Mario basically invented sidescrollers. Sonic brought the genre into the 90s. of these iconic mascots have been bitter rivals since the console wars of the early 1990s, when Sega and Nintendo were exchanging heated ad campaigns, and schoolyards were divided over which character was the best. Recently both characters have overcome their differences to appear in a few games together, but that hasnt put a stop to the debate.

GamesRadar houses hardcore fans of each mascot. The US team has Henry Gilbert, owner of far too many Mario toys, and in the UK is Justin Towell, a man that holds a world record in Sonic 2. Both took a side to advocate for their chosen characters supremacy. And, just to keep things interesting, their discussion focuses on the characters and their history, rather than individual games. Who wins? Thats for you to decide.

Henry says: Mario innovates, Sonic imitates

Henry: For all his speed, Sonic has always been playing catch-up to Mario. Virtually every core Mario game is built around new, Inventive-yet-simple concepts, while Sonic adapts at a snails pace, with inconsistent results. Which would you rather have: A tail that allows you to fly, or stretchy werewolf arms? Star portals that shoot you around outer space, or fishing with Big the Cat?

Justin: Tsk, Henry! First talking point, and already you’ve had to resort to game design over “who’s the better hero.” But OK you wanna talk innovation? Sonic literally kick-started the modern age of gaming. Basically, there’s the dinosaur age (NES, Super Mario Bros), then the modern era (1991 onwards). Not to mention the fact that the cancelled Sonic X-Treme for Sega Saturn demonstrated all of Super Mario Galaxy’s core concepts in 1996. And that wasn’t even deemed up to the hedgehog’s standards, so was scrapped! Finally, where’s the innovation in New Super Mario Bros 2, eh? You literally said yourself “The formula is getting too familiar.”Mmmm. Innovation.

Justin says: Sonic’s the more entertaining showman

Justin: Sonic can accelerate to ridiculous velocities, giving the player the sheer white-knuckle thrill of a rollercoaster. He runs up walls and across the ceiling, hurtling down grind rails, grabbing hold of rockets, using a metal door like a surfboard down San-Fran style streets and even holding on to a missile just to hitch a lift. This is more exciting than emerging from a pipe, saying Wahoo! to imply at least he’s having fun, and dressing up like a ninny.

Henry: I cant argue that Mario is as showy as Sonic, because Sonics biggest problem is valuing style over substance. All the cinematic instances you mention were used to obscure the fact that his games are designed to be raced through as fast as possible, lacking in depth or replayability compared to Marios games. But if you want showy moments, jump through any star portal in Mario Galaxy to see something really impressive.

Henry says: Mario got 3D platforming right the first time instead of never

Henry: Before Super Mario 64, the people developing 3D platformers had no clue what they were doing. Mario invented so many of the rules for 3D gameplay, and his titles innovate with every sequel. Conversely, Sonic struggles with 3D gameplay to this day. Last years Sonic Generations remained filled with missed jumps, bad camera angles, and demoralizing deaths. After so many games, will Sonic Team ever be able to grasp the third dimension?

Justin: Sonic’s first experiment with 3D platforming (his Christmas NiGHTS appearance doesn’t count) was the Sonic World bit of Sonic Jam. The slower speed (about right compared to 2D Sonic’s platforming) was perfectly weighted and controlled just fine. A game built around that would have rocked, but instead we got Sonic Adventure. Which, while admittedly dodgy control-wise, at least had more gameplay variation than any Mario game. Platforming, pinball, bumper car racing, exploration, fishing, shooting, flying even an entire virtual pet-raising minigame.

Justin says: Sonic’s character design is intrinsically cool

Justin: Sonic scythes through enemies by effectively turning his spines into a buzzsaw. Just picture that for a second. A razor-spined hedgehog curled into a ball and spinning around so ferociously, he can carve through metal. Sometimes even rock. By comparison, what can Mario do? His bum is a mass of such blunt, bludgeoning inertia, he can use it to smash bricks. What an undignified ‘ability’ that is.

Henry: Please Sonics design is forever mired in the 90s. He may look extreme and radical by those standards, but these days he has the same qualities of Poochie from The Simpsons. Marios design is so timeless he doesnt need sharp edges and fancy shoes to be memorable. And bonus points for his character design somehow making a fat, mustachioed guy in overalls cute.

Henry says: Mario has more skills than jumping

Henry: Sonic might be faster, but can he play tennis, golf, drive a motorcycle, and bowl all while being a doctor on the same day? Marios immediately great at every new sport or hobby he tries, no matter if hes an archeologist (Marios Picross) or takes over a team of role-players. What does Sonic have to brag about? Being an air rider, driving a car thats much slower than him, and becoming a crummy pinball?

Justin: To answer your questions: Can Sonic play Tennis? Yes: Sega Superstars Tennis. Can he play Golf? Yes: Sonic Golf DX. Ride a motorcycle? Yes: The Hot Wheels Sonic The Hedgehog pack. Bowl? He is the bowling ball in Twinkle Park in Sonic Adventure. Being a doctor? Well, Sonic beats a Doctor in every game. Archaeology: Seriously? You’re using archaeology in an argument about ‘who’s best’? And as for role-playing: Freakin’ BioWare made the Sonic RPG on DS. Bio. Ware.

Justin says: Mario’s a mass-murdering scumbag

Justin: Have you seen how many creatures Mario has crushed to death? As opposed to Sonic, whose sole motivation is helping his woodland chums. See those robotic enemies? Inside those are cute little bunny wabbits and birdies. Know what’s inside the Goombas that Mario stomps on all the time? Squishy guts and sadness. It’s horrific to think about what Mario actually does to the many innocent inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom. FOR SHAME.

Henry: This attack on Mario is the same stance politicians take against Grand Theft Auto when they call it a murder sim. Much like Niko Bellic, Mario can run through the game avoiding virtually all of his enemies, aside from his boss fights, and those practically force the battle by trapping him in a room. Hes only as much of a killer as you want him to be. And dont try and make Sonic sound eco-friendly. Just imagine how much damage he did by blowing up multiple Death Eggs in Earths atmosphere.

Henry says: Mario’s friends aren’t the worst characters ever

Henry: I may loathe Waluigi, but I wouldnt trade him for any Sonic character created after 1994. Egg Man, Tails and Knuckles are fine, but losers like Charmy Bee, Cream and Silver are still totally lame in comparison to the annoying baby versions of iconic characters like Donkey Kong, Peach and Yoshi. Plus, for as strange as some Luigi and Birdo fans might be, thats nothing compared to the mass of furry fandom that characters like Amy and Rogue attract.

Justin: Everyone knows you judge a man on the strength of his enemies, not his friends. In which case, Mario is equivalent to a dinosaur who’s a couple of coins short of a one-up. Sonic’s up against a certified genius. You wouldn’t catch Robotnik standing on a bridge over lava and leaving an axe by it. And if you wanna talk friends, Sonic’s have better theme songs, have no ‘Weegee’ equivalent (shudder) and not one of them has nuclear-grade flatulence. Win.

Justin says: “Super” Mario can’t even touch regular Sonic’s abilities

Justin: Mario needs to resort to (rather dubious) mushrooms to become Super Mario, at which point his abilities are only verging on the resting state of regular Sonic. Comparing the two characters’ Super states has a clear winner, given that Super Sonic is frickin’ invincible. Mario, however, turns small again with just one hit. Thats rubbish. Super Sonic can jump some six times his own height, turn on a sixpence and sports a huge, flaming manga hairstyle while he’s doing it. And that’s not even mentioning Hyper Sonic, who can soar through space, smashing through asteroids with his face.

Henry: Ill admit that Mario doesnt unabashedly rip-off Dragon Ball Z when he transforms, but all this sounds like Sonic is overcompensating. Marios different powers are all about nuance and grace, not flying as fast as you can to the end. And by the way, no matter how small he gets, Mario can breathe underwater, which is a lot more than I can say for Sonic.

Henry says: Sonic 2006

Henry: I mean, cmon

Justin: Thats low.

Justin says: Hotel Mario

Justin: Right?

Henry: Not cool, man.

Where do you stand?

So where do you stand in this culture clash? And more importantly, which editor do you think won the debate? Explain in the comments and vote in the handy poll below!

Who do you think won the debate?

Need a crash course in both of these characters? Check out our list of the best Mario games and the best Sonic games.

Great Debate pits two editors in a head-to-head battle to debate some of gamings hottest topics. Have a subject you want them to discuss? Let us know in the comments and well wrangle some editors to talk it over.

The post Great Debate: Mario vs Sonic appeared first on Game News.

2011 was indeed a great year to be a gamer. Heres our buyers guide of the top must-own games from the calendar year. Have you played them all?

Portal 2

Portal 2 review (opens in new tab)
Portal 2 screens (opens in new tab)
Portal 2 videos (opens in new tab)

Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City review (opens in new tab)
Batman: Arkham City screens (opens in new tab)
Batman: Arkham City videos (opens in new tab)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review (opens in new tab)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim screens (opens in new tab)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim videos (opens in new tab)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword review (opens in new tab)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword screens (opens in new tab)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword videos (opens in new tab)

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings review (opens in new tab)
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings screens (opens in new tab)
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings videos (opens in new tab)

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Deus Ex: Human Revolution review (opens in new tab)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution screens (opens in new tab)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution videos (opens in new tab)

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception review (opens in new tab)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception screens (opens in new tab)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception videos (opens in new tab)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 review (opens in new tab)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 screens (opens in new tab)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 videos (opens in new tab)

Super Mario 3D Land

Super Mario 3D Land review (opens in new tab)
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Dark Souls

Dark Souls review (opens in new tab)
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The post Best Games of 2011 appeared first on Game News.

1. He always insists on lava

Yes, rivers of molten rock can bring out the evilness of an evil villain, but Bowser is a Koopa. Which is just a turtle with a different name. Turtles and fiery volcanic discharge do not go well together. Seriously. Bowser hasn’t learnt his lesson since Super Mario Bros. That was over 25 years ago. He’s still falling into his own lava. It’s ridiculous. Insisting on lava is stupid enough. But insisting that he battles Mario while being in dangerously close proximity to lava (like on a rubbish bridge) is stretching the concept of a suicidally brainless turtle to its most asinine limits. As a turtle, he might do better if he surrounded himself with some other element instead. Like, say, oh I don’t know…water?

2. His traps aren’t ambitious enough

Above: Get past that you little prick

Wow, Bowser, those slowly rotating flame spindle obstacles are totally going to stop Mario in his tracks. He’s going to see them and he’s going to know that he has met his match. He’s going to turn around and go straight home to Luigi, crying all the way. He absolutely isn’t just going to jump over them like they’re not even there. No sir. Just a bit of advice, though, when the traps are at the design stage, you might want to think bigger. Aim for something that might actually be effective in the task of stopping Mario. Like an enormous and completely impassable wall of fire. Just a suggestion.

3. He’s rubbish at kidnapping

Above: Here is Bowser about to kidnap Princess Peach again. Notice how he is not very inconspicuous

Maybe if the King of Koopas was a little more discrete and snatched away Princess Peach when nobody was around to witness the deed he’d have a better chance of getting away with it. But he seems to deliberately go out of his way to make sure Mario knows of his despicable doings. And once Mario knows of Bowser’s despicable doings, it’s only a matter of time before Bowser ends up in the lava. Again. Like an idiot.

4. He breathes the world’s slowest fireballs

Above: Gee, Mario. Look out for that f-i-r-e-b-a-l-l. Oh, Bowser’s dead already

The ability to breathe fireballs is unquestionably bad ass. But when said fireballs move only marginally faster than the running speed of an overweight Italian plumber, it’s hardly worth burning the inside of your mouth for. Against Mario, Bowser’s fireballs are just, well, a bit balls really.

5. He always hides Peach in the most obvious place in the entire Mushroom Kingdom

Above: This is the correct sort of place to hold someone captive

I’m no expert in the business of kidnapping, but I always presumed that the general idea was to hide your hostage in the last place anyone would ever think to look. Some place not altogether obvious. If you are the known perpetrator of the kidnapping and your name is Bowser, then holding the prisoner captive in a castle that is commonly known as Bowser’s Castle is a stupid idea. As is putting her on a boat that has a huge Bowser head stuck to the bow and a big Bowser flag flying from the mast. Surely keeping Peach at the bottom of a disused warp pipe in some abandoned brick factory would be the logical choice.

6. His castles are designed by Mario sympathisers

It’s the only explanation. Otherwise they would surely be furnished with floating Bowser blocks full of useful objects to facilitate the annihilation of Mario. Instead of it being, like, the other way round. Note to Bowser: remember to reference check the architects.

7. He has an army of useless minions

>>>NEWS FLASH FOR BOWSER! GOOMBAS ARE SHITE! And if it’s not Goombas being useless it’s some other idiot minion ineffectually wandering back and forth along the same predetermined path like a sad polar bear at the zoo. They’re just waiting for Mario to come along and put them out of their misery by jumping on their heads or some other conveniently vulnerable and completely unprotected area of their personage. Unless Bowser starts issuing suitable body armour and exploding hats to his troops, they’ll continue to be as effectual as a turtle in lava. Oh.

8. He doesn’t really want to win

It’s the only explanation. I refuse to believe that anyone – even an overgrown video game turtle – can be so consistently inept at their chosen vocation. He’s been doing the exact same stuff, falling for the exact same tricks, falling in his own lava over and over again for more than two decades. That doesn’t happen by accident. Bowser has a problem. He’s trapped in a negative behaviour pattern which manifests as this perpetual self-conditioning of failure.

I get the sense that there is much more to Bowser than we realise. That he is an incredibly complex Koopa with deep-rooted issues that could probably be traced back to an unhappy childhood. But I’m not a psychologist. All I see when I look at Bowser is a big stupid turtle that breathes slow fireballs, has a rubbish army, stands on rickety bridges above rivers of his own lava and occasionally enjoys sports with other citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. He’s gaming’s most successful loser and he is destined to fail many more times in the next 25 years. Silly turtle.

The post 8 reasons why Bowser always fails appeared first on Game News.

At the start of the above trailer you’ll see the impressive but challenging buzz saw-filled level, and midway through you’ll see boomerang-tossing, but what about that StreetPass stuff? Apparently you’ll exchange Mystery Rooms, cramped cubes containing short challenges where Mario can earn items, 1-ups or Star Medals for his collection. You’ll trade those with other players that leave 3D Land in StreetPass mode. It’s a nice addition and one we’ll certainly use around the office, but is that an interesting hook to our readers not surrounded all day by other 3DS players?

Oct 24, 2011

The post See Super Mario 3D Lands Boomerangs and StreetPass features in new video appeared first on Game News.

Above: The long question blocks are like the regular question blocks except they’re… longer

It’s not because of the controls, and it’s not even really because of the presentation. Mario looks and feels a lot like he has in the past 3D games, with most of his movement involving either jumping or jumping, spinning around and landing hard. The only new trick up his red sleeve was the ability to roll, letting him tumble through hard-to-reach spaces and smash blocks that he otherwise would need a shell to destroy. It’s not an offensive attack – more of a slow, leisurely tumble that allows for more navigational options.

No, the way 3D Land manages to grab the classic feel is with its level design. There’s no hub world, and no over-world to explore. When we beat a level we pressed right on the d-pad, watched Mario walk a few feet, and then hit A to jump in. And once we jumped in, the levels themselves offered throwbacks to different eras in Mario’s career. First up was World 1-2, which was most traditional, playing like a classic side-scroller (though we were able to move back and forth in the environment to dodge obstacles). It still controlled like a typical 3D level, but 3D Land’s 3D-ness was kept in check, maintaining experience more reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 3 than anything else. But when the third dimension did come into play with moderation, 3D land used it well. New enemies and obstacles still came into our path – like a black piranha plant that took advantage of the camera angle by breaking the fourth wall and shooting ink that stuck to screen – making the familiar feel fresh.

Above: Good news! You don’t need to blow into the microphone to get the ink off your screen

The next level couldn’t have been more different. It started Mario off near binoculars, which utilized the 3DS’s gyroscope to look around. Here, we were given a look at the level ahead, filled with large drops and multiple paths. We also saw a Toad, who tossed a collectible coin into the middle of the level. Once we stepped back and started traversing the level we got our first Super Leaf, transforming Mario into Raccoon Mario. The return of this fan favorite has been wildly publicized, but what surprised us most, was how useful it was, again, thanks to the level design.

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It’s not that the DS’ New Super Mario Bros. was a crap game by any stretch of the imagination, of course. In fact it was bloody brilliant. But throughout, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I was playing a game that lacked the freshness and spark that core Mario games usually exude in abundance. Kind of like it was a very, very good tribute game rather than a real one.

The 3DS’ Super Mario 3D Land however, now looks to have no such problems. I had my doubts about the game’s lesser freedom compare to the likes of Galaxy, but now I’ve seen more of it, I love the idea of combining 3D Mario’s versatility with the tight, linear challenge of 2D Mario. You might too. Have a look and find out. And then tell me, for I wish to hear.

September 13. 2011

The post TGS 2011: Super Mario 3D Land trailer delivers the giddy fresh excitement New Super Mario Bros. didnt appeared first on Game News.

Mario Brothers

It’s possible you’ve already seen Alexander “Alxlen” Leon’s (opens in new tab)epic, five-part take on Mario, simply titled Mario Brothers. After all, it’s been on free-form Flash portal Newgrounds (opens in new tab)since mid-2003. If you haven’t, though, you’re missing out on a surprisingly well-directed (and almost relentlessly grim) version of Super Mario Bros., told entirely with sprites from the first and second games. A little slow in places, it’s nonetheless captivating, giving us a tragic version of Mario, fearless Toads, swarming Koopas and a murderous version of Bowser.

It’s probably best to start at the beginning (opens in new tab)of Alxlen’s sad tale. However, few things in the series are quite as memorable or as stirring as the explosive siege that makes up its entire second episode, which uses the (somewhat clichéd) Requiem for a Dream theme music to grand effect:

Another Castle

A world-weary webcomic focused mainly on Luigi, Another Castle (opens in new tab)stars versions of the brothers (and their princesses) who’ve escaped into the real world and left the Mushroom Kingdom behind. However, while Luigi and Daisy have clearly adapted to everyday life, Mario and Peach weren’t so fortunate, and now spend their days hiding from debt collectors and being delusional.

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“The melancholic mood is just sorta where my head was at,” said its author, MC Griffin (opens in new tab), who’s since created a color version (opens in new tab)and a second chapter (opens in new tab), and is planning a third with Yoshi. “It’s inspired by all those unspoken things that go on between people. You know, you ever get that vibe when you walk into a room full of folks and feel like you’re missing some inside joke, but nobody’s saying a word? Always seemed like it was that way in Mario.”

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“What if Luigi saves the princess?” he added. “Why does he always get paired up with Daisy despite never saving her in any game? Seems like Mario kind of lends itself to strange stories when you start reading between the lines and asking questions of things.”

Mario: Game Over

As you may be starting to realize after that last entry, bringing Mario into the real world seems to be the surest way to bring him down (but in a funny way). Try to think of realistic equivalents for Mario and what he does, and you’ll end up with an infantile drug addict who deals with problems by getting huge and beating the shit out of them. That seems to have been the guiding idea behind Mario: Game Over (by Brooklyn comedy troupe POYKPAC (opens in new tab)), which shows Mario in a brief, disastrous downward spiral after saving the Mushroom Kingdom and coming home.

It Sucks to be
Weegie!

Prolific web cartoonist Kevin Bolk’s It Sucks to be Weegie! (opens in new tab)isn’t merciless in the “drugs and death lol” sense. In fact, at first blush it actually looks quite lighthearted. Keep reading, however, and you’ll see that there’s a subtle cruelty to it. Luigi was never the bravest or most beloved character in the Mario mythos, but here he suffers under a Charlie Brown-like burden of loserdom, continually failing at absolutely everything and earning nothing but spite for his efforts.

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Citing the Super Mario Adventures comics (by Charlie Nozawa) that appeared in early ‘90s Nintendo Power as a huge influence, Bolk says that his real aim isn’t to dump on Luigi, but “to build sympathy for my favorite under-appreciated second fiddle of the video game world.”

“It’s all a very carefully crafted public relations campaign,” Bolk said.

Mario (SXSW
bumper)

The Mario-as-delusional-addict school of thought reaches its apex in Joe Nicolosi’s (opens in new tab) Mario, a comically dark psychodrama about drugs, rejection, obsession, kart-racing and hipsters. Shot as an indie-flavored bumper (a short that plays before films) for the SXSW 2011 Film Festival, its version of Mario is a blue-collar stalker who wants to beat down Peach’s new boyfriend and win her back.

It’s a shame we’ll probably never see a full-length version. This is already loads better than the 1993 movie.

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