Weekly Replay - Next-gen consoles, Top 7, and Mario dead? See the week that was

We know it might be difficult to drag yourself away from the amazing new releases that came out this month. Playing through titles like Halo 4, Assassin's Creed 3, or Hitman: Absolution might have distracted you long enough that you missed a few articles on GamesRadar.com. Never fear. We've got you covered. Check out what you might have missed in this week's Weekly Replay.

The Top 7… Companies that deserve their own fighting game. In honor of the release of the PlayStation mascot free-for-all fighter, PlayStation: All Stars Battle Royale, we imagine what other companies' characters should start their own melee.

What would happen if Mario died? See what would happen to the Mushroom Kingdom if it's hero never returned.

What can we really expect from the next console generation? Wondering what games in the next generation consoles will be like. Well, this is what we are expecting.

Halo 4 vs. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Find out which of this year's biggest shooters comes out on top.

How to beat XCOM: Enemy Unknown on Impossible Ironman mode. XCOM's toughest difficulty mode might seem impossible to complete, but with a little bit of the developer's help, we show you the way.

The strangest Nintendo cameos of all time. Nintendo characters pop up in some odd places. Find out where right here.

And here are some other fantastic articles from our friends around the internet:

T3

Nokia Lumia 820 review

Nintendo Wii U review

OXM

11 famous Xbox 360 locations recreated in Minecraft

Best Xbox 360 games: Christmas 2012 buyer's guide

CVG

Far Cry 3 guide: 10 essential tips for conquering Rook island

Assassin's Creed 3: Ending explained

OPM

Metal Gear Rising had finished script, bosses and levels ditched when Platinum took over

Assassin's Creed 4's next location - what YOU voted for

PC Gamer

Notch Mega Interview

Minecraft Renders azeroth and PC Gamer Server

ONM

Best Wii U games

3D Mario and Zelda Wii U release dates to be announced in near future

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