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Hours upon hours upon hours; this is how I can describe my playtime with Nintendo’s long running Mario Kart series. Ever since they have released this stand out series, I have been hooked. Perfect gameplay, a ton of lovable Mario characters and outstanding track design has made this franchise one of Nintendo’s marquee titles and will continue to do so forever. To date, the Mario Kart franchise has sold nearly 90 million units worldwide across all titles and platforms and shows no signs of slowing down. Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Wii continue to dominate sales charts and has been enjoyed the world over by millions of players everywhere.

However, after watching the newly released trailer for Sony’s upcoming LittleBigPlanet Karting and playing ModNationRacers, I believe it is high time to revamp Nintendo’s historic franchise and evolve it faster than a weak Pokemon.

First things first, gameplay wise Mario Kart is stunning. I love all the creative power ups, power slides and characters. I am not saying mess with the formula that has made the series popular in the first place rather truly make strides to evolve the series and make future games feel fresh and new.

One way Nintendo can instantly make the franchise evolve is add their own spin on the “play, create, share” component that has made the LittleBigPlanet series popular. By doing this, players would finally be able to create their own Nintendo worlds and open up an even bigger Mario Kart community. I can only begin to imagine the possibilities that this would open and with their forthcoming home console in the Wii U, I think this would be a perfect start to really change the series. Players could literally draw their creations right on the tablet controller and watch the terrain change in real time on their HD TV’s. It almost seems like a no brainer with the new console and the Wii U controller, I just hope Nintendo sees this as well.

Another thing that Nintendo can do is to drastically change the graphics of the title. With Nintendo finally embracing the HD era (I was beginning to think they would miss it entirely), it will be fantastic to see the series in glorious HD but how about with an all new graphics engine…. I’m thinking a Pixar movie with Nintendo character in it…. Now that would be nice and freshen up the series, don’t you think?

Customizable rides coupled with user generated tracks would round out the small list of changes I believe Nintendo should do with Mario Kart. By allowing gamers to customize their karts with skins and decals, it would individualize the cars and give gamers their own identity both online as well as in game. An easy customization component would allow creative players to truly explore their options and even lengthen their play time with this excellent series.

Nintendo, if you are reading, I am not saying drastically change what has made Mario Kart so successful; I am saying it is time to evolve the series and with the suggestions mentioned above, I think it would be a great start.

What do you guys think? Thanks for reading.

Here is the first footage of Epic Mickey 2. Expect a BIG reveal later this evening as they will be showcasing the title on Spike TV. Make sure everyone sets their DVR’s for later tonight.

Enjoy the footage.

Here are the latest hardware sales numbers for last week in Japan. The unstoppable Nintendo 3DS continues its reign as console of choice while the PS3 and PSP round out the top 3. Check out the res below:

3DS – 64,017
PS3 – 27,900
PSP – 18,633
Vita – 10,021
Wii – 8,127
PS2 – 1,165
Xbox 360 – 1,145
DSi LL – 853
DSi – 617

All new PS Vita owners looking to accessorize their new PS Vita handheld, look no further as Sony has put together a near perfect PS Vita accessories bundle for your buying pleasure. My newly purchased handheld needed company in the form of accessories and this official bundle from Sony fits the bill perfectly.

So what’s In the box you ask? Check out the contents below:

1 x Official PSP Vita Pouch
1 x Official PSP Vita Case
1 x Official PSP Vita Games Case
1 x Official PSP Vita Screen Protector
1 x Official PSP Vita Wrist Strap and Cleaning Cloth

The PS Vita Pouch is what we have all come to expect in a handheld pouch; it’s easy to use, provides a very soft inside for the device and is easy on the eyes. When your handheld is tucked away in its new home, the accessory does not bulk the system up at all and will most likely be the case of choice.

If you are looking for a little more protection for your impressive new handheld, included in Sony’s bundle is a PS Vita case which provides a sturdier alternative to the pouch. It’s black in color and reminds me of a nice glasses case. It’s a lot stronger than the pouch and provides some much needed protection if you plan on tossing the device (not too hard I hope) into the wife’s purse or your laptop case.

The included games case and protective screen allows players to carry their library of games (assuming they are from retail and not downloaded) and protect the very nice front touch screen. Because the screen on the PS Vita is outstanding (if you haven’t seen it yet, run down to your local game retailer and check it out), the protective screen is a must for any new owner. I put this bad boy on as soon as I got the bundle in order to protect that stunning visual masterpiece.

The cloth may seem like a “pack in” accessory but with the amount of fingerprints that end up on Sony’s glossy finish for the handheld, the need for the cloth becomes immedeitley essential.

Overall, if I had to rate Sony’s bundled accessory for the PS Vita on our scale from 1-10, I would have to give it a 9. It’s almost an essential investment for for $249+ system and will give you piece of mind. Highly recommended my young Jedi’s.

Myvideogamenews score: 9.0 out of 10.