GamesRadar - Mario Kart Wii

Luigi: A life in the shadows (Feature)

Nov 18, 2009

It's safe to say that Mario is still the most famous game character in the world, and when a new game comes out, it will sell millions. But with the release of New Super Mario Bros Wii drawing fresh attention to Mario, we'd like to focus on the other, less-famous Mario brother and let you understand his virtual life. Though often featured in some of the greatest games of all time, Luigi mostly stands back while Mario takes all the credit. ...

Which real-life moustachioed man looks most like Mario? (Feature)

Nov 5, 2009

Does having a moustache instantly put you in the category of Mario lookalike? That's today's burning question. And we're going to answer it. Right here. Right now. To find out, we took 20 images of famous real-life men with moustaches and stuck Mario's hat on them. But before we share the results of our Photoshop experiment, let's have a close look at the Nintendo mascot's trademark 'tache.

Mario's moustache: A close ...

The rise and fall of the mine cart level (Feature)

Nov 2, 2009

The art, science, and tragic history of the greatest gaming innovation known to man. ...

What if Niko Bellic was in Mario Kart? (Feature)

Sep 16, 2009

So what would happen if amoral Balkan sociopath Niko Bellic was in everyone's favourite cute and cuddly cartoon racer? Would Mario and chums accept him into the line-up with grace and humility? Would Niko keep the lid on all his murderous rage when Yoshi was firing red shells up his tailpipe? Of course, not. This is what would happen if the worlds of Liberty City and the Mushroom Kingdom clashed...

And that got us thinking. What ...

Wii Fit for £50 at Morrisons (News)

Sep 8, 2009

Morrisons has slashed the price of Wii Fit to under £50 in the latest round of supermarket price-cutting.

The activity follows aggressive promotions on hardware at Asda and Sainsbury's last week, when both supermarkets dropped the cost of Wii consoles to under £150.

Morrisons has also cut the cost of Mario Kart Wii to £19.99.

The Top 7… shameless rip-offs (Feature)

Aug 31, 2009

If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then the following games are the biggest kiss asses of all time. Whether photocopying the entire structure of a monumental platform game or cloning every character and move from a beloved beat 'em up, these titles have no qualms about knocking-off other developers’ work

7. Banjo Kazooie

Ripped off: Super Mario 64

The photocopied premise: A fat character jumps through portals into a ...

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Bowser's Castle race (News)

Aug 13, 2009

Nintendo has released new details about its latest Mario Kart Wii tournament.

Nintendo Achieves Four Million-Sellers In Fiscal Q3 (News)

Aug 3, 2009

Gamasutra writes:

"Four Nintendo-published titles achieved more than a million units of worldwide sales in its latest fiscal quarter alone, according to the company's third quarter briefing."

Nintendo Owns All Format Top Ten in Australia (News)

Jul 31, 2009

Koku Gamer writes: 'The Wii and the DS are outright winners in Australia this week as they cover the whole of the Australian All Format Full Priced Games for the week ending 26th July.'

Wii rules Australia; 360 lagging (News)

Jul 25, 2009

Koku Gamer writes: 'It was another one-two-three for the Wii in Australia this week as Wii Fit, Wii Play and Mario Kart Wii topped the all-format chart, with Wii Sports Resort yet to come...'

Impressive South African Nintendo sales data revealed (News)

Jul 13, 2009

El33tonline writes:

"During Core Gaming Systems' Wii Sports Resort launch event last week, a presentation by Matthew Grose, General Manager of the group, revealed just how successful sales of Nintendo's consoles and software in South Africa have been since Core Gaming began handling the distribution of Nintendo's products in the country, and launched the Nintendo Wii in October of 2007."

Nintendo challenges South African families to get (inter)active (News)

Jul 10, 2009

El33tonline writes:

"Nintendo of South Africa is challenging local families to compete in a series of game events at Pick 'n Pay Hypermarkets throughout the country, for a chance to win one of two big prizes, namely a family trip for four to Euro Disney, or R100 000 cash."

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Topman boss battle (News)

Jun 15, 2009

Details about the latest Mario Kart Wii tournament have been released.

The secretly sinister storylines of your favourite games (Feature)

Jun 12, 2009

You never knew they were so wrong... ...

Mario Kart Wii helps teach children how not to drive (News)

May 18, 2009

Mario Kart is being used to teach American children about the dangers of distracted driving.

In Vail Christian High School near Eagle in Colorado, students are given the opportunity to understand the dangers of using mobile phones while driving by using the motion-sensing gaming of Mario Kart Wii.

25th Mario Kart Wii tournament runs until May 10 (News)

May 7, 2009

The 25th Mario Kart Wii Tournament started on May 1 and runs until May 10. Here are the details for the contest: "The sun is setting over Luigi Circuit, and for some reason, Bob-omb Cars are driving laps around the course! Don't get blown up in this VS Race!"

Video game villains who got away with it (Feature)

May 1, 2009

People like to see good triumph over evil. It's the reason Superman always wins despite getting stabbed in the face with shards of Kryptonite. Why John McClane beats a skyscraper full of heavily-armed terrorists with nothing but a string vest. And why those pesky S.T.A.R.S. agents always get the better of the T-virus. Sometimes, though, there are games brave enough to spit in the face of convention and let their no gooders go ...

The Top 7... Games where you play as food (Feature)

Apr 27, 2009

Be careful what you eat, you might be digesting the saviour of the universe ...

Top 5 Best Selling Nintendo Wii Games in Japan (News)

Apr 24, 2009

The five best-selling Nintendo Wii games in Japan so far, according to Famitsu.

Which version of Mario is the best version of Mario? (Feature)

Apr 3, 2009

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. ...

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Waluigi Stadium gates (News)

Apr 3, 2009

Details about the latest Mario Kart Wii tournament have been released.

10 games guaranteed to give you gamer rage (Feature)

Mar 27, 2009

It can strike at anytime without warning. It can take many forms. Someone you know, even a loved one, could be afflicted with it as you read this very sentence. That’s right, ‘gamer rage’ can strike anyone at any moment. From platform fans to beat ‘em up enthusiasts, no one is safe.

The following games all contain dangerous levels of gamer rage-baiting moments. Want to avoid a stroke, heart attack or assault ...

Mario Kart Wii: Discussing the Control Styles (News)

Mar 23, 2009

Reviewing the viability of Wii's controls through the game Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Bowser's Castle (News)

Mar 22, 2009

Details about the latest Mario Kart Wii tournament have been released.

Canada game sales surging, Top 10 titles revealed (News)

Mar 17, 2009

Canadian retail gaming sales grew nearly 33% between 2007 and 2008, and continue to rise despite the current economic climate. The gaming industry generated $2.1 billion in sales, representing a $500 M increase over 2007's $1.6 billion.

Additionally, Canada's top 10 video game titles--ranked by units sold--have been revealed.

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Battle Course 4 coin collecting (News)

Mar 2, 2009

Details about the latest Mario Kart Wii tournament have been released.

Latest Mario Kart Wii tournament live - GBA Bowser Castle (News)

Feb 19, 2009

The latest online tournament for Mario Kart Wii is underway. This time the competition takes place on the GBA Bowser Castle course, with a number of gates for you to drive through in the fastest possible time.

Saling the world: Halo 3, Call of Duty top U.S. Xbox 360 sales (News)

Feb 6, 2009

Danny Cowan from Gamasutra writes:

"Gamasutra's weekly column, "Saling The World", covers the top five sellers for every available platform in the United States, Japan, and Europe, providing an important update of sales patterns worldwide.

This week's charts, with data taken from February 5th, 2009, find Halo 3 and Call of Duty: World at War at the top of North America's Xbox 360 software sales charts, while Star Ocean: Second Evolution and Mario Kart DS drive sales on portables.

Data for "Saling The World" comes courtesy of the public sales information on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.co.jp, with sales split out for each platform and territory, and pre-orders disregarded. This results in a true sense of what games are selling worldwide on the real-time updated service, as follows..."

Classic Gaming Covers: For new Games (News)

Feb 4, 2009

The gaming community started something fantastically original. He took the original Penguin Classic literature theme, and applied it to hit games. After the Something Awful.com community got ahold of this, they went bonkers. The result? A myriad of classic gaming covers for you to go wild over.

Mario Kart Wii is 2008's biggest selling game on global level (News)

Feb 2, 2009

VG247: A joint report from NPD, GfK Chart-Track and Enterbrain has just claimed that Mario Kart Wii was 2008's biggest selling game across the US, Europe and Japan.

The Wii racer sold 8.94 million units last year, beating off Wii Fit with 8.31 million sales and an eye-watering effort from GTA IV. The Rockstar smash moved 7.29 million copies.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl came fourth with 6.32 million sales, and Treyarch will no doubt be thrilled with a fifth place for World at War and 5.89 million units sold, even without a Japanese release.

December 2008 NPD: Top 20 Software Rankings (News)

Jan 17, 2009

Top 20 Games of December 2008:
01. [WII] Wii Play (Nintendo) - 1460k
02. [360] Call of Duty: World at War* (Activision Blizzard) - 1330k
03. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 999k
04. [WII] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) - 878k
05. [WII] Guitar Hero World Tour* (Activision Blizzard) - 859k
06. [360] Gears of War 2* (Microsoft) - 745k
07. [360] Left 4 Dead (Electronic Arts) - 629k
08. [NDS] Mario Kart DS (Nintendo) - 540k
09. [PS3] Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard) - 533k
10. [WII] Animal Crossing: City Folk* (Nintendo) - 497k
11. [WII] Wii Music (Nintendo) - ~480k
12. [NDS] New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
13. [NDS] Personal Trainer: Cooking (Nintendo)
14. [360] Fallout 3* (Bethesda Softworks)
15. [NDS] Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force (Disney Interactive Studios)
16. [WII] Link's Crossbow Training (Nintendo)
17. [PS2] Guitar Hero World Tour* (Activision Blizzard)
18. [360] Madden NFL 09* (Electronic Arts)
19. [WII] Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard)
20. [WII] Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip (Ubisoft)

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Toad's Factory (News)

Jan 10, 2009

Details about the latest Mario Kart tournament have been released.

REVEALED: UK's best-selling games of 2008 (News)

Jan 9, 2009

MCV: Mario Kart Wii and FIFA 09 outsell all others in full year

Daily Star: Number 1 Game of The Year - Little Big Planet (News)

Dec 28, 2008

Daily Star writes:

"The list doesn't take into account sales but reflects the games I have most enjoyed playing during the past 12 months.

You'll no doubt disagree. If so, feel free to vent spleen on the Daily Star Sunday website (personal abuse is always welcome)."

Mario Kart Wii tournament - DK Summit gates (News)

Dec 21, 2008

Details about the latest Mario Kart Wii tournament have been released.

Saling The World: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii Top Holiday Demand (News)

Dec 19, 2008

Gamasutra's weekly column, "Saling The World", covers the top five sellers for every available platform in the United States, Japan, and Europe, providing an important update of sales patterns worldwide.

This week's charts, with data taken from December 18th, 2008, find Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit leading multiplatform sales in North America as suppliers struggle to keep up with holiday demand.

Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 3. Wii Music (Nintendo), 4. Active Life Outdoor Challenge (Namco Bandai), 5. Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip (Ubisoft).

Xbox 360
North America: 1. Call of Duty: World at War (Activision), 2. Gears of War 2 (Microsoft), 3. Prince of Persia (Ubisoft), 4. Fallout 3 (Bethesda), 5. Left 4 Dead (EA Games).

PlayStation 3
North America: 1. MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (SCEA), 2. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (Ubisoft), 3. Prince of Persia (Ubisoft), 4. LittleBigPlanet (SCEA), 5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (Ubisoft).

Christmas No.1 Contenders Announced (News)

Dec 12, 2008

ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) today announced the list of videogames vying for the number one spot this Christmas. And leading bookmaker Ladbrokes makes Call of Duty: World at War its 1/3 favourite for the festive accolade...

Videogame Retail Thrives Despite Recession (News)

Dec 12, 2008

Despite a widely-reported slowdown in consumer spending on the High Street, the majority of specialist games retailers are enjoying a more lucrative Christmas than they did last year. This is according to the findings of a new nationwide study – the MCV Retail Survey 2008 – which shows that 58 per cent of UK retailers believe their Christmas takings are up on 2007...

Merry ChristNES; Free 8 Bit Christmas Songs (News)

Dec 9, 2008

Doctor Octoroc gives us 8-bit renditions of our favorite christmas themes... with a video game twist!

Mario Kart Wii sales surge in Europe (News)

Dec 8, 2008

Mario Kart Wii has dominated the European software sales for the week ended November 30, appearing first on both the Spanish and German sales charts.

The data, provided by Media-Control GfK International, shows Nintendo's arcade racer climbing to the top of the German chart from seventh last week and being followed by Need for Speed Undercover for the PlayStation 3.

The region also saw a resurgent Wii Fit take third place, while World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King secured a spot at number four. Call of Duty: World at War took fifth place, while need Need for Speed on the PlayStation 2 and PC took sixth and seventh place respectively.

Burger King's Wii-themed kids meal toys, $5 off coupon codes (News)

Dec 6, 2008

Gamertell has posted an article about the latest Burger King Kids Meal Toys. There are ten toys in the promotion and each consists of a Nintendo character with some type of WiiMote component.

Each toy also includes two coupon codes for $5 off four games purchased art EA's online Store: Boom Blox or Boogie SuperStar and Littlest Pet Shop or Nerf N-Strike.

The post also includes images of the toys, scans of the kid's magazine and the bag they all came in.

Biggest Sellers This Year Were Sequels (News)

Dec 1, 2008

It's not really surprising that game sequels sell better than new intellectual properties. Didn't expect it to be this lopsided, though: seven of the eight best-selling games in the past twelve months have been sequels.

LEGO Batman: The Video Game Wins Children's BAFTA Award for Best Videogame 2008 (News)

Dec 1, 2008

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment are pleased to announce that LEGO Batman: The Videogame has won a prestigious Children's BAFTA Award for Best Videogame 2008.

Developer TT Games was snapped up by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2007 and has since had a hugely successful 2008 seeing the release of LEGO Indiana Jones and LEGO Batman: The Videogame.

TT Games beat stiff competition from...

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Wario's Gold Mine time trial (News)

Nov 29, 2008

Details about the latest Mario Kart Wii tournament have been released.

Australian Software Sales Charts Week Ending November 23rd (News)

Nov 28, 2008

dailygamesnews.com - Australia's big enough to warrant its own multiformat charts so here you go. Massively different to the US and UK sales charts with a PS2 game taking the top spot. Mental.

Mario Kart and Wii Fit Hit Over 1M in UK (News)

Nov 27, 2008

Edge writes: "Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit have each sold over one million units in the UK, according to ELSPA, putting both titles in the company of a select group of games which have achieved the milestone.

Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit join a handful of other UK 'diamond-sellers' such as Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, Brain Training, The Simpsons Hit and Run, as well as Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Nintendo has now published four Wii games (and three DS games) which have sold over a million units alone."

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Mario Circuit time trial (News)

Nov 16, 2008

Details about the latest Mario Kart Wii tournament have been released.

Nintendo Secretly Releases New Product (News)

Nov 14, 2008

Could Nintendo be planning to withhold holiday Wii Remote supply to create demand for this costly bundle?

Nintendo Christmas Tour (News)

Nov 8, 2008

Be puzzled by mind bending brain teasers as you aim to uncover the mystery of Professor Layton and the Curious Village at all NintendoDS locations, see live demonstrations of the highly anticipated Wii Music and take a trip to the city in the all new Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City , both at selected Wii locations...

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Coin collecting (News)

Nov 7, 2008

Read the first details regarding the newest Mario Kart Wii tournament.

AKASHI (Mario x Mickey) by Dave Bondi (News)

Oct 24, 2008

Nike and Honda aren't the only people doing hybrids now. Dave Bondi's AKASHI figure is a great smash-up of two of the worlds most noticeable characters, Mickey and Mario. The physical features of both melt together seamlessly as each lend a "hand" into creating something new. AKASHI stands a proud 9? tall and is limited to only 200 pieces.

Nintendo Unveil Celebrity Line-Up (News)

Oct 20, 2008

Nintendo has today unveiled stars of music, sport and TV alongside their families as the latest celebrities to pick up their NintendoDS and wave their Wii remotes, showcasing the latest range of software only available for Nintendo's smash hit home and handheld consoles...

Mario Kart Wii tournament - Giant Pokey boss (News)

Sep 29, 2008

The Japanese Mario Kart Wii tournament website has been updated with information about a new tournament. See the link for a lowdown for what to expect.

10th Mario Kart Wii Tournament runs until September 25 (News)

Sep 15, 2008

The 10th Mario Kart Wii Competition starts on September 15 and runs until September 25. It takes place on the the SNES Mario Circuit 3 track where you must collect all the coins.

Eighth Mario Kart Wii Tournament runs until September 10th (News)

Sep 7, 2008

The eighth Mario Kart Wii Competition started on September 1st and runs until September 10th. Time to conquer the N64 Skyscraper battle map in a time trial.

Victory Smells Like Pine (News)

Aug 25, 2008

From N-Europe.com, reporting on a recent Stars Catalogue update: "Whilst we never could smell what the Rock was cooking, we believe our opponents will begin to know and fear the piney fresh fragrance of our Mario Kart Wii Air Freshener. You can fix this baby on to your TV and revel in the glorious scent of victory today for only 400 Stars."

7th Mario Kart Wii tournament runs until August 25 (News)

Aug 23, 2008

The seventh Mario Kart Wii Competition started on August 15th and runs until August 25th. The beautiful blue ocean of Koopa Cape is the setting for this competition.

Meet Charles Martinet at Nintendo World for Mario Super Sluggers Launch (News)

Aug 16, 2008

To celebrate the launch of Mario Super Sluggers, Charles Martinet, the voice actor for Mario, Luigi, Wario, and more will be in attendance at the Nintendo World Store in Manhattan on August 24th, signing autographs and giving out a mysterious special gift from Nintendo to those who purchase the new Mario sports title.

Halo 3, Xbox 360 Top G-Phoria 2008 Awards Full List Rundown (News)

Aug 9, 2008

Bungie's Halo 3 took top Game of the Year honors during the G-Phoria awards last night, broadcast by game-oriented cable television network G4.

Xbox 360 was named the station's favorite system -- which falls in line with the award distribution. Of the show's 18 game awards, only four went to titles not available on Microsoft's system: Best Graphics and Best Voice Acting for Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Best Racing Game for Nintendo EAD's Mario Kart Wii, and, by default, Best Handheld Game for Ready at Dawn's God of War: Chains of Olympus.

New Mario Kart Wii tournament upcoming (News)

Jul 14, 2008

Nintendo is continuing with the Mario Kart Wii tournaments, this time dealing with the Twilight House. Although the map isn't original (it's one of the battle maps), certain areas of the level are blocked off…And keep in mind, this is with 12 player insanity. The tournament will start on July 15 and end July 25.

Gaming's most repellent anti-babes (Feature)

Jul 11, 2008

After a week of eye-popping sexy lady types, we thought it was only fair that we should give some exposure to a few of God's burnt cookies. ...

Top 7… Sports Games Nerds Actually Like (Feature)

Jun 30, 2008

If there’s one thing us gamers love to do, it’s sit on our asses. And rarely are we ever tempted away from blowing the crap out of zombies and Nazis to partake in the sportsman-like area of gaming. Hell, anything involving increased blood flow, stretching or rapid movement is a waste of time if there’s no cutscene for our rewards. Even sports games can be our kryptonite (your older brother who buys nothing but Madden and ...

2008's best games so far SUCK! (Feature)

Jun 26, 2008

They were critically acclaimed. They were loved by millions. Now meet the GamesRadar editors who can't STAND them. ...

The Top 7... Worst Parts of Best Games (Feature)

Jun 16, 2008

Nothing's perfect. Stare closely enough at anything - even a masterpiece - and you're bound to find flaws sooner or later. They might be small. They might be insignificant. They might not detract from the overall quality of the piece at all...

Except when they really, really do. With these seven games, in fact, you don't need to stare. Their flaws are so huge, so obvious, so frustrating and so effing obnoxious that you can't help but ...

New Mario Kart Wii tournament up and running (News)

Jun 15, 2008

If you're hoping to extend the life of Mario Kart Wii, you can participate in a new tournament that has gone live today. Players take control of a kart (bikes are disabled) and ride in reversal through the Mushroom Gorge. The tournament is scheduled to end on 6/24.

Busted Cheats 3: The worst cheat submissions ever (Feature)

Jun 12, 2008

Everyday we receive hundreds of cheats submissions from people hoping to get their work (and their names) up on CheatPlanet. Some of these people are stupid. These are the absolute worst submissions we've had all week. Like this excerpt from a cheat you'll find on page two:

"…This cheat can only be done by sexy atractive peops like me, so if ur not atractive dnt try it, and then if u do try and it dosent work, ur obviously not as ...

Busted Cheats: Week 2 - Illinois and global exclusive Huxley cheats (Feature)

Jun 5, 2008

Every week we get hundreds of cheat submissions from our readers to add to CheatPlanet. Only a few of these actually survive the brutal, razor-sharp scrutiny and testing we put them through, and emerge as the fine cheat flavored paste that we put onto CheatPlanet. Most of the leftovers we just throw away, flush them down the internet tube never to be seen again. However, there are a few exceptionally stinky cheats that we feel ...

New Mario Kart Wii Tournament now live (News)

Jun 1, 2008

Destructiod writes: Sick of Mario Kart Wii already? Today, that may change, at least a few minutes. Nintendo has just gone public with their latest online Mario Kart Wii tournament, accessible to anyone with a Wii, the game, and a wireless internet connection. This is undoubtedly the most worthwhile online Mario Kart Wii tournament yet (the third in an ongoing series), as it features both a new arena and a Mario Kart DS style boss fight against some Spikey Topmen from Super Mario Galaxy.

How Mario Kart Shaped Tom Clancy's EndWar (News)

May 28, 2008

Shacknews writes: "Tom Clancy's EndWar plays a bit like a voice-controlled version of World in Conflict. And like World in Conflict, it features an assortment of weapons of mass destruction.

In speaking with Ubisoft representative Julian Gerighty, I learned that the development team turned to an unlikely source of inspiration for WMD usage in their real-world RTS: Nintendo's Mario Kart.

"One of the big, big cheeses at Ubisoft is called Serge Hascoet," explained Gerighty. "He's the guy behind Rayman, he's the guy behind hundreds of things. He's a very creative guy, and a little crazy."

PS3 GTA IV, Wii Fit Top European Charts (News)

May 27, 2008

Next-Gen.Biz reports that the PlayStation 3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV took the top spot in the latest German and Swedish software charts, while Wii Fit overhauled the Rockstar title in Spain.

GTA IV for PS3 maintained its lead in the German chart and jumped above the Xbox 360 version in Sweden during the week ended May 18, but fell to second place behind Wii Fit in Spain.

Nintendo's Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii again made top five appearances across all three charts.

In total nine game for Wii charted across the three top tens, as did six titles for PC, five for DS, three for PS3 and 360 (all GTA IV), three for PS2 and one for PSP.

New Mario Kart tourney to spotlight boss from Super Mario Galaxy (News)

May 25, 2008

The Mario Kart Wii tournaments have been a bit disappointing to say the least, although the next one may actually be interesting. The upcoming tournament, according to Nintendo's Japanese website, is supposed to spotlight one of the bosses from Super Mario Galaxy. While far from the best, it's interesting to note that this will be the first time that users will see original content. The website also reports that the tournament should begin in early June.

Box art that got it all wrong (Feature)

May 22, 2008

Ah, the box art story. Ol' R'liable we like to call it, always good for a laugh and sure to inspire conversation about what makes cover art good, bad or legendarily awful. This time though, we're going a different route and focusing on covers that totally botch the simplest rule of box art - it should reflect the product cleanly and clearly. These poor examples couldn't even keep it together long enough to be regular old "bad box ...

The State of The Next-Gen Video Game Console (News)

May 21, 2008

With the release Monday of Wii Fit, the exercise game that some video game analysts have predicted could become one of the best-selling titles of all time, it was Nintendo's turn to dominate headlines related to the so-called next generation of consoles.

The "next-gen" era began in November 2005 when Microsoft launched its Xbox 360 and then really kicked into gear a year later when Sony and Nintendo pulled back the wraps on the PlayStation 3 and Wii, respectively.

Sony's PlayStation 3 was expected to be the next-gen winner, especially with a built-in Blu-ray player and incredible graphics courtesy of its Cell processor. Yet, the PS3 is generally seen as next-gen's loser, due to high prices, the resulting lackluster sales, and the perception of a paucity of killer games for the platform.

Nintendo's Big Secret: Highly Improbable Edition (Feature)

May 21, 2008

So, Nintendo’s got a massive E3 announcement waiting in the wings. But as we detailed yesterday, not two years out the Wii has already blown its wad, unleashing Mario, Zelda, Metroid and Brothers Smash. It really makes you wonder what exactly they’ve got left to pull out of their puffy red hat. Sure, we can speculate about the likelihood of Kid Icarus and Star Fox until we’re blue in the wrist, but never with 100% ...

Nintendo bans Hitler from Mario Kart Wii online, lets Stalin and Osama slide (News)

May 17, 2008

To keep in line with their austere "safe and fun" policy, Nintendo has banned the name Hitler from Mario Kart Wii's online services. If you attempt to access the Wi-Fi Connection with your Mii licence set as Hitler, you will receive a message stating that such nick names are forbidden and that you must modify your Mii name to proceed. On the other hand, those who connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection as other notorious gentlemen such as Stalin and Osama will be able to do so without a message/disconnect.

Mario Kart Holds Off GTA IV in US Chart (News)

May 13, 2008

Wii: The seven bestselling Wii titles all made the All Formats top ten, while Boom Blox, Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party charted in twelfth, fourteenth and twentieth. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Game Party and new release Deca Sports just missed out on top ten spots.

Mario Kart Wii Tops 1 Million in Japan (News)

May 9, 2008

Mario Kart Wii remained at the top of the latest Japanese software chart after domestic sales topped the million mark.

Mario Kart Wii sold 173,000 copies during the week ended May 4, taking total unit sales to 1,120,000.

Has the Wii really improved anything? (Feature)

May 8, 2008

All of Nintendo's main franchises are now out on the Wii, so it's time to take stock. We compare the new versions with their predecessors to weigh up whether motion control has revolutionised anything at all. ...

Top 5 game sales per system worldwide in week 18, 2008 (News)

May 3, 2008

What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe this week? Mario Kart Wii takes the stop spot in the Wii chart. And naturally Grand Theft Auto IV debuts on number one on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 charts.

Worldwide Mario Kart Wii Tournaments Begin Today (News)

May 1, 2008

Nintendo has announced the first worldwide tournament for Mario Kart Wii. The tournament begins today on the Mario Circuit, where players will compete for the fastest time.

Nintendo Announces Worldwide Mario Kart Wii Tournaments (News)

May 1, 2008

Looks like Nintendo is trying to hype up Mario Kart by sponsoring some tournaments via the Mario Kart Channel. Interesting that the tournaments will have specific rules like having to use certain controls schemes...

Mario Kart Wii, SSBB dated for South Africa (News)

Apr 29, 2008

Core Gaming recently launched Wii Fit in South Africa. With the launch tucked securely under their belts, EL33TONLINE managed to catch up with The Nintendo Team who gave them the scoop on some dates to diarise.

Mario Kart Wii will be launching across South Africa in mid-May. The latest instalment in Nintendo's popular racing series has yet to be stamped with a price but mid-May is just around the corner so you better start your engines! The game comes bundled with a new accessory, the Wii Wheel, which looks set to revolutionise your Mario Kart gaming experience.

Mario Kart Wii Review by Kotaku: I'm not angry, just disappointed (News)

Apr 29, 2008

Fun fact: I'm a total Mario Kart fanboy. For the record: Double Dash is my favourite (I know, I know). So I'm used to watching the Mario Kart series take small, baby-steps forward with each new version. In this case, I was expecting just that. Small steps forward. Mario Kart Wii, however, feels more like a step forward, a shuffle to the side then, after a brief pause, a tentative step back.

WiiNewsNReviews - April 27, 2008 (News)

Apr 28, 2008

In today's show they discuss:
-Everybody's Nintendo Channel
-The Conduit (New FPS game for Wii)
-Announce our Mario Kart Wii Contest Winner

And also talk about:
-New Quantum 3 engine
-Epic games against the Wii
-A heartfelt story
-Deca Sports
-Guitar Hero IV(4)
-Okami
-Vitual Console Releases
-Need for Speed:Prostreet
-Thrustmaster's classic controller

A walkthrough of Mario Kart Wii's multiplayer (News)

Apr 27, 2008

Joystiq helps you get aquainted with Mario Kart Wii's online multiplayer.

New Game Releases for the Week of April 27, 2008 (News)

Apr 26, 2008

This will certainly go down as one of the most highly anticipated release week's for 2008! Highlights include Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360) and Mario Kart Wii.

Check out the full list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of April 27, 2008 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC!

Gamefly Charts: Big 3 Releases Dominate (News)

Apr 25, 2008

Next Weeks Big Releases Dominate!

Grand Theft Auto IV takes the top spot on the Gamefly Top Ten 'Most Queued' list. Not surprisingly, Mario Kart Wii continues it's reign at the top of the Nintendo Wii list, while PlayStation 3 gamers also have Grand Theft Auto IV queued up at the top.

Queue up the complete Gamefly Top 10 most requested list:

Play Mario Kart, Win Jason Priestley (News)

Apr 24, 2008

WhatIfGaming writes: "Nintendo is celebrating the highly anticipated release of Mario Kart® Wii and the companion Wii Wheel accessory with a fun-packed launch party at the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza..."

Mario Treats New Yorkers to Free Cab Rides to Celebrate Mario Kart Wii (News)

Apr 22, 2008

On Thursday, April 24th, unsuspecting New Yorkers will be in for a shock as they call for a cab... and wind up with a plumber?

All you need to know about Mario Kart battle (News)

Apr 21, 2008

While those of you in Europe and Japan are enjoying Mario Kart, the rest of us are trying to wait as patiently as we can, not knowing what to expect. Sure, we've seen and heard many racing-related things when it comes to Nintendo's upcoming title, but there's been one aspect of the game that hasn't been talked about much -- Battle Mode.

How to unlock all Mario Kart Wii secret characters (News)

Apr 18, 2008

A guide on what steps to take to unlock each of the 14 secret characters in Mario Kart Wii. For example on how to unlock the Miis:

* Mii (Outfit A): Win the 100cc Special Cup.
* Mii (Outfit B): Unlock all 32 Expert Staff Ghost Data in Time Trials mode.

EEDAR on NPD: 360/PS3 Price Cuts In Sight, Industry Remains Robust (News)

Apr 18, 2008

Consumers might be seeing price cuts for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 in the coming months, claimed analyst Jesse Divnich of research firm EEDAR in a report sent to Gamasutra following today's NPD sales figures for March.

Divnich pointed to the lower-than-expected sales of Xbox 360 and PS3 as evidence that the systems might be plateauing. "These hardware results would indicate that both systems have likely saturated their potential market at their current price points," he wrote. "If we do not see any price cuts in the coming weeks, we can likely expect some hardware cuts once GTA IV loses some steam (before July) or if the GTA IV release significantly drives hardware sales for one console over the other."

Mario Kart Wii Sold 300,000 Copies On Launch Day? (News)

Apr 15, 2008

Kotaku writes:This isn't confirmed, and we're going to have to wait until Media Create releases the "official" numbers, but apparently Mario Kart Wii moved 300,000 copies on launch day. To put things in perspective, Mario Kart DS did 160,000 at launch, while Mario Kart Double Dash did 180,000 on its first day.

Mario Kart Wii dominates UK chart (News)

Apr 14, 2008

Nintendo overtakes Sony's 'Gran Turismo 5: Prologue' at the top of the All Formats Chart as 'Mario Kart Wii' records the 8th biggest launch week ever in the UK. 'Mario Kart Wii' is far and away the biggest launch of any Nintendo published title. It's also bigger than the launch weeks of all 5 other Mario Wii games combined (Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers, Mario Party 8 and Super Paper Mario). Mario has performed heroically on Nintendo's next-gen format with Wii games featuring Mario accounting for 21.2% of all Wii units since the launch of the console in December 2006.

Nintendo unaware of Mario Kart problems (News)

Apr 14, 2008

Nintendo has told Eurogamer that it has had no reports of problems with Mario Kart Wii discs.

Japan - Brawl disc read errors return, but this time it's Mario Kart (News)

Apr 13, 2008

The exact same issue that happened to Japanese gamers that bought Brawl is now happening with Mario Kart Wii. Some people that purchased the game are complaining that their Wii cannot read the disc, and the game is freezing/crashing. Nintendo has once again stated that the problem is due to Mario Kart Wii being a double-layer disc. Nintendo will clean your Wii for you, which should do away with the problem.

Nintendo taking strides to root out cheating (News)

Apr 13, 2008

Mario Kart Wii was released just a few days ago, yet people managed to use cheating exploits to gain the upper hand in the Wi-Fi community; more specifically, the Time Trials mode. People have been earning ridiculous times that clearly cannot be achieved by racing normally. Nintendo seems to be on the case, however. Reports have began to drop in that Nintendo has rectified the issue. It's great to see the big N taking expeditious action, but at the same time, it's a shame people are trying to ruin the online experience.

Mario Kart Wii Brings Out The Cheaters? The Bugs? (News)

Apr 12, 2008

Kotaku writes: "There's word that cheaters (you bastards!) are apparently moving in full force on Mario Kart Wii. Either that, or there's a bug. The Time Trials mode is getting hit hardest with all sorts of impossible times appearing. According to Mercurys Phoenix at the Official Nintendo Magazine forums writes:

'I've only seen it on the Snowboard track - a guy with a time of 53 point something or other seconds. There are about three other people with exactly the same time. Like others have said, on the replay the guy just does one lap (excrutiatingly slowly) and then turns the opposite way just after the finish line. Then the replay doesn't stop.
Personally, I think its a bug. I've only seen it on one track and there are others with the same time.'"

First day sales in Japan (4/10) (News)

Apr 12, 2008

VGChartz via ameblo is reporting that the first day sales in Japan on April 10th were as follows:

First Day Sales : The numbers in () shows the shipments info

Mario Kart Wii (Wii): about 300k (about 400k)
Battle of Sunrise (PS2): less than 1k

300,000 copies of Japanese Mario Kart gone already (News)

Apr 11, 2008

CVG writes: "Mario Kart Wii has sold over three hundred thousand units in its native country of Japan, reports are suggesting.

According to gaming website Jeux France, the title has racked up the sales after being out for just over twenty-four hours."