You've probably heard people use the term "platformer" to describe games that involve running, jumping and item-grabbing. The first Super Mario Bros. defined that genre, and after an extended absence, the plumber brothers are out to save Princess Peach once again. After some hands-on time with the, um, literally titled New Super Mario Bros., we're ready to believe those two haven't missed a beat. It's the sense of exploration that makes these Mario games so damn fun. Even though you're ...
» Read More

New Super Mario Bros. may not have the most creative name, but after just a few minutes with the classic platforming action made our eyes tear up with nostalgia. Before we head off to E3 for all of next week (where you'll see even more info on this title, plus a boatload of others), we're posting a quick runthrough of Mario's new adventure. Just click on the videos tab up above for a look at the first world, including Bowser's untimely, gruesome demise. May 5, ...
» Read More

Thursday 13 April 2006 Mario and Luigi return to DS this summer in New Super Mario Bros, complete with a selection of minigames for some four-player WiFi action - and we've come up with some brand new screens to show you what to expect. There's also a bunch of new images showing the single-player game, with underwater levels, Bowser boss battles and super-sized Mario powerups. Just navigate your eyes to the top of this page and click the image tab to see the pretty ...
» Read More

Wednesday 5 April 2006 It's official: Japan gets all the coolest stuff. If you need confirmation, just tilt your head and check out the image below. Yup, it's a sheet of Super Mario Bros stamps that our lucky Japanese friends will soon be able to lick and stick or - more likely - covet and cherish for all time. As if the sheet of 10 stamps inspired by the SNES classic weren't desirable enough on their own, they also come in a special Super Mario Bros case. It's like a tiny papery Christmas ...
» Read More

An entire generation of kiddies has grown up, graduated high school and moved on to careers since Mario and Luigi last graced the world with their platforming presence. The Super NES' pack-in game, Super Mario World, dropped in 1991 and remains the "newest" original title of the Bros. resume ... until May 15 that is. Nintendo's slipped out some shiny new screens of New Super Mario Bros. that show off some of the single-player areas Mario will tread through. They all look familiar in frozen, ...
» Read More

Here's a duo of images for New Super Mario Bros, the platforming plumber's handheld outing, which show just how the DS touch screen will be used while smashing, stomping and leaping through the nostalgia-tastic 2D levels. The touch screen works as a scoreboard and inventory, and you can select power-ups with the stylus for instant mushroom energy. There's also a progress bar to flag up Mario and Luigi's position in the level - great for tracking a wireless rival as you race through the levels ...
» Read More

Wednesday 19 July 2006 Rising Star Games is bringing back platformer New Zealand Story in the form of a DS game due for release later this year. New Zealand Story is a Taito game that was released in 1988 and stars a young kiwi bird called Tiki who takes on the task of saving her wildlife friends from an evil leopard seal. The game is set in various New Zealand locations such as Auckland and Wellington. The DS game is called New Zealand Story Revolution and tells the same story as the ...
» Read More

411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Oboro Muramasa, Suggoi! Arcana Heart 2, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, Hammerin' Hero, Professor Heinz Wolff's Gravity, and Rhythm Heaven.
» Read More 

411mania gives a rundown on this week's game releases. Highlights include The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity, DJ Max Fever, and Ninja Blade.

The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity
"Despite still being in pre-alpha, the glimpse that I got of The Chase at last year's E3 was already looking pretty good. Unfortunately, more high-profile 2D platformers like Mega Man 9, Bionic Commando, and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia were getting most of the attention. So, it's understandable that this game was overlooked."

DJ Max Fever
"What's surprising is that PM Studios decided not to follow in Konami's footsteps by bastardizing the series with crappy songs from 2nd-tier US bands that nobody has ever heard of. Granted, most of the people who pick this up will not have heard of any of its songs either, but one of the game's main strengths is its song selection, and changing what works would kill the series before it has a chance to plant its feet."

Ninja Blade
"Ninja Blade is a 'Cinematic Action' game developed by the people who brought us the Otogi series"
"It looks to be a cross between Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, Heavenly Sword, God of War, and Onimusha."
» Read More 

A large number of Team Ninja employees are reported to have left Tecmo following Itagaki's walkout earlier this month, according to rumours.

It is reported that "as many as three dozen" Team Ninja employees have done a runner and, to make things worse for Tecmo, also plan to take the company to court over unpaid bonuses for completed games.

Things got nasty early this month when Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu ...

» Read More