Rare and Microsoft have released a trailer for their upcoming game Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts for the Xbox 360.  Near the end of the trailer, the bear and bird fly past a giant 8-bit Mario, and a few seconds later they blow the head off of it.  Whether that's self-referential humor regarding the departure from Nintendo or a brazen bit of bravado, it is amusing.

Go take a look for yourself...

Source: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts Trailer, at GameVideos.com

Update: The original video was edited to remove the portion where Mario is destroyed.  Luckily, the guys over at The Rare Witch Project archived the original.

What a shame. Look at that wall; it was a boring slice of vertical concrete boxcar until one brave gamer gave it life. Then, someone came and tagged. When will people learn the fine line between art and vandalism?

In all seriousness, I can't tell if the Mario art was meant to incorporate the ghetto-tag, but it still looks cool!

Link: kotaku.com

Thanks Louis! Via the level editor in Boom Blox, WiiFolder has created a tribute to Mario by making a 1-Up sprite to smash up. I sure hope this is only the beginning of the Mario inspired Boom Blox levels!

revver.com

Edited: I sure hope no one saw my original title. It was mind-blowing

So, a week later, what's everyone got to say about Mario Kart Wii? I've complied some excerpts from reviewers on websites, and more importantly I've taken some well written opinions posted right in TMK's Fungi Forums. I strongly suggest you take both into consideration, and if you want to share your thoughts, feel free to comment!

What THEY Say
Game Informer Online
Ups:
- The control is brilliant, the courses are tuned to perfection, and everything is polished to a high shine.
- The light/medium/heavy choice is a strategic and stylistic decision rather than an opportunity to intentionally gimp yourself against inferior competition.
- This looks good…for a Wii game
Downs
- ...don’t bother with the stupid wheel
- ...the turbo change feels like a dumbing-down of the gameplay in the pursuit of a misguided desire to make it somehow easier for my grandma to pick up and play. Note to Nintendo: Stop.
- ... the overhaul of the mini-turbo system takes a while to get used to.

GameSpot.com
Ups:
- Huge number of courses, including some of the most imaginative yet 
- Deeply integrated online play
- Fun and strategic trick system
Downs
- Nostalgia doesn't save most of the classic courses from being boring 
- Items are more unbalanced than ever, especially on new tracks 
- Battle modes are now exclusively team-based and timed.

IGN.com
Ups
- For the first time ever on a Nintendo console, the online portion trumps the single-player offering.
- Ghost racing is even more part of this Kart than any other out there
- IR supported menus, great Mii integration to hook the casual crowd, strong use of Wii's functionality, and another entertaining mascot racer. One of the best console Karts in years.
Downs
- Kart's 150cc experience is most certainly beatable, but it'll take as much luck and needless replay as it will skill, and that's a shame.
- The cars also feel like they're running at the 50cc speed class for online, and it's a bit too slow for our liking.
- the lack of voice chat for an extremely social online game

What YOU Say
Vidgmchtr
Ups
- The Wii Wheel actually does work fine, I like it.
- I thought the idea of karts AND bikes was pretty cool too.
- Yoshi's new vocals, they make me laugh
Downs
- Still no cup featuring all Rainbow Roads
- With the retro levels, I think they should've used the intros used in each MK game the track is from. Not important, but I think it'd be a nice touch.
- The items that can give a huge advantage (Lightning bolt, Blue shells, POW blocks, etc.) are WAY too common.

BirdPerson
Ups
- I love the textures on the Super NES tracks. To quote myself, it's like a 16-bit dream.
- Some sweet new tracks. Koopa Cape is awesome.
- I was worried, but I approve of Yoshi's new voice clips.
Downs
- No WarioWare Wario (c'mon, at least just for bikes?)
- No individualized karts or bikes. I miss the Egg 1.
- Not the best retro choices.

NintendoExpert89
Ups
- Playing as the Mii
- Great tracks
- Much, much shorter waiting time for Online Play
Downs
- Graphics seem recycled and unchanged since GameCube
- Battle Mode is changed
- Easy to be knocked off the track repeatedly


Now this isn't all the opinions or posts we've had concerning Mario Kart Wii. For the full experience, you need to check out and participate in the Fungi Forums. I'd also suggest heading into our chatroom, since users in there always have interested things to say that you might find helpful!

Link: Fungi Forums: MKWii's Ups and Downs Force Dynamics is a company that produces motion simulators for trade show events and the like.  To demonstrate some of the capabilities of their equipment, they rigged up Super Mario Kart with their motion simulator.  If you've ever wondered what Super Mario Kart would be like in a wiggling chair, go take a look.  Sadly, they claim to have sold off the model they had programmed for SMK, so it appears that I might never get to try it out.

Source: Force Dynamics
Direct Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBVOnT36Qw4

I don't skateboard, but the minute I saw this board, I wanted to take it up and become a pro. You can live my dream if you outbid me on the above ebay item, a Super Mario World inspired skateboard, officially from Nintendo circa 1994. I haven't bid yet, but like a tiger in the bushes, you'll never see me coming if I do. Start the bidding, at 20.00 right now, below!

Link: ebay.com

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door may not be "thousands less", but it is cheaper now! Following a great deal on Super Paper Mario a while back, the GameCube predecessor is now also seeing a price drop to $11.99. At this price, anyone who hasn't picked up and played the game is getting a great deal. Purchase below!

Link: amazon.com

Jason Cipriano from MTV's gaming blog wrote an open letter to Nintendo concerning some of Mario Kart Wii's flaws. I'm sure some of us can related to at least one of his issues, but is it something that justifies an "open letter"? Click over and find out!

Link: mtv.com (gaming blog)

Nintendo is recalling a series of lapel pins that were sold through Nintendo World Store and given away as promotional items to retailers, due to possible lead poisoning. The pins are pictured above (click to enlarge). I know I have just about all of these. Good thing I didn't let my son get a hold of them!

Link: gamespot.com

Website ruliweb released WiiWare download numbers for Japan, but doesn't cite their source for them. Dr. Mario WiiWare is listed as having 43,354 downloads so far. For the complete list, I've linked an easier to read neogaf.com forum post.

Link: neogaf.com/forum

A couple of Mario titles can be yours for prices lower than they were before. Mario Kart DS has been dropped to $27.99, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii) is now at $29.99. For other Nintendo price drops, check out the website link.

Link: nintendoeverything.com

How ironic: a site whose namesake could *possibly* be derived from the Super Mario franchise always seems to be the quickest to criticize said franchise. Most visitors know how much we bemoaned their choices in the past, and now they got a new article up to boil the blood of Mario fans. Jeremy Parish's blog lays out exactly why he disliked Mario Kart Wii, from stating Mario Kart: Double Dash!! was a better title to calling the new tricks option "the stupid, stupid tricks system." Read on to see if his complaints are merited, or if they're just "explosively awful."

Link: 1up.com

To further those sessions between gaming, TMKblog will be providing you with Weekend Movie. These posts will highlight Mario related videos from fans, readers, or the staff themselves. If you come across a video, or videos, feel free to submit it!

This weekend's movie answers the question: Would Mario benefit from rocket launchers, unneeded violence, blood and gore? With help from Unreal Tournament 3, one player created a mod based on Super Mario Bros., keeping the look and feel true to the original game. This guy got the game down to the finest detail, so show him some appreciation by checking out this weekend's movie, "UT2D-SuperMario".

Weekend Movie: UT2D-Super Mario


Past Weekend Movies
Momotaro & SMG DS
Nintendo: Oldschool Revolution
Summer 2007 Edition

Last Week, I posted about James Elston's amazing Super Mario themed coloring pages. Well, since then I've been in contact with Mr. Elston, and we were able to give you visitors something special. He was gracious enough to create some Mario Kart Wii themed coloring pages to get you even more excited for the game's North American release. Print them out and color them any way you want! Check out the work he sent us and show him some appreciation by leaving comments and sharing these with your own friends or website community!

Thanks again to James Elston, whose work can be found at: http://www.jameselston.com

Click the images for their original size.

 

 

RemixArtistCollective took some classic tracks from the Nintendo and Sega Genesis era and remixed them to create a fresh sound. They have a total of five tracks available for download, including one based on Super Mario Bros. I recommend taking a listen, if only to stroll down memory lane in a newschool bus. Yeah, I went there.

Link: theremixcompany.co.uk