge and jump on a switch to defeat Bowser and send him to a fiery pit below.  It’s not just Mario games that get nods here; there’s a much talked about Zelda inspired world early on in the game, and there’s  even a few instances where standing on a certain spot in a hidden room makes the Zelda discovery noise. Perhaps most impressive is just how all of this, the fan service, the excellent production values, and the fun gameplay work together to create one impressive and unforgettable experience.

The Blast Factor: Super Mario 3D Land illustrates a very important point — never count Nintendo out. After nearly ten months, a ton of disappointing games and a massive price drop, the 3DS not only has it’s first must have game, but it has one that defines the system and what it can do. Super Mario 3D Land may not be perfect, but it is the most impressive 3DS game to date, and one of the best Mario games in a long time.

Nintendo announced today that it would be slashing the price of its struggling 3DS handheld from $250 to $170. The price drop, which comes just six months after the system’s release will take effect in the United States on August 12.

“For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games.”

The move comes on the heels of Nintendo’s announcement that it has posted a huge financial loss in the fiscal first quarter of this year. According to the report, sales are down over 50% from last year at the house that Mario built.

There is some good news though, early adopters of the 3DS system will be rewarded with free virtual console games. If you register for and connect to the eShop at least once before the price drop, you’ll receive the following games free:

NES games

Super Mario Bros.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Balloon Fight
Ice Climber
The Legend of Zelda
+5 more

Game Boy Advance games

Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Metroid Fusion
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
+5 more

The NES games will become paid downloads for new adopters, while the GBA games are not currently scheduled to be available for purchase.

LOS ANGELES — Undoubtedly, the biggest news to come out of this year’s E3 was Nintendo’s announcement of it’s brand new home console, The Nintendo Wii U. Featuring a controller complete with a 16.2′ LCD screen and classic button layout with two analog circle pads and a D-Pad; the Wii U is like nothing else you’ve played before. With the Wii U, Nintendo wanted to “remove the traditional barriers between games, players and the TV by creating a second window into the video game world.” In easier terms, the Wii U allows gamers to transfer the screen from the TV to the controller’s LCD screen. there’s a ton of other cool options like using the controller as a tablet to being able to teleconference with it as well. Check out the video below, played during Nintendo’s E3 press conference.

Pretty lofty goals huh? Blast got the chance to sit down with Nintendo and take the new hardware and its tech demos out for a test drive at this year’s E3.

The Controller

At first sight, the controller looks big and bulky. While it is quite large (it’s bigger than everything we’ve seen so far, including the big original Xbox controller), but it’s surprisingly light and comfortable to hold. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to navigate. Perhaps its just because we’re not used to a setup like this, but during our hands on time with the controller, we constantly found ourselves hitting the wrong buttons and fumbling around to find exactly what we had to press. It got better after a bit of time, but the new experience definitely doesn’t come naturally.

The Games

In reality, it’s unfair to call what Nintendo showed off actual games; they’re more of tech demos. The first of these demos we were able to check out (read: it wasn’t playable) was that of The Legend of Zelda. It’s obvious that it was meant to show off the new system’s graphical power — and it worked. Miles ahead of the Wii, the demo showed Link fighting a giant spider in a church building. The image was very detailed, and we were able to switch between night and day to truly check out how the system could handle details.

The Wii U Zelda title used the new controller mostly as an inventory system, allowing gamers to switch from one item to the other on the fly. Of course, you could also flip the image to the LCD screen entirely.

The Zelda Wii U demo featured impressive HD visuals.

Next, we were able to get our hands on Battle Mii, a game which had one character control the ship from Metroid  using the new controller, while three other people controlled soldiers wearing Samus’ suit as they tried to shoot the ship down using Wii-motes.  Playing as the ship required us to take advantage of the game’s gyroscope by moving all over the place. It’s a lot harder than it seemed, and we found ourselves failing a lot. Playing as the soldiers was easy with the Wiimote.

We also played Super Mario Bros Mii, which played exactly like New Super Mario Bros, but allowed you to swap in your Mii characters. The key here is that the touch screen was able to render the game’s image quite well, and I found myself not even looking up to the actual TV screen much.

New Super Mario Bros Mii.

The Verdict

It’s really tough to say right now. Yes, it’s novel and yes, it’s new, but we saw what happened when the Wii’s novelty wore off. The tech demos were fun, but they were nothing revolutionary. The Wii U’s success will depend on a number of things, including third party support (we’ve already been promised everything from Aliens to Batman and Dirt 3), how the developers use the tech and how the Nintendo team can bring the new tech to storied franchises.

The Nintendo Wii U will launch in 2012.

When Nintendo says something is a limited edition, they mean it.

Nintendo announced today that it would be pressing one final run of the recently released (and reviewed here) Super Mario Allstars 25th Anniversary pack for the Wii before it’s gone forever.

The final release of the collection is expected to hit stores around March 13, but it’s not known how big the release will be. The $30 package includes a re-release of Mario 1-3, with the Lost Levels thrown in as well as a soundtrack CD and a history booklet.

When talking about the 3DS and it’s upcoming lineup, Nintendo revealed that everything from Madden to Dead or Alive and even Pilot Wings would be coming to handheld. But where was Nintendo’s most famous mascot? For the love of god, where was Mario?!

It’s okay, keep cool, Mario, in all his traditional platforming glory is indeed on its way to the 3DS. “In the interests of adopting new technology for the Super Mario Bros. tradition, I am now making a new Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo 3DS system,” legendary designer and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed in the latest installment of Iwata Asks. “I want to show everyone as soon as possible what the new Super Mario Bros. will be like on the Nintendo 3DS,” he added. We’re going to go out on a limb and guess the new game will involve Mario and a daring royal rescue. You sly devil you.

The announcement should come as a surprise to pretty much no one, as the New Super Mario bros line has been a major cash crop for the company since being released on the DS and the Wii. Stick with Blastmagazine.com for more on the game and the 3DS.

So Kinect has been out for just over a month now, and we reviewed it, giving it a solid B. What’s most interesting though is what some have been able to do with it when they get under the hood. From Mario controllers to man boob generators, these are our favorite Kinect mods we’ve seen so far.

5. Kinect as a way to play Mario

Gaming’s newest technology mixed with one of its oldest games. The developer reworked Kinect to work with an NES emulator to control the original Super Mario Bros impressively.  It looks like a pain to run in place to move, but a definitely interesting idea.

4. Kinect controls Windows 7

Okay, so the video of this hack is really cheesy, but the tech behind it is pretty damn cool. Being able to control and explore Microsoft’s maps applications with your own movement is inarguably cool, and it adds the ability to perform simple tasks without the need of a mouse or touch screen.

3.  Kinect as an interactive shadow puppet

This could be the most technically impressive Kinect hack of the bunch. All you have to do is create a simple shadow puppet form with your hand and Kinect will turn it into a fully interactive animal for you to control on your wall. There may be a slight delay in a few of the movements, but it’s a mostly impressive application.

2. Drawing in 3D with Kinect

If the technology in this Kinect hack could be opened up to media editing, it could create a world of  new possibilities for companies like Kodak who allow users to edit their pictures online.

1. Kinect gives you a light saber

Come on. How awesome is that?!

If you’re reading this review to find out if the games found in Nintendo’s 25^th Anniversary Mario All-stars pack areworth playing, let me save you some time – they are. But be honest, you already knew that. These are three of the most influential and most classic games of all time that even the most jaded gamer will have fond memories of.  Where the value of the pack comes into question though is with its presentation and extras. A few questionable exclusions and a thin package make Mario All-Stars a bit of a surprisingly disappointing collection.

If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll recognize the Mario All-Stars pack from its original release on the Super Nintendo way back in 1993. Hell, it even says it on the back of the box. Now, this isn’t a new version of that game, it is that game. From the menu system to the copyright dates and everything in between, it’s clear that Nintendo just plucked the data from the cartridge and plopped it on to the CD. Some also might be disappointed that Super Mario World, widely viewed as one of the best of the Mario franchise. Nintendo even produced an alternate version of the original Super Mario All-Stars with the plumbers 16-bit debut included, why not include it here? The game is available on the Wii-shop channel, so it could just be a bit of smart marketing, but it would have been nice to see it in included.

This year and next, Sony is releasing HD collections of some of their greatest hits from the Team Ico collection to Sly, and none of them hold nearly as much weight as Nintendo’s perennial plumber – it’s just sad that this collection didn’t get the same retouches. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking for newly imagined and stylized versions of these classic games, but perhaps just a few touchups. The game runs at a disappointing 50hz, far below what even the Wii can do.

Technical nitpicks aside; the collection is a stunning reminder of just how timeless these games truly are. The original Super Mario Bros, its sequel, Mario 3 and Mario the Lost Levels are all included, and each one feels just as fresh as it did when it first launched. A bit of a history lesson, the Lost Levels game in this package was the original sequel to Super Mario Bros but wasn’t released in the United States in fear of it being too hard for American gamers. Instead we got the game that we know as Super Mario Bros 2, a re-skinned version of Japanese game Doki Doki Panic. Having both on the disc (much like they were in the 1993 version) showcases just how different the gaming industry was way back when. Super Mario Bros 2 proper is a distant  departure from the now famous formula, while the Lost Levels package is one of the toughest platforming experiences of all time.

Interestingly enough, the pack serves as away to educate newer gamers on just where the franchise and in many aspects the gaming industry as we know it came from. You know, the type of gamer that thinks that Mario’s history started with Mario Kart. It’s amazing that these simple mechanics are still so enticing, even to a generation that grew up with HD gaming.

The re-release of the Mario All-Stars collection is done so in celebration of the franchise’s 25^th anniversary and comes packed in a fancy red box, a history book and a collection of music from the series. While the package has been kept thin in an effort to keep the price down (the whole thing goes for $29.99), I would have gladly paid full price for more. Special Editions for games like Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed come with mini-busts and replica items; I would have loved to have seen something like this for gaming’s most famous protagonist.

The Blast Factor: Super Mario All-stars will remind you of just why you’re a gamer. It may not be as big of a package as you’d expect, but it’s still more than worth it. This is a collection of some of the greatest games in history, and they’ll always have a place in many gamer’s hearts.  Go out, get the Mario All-Stars collection and fall in love with gaming all over again.

Believe it or not, the sequel to the wildly successful interplanetary Mario game, “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” hits shelves in about a month on May 23.

So far, Nintendo has told us Yoshi will be in the game and Mario will have lots of powerups available to him. We’ve seen Rock Mario, but the Japanese game maker introduces gamers to Cloud Mario today.

The teaser image below leads us to believe Mario, with the powerup equipped, will be able to generate clouds in a step-by-step fashion, which could be very useful actually.

Cloud Mario

How do you think the powerup will work? Or how do you want it to work?

Nintendo, at its Media Summit in San Francisco today announced a May 23 release date for “Super Mario Galaxy” and unleashed this glorious, colorful and generally cheery trailer for the upcoming game.

What we see in it is Mario, some very creative  and thus trippy environments, a new drill powerup and everyone’s favorite dinosaur, Yoshi and his many abilities.

Take a look for yourself in the trailer embedded below

Nintendo’s hard at work showing off titles and trailers at its media summit in San Francisco as we speak and just now dated “Super Mario Galaxy 2″ for a May 23 release.

May 23 people.

The sequel will feature Yoshi and his ability to eat stuff and will be comprised of 90 percent new levels with the remainder stemming from the original “Galaxy.”

A trailer for the game will show up later this afternoon. Check back for it!

Admit it, you still toss a Super Mario Bros. cartridge into your NES every now and then or boot up Super Mario World on your Wii thanks to the wonders of Virtual Console. These timeless classics have wowed gamers and brought a smile to the face of millions over the years, but there has not been a true sequel to the 2D Super Mario universe on a home console for over 15 years. Mario’s move and success to the world of 3D–Super Mario 64 is the blueprint from which all 3D platformers were developed and judged after–killed the 2D Mario platformer, at least outside of handhelds. Thankfully, Nintendo is revisiting the past using the technology and knowledge of today to create a brand new 2D Mario title, one that combines all of the things Nintendo has utilized and learned throughout their years as the most successful 2D platform developer in the world, and brings them together in one game–and then lets you play that game cooperatively with your friends.

Outside of the fact that this is a Mario game in the classic style, that’s the big hook. You can play this game along with up to three others, all at the same time. It’s total chaos on occasion, but it’s also some of the most fun I’ve had playing a game in a long time. You can work together in the story mode, grabbing every coin, assisting your friend’s jumps, not rushing through the level so that your slower friends can keep up, but don’t worry, there’s also room for the more competitive side. New Super Mario Bros. Wii offers two competitive multiplayer modes that work so well that I’m almost retroactively upset the older games didn’t include them.

Graphically, New Super Mario Bros. Wii looks fine, but it’s not a stunner like some of 2009′s other sidescrolling efforts, like Muramasa or A Boy and His Blob, or even Nintendo’s own Wario Land: Shake It. You won’t notice though, because you’ll be too busy running around trying to collect every coin, find every hidden room, or if you’re playing with friends, just trying to stay alive and out of harm’s way.

This is classic Mario platforming: run, jump, collect item suits, use suits’ abilities. You’ve got the old standby suits, such as the Fire Flower and the Mushroom that makes Mario grow, but in addition there are some new suits. The Penguin suit allows Mario to shoot ice balls that freeze enemies (that he can then climb or throw like a shell) while also giving him the ability to slide on ice and swim effectively, while the Propeller suit lets Mario fly–unlike the Raccoon tail or Cape though, this is more vertical than horizontal. Flying horizontally at fast speeds would result in the death of everyone without that power, so it’s a logical design choice to eliminate those powers.

The level design is on par with Mario’s peak as a 2D platformer, during the Super Mario Bros. 3/Mario World phase, where loads of enemies, platforms, pipes and difficult jumps were placed everywhere for you to navigate. You can already tell that this is a game you can replay again and again, and you will find something new all of the time, whether it be hidden coins, hidden boxes, rooms, ways to clear jumps or dispose of your enemies–there are multiple ways to do everything, and that sense of exploring the game will keep you enthralled with the title.

The fact that you can replay the levels in multiple modes makes finding secrets easier too. As stated, you’ve got your cooperative story mode. Besides that though, you have Coin Battle, which gives you somewhat of an alternate version of the game’s levels that are littered with coins. There’s no counter for individual coins as you play, just the team’s total, so you aren’t quite sure who is in the lead, which makes every coin matter. When you finish the level, you see your total and your champion; the game will also keep track of how many levels you have won if you play more than one round, so you could replay the whole game this way and check out the splits afterward.

The other mode is the aptly-named Free For All. This is Mario Bros. Wii at its most chaotic, as four people battle it out to see who can score the most points. Extra lives are worth points, coins are worth points, and of course, killing enemies and collecting items are both worth points as well. You are ranked at the end of each level, and just like Coin Battle, can play every level you have unlocked in the story mode this way. Depending on how close you and your friends are, this is either the greatest game mode you can imagine or the quickest way to get yourself punched in the face. There is nothing quite like the look of death you receive for using someone else’s head to propel yourself to an item, and then finding out that your makeshift trampoline pal fell into a canyon and died because of it. At the same time though, it’s worth that glare for the laughs.

And that’s why you won’t hear me complain about the lack of online play in this game. Sure, it would have been nice for some, and more modes are always welcome, but as LittleBigPlanet taught me, the most enjoyable experiences come from booting up the game and playing with people in your living room. The laughter is louder, and the experience is more enjoyable. You may disagree with me, but you can adjust your own personal score accordingly–just know that, online or no, this game is a must-own.

Charles Martinet, the man you know for his famous “It’s-a-mee-Mario!” exclamation, today confirmed that Nintendo is working on a new Mario game.

As is a growing trend, Martinet made the following announcement via micro-blog site Twitter.

“Awesome new Mario Game! And it’s not NSMB Wii, and it’s not Galaxy 2, but it’s going to be crazy fun!”

This revelation is nice, yes, but if Nintendo wasn’t working on a new Mario title, well, that’d be a hot bit of news!

If you’re unfamiliar with the “man with the incredible job,” check out this Youtube video of him explaining how it all started. It’s truly incredible.

Source: Kotaku

In this incredibly awesome Left 4 Dead PC mod, the polar opposite worlds of zombie infested gloom morph with the jovial and colorful Mushroom Kingdom of Super Mario 64.

Dubbed, “Mushroom Massacre,” this altered level makes me want the PC version of the horde-fest so so badly, or for Valve to release community-made levels on Xbox Live.

More at the Mushroom Massacre page and l4dmaps.com

Let’s cut right to the chase: “de Blob” is worth the price of admission.

For those Wii owners who feel abandoned by third-party developers, it’s a paint-slathered roll in the right direction for the system’s future.

This offering from developer Blue Tongue and publisher THQ is destined for cult status, but it should be played by everyone who owns a Wii.

You play as Blob, who, from his perch on a hillside, sees the invasion of the INKT Corporation space ships on his hometown — the brilliantly colored Chroma City. INKT sucks all of the color from the city — the buildings, the plants, sidewalk trash, and even from its citizens, the Raydians — for no apparent reason other than the fact that they love the bland look of a monochromatic decorating scheme.

They enslave the Radians-henceforth known as “Graydians”, in their captured state-and change all of the local hangouts and neighborhoods into dull office buildings and police stations. Blob sees this happening, and comes to the aid of his fellows by rolling around in paint and injecting color and life back into the beaten down city and its people. This is the Color Revolution, after all.

The delightfully named Comrade Black is your main adversary, as he is the leader of the INKT Corporation and the man behind the deportation of color. Though not a single sound besides that of gibberish comes from his mouth, he is an entertaining character in much the same way that the Raving Rabbids are, thanks to the humor and personality they exude in their wordless dialogue and actions.

The story itself is thin, but in the same way that a story for a Mario game would be; there’s a problem (the city lacks color) and you need to solve it (repaint the world and defeat the bad guys). The reason to play de Blob is not for the story-though the cut scenes are well done and humorous-but for the gameplay.

The game is controlled simply: you roll around using the analog stick on the Nunchuk, and you jump using quick flicks of the Wii Mote. Rolling around is easy enough, and is incredibly satisfying, since everything you move over will become the color that you are carrying on Blob at that time. Jumping is another story though, as occasionally you will not jump where you would like to, thanks to a lack of response from the flicking of the Wii mote.

It should be noted that this is a very limited problem — one that will occur just a few times during an entire play through — but it does exist, and makes you wonder why jumping wasn’t simply mapped to a button (or an option to change the control scheme wasn’t made available). Overall, it’s a minor quibble, but some people may be concerned with it.

A first-person view of the camera is controlled with the directional pad, and is useful for finding objectives that are in hard to see or reach areas along walls or the skyline. There are four types of objectives: paint an area a specific set of colors in a set time limit, race to a destination, defeat the INKT police force in the area, and reclaim an old Raydian landmark through the power of paint. The last of these uses an incredibly satisfying mechanic, as you jump inside of the building and shake the Wii Mote and Nunchuk back and forth in order to inject your paint points into it. Though rhythm is not required, there is musical accompaniment to the shaking (such as a cowbell) and you will catch yourself matching the beat of the infectious music.

After completing the challenges you will unlock new ones in each area, and completing an entire set of challenges will earn you awards at the end of the level. There are awards for freeing all of the Graydians, painting the entire map, finishing a level speed run style, and various other elements, and you can also unlock a pair of sub levels for each of the main story portions. These are designed to be more difficult challenges where you are awarded medals depending on how well you did, giving you reason to return to both the original levels and the sub variety after completing the story mode.

Blob can also hook up with up to three friends for multiplayer fun outside of the main game mode. Here there are various challenges turned into contests, such as painting as many buildings as you can, or racing through a portion of a level. Though these modes are not as fleshed out as the single-player and the split-screen doesn’t hold up as well graphically, it’s still fun if you’re trying to show off the game for your friends and get them interested in the main attraction.

The music itself is one of the main draws of this game. The soundtrack is one of the best in recent memory, and the more you paint and the deeper you delve into a level, the more upbeat the music becomes. This mechanic works to immerse you into the gameplay, as you can feel yourself picking up speed with the music in order to keep things running smooth. Not only do the funky jazz tunes fill out and pick up steam as you paint, but they also feature different instrumentation based on which color you are using. Want to hear a DJ scratch a turntable while roll around Chroma City? Mix colors to turn brown and listen to your tune of choice. Add to this that you can select any music you have unlocked for use in any level, and you are sure to enjoy this portion of the game as much as Blue Tongue hoped you would.

The game plays well, it sounds great, and the graphics are on par with both of those areas. The opening movie looks as good as anything Nintendo has produced this generation-think of how gorgeous the animated intros for “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” and “Mario & Sonic at The Olympics” looked, and you wouldn’t be far off-and the cut scenes use the same style. INKT, and their monochrome color scheme, are designed beautifully despite lacking color, and the city looks great for it even before you splash around in your purples and yellows. The style is unique, the graphics are crisp and clear, and it is obvious Blue Tongue put a lot of work into getting a great look out of the Wii hardware. Here’s hoping that more third-party developers take notice in the future.

Blue Tongue has made a fantastic and original adventure on the Wii, while putting together a universe of likable characters, both good and bad. Though the game has room for improvements that a sequel could address, this product is one that you do not want to miss.

There is always a clamor for unique efforts on the Wii that utilize the hardware, and Blue Tongue has done just that with a game that will have you coming back again and again. If you have money for just one Wii game during the next few weeks before the holiday releases start to pour in, use it on “de Blob.” You won’t be disappointed.

Nintendo gamers have been eagerly anticipating the release of Wii blockbuster Super Smash Bros Brawl since its initial announcement at E3 2005, and it appears they’ll have to wait a bit longer as the game was delayed again today. Brawl is now expected to release in North America on March 9.

According to an official Nintendo of America press release, a longer than expected development process is to blame for the delay; “As we’re sure you have seen on the Dojo (the game’s official site), the game contains an unprecedented number of characters, options, and experiences,” the statement said.

On the Dojo site, Brawl designer Masahiro Sakurai apologized to his fans, who he knows are let down by the delay. “I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long, and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience,” Sakurai said.

This isn’t the first time Brawl has been delayed, in fact — it was originally talked about as a launch title for the Wii’s November 2006 release but was pushed back to December 7, 2007 before long. Just months before the fourth quarter release, it was announced that due to time constraints and a hectic development schedule, the game would be pushed back to February 10.

For someone who got their start as a humble Italian plumber, Mario has sure had his share of occupations.

Mario has tried his hand at everything from driving go-karts and prescribing medicine to becoming a multi-sport athlete and even a music producer. In his latest adventure; Super Mario Galaxy, Mario is once again trying out a new career field — one not only entertaining and addictive but which should prove to stand the test of time as one of Mario’s greatest adventures ever.

Galaxy’s beginnings can prove to be deceitful, as it starts in all too familiar territory. Mario receives a note from the lovely Princess Peach asking him to meet her at the annual festival because she has a "special gift" for him. Anyone who’s played any Mario game should know by now that nothing is that easy in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario arrives at the festival to find Bowser and his troops using a fleet of airships to abduct the princess.

While this may all sound like a retread, Galaxy wastes no time in veering sharp left from the tried and true Mario formula. Unable to catch up with Bowser, Mario is transported to Outer Space where he learns from an unusual race called Lumas and their mysterious leader Rosalina that Bowser has stolen a number of power stars from throughout the Cosmos. It’s here that we learn our mission, travel to the different galaxies and collect the power stars en-route to an eventual showdown with Bowser.

If it must be compared to something, traveling from galaxy to galaxy is similar to the way Mario 64 used paintings to transport players to other worlds, but that comparison ends rather abruptly as there is so much more going on here. Each galaxy contains multiple planets — each acting like a giant floating puzzle and each vital to obtaining stars. Prior to the game’s release, message boards were full of gamers worried that Nintendo’s choice to put Mario’s next adventure in space would ruin the wide-open gameplay that was a major factor in Mario 64 being great. Those claims were unfounded. Sure, the world’s aren’t as prevalent in Galaxy as in previous games, but they are there — and each galaxy is designed so uniquely you won’t be pining for the old days for long at all.

In fact, the new spherical levels are almost a breath of fresh air — new territory to discover if you will. In most cases, Mario can run completely around the planets, and use launch stars to send himself to new, unexplored areas. It’s these factors, along with other little touches that make Mario Galaxy’s level design so extraordinary. With no time limit, gamers will find themselves exploring every inch of each galaxy looking for each item, secret or nod to a previous chapter in Mario’s universe, and there are a lot of them. Just look carefully at some of the planet shapes, or listen to the remixed Mario 3 music.

Perhaps the best thing about the Mario franchise is how accessible it has always been. Everyone, from children, to the most hardcore gamers, even those who have never held a controller before, feels right at home in the Mushroom Kingdom. This is also the case in Galaxy, as the difficulty starts out very easy, but progresses as the game does, easing the player into the later and sometimes frustratingly tougher levels.

What would a Mario game be without abilities and power suits? Naturally, Mario can turn invincible, and shoot fireballs, but Galaxy introduces players to a number of new suits including that of a bumblebee (which allows Mario to fly for short periods and stick to certain surfaces), and a bouncy spring to help Mario jump even higher. The coolest of the new power-ups has got to be the ability to turn into a boo and float right through most walls.

Galaxy does an incredible job at using the Wii-mote in new and unique ways. Mario’s movements are controlled by the thumbstick on the nunchuk, but most everything else is done with the Wii-mote. For instance, launch stars and vines are controlled by shaking the Wii-mote, and the camera is controlled by the d-pad.

In some cases Galaxy uses the Wii-mote in familiar ways, but does it much better than the games who originated it. Take for instance the level where Mario find himself on top of a ball rolling in a very monkey ball-like fashion. Unlike in the clunky controlling Monkey Ball title released earlier in the Wii’s lifespan, players hold the Wii-mote straight up and down, as if it’s an arcade joystick, which makes for an incredibly responsive and entertaining control scheme.

Perhaps the most noticeable change in control revolves around the game’s reliance on star bits. Almost taking the coin’s place as the most important collectible in the game, Star Bits are used for essentially everything in Mario Galaxy. They can be collected and fed to hungry Lumas in exchange for launch stars, used for 1-ups or even shot at unknowing enemies to stun them. What’s unique about this is that players must merely aim the Wii-mote cursor over the Star-bits to collect them, making collecting coins (which still must be touched to be collected) seem like a hassle. This new way of collecting also brings about the game’s “multiplayer” aspect. Using a second Wii-mote, players can collect Star bits for Mario, and shoot them at enemies, or help clear obstacles. While it’s a novel idea, the multiplayer mode comes across as tacked on, and minimal. Is it too much to ask to go back to the old school style of having players take turns as Mario and Luigi?

As amazing as Galaxy’s gameplay is, it’s no slouch in the visual department. Fantastic art design, along with the superb character designs and animation makes Galaxy easily the best-looking game on the Wii. The game’s cinematic camera system is phenomenal, and is usually able to pick the best angle to portray the action on screen with little or no player action required.

With its simple, yet addicting gameplay and amazing visuals, Super Mario Galaxy is by far the best game available for the Wii, along with the best Mario title released in years. Everyone with a Wii should experience Mario’s latest adventure, over and over again.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Wii
Genre: It’s Mario.
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: November 14, 2007

Playability: 5 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Sound: 5 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars Editor’s Choice