Mario joins stars in Hollywood Wax Museum

Nintendo's one-plumber flagship, Mario, has been inducted, or moulded rather, into the Hollywood Wax Museum at 6767 Hollywood Blvd. - the first videogame icon ever honoured with a figure at the museum - where he replaces Matrix stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the museum's lobby. "My fans always said that no one could hold a candle to me," Mario told reporters. "Now they'd better not!" Indeed they mustn't - for these days more than just his moustache will crumble in the face of concentrated heat!

According to Nintendo, part of the reason Mario has found a place in the Wax Museum is his 67 videogames and combined 170 million units sold, something Nintendo describes as "a big reason why the videogame industry today brings in more revenue than the motion picture box office." Obviously the fact that it doesn't cost £40 to go see a movie had no impact.

And as Nintendo of America's George Harrison points out, four of Mario's 67 titles have been released in time for the Christmas rush - GameCube titles Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Party 5, and GBA titles Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Obviously those are available just about anywhere you can buy games, and... Wait. Hang on... you don't think... this isn't just a clever way to garner publicity for Nintendo's Christmas line-up, is it? We came into this with the best of intentions! Gads! We've been hoodwinked! Someone melt Mario!