Reader Núshio is never one to hold back (just check out his comments!), and when it comes to painting his DS with his love of Nintendo, that's a good thing. He and his friend Kiwii undertook a project of epic proportions that turned this DS into a monument to fanboyism -- and that's something we can get behind.
This paint job (which looks so sweet next to New Super Mario Bros.) isn't quite finished -- the pair plans to redo the whole thing, as they noticed some discoloration after the application of a coat of gloss -- but Núshio had some great tips to offer up for those who are considering a similar project:
- Get decent paint. I used 'Vinci.' Never again!
- Be patient.
- Be careful when disassembling the DS (he used tutorials from YouTube).
- Don't get mad, get even. Keep track of every single bit and piece of plastic.
- Once complete, it's a real rewarding experience.
Amazon is already reporting that 2006 was its "best ever" year for holiday sales -- and the DS Lite led the charge! Though Amazon hasn't yet released specific numbers, they report the handheld clawed past the 360 and the PS2 to claim the online retailer's most hardware sales. When it game to games, New Super Mario Bros. and Brain Age were highlighted as top sellers. Looks like the 
CNN Money's Chris Morris usually has interesting input on the gaming market, but with his Ten Best Gifts for Gamers, he seems to have missed the mark.
When gamers choose, the DS wins! A few awards, at least. And oh, shall we ever covet them. At the Golden Joystick awards, wherein most winners are chosen by the gaming public, Nintendogs took home Family Game of the Year and Girl's Choice, and New Super Mario Bros. snagged Nintendo Game of the Year. Poor Mario Kart DS was the bridesmaid of the day -- nominated for several awards and winning naught but a big goose egg. Oh well. It still reigns in our hearts.
It's the first time the U.K.'s gaming awards have been in their own spotlight (instead of relaxing in the shadow of the film and television awards), and the Nintendo DS has snared some of the attention. We would expect nothing less.
Not content with conquering Japan and America, the newly revamped, newly released, New Super Mario Bros. now set its non-insidious sights on Europe, land of collosseums, queens and curiously leaning constructions. Nintendo of Europe has announced that the game has shipped to stores, just in time to be snatched up over the weekend. Expect Mario to hit his presumed homeland of Italy in full force, devouring mushrooms and smashing bricks, though sadly not fixing leaky plumping. If you haven't purchased the game already, check out its updated official site and catch yourself whistling along to the music.
Well, it's finally happened. Our favorite shroom-lovin' plumber has been overthrown from his Japanese software sales throne. There's really only one force that can bring him down in the Land of Rising Sun, and indeed, Square Enix managed to take him down a peg with their new Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, released for the PS2. Five weeks as king ain't too shabby, and of course, the Brain Age series is still running strong.
Nintendo's most recent press release exhibits the interesting quality of simultaneously telling us something we already knew and something we didn't. The first part should be fairly obvious if you boast any familiarity with portly Italian plumbers: New Super Mario Bros. for the DS is a huge success in North America -- certainly nothing worthy of a collective gasp. Selling over 500,000 copies since its May release, the shell-smashing, block-bashing retro platforming trip has practically given Nintendo permission to nonchalantly reach into your pocket, feel around for a few seconds and make off with your wallet.
According to the NPD group's thorough and unusually keen sales analysis, Mario's latest block-bashing, Koopa-kicking, shell-sliding adventure was the bestselling game in the US for the merry month of May. Following closely on the portly plumber's hopping heels was Brain Age, nestled snugly in third place. It seems that New Super Mario Bros. was just the thing to wean gamers off that 
Giving his competitors 
Shortly after celebrating Mario's 
It's easy when you're big in Japan. Nintendo recently announced at a Japanese retailer meeting that New Super Mario Bros. sold through over 900,000 copies in its first 4 days of availability. Not a huge surprise, but another indicator that even Nintendo benefits from everything old being new again.
