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Nintendo Reveals Mario Tennis Fever, Launches On Switch 2 in February
Game Updates

Nintendo Reveals Mario Tennis Fever, Launches On Switch 2 in February

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Nintendo has revealed Mario Tennis Fever, the next entry in the long-running Mario-fronted tennis series, and it’s coming exclusively to Switch 2 in February. More specifically, it launches on Switch 2 on February 12. 

Nintendo announced the game during today’s Nintendo Direct with a gameplay trailer showcasing new footwork additions like the ability to slide, dive, and more. Plus, there are 30 different Fever Rackets to use; build up your Fever meter and unleash special moves with the Flame Racket, Ice Racket, Mini Mushroom Racket, and even the Shadow Racket. Each of these rackets comes with its own special ability, and you can pair them with 38 different playable characters. 

Check it out for yourself in the Mario Tennis Fever reveal trailer below: 

 

Mario Tennis Fever features various modes like Tournament, Trial Towers, Mix It Up, which features Wonder Flowers, and Online Modes. Plus, you can use the Joy-Con 2’s motion controls via Swing Mode. In the Adventure mode, characters are turned into babies and you’ll need to teach them how to play tennis, defeat monsters, and advance through various worlds to get things back to normal.

Mario Tennis Fever launches February 12, 2026, on Switch 2. 

In the meantime, read Game Informer’s Mario Tennis Aces review. 

Are you picking up Mario Tennis Fever next February? Let us know in the comments below!



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New Yoshi platformer unveiled to celebrate Super Mario Bros 40th anniversary
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New Yoshi platformer unveiled to celebrate Super Mario Bros 40th anniversary

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A new Yoshi platformer is heading to Switch 2 to celebrate the Super Mario Bros. 40th anniversary.


Yoshi and the Mysterious Book features a gorgeous hand-drawn storybook aesthetic and puzzle-like 2D gameplay.


In a string of Mario-themed announcements, this and Mario Tennis Fever were the only actual new games revealed, alongside a Switch 2 update for Super Mario Bros. Wonder and the Super Mario Galaxy double pack.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book – Nintendo Direct 9.12.2025Watch on YouTube


Still, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book looks delightful, as Nintendo follows up the wool and crafting themes of its previous Yoshi adventures.


I am, however, quite concerned about the size of the belly button on this grumpy creature.

He should get that checked out | Image credit: Nintendo


Yoshi and the Mysterious Book launches on Switch 2 in spring next year – right around the time of the newly-revealed The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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Nintendo Drops Surprise Trailer for New ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’
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Nintendo Drops Surprise Trailer for New ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’

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Mario is returning to the big screen. Following the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which made more than $1.3 billion worldwide in 2023, animation studio Illumination and Nintendo are releasing a sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, in April 2026. Nintendo dropped a teaser trailer during its Direct presentation on Friday.

The teaser doesn’t offer much about the movie, which takes its name from the 2007 platformer. Mario dozes in a field before title credits appear, that’s about it. But the trailer still signifies that Nintendo will continue to churn out films aimed at turning Mario into a megafranchise.

It’s no coincidence that the trailer and accompanying announcement come just one day before the 40th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. video game. In the four decades since that game’s release, Mario—and Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, and other assorted characters—have become cultural icons.

In 1993, Super Mario Bros. became one of the earliest videogame film adaptations. It was panned by critics and fans, but in the years since, games ranging from Mortal Kombat to Tomb Raider have been turned into movies. Now, as superhero fatigue sets in and ’90s nostalgia peaks, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which will include nods to the entire Mario series, stands poised to continue Mario’s domination.

Considered the most successful video game adaptation ever made, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the second highest-grossing movie of 2023, second only to Barbie. The original cast, including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as Bowser, will return for the sequel.

Alongside the news, Nintendo also announced it will release remastered versions of Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel on October 2.



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Mario flies through space.
Game Reviews

Mario Movie 2 Title Leaks Point To Super Mario Galaxy And Odyssey

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The next Mario Bros. movie is out April 2026 and it still doesn’t have an official title. Unofficially, however, the titles has seemingly leaked thanks to recently registered domain names, and all signs point to a riff on Super Mario Galaxy.

Per Wario64, the domain name supermariogalaxy.movie was registered by NBCUniversal earlier this month, followed by supermariogalaxy-lefilm.com and supermariogalaxy-lapelicula.com on September 10. They redirect to Universal’s homepage and match up with the conventions used for the domains for the original Super Mario Bros. movie.

https://t.co/EHknBYD082 (Super Mario Galaxy film) domain also registered by NBC Universal on Sept 3rd.

For the first movie, Universal used https://t.co/kT7oaJCDzS for the movie’s website (now points to VOD/Disc links since it’s been out for years) https://t.co/q0zVL2LsAI pic.twitter.com/2uvjPnIwJQ

— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 11, 2025

This backs up a leak from months ago when a photo of labels featuring the title The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on Old Spice deodorant started making the rounds online. It wasn’t clear at the time if it was an elaborate fake or not, though the renders showing Yoshi and Luigi looked authentic. The latest information about the domain names suggests it was legit.

“Can’t believe that the Mario movie sequence was leaked by an Old Spice merch, of all things,” the YouTube account NintendoFan posted on X. “What a crazy timeline! I loved Yoshi’s look on that little can. Now it’s just a matter of waiting to see it in 4K.”

The Super Mario Bros. Movie ended with Bowser defeated and Mario and Luigi returning to their lives in Brooklyn while a post-credits sequent revealed a hatching Yoshi egg somewhere in the sewers. There weren’t any other strong leads on where the second movie would take things, but the apparent title suggests at the very least the gang is headed into space. Maybe to try and find a home for Yoshi?

2007’s Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii sees the plumber hopping from planet to planet in order to free magical stars for Rosalina’s ship, called the Comet Observatory, which got messed up by Bowser. The game features a star character, Lumalee, who already appeared in the first movie. At the same time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a reimagining of the series lore more than a remix of it, so The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will likely have its own twist on the elements of the game, if it borrows directly from them at all.

One last thing worth noting is that the Old Spice art showed a Tostarenan from Super Mario Odyssey hanging behind Luigi. So whatever Nintendo and Minions studio Illumination Entertainment are planning, it’s likely much bigger than any one Mario game. The second movie hits theaters on April 3, 2026.





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There's a new Nintendo Direct this Friday (and it's just before a major Mario anniversary)
Game Reviews

There’s a new Nintendo Direct this Friday (and it’s just before a major Mario anniversary)

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There have been rumours circulating for a while, but now we have confirmation: Nintendo is hosting its next Nintendo Direct presentation this week.

Per the platform holder, the stream will be broadcast online on Friday, 12th September at 2pm BST (that’s 9am ET or 6am PT, 3pm CEST if you’re in Europe).

The show will run for 60 minutes (which is quite long for a Direct these days!) and promises to include updates and releases for both Switch and Switch 2.

It’s actually quite peculiar timing for Nintendo: we’ve had a general Direct on 31st July, and then another specifically dedicated to Kirby Air Riders, too, on 19th August. This is quite close concentration for these events (no that I’m complaining).

It is not year clear what the showcase will present, though it is worth noting there is a very substantial anniversary coming up as the world gets ready to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros (which takes place on Saturday). Will we see anything special to mark the occaision? Will get get a second year of Luigi? Will Waluigi ever be let out of whatever cage he’s been crammed in? Only time will tell.

Outside of Mario, everyone is hoping for a release date of Metroid Prime 4 Beyond – after all the nonsense we’ve seen about the game in the past few months, you’d hope Nintendo is actually finally ready to pull the trigger and release the damn game.

We’ll find out more on Friday. What are you hoping to see?

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.



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Lego Super Mario World Pixel Art Model Gets Rare Price Cut At Amazon And Walmart
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Lego’s Retro Super Mario World Model Gets Huge Limited-Time Discount At Walmart

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Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi is on sale for 20% off at Walmart thanks to the retailer’s newly launched Bricktember Sale. The promotion is loaded with exclusive Lego bundles as well as deals on rarely discounted sets. Walmart’s deal drops the price of the 1,215-piece pixel art display model to only $104 (was $130). The Bricktember Sale also includes the largest Lego Super Mario expansion playset. The 1,392-piece Bowser Express Train is discounted to only $80 (was $120).

Last week, Walmart and Amazon both had the Super Mario World Lego set for $117. Only Walmart has the $104 deal at this time, but Amazon’s $117 deal is still active. Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi launched last October and is one of only a handful of Nintendo Lego sets geared toward adults that is actively being produced today.

$104 (was $130)

Lego Super Mario World: Mario and Yoshi is a 1,215-piece set that authentically captures the pixelated aesthetic from the Super Nintendo era. It’s a fun build to piece together and a fitting display piece for all Super Mario fans, but especially those with a fondness for the 16-bit character designs.

The completed model is 15.5 x 10 x 4 inches and features several interactive components. There’s a dial behind Yoshi’s head that extends his tongue. The crank on the side of the base creates a more elaborate animation. Yoshi’s legs move to make it appear as if he is running. Adding to the illusion is the figure’s quick bouncing motion. Yoshi’s head inches forward and back, and Mario’s cape sways gently, just as it does in the game.

It also has an Action Tag, so if you own one of the Adventures with Lego Super Mario starter courses, the Interactive figures (Mario, Luigi, or Peach) will react.

Lego did a wonderful job making the instructions easy to follow. I used a combination of the physical instruction booklet and the Lego Builder app on iPad. The square pieces used to create the “pixel art” are numbered in the booklet, which was extremely helpful for me as someone with colorblindness.

Though technically part of Lego’s 18-plus “for adults” line, kids who have assembled sets in the 1,000-piece probably won’t have any issues.

Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi is one of only eight Lego Nintendo display models designed for adults. Earlier this year, Lego launched a 1,972-piece Mario Kart display model for $170. The elaborate build features Mario’s iconic red kart and the first realistic Lego replica of the character’s modern 3D look.

On October 1, exactly one year after Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi’s launch, Lego’s highly anticipated Game Boy replica will be available at major retailers and the Lego Store. The 421-piece display set only costs $60 and includes two buildable cartridges, three lenticular screens, multiple display stands, and several interactive features. Check out our Lego Game Boy preorder guide for more details, and keep in mind multiple retailers have sold out of preorders numerous times. Preorders sold out at Amazon in late August, but Walmart restocked the Lego Game Boy around the same time.

Lego Nintendo Building Sets for Adults

The most affordable Lego Nintendo display model is the 540-piece Piranha Plant, which you can find on sale at Amazon and Walmart for just $48 (was $60).

Save on the largest Lego Super Mario Playset

Lego Super Mario: The Bowser Express Train

As mentioned, The Bowser Express Train is the largest Lego Super Mario playset by piece count. There are a few Lego Nintendo display models for adults with more pieces–The Mighty Bowser is the biggest overall with approximately twice as many pieces–but the 1,392-piece Bowser’s Express Train is considered a Lego Super Mario Expansion Set. Based on The Bowser Express level in Super Mario 3D World, this elaborate and well-designed build has four train cars, a makeshift station, and numerous interactive elements such as a spring-loaded shooter. It comes with six buildable Lego Super Mario figures.

Up until now, The Bowser Express Train hadn’t received any notable discounts–it almost always sold for full price–so now’s your chance to save $40 on this awesome Bowser-themed Lego set.



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Mario looks back while racing to Waluigi's casino.
Game Reviews

Mario Kart 8 Just Can’t Stop Topping Nintendo Switch Sales Charts

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Mario Kart 8: Deluxe was one of the top-selling games in the U.S. last month across Nintendo Switch 1 and 2. Huh? Now in its 11th year, the racing game refuses to go gently into that good night even with a next-gen sequel available. Mario Kart World may be the franchise’s future, but Mario Kart 8 continues to hold on like no Nintendo game ever has before.

MK8 was ranked the seventh best-selling Nintendo platform game in June when the Switch 2 launched. In July, it shot up to the fourth spot with Mario Kart World falling to sixth, reports Circana game research director Mat Piscatella. A few things are going on here to explain the bizarre swap. First, Nintendo only shares physical sales data, so we don’t know how much either game sold relative to the other in terms of digital downloads. Plus, the digital version of Mario Kart World is part of a discounted Switch 2 bundle, and none of those unit sales are getting tracked either.

So is Mario Kart 8 actually outselling Mario Kart World? Almost definitely not. But it is still selling surprisingly well at a time when you’d think everyone who doesn’t already own the game would just wait to jump directly into Mario Kart World. Mario Kart 8 sold around 600,000 copies globally last quarter, which included the Switch 2’s launch month. It seems likely to continue selling into the holiday season. Another million copies before the end of the year doesn’t seem out of the question, which would probably make it a more popular game in that time period than most of the third-party releases publishers raced to port to the Switch 2.

Switch 2 is selling way ahead of the original

Despite only two months on the market, Switch 2 is already the best-selling console year-to-date in the U.S., according to Piscatella. And it’s already far ahead of where its predecessor was at the same time in its launch cycle. “Nintendo Switch 2 has now surpassed 2 million units sold in the US life-to-date,” he reported. “It is currently 75% ahead of the unit sales pace set by the original Nintendo Switch.”

But many Switch 2 games have already dropped off the best-sellers list. June included Cyberpunk 2077, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Street Fighter 6, and Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster all in the top 10. None of them are still there in July. While Donkey Kong Bananza and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 both dominated, every third-party game is gone besides Minecraft and Hogwarts Legacy, neither of which are Switch 2 exclusives (Minecraft doesn’t even have a Switch 2 version).

With over 150 million Switch 1 consoles sold, it’s not surprising that cross-platform Nintendo exclusives are continuing to own the board. But it comes amid fresh reports that the company has been slow to get Switch 2 dev kits to third-party developers, suggesting they just release their game on Switch 1 instead. For now the Switch 2 is still mostly another Nintendo machine for playing Nintendo games (and Minecraft). And in that arena the company’s back catalog continues to have a major edge, with Mario Kart 8 still taking the crown.



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Two Super Mario Series Amiibo Return To Amazon 7 Years After Selling Out
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Two Super Mario Series Amiibo Return To Amazon 7 Years After Selling Out

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Amazon has restocked a pair of Nintendo Amiibo figures that it hasn’t had in its inventory in more than seven years. Super Mario fans can add Koopa Troopa and Goomba Amiibo to their collections for $16 each. Both characters are shipped and sold by Amazon, so we wouldn’t expect Mario’s iconic punching bags to remain in stock for very long. Goomba and Koopa Troopa are part of the long-dormant Super Mario Amiibo series.

Both figures released in the US in October 2017 and were sold out at Amazon by time the calendar flipped to 2018. The regular price of Nintendo Switch Amiibo recently increased to $20, so you’re technically saving 20% on Koopa Troopa and Goomba. The same could be said about Sora from Kingdom Hearts, which launched in early 2024 and is in stock for $16.

Super Mario Amiibo series – Koopa Troopa and Goomba

Splatoon fans can get the Pearl & Marina 2-Pack for $25, but you’ll need to move fast; the combo pack is $10 below MSRP and almost out of stock. Randomly, the European edition of Robin from Fire Emblem is also in stock, though for the peculiar price of $20.90.

You can find many other Switch Amiibo figures on Amazon, but the five listed above are the only characters sold/shipped by Amazon at this time. Check out the Koopa Troopa and Goomba Amiibo below. Nintendo Switch 2 owners should also take a look at the deals on the new Zelda and Street Fighter Amiibo before they’re gone.

$16 | MSRP is $20

The Goomba Amiibo launched October 6, 2017, the same day as Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions for Nintendo 3DS. Other Super Mario role-playing games have supported Amiibo figures, but Goomba and Koopa Troopa are the only characters to release with a Mario RPG.

In Bowser’s Minions, the figure unlocks Gold Goomba as well as several stamp sheets. Several other Nintendo 3DS games can read the Goomba Amiibo. Most notably, if you scan the figure while playing WarioWare Gold, Wario will draw a hilariously terrible Goomba picture.

Goomba also has unique functionality in a handful of Nintendo Switch games, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Super Mario Party, and Bayonetta 2. In Super Mario Party, you’ll get an exclusive shiny Goomba sticker.

$16 | MSRP is $20

Koopa Troopa joined the Super Mario Amiibo series the same day as Goomba, so this figure has similar read/write functionality with Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions. Players can unlock Gold Koopa Troopa and themed stamp sheets for Bowser’s Minions and the mainline story mode. Koopa Troopa is compatible with several other Mario games for 3DS. And yes, in case you were wondering, Wario is bad at drawing Koopa Troopa, too.

On Switch, Koopa Troopa functions similarly to Goomba in Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bowser’s Fury, Bayonetta 2, and Super Mario Party. You’ll unlock the Koopa Troopa Spirit in Smash Bros., but since a shiny Koopa sticker doesn’t exist in Super Mario Party, it unlocks the Goomba sticker (if you don’t already have it).

Koopa Troopa also unlocks exclusive costumes in two additional games: Conga Master Party and Yoshi’s Crafted World.

Goombas and Koopa Troopas have been franchise fixtures since the original Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1985 on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

In World 1-1, the first few obstacles Mario encounters are the ever-grumpy mushrooms with feet. After flattening a handful of Goombas by jumping on their heads, Mario meets the perpetually smiling tortoise for the first time. There’s only one Koopa in World 1-1, but that’s enough to introduce players to the more efficient method for eliminating Goombas. Over the past 40 years, Super Mario fans have hurled countless Koopa Shells at groups of Goombas.

Nintendo has iterated on Bowser’s original henchmen on many occasions, but you can still count on seeing regular Koopas and Goombas in the vast majority of Super Mario Bros platformers and spin-offs. When you encounter one, there’s a good chance the other is nearby, so it’s only fitting that Amazon has both of these Amiibo in stock at the same time.

Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo

Amazon has seven of the eight Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo figures in stock, and four characters are on sale for $20 each. Two of the four Legend of Zelda Sage Amiibo–Tulin and Sidon–are eligible for Amazon’s $10 discount. Amazon is offering $20 discounts on Luke and Jamie Amiibo from Street Fighter 6.

Amazon’s deals will likely end when GameStop’s Amiibo promotion expires this weekend. Unlike Amazon, GameStop has all seven Zelda and Street Fighter Amiibo for $20 each; GameStop is also offering a 50% discount on the retailer’s exclusive Street Fighter 6 Amiibo Card Starter Set.



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Save $20 Or More On Mario RPGs For Nintendo Switch This Week
Game Updates

Save $20 Or More On Mario RPGs For Nintendo Switch This Week

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If you’re looking to fill the gaps in your collection of Nintendo Switch exclusives, you should check out the assortment of game deals at Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy this week. Each retailer is offering discounts on several Super Mario games, including traditional platformers, role-playing games, and arcade sports titles. A handful of Nintendo Switch games outside of the Super Mario umbrella, including Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Emio – The Smiling Man, are featured in the sales, too.

Multiple games on the list below can be purchased for lower prices if you opt for an international edition from the UK or other regions. The Switch and Switch 2 are region-free consoles, so the only tangible difference a lot of the time is the ratings board logo on the cover. The one key thing to keep in mind is that DLC from the eShop must match the game’s region, so if you bought a UK edition of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you’d need to use the UK eShop if you wanted the Fighters Pass.

Video Game Deals: Nintendo Switch Exclusives

  • Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club
  • The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
  • Mario & Luigi: Brothership
  • Mario Strikers: Battle League
  • Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition
  • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
  • Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
  • Super Mario Maker 2
  • Super Mario RPG
  • Yoshi’s Crafted World

Super Mario RPG

Turn-based RPG fans can save at least $20 on the Switch remakes of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Mario RPG. The Thousand-Year Door is a beautiful and thoroughly faithful enhanced version of the 2003 GameCube classic. Amazon and Walmart are sold out of the $40 deal, but Best Buy still has copies for $40.

Many Mario fans view The Thousand-Year Door as the pinnacle of Mario role-playing games. Its main competition for the crown is Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the 1996 SNES classic that was remade for Nintendo Switch in 2023. This is one of those deals that’s even better if you don’t mind picking up an international edition. The imported edition of Super Mario RPG is $36.50 at Amazon, whereas the US release is $40 at Amazon and Walmart. North American edition for $40, while the imported edition is $36.50.

Just like Mario RPG, an international copy of Mario & Luigi: Brothership is $36.50 at Amazon, and the US edition is $40 at Best Buy. Brothership has some rather unfortunate performance issues on original Switch hardware. If you own a Switch 2, however, the game runs noticeably smoother despite not receiving an official Switch 2 update. The roughly 40-hour adventure has some pacing issues and clunky design choices, but it’s still an enjoyable game. For transparency, I stopped playing it at launch due to the performance issues, but I liked it quite a bit when I gave it another try on Switch 2.

Best Buy is the only retailer with deals on Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition – Deluxe Set, Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club. The Deluxe Set of Nintendo World Championships is bundled with a replica NES cartridge, a collection of art cards featuring cover art from the 8-bit era, and a set of enamel pins with pixel art.

For more Nintendo collectibles, check out our roundup on the discounted Legend of Zelda and Street Fighter 6 Amiibo figures. All seven figures that launched the same day as the Switch 2 console are on sale for $20.

On the Mario side of Amiibo, fans can get the Koopa Troopa and Goomba figures directly from Amazon for $16 each. Nintendo recently raised the MSRP of pre-Switch 2 Amiibo to $20, so you’re saving 20% on each. These figures launched way back in 2017 a few weeks before Super Mario Odyssey hit stores. Prior to this year, Amazon had been sold out of both figures since 2018.



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Rouge performing an Air Trick
Game Reviews

Sonic Crossworlds Is Doing Way More For Me Than Mario Kart

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I’ve played Sonic Racing: Crossworlds twice now, and both times, I had the same fleeting thought: “What if Sonic outruns Mario Kart and has the better kart racer this year?” Mario Kart World is pretty good. It is a really solid One of Those, and it will no doubt be a mainstay in the Switch 2’s long lifetime–but it plays things safe, has several frustrating things going on under the hood, and by God, 24 players is too damn many. 

After playing about a dozen hours of World with friends since the Switch 2 launched in June, playing Crossworlds for even an hour was refreshing, as it feels like Sega is not only taking some cool risks to shake up the formula, but also making calculated choices that rein in chaos and allow for more strategic racing.

Crossworlds’ biggest shake-up is the introduction of the Gadget Panel, which is essentially an overhaul of Team Sonic Racing’s Bonus Box system. Before each race, you can use your panel to create a loadout of upgrades, usable items, and stat boosts to fit your playstyle. Some upgrades take up more space than others on your panel. My typical arsenal included the option to start each race with a monster truck transformation item that gives you a significant speed boost and also lets you trample over enemies in your path. Having something like that takes up multiple slots on your panel, but it’s an excellent way to get a head start at the beginning of a race. 

While that’s a one-and-done boost, a lot of the upgrades help you throughout a race, such as performing speed boosting air tricks faster, making your drift a little smoother, or offensive-based upgrades like giving yourself a boost every time you collide with an enemy kart. You can race in cars or the Extreme Gear hoverboards, which will define your playstyle, but your Gadget Panel lets you fine-tune it into something unique and personalized. I use the monster truck at the beginning of the race, but after I’ve gotten my head start, I want to make sure I have a smooth ride as I pass the rest of these slowpokes, so I use the rest of my panel to make my drifts faster and get a speed boost when I bump into others.

Having all those spinning plates on screen at once would overwhelm Crossworlds if it had taken Mario Kart World’s 24-player races as a challenge. However, Crossworlds maintains a 12-player limit on its races, and after all the World I’d been playing, it’s become pretty clear to me that this is the sweet spot. 

Yeah, having 24 players on a track at once is a good technical showcase for the Switch 2 and feeds into the usual “bigger = better” mentality that permeates through most video games, but it has also turned out to be one of World’s biggest frustrations. By design, if there are more racers on a track, the slightest setback will inherently give more players a chance to pass by you. One well-timed blue shell can send a first-place winner back a dozen placements with not enough time or resources to regain the lead. So much of Mario Kart is determined by the luck of the draw. If you get the right item, you can Bullet Bill your way to the front of the pack, but you might get something less useful. Sonic Racing: Crossworlds has the same item-based play, but its Gadget loadouts leave your playstyle less to chance, and its 12-player races mean that the slightest misstep isn’t punished by being tossed down the rankings into an oblivion you can’t drive out of. It adds fun complexities without becoming chaotic and convoluted to the point where only the sweatiest among us can reach first place.

Crossworlds is doing a lot of things right, and in light of a relatively lukewarm reception for its biggest competitor, Mario and Sonic are potentially on an even playing field, and the blue blur could come out on top for the first time in a while. I may not be thrilled with the crossover slop this time around, but I’m eager to get on my board as Shadow when Crossworlds launches on September 25.



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