Every Fourth of July, Americans proudly celebrate the casting-off of British oppression by doing what we do best: staring at explosions. ... » Read More

20 Apr 2009

The Top 7… greenest games

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

How noble, the human species! Once a year we selflessly take a break from wrapping products in toxic plastics and burning piles of old tires to appease this stupid, stupid planet we live on. How dare it demand more trees, breathable air and animals that don’t choke to death on our trash? ... » Read More

14 Apr 2009

13 greatest enemies that are also round

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

There are enemies that are circular, and there are enemies that aren’t circular. These are the ones that are circular. Euclidian geometry defines circles as the points on a plane which are the same distance from another point called the center, got it? That’s awesome. There is no geometric definition for enemies, but if there was it would define them as the guys that kill you. ... » Read More

3 Apr 2009

Which version of Mario is the best version of...

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

Earlier in the week, we published an article showing some 50 versions of Sonic the Hedgehog to see which one is the 'best' to play as. But you can't do one without the other, so here are nearly 70 versions of Mario for your eyes to boggle at. ... » Read More

26 Feb 2009

Videogames versus the real world – second...

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

Breaking news! Toad isn’t actually a toad... street fighting doesn’t involve fireballs… guns rarely come with chainsaws attached… and a theoretical physicist has never spent his scientific career smashing zombie head crabs with a blood-soaked crowbar. As we demonstrated last week, however, the real world would be a hell of a lot more interesting if any of the above was true. ... » Read More

24 Feb 2009

Mario's endless supply of costumes

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

Mario has a very defined look: brown shoes, blue overalls, red shirt, a matching red hat with an "M" over the bill and white gloves. It's a look seen in dozens of games and a third-world economy's worth of merchandise. But even with such an established character, at the heart of Mario's history and appeal is his parade of different outfits. ... » Read More

14 Jan 2009

The many faces of Mario

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

It’s a frequently cited fact that Mario is more recognized worldwide than Mickey Mouse (whoever that is), meaning everyone everywhere should know what he looks like, even if his official look has matured over the years. ... » Read More

8 Oct 2008

The ever-changing sizes of Mario and Bowser

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

It’s no surprise Nintendo would alter Mario and Bowser as time wears on, especially when their first appearances are crude sprites that barely convey what they’re supposed to be. If you study the duo’s evolution over the course of 23 years, it’s just plain funny how much Bowser has shifted sizes, from roughly comparable to Mario to Godzilla-sized beast of fury. ... » Read More

9 Jan 2008

The Sexual Politics Of The Mushroom Kingdom

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

9th Dec, 2008 Just what in the hell is going on with Mario and Peach? It was so simple back in the old NES days of Super Mario Bros. She got herself kidnapped, he went after her with the help of Luigi, and all ended happily ever after. Or so we thought. The thing is that it didn't really. It's become ever more apparent that since that first rescue things have only ever got messier, dirtier and more manipulative in their relationship. Far from the innocent damsel and hero set-up that appeared ... » Read More

4 Jun 2007

100 Deaths of Mario

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

If you have a thing for the grim and morbid, then you'll feel right at home as we've dug up 100 deaths of our beloved Mario. You should know, however, that these deaths do not make up every death Mario's succumbed to in the last 26 years. That would just be too much for us - the bereaved - to handle. Grab a hanky and ... » Read More

7 Mar 2007

The games that shaped a generation: GameCube

GC Feature | Super Mario Sunshine

15. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Nintendo | Nintendo | 2003 So what if this mascot racer feels a lot like its predecessors? The fast and frantic gameplay is still perfect What made it so great? Double Dash didn't revolutionize the Mario Kart franchise like many hoped it would, but the improvements here go beyond surface deep. The character and vehicle selection is huge, the new weapons are appropriately insane complements to returning classics and the tracks themselves have never been this ... » Read More

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