Mario was on hand to answer questions at Nintendo's Gaming Lounge in the Marriott next to San Diego Comic-Con. He appeared on a shoulder-height screen, laughing, jumping and making fun of Luigi, not to mention answering questions from doe-eyed fans.
Charles Martinet, long-time Mario voice actor (literally the entire time, to be precise), was the wizard behind the curtain, watching and listening and responding from some hi-tech back room. It must have taken some Disney-calibre magic to match Mario's movements up to Martinet's voice so accurately.
That may have been the main attraction, but there was plenty else in the Gaming Lounge to attract Con-goers, including the new 3DS XL. The handheld upgrade was announced last month, and I was on hand to assess it side-by-side with my original 3DS. Read on for the verdict.