To celebrate the release of Super Mario Sunshine in Japan, Planet Trivia is going to be a bit different tonight. Click for the details...

Instead of the usual 30 question gauntlet of pain the question writers usually come up with every week, we wanted to do something different. With Mario out and about in Japan, we've decided to rack your brains with an All-Mario Planet Trivia Special! 30 big questions about all things Mario (and Mario related), all to gear you up for the August North American release (or, for those of you that imported, the game's arrival).

If you were in Japan yesterday, what did a typical Video Game retailer look like? Take a look!

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Jealous? Oh so very. Super Mario Sunshine officially went on sale in Japan yesterday. Here's some shots from Shinjuku!

Check out this interview with Shin'en, revealing the many new features of Iridion 2.

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The guys at N-Philes scored an early interview with Manfred Linzner, game designer at Shin'en. You may recognize the company; they developed Iridion 3-D for the GBA launch, and their GAX sound engine has provided audio utilities to dozens of third-party GBA titles. Manfred herself actually composed the techno soundtrack for the handheld Tony Hawk games and others.

Video Games make you stupid? Nalin Sharma from Puzzle Kings says that's "absurd". Read on...if you're smart enough.

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Videogame Designer Nalin Sharma Says Reporting of Recent Research From Nihon University in Japan is Misleading

A recent study by Professor Akio Mori at Nihon University has found prolonged playing of videogames by children could lead to permanent disruption of their brain waves, causing them to lose concentration, get angry easily and have trouble interacting with others.

Pierce Brosnan wants to see his mug in the non-movie games as well, I suppose.

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EA Signs Pierce Brosnan to "Star" in James Bond 007: NightFire

Star of Current Bond Films to Cross Over Into Original Interactive Bond Game

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 18, 2002--Electronic Arts announced today that it has reached an agreement... Read more...

The official Soul Calibur 2 website is launched!

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Soul Calibur 2 is finally creeping into American arcades, and Namco has started a new site to celebrate! While still quite early, the Official Soul Calibur 2 Website has information regarding the fighters, arenas, arcade unit locations and more! Soul Calibur 2 will be released for all three consoles on the same undisclosed date.

The Twin Galaxies' Video Game Festival is over, and the results are in. Check out who won, and who lost, as well as all the rules we used!

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The Twin Galaxies' Video Game Festival at the Mall of America is over, and it’s time to announce the winners. Before I do, I’d like to thank Walter Day, Nathan Christianson, and Brian Ehlert for all of their help and hard work with making our tournaments a success.

Hurt by the rapid rise of the yen, Nintendo's shares drop to new low for the year ...

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TOKYO (Reuters) - Shares in Japanese game maker Nintendo Co. dropped below the key 15,000 yen level to a 2002 low on Wednesday, hit by concerns the rising yen will slice into overseas sales and the value of its hefty dollar-based assets.

Shares in the world's second-largest... Read more...

European wrestling fans will have to look for a slightly different box than us Americans ...

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WWE fans surely know that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is no longer with the company, having walked out last month over differences in creative direction.

With that personnel change, THQ has removed Austin from the boxart for WWE Wrestlemania X8 and have replaced him with The Rock, likely at WWE's request.

Famitsu Cube (not Famitsu) scores Super Mario Sunshine, and Degenki and Famitsu Cube and Famitsu Advance score other games. Check out how your favorites did!

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Famitsu Cube & Famitsu Advance :

Mario Sunshine (Nintendo): 10 / 8 / 8 / 10 (36/40)

Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO (Capcom): 8 / 7 / 8 / 8 (31/40)

Disney All-Star Sports Soccer (Konami): 7 / 7 / 7 / 7 (28/40)

Beach Spikers (Sega-AM2): 9 / 8 / 7 / 8 (32/40)

Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 9 (Konami): 9 / 8 / 10 / 8 (35/40)

Did you order the PGC E3 2002 DVD on or before July 1 and not recieve it yet? Read this!

Video Game Advantage wanted me to pass this message on to you...

Video Game Advantage is caught up with all of their DVD orders. If you have not

received yours and ordered it before July 1,  please contact them us

one of two ways:

1. E-mail: orderinfo@videogameadvantage.com. 

Louie's got a friend in Hong Kong who's playing Super Mario Sunshine right now. The first bits to hit the web are right here on Planet GameCube! Who woulda thunk it?

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After moments of game play from our friends in Hong Kong, we've learned a couple interesting things about Super Mario Sunshine.

- Mario's backpack is made by, not shockingly...Gadd Industries.

- There is an overworld just like in Mario 64 (the castle). Except this time, it's the city that was shown in the first Mario footage revealed at Space World 2001.

Infogrames will be bringing the Driver franchise to the GameCube next year. First details within...

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INFOGRAMES ANNOUNCES DRIVER 3 FOR XBOX, PS2, NINTENDO GAMECUBE AND PC

The Wheelman Returns in Follow-up to Top-Selling PlayStation Series

LOS ANGELES – July 17, 2002 – Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM), a leading global publisher of interactive entertainment... Read more...

Maybe not as early as we'd hoped, but importers could be getting their shine on right on time.

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Hong Kong based import retailer Lik-Sang is reporting they have recieved their initial shipment of Super Mario Sunshine, and are shipping out their pre-orders today.

No word from other places yet, but we've got our eyes glued to the net for all of you fellow Super Mario Sunshine importers.

What? Some stuff early? Nintendo announces some new release dates today for Star Fox Adventures, Yoshi’s Island, Mario Party 4, And Game and Watch Gallery 4. Booyah!

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Some of Nintendo's big fall hits get newer (and somewhat earlier) release dates. Check 'em out!

Star Fox Adventures: Sept. 23

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3: Sept. 23

Mario Party 4: Oct. 21

Game & Watch Gallery 4: Oct. 28

Also Nintendo stated Mario Party 4 will have a total of 50 mini-games.

Afraid to mod your GameCube? Now you won't have to. All the details within.

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According to NCSX, Datel will be releasing the "Freeloader", a bootdisc for the GameCube that will allow gamers to play GameCube games from any region.

There hasn't been a price set as of yet, and the release date is tenatively August 5th.

Nintendo has become one of the victims in a recent string of warehouse burglaries in Japan.

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A police spokesman for the Saitama prefecture in Japan has announced that a Warehouse of Nintendo products was burglarized. Approximately 23.6 million yen in products was stolen. Among the stolen items were about 600 GameCubes and 400 Game Boy Advances units. Software... Read more...

Sadly, only 3 of you will understand this at all. This is so damn cool.

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EMPIRE INTERACTIVE SIGNS FURTHER PLATFORM RIGHTS FOR STARSKY & HUTCH™

July 16th, 2002, San Francisco, CA - Empire Interactive today announced that it has signed an extension to its licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to bring the Starsky & Hutch™ game, which is currently being developed, onto additional platforms, including Game Boy Advance™ and Nintendo Gamecube™.

THQ and Fox Interactive team up to bring Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Simpsons to the GBA.

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THQ AND FOX INTERACTIVE ANNOUNCE GAME BOY ADVANCE PUBLISHING AGREEMENT

Deal Includes The SimpsonsTM Road Rage And Buffy the Vampire SlayerTM

CALABASAS HILLS, CA, July 16, 2002 - THQ Inc. (NASDAQ NMS: THQI) and Fox Interactive today announced an exclusive,... Read more...

Queensland-based developers Evolution are making a GameCube game based on the Nickelodeon Rocket Power characters.

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THQ SIGNS AUSSIE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

- Rocket Power Beach Bandits for PlayStation2 and GameCube

MELBOURNE, Vic - July 15, 2002, - THQ Asia Pacific (NASDAQ NMS:THQI in America) has announced a worldwide agreement with Australian games developer, Evolution Games.... Read more...