We hear that players will once again be able to play as Bee Mario and Boo Mario but will also be able to roll over Goombas as Rock Mario (see transmission 8 below) and make platforms with Cloud Mario. Hmm…probably need to see that to appreciate it…and you can! Check out transmission 1 below.

Here’s a sneak peek:

My kids liked this one even more:

And this one – check out that tongue-swinging by Yoshi. Niiice:

And you’ll discover an important little hint in this one:

So you move around the level map in a ship that’s shaped like a Mario head (and they say that you can load up on 1 Ups in one of his ears (always helpful in Mario games, don’t you think?!)). Watch it again if you missed it.

Even multi-player gets a little better, giving a second player just a bit more power to be able to defeat some enemies (in addition to that ability to collect gems). Here’s a tiny peek:

And finally, here’s the first transmission Nintendo released. It’s the one where you see what may be our favorite new feature, Mario can become Cloud Mario and make platforms. Sweet.

May 23 can’t come fast enough.

or this,

then you just have to watch this:

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The iPad.

Ahhh…soak in its loveliness.

My favorite part? It’s too hard to choose.
hi-res color iBooks, the keyboard dock, the revised iCal (that looks much better (and resembles my ancient (no, wait, did I ever actually use one of those?) Filofax)) or the ability to view all my apps on a larger screen.

Here are David Pogue’s first impressions.

Honestly? It is so very tempting for me. To say the least.

I was in a bus filled with middle school kids today and they were all atwitter, excitedly chattering away about how each and every one of them wanted to get an iPad. Mmmhmm.  Those naysayers on Twitter don’t know what they’re talking about.  This baby is going to be sizzling hot. I can feel it.

What about you?

Just another gadget you don’t need or want? Or are you dreaming about it and frequently thinking about it? Giving up your Kindle for this thing? Or sticking with your hardcover bestseller?

Hmmm….

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I’ll provide more detail and artwork soon.

For the Sony PS3:

Madden NFL 10

DJ Hero (Bundle with Turntable)

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (Rated E 10+ This is a must-have for the boys on my lists.)

Little Big Planet (This game allows for creativity; the kids can create their own game levels! Don’t be fooled by the cover, it’s best for older kids 10-12.)

Need for Speed: Shift

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And for older kids only:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (This game is worthwhile for the visuals alone. Look. At. This. Amazing graphics make you feel as if you’re controlling the action of a movie.) *Note: Rated T (Teen) includes swearing and violence

Some people may be surprised that we picked Uncharted 2 as one of our top picks because it includes violence and objectionable language, but we couldn’t write a “Best Games” list without including this game.  It’s remarkable.  And, believe me, there are far worse games on the market that I won’t ever mention to my readers.  This game operates from a third person perspective and is about as far as we’ll go in our house for the action/adventure games.  It is, in fact, a bit of a stretch for us, but we marvel at the graphics and game-play.  It’s riveting.

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For Nintendo Wii:

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.!!!!!

We love this game. LOVE it.  It’s a Mario game that finally allows for simultaneous multi-player action (for up to four players) — not just collecting stars (as in Super Mario Galaxy).  Tons of fun.  Your family can learn the benefit of working together versus one player racing ahead of the others (and then killing off everyone else simply because their characters didn’t keep up they didn’t wait for the other characters).  Also teaches the value of communication (e.g., “Now wait for me, Billy, or my character loses a life!”).  It’s best to realize early that some levels will be beaten much more easily if only one player plays. Did I mention that we love this game?! Get it.  It’s great.

MarioKart Wii (with Wii Wheel) (another fun game to play with a group of people)

My Sims Agents

EA Sports Active (and then EA Sports Active: More Workouts)

(get it for your favorite teen or preteen but use it for yourself, too!!)

Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

and the best little-known Wii game of the year:

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For Nintendo DS (or DSi):

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Note: this game is rated E 10+)

Scribblenauts

Scribblenauts allows your kids to live a little of the old classic “Harold and the Purple Crayon” except they’ll write the words and make the object appear (for example, write b-i-k-e and a bike will appear to help you).

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Note: this game is rated E 10+)

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Full Disclosure:

I did not receive any form of compensation for any of these games, I just like helping my readers find good video games!

We’ll fill in more information about each game soon.

Quelf

Quarto

Blokus (and/or Blokus Trigon)

Blurt

Monopoly

Bop It (not a board game, but highly addictive & fun!)

Apples to Apples

Milles Bornes

Electronic Battleship

Last Word

After popping in the Wii disk, you design a fitness profile so the figure on your television screen looks more or less like you.  Then, with a picture-in-picture type of format, your trainer (you select either a male or female) appears to show you what to do.

My favorite part of EA Sports Active is the variety of activities included in the workouts (like basketball, inline skating and tennis) and the ability to modify the intensity level of each workout.  So, if I’m not up for a high intensity workout, I can dial down the degree and opt for a medium intensity.

Bottom line?

• Includes a good mix of traditional resistance training and Wii sports activities.  This is not a Kathy Smith or Denise Austin old-style aerobics workout.
• Three levels of intensity, so it’s good for beginners as well as more experienced users.
• It brings more of a sporty, active lifestyle into your home workout.
• It’s fun! I enjoy this program enough that I actually make time for the workouts.  I suppose the fact that the workouts average around 25 minutes per session helps quite a bit – it’s just the right amount of time to squeeze into my busy days.

Cons?

• I have yet to do any floor exercises (crunches, push ups, leg lifts, etc.) so my abs are neglected.
• The resistance band seems so weak, I often wonder whether it’s going to snap and break.
• The Wii remote and sensor are less than perfect.  The reps sometimes test my patience.  Timing must be (perhaps unreasonably) precise.

You can see my video review by clicking here.

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Do your kids play video games? If so, have you heard about the site called What They Play? If you haven’t yet discovered WTP, check it out now.  It’s a fantastic site dedicated to helping parents better understand the games their kids play.  My co-host and I talked about it on our podcast, Parents and Kids Talk Radio, back in April.  If you’d like to hear what we said, just click here.

This week, as part of its “Real Moms” feature, the site asked six women questions about video games.  I’m happy and honored to say that I’m one of those moms.  Check out the questions and my responses here.

It’s always a good idea to stay up to date on the games your kids are talking about and playing with their friends.  I recommend that you bookmark What They Play and visit often.

Congratulations to Pete of My GPS Camera Phone and PG (or should I say P@) of Annoyingly Boring!

Each of our winners won a copy of the Wii game, Rayman Raving Rabids TV Party!! That game was one of our top picks this year and is undoubtedly one of the most fun games of the year!

Thank you to everyone for participating!

Happy Holidays from PKTR, Soapbox Mom and Ubisoft!!

This is one of the most fun games we’ve played this year (and that’s why it made our list of Top Picks – Video Games on Wii and PS 3)!

Want a chance to win?

This week, we’re asking you to leave a comment telling us which video game is your (or your family’s) favorite video game. That’s all you have to do to be entered into the drawing.*

Besides, now that the election is over, what else do you have to do?

You have until Saturday, December 20 at 4:30 pm (ET).

Tune in to the radio show I do with the kids on that day at 6:00 pm (ET) when we’ll announce the lucky winners on our live podcast!

Good luck and Happy Holidays!!

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———-> For more great holiday giveaways, check my blogger friend Michelle’s site, Scribbit, or Sarcastic Mom’s Giveaway Roundup!

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*And you must, of course, provide a valid email address for us to contact you.