However, we’re quickly reaching the point where a new 3D Mario game needs to be announced. Notice how I said “needs,” as it definitely needs to happen. The Switch is still firing on all cylinders and there are some heavy hitters that are on the horizon. However, the new 3D Mario game has got to be close.

It’s Been Almost Four Years

Super Mario Odyssey was released on October 27, 2017, and that was the last 3D Mario game the world got. Yes, I’m aware that Bowser’s Fury was an extension that was developed for Super Mario 3D World. Yet, that was an extension and not its own game, let’s just be real. We’re less than two months away from Odyssey being four years old.

Now, if you look at the history of the 3D Mario franchise, four years between installments is not unheard of. The thing that’s peculiar is the fact that Nintendo hasn’t dropped even a little news on when we can expect the next installment. Given that they, typically, like to reveal the newest 3D Mario close to when it will actually release, it’s not too far-fetched to expect it by the end of 2022.

2023 is the Most Likely

With how stacked 2022 is looking for Nintendo, it’s probably a good guess that the newest installment is not going to be until 2023. As for what it is, it has to be the sequel to Odyssey. Unless Nintendo plans to wait until their next console to release the new one (which would be absurd), this is the only logical assumption.

To be honest, the point of this article was just to remind all fans that 3D Mario is still a thing. I wish there was more news that could be detailed, but there has been virtually nothing. A September Direct has been rumored for quite some time, but at the time of this writing, Nintendo hasn’t confirmed anything.

However, I wouldn’t expect to see anything related to this at the Nintendo Direct. Hopefully, they reveal news on the new game during E3 of 2022 or something. That could be their major reveal. Until then, fans like me are going to continue to wait in anticipation for the famous plumber to finally jump into a new 3D adventure again. It’s just a matter of when, not if.

For the record, golf is my favorite sport, and Mario is my favorite video game franchise. So, I feel my opinion on Mario Golf: Super Rush does have some validity. It’s also worth mentioning that Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (which was made by the same company) is probably my favorite Mario Sports game of all time.

Anyway, I want to detail the many reasons why I feel the way I do about the most recent Mario Golf entry.

Lack of Content

This has been a major issue for modern games in the Mario Sports genre. Perhaps it’s because we live in an era of DLC where content can be released post-game. Regardless, this is just another game in the genre that simply doesn’t have a ton to offer. This is especially true when compared to Toadstool Tour. That entry had game modes galore and did so without a true story mode (which this version actually has).

Speaking of the story mode, it gets old in Super Rush in about 30 minutes. Nope, I’m not exaggerating as the cringy voice acting and the repetitive gameplay gets very tiresome very quickly. I guess this would be a good time to mention the new “Speed Golf” mode. To be honest, I feel the game was built around the concept and really tailored to it.

I like to take my time while playing golf, but I can see where a group of friends would find a lot of enjoyment in speed golf. My lack of care for this mode is probably a huge reason why I don’t like it, honestly.

Game Mechanics

Now, to those who’ve played this game, this might come as a surprise. The game mechanics, on the surface, are very clean and well-executed. So, what’s the problem with them? It’s quite simple, actually, the game mechanics make the game way too easy. As a person who loves playing golf in real life, I understand that a video game will never be able to truly replicate the difficulty and fun of the real thing.

However, going back to Toadstool Tour, that game at least has game mechanics that are a little harder to master. In Super Rush, all you have to do is press a button. The former was just much more immersive. Additionally, all the pre-shot controls and options of Toadstool Tour are much better.

Course Design

Wow, the course design in this game is just bad. Now, the “New Donk City” course that was added looks really cool (I haven’t tried it yet because I couldn’t care less to play this game again). However, besides that, on top of having a very limited number of courses, most of their designs are pretty bland. Yes, golf courses can easily be repetitive, but “Camelot” was able to pull off some epic courses back on the GameCube.

Back when this game was unveiled earlier in 2021, I was extremely excited about it. Literally, five hours into the game, and I realized just how bad it was. Perhaps more and more updates will continue to improve the game, but is it really too much to ask to release a $60 game that’s actually good on day one?

Here’s the way I’m breaking this down, and also some ground rules that I want to cover. For starters, on this island I’m trapped on, I’m just assuming that I have access to food and water. Yes, I know, that probably wouldn’t be the case, but then I would just mention those types of things only. Secondly, I’m going to talk about the three things that I would take with me. Pretty simple, right? Okay, well let’s get this show on the road.

First Thing: Jennifer Love Hewitt

Yep, I think of all the celebrities that I’m most in love with, it would have to be Jennifer Love Hewitt. Everything about that woman I fell for a long time ago, from her amazing smile to her even better personality. Of course, she’s not too bad looking either. And considering that I don’t want to be left truly alone on the island that I end up getting stuck on, I think having her around would prove beneficial.

Second Thing: Cheez-Its

Yes, I know I started this whole thing by saying that I would have access to food and water, but I would have to have me some Cheez-Its. They are far and away my favorite snack food of all-time, and given the different flavor and style variations, I would be set with Cheez-Its. I certainly wouldn’t want them to be the only thing I was eating on the island, but they would more than certainly have to be there.

Third Thing: My Golf Bag

Okay, so it’s going to be very hard to not get bored on this mythical island that I end up getting trapped on. So, given my favorite thing to do is go golfing, I would bring along my golf bag. Now, you see, I’m kind of cheating here as my golf bag would be filled with everything I need (from my clubs to balls to tees and so on). Of course, I know what you’re thinking, what’s the point of playing golf on an island with no golf courses? Well, fair point, but at least I could still hit some golf balls around. I would just have to locate them, which could prove to be a tricky task.

Even I’ll say it, that’s a pretty unorthodox list, and it goes to show just how weird I really am. Well, who cares, but I just hope that I never actually end up getting stranded on an island. Then again, with the way things have been going in this world, it actually doesn’t sound like a bad alternative when thinking about it again.

With that out of the way, let’s get into this. As much as I enjoyed the game, it had one job. No, seriously, it had one job and it somehow managed to screw it up. All fans of Breath of the Wild were expecting this game to have a very, very depressing story. After all, it was supposed to take us back in time at the heart of the Great Calamity.

While it certainly did achieve that, the story was completely altered. Now, I’m not going to spoil the happenings that occurred, but let’s just say that not everyone dies. Actually, the one person we thought was dead, didn’t even die (which was a really cool moment). Anyway, in Breath of the Wild, all the Champions (and various others) ended up perishing thanks to Calamity Ganon.

Overall, Breath of the Wild portrayed the Great Calamity in somewhat of a different light than Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity did. With that said, I still feel the latter did an excellent job of telling the story, outside of not going all the way with it. Maybe the Zelda team (as we know they were working with Omega Force) just didn’t want the story to be incredibly depressing.

Yet, what they did by doing so was create a totally different storyline altogether. In what everyone thought was supposed to be a prequel to Breath of the Wild, actually turned into somewhat of a sequel, when you think about it. Again, I won’t spoil what exactly happened, but the events of Breath of the Wild had to occur for Age of Calamity to happen.

What Age of Calamity also did was create some confusion for the sequel to Breath of the Wild. After all, which game is the sequel going to continue the events from, as they have totally different outcomes? Is Age of Calamity going to end up being just a spin-off, or will it end up being canon in the main story? If nothing else, it makes the hype for the sequel even higher, as if it really needed that. Still, the game had one job, one job!

As it goes on, you should be able to understand what’s happening. And, for the record, all wrestling promotions are fair game here from modern companies (like WWE) to past companies (like WCW). I hope you’re as excited as I am to get this show on the road. So, let’s do it.

Best In-Ring Technician: Chris Benoit

As a wrestling fan, I love watching technical masterpieces. No one, and I mean no one, was better at that than Chris Benoit. Yes, I know his life didn’t end very well (to say the least), but his work in the wrestling world should always be praised. I’ll also give an honorable mention to all these different categories, and that would be Bret Hart here.

Best Highflyer: Rey Mysterio

Okay, this is going to be the easiest award on here. Rey Mysterio is far and away the greatest highflyer in the history of wrestling. On top of pioneering the art of highflying, he’s been able to adapt his move set for years and years. The fact that he’s still in the business and looking as sharp as ever, honestly, is just amazing. As for an honorable mention, I’ll go with AJ Styles.

Best Talker: Ric Flair

I’m going to break this section up into two separate categories. For simply talking purposes, nobody was quite like Ric Flair. His ability to create heat simply by talking was unparalleled, to be completely honest. Just go watch one of his vintage NWA promos and you’ll begin to understand. The honorable mention, this time, goes to The Rock. He was pretty good on the stick too.

Best Promos: Mick Foley

This is the 2nd part of the aforementioned two categories. Even though Flair was the best talker of all-time, Mick Foley was the best when it came to cutting promos. Yes, for the record, there’s a difference. Part of the reason why Foley was so amazing at it was his devotion to three separate characters (though he seldom used Dude Love). I’m going to go old-school with my honorable mention and give it to the great Roddy Piper.

Best Character: Undertaker

As if anyone else was really going to win this award. Now, certainly, there have been some great characters over the years, but to give this award to anyone else besides The Undertaker would be a disgrace. For 30 years, he adapted his character when he had to and somehow managed to stay fresh the entire time. That’s not easy to do. As for the runner-up, I have to go with Sting.

Most “Over”: Stone Cold Steve Austin

This one’s a little different, and it’s basically to recognize the superstar who was the most popular (or “over” as they say in the wrestling business). In terms of popularity, you could really either go with Stone Cold or Hulk Hogan. I’m taking Austin over Hogan just slightly, though it’s very, very close. It’s just that Austin was the most popular during the most popular era in wrestling history.

Best All-Around Wrestler: Eddie Guerrero

Eddie Guerrero could simply do it all. Whether it came to getting technical or flying all over the ring, there was pretty much nothing Eddie couldn’t do. Not to mention his natural charisma and his innate ability to get the crowd either behind him or totally against him. In terms of an overall package, it’s tough to get better than Eddie. Period. Shawn Michaels gets the honorable mention and that leads to this…

Best Wrestler of All-Time: Shawn Michaels

There are so many wrestlers that you could say are the greatest ever. When it comes down to it, though, many agree that Shawn Michaels is the GOAT. What more can you say about the Heart Break Kid? Charisma, check. In-ring greatness, check. Longevity, check. Admiration from his fans and peers, check. There will never be another one like him, you can rest your bottom-dollar on that. Also, for the record, I have Undertaker getting the honorable mention here.

He’s My Favorite Video Game Character

Yeah, this is pretty much the most biased way I could’ve started this. But, hey, we all have our favorites, and King Boo just so happens to be mine. I love all the Boos, but the King is just something special. He first debuted in Luigi’s Mansion way back in 2001. The first game in the Smash series, for the record, was released two years prior to that. What that means is both King Boo and the Smash franchise have been around for nearly the exact same amount of time. Think about that for a second.

He Would Add Something Different

It’s worth pointing out now that I don’t even like this franchise all that much. Heck, I don’t even own the newest game, which says a lot. If Nintendo added King Boo, though, I would be buying it in a heartbeat. Now, let me just say this, the cast of fighters in Ultimate is really, really good. Yet, most would agree that Nintendo needs to stop adding sword-based characters. King Boo, given his unique nature, would immediately be one of the most compelling, unique, and intriguing fighters to use.

Born in Nintendo

This is what really bothers me, honestly. Nintendo does a great job of adding third-party characters from other companies. Yet, you have a character sitting there that you created and own the rights to, and you still won’t add him. Seriously, what’s this disrespect for King Boo? Do they not think he would be a good character; can they not think of a move set for him? I wish I had the answers to these questions, but I’m as lost as the next guy.

It Could Help Other Games

The biggest game King Boo has been in during recent times is Luigi’s Mansion 3. While that game has been here for quite some time now, it would’ve been a great way to get more eyes on it to release the main villain in Smash. That’s the way my brain would think about it anyway, maybe I’m alone. Who knows, if they would’ve done that, it might not have impacted the sales of either game in the slightest. I highly doubt it, though.

Again, I don’t really even like this franchise, but if King Boo was added, Nintendo would have another sale for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It really goes to show the power of one character, and I’m sure others feel the same about different characters.

On one hand, it allows me to pay my bills and enjoy the more entertaining things in life. On the other hand, I really don’t like how controlling technology can be. It has most people by the throats, whether most want to admit it or not. But now I want to shift to the topic at hand today. Given the vast variety of technological devices that exist in this world today, there are some I could go without and others that I would be lost without.

Couldn’t Live Without: Computers

Well, this one’s fairly obvious for me. Computer technology allows my bills to be paid, which is fairly important (just a little bit). Without it, my career and line of work would be totally altered. Then again, thousands (millions, actually) of people can relate to that. Past that fact, the access to the internet is also something I couldn’t live without. The ability to have information at your fingertips whenever you need it is an amazing feeling, after all.

Could Live Without: My Smartphone

I’ve spoken about my somewhat hatred toward smartphones in the past. Without question, I could live without mine. I don’t even like being on the darn thing. As someone who was without a phone for many years of his life, I can say that it’s nice to have for reliability reasons. People can always get a hold of you and vice versa. Overall, though, I could live using Facebook and other social media networking sites to get the job done.

Couldn’t Live Without: Video Game Consoles

If you’ve read any of my posts, you know that this one is a given. Specifically, I couldn’t live without Nintendo consoles in my life. From the SNES to the Switch, video games are a primary component of entertainment in my life. I honestly couldn’t imagine living life without playing video games.

Could Live Without: Streaming Devices

I’m including any device out there that can stream TV shows or movies (whether live or not). From actual cable boxes to streaming brands such as Roku, I could live without all of them. In fact, I already do. I’m a collector so I enjoy buying physical copies of movies, TV shows, video games, you name it. Then again, as a sports fan, I do miss the easy access to live sports. I’ll just keep relying on live streams on the internet!

To be honest, I could go on and on. Well, I could go on and on with the devices I couldn’t live without. I admit that technology can be a problem in my life. There’s just no way I could function without it. Every single time the power goes out, I start to lose my mind. It’s got me by the balls, in other words.

If someone has leaked rumors that ended up coming true in the past, their credibility is boosted. Yet, if some random nobody just decides to “leak” information, you have to expect that 90 percent of it is BS. Now, the reason I’m bringing all that up is just recently, somebody leaked out some major Nintendo Switch news, regarding software in the future.

I’m going to dive into it a little bit, and then assess whether or not the leaks are believable. So, right now, go ahead and check out the tweet that was sent out by @markomaro:

1H 2021
New Pokemon Snap (Spring)
Pokemon Collection (Feb)
Famicom Detective Club remakes (At least in Japan)
Zelda BOTW Sequel (April if is not delays)
Metroid 2D (If not more delays, already finished)
New IP (Not announced yet)
Fire Emblem Remake (Spring-Summer)

— markomaro (@Newmarkomaro) November 19, 2020

Now that you’ve seen it, let’s talk about it.

Is it True?

Yeah, might as well start with this, right? A user on Reddit went ahead and shared this tweet looking for some information on the leaker’s credibility. If you scroll down in the comments section of the post, you’ll notice that many people aren’t buying this one at all. It’s worth pointing out that not all Reddit users can be taken seriously, but when this many people are calling out the leaks for being fake, it’s alarming for sure.

The sad part is the information that was leaked is insane. If even half of this were to be true, Nintendo Switch owners would be in for a heck of a future. Though I’m starting to believe that 90% of it isn’t going to happen (at least in the manner the games were predicted). Here’s what I’d be most looking forward to on the list:

Donkey Kong Country 6

Without question, this is what piqued my interest in this leak in the first place. It’s been so bloody long since we had a new entry into the DKC franchise that I’m starting to wonder if we’re ever going to get a new one. Clearly, if there was a game in development, it’s most likely not going to be called Donkey Kong Country 6, as that would most likely be just a placeholder name.

There are no more details about it, however, which is unfortunate. I’d love to see it, but I’ll only believe it if and when Nintendo confirms it.

The BOTW Sequel in April

The likelihood of this happening is very, very slim. You even will see some commenters in the Reddit post mocking this prediction. We all know the BOTW sequel is coming, but to expect it as early as April of next year would probably be pushing it. This is Nintendo we’re talking about here, as they have historically done this with Zelda. With that said, we’d all lose our marbles if we actually had the chance to play this game that soon.

It Just Seems Like Too Much

Someone made mention of this in the Reddit post. It just seems like there are too many games on this list for the information to be accurate. How could someone know that many games in the coming future are coming to the Switch? It just seems fishy for sure, but I wanted to share it anyway. Leaks are fun to speculate about, and all we can hope for is that some of the information turns out to be true.

I’d say it was roughly five or six years ago that I really started to get into it, and it all started with one video game. Sure, there have been many DBZ fighting games over the years, but my heart will always belong to DBZ: Budokai 3. It’s not just due to the nostalgia, either, as it’s mainly due to how well this game holds up all these years later.

The Fantastic Ki System

The major mechanic that makes this fighting game unique from literally every other one I’ve ever played is the Ki system. Fans of the franchise know that Ki is very important. In this game, it’s the primary component that you need to understand to do well. With most fighting games, you can just mash random buttons to high success. That’s not the case here as the Ki system creates endless strategies.

Possessing Ki allows you to use super attacks, to dodge behind your opponent, and to do a variety of other tasks. At any time, you can charge up your character to build Ki. Though different characters possess different base Ki, everyone utilizes it.

The Canceling System

It’s not as if this is the only fighting game that allows you to cancel attacks, but none do it better. The difference between a high-level player and a mid-level player often comes down to how well the players can cancel. Top-level players will be able to string along huge combos simply by canceling. Along with the Ki system, canceling allows for further strategy opportunities. Even better is that some characters have a ton of different cancels that you can utilize.

Transformations and Variety of Characters

Dragon Ball Z is synonymous with transformations. Above all else, this is the aspect that people typically remember the most. Being implemented into this game, transformations allow for new opportunities for characters. Speaking of characters, this game has an excellent variety available. From Cell to Super Buu to Vegeta to Piccolo, the fantastic characters read like a who’s who of DBZ greats.

It Hasn’t Aged a Day

Yes, the graphics have aged, but I couldn’t care less about that. People are so consumed with how good games look that they often forget why they’re fun in the first place. This game is a fantastic example of that as the gameplay, music, and overall fun haven’t aged a bit. And even if you can’t stomach the PS2 version anymore, you can always dive into the PS3 version. All these years later and it’s still the best DBZ game ever made.

As it is in wrestling, the wrestlers get older and eventually have to retire. This means that throughout the course of history, many top wrestlers have never had the chance to lace up their boots with some of the other all-time greats. As fans, we all have our personal dream matches. For me, I have four that always stand out in my mind. It would’ve been amazing had these matches happened in each of the wrestler’s respective primes.

Goldberg vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

If you were a wrestling fan during the Monday Night Wars, then you probably either preferred WCW over WWF or the other way around. During the peak, there were two guys (one from each company) that stood above the rest. Those two guys were Stone Cold (with the WWF) and Goldberg (with WCW).

Now, many people complain about Goldberg being a Stone Cold rip off, as he came after Steve Austin was already established. Regardless of how you feel about it, we can all agree that seeing the two square off way back in 1998 would’ve been one of the most hyped up matches of all-time.

Chris Benoit vs AJ Styles

Yeah, I know what Chris Benoit did. Given he’s one of my all-time favorite wrestlers, I know all about it. Now’s not the time or place to get into that, as I just want to talk about this dream match. No matter your opinion on Benoit, many agree that he’s the greatest technical wrestler that ever lived.

Then, we turn to the great AJ Styles. Talk about phenomenal, that word has best described AJ Styles for the last two decades, and he’s still going on strong. The technical and stiff style of Benoit would’ve meshed with Style’s high-flying and mat-wrestling style so perfectly. I just salivate thinking of the chemistry that these two would’ve had with one another.

Shawn Michaels vs Eddie Guerrero

The one that was so close to happening. The previous two matches pretty much never came close to happening, but this one’s a different story. As all fans of Eddie Guerrero are aware, he passed away in late 2005. It’s still easily one of the hardest deaths to get over for professional wrestling fans. The WrestleMania that was going to happen the next year (which would’ve been WrestleMania 22) was reportedly possibly going to be Shawn Michaels vs Eddie Guerrero:

On a recent Something to Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard says Shawn Michaels Vs Eddie Guerrero was an idea being kicked around for WM22.

Sadly, Eddie would pass away the November before Mania' and HBK would end up facing Vince McMahon instead.

Eddie Vs Shawn would have been class.

— Alex McCarthy (@AlexM_talkSPORT) October 13, 2020

I don’t often guarantee that a match would be five stars, but that one probably would have gotten the full monte. Such a shame that we never got to see these two greats go at it.

Undertaker vs Sting

Come on, you all knew this one was coming. Easily, this is the greatest missed opportunity in the history of wrestling. Back when WCW was bought out by the WWF, Sting was one of the few that never ended up coming to the WWE (the name was changed in 2002). Finally, though, in 2014, Sting finally debuted in the WWE.

From that point on, we could’ve seen Undertaker vs Sting. Sure, by then, they were both out of their primes, but it still could have been phenomenal. Instead, the one WrestleMania that Sting wrestled at, he took on The Game, Triple H. It should’ve been the Deadman and we all know it.