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Why aren't we sick of Mario?
Let's face it, Mario is a video game geriatric. The Italian plumber has been around for 26 years, ever since he had a role as "Jumpman" in the Donkey Kong arcade game. He may not be as hip as Big Daddy or Master Chief, but that doesn't mean we love him any less. If anything, it only makes us love him more. As the debut of Super Mario Galaxy inches closer and closer, we can only be certain of one thing: it's going to do well. In fact, we'd go so far as to estimate it will sell a ridiculous amount (you heard it here first!). But, the question is, why? Why are red-blooded Nintendo fans so in love with Mario games?Fortunately, the folks over at GameDaily have taken it upon themselves to answer this question, with a list of "Ten Reasons Mario Games Never Get Old." Our favorite reason on the list? His outfits!"Whether hopping around in a frog suit or donning a bee suit like an extra from Blind Melon's 'No Rain' video, Mario's got quite a wardrobe. The helpful abilities that come with them are definitely handy for beating enemies." After checking out the list, be sure to tell us your own reasons for loving the iconic Nintendo franchise after all these years.
Well, look who decided to show up in Super Mario Galaxy
For all you delicate types trying to avoid any spoilers or information regarding the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy, we recommend that you stay away from the internet until November 12. For the rest of you who are dying to know who makes a cameo in the game (and perhaps has a larger role?), then check out the pictures and video after the jump.We're pretty stoked, but what are your thoughts? Happy? Indifferent? Not surprised at all?Spoilers ahead!
New Japanese SMG trailer: Every second delicious
At this rate, by the time Super Mario Galaxy hits stores this November 12th, we'll have seen every pixel of the platformer already via internet videos. If that grim future sickens you, compelling you to avoid all future Super Mario Galaxy previews, make sure to stay that self-imposed moratorium until after you watch this new Japanese trailer. If you need us for anything, we'll be busy creating an alternate version of the movie, replacing the audio track with 'N Sync's "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You." This is what we do every Friday night.[Via NeoGAF]
SMG video update: Powerups, galaxies, and a live orchestra
The Super Mario Galaxy media frenzy continues with a bucketful of new videos. Naturally, we're emptying that bucket over your head, partly to douse you with fresh movies, but mostly for comedic effect.You'll find the streaming clips in the Japanese site's powerups and galaxies sections, yelling out with orange word balloons, "New!" You can watch them past the post break, too. Also on the list of updates for today, the third volume of Iwata Asks (Super Mario Galaxy edition) has some great footage of a live orchestra recording one of the game's songs while Koji Kondo and Shigeru Miyamoto watch, an overturned tea table likely nearby. According to the interview, 28 tracks in all have been recorded by the orchestra.It's likely just us -- in fact, we're sure of it -- but there's something about Super Mario Galaxy's main theme that reminds us of the Perfect Strangers opening credits, particularly the part where the song crescendos, "Staaanding tall!" Also, the action-platformer's music makes us break out into the "Dance of Joy" whenever we hear it, causing us to jump into the arms of anyone nearby. It's really quite embarrassing for everyone involved.
New areas and wild jumps shown for Super Mario Galaxy
Localization producer Nate Bihldorf demoed Super Mario Galaxy for MTV's Stephen Totilo last week, promising to show us all something new in the much-anticipated platformer. The resultant clip embedded above has Mario roaming around a sidescroller-ish alternate path in the Good Egg Galaxy and messing with gravitational pulls (Check out the extended jump at the three-minute mark!). Stephen makes sure to jokingly ask during the presentation, "Now, was this part also stolen from Ratchet and Clank?" Nate laughs off the reference to Insomniac's claim that SMG's spherical worlds were directly inspired by the Ratchet and Clank series, but explains that he hasn't heard the accusations.As usual, we've got more past the post break. Hustle on over there for a short video of what happens when you drop down the pipe of a smaller planet.
Super Mario Galaxy video shows off new power-ups, manta rays
If you've been doing your best to dodge any mention of Super Mario Galaxy's four unrevealed power-ups, hoping to keep yourself pure until that first night with the game, make sure to watch no further than the 1:33 mark on the above video. Of course, you could avoid the movie altogether, but you'd miss out on not only its fantastic music and footage, but a clip of Mario walking on a floating ice cream cone! Skip to 2:26 to see Mario getting around while balancing on top of a ball and riding a manta ray.Though we talked about at least two of the "new" power-ups before, the other two are a complete surprise, and we can't wait to see what we can do with them and how the planets have been built to accommodate these added abilities.
E307: SMG developer walkthrough - Stardust Galaxy
This latest Super Mario Galaxy video doesn't introduce any new outfits like the last developer walkthrough, but it does demonstrate star-hopping, gravity tricks, and other essential skills for traveling in this 3D platformer. The latter half of this two-minute movie even features that curious portion of the E3 trailer in which the level builds itself as Mario moves around.How will we make it to November 12th without our heads exploding from all this exciting media? Collect five star shards and fly past the post break for the embedded video.%Gallery-4735%
E307: SMG developer walkthrough - Honey Bee Galaxy
Of all the scenes we spotted in yesterday's Super Mario Galaxy trailer, the ones that excited us most were the moments we saw our mustachioed protagonist bedecked in his bee and Boo outfits. Tears of joy came to our eyes, salty with the nostalgia of Super Mario Bros. 3's frog suit, raccoon leaf, and other fondly-remembered power-ups.GameTrailers has a six-minute developer walkthrough of Honey Bee Galaxy, explaining the game's two-player mechanics and Mario's bee apparel along the way. Buzz past the post break for the video honeypot and an awkward clip in which Mario gropes a distressed queen bee.See also: Hands-on with Super Mario Galaxy
Conjecture Countdown: 12 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true. Rumor: Super Mario Galaxy has been cancelled so the team could be put to work on a higher-priority project: a DS birdwatching non-game.
