NEWS: DICE 2014 Awards Results Revealed

The Last of Us managed to sweep up most of the awards, which probably came as no surprise.

The 17th DICE awards took place recently - an event that highlights some of the biggest achievements in the gaming industry, including the likes of 'Game of the Year' and 'Hall of Fame'.

This year, Naughty Dog's The Last of Us took the majority of awards with a total of ten, including some of the highly sought awards available. Check below for the full list of categories and winners.

Game of the Year

The Last of Us

Hall of Fame Award

Sam House, Dan House and Leslie Benzies (Rockstar Games)

Pioneer Award

Eugene Jarvis (Smash TV, Defender, etc)

Outstanding Animation

The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering

The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering

Grand Theft Auto V

Outstanding Innovation in Games

The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Musical Composition

BioShock Infinite

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design

The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Story

The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance

Ellie (The Last of Us)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

The Last of Us

Best Downloadable Game

Brothers: A Tale of Two Songs

Mobile Game of the Year

Plants vs. Zombies 2

Handheld Game of the Year

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Two Worlds

Adventure Game of the Year

The Last of Us

Casual Game of the Year

Plants vs. Zombies 2

Family Game of the Year

Super Mario 3D World

RPG/MMO of the Year

Diablo 3

Strategy/Simulation of the Year

XCOM: Enemy Within

Online Game of the Year

World of Tanks

Sports Game of the Year

FIFA 14

Racing Game of the Year

Forza Motorsport 5

Fighting Game of the Year

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Action Game of the Year

BioShock Infinite

NEWS: New UK Wii U Bundle Includes Super Mario 3D World

All ready for Christmas, Nintendo are releasing a bundle including some of the Wii U's best games.

Amongst other goodies, the highlight of this newly announced bundle will include the soon-to-be released Super Mario 3D World. 

Titled the 'Mario Mega Bundle', also included is the Wii U Premium Pack, New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, a replica of Mario's trademark hat, and finally a Mario-themed Wii Remote Plus.

Pre-orders are now available through the official UK Nintendo store and will cost £299.99. The bundle will launch November 29, the same day as the release of Super Mario 3D World.

NEWS: Super Mario 3D World Pre-Order Bonus Detailed

Exclusively available at gaming retailer GAME, UK gamers can get extra goodies upon pre-ordering the upcoming Mario game.

GAME has announced that the people who have pre-ordered their copy of Super Mario 3D World will be receiving a free key ring of Mario in the new cat suit - an item also available in-game. The cat suit will allow Mario to literally pounce on enemies and scale walls.

As well as the key ring, the game will come in a cat suit-themed sleeve, complete with a fur-like texture. If you have already pre-ordered the game before this announcement, the same bonuses will still apply.

The game is set for a November 29 release, just in time for the Christmas season.

NEWS: Super Mario 3D World - 'Play Together' Trailer

Multiplayer will be one of the most notable features in the upcoming Mario game for Wii U.

A trailer showcasing the game's multiplayer aspect has been released via Nintendo of America, highlighting fan favourites; Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad.

Much like Super Mario Bros. 2, players can choose between the four characters, making for an almost unique playthrough each time depending on how players decide to progress through the game. 

Whilst the trailer shows a group of friends working together to beat the game, there are also elements of competition - at the end of a stage, each player will be shown their total scores, promoting alternative gameplay as opposed to actual co-op play.

The game is set for a November 22 release in the US and November 29 in the UK. Check out the trailer below.

PREVIEW: Super Mario 3D World - New Gameplay

Nintendo has revealed a glimpse into Mario's next adventure, featuring Luigi, Peach, and Toad.

The "Nintendo Minute" episode released today showcases some brand-new gameplay of the upcoming Wii U game; Super Mario 3D World. Strange how a 3DS version hasn't been announced, especially with "3D" being in the title.

Right off the bat, we see a new power-up - The Double Cherry, and what this does is creates an identical copy of the character a player is using, in this video it happens to be Luigi, once the cherries are consumed, another Luigi appears and follows the original Luigi, much like a conga train.

It is also said that if the player collects even more of these cherries, even more duplicates can be made - can you imagine a Super Mario train? That'd be awesome. Of course, players do have the option to separate the clones in order to reach certain areas in the level.

You'll probably notice another new power-up, in which players can physically pick up a Piranha Plant and use it to eat enemies that make their way into the plant's path

Ever wanted to pick up a Piranha Plant and
use it to your advantage? SM3D World let's you do just that.

In all the levels shown we see level designs that completely take advantage of the 3D element - whether it be navigating certain corridors, fighting enemies that are charging you from the top of the screen, and so on.

In terms of co-op play, like recent Mario titles - this option will be fully available for up to 4 players using different control schemes such as the Wii U Pro controller or the Wii U Gamepad. Although co-op is an option, each player can add competition by collecting more coins, gaining the most score from enemies, and so fourth, all of this adds up at the end of a level and displays the best player.

Players are able to collect power ups, store them and use them when they are needed the most, for example - you might already have a fire flower so you could still collect that item and use it if you happen to lose the one you already have.

Honestly, the first level shown does look a little on the bland side with no real Mario charm we've all grown to love, however the gameplay mechanics seem really interesting and look fun to take part in. That being said, the dark shadowy level later in the video does look great, and looks like a cross between Bowser's castle and a Ghost house.

Something that really stood out was the shadow gameplay, in which the players navigate through a section of the level using just their shadows, with a huge Piranha Plant shadow trying to kill you - very cool.

The game will release November 22 in US and November 29 throughout Europe. Check out the video below and leave your comments.