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-

Super Mario 3D Land AND Skyward Sword

Today is a lucky day for Australian fans of Nintendo (like me) as it marks the release of Super Mario 3D Land as well as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on Australian shores. I know what you're thinking, and yes, Australia is late. While people in the UK and USA have already finished these games, they only just came out in Australia. That is why I placed my order on Skyward Sword from the UK. (But it still hasn't arrived yet!!!).

Anyway, my point is now is a great time to be a Nintendo fan as the latest and best Zelda game arrives almost simultaneously to the 3DS's first killer game from Nintendo that isn't a port!

So, I hope you guys have fun with these games, and I hope my shipment comes soon!

PETA Anti-Mario Campaign Was a Joke?

If you've been keeping up with Mario news recently, you might have noticed that PETA has made a campaign against Mario wearing a Tanooki suit, saying that it encourages fur trade for Tanookis in Japan.

Of course, most people who have read about this are just thinking "It's just Mario, a game. How could it encourage fur trade?" Well, PETA responded today stating-

Mario fans: Relax! PETA’s game was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a fun way to call attention to a serious issue, that raccoon dogs are skinned alive for their fur. We wish real-life tanukis could fly or swat enemies away with their tails and escape from those who profit from their skins. You can help them by never buying real fur.

But still, I thought this whole venture was a bit mean to Mario!

Mario Pictures on Tumblr

Recently, as you may be aware, I started partially running this blog on Tumblr. Well, I have found some nice pictures of Mario there- Here are some of them!

From- http://flyingmouse365.tumblr.com/

From- http://slimemansion.com

From- http://www.gamememo.com 

Also from GameMemo

Rayman VS Mario, Who's The Real Winner?

If you remember, a while back I created a face-off between Mario and Rayman, foreseeing the winner. Well, now both Super Mario 3D Land and Rayman Origins have been reviewed by IGN, and that means I will be comparing the two in different game aspects-

Graphics- SM3DL has what is arguably the best graphics on the 3DS, which creates a nice, neat game. Meanwhile, Rayman Origins has one of the most interesting and unique artstyles ever, making it just above Mario in this aspect.
Winner- Rayman!

looks better in 3D!

Sound- In Rayman Origins the music track almost perfectly matches the gameplay, and includes some catchy tunes. However, the constant babbling from secondary characters can get annoying. Super Mario 3D Land, however, has an outstanding array of sound effects and old and new music that make this game have one of the most catchy soundtracks in any platformer to date.
Winner- Mario!

Gameplay- Whereas Rayman boasts co-op play and hilarious moves, Super Mario 3D Land has the most addicting and fun game mechanics of any other Mario handheld game to date, and that is saying something!
Winner- Mario!

Did I forget to mention that you can slap your friends?

Lasting Appeal- Rayman Origins offers tons of replayability to have with your mates with numerous amounts of collectibles, however Super Mario 3D Land has a sheer mass of levels! And, with added Streetpass connectivity, it is one of the most replayable games in the Mario series, making this a clear winner.
Winner- Mario!


Winner- Although its graphics will never match Rayman Origin's, Super Mario 3D Land has managed to  trump its competitor in all other categories, making it a must-have for the 3DS. So, therefore, let me say this battle is over and the winner is Super Mario 3D Land!

Super Mario 3D Land Trailers!

Now, there are a lot of Mario trailers out there, and some of them are nice, but others are just plain repetitive. And so you don''t have to look at all of them, I have decided to post the best 3.

Also, if you're pressed for time, just watch all three at once!

Mario 3d Land VS Rayman Origins

As most platformer fans know, there are two highly anticipated platformer games coming out in time for Christmas this year. So, who will win- the colourful Rayman Origins or the nostalgic Super Mario 3D Land? Only time will tell... or an OLD FASHIONED FACE-OFF!

In the left corner...                          MARIO!

Being arguably the world's most recognised video game characters, it is nearly impossible that you have never heard of him before. It would also be hard to compete with him, as nearly all of his games have been both commercial and critical successes! In his new game, Super Mario 3D Land, he has a boomerang power-up and he isn't afraid to use it. Add a tanooki tail, old fashioned gameplay and flagpoles and you have one tough opponent.


And in the right corner...                RAYMAN!

After all this talk about Mario, it must seem like the winner has already been decided, but Rayman never backs down from a fight. He's got a few moves up his sleeve as well, which make up for his lack of limbs. As shown in his countless "10 Ways to..." videos that are all over the internet, he is not lacking in style. Wimpy as he looks, he has an ace of cards- Multiplayer! One of the only things Super Mario 3D Land is missing!


So, now to announce the winner. Who's the winning character? Well, my answer is-

Super Mario 3D Land

Well, this is a Mario blog, so it would be weird to recommend another character's game! But if you are into multiplayer mayhem then Rayman Origins is well worth a look at!

75% of voters looking forward to Super Mario 3D Land

The votes are in and it seems that 75% of people who read this blog are excited about Super Mario 3D Land! And, to the 25% who aren't, let me quote Reggie Fils-Aime (Nintendo America President) and say "what's wrong with you". Lol, to see where I got that from click here.

Reggie in full arrogance = a force to be reckoned with!

Why You Should Pre-Order Super Mario 3D Land

It's only a matter of days until Super Mario 3D Land is released in Japan, and it is shaping up to be a must-have game. Here's the top 5 reasons to pre-order it-

1. It's got Luigi in it! Which means more fun for your buck, and another character with different abilities to master!
2. Special Stages! Means more challenges, more fun! The game's development team has said it has almost as many special stages as normal ones!
3. Tanooki Suit! Mario can flutter jump, spin and even turn into stone in that suit!
4. It's in 3D! Just another gimmick to help you to finally make the decision to buy it!
5. It's Mario! How else can you explain it? Mario games = awesome. No Exceptions!

So, what do you think? Rushing off to pre-order it already? Because if you aren't then... well... WHY WOULDN'T YOU?

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!

The Right Time to Buy a 3DS!

Well, Nintendo might be having financial issues, but don't put you off, the 3DS is actually a decent console at a very decent price cut! And, with games such as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 coming soon to the console, now is the right time to buy it!

Come on, just get one, for Mario's sake!

Super Mario 3DS is back to the basics?

Well, according to it's developers, Super Mario 3DS is taking Mario back to the basics. Although, is that good or bad? I, for one, actually really enjoyed Mario Sunshine with it's complex gameplay systems, but Nintendo says SM3DS probably wont even have a hub world! At least the levels are still looking entertaining. It's still a bit mad that, even though the game is coming out at the end of this year, Nintendo has hardly let loose any details about it...

Hate Mail

OK, this might not seem like a reasonable update t this blog as a whole, but I just want to express my pure hatred for that one person who DID NOT say they were looking forward to Super Mario 3DS...

Oh, and on the brighter side, Nintendo has announced a 3DS price drop, which means I'm a bit annoyed that I purchased one early on. Although, thanks to the "ambassador program" I do get 20 free virtual console games, a lot of them featuring MARIO!!! Too bad I've already played half of them.