With a grand total of three Mario games coming out this month (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Mario Vs Donkey Kong and Super Mario Ball) we've re-named November 'Mario Month'! Over the next 30 days we'll be bringing you unrivalled coverage of these top titles plus buckets of background info about our most famous moustachioed mascot.
And what better way to begin the festivities than with a word from Mario himself. Today, and each week in November, we'll be posting Mario's personal diaries, written exclusively for us by the man himself. Take it away, Mario!
"Hey-lo and a-welcome to my diary! Boy oh boy, what a summer it's been. I've been so busy, I feel like a holiday. But the last time I took one, I landed myself in a whole heap-a trouble. Sure, I was in the sunshine, but I don't call cleaning up graffiti with a water-squirting backpack a vacation, do you?
"2003 was a busy year too. Once Luigi and I had returned from our little trip to the BeanBean Kingdom, I spent most of the winter up to my dungaree straps in oil and banana skins down at the Mario Kart track. So I decided that in 2004 I would stay firmly put, home sweet home in the Mushroom Kingdom.
"Never one to stay still for very long, though, I decided to go back to my roots (no, not head-butting blocks and throwing fireballs), I mean golf. I've been playing it since 1985 (in my NES days) so I'm a dab hand at the sport. But things have got a bit more complicated these days, what with all those Piranha Plants and Chain Chomps out on the green.
"In June, I entered the Toadstool Tour where I took on my old mates Donkey Kong, Peach, Yoshi and the gang (and tried to ignore Wario and Waluigi's constant cheating). Then in September, I transferred my profile onto Game Boy Advance and spent a few weeks putting around the Advance Tour, building up my stats.
"Now it's November and I'm looking forward to a peaceful end to 2004, but somehow I don't think I'm gonna get it. Just a second, Luigi's just handed me a letter from Princess Peach... She's where?! With who?! Oh no!
"Excuse me, readers, I have to go. There's no way I can refuse an offer from a damsel in distress!"
Continued next week...
