Quite a bit of stirring has occurred in the neck of the woods inhabited by New Super Mario Bros. Wii as of late. Taking it from the top, Nintendo Everything has found the box art for the PAL version of the game, the German version, more specifically.

As you can see to your right, it is very similar to the North American box art, but with the Wii banner at the top colored red to better go with the large red box at the bottom that some people have taken issue with. Personally? I think I like it better this way.

That's not the only box-related goodness available for those across the pond, however. Via GoNintendo, we learn that GAME.co.uk is offering a Limited Tin Edition of the game, featuring some nice art on it:



I'm not sure if this edition gets a separate style of box art, as the middle image seems to indicate, but by the looks of the top of the case on the right, it appears as though it is meant to double as a coin bank of sorts.

Normally, the tin would only run a customer £5 more, but they have the bare-bones version marked down by £10 to £34.99, which then makes the Limited Tin Edition £15 more at £49.99. I wonder if that would affect sales.

In any case, I certainly wouldn't mind that casing coming our way.

Next up, some interesting tidbits have come our way via the newest issue of Japan's Weekly Famitsu. Now, we don't normally deal in scans here on Kombo, but I've opted to cut out two of the more interesting snippets from the article.

First, in addition to seeing Mario in his propeller suit (gained by grabbing a mushroom with a propeller of its own on top), a new addition to Mario and company's arsenal is revealed in the Ice Flower. While the item itself also appeared in Super Mario Galaxy, here it takes on different properties, more in line with those seen in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

Rather than creating ice platforms for Mario to skate across, this version allows him to throw ice balls that will freeze enemies into cubes that can be temporarily used as stepping stones. Plus, when Mario grabs the flower, his overalls turn red while his hat and shirt change to blue, thus causing him to resemble one alternate color scheme seen in the Super Smash Bros. games.

How about that? The Smash games are so full of fanservice, they're even referencing games that haven't been made yet. I guess this is like reverse-fanservice, or something.

But wait! You're probably asking yourself, "wasn't the penguin suit supposed to be the item which does this? And let you slide around on your belly?"

Well, the article doesn't seem to really address that, or even show the penguin suit at all. This is just speculation on my part, but it may be similar to the Super Leaf and Tanooki Suit in Super Mario Bros. 3, where the full suit did the same thing the lesser item did, as well as provide a few tricks of its own.

And finally, we get to see what everyone has been waiting for: the 3D return of Larry, Morton Jr., Wendy O., Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig, the Koopalings!



As you can see, they're not alone, as Bowser Jr. is following in the footsteps of his father and Heath Ledger, as he attempts to prove to the world that clowns are indeed something to be feared. What's more, the Koopaling Krew seem to have each gotten their scaly hands on a new magic wand; no word on whether any Kings were transformed in the making of this episode.

As an aside, note Iggy's new green 'do. I think it fits him.

The article reveals the story, too, and it seems to be pretty much what you would expect, if one were to go by the pictures above. Chu on the Gamespite forums has done a rough translation, stating that it is Peach's birthday and everyone is about to celebrate when a large, mysterious cake shows up.

Bowser Jr. pops out of the cake (you can see everyone's hair sticking out like decorations), and presumably kidnapping the Princess and taking her aboard one of Bowser's airships. Naturally, the Mario Bros. and a pair of Toads give chase.

Estragon adds something interesting, however:

One things that strikes me as strange is that they don't refer to the Koopalings as Koopa Kids (コクッパ) anymore in Japanese. They're now just Koopa's Henchmen (クッパの手下たち).

Huh.

One can only wonder what that might mean, or if it will have any bearing on the text of the Western release.

You can find the rest of the scans in full at GoNintendo, who makes note of one image of Mario carrying a large, luminescent block on his back, apparently to light his way through a Ghost House level.

We'll bring you more news on the New as it develops.