Popularity rules the day.

• Position: VIDEO GAMES - Buyers guide

As the video game market continues to expand, we offer this latest roundup of some of the more popular titles:

Arguably the most well-known character in the realm of video games is back in an adventure that is out of this world. Super Mario Galaxy finds our hero blasting from planet to planet as he tries to rescue Peach from the clutches of Bowser, who has uprooted her castle and taken all of its inhabitants, including our beloved Princess, into space. In a format similar to other Super Mario games, Mario must meet certain objectives every time he enters a new galaxy, such as beating a boss or winning a race. When he does, he collects a Power Star and moves on to the next challenge. There are a total of 120 Stars to collect, and every time he earns a Grand Star, other galaxies will open. Along the way, Mario can be transformed into Fire Mario, Boo Mario, and Bee Mario through the use of mushroom power-ups. Exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, Super Mario Galaxy is rated E for Everyone, with mild cartoon violence.

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Everything you love about Mario Party now is available in the palm of your hand with Mario Party DS. As Mario and his friends are shrunk down for this adventure, everyday objects become a huge threat to the tiny crew, and users must make full use of the advanced features of the DS by taking actions such as flinging massive hamburgers with the stylus, dragging huge leaves out of the way in a forest race, and blowing down a gargantuan Whomp. The game has more than 70 mini-games and five themed game boards. Users can play as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Wario, or Waluigi as they try to foil Bowser's latest scheme. Rated E, with comic mischief.

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Disney Interactive Studios has turned the Wii into a karaoke machine with High School Musical: Sing It! Players will interact with Troy, Gabriella, Ryan, Sharpay, Chad, and Taylor as they sing and dance along to songs from both hit movies, customizing their character. Thanks to three play modes, fans can live the movies through song and dance in Story Mode; compete against up to eight friends in Party Mode; and jump into any song or select any character, outfit, or environment they've unlocked in Quickplay Mode. Players also can accompany the singers on percussion instruments such as the snare drum, tambourine, and cowbell. The Wii package ($59.99) includes bonus footage and a Logitech microphone. High School Musical: Sing It! also is...