After a much needed break, Mario and company are back in a pretty standard looking party game. As usual, there’ll be themed boards, a stack of mini games and annoying computer opponents who are impossible to beat.

The trailer below shows Mario and friends driving around a game board in car, some Goomba bowling, Bullet Bill dodging and also a few of the newer Mario characters such as the Piantas. The developer and release date of Mario Party 9 is yet to be announced.

Here are some high quality photos of the game as well:

Rayman Origins looks to be a return to Raymans 2D side-scrolling gameplay, with a story that promises to explain how Rayman and his partner-in-crime, Globox, became the heros that we know today. Rayman Origins has a tentative release of Q4 2011.

River City Ransom (released as Street Gangs in PAL territories) is a classic NES-era side-scrolling beat-em-up. However, what sets it apart from the likes of Double Dragon and Battletoads is that it implemented an RPG style stats system, where purchasing meals or reading books would raise your attributes or unlock new techniques. Although it wasn’t too successful on it’s initial release, the statistics system, combined with rock-solid mechanics and a great sense of humour and style, resulted in it becoming a cult classic.

The original River City Ransom has been available on the Wii Virtual Console for a few years now and is definitely well worth the purchase if you haven’t done so already.

As I’m sure you know, us Australians don’t even have Kirby’s latest Wii outing, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, which is, by most account, all kinds of awesome. We’ll be seeing that one on our shores February 24.

For those who missed our original story on the Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition, this pack will feature a Wii port of the original SNES Super Mario All Stars, which itself was compilation of Super Mario Bros 1, 2 and 3 plus The Lost Levels. Also included is a CD soundtrack and a 32 page booklet, both of which cover Mario’s 25 year history. The Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition available from December 2, 2010 for SRP AU $39.95, which certainly sounds like a bargain to me.

The new Club Nintendo items are limited edition 25th anniversary t-shirts which will be available from November 11 for 2,250 Stars. Finally something worth shelling out those Star Points for.

Nintendo also announced two other new bundles. First up is a Wii bundle featuring a standard White Wii, Wii Remote Plus, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports and the 25th Anniversary Edition Super Mario Bros. Finally, there is the DSi bundle including a DSi and Mario Kart DS.

Both Wii bundles will be available from November 11 and will have a RRP of $299.95. They’re both limited edition and they’ll no doubt be hot items coming into Christmas, so if you want one, get in quick. The DSi Mario Kart bundle will be available from November 4 and will have a RRP of $249.95

Crankys role in Donkey Kong Country is to run the shop where you can buy various items, such as a key to gain access to a locked level. There will be one locked level in each of the six worlds. Each of these worlds has multiple paths, so it will be possible to skip levels in some instances if you wish.

The Australian release of Donkey Kong Country Returns is currently scheduled for December.

Mario’s second Nintendo 64 party is due out on the Wii’s Virtual Console sometime during December and will most-likely cost 1000 Nintendo Points. The title features six playable characters, six-themed boards, 65 mini games and also the ability to give players finger arthritis before they hit 30.

So in short, forget Nintendo’s new Wii Party title, Mario Party 2 along with 3 friends and some bandages for your bloody hands are all you’ll need this summer.

It has been discovered Donkey Kong Country Returns will be launching in Australia late November or sometime during December.

In an interview with Game Informer magazine, Nintendo Australia’s Marketing Director Greg Arthurton revealed Australian Wii owners would be receiving Retro Studio’s latest title this Christmas.

“For Nintendo we believe that Christmas will revolve around social gaming, with titles like Wii Party and Just Dance 2, as well as some classic titles coming to Wii with the planned release of Donkey Kong Country Returns and GoldenEye 007.”

Stay tuned to TNB for more news about the upcoming Wii title, Donkey Kong Country Returns.

The first episode will include Splash Hill Zone, Lost Labyrinth Zone, Casino Street Zone and Mad Gear Zone. Each zone is made up of three individual levels and also includes a boss fight.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will cost 1500 Nintendo Points.