Shigeru Miyamoto 
is royalty in the video game world. There is no other game creator whose name instantly commands respect and awe — and to whom a company’s fortune is so indebted.
Now, the man who created such classic franchises as Donkey Kong, Mario and The Legend of Zelda says he intends to step back from his current role to focus on more personal projects.
Oh PETA, you 
crazy kids. First, you get the gaming world up in arms by squaring off against one of its most-loved characters. Then, when the backlash hits, you quickly claim the whole thing was “tongue-in-cheek.”
After slamming Nintendo icon Mario for wearing a ‘Tanooki’ suit in his latest game, the animal rights organization says the outcry, which included the creation of a disturbing parody video game called “Super Tanooki Skin 2D,” was just a publicity stunt.
While the Wii 
was a runaway success for Nintendo, the biggest criticism about the system was the lack of big third-party games. Now a new compilation of the console’s top-selling software is dramatically underscoring that complaint.
Of the top 20 selling games for the Wii, 13 were made by Nintendo. Among third-party publishers, Ubisoft was the big winner, thanks largely to its music games – “Just Dance” and “Michael Jackson: Experience”.
What a difference 
a price cut makes.
Sales of Nintendo’s beleaguered 3DS handheld were up a whopping 260 percent in August (compared to July) after the system’s $70 price cut went into effect. Even more impressive, that price cut was only in effect for part of the month.
It might not be as famous as the Boston 
Marathon, but a marathon taking place in the Mushroom Kingdom sounds like a lot more fun.
A group of civic-minded — and seriously dedicated — Nintendo fans have kicked off Mario Marathon 4, a fund-raising effort for the Child’s Play Charity, which provides hospitalized children with toys and games.
Bob Hoskins sports a resume that 
most actors would envy. Best known, perhaps, for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?,” he also played key roles in “Brazil,” “Mona Lisa” and “The Cotton Club.”
He has appeared in nearly 100 films and television shows — but there’s one he’d like to erase from that list: 1993’s Super Mario Bros.
Washington D.C. is about to be invaded 
by a who’s who of video game icons.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum has unveiled the 80 fan-selected titles that will be on display at an upcoming exhibition on the art of video games — and a lot of familiar names appear on the list.
When Nintendo announced Super Mario was on the
way to the 3DS in March, the company didn’t offer a lot of details.
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s global president, tossed out a logo (which had a tail), showed a few screen shots and said we’d hear more at E3. It was a frustrating tease for fans.
You can’t turn a corner these days without 
running into the debate over whether 99 cents is too cheap for a game or $60 is too high. Ultimately that comes down to the quality of the game, and as it happens, some of the best games of all time — as well as some innovative new titles — can be found for less than $10.
Here are 10 you simply can’t miss.
Nintendo is expanding the multimedia 
functions of the 3DS — and bringing a familiar face to the platform.
The company announced that it is working on a new Super Mario game for its latest handheld system, with the development team behind the successful Super Mario Galaxy titles leading the charge. Also, U.S. owners will be able to stream Netflix films to the device starting this summer.
