If you’ve played Mario Kart, you know about it. Odds are, you’ve even seen it action, perhaps even actually used one. It is the ultimate game changer and the one item that is universally loathed. It is the blue shell.

TeeFury’s latest limited edition t-shirt offers a rather fun salute to one of gaming’s most iconic fighting games’ bonus rounds. In some entries of Street Fighter, like Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, players can have their chosen character beat up a car for points. The Teefury shirt by Ninjaink reminds pays homage to that more »

Gamers can be difficult people to shop for when the holidays come around. That’s partially because so many are about instant gratification. If a game is due out that one is interested in, odds are the gamer will already have a pre-order in at his or her favorite store. Which means that sometimes gifts that aren’t games, but are game-related, are the best bet.

Of course, there are only so many gift cards you can give. I mean, they’re quite practical and will nicely feed the recipient’s habit, but they’re hardly personal. That’s where general goodies can help. You could find a really awesome and unique gift that’s somehow related to the hobby, but could be hard to find or the kind of item someone wouldn’t normally buy for him or herself.

So, Gamertell’s here to help. I’ve scoured stores and the internet to find the best unisex gamer gifts that aren’t actually games that are under $50. That way you can make someone happy without having to worry about getting them something they already own…

This is definitely a good week for gamers at Toys R Us. There’s a massive buy two, get a third free promotion. If you stop by your local store between October 16-22, 2011, you can mix and match all video games, strategy guides, console peripherals, console accessories or t-shirts. The cheapest of the three items will of course be the free one, but still. It’s always good to get something free.

There are also a few more deals involving consoles…

I know, this week Important Importables was going to talk about EasyGameStation, a doujin game maker that’s found fame overseas thanks to Carpe Fulgar deciding to localize two of its games, but Halloween is coming up. Which means people are probably just working out their plans, deciding if they want to go out to a party, or stay in and tend to the trick or treaters.

In either case, costumes are in order and video games can serve as great inspiration for finding one that is iconic, recognizable to other gamers and often very easy to pull together. Since times are tough, here are 10 possible costume ideas that could end up working out really well for you. Most are pretty easy to pull together. You may even already own some of the necessary components. In cases where you don’t, it’d probably cost less than $20 to get everything you’d need together, give or take depending on any liberties you decide to take with the concept….

We’ve just learned of some slightly bad news for those who were going to visit Kmart next week to purchase Batman: Arkham City. Kmart was originally going to honor purchases with a $30 gaming coupon and a free Arkham City t-shirt. Unfortunately, the t-shirt part of the deal has fallen through. KmartGamer says a “logistical issue” has prevented Warner from shipping the t-shirts to stores.

While it’s easy to go to your local game store or websites like Amazon to grab the latest games, some people prefer a more direct approach. They prefer to buy directly from publishers, in the hopes of showing exactly how much they enjoy their games or perhaps even get access to exclusive swag. As of October 4, 2011, there’s one more company you can buy directly from, and that’s XSEED. Yes, the purveyor of quality, import PSP, Wii, DS and Xbox 360 games has it’s very own eStore…

Know what would be a great costume for female gamers this year? Chell. Really, it’s simple, it’s awesome and, if you’re slightly shy about your nerdy side, you could always claim you’re just dressed up as an escaped prisoner. All you need is a white tank top, an orange prison inmate one-piece with the top tied around your waist and. Well, actually, there’s something missing. Not the Portal gun or companion cube, but the Long Fall Boots. I guess it’s time to go to J!NX.

J!NX is an online retailer known for its rather awesome geeky clothes, with a focus on appealing to gamers. One of its latest products is a pair of Portal 2 Long Fall Socks…

Okay, this has done it. This whole Angry Birds fad has gone too far. Now I’m going to be worrying if I’ll have a flock of birds tossing eggs on my car if my Halloween candy doesn’t meet with Trick or Treaters’ approval.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

There are Angry Birds Halloween costumes…

Capcom had quite a surprising announcement at the San Diego Comic-Con 2011. No, it isn’t that the Mega Man Legends 3 cancelation was just a big joke. Brace yourself, as Capcom is going to team up with Sanrio for Hello Kitty x Street Fighter.

Don’t get confused, Hello Kitty x Street Fighter isn’t a game like Street Fighter x Tekken or Marvel vs. Capcom…