Want a little more gangster role-play with your Super Mario? The folks at Armor Games have decided to explore what might’ve happened if, say, Mario had been born into the Soprano family. They’ve developed a cute little flash game called Super Mafia Land.

Make your way across a strange and mysterious land as you try to find the meaning of why things are just so darn mysterious. Use your amazing jumping, running, and puzzle-solving abilities and find out why… just why… the mafia is involved.

You know you want to try it! Head on over to Armor Games to give the game a shot.

Enjoy!

Via | Kotaku

Image: Armor Games

So, so very true. I just ignored my fancy pants FPS titles for an hour and a half of frantic pizza-making action at Papa’s Pizzeria. You just. Can’t. Stop.

The little game that could, aka Bejeweled, was/is a phenomenon that nearly single-handedly brought office workers, non-traditional gamers, my grandmother, and most people with an internet connection, into the gaming fold. Just how many people you ask?

PopCap, the publisher, just announced that sales of Bejeweled has just crossed the 25 million mark across all platforms (online, mobile, etc, etc) since it was released in the year 2000. Yeah, 25 million, that’s a lot….but guess how many hours have been spent playing it…6 billion. That, says their press release, is the equivalent of 60 people playing the game 24/7 since “the last Ice Age 11,400 years ago.” Not bad for what began as a little browser game to kill some time. It wasn’t always so rosy however; PopCap CCO Jason Kapalka remembers:

“Considering we tried to sell Bejeweled outright to more than one industry giant back in the early days of our company, and got no takers even after reducing our asking price to $60,000, this little game has done all right for itself. I vividly recall prospective buyers telling us ‘It’s not even a game,’ while showing us the door,”

I bet those prospective buyers are kicking themselves. The casual games market has exploded, with games like Bejeweled and Cooking Mama leading the field. Their quick play nature and uncomplicated interface make them ideal for busy lifestyles and novice players, but their popularity spans al levels of gaming experience.

Image courtesy of PopCap Games

I know that there are sports fans out there that don’t like the EA annual regurgitation and are looking for something a little different. If that sounds like you happen to like a) golf, b)MMOs, or c) a quirky combo of the two, well then have I got the game for you.

Shot Online.

Think of everything you can do in an MMO, from upgrading your gear, to playing with a group of friends, to trash talking in the town square, and you’ll find it all in Shot Online, albeit in a slightly preppier dressed, stiff upper lip sort of way.

I used to be rather addicted to it for a period of about six months, where working on my putting game and earning enough to buy the hottest clubs and golf pants in the pro shops was frighteningly all-consuming. I had forgotten about the game for a while, but recently saw an announcement that Season 2 was about to start, including all kinds of prizes, tournaments and new gear. Excited, I rushed over to re-download the client, only to find that my switch to the dark side (Macs that is) has rendered me incapable of playing. Alas!

It doesn’t mean you can’t go out there, tee off, and kick some serious Tiger ass.

It’s funny how the simplest thing, when introduced to the concept of competition, can suddenly morph into an obsessed, teeth-clenching quest for glory. Take typing for example…what do you suppose would happen if someone were to create an browser game called Typeracer (hypothetically), and that game pulled quotes out of famous books and movies for a line-up of wannabe type stars to enter as fast as their fingers allow them. You’d end up with an addictive little game that actually improves typing speed and accuracy, while allowing you to also trumpet your superiority over slower folk for all the world to see.

Obviously I’m out of practice, but you don’t have to be! Flex those typing fingers and show your keyboarding might. Your high school teacher would be so proud. Coming soon are accounts that let you track your stats and a Facebook app, so you can combine two addictions into one easy fix.

I somehow missed this when it made circles this spring but I’m trying to make up for it with a concerted effort at returning to my former 100+ wpm glory. Looks like I have a hard R-O-A-D ahead of me.

Via | Wonderland

MMO developer Aeria Games is offering one lucky Pi Story player the chance to be the creator of the official Pi Story MySpace page and also to take home an iPod Shuffle if you can create the most “decorative and entertaining” page for the game.

Described as a “2D Anime Casual MMORPG”, Pi Story centres around a Tower of Babel-esque story line that has the gods’ apostles recruit you into trying to piece back together “Pi”, the great egg and origin of us all. Expansion, greed, and bickering led to the egg shattering and the dispersal of the human race. It’s up to you to gather the pieces and return the world to a period of harmony.

So, if you think you’ve got what it takes, here are the rules:

1. Create a temporary Pi Story MySpace
2. Players will need to send their code to a Game Master after completion
3. All entries will be property of Aeria Games
4. Entries must be received no later than 12 p.m. PDT 7/21/08
5. Players will vote for a winner on the most artistic and decorative MySpace Page

First prize gets you the Shuffle and 2000 Aeria Points, second gets you 2000 Aeria Points, and third nabs you 1000 Aeria Points.

Image Courtesy of Aeria Games & Entertainment Inc.

Popular fake news website The Onion has taken their World of Warcraft satire to a new level with their video on Blizzard’s next expansion: ‘World of World of Warcraft.’ In this ONN-created expansion, players get to control a player that’s playing World of Warcraft. You can control your character as he or she controls a WoW character. Doesn’t that sound exciting? Yes, yes it does.

Check out the news clip for much hilarity and amusement.

‘Warcraft’ Sequel Lets Gamers Play A Character Playing ‘Warcraft’

Wonder if Blizzard will decide to scrap Wrath of the Lich King and aim for this instead. Genius. lol

Via | WoW Insider

It’s been only three weeks since launch, but Funcom’s MMORPG game Age of Conan has just reached a major milestone. The game has already shipped its one millionth copy, and according to Funcom’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing that makes Age of Conan the biggest MMO since World of Warcraft.

The MMO launched on May 20th in North America and May 23rd in Europe and has received glowing reviews across the board. Gamespot has even called it “one of the finest online RPGs available.”

I’ve been playing Age of Conan since open beta and I can testify that it’s a game with what I would call a lot of potential. Like any MMO upon release AoC is not without its issues. Many players have complained of instability and bugs. Content for level 55 and up has been found to be thin to non-existent. Funcom has since released a public statement saying that all of these issues are being worked on and new content is underway. Daily patches have fixed a lot of issues, though there’s still a few bugs to iron out.

I’m confident that AoC will be topping MMO sales charts for a while – perhaps until Wrath of the Lich King and WAR launch.

More information on Age of Conan is available at their official site: www.ageofconan.com

Via | MMO Site

Image courtesy of Funcom.

CCP Games (they who bring you the very popular MMO EVE Online) has teamed up with Commodore Gaming to bring you an EVE Online themed PC. This special offer grants you the chance to win one of two of their PC offerings.

The first offer is the Commodore EVE Online PC which features the following specs:

The second offer brings you the EVE Online PC Chassis which features the Commodore Gaming PC ATX case and a choice of 1 out of 6 EVE Onlne C-kins.

For more information on either of these offers please click here.

Don’t miss out on your chance to win. Who wouldn’t want a free computer?

Image courtesy of CCP Games.

If you’ve been waiting to try Tom Clancy’s EndWar, good news. Ubisoft has recently opened its official website for the private beta and invitations open to those who meet the following qualifications: Xbox Live Gold Member, broadband internet connection, 3GB free space on your Xbox 360 HD.

The private beta is available only in English and will be available for three weeks in June and three weeks in July. Features include three maps, and online play in 1v1 and 2v2.

If interested, you can register @ EndWar Beta Official Site.

Enjoy!

Via | Xbox 360 QJ

Image courtesy of Ubisoft.