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Mario is the superhero of the video gaming industry. Ever since teens began their initial love affair with arcade games, Mario's character has been adored. Other games transformed, disappeared, and were altogether forgotten, but there was something about the character of Mario that simply would not let the fans let go.

Still today, some 200 game appearances and 27 years later, Mario is the good luck charm for his video game creators. As such, the character has made cameo appearances in unrelated games, engaged in cart racing, sports, puzzles, fighting, and of course the continuous rescue of a beautiful princess.

Even as it would be impossible to mention each game that features the unsinkable plumber, highlighting the amazing transformation of Mario is a list of firsts and combines a cast of characters that have found a large fan base amongst the ranks of dedicated gamers and young weekend warriors alike.

Mario Character Highlights a World of Firsts

• Mario started out as a humble carpenter in the arcade classic "Donkey Kong." His name was JumpMan and with his telltale overall, cap, red boots, large nose and mustache, this is pretty much all he did. He debuted in 1981 and traversed the dangers of unfinished construction sites to rescue the lovely Pauline from dangerous Donkey Kong.
• In 1982, Mario is seen again in the only Nintendo game in which he was considered a villan: Donkey Kong Jr, the sequel to the extraordinarily popular Donkey Kong. In this game, Donkey Kong Jr. is tasked with rescuing his father from Mario, who has imprisoned Donkey Kong.
• In 1983, Mario is promoted to plumber. This job has stuck with him ever since. In this year he also became a big brother to Luigi. It is not until 1985 and "Super Mario Bros." that he becomes a hero in his own right and is given dominion over the Mushroom Kingdom where he is considered a superhero. His enemy is Bowser, a cross between a trutle and a dragon and a villain who has kidnapped Princess Toadstool. Mario is charged to return her safe and sound, though she always somehow ends up being in another castle.
• This is the first time that Mario moved from simply arcade style games to the Nintendo platform. The Guinness Book of World Records reports that the 1989 edition of "Super Mario Bros." is the best selling video game ever, recording a staggering 40 million copies sold worldwide; an amazing feat for the unassuming plumber from the Mushroom Kingdom.

This phenomenal success inspired the makers of Mario to have the popular character appear in a host of unrelated games either as an icon, a non-playable character, or an Easter egg character, as well as nearly every printable and electronic surface that was marketed to children including lunchboxes, television shows, action figures, and more.

In 1989 Mario made his debut on Game Boy. The game is "Super Mario Land" and instead of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario now lives in Sarasaland; the villain is Tatanga, and the princess is named Daisy, not Toadstool. Incidentally, "Super Mario Land" catapulted to the number three spot of best selling games with a total of 18 million copies crossing store counters and into the hands of eager fans.

With the advance of Super Nintendo, Mario made the move to this platform as well. The 1993 "Super Mario World" game once again pits Mario against Bowser in an effort to save Princess Toadstool. For the first time Mario now adds the spin jump to his repertoire. One of the most delightful characters of the series, the adorable dinosaur Yoshi, is introduced. This widely popular game showcased the power of the 16-bit SNES platform over its predecessor, the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Mario reappears in 1996 on the Nintendo 64 platform. The game is aptly named "Super Mario 64." It is the very first 3D appearance that Mario will make, and fans were awed. Once again Princess Toadstool - this time renamed Princess Peach -- is in need of rescue, and the evil Bowser is the villain. Although not as commercially successful as other Mario games, this 3D game is known today as the best selling game on the Nintendo 64 platform with an astonishing 12 million copies sold. Used copies of Super Mario 64 still sell well on the open internet market.

The World of Mario and His Friends

Mario relies on a cast of characters that have added to the immense popularity of this game. As his first and foremost occupation is the rescue of perennial damsel in distress, Princess Toadstool (later known as Princess Peach), she is worth mentioning first. Her usual role simply requires her to be kidnapped by the evil Bowser and then allow Mario to chase after the both of them. Like Mario, she is one of the most recognizable characters of the game and even has made cameo appearances in other games, much like Mario and later on also Yoshi.

She received her very own spin off game, "Super Princess Peach," in which the tables are turned and she must rescue Mario from Bowser. Designed for Nintendo DS, it is not a widely popular game, although its "E" rating makes it a favorite for parents looking for a safe, fun game for youngsters.

Already touched upon, Yoshi is the dinosaur which initially provides transportation to Mario. As both Mario and Yoshi's character's develop, they work as a team to vanquish their foes and find the one-ups that offer them advantages in the game. First seen in NES titles like 'Yoshi' and 'Yoshis Cookie' and later on in the ever-popular "Super Mario World" designed fro the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, this character amassed such a huge fan base.

In the 1995 release of "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island" for Super Nintendo Entertainment System and also Game Boy Advance, players control Yoshi himself and also a host of other Yoshi characters. Mario himself appears as a baby in this game and factors only tangentially into the game play.

Luigi is the sidekick and brother to Mario. Although his roles are decidedly smaller than those of Mario, he has his own 2001 spin off game in "Luigi's Mansion," in which he must unlock a series of worlds in order to save Mario from King Boo. Released for the Nintendo Gamecube platform, it ranks as fifth in the list of bestselling games for the Gamecube.

A helper to both Mario and Luigi is Toad. At home in the Mushroom Kingdom he became a playable character in "Super Mario Bros. 2;" generally he is little more than an assistant who provides the place where Mario or Luigi can save the game process. Not surprisingly, he too received a spin off game called "Wario's Woods" which is a mix between Tetris and an action game. This game falls into the puzzle genre and is available on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, regular Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Console, and Satellaview platforms.

Bowser is the enemy of Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom. He looks like a cross between turtle and dinosaur. Ruler of the Koopas, he tirelessly sends his minions against Mario and his friends and kidnaps Princess Toadstool or Peach. This action generally initiates the game play.

Donkey Kong is the original apelike enemy of Mario. The latter is arguably a spin off game character from the widely successful arcade game, and once Mario's popularity surpassed that of Donkey Kong, the ape was relegated to playing second fiddle, making occasional guest appearances in other Mario games. He has since reemerged and been given his own series.

Wario is another Mario adversary but did not appear until 1992 when he was introduced in "Super Mario 2: 6 Golden Coins" to Game Boy aficionados. Wario is the polar opposite to Mario and actually has a striking visual resemblance to the character. On a side note, Luigi has his own doppelganger in the form of Waluigi who is brother to Wario. Also afforded a series of spin off games, Wario becomes a playable character in the 1994 Nintendo Game Boy favorite "Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land." From there the games that are designed with this character in a starring role are copious.

A play on this imagery is found in the 2002 Nintendo Game Cube release of "Super Mario Sunshine" in which a graffiti spreading anti hero named Shadow Mario leaves his telltale signature all over Isle Delfino. Because of the outward likeness to Mario, the latter is charged with undoing the graffiti that now mars the buildings.

Mario Now and In The Future

There is little doubt that Mario is one of the most popular and easily recognizable video game characters ever. Spawning an amazing number of spin off games and spanning a variety of platforms, this is one of the most versatile offerings the video game industry has offered thus far. The year 2008 has already shown the release of five titles: "Mario Kart," "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," "Dr. Mario Online Rx," "Mario Super Sluggers," and "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars." All of these games are available on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and also Wii Virtual Console.

An enigma among games, Mario and his cohorts are characters that transcend age and gender barriers, and players from all ages enjoy the various platforms and game releases. At this point in time there is not end in sight to the popularity of Mario, and gamers are heartily glad for the character's projected future longevity.

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E! Online - John Mayer has a reason to get a date (like he needs one). Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus have a shared reason to grouse. Jennifer Hudson has a reason to smile.

All of the mobile phone manufacturers are trying to join the race to 3G technology. It means everyone is running the face to develop new cell phones that have more capabilities than the previous one. It also means upgrading previous features and virtually creating the equivalent of a camera, cell phone, MP3 player and computer that fits into your pocket, thus the nickname "Pocket PC." The newer the technology and the faster a manufacturer can come into tune with what the public wants, the more successful that manufacturer will be.

The entry of 3G technology has been a slow one with some countries accepting is later than others, but there is little doubt that it is important to the world of mobile technology. The HTC Touch Diamond is only one of the 3G entries, but it is important nonetheless. The features that are possible on mobile equipment because of 3G technology are not ones we would want to give up because they allow us to do things with mobile devices that were unheard of in the past.

Although 3G technology is not directly responsible for camera phones, text messaging, email, music and Internet access that are now commonplace on mobile phones today, the technology that allows us to utilize all of these features on a mobile home are certainly 3G inspired functions. Many changes have been influenced by 3G technology, and there will be many more changes in the future both in this century and those that follow.

Anyone who has read an HTC Touch Diamond review can attest to the changes that have been made in the HTC Touch Diamond over the HTC Touch. Even those who may have had an earlier model for several years will likely make the move to the HTC Touch Diamond as mobile phone deals become available and this new smartphone becomes available in each region. Current trends show that the HTC Touch Diamond is going to be hot on the market, and this is based on early sales figures that show one million units were sold within six weeks, a figure that took five months for its predecessor.

As more mobile phone users switch to smartphones, the HTC Touch Diamond will gain in popularity. Users are looking for phones that are not only reliable but also solidly built so that they don't have to replace them as often. With many mobile phone deals requiring a one or two year contract with a carrier, users want something with high quality that will last the entire term of the contract instead of having to pay full price for a new phone because it was not constructed to last throughout the year or two of the contract. The quality and workmanship that goes into every HTC phone will assure that your HTC Touch Diamond will last throughout not only your contract but also until you are prepared to invest in a new smartphone for your home or business.

Get a free mobile phone like the HTC Touch Diamond. Need convincing, read the HTC Touch Diamond review for info on this great mobile phone.

AFP - A week-old baby girl who survived a high-risk emergency operation to separate her from her conjoined twin is now "very sick", a London hospital said Thursday.

Get Paid For Video Game Referrals! Excuse me but where the heck was this idea when I was so out of work in 2001?

Guess what, the online multiplayer video game business has EXPLODED nuclear-style. In 1999, the online multiplayer gaming industry was pulling in a paltry $2.2 billion dollars. That's billion with the second letter of the alphabet there, guys.

In 2009, that number is projected to hit OR EXCEED $55.5 billion.

Wow.

And the demographics are shifting as well. We're not talking about just the disgruntled 24 year old with $57K in college debt any more. As the games themselves shift and no longer just include role player shooting, and move into online golf and online racing (for just two examples) the ages of the players is going up as well.

As if that's the case, more and more money is about to flood in.

And with all that potential, you now can get paid for video game referrals by literally your own gaming sites and letting others try your games for free! You monetize when the players want to upgrade to playing for longer.

Could not be more simple.

You give away the games to the people who want to try them for free and you make money when players beg for more.

Sounds like a tidy little plan to me.

On top of all that, imagine that you could learn how to market all of this by doing exactly what the net needs most...giving it more great keyword-thick content.

Imagine feeding the search engines the right keywords in your blogs and articles and Craigslist ads and in your forum posts! All in the hopes of attracting more and more people to your giveaway sites.

It becomes a nice endless circle. With you in the middle, standing there, allowing the dollars to fall gently into your open, waiting wallets.

Hold me. This is a wonderful thing.

Let's recap... you came here looking for ways to get paid for video game referrals. But did you ever think you would leave with a way to do that and feed Google what Google thrives at the very same time?

Learn more about how to get paid for video game referrals

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AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday she is satisfied with Pakistan's commitment to fight terrorism and its readiness to pursue any lead in the attacks in India.