How To Make A Fire With Your Survival Knife

You ought to know how to make a fire, even when matches or a lighter are not available to you. This proficiency can be a lifesaver, particularly if you find yourself without matches or a lighter in a survival situation.

What do you need?

You will need a Survival Knife with a carbon steel blade. This is essential because a survival knife with a stainless steel blade might not produce the spark you're looking for. The spark comes from little pieces of metal coming off of the striker or Survival Knife in our case. That's why we use the backside of the blade and not the cutting surface. Using the sharp surface will make your blade dull. That is also why a stainless steel blade might not work. The stronger the steel, the smaller and hotter the pieces that come off will be, making it easier to burn the tinder and get our flame going.

You will also need a strike rod. No, not the style they used to beat a red-headed stepchild in years past. A strike rod is usually made of magnesium or a combination of steel and magnesium. I propose you use a string to affix it to your survival knife if the handle of your knife has a hole that you can use, or attach it to your survival knife's sheath. At the very least a strike rod should be easily accessible in your survival kit.

You will also need properly prepared tinder. Use your Survival Knife to shave dry bark off of trees, ideally dead tree limbs. Dried grass or the cotton like material behind some tree barks like a cottonwood make excellent tinder. Shape the tinder in to a bird's nest, this can provide the glowing embers some defense from the wind. Try to keep the material as loose as possible. Don't bunch it together like a snowball. Loose material has more gaps where oxygen can satisfy the flames.

How do you actually make a fire with your Survival Knife?

Clean the ground of debris where you are going to build the fire. Clean an area wider than you need to. Safety is always very important. You want to use the fire for warmth and to cook food for survival. You don't want to discover how the U.S. Forest Service trains their firefighters.

Pre Build your bundle of kindling, making a tee-pee frame. Leave yourself a space to place the burning tinder in to the middle of the tee-pee configuration of kindle wood. Make an effort to use the cover of your surroundings to prevent strong winds or rain from directly hitting the site where you plan to build your fire. This will make your job less difficult when conditions are less than perfect.

Gather your tinder. You want loosely spaced, very fine thread-like shavings In conjunction with slightly thicker shavings. A birds nest configuration should work well because it has built-in protection from the wind. If you need to, you can smash thicker bark against a rock to expand the fibers of the wood. You can use your survival knife to make small thin shavings from bark. Some barks like Juniper or Cottonwood are especially great for tinder but any dry bark should do well. Dried grass can also be used. It isn't a bad idea to stash this kind of tinder in a dry Ziploc bag for future use. The tinder will need to be dry. While you can most likely get away with wood or even kindling that isn't entirely dry, you will be up the creek if your tinder is wet.

Put your tinder near to the site you made. Place the strike rod just a little above the tinder or lightly touching the tinder and strike the rod with the backside of the blade of your survival knife in a downward motion. This will cause the spark to shoot off the blade and on to the tinder. You can also keep the knife stationary and drag the strike rod down the length of the backside of the blade of your survival knife if you choose. I prefer to leave the strike rod stationary and as close to the tin der as possible, but this is based on preference. The moment an actual spark catches on the tinder you will need to apply air to your budding fire by blowing softly on the glowing tinder. As the red glow grows bigger, apply more air. Remember you aren't the big bad wolf blowing down the three little pig's house.

When the tinder is hot enough (glowing) or in fact has a flame of some sort, cautiously move it underneath your pre-built kindling pile. Continue to provide a supply of air by blowing directly on to the glowing tinder. Once the tinder is lit to a flame, you may need to continue adding tinder to get the flames high enough to burn the kindling. Once the kindling has caught fire you can continue adding kindling to get the fire healthy enough to add smaller pieces of wood and bigger ones after that.

Remember making a fire with just a Survival Knife and a strike rod can be tricky, even when conditions are ideal. The best thing you can do, is b e prepped by practicing. Once you have the skill of making fire with your survival knife down pat, practice as often as possible. You want to have this skill already mastered when you find yourself in a survival situation. That is NOT the time to learn or practice fire making skills. Rehearse not only in favorable conditions but try to practice in unfavorable conditions as well. Some windy or damp situational practice will make you a pro in no time, or just cold, wet and frustrated.

　

Points to consider before you buy a Pit Bike

Biking is an experience that once you have tasted you will want to have more and more the next time. There are pit biking experience days for the ones who do not own a pit bike. For those who wish to own a pit bike the options are endless. Below are some points you should consider before buying a pit bike.

The age of the biker: Any person can ride a pit bike, from kids to youngsters and the professional pit bikers. Make sure you know which bike you are choosing and the reason behind it. For instance, a pit bike for children will be high on safety. The handles of the bike will provide a strong grip for kids to hold and ride the bike. Also the speed limit would be set and if not you will have the option to do so to make sure no mishap happens. For youngsters the pit bikes are a bit advanced in terms of looks and speed. For the ones who love dirt and want to explore pit biking to its ultimate potential, Pit Bikes just keep getting better. These bikes are loaded with performance, looks, adventure and action, be it kids or the pros. You just need to make the right choice.

Choose your bike dealer carefully: There are numerous bike dealers but you need to make sure the one you choose is an authorized one. A lot of illegal selling of bikes happens to reduce the final price of the bike. Never go for a pit bike which does not give you legal document proof, such dealers can even sell you fake bikes at the price of the original. Search for a trusted dealer who will give you good after sales service also as you will need advice on servicing and maintaining your pit bike too.

Your pit bike purchasing experience should be a memorable one for you and not end up being a complicated procedure. Remember to keep the age of the biker in mind and the bike dealer you choose. These 2 simple steps can prove to be of great help to you in the long run.

The Importance of Regular Grounds Maintenance

Grounds maintenance is an essential part of grounds / site management for all establishments. Schools and retail centres are two of the most common institutions to require regular grounds maintenance, and it is highly recommended for all commercial grounds, business parks, stately homes, and public sector grounds.

Grounds maintenance incorporates lawn / grass care, trimming and tending to hedges / shrubs, general gardening duties and pest control, sports field maintenance, car park road markings, ground gritting, and hard surface care.

Grounds maintenance is essential because:

• To protect outdoor hard surfaces - patios, stone walkways, paths and decking all need to be maintained to a certain level in order to increase longevity and to protect from damaging elements. Grounds maintenance can cover tasks such as weed control, moss control, leaf clearance and outdoor sweeping.
• Pleasing guests / visitors - contracted grounds maintenance will ensure that your grassy areas and your lawns are always taken care of. Aesthetics in a retail or commercial environment is particularly important for attracting guests and customer satisfaction. Upkeep for on-site facilities is a big responsibility for any retail organisation.
• To adhere to health & safety - if you want your grounds to abide by health and safety guidelines, it is essential to keep your grounds maintained in the best possible way; road markings need to be clear, gritting needs to applied during the testing seasons, pest control needs to be evident and all outdoor surfaces need to be clean, safe and hazard-free.
  

Premier League Picks: Premier League Odds

After the midweek European action, the weekend sees the teams in England's top flight concentrate on the Premier League again. There is a full round of 10 matches. Let's have a look at the top picks from the weekend schedule.

Arsenal vs. Manchester City

The biggest game of the weekend is the final game as Manchester City host Arsenal at Eastlands on Sunday evening. Both sides will be in good form for this match with City having won their last three league matches, including beating Chelsea at Eastlands, while Arsenal have bounced back well from losses to Chelsea and West Brom by scoring seven goals in two matches this week. This game could either way, but one thing I feel confident of is goals. As a result of that, we're backing over 2.5 goals in the game. Odds at many online sportsbookare around 1.88.

Wolves vs. Chelsea

In action on Saturday afternoon are Chelsea and Wolves at Stamford Bridge. Both of these teams drew last weekend, but both are in excellent form with Chelsea topping the Premier League and Wolves kept off the bottom by Liverpool and West Ham's worse goal differences. Chelsea have won six, drawn one and lost one of their eight games this season, while Wolves have not won a match since the opening weekend. We're expecting a massive rout for Chelsea here and this is another match we're on the over 2.5 goals market. Back it @ 1.35.

Everton vs. Tottenham

The early game on Saturday sees Tottenham Hotspur welcome Everton to White Hart Lane. Spurs are fresh from a 4-3 defeat against reigning Champions League champions Inter Milan of Italy, while Everton have had the midweek off, but will they make that extra rest work to their advantage? Spurs will definitely be more tired after travelling to Italy and playing 90 minutes before returning for action on Saturday morning and Everton have not conceded a goal in the Premier League in more than 5 hours of football. Everton are finding their feet now too. After picking up 2 points from their first 5 matches they've secured 7 from their last three and I feel that they'll claim another 3 points here. We're suggesting toback them @ 3.3.

Enjoy the games and good luck.

You can check the updated Premier League Odds.

Algarve Resident Algarve resident to pedal the world

Aviation legend Gerry Breen, the first person attributed to flying a microlight, set off on a unique around-the-world tour starting from Lagos on Monday.

Gerry, who founded the Algarve Airsports Centre in Lagos in 1985, plans to travel the world in a Pedalcar which will see him cycling, unsupported, firstly across the United States from Orlando to San Diego before then journeying through South America to Tierra del Fuego at the tip of the continent.

After South America, Gerry plans to fly to Canada then cycle onto Alaska before crossing the Pacific to Japan, China and the Far East to then head back via New Zealand and Australia to complete the final leg through Europe.

Although Gerry is known for his skills in the air after flying more than 200 different types of airc raft, the entire journey will be made in a Pedalcar, affectionately known as the Breen Machine.

Read the full article

Winter Running Mistakes Revealed

Running on a winter season can be as fun as running on fall or spring seasons. The only difference is that you need to get dressed as warm as possible and prepare for cold weather outside. However, some people do it the wrong way and they end up getting sick on bed. Yet, below are some of the winter-running mistakes that many people fail to notice:

Mistake Number 1- Not listening or watching to weather forecasts before running

Most people forget to check the weather forecast of the day before running outside. In the end, they face worse weather conditions rather than having a good one. It is an important rule to check to weather forecast before running, especially when you are doing it on winter. There may be possibilities of blizzards and other natural calamities that may occur. But, most importantly, check the temperature outside, as well as the wind chill. Temperature less than zero degrees and wind chill of below 20 degrees can be very dangerous for running. Thus, better stay at your house running on the treadmill.

Mistake Number 2- Wearing of thick coats instead of dressing up in layers

Some people actually believe that thick coats can insulate them well against cold weather. However, strong wind can simply pass right through your clothes and remove the warm air covering your body. When you wear clothes in layers, the air will be trapped in between. Aside from that, it would be easy to remove and add layers of clothes once the temperature increases or decreases, respectively.

Mistake Number 3- Choosing cotton clothes

The best clothing material for running is called polypropylene or Lycra because it can wick away moisture rather than absorbing it, which are often observed in cotton materials. Cotton will keep your body moist, which makes you feel cooler that can eventually lead to chills. Usually, running clothes made from Lycra is used as the first layer of clothing over several other layers of clothes when running on winter season.

Mistake Number 4- Forgetting to wear hats or mittens, as well as foot covers

Covering your head, feet and hands is as important as covering your body. Large amount of heat loss is made through these body parts. Thus, runners who are up for winter running should also protect their head, feet and hands from extreme cold. The head may be covered with wool hat, while the hands can be covered with mittens. The feet should be worn with warm wool sacks and a wicking sock liner.

Mistake Number 5- Not keeping their body well-hydrated

Even though winter does not dry up the skin as fast as the summer season, runners should still keep their body well-hydrated. Putting moisturizer and sun screen protector is important since this will help you avoid frost bite and redness on the skin. Aside from that, getting enough glasses of water a day can keep you away from colds or flu.

Buying Paintball Sniper Rifles and Pump Paintball Markers

The game of paintball is a fun and entertaining sport to learn how to play. Obviously to play paintball, you need paintball markers. Paintball markers can be expensive. Paintball sniper rifles and pump paintball guns are two popular markers to purchase. The pump paintball marker was the original paintball gun used. It's a single shot paintball marker, and over the years, it has been replaced by the semi-automatic and the fully automatic paintball marker. So the pump paintball gun might be a little harder to come by online.

The advantages to buying pump paintball markers is to learn how to shoot with precision and accuracy. If you learn to preserve each shot, you'll become a much better paintball marker. You'll use strategy and skill to become a better player for your team. When purchasing paintball guns, the hopper isn't always included and you'll have to purchase that separately.

Paintball sniper rifles are extremely popular for those who want to become a good marksman. Sniper rifles require precision, skill, and accurate shooting as well. Just like the pump paintball marker, the sniper rifle can help you become more skilled at the game. Paintball sniper rifles can be very expensive to purchase. Prices can range anywhere from $100-$500 dollars or more even. Some of the popular sniper rifle brands like Pro-Team, Leapers, Tippmann, Palco, and Tiberius Arms have some good sales going for paintball sniper rifles online.

You'll save money shopping for paintball guns at online stores like amazon, direct paintball, and paintball gateway. You can find what you need and compare prices online.

Achilles Tendinopathy- Frequently Asked Questions

There are several running injuries that may be completely prevented if only runners will have ample time to learn more about them. Getting a running injury is never fun because it can hinder you from achieving your fitness goals and it can greatly affect your running performance. One of the running injuries that may be prevented by taking proper measures is a condition called Achilles tendinopathy.

If you want to learn more about this condition and how to totally prevent it, then read on the following frequently asked questions about Achilles tendinopathy:

1. What is Achilles tendinopathy?

Achilles tendinopathy, also called Achilles tendonitis, is a condition that often occurs to runners aging 40 years old and above. However, some runners may also experience this at an earlier time with continuous exposure to causative factors. This injury is characterized by an inflammatory and degenerative condition of the Achilles tendon found at the back of the heel.

2. How does this occur?

Stress is the main factor that causes this injury. When the tendon is exposed to a great deal of stress, it can work hard and tighten. When this is not corrected, the tendon might wear and tear losing its normal tensile strength. This causes the pain and inflammation. However, the tendon may be covered with scar tissues, which further decrease its efficiency. With prolonged stress exposure, the tendon may eventually rupture.

3. What factors cause this injury?

There are several factors that might cause stress on the Achilles tendon. First, this may be due to poor stretching techniques that can cause tightening of the calf muscles, which then transfers the burden to the tendon. The calf muscles and the tendon may also be over fatigued due to excessive training or rapid progression in the running regimen. Excessive hill running, overpronation, and use of improper running shoes can also stress the Achilles tendon.

4. What are the manifestations of this condition?

Achilles tendinopathy is mainly characterized by pain on the back of the heel. The pain may be sharp or dull in nature and it may be worse when waking up in the morning and under on-going physical activity. Redness and warmth may be noted on the skin around the affected area. The tendon may also feel tender when touched. Sometimes, there may be an appearance of nodule, which is a sign of scarred tendon.

5. How do you prevent Achilles tendonitis?

This condition may be prevented if the above factors that cause this injury are avoided. Thus, runners should do proper warm-up and stretching technique before and after running to relax the calf muscle and Achilles tendon. Training errors should be avoided. Aside from that, this injury may be avoided through the use of proper running shoes based on the runner's foot type.

Quad bikes for kids; a buying guide

Electric quads

Electric quads are best for very young children, due to their extremely low top speeds, ease of use and lack of maintenance requirement. They vary from 6V for the smaller models suited to ages 2 and upwards, and 12V models for older children. Another advantage is that these bikes are extremely cheap to buy, with prices from below £100; ideal for presents and as a low cost introduction into the world of the quad bike (which is helpful if you are unsure that your children will want to continue with it, which would make buying an expensive bike a risk).

Petrol quads
The other type of quad is the petrol engine quad, which uses an engine similar to those found in a motorbike. These quad bike therefore have more powerful engines and can reach a higher top speed. They are more suited to off road riding, due to their ruggedness and higher power for scaling inclines and obstacles. Engine sizes start at 50cc, which are ideal for children and beginners, as they will be great fun, without the high top speed that could be dangerous for beginners who have not attained high levels of control yet.

Children's sized quads are generally not allowed to be driven on public roads, and so children should be monitored when riding their quad bike at all times. Safety is a major concern with children, due to their lack or riding skills and weaker bone structure. Be sure that your child is wearing protective gear at all times such as:

• Long sleeves for skin protection
  
• Long trousers for skin protection
  
• A helmet for protecting their head from concussion and such injuries
  
• Kneepads and elbow pads for protection of joints, which can break or splinter
  

These are especially essential if the child is very young, or if they are using the more powerful variety of quad bike.

You should also aim to supervise your children at all times when riding a quad bike, as regardless of safety precautions used, they are still powerful vehicles that can be dangerous if not used correctly. If you do keep to all the safety precautions and measures put down in this guide, you should enjoy many years of fun with your children and their quad bikes, with a few odd hours of riding perhaps developing into a passion that will stay with them for their lifetime; you may be starting your child on to a path as a champion quad bike or motocross rider.

What are the Main Reasons for Taking Part in Endurance Sports

I do not have any official research or statistics about this trend, but a lot of things indicate that endurance sports might be extending the ranks of its enthusiasts at a rate matched only by a precious few other activities. Magazines and websites dedicated to running a marathon, completing a triathlon or getting ready for an iron man race sprout out like mushrooms, responding to a growing interest in these disciplines. The market for training services and equipment has developed to a point where it is not a problem whatsoever to get quality products at affordable prices. This opens up the area for even more newcomers as it takes less and less in terms of effort or money to join in. However, the question why so many regular guys would want to join in a subset of sport that pushes people to the limits of their endurance, puts them in a tight training harness and requires mad determination even to pull through a single race. Here are possible answers.

The challenge factor cannot be underestimated as endurance sports have a reputation for being made for tough individuals. When something if off-limits to most people, there will surely be a group of naysayers determined to prove everybody wrong by going to places where others fear to tread. Marathons or triathlons do exactly that for sporting experiences, as the vast majority of the population might never even think seriously of trying to complete it, while some random jogging, aerobics or swimming are part of their everyday routine. Whoever decides to run for 42 kilometres or cover another gruelling distance by bike is clearly inspired by the extraordinary value of what most people see as a feat.

But it is not only adventurers who take part in endurance sports. It is also amateurs who simply love physical effort and have progressed naturally from such disciplines as tennis, football or track and field. Over time, they learned enough about their capabilities to add yet another level to their training load and finally have a go at long-distance, high-intensity events. In fact, for people who are fairly and no strangers to physical exertions getting ready for and taking part in a triathlon are not the most difficult things in the world. In many cases, they are not even challenges. They represent another frontier in their development as athletes.

Others, quite simply, want to do something new and fun. Isn't it exciting to look for the best cycling apparel for the biking leg of the triathlon and then training for the smoothest possible transition from running? Who would not want to make small increments during the training program to finally shine during the bid day? There is also a fantastic atmosphere at races, created largely by the community of people who share a true infatuation with sport. Some of them are so engaged in trying to get better that they report their progress by recording regular reports on a webcam and posting them on YouTube.

5 Easy Steps to Prevent Running Injuries

So, you want to know how to prevent running injuries? Well then, you've come to the right place as we will give you five easy steps on how you can protect yourself from these debilitating injuries. Although running injuries can attack anyone at anytime, just follow the given steps and you will be safe from this painful culprit:

Step 1- Get the right pair of running shoes.

Your running shoes are the most important shield that you can have from running injuries. When you run, it is only your shoes that come in contact with the ground. The impact created on the ground can cause so much stress on the feet. However, if you are wearing the right pair of running shoes, it will absorb the force created, which will lessen the stress on your feet. Getting an appropriate pair of running shoes should be based on your foot type, foot strike and running event.

Step 2- Do warm-ups first and proceed to stretching exercises before running.

Warm-up exercises include walking and jogging before starting to run, aerobic exercises such as swimming and cycling. This should be done on the first few minutes on each of your running session. Then, when your muscles are warm, perform the stretching exercises. But, never stretch farther than what you can handle. It might cause severe muscle pain after it.

Step 3- Assess your running form.

Your running form is also a vital part of both preventing and exacerbating a running injury. If you have a correct running form, you will experience less discomfort caused by running injuries. When running, take time to check your running form. Your eyes should not be looking down on the ground; instead it should be looking several meters away from where you are. Your head and shoulders should be relaxed, with the shoulders held not too high. The arms should sway at the side and not over your chest. Lastly, your feet should land right under your body, not unless you are a sprinter.

Step 4- Run slowly, and not too far and not too soon.

If you are a beginner, it is important that you increase your running distance and frequency in a timely manner. Runners should never increase their distance, speed, and running frequency abruptly. They should allow time to make their body adapt to the vigorous activity of running. This way, they are prone to less running injuries.

Step 5- Stretch every after running session.

Although you've started your session with warm-up and stretching exercises, stretching your warm muscles after running can also decrease muscle sores and body pain. This is because you are slowly cooling down your body, as opposed to warming it up in the beginning. This prevents an abrupt change in the body system after taking the whole running course.

The US Tennis Open

The US Tennis Open sometimes gets confused with the Golf tournament since its also called the US Open. The US Open for the tennis sport is also known as the United States Open tennis championships. Its recognized as one of the oldest and largest tennis tournaments in the world. Each year the tournament lasts two weeks in the end of August and the beginning of September.

The Us Open started in 1881 where men only competed and it was only played by singles. Now it is known as one of the most popular tennis tournaments paying men and female in both singles and double competitions.

Through history, the court's surface has played on many different surfaces. From its start until 1974, it was played on grass and then it was played on clay from 1975-1977. Now it is played on a much faster surface called DecoTurf. Its known to be very fast paced with less friction and bounce rate.

Some of the big names to watch for in the US Open is Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Venus Williams, and Rafael Nadal.

Getting The Right Gear For A Great Game Of Golf In The Winter

If you have ever tried your hand at playing a round of golf in the winter, you most probably realize just how challenging it can be, especially when weather conditions are not at their best. Many people who decide to try playing a round of golf in the wintertime for the first time neglect to consider that the weather necessitates certain extra measures when it comes to clothing and golf gear. Without taking such measures, you will undoubtedly not have anywhere near as good a game as you might be able to if you were to go fully prepared. Among the various additional pieces of equipment that you should consider are good golf winter gloves and golf standbags.

Golf winter gloves are an absolute necessity when playing in any season other than summer because otherwise, your hands would get cold. While you might assert that you are not afraid of a little cold, there are good reasons to keep your hands warm that go beyond simply being unable to brave the cold. The fact is that the human body, and hence the muscles, are designed to function within a certain limited range of temperatures. When your body temperature moves outside of this range, muscles start to function less effectively, becoming stiffer and slower to respond.

By wearing good golf winter gloves, you keep your hands warm, ensuring that your grip and swing are not affected by the cold. As even the most amateur golfer should know, the grip is one of the most important parts of playing golf, and having cold hands will certainly affect your grip greatly. Some people have even been known to lose so much function in the muscles of their hands when playing unprotected in the cold that they lose their grip on their golf club on the downswing and send the club flying instead of the ball. Not only is this extremely embarrassing, it can also be very dangerous to yourself and other people playing alongside you.

Golf standbags are another winter essential. Many people question the need for a standbag, given that most golf bags manufactured today are able to stand relatively well on their own, without the need for a stand. This is only in good weather, however, and circumstances are certainly different in the fall and winter when rain and snow make ground conditions a real challenge to cope with. Rain, for example, makes the ground soft and muddy. This makes it difficult not only to play a good game, but also to get your golf bag to stand upright without the aid of a stand.

With golf standbags, however, you need not worry about having to find firm ground on which to set your golf bag down so it can stand upright. Instead, you will be able to set it down anywhere on the ground, and still have easy access to your clubs. This way, you need not suffer needless inconveniences, and you will have a much more enjoyable game.

Golf winter gloves and golf standbags are therefore a necessity whenever you wish to play golf in the winter. With good golf winter gloves and golf standbags in your arsenal of golfing equipment, you will be ready to play golf in any weather, and still have a great game.

Four Reasons to Collect Beswick Animals

Everyone starts their own personal collection at some point in their lives, whether this may be colourful handmade friendship bracelets or Pokémon cards. If you are looking for a new hobby, here are four reasons to start a collection of Beswick Animals.

Timeless-Unlike the latest fad, Beswick animals are a classic collector's item that will never be considered dated or a passing trend. This is what makes these figurines so valuable as a collector's item. For this reason, they make fantastic gifts and could inspire the recipient to start a collection of their own.

Visually appealing-Unlike some collectable items that can cause clutter and mess, Beswick animals are designed to be put on show. Enhance your home with your favourite high quality figurines.

Affordable-Beswick animals are the ideal collector's items for those on a budget. Many people are put off starting a collection due to the expense involved. However, there are plenty of collector's items tha t won't break the bank.

Convenient-If you are looking for a hassle free pastime that you can conveniently fit in to your spare time, collecting Beswick animals involves minimum effort. Sourcing your favourite figurines is simple online. Beswick animals are available from a number of online stores and can be purchased online at ease.

The Mushroom World Is Not Enough - Mario Leaps to Galaxy 2

Princess Peach aka Toadstool being kidnapped by the wicked King Koopa back in 1985, Nintendo Entertainment Systems gave birth to a new hero "Prince Mario". Though we are not sure if it was a good time for Princess Peach or a great time for Nintendo itself (for creating the most successful gaming character ever), it was definitely a glorious time for the gamers out there and a real bad time for King Koopa. Millions of gamers around this planet fought the henchmen of the wicked king and many of them succeeded in saving the princess. Nintendo succeeded in creating one of the most addictive games even in the 2D world with the 8 bit gaming technology. Years passed by and Mario grew and so did the technology. With improved visuals and better looking Mario, the journey continued and the prince appeared in PC games and in all gaming consoles as well.

Mario Is 25 and the World has changed a lot

It seems that the advancements in technology are not just in the real world. With the technological advancements, Mario is to continue the adventure in the Galaxy for the second time. Now, instead of jumping from mushroom to another mushroom, Mario can leap between different Galaxies. Thanks to the cutting edge graphics - the prince is now leaping on a colorful 3D galaxy for the second time in Super Mario Galaxy 2. This time it is "Bowser" whom Mario is gonna deal with. The game plot is again about rescuing Princess Peach. It looks like as long as Princess Peach never stays home, the gamers will be having all the fun. Nintendo was successful in brining great detail to the character even with the 8bit technology. Imagine what they could do with dedicated GPUs of the modern gaming world?

Mario Kart Still Adds fun - For those who don't care about the Princess Or the Kingdom

Mario has developed many skills through the recent years. And Nintendo has taught the prince how to race back in 2008. Forget about saving the princess and its time to burn some rubber. Mario cart is still the best fun filled kart racing game with a variety of circuits. And guess what it is not just a race against time and the prince has to deal with skill based missions as well.

Nintendo Wii - The Best Console For Mario Games

Though both these Mario titles are available with all the gaming consoles, it is real fun with the Nintendo Wii. As usual, the innovative Nintendo Wii control is what it makes playing Mario game titles real fun. The Wii Wheel that comes packed with Mario Kart transforms the Wii remote into a sporty steering wheel. When it comes to galaxy 2, the Wii controls are simply superb. Nintendo has learned from the confusing controls of the super Mario Galaxy and has made them real simple this time.

So, on the 25th Birthday of Prince Mario, do you choose to save the princess or would you like stick around with the classic old kart racing?