The above creation, from Kotaku tipster and sculptor Jaime (aka "Kalapusa"), fits in wonderfully with the previously featured realistic—and equally disturbing—Piranha Plant. Oh, and alongside the similarly realistic Blue Shell, it's for sale.

Yes, it's a little tiny. But tiny enough to hang comfortably from a Christmas tree branch, if you have such a thing.

Potentially the most exciting news to come of this particular post is Jaime's plan to create a "realistic Baby Metroid in formaldehyde" for a future product. Uh... awesome?

Speaking of "Super Mario Clouds," he tells The Guardian's Keith Stuart:

"I knew that the clouds would be simple enough for people to latch on to, and I knew that in order to make art that dealt with technology, you had to, in a way, have the art not directly be about specific technologies. I mean, we think everyone played Nintendo, but really, hardly anybody played Nintendo. Now looking back on it all – it's about… what do these pixelated clouds represent? It represents the whole progression of humans, communication and technology. But I couldn't write that down. And it became a meme slowly. I put it up and it took years for people to see it, but it worked…"

Art doesn't have to mean anything (right?). But if you'd like to share your own thoughts on the work, have at it. And check the original article for more about Arcangel's peers, influences and other works.

The game of art: a profile of digital artist Cory Arcangel [The Guardian UK's Game Blog]

A commenter asks "Was that one hand for left AND right hand, or was it just a really intense right hand part?" and the artist, RigorMortis999 replies, "the former becoming the latter."

Good thing Mario didn't run down to his final 100 seconds at the end.

Mario Theme with One Hand Only [YouTube User RigorMortis999, thanks Isiah O.!]

"Luigi: A life in the shadows" cover the other brother's origins from palette swap to star of his own (two) video games. Anybody else remember playing Mario is Missing? Yeah, that game starred Luigi.

Best bit? Right here...

But Luigi's heart has strayed at least once during the previously mentioned Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. The Beanbean Kingdom the two stars explore has a prince to match the Mushroom Kingdom's Princess Peach. Prince Peasley is a dashing (if self-absorbed) pretty boy, who throughout the game slowly gains Luigi's attention. As time goes on, Luigi seems almost enamored with Peasley, blushing at his compliments and eventually trying to hug him, which Peasley deftly dodges, as Peasley seems to only love himself. But this bi-curious side of Luigi has yet to return, as he's since stayed pretty true to Daisy. However, that hasn't stopped the devs of the M&L series from continuing to ramp up Luigi's effeminacy to Tingle levels of fab.

I totally did not know that. I thought when Luigi wasn't with Daisy, he was letting Peach cheat on Mario with him. Also, I thought John Leguizamo and Samantha Mathis as the "ideal" Luigi/Daisy couple.

Check it out, if you're a little Luigi-curious:

Luigi: A life in the shadows [GamesRadar]

This might be played through a Wii/GameCube emulator, not on the console itself. There are a few flaws in the re-creation - how many can you spot? Mario doesn't go into the subterranean coin chamber, but that doesn't mean it exists, so let's say that one doesn't count.

Fan Recreates SMB World 1-1 in NSMBW [The Tanooki]

First up is the disorienting and somewhat upsetting Half-Life Super Mario Bros. I guess in a 2D world, a gray haze is all Mario would see for miles around on either side of his orange brick path. But I can't remember the last plumber I met that uses a crowbar. And guns? Really?

Next up is a Castlevania Half-Life 2 mod that makes a lot more sense in context. But it still has the inexplicable crowbar.

Both videos are brought to us by Machinima.com.

So, tell us about it, and brag to your fellow commenters. Or feel free to ask open questions of those who do have the game. Again, as a courtesy, flag any spoilers and maybe hit a couple returns to give folks a chance to look away.

And if you're still not sure what all the fuss is about, check out some of our coverage of the game from the preceding week:

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review: Go Buy A Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii In-Game Tips
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Super Guide In Action
You'd Better Watch This New Super Mario Bros. Wii Strategy Video
Nintendo's Temporary Mario Museum, The Video Tour
Thank You Mario, But Our Princess Is In Another Game, Getting Kidnapped Again

BoingBoing's Cory Doctorow writes that he stopped by Hacklab yesterday unannounced and asked to see the Super Mario laser cutter. Sure enough, they fired it up and it played. Warning, if you boost your speakers to hear it, the guy says "f—-ing awesomesauce," at the beginning so it might not be a great idea if you're somewhere where saying that word would be inappropriate. Like church.

Hacklab.to's Laser-Cutter Really *Does* Play the Mario Bros Theme! [BoingBoing via 8-Bit Fix]

The shindig is more than just a line-up for an early purchase. Nintendo says it'll deck out the store with gaming stations, costumed characters, and a Super Mario Bros. museum showcasing Mario's history over more than a quarter century. Live gaming tournaments, trivia and prize giveaways also are promised.

And there's the matter of being able to buy and play the game well in advance of its launch tomorrow. The event will run from 3 to 7 p.m. and the store is located at 10 Rockefeller Plaza (48th St between 6th and 5th Aves.) in Manhattan.

So all youse in the Tri-State Area, think about subway-ing, PATHing, or Metro Northing over there to get your red box. And if anyone else knows of launch events elsewhere in the country, feel free to share their places and times in the comments.

Granted these may be Mario and Luigi lookalikes, given that the robbery and beatdown took place on Halloween night at a Great Kills, NY gas station, not in some Mushroom Kingdom borough. According to police reports, the dressed up duo assaulted and robbed the 48-year-old taxi driver after an altercation inside the cab.

A third man dressed in a tuxedo, who we'll presume was Toad in formal attire, is also being sought.

Wanted in Halloween assault: Not so Super Mario and his brother Luigi in cabbie beatdown [NY Daily News - thanks, Will & Chrismoke!]

This Saturday, Nov. 14, Nintendo will be be bringing interactive gaming stations, costumed characters, trivia, prize giveaways and live tournaments to their New York store to celebrate the release of Wii must-have New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The event will also include a Super Mario Bros. museum filled with "memorabilia pulled from Nintendo's archives that chronicles Mario's history and cultural impact over nearly 25 years."

Are you going to be there? It runs from 3 to 7 p.m. We will, maybe even Totilo will be wearing bells.

What about New Super Mario Bros. Wii? Planning on picking it up? Is it time for Wii owners to start lining streets and counting days?

Let us know.

This Mario Bros. mushroom was created by artist Radiance Art with over 80 individual pieces of glass. It's mounted in a 15-inch square zinc frame and you can pick it up on Radiance Art's Etsy page for $175 (USD).

Building a Church of Mario to put it in, however, will be the real drain on your wallet. Especially if you expand the concept to a Church of Nintendo and commission Radiance Art for Pac-Man and Zelda stained glass windows.

Stained Glass Mario Mushroom Powers Up Ordinary Windows [Technabob]

Hopper, now 73, is being treated at the University of Southern California. His manager says the actor is canceling all travel plans to focus on getting better.

Hopper also voiced a couple of other video game characters in games I've never heard of, like Walter Pensky in something called Black Dahlia. Bad video games or not, though, the cancer diagnosis is a real bummer. Especially since I happen to like the Super Mario Bros. movie — and Waterworld, but I'll deny that if you confront me about it in public.

And as a side note, remember that October is National Breast Cancer month. For those of you tempted not to care, 2,000 MEN are expected to be diagnosed with it this year. Scary, huh?

Dennis Hopper has prostate cancer [The Hollywood Reporter]
Image Cred

Craftser user EnemyAirShip taught herself to knit a little while ago by watching YouTube videos. She started with granny squares and then orchestrated a the pixelated pattern that become the Mario rug, which now lives in her living room.

EnemyAirShip says:

I finished him in 15 days (approx. 120hrs put in)! It took 13 days to complete all the individual granny squares, then 2 days to sew them all together. I made an Excel spreadsheet with columns and formulas detailing the number of granny squares needed for each color, then used this to track my daily progress (like a true geek, haha) and motivate me to keep out-doing myself.

And that right there is why I won't learn to crochet. Or even knit slightly better than half-assedly. I just don't have follow-through like that!

7x7ft Raccoon Mario Rug! [Craftster via BoingBoing]

Destructoid says Wired's Tracey John brought up the question (at the same roundtable at which Miyamoto was told Capt. Lou Albano had died.) Miyamoto's response, according to a transcript:

I thought it'd be nice to have her as a playable character, but the toad characters had a similar physique to a Mario character than Peach does. And if one of the four had a dress, we'd have to come up with a special programming to handle how the skirt is handled in the gameplay, and that's really the only reason why Peach isn't playable (laughs). Of course If we had Wario in there we'd have to program a way to make him fart. (laughs)

Here's another way to look at it - if Peach is playable, who are you going off to save?

Miyamoto on the New Mario [IGN: full transcript, the last question is the relevant one. Via Destructoid]

Option 1 — Actual Cosplay
This gown/crown combo with gloves and earrings goes for the sale price of US$159.99 — and it comes in mens sizes.

Option 2 — Slightly Skanky
This off-the-shoulder outfit comes with only the tiara and gloves, but at $49.99, that's not so bad.

Option 3 — Slightly Cuter Skanky
The bow on this gown is way cuter than the default skanky gown and the crown appeals to me. Also comes with short gloves for $48.95.

Option 4 — Cute And Skanky
You get the best of both the cute and skany worlds with this one — and the gloves are full-length. Still at $56.95, I'd like a better crown.

Option 5 — Cartoony
For those of you who can't bear to bare your legs, this may be your best bet. You get a full-length dress and crown — but no gloves — for $39.99. (At time of press, it's out of stock.)

Option 6 — Hot Topic
You know you're going cheap-and-easy when you turn to Hot Topic. Time was these guys had some amazing Halloween costumes, but just glancing at this flimsy Peach getup shows you how far the standards have fallen. Goes for $49.99. (Note: This might actually be the same dress as Option 4 — but the price is different and this model looks fuglier, so I'm counting it as a separate entry.)

I guess the link to Sunday's National Equality March in Washington D.C. everything cool, right? Brental (Mr. Floss) says he'll be in attendance. You should be able to spot him, he'll be wearing a vest and (mushroom) cap. I hope.

The Truth About Toad [YouTube]

Here, three stepper motors have been programmed to play the Super Mario Bros. theme song.

*applause*

The Super Mario Bros. theme song, played by 3 stepper motors [I Heart Chaos via Topless Robot]