The Taj Mahal built in snow? Aizuwakamatsu Castle? Taiwan’s National Palace Museum in ice? Meh! (OK, all these are pretty cool, but stick with me.) The Sapporo Snow Festival isn’t only frozen famous landmarks, it also showcases some of the geekiest snow sculptures on Earth. More »
Watch this from across the room, or squinting, and you’ll think it’s Mario Kart. From the effects to the course design, it is literally Mario Kart Wii. More »
I swear I’m gonna murder Toad. I hate everything about him — his stupid smurfy hat, his dumb little smile, his goofy, perky body language. I despise his goddam Marge Simpson voice, and the way he yells “Rabo!” But most of all, I hate the way the little fucker keeps nailing me with blue shells in Mario Kart 7 and snatching my lead away. More »
“Ray, people will come Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. More »
There’s a spot on the couch where Mario Kart 7 sits, a well-worn seat where the pillows and cushions have been arranged just so. Over the years, a multitude of previous Mario Kart games have all occupied that spot, and so Mario Kart 7 knows just how to hold itself, just how to sit, just how to remain comfortable. This game feels so confidently Mario Kart — every aspect of its design and presentation is just in there. More »
Yesterday, I took a look at Mario Kart 7‘s online multiplayer, which is functional and easier to use than any past Kart game. Today, I wanted to show another cool feature of the game’s multiplayer — the ability to make multiplayer communities. More »
Reggie Fils-Aime, everybody’s favourite pizza man turned game exec, is a terror on the road. The Nintendo of America president thinks it’s OK to drive like Mario Kart in real life. You know, burning rubber and throwing heat-seeking turtle shells. More »
Racing into stores to end a gaming season filled with shining gems is Mario Kart 7, Nintendo’s final shot in the war to make the 3DS relevant in 2011. Does it hit the mark? *eyes chart* Mostly? More »
Looking back, there’s an argument to be made that Mario Kart 64 was my first true multiplayer gaming obsession, more so than even Goldeneye 64. It was so much more fun to race against my friends than it was to race against the (frustrating, rubber banding) computer — the idea of online Mario Kart hadn’t even crossed my mind. More »