Let me be clear…I love Mario. I love everything mario related. I buy more mario crap than anyone I know. For god’s sake, my son was Mario for Halloween this year. So this issue is by no means a drive-by hate comic, it’s simply my smart-ass way of illustrating the genius of Nintendo of being able to take a simple premise – ‘girl gets kidnapped, Italian plumbers go after her’ – into an empire. The latest incarnation being the new Super Mario Bros. Wii.

I love how such a simple idea, with so many holes in it, can prevail and stand the test of time. In a world of Modern Warfare’s and Assassin’s Creed’s, it’s truly a breathe of fresh air when you can play a game where the plot is to save a Princess who has been kidnapped more times than I can bare to remember.

By the way…the game itself – rocks.