Released on 30/06/2006

• New Super Mario Bros. Review

  Dungaree'd-up fun on-the-go!

  It's over twenty years since Mario made his side-scrolling debut as Jumpman in the old Donkey Kong Game & Watch titles, and still a heck of a long time since we last saw a proper 2D Super Mario platformer. Nintendo, it seems, has finally twigged that gamers want to see Mario in all his retro glory - but, typically for the Big N, they've put an unexpected spin on things.

  Boasts brand new design, gameplay and graphical sensibilities.

  Cue New Super Mario Bros. on DS. The title is apt for a number of reasons. Sure, this is a good, old-fashioned Mario Bros. game… but it also boasts brand new design, gameplay and graphical sensibilities.

  The DS Difference

  Put your fears away, plumber lovers; this, unlike the DS remake of Mario 64, completely ignores the stylus control option and opts instead for a traditional D-pad/buttons setup. What that means is more left-to-right movement and butt-bopping, goomba-squashing action added to the same genius level design we've come to expect from the Myamoto-created series.

  butt-bopping, goomba-squashing action added to the same genius level design we've come to expect.

  It's not entirely old-school, however. Mario's established 2D conventions are presented here in parallel with some striking 3D visuals, fluid animation, an added array of moves, and a horde of novel new abilities. In fact, throughout the adventure you'll see the moustachioed maestro run, bounce, flip, fly, wall-jump, kick, punch, and, using one power-up, even grow to fill pretty much the entire screen (!). The touchscreen meanwhile is used to house spare power-ups, and sometimes the action will even transfer to it Sonic Rush style when the dungaree-wearing hero goes down one of those famous green pipes.

  If that's not enough, there'll be a bunch of minigames, and a novel wi-fi multiplayer mode where Mario and Luigi race to be the first across a level, using Mario Kart style power ups to foil each other's plans. In all, that rounds off what can only be labelled a stellar DS package, designed to sate the truly discerning Nintendo fan.

  Of course, it's still familiarly Mario at heart, so New Super Mario Bros may seem a bit basic to hard-nosed Nintendo haters; but for everyone else the the mix of old gameplay and new ideas makes New Super Mario Bros. amongst the best handheld games around.

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • Classic Mario gameplay with an added DS twist
  • Pretty darn attractive mix of 2D and 3D visuals
  • Fun multiplayer mode to boot

  

  

  • If you don't like old-skool Mario, this won't be for you
  • Doesn't reinvent platformers with a bright new control system (though some would say that's a good thing!)
  • The odd iffy boss battle

  Review by: Mark Scott
  Review Published: 06.07.07

  Published: 23/05/2006

• Popcorn and Joypads

  

  With Prince of Persia returning to consoles in the same month the Hollywood version hits the big screen, what better excuse to look back at how others have fared when games and films overlap?

  Prince of Persia

  The Game: Nimble, athletic acts of derring-do played out against a colourful Arabian Nights backdrop since 1989. The graphics have changed, but gameplay still focuses on the simple pleasures of swishy swordplay and stunts that laugh in the face of physics.

  The Movie: Based on the 2003 game, The Sands of Time, this shamelessly entertaining romp captures the daredevil thrills of the game perfectly, while inserting appropriate amounts of character and story. The yummy Jake Gyllenhaal and the yummier Gemma Arterton supply the eye candy and witty banter, while Ben Kingsley camps it up as the villainous Vizier.

  Verdict: Since the original game was inspired by Errol Flynn?s swashbuckling antics, Prince of Persia was always ripe for the movie treatment. Thankfully, they got it right.

  Street Fighter

  The Game: The fighting fan's franchise of choice for over twenty years, this venerable series continues to go from strength to strength with the superbly balanced refinement of Super Street Fighter IV, released last month. Crazy characters with sublime gameplay - it doesn?t get much better than this.

  The Movies: Oh dear. The 1994 movie version is terrible, but has at least taken on a certain cheesy charm over the years, if only for the bizarre pairing of Jean Claude Van Damme as Guile and Kylie Minogue as Cammy. The laughably bad 2009 movie slipped past cinemas and went straight to DVD, more dull than demented. For a truly faithful film experience, fans should stick to the Street Fighter II anime.

  Verdict: Bizarre characters smashing each other to a pulp should be perfect B-movie fodder, but the lack of plot combined with dense backstory keeps tripping Street Fighter up.

  Ghostbusters

  The Movie: A seminal combination of action, comedy and horror, the 1984 original is still one of the most enjoyable and quotable blockbusters around. The 1989 sequel repeats the formula to disappointing effect, but the cast manage to keep things lively even as the story droops into slimy sentimentality.

  The Game: There have been several Ghostbusters games over the years, but it wasn't until 2009 that we got something that truly recaptured the movie's unique tone. Having Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis on script duty helped, but getting the notoriously reluctant Bill Murray to return was a real coup. Strip away the fan-pleasing scenarios and dialogue and it's just another corridor shooter, but a shamelessly entertaining one all the same.

  Verdict: It took twenty five years, but the result was an affectionate game that expanded and honoured its source material rather than just exploiting it.

  Super Mario Bros

  The Games: Really? You need this explaining? The most successful videogame franchise in history. A catalogue of nigh perfect game design. A series that continues to inspire and innovate, whether its New Super Mario Bros on the DS or Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii. If you hate Mario, you have no soul. That?s science, people.

  The Movie: Urgh. Look away, children! Taking the bright, inviting worlds created by Miyamoto and drowning them in an oily mess of techno-grunge architecture and smug 1990s blockbusterisms, this is one of the worst films ever made. Bob Hoskins has the moustache and dungarees, but the film bears no resemblance to the games, either in quality or intent. Horrible.

  Verdict: Burn it with fire. The perfect videogame hero, Mario simply doesn't translate to live action. Never try this again, Hollywood.

  Resident Evil

  The Games: Bombastic sci-fi horror with a parade of tough cops and military types creeping around mansions and secret labs trying - and spectacularly failing - to contain the monster-making T-Virus. Since Resident Evil 4 the games have become more about action than atmosphere, much to the annoyance of some fans.

  The Movies: Well, they've got the sci fi and horror bits, and key characters from the games crop up occasionally, but this surprisingly hardy series exists more as an alternate off-shoot from the games than a literal translation. The lack of blood and guts is the number one complaint from fans used to brain-bursting headshots.

  Verdict: Both are as daft and camp as each other, but apart from sharing a title and some characters, there's not much connection between the two. Harmless dumb fun.

  Tomb Raider

  The Games: Posh girl Lara Croft travels the globe, locating ancient relics, battling supernatural forces and shooting endangered species while wearing the very latest in bottom-and-boob hugging outfits. Some would say her appeal has dimmed in recent years, as developers struggle to find new ways to do the same old thing, but she?s still a force to be reckoned with.

  The Movies: All the pieces are there, but the fact that both the Angelina Jolie-starring efforts have been average (and that's being generous) suggests that you need more than an ass-kicking babe and exotic locations to make a good movie.

  Verdict: The movies are accurate enough in translating all the important elements of Lara to the big screen, but her exploits are inevitably more interesting when you're controlling every leap and scramble.

• Super Mario hits his 25th birthday

  Super Mario hits his 25th birthday

  It's-a-me, Mario! This month sees Nintendo's greatest mascot Mario celebrating his 25th birthday, apparently. That's right! The plucky little plumber is a quarter of a century old.

  While Mario got his start as Jumpman in the arcade game Donkey Kong, it wasn't until Super Mario Bros for the NES that things really got cooking. The side-scroller is one of the greatest platform games ever made, and kickstarted a career that has seen him selling over 240 million games.

  "Stimulated by advancements in technologies, we have always enjoyed creating the Super Mario Bros. games," said Mario's creator, the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto. "The series has always taken advantage of the latest technological advancements and is the fruit of creativity of many of my hard-working friends working closely as a team."

  Mario's been a bit of a shape-shifter over the years, trying his hand at a variety of sports, such as with the excellent Mario Golf and Mario Strikers series, but what's been truly amazing is to watch the way that Nintendo has managed to keep his platforming spirit alive in the shift from two dimensions to three. If you don't believe us, check out Super Mario Galaxy 2, which is currently available for the Wii.

  Happy 25th birthday, Mario. We can't wait for the next 25, either.
  

• Super Mario originally had a gun!

  Super Mario originally had a gun!

  If you like Nintendo games half as much as we do, you could be forgiven for thinking you knew everything there was to know about the genesis of the company's plucky plumber, Super Mario. Wrong. Did you know he originally came with a gun?

  Believe. The news comes from Japan's Famitsu magazine, which interviewed Mario's dad, Shigeru Miyamoto, to tie in with the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. It turns out that, for a large part of the game's creation, he was packing a pistol!

  "During much of development, the controls were A for shoot bullets, B to dash, and up on the control pad to jump," says Miyamoto. "The bullets wound up becoming fireballs later - we originally thought about having a shoot 'em up stage where Mario jumps on a cloud and shoots at enemies, but we dropped it because we wanted to focus on jumping action. The sky-based bonus stages are the remnants of that idea, you could say. In the end, we realised that being able to shoot all the fireballs you want while running gave Mario too much of an advantage, so instead we had it so you shoot only one fireball when you start running."

  Totally weird. If it's been a while since you played Super Mario Bros, incidentally, why not pick up the compilation pack when Super Mario All-Stars: 25th Anniversary Edition hits the Wii on 3rd December?
  

• Super Mario headed for the 3DS

  It's obvious, but it's still good to hear: Nintendo's already working on a Super Mario game for the 3DS. Phew!

  The news came from Mario's daddy, Shigeru Miyamoto, speaking on Iwata Asks - thanks, Eurogamer. The legendary designer announced, "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."

  He didn't offer any further details, but he did expand on a comment of Mario co-creator Takashi Tezuka's, suggesting that Mario must always be family friendly. "I think Tezuka-san is exactly right about making something that families can enjoy together," he said, "but I also think it's important to always use the most advanced technology for Mario in order to create something no one has ever seen before. Of course, it's important to make sure people still say things like "Falling down the holes is the most fun!" but something new is necessary for other aspects of the games, and it's those new elements that make a Super Mario Bros. game what it is."

  With no news of a date, this is one we're probably going to have to wait for - but it will be worth it.

• What has Mario got planned in 2012?

  2011 has been a fantastic year for gaming most recognisable face, Nintendo Mario, and 2012 looks set to be another. From platforming to kart racing, tennis, Olympic sports, role playing and party games, the portly yet agile plumber is clearly a highly versatile character who can do it all. Here, GAME takes a look back at a couple of the best Mario games from this year, in case you missed them, and looks ahead to some of 2012 undoubted highlights.

  3DS hasn exactly been lacking in quality games in its first year on the market, but the arrival of Super Mario Land 3D (3DS) in November and the launch of Mario Kart 7 earlier this month have really made the portable console a must own system. Mixing the best elements of older Mario games with new ideas and technology, the former is perhaps best described as a blend of the more straightforward, accessible 2D Super Mario Bros. games for Wii and DS and Wii more challenging 3D Super Mario Galaxy titles. Its magical worlds are essentially made up of left to right dashes through obstacle courses, which see players running, jumping, hovering and gliding to master the environments with the aim of reaching a flagpole at the end of each level. With simple, intuitive controls, it instantly accessible and there always a clear path to completing each stage, usually littered with coins to collect, question blocks to bump and enemies to stomp. But Mario can also wander around a little in the game 3D environments, and only explorers and the most skilled players will locate all of the secret areas, items and unlockables ingeniously hidden away in the expertly designed levels.

  Mario Kart 7 is another must-play title for newcomers and series veterans alike, mixing old and new to great effect too. It offers 16 new courses and 16 classic ones from older MK games for players to compete on, all based on environments and characters from Nintendo Mushroom Kingdom. The best showcase of the console's 3D screen yet, theye absolutely gorgeous to look at and just as well designed, featuring exciting new airborne and underwater sections to compliment the on-track action. With basic accelerate, brake, fire and jump buttons, the game easy enough that anyone can pick it up and play instantly, but itl take months of practice to master the multi-route tracks, learn all of the shortcuts and become an online karting king.

  Looking ahead to 2012, Mario will be joined by a host of Nintendo stablemates as well as characters from Square Enix popular Dragon Quest series in January release Boom Street (Wii). A Monopoly-style board game that challenges players to play the real estate and stock markets to win,here are 27 characters to choose from 13 from Mario games, 13 from Dragon Quest and your Mii and over 15 boards based on memorable areas from each series, with different shapes and layouts providing loads of replay value. Players race around the board trying to accumulate wealth and hit a target value while buying, selling and trading property to see who can be the first to cash out, and with both beginner and advanced settings, it could be the perfect game to get the family huddled round the telly on those cold winter nights.

  Mario Tennis (3DS) also looks set to be a smash hit next year. If previous games in the series are anything to go by, itl do its best to nail the balance between realism and zany, fast-paced tennis action starring all of your favourite Mushroom Kingdom characters, as well as a few surprise ones. Wee expecting a mixture of tactical tennis gameplay, special moves and plenty of mini-games that should make a great title for Mario and sports fans alike.

  Mario and friends, including Sega favourites like Sonic the Hedgehog, will keep things physical in Mario & Sonic At The London 2012 Olympics on the Nintendo 3DS, which launches in February 2012. Players will go for gold in over 50 Olympic events that make full use of the handheld different control methods, serving up a wide variety of ways to play. Competing for the top of the podium alone or in head-to-head games with friends, players will frantically slide the Circle Pad round and round to row, tilt the system to keep their balance on the beam, and blow into the microphone to keep breathing at the right time while swimming.

  Also in 2012, players will see the moustachioed, genre-hopping plumber embark on an exciting new role playing adventure in Paper Mario also on the Nintendo 3DS. It will feature frantic, turn-based battles set in a colourful and varied 3D world that takes in weapons, locations and items from Mario past and present,. It will also require clever strategic use of a range of ability-giving stickers, which can be used to carry out attacks on enemies or to fill in missing parts of the levels.
  

  Published: 21/12/2011

• New Super Mario Bros 2 - Review

  
  

  

  Familiar feel

  New Super Mario Bros. 2 doesn't deviate greatly from the formula established in past entries in the New Super Mario Bros series on DS and Wii. It's a side-scrolling platform game in which you travel through the Mushroom Kingdom on a quest to rescue Princess Peach from Mario's nemesis Bowser, collecting coins and jumping on enemies as you go.

  Much of it will feel familiar to anyone who has played one of the older titles, from the themed worlds you explore to the bosses you fight, but you can now collect three large hidden coins in each level to unlock extra ones, and as they're often tucked away in hard-to-reach locations this rewards skill in an otherwise rather easy game.

  Gold rush

  Another new element is the title's increased focus on coin collecting. As ever, amassing 100 grants you an extra life (half-decent players will be swimming in lives by the midway point), but they also act as an overarching high score. The game logs every single coin you collect, even across multiple save files, and lets you compare your total to that of passers-by using the 3DS StreetPass system.

  The game's coin obsession culminates in a new Coin Rush mode. With one life, and against a time limit, you have to collect as many coins as possible across three randomly selected stages taken from the main game. Again, your total number of coins collected will be recorded and compared with fellow players' over StreetPass.

  

  Suits you

  The game features a number of power-ups that give you special abilities, like a powerful golden mushroom that lets you unleash fireballs that turn everything into coins, a brick-hat that sits on Mario's head spewing out coins every second it's still attached, and a flight-capable raccoon suit which enables you to reach airborne platforms full of coins, pull off crafty shortcuts, and whip nearby enemies with its tail.

  Mushrooms increase your size and power, while invincibility stars make you temporarily invulnerable. The game also offers you a gilded racoon suit with the power of invincibility after you've died a few times in quick succession to make things easier for novices, although it does nothing to help avoid deaths by sheer drop.

  

  Co-op fun

  Perhaps the biggest new addition to the game is a co-operative mode which lets another player with their own copy of the title play alongside you as Mario's brother Luigi. It's a great option to have, although players are required to stay in close proximity to one another (stray too far and you'll be turned into a bubble and sent back to your partner). While this was understandable in New Super Mario Bros' Wii co-op mode, in which players shared a TV screen, it seems unnecessary to limit freedom of movement when each player has their own 3DS.

  With the last two New Super Mario Bros games having sold over 50 million copies between them, it might be unsurprising that Nintendo's not keen to take many risks with an established formula, but years of being spoilt mean we've come to expect more than straight sequels from Mario games. It's therefore a little disappointing that the series doesn't feel like it has progressed as much as it could have since the original NSMB title hit DS six years ago.

  But even a lesser Mario game remains an incredible title - it may play things safe, but all that it does it achieves masterfully. The physics and level design are so fine-tuned, and the overall gameplay so responsive and intuitive, that this is the best side-scrolling platformer available on 3DS, and a game that everyone should really play.

  GAME's verdict:

  The Good

  • Accessible, top quality platforming.
    
  • Some fantastic level design.
    
  • Co-op is a welcome addition.

  The Bad

  • Could be more adventurous in terms of new ideas.
    
  • Co-op mode could offer more freedom of movement.
    
  • Not the most impressive use of 3D.

  
  

  Published: 08/08/2012

• Popcorn and Joysticks - GAME goes to the movies!

  
  

  With Prince of Persia returning to consoles in the very same month the Hollywood version hits the big screen, what better excuse to look back at how others have fared when games and films overlap?

  

  Prince of Persia

  The Game: Nimble, athletic acts of derring-do played out against a colourful Arabian Nights backdrop since 1989. The graphics have changed, but gameplay still focuses on the simple pleasures of swishy swordplay and stunts that laugh in the face of physics.

  The Movie: Based on the 2003 game, The Sands of Time, this shamelessly entertaining romp captures the daredevil thrills of the game perfectly, while inserting appropriate amounts of character and story. The yummy Jake Gyllenhaal and the yummier Gemma Arterton supply the eye candy and witty banter, while Ben Kingsley camps it up as the villainous Vizier.

  Verdict: Since the original game was inspired by Errol Flynn's swashbuckling antics, Prince of Persia was always ripe for the movie treatment. Thankfully, they got it right.

  

  Street Fighter

  The Game: The fighting fan's franchise of choice for over twenty years, this venerable series continues to go from strength to strength with the superbly balanced refinement of Super Street Fighter IV, released last month. Crazy characters with sublime gameplay - it doesn?t get much better than this.

  The Movies: Oh dear. The 1994 movie version is terrible, but has at least taken on a certain cheesy charm over the years, if only for the bizarre pairing of Jean Claude Van Damme as Guile and Kylie Minogue as Cammy. The laughably bad 2009 movie slipped past cinemas and went straight to DVD, more dull than demented. For a truly faithful film experience, fans should stick to the Street Fighter II anime.

  Verdict: Bizarre characters smashing each other to a pulp should be perfect B-movie fodder, but the lack of plot combined with dense backstory keeps tripping Street Fighter up.

  

  Ghostbusters

  The Movie: A seminal combination of action, comedy and horror, the 1984 original is still one of the most enjoyable and quotable blockbusters around. The 1989 sequel repeats the formula to disappointing effect, but the cast manage to keep things lively even as the story droops into slimy sentimentality.

  The Game: There have been several Ghostbusters games over the years, but it wasn't until 2009 that we got something that truly recaptured the movie's unique tone. Having Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis on script duty helped, but getting the notoriously reluctant Bill Murray to return was a real coup. Strip away the fan-pleasing scenarios and dialogue and it's just another corridor shooter, but a shamelessly entertaining one all the same.

  Verdict: It took twenty five years, but the result was an affectionate game that expanded and honoured its source material rather than just exploiting it.

  

  Super Mario Bros

  The Games: Really? You need this explaining? The most successful videogame franchise in history. A catalogue of nigh perfect game design. A series that continues to inspire and innovate, whether its New Super Mario Bros on the DS or Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii. If you hate Mario, you have no soul. That?s science, people.

  The Movie: Urgh. Look away, children! Taking the bright, inviting worlds created by Miyamoto and drowning them in an oily mess of techno-grunge architecture and smug 1990s blockbusterisms, this is one of the worst films ever made. Bob Hoskins has the moustache and dungarees, but the film bears no resemblance to the games, either in quality or intent. Horrible.

  Verdict: Burn it with fire. The perfect videogame hero, Mario simply doesn't translate to live action. Never try this again, Hollywood.

  

  Resident Evil

  The Games: Bombastic sci-fi horror with a parade of tough cops and military types creeping around mansions and secret labs trying - and spectacularly failing - to contain the monster-making T-Virus. Since Resident Evil 4 the games have become more about action than atmosphere, much to the annoyance of some fans.

  The Movies: Well, they've got the sci fi and horror bits, and key characters from the games crop up occasionally, but this surprisingly hardy series exists more as an alternate off-shoot from the games than a literal translation. The lack of blood and guts is the number one complaint from fans used to brain-bursting headshots.

  Verdict: Both are as daft and camp as each other, but apart from sharing a title and some characters, there's not much connection between the two. Harmless dumb fun.

  

  Tomb Raider

  The Games: Posh girl Lara Croft travels the globe, locating ancient relics, battling supernatural forces and shooting endangered species while wearing the very latest in bottom-and-boob hugging outfits. Some would say her appeal has dimmed in recent years, as developers struggle to find new ways to do the same old thing, but she's still a force to be reckoned with.

  The Movies: All the pieces are there, but the fact that both the Angelina Jolie-starring efforts have been average (and that's being generous) suggests that you need more than an ass-kicking babe and exotic locations to make a good movie.

  Verdict: The movies are accurate enough in translating all the important elements of Lara to the big screen, but her exploits are inevitably more interesting when you're controlling every leap and scramble.

  Published: 18/05/2010

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