Mario's already had an outing this year, in the brilliant Super Mario Galaxy 2, so Nintendo has given its Christmas headline slot to his long-time rival.

The old monkey is well up to the task as he runs, jumps, rolls, climbs, clings, swings and bashes his through the jungle in big, brash cartoon colour.

There's a plot about stolen bananas, but that's just an excuse for non-stop platforming action in an unashamedly old-school 2D style.

Some levels are very hard but the game is never frustrating for the sake of it, just satisfyingly challenging, and help is on offer if you get stuck.

It looks quite different to last year's Super Mario Bros Wii but shares its best qualities: flawless controls, addictive gameplay, wildly inventive level design and hugeness of replay value. Great for all the family, it's one of the best games of the year.

David Knights