User:Paper Yoshi/Test

January '11
Hello 'Shroom readers! After being absent from the previous seven issues, the Upcoming Games section is back! In this issue, we'll take a general look at the next Mario game, Mario Sports Mix.

Mario Sports Mix, as the name says, is a sports spin-off game. It features four sports: basketball, volleyball, hockey and dodgeball. The game is heavily influenced by Mario Hoops 3-on-3, as both were developed by Square Enix.

Mario Sports Mix has 19 playable characters. These include the Final Fantasy characters from Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and Slime, from the Dragon Quest series. Players can also choose their customized Miis. Both hockey and dodgeball have supporting characters. Shy Guys appear as the goalies on hockey, while colored Yoshis (red or blue, depending on the team) stay at the back of the court in dodgeball.

All of the sports feature common gameplay from the Mario spin-offs: items can be obtained by touching ? Panels, and each character has his/her unique special ability, which can prove very useful during the matches.

Release dates for Mario Sports Mix:
 * Japan: Released on November 25th
 * Europe: January 28th
 * United Kingdom: February 4th
 * North America: February 7th
 * Australia: confirmed for 2011

And that's all for now, folks! We'll dig deeper into each sport in the next issue. See you then!

February '11
Welcome everyone to the second issue of 2011!! This is Paper Yoshi once again with Upcoming Games. Although it's been already released in all major regions, January's game carries over to this month. As I promised, we'll take a look at each sport from Mario Sports Mix in this issue.

Basketball
If you've played Mario Hoops 3-on-3, you know how to play this sport in Mario Sports Mix. Shots from inside the 3-point line are worth 2 points, and the ones from outside the line are worth 3 points. Unlike Mario Hoops, Special Shots are worth 3 points (replacing the 4 points given in the DS game). A new feature in this incarnation of "Mario Basketball" is the addition of a shot clock to the screen, which forces players to shoot within 24 seconds. Coins also return, adding one point for each collected coin.

Volleyball
This volleyball game is very similar to the real sport. Players can serve and spike normally, while there's no time limit (it's the only sport without one). Once again, coins, which are obtained by stepping on ? Panels, add points to the score. Just like the gimmick courts from Mario Power Tennis, volleyball stages feature obstacles that may change the ball's course.

Hockey
The Mario series characters step on the ice ring once again, but in this game Sonic characters are absent. The gameplay is roughly the same as Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, with the usual additions to a Mario spin-off: ? Panels and Coins. This time, though, the ice stages are joined by other types of court, such as sand or grass.

Dodgeball
In dodgeball, players must hit the opponent to deplete their health meter, thus sending them to the box at the back of the court. Since this sport doesn't have a scoreboard, coins have a different purpose: the more coins players collect, the more "damage" they deal to the opposing team.

All sports allow characters to use special abilities after they fill the corresponding meter. They can also obtain and use items to hinder other players.

Well, with this, we're done covering Mario Sports Mix. I hope you enjoy this month's issue!

March '11
Welcome, readers, to another issue of Upcoming Games! Paper Yoshi is here to cover some fresh news from San Francisco, the announcement all (at least the majority of) Mario fans were waiting for: a Super Mario game for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS!

Not much was revealed by Nintendo of Japan's president, Satoru Iwata, aside from a few details. Super Mario (temporary title) is a 3-D platformer featuring elements from sidescrolling Mario series' platformers. ? Blocks, Brick Blocks and Small Mario, classic elements from the Super Mario Bros. series, appear in a screenshot of the game. Other screenshots show three levels: one has rotating multi-colored blocks, another has "elevator blocks" and the last one is similar to common early levels, such as World 1-1 from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

More will be revealed at this year's E3, according to Iwata, including the feature referenced by a tail coming off the letter "O" in the logo, which resembles Raccoon Mario's tail.

I apologize for this very short section, but that really is all we know about Super Mario for the 3DS. On the next issue, we'll check the other Mario 3DS games: Mario Kart and Paper Mario.

May '11
First of all, I apologize for not writing my section last month. I was very busy with homework both from school and German course, aside from personal stuff. I'd also like to say I won't be able to include the letter "L" in my section, since Iwata did not announce a new Luigi's Mansion game. WHY NOT, IWATA? :'( I'll sort of defy from my original plan and write not only about Mario Kart 3DS and Paper Mario 3DS but also about the newly announced Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (yay for the letter L :D)!



Mario Kart 3DS
Mario Kart 3DS will be the ninth Mario Kart game overall, third on a handheld. Not many details about it are known at the moment, since more will be revealed at this year's E3, in June.

It is scheduled to be released sometime in 2011 with, as Nintendo says, many elements new to the Mario Kart series. Only two characters have been confirmed to appear in MK3DS. As with most games, those are the well-known brothers Mario and Luigi.

The screenshots reveal three tracks: an unnamed course featuring Peach's Castle, a mountanious course with pipes, boulders and a forest and Wuhu Island from Wii Sports Resort.



Paper Mario 3DS
Paper Mario 3DS, the fourth Paper Mario game, will bring back the original RPG gameplay from the N64 and GCN installments. It will also be the first title of its series to be released for a handheld.

Partners will return, replacing the Pixls from Super Paper Mario. One of them is assumed to be a Chain Chomp, as seen in the game's screenshots. Confirmed enemies include Goomba, Koopa Troopa, Pokey and a crowned Monty Mole. A screenshot shows Mario and a Wiggler walking together in a forest, indicating the Wiggler may help Mario instead of fighting him.

According to the Official Nintendo Magazine in Europe, "stickers" are a major element in gameplay. They will appear in puzzles and will also give power-ups to Mario. One can be seen outlined in another screenshot, suggesting players will be able to move them using the stylus.

Confirmed locations include a town similar to Toad Town, a volcano similar to Mt. Lavalava and an area similar to Pleasant Path from the first Paper Mario.



Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
M&S London 2012, the third installment of the Mario & Sonic series, will be released for the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo 3DS. It has been confirmed that many sports, such as football/soccer and equestrian, will debut in this game, while the 3DS version is expected to feature over 50 Olympic themed events. While twenty characters will be playable in the game, only three have been confirmed to appear until now: Mario, Luigi and Sonic.

Starting next month, I'll just write updates on the games currently in development until Nintendo announces another game.

Also, as you may know, the E3 will be held in Los Angeles from June 7th to June 9th. Considering the deadline for sending 'Shroom sections will probably be June 11th (one week before it's released), I will try to delay writing my section as much as I need (and can) so that I can include E3 info about the four games I've covered here until now (excluding Sports Mix, which was already released).

And that's all for May! I hope you all enjoyed this month's section!

June '11
Welcome everyone to the first E3 issue of "Upcoming Games"! As usual, June brings us news about the Mario games currently in development while unveiling new ones. For this month, we have more details about two games covered here in previous issues and a new game announced at Nintendo's conference on June 7th.



Mario Kart 3DS
The Mario Kart series once again surprises the fans and players with completely new features. Characters are not limited to solid ground anymore; they can now both fly and go underwater thanks to the addition of air gliders and propellers to all vehicles, though only when needed. Karts will also be customizable with different parts, such as tires or gliders.

Retro tracks are expected to appear once again in MK3DS. However, only three have been revealed so far: Airship Fortress (DS), Luigi's Mansion (DS) and Maple Treeway (Wii). Another returning feature is the inclusion of coins within the races after three games and 10 years of absence.

The official trailer also revealed other playable characters, which include regular racers such as Peach or Yoshi. Players will be able to choose their Miis as well.



Super Mario 3D
The 3D Mario series is back to the DS line, this time with a game developed from scratch. Super Mario 3D will be the first true 3D Mario platformer; players will be able to accurately judge their position in the different levels with the stereoscopic 3D, making it easier to calculate jumps and attacks.

SM3D's gameplay is a mix of 2D and 3D platformers. While stages are three-dimensional, they are more linear than the ones from the 3D Mario games, such as Super Mario Galaxy. Levels also feature a time limit and flagpoles, common elements from the Super Mario Bros. games.

As previously hinted, the Super Leaf will make its second appearance in the Mario series, after debuting in Super Mario Bros. 3. However, it'll now transform Mario into Tanooki Mario, rather than his suit-less counterpart.

Luigi's Mansion 2
Reggie and Iwata-san, you're too slow. I needed this game for LAST MONTH'S ISSUE. :<

Luigi fans, rejoice! The green brother is back for more ghost-sucking action in Luigi's Mansion 2! After fighting King Boo and rescuing Mario in the Nintendo GameCube installment, Luigi once again takes on the ghost hunter role to capture some ghosts from various dark and spooky mansions, now in real 3D.

The game is expected to be a lot more puzzle oriented with the addition of different types of ghosts. Capturing those creatures now requires the activation of a quick burst of light, a strobe, as opposed to simply shining the flashlight on them. Luigi will also be able to suck many ghosts at once, although the number for the final version of the game is still unknown.

More details about the game are expected to come as we near the release date.

Release Dates (North America)

 * Mario Kart 3DS: Holiday 2011
 * Super Mario 3D: Holiday 2011
 * Luigi's Mansion 2: 2012

And that closes June's issue! E3 coverage will continue in the next month with the remaining 3 Mario games. See you in July!