...He's been reincarnated in various forms and formats but this time the Mario that we all know and love has been resurrected in true classic, plaforming action in the latest DS game, New Super Mario bros.

New Super Mario bros. returns to Mario's roots. We haven't seen a Mario game like this in over 15 years, and even longer if you consider that the N64 version was rendered in 3D. This version is a 2D side-scroller but it does incorporate some excellent 3D graphics. Mario is rendered in 3D as are many of the enemies and environments, although you can't explore them like you could in the N64 version.

Right from the first few seconds of play you can tell that you're in for a good time. The game just reeks of quality. It looks great, sounds like nostalgia, responds brilliantly and is great fun - and that's just the first minute of game play. You can tell that Nintendo has done their homework on this game. It retains the look and feel of the side-scrolling Super Mario bros. series but manages to update and upgrade it with new moves, enemies, booby traps, puzzles, bonuses and secrets so that you will always be mindful that you are playing a new game and not some reheated rehash. There are plenty of nods to its heritage, including goombas, Koopas, question mark blocks and flagpole jumping at the end of levels but these are classic elements that I believe must be included to give us a sense of familiarity. Maybe this wouldn't have worked five or ten years ago, but enough time has passed so that we don't perceive these elements as hackneyed.

With today's games we tend to take the storylines too seriously, when in reality the story can't fix a terrible game. The Super Mario bros. storyline is about as basic as they come, and we don't really expect it to be any different. Come to think of it, it doesn't need to be any different. It's all laid out for us. Are mission is to rescue to Princess from the clutches of Bowser, in this case, Bowser Jr. He's kidnapped her and taken her ...more

Christmas Gift Ideas - Video Games

...and it's even fun to watch.

2. BioShock is a completely different game. I call it the scariest game I've ever seen on a console, sure I lead a somewhat sheltered life, but I think that BioShock got everything right in this genre. It's a Zombie horror-fest with lots of twists and turns, excellent graphics and game play.

3. Gears of War - The first thing I heard about Halo 3 was that it wasn't as good as Gears of War. GoW is a tactical fighter, you need to think to play Gears of war, it's more like America's Army than say Quake. It's about time that all of these "war" type games got realistic, after all in real battle it only takes one bullet to kill you.

There you have it, a list of some very good games available for this Christmas. Of course every person has their favorite games and I'm sure that there will be some people who's favorite didn't make this list, but the list is a good starting point, especially if there is a gamer on your list and you don't play yourself.<...more

The Best Nintendo Wii Downloads

... If you search Google.com for Nintento Wii game downloads, you will find thousands of results, but how can you tell which site can be trusted and will not be full of viruses. Plus, you want the site with the best quality games and newest releases.

With all the potential downloads, it is now possible to make your Nintendo Wii into a home entertainment system. Great Wi...more

Super Mario Galaxy - Hands-On (Wii, E3 07)

...The first thing I saw as I walked into the Barker Hanger at E3 07 was Super Mario Galaxy at Nintendos station. I quickly snatched a controller, and I started off as the smiling plumber standing on a rather small planetoid in the Honey Comb Galaxy. The spherical planetoid was populated with honey bees. The point of each planetoid is to find the giant star so you can warp to the next world.

Before I continue, let me give you a brief description of how the game is se...more

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