Happy New Year!

That's right, it's now officially 2012, and today I am going on holidays for a week, over to a place with no internet connection. I know, it's terrible, isn't it?

On the Mario side of my life, for Christmas I received a copy of Super Mario 3D Land, which is downright amazing. I would say that if you do not currently have Super Mario 3D Land, get it!

But Super Mario 3D Land is only the beginning, I reckon this year will be the "Year of the Mario" as it marks the return of Mario Party, the release of the Wii U and the rise of the 3DS with Mario Tennis, Paper Mario 3DS and Luigi's Mansion 2 due to be released.

I've even designed a corny poster for it-

The Mini Mario Kart 7 Review!

I received Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS last Tuesday and have since been hard at work completing 100cc on Grand Prix mode. So now, I'm a toughened veteran of the new "gliding" business and am ready to write a mini-review of this game.

First, may I note that Mario Kart 7 is the most FUN Mario Kart game I have EVER played! Don't get fooled by the simplistic menus, this game is jam-packed full of new features. For example, your Kart now has a glider, meaning it is possible to glide places! Also, you can now customise the Kart's wheels and glider attachment, each altering the speed, acceleration, handling and weight of your character's kart. It doesn't end there though- The new tracks are some of the best the series has offered so far, with a truly confusing Rainbow Road track. And the online features are also better than ever! Unlike some other 3DS games, the fact that it is in 3D is almost lost in the jungle of all the other improvements that have been made in this game. 

These features may have what it takes to make the game fun, but does it last? Well, there may be plenty of kart and wheel options in this game, but there are only 16 characters to play as in the whole game! Also, the eight unlockable characters are all unlocked by playing in the 150cc mode, meaning it is pointless playing the game in 50cc or 100cc. There are only 6 courses in battle mode too, which is a disappointment.

Luckily for Mario fans everywhere that is where Mario Kart 7's bad points end, with the rest of the game being composed of pure awesomeness. In fact, if you don't have a 3DS and this is only game on it you want, buy a 3DS just for this! IT IS THAT GOOD!

I rate it-                                                               9.5/10

Also, don't forget to join my MK7 community called Glide Crazy!

Super Mario 3D Land Is Coming Soon

That's right, it's now less than a month until Mario finally appears in a new platforming game in the USA and Japan, and Super Mario 3D Land is shaping up to be awesome! I haven't been able to play a demo of the game yet except I've seen enough videos to say that it looks pretty awesome. Seriously, I just can't wait to see Mario and Koopas in a Tanuki suit again. Sure, this time it won't let mario fly, but it's still cool enough. I'm also enjoying the return of flagpoles, because there's no better way to end a Mario level than jumping high and getting a 1-Up. Plus, there are also a multitude of old mario references, such as a level where old 8-bit pictures of Mario characters form the floor, or the new take on the haunted houses, which are crawling with Boo's.

Well, I can say one thing, and that's if there's one game you could ask to get for christmas, let it be Super Mario 3D Land!