Mark Santomartino
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Reporter @9NewsMelb msantomartino@nine.com.au Founder of Newsie
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Articles by Mark Santomartino
Review: Everything you need to know about Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave
Be careful choosing your hero in Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave. Unlike Fire Emblem Three Houses which told different stories based on the character you chose, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave tells one story from four different perspectives. I’ve now played 20 hours of the game for this preview, split between two of the game’s four heroes, Cai and Leda. No spoilers, but one is much more heavily linked to major characters featured in the main quest.
Pokemon shop employee accused of card con
Mark Santomartino When Ryan Street opened a new Pokémon card store, he needed a whole new team to get the job done. He was counting on new workers, new stock and a new store manager. He didn't count on a Poke-con happening right under his nose, or for the alleged culprit to open a competing store. “It's very blatant,” said Street, the owner of General Games, as he pours through CCTV.
Pokemon shop employee accused of card con
When Ryan Street opened a new Pokémon card store, he needed a whole new team to get the job done. He was counting on new workers, new stock and a new store manager. Ryan Street didn’t count on a Poke-con happening right under his nose, or for the alleged culprit to open a competing store. .Nine He didn’t count on a Poke-con happening right under his nose, or for the alleged culprit to open a competing store. “It’s very blatant,” said Street, the owner of General Games, as he pours through CCTV.
REVIEW: Everything you need to know about the new Splatoon Raiders
For a series built on multiplayer, Splatoon Raiders is a decidedly single-player experience. Yes, you can play through levels with friends or dive in to assist random players who ask for help but, at its core, this is a game built for lone wolves. I’ve been a fan of Splatoon since Nintendo’s Wii U days.
REVIEW: Our honest opinion on Rhythm Paradise Groove
Guitar Hero was my jam as a teenager. I bought a real drum kit after playing Guitar Hero World Tour. I even briefly held a world record for the top score on Katy Perry’s Waking Up in Vegas thanks to a perfect expert run and the AEST timezone, which saw the game launch in Australia before most places in the world. Photographic evidence of the world record. Mark Santomartino Rhythm games are my jam. I loved Bit.Trip Runner and every music-infused level of Rayman Legends.
‘Simple Nintendo fun at its finest’: An honest review of Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2
Review: There is something special about Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2. Yes, it tells a story we’ve already heard, but it’s never been told quite like this. Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 is polished and fun, according to this reviewer. Supplied New cinematics, challenges and quality-of-life improvements had me repeatedly diving into the Lylat Wars to find every alternate path, every cutscene and of course, the game’s true ending. Long story short, Star Fox’s campaign is polished with a capital P.
An honest review of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
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'Unlike any game I've played': An honest review of Nintendo's Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is unlike any game I've played. There is no "end" to any level. There is no timer. And there is no danger of taking damage. You'd be forgiven for thinking Nintendo has made an "easy game for kids." Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a Nintendo console game released worldwide this week. (Supplied) But that couldn't be farther from the truth. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is relentlessly charming, whimsical and has a rare ability to inspire and reward curiosity.
Why critics are calling the Victorian budget's operating surplus 'fake'
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Jacinta Allan is boasting her first operating surplus in seven years. The budget tells a different story
Unveiling Victoria's 2026/27 budget papers today, Premier Jacinta Allan and Treasurer Jaclyn Symes were all smiles as they announced the state's first operating surplus in seven years, ahead of a crucial election campaign. This year's budget put forth a $727 million surplus in 2025-26 and estimated $1 billion in 2026-27, with an average $1.7 billion surplus over the forward estimate. "I am proud to confirm Victoria's first operating surplus in seven years," Symes said in her budget address.
Famous voice actor's excitement ahead of anticipated game launch
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Famous voice actor's excitement ahead of anticipated game launch
Troy Baker has an idea locked and loaded for another Indian Jones video game. "Dude, I have my whole pitch laid out," admits the famous voice actor.
Creat your own Pokemon paradise with the latest in Nintendo's life-sim games
I'm worried Pokémon Pokopia is going to dominate my life. I had zero interest in the game when Nintendo announced it, but after an hour rebuilding my own deserted island back from the brink, it's safe to say our favourite pocket monsters remain irresistibly charming. The loop of Pokopia is simple. Build environments to attract Pokemon to your island, befriend them and then use their abilities to build more complex environments and attract more complex Pokemon.
Mario Tennis Fever, Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem: We got an early look at four of the biggest games coming to Switch 2
Nintendo's fast start to 2026 just got a lot more promising. We played three of the biggest games coming to Switch 2 (and some Virtual Boy) at a six hour mega preview at the company's Australian HQ. Here's what you need to know about Mario Tennis Fever, Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem. February 12, 2026 | $109.95 AUD Mario Tennis Fever takes two big swings and aces them both: chaos and variety. The game's fever rackets are no gimmick.
Review: The best game on the Switch 2 yet
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is my favourite game on the Switch 2 yet. It meets (and arguably exceeds) the exceptionally high bar set by its predecessors and is willing to gamble the franchise's small but loyal fanbase on a few big changes. There's a lot of Samus' new motorbike and a lot of chatty companions. But it's also not an overhaul guaranteed to draw legions of new players.
'Branding Kirby Air Riders as a racing game is selling it short'
REVIEW:Kirby Air Riders is frantic, fun and expertly designed. The man behind it, Kirby and Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakaurai, is a genius. But his stubborn commitment to limiting the game's controls to "one button" is baffling. Kirby Air Riders is bursting at the seams with modes and options, including settings that allow you to customise your controls, so the fact that your drift and inhale functions must be tied to a single button is nonsensical.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is days away and too much of it remains a mystery
REVIEW: Nintendo invited me to play two hours of the game's campaign this week. And while its combat and boss battles live up to the high bar set by its predecessors, there was none of the new motorcycle gameplay or any opportunity to explore the "open world" areas connecting Metroid Prime 4's biomes. That's not to say there weren't surprises. Seeing the most realistic humans ever rendered in a Nintendo game was not on my bingo card.
As a long-lapsed Pokemon fan, it feels like Legends Z-A was made for me. But this is my only wish for the new game
REVIEW: When I first previewed Pokemon Legends Z-A I gushed about its new battle system. It demands attention, quick thinking and knowledge of super effective strategies. Hundreds of moves have been redesigned to fit this real-time challenge, which deserves applause from a series which has been welded to the same slow, turned-based system for the better part of three decades. Now that the game is on store shelves, I'm happy to report that battles are still the best part of Pokemon Legends Z-A.
These are two of the best video games ever made
Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are two of the greatest games ever made. It's taken 15 years but Nintendo is finally offering them as part of a bundle. Yes, it's $89.95 on the Australian eShop. Outrageously, they're available separately for $59.95! That's a lot of money for any 15-year-old game, even ones as good as Super Mario Galaxy.
'It's not the Pokemon you grew up playing. It's a whole lot more fun'
A preview has never changed my opinion as quickly as Pokemon Legends Z-A. I went in apathetic and walked out hungry for more. This isn't the Pokemon I grew up playing. Turn based combat is out. Real-time battles are in. And the effect it has on the series' moment-to-moment gameplay cannot be overstated. It's more engaging. It's more active. And it's a whole lot more fun. Nintendo invited me to play about 90 minutes of the game at its Melbourne office last week.
This game was already 'incredible'. It just got another reason to play
Kirby and the Forgotten Land was already an incredible game. It is a charming and gorgeous showcase of level design, complementing unique and varied power ups. It didn't need an expansion, but the fact it's getting one in the form of a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is all the more reason to dive back in or give this wonderful 3D platformer a go for the very first time. READ MORE:New Call of Duty game revealed Kirby and the Forgotten Land's expansion is called Star Crossed World.
Drag x Drive review: The new chaotic game that is easy to pick up but incredibly difficult to master
Drag x Drive wants to be Rocket League; one of my favourite games of all time. In concept, it nails the basics. The game is a chaotic, 3 v 3 contest that is easy to pick up and incredibly difficult to master. READ MORE: 'Biggest ever' Devs speak to new Battlefield game Swapping soccer for basketball is a great idea. But swapping rocket-powered cars for motion-controlled wheelchairs is a tough sell. Especially when comparing Drag x Drive's $30 price tag to the free-to-play juggernaut.
Victorian man rides horse into bottle-o drive-through
A Victorian dad has ditched his ute for a horse to save money on petrol, and has turned heads by trotting through a drive-through bottle shop. Eathon White, a truck driver and father of three, has been observed riding his 23-year-old stallion, Fox, on errands around Moe, including a visit to the local BottleMart. "There's nothing like going to Kmart to get hair ties and blu-tac and everyone runs out to say OMG, look at this horse!" White said.
Major airline announces it's coming to Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport has signed a deal to welcome Hong Kong Airlines for the first time, just as Victorians are flying overseas in record numbers despite cost-of-living concerns. The agreement with the state will lead to three Hong Kong Airlines A330s arriving at Melbourne Airport weekly, departing for Hong Kong on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. It means the route, which has been predominantly serviced by Qantas and Cathay Pacific since 2020, will gain an additional 93,000 seats a year.
The Aussie drone technology helping make some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters
Watching Tom Cruise drive off a cliff is a stunt etched in Hollywood history. It was real, it took months of training, and it was filmed by Melbourne's XM2. "We make the impossible possible," quipped chief executive Stephen Oh from the company's headquarters, hidden in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. He was controlling the camera that tracked Cruise off the cliff. "The environment was very difficult - the pressure was immense," Oh said.
Nintendo Switch 2 game of the year contender is an imperfect masterpiece
Donkey Kong Bananza is an imperfect masterpiece. Its ambition pushes Nintendo's new console — the Nintendo Switch 2 — up to and beyond its limit; serving as both a technical showcase and a reality check. Thankfully, the slowdown and frame stutter doesn't detract from one of the best final boss fights I have ever experienced, nor the fun of what will be a game of the year contender. Donkey Kong's first 3D outing in 25 years plays like a power fantasy.
'Nintendo's most important game of 2025'
Donkey Kong Bananza is arguably Nintendo's most important game of 2025. It's being crafted by the team that made 2017's sensational Super Mario Odyssey. That pedigree comes with great expectations. DK hasn't been the star of a 3D platformer for more than 25 years and there's pressure to maintain momentum after Mario Kart World helped make the Nintendo Switch 2 the fastest selling game console of all time. Last week, Nintendo invited me to play Donkey Kong Bananza for about four hours.
Artificial intelligence breaks new ground for Australians with epilepsy
Australians are finding surgical cures for epilepsy in as little as two years, thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence. The technology, developed at the Australian Epilepsy project, crunches decades of data and compares it with a patient's medical imaging, family history, cognitive and genomic markers.
Nintendo Switch 2 becomes the fastest-selling game console ever
The Nintendo Switch 2 is officially the fastest selling video game console ever. The Japanese gaming juggernaut has confirmed its new hybrid console "has sold over 3.5 million units worldwide in its first four days, becoming the fastest-selling Nintendo hardware ever globally". It's testament to Nintendo's ability to manufacture enough consoles to meet demand and the excitement surrounding Nintendo's sequel to the now eight-year-old Nintendo Switch.
Budget papers confirm 18-month delay, $137 million blowout for Myki overhaul
Victoria's Myki overhaul is running 18 months late and is already $137 million over budget. Budget papers confirmed the blowout on the Public Transport Ticketing Asset Renewal project today. "The TEI (total expected investment) has increased by $136.735 million due to a program reset," read the footnote.
How much are you willing to spend to cancel the Suburban Rail Loop?
Despite a damning assessment from Infrastructure Australia and a lack of commitment in Canberra, Jacinta Allan will sign two more major Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) contracts before next year's state election. Those contracts will all but force the opposition to complete the project - should Brad Battin win office - at the risk of triggering a multibillion-dollar payout. The premier has already signed two major works contracts for Suburban Rail Loop East worth $5.8 billion.
Nintendo Switch 2: Everything you need to know about the new gaming console
The Nintendo Switch 2 will hit Australian shelves on June 5, 2025. Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza and an exclusive game by Elden Ring's From Software headlined the announcements in today's Nintendo Direct. Here's everything you need to know about Nintendo's sequel to its best console. READ MORE: The world's smallest pacemaker is dwarfed by a grain of rice The Nintendo Switch 2 will cost Australians $699. That's better than many expected after hearing the console would cost $US449 ($713).
Nintendo Switch 2 and new Mario Kart revealed
Nintendo has finally lifted the lid on the Nintendo Switch 2 and it is beautiful. A trailer for the new system quietly appeared online in the early hours of Friday morning Australian time; confirming features - and a new Mario Kart - which have been rumoured for months. We don't have details on price or a release date just yet, which will be confirmed at presentation on April 2. Here's what we know so far, and some lingering questions.
'Next generation' Australian Open tickets offer new capabilities for iPhone users
Gone are the days of fumbling for printed paper tickets. Digital wallets are king, and if you've visited the Australian Open this week, you may have noticed just how much your ticket can do. Thanks to an Apple update, and a new partnership with Ticketmaster, iPhone users can find maps, curated tennis playlists, buy merchandise and check the weather from within their wallet. READ MORE: Is 2025 the year of the robot?
Why the creator of the world's most famous flight simulator game looks like a 'crazy person' - even to his own staff
Jorg Neumann is used to having staff look at him like he's insane. For 40 years, he's pushed the limits of computing to create an insanely accurate "digital twin" of our world for pilots and wannabe aviators to explore. It's a twin that has just become more realistic than ever, with the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. "At some point, the team looked at me like I was a 'crazy person' because I said, 'Hey, can we have butterflies?'" Neumann joked in an interview with 9news.com.au.
Future of Zelda 'Based' on Echoes of Wisdom
Future games in the Legend of Zelda franchise will be 'based' on Echoes of Wisdom. Legendary producer Eiji Aonuma dropped that hint at the very end of a one-hour, round-table discussion with the game's developers, which 9news.com.au was invited to attend. "Having a classic style and being able to add new elements is challenging," admitted Aonuma, who was speaking via a translator.
'A masterclass in combat and visual spectacle': A Mario & Luigi Brothership Review
Mario & Luigi Brothership is a masterclass in combat and visual spectacle, weighed down by a forgettable world, overly-chatty characters and frustratingly linear progression. When it doesn't get in its own way, Brothership is a lot of fun. Fights require focus, enemies are engaging and the game does an excellent job in drip-feeding new mechanics that add layers of strategy.
'This is the future': Melbourne hospital first to successfully use microsurgery robotics
A Melbourne hospital has become the first in the southern hemisphere to successfully complete operations with the next generation of microsurgery robotics. The machine, called Symani, recently arrived at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne. Geoff Rohde, who needed cancer cut out of his thigh and a skin transplant, put his hand up to be the first Australian to go under its tiny knives. "My recovery, in my mind, has been incredible," the 71-year-old said.
The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom | Review
What would you get by crossing the best parts of Pokemon with a classic adventure through Hyrule? The answer is The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. It sounds ridiculous but in practice it's fantastic. After rolling credits this week, I immediately jumped back in to complete every side quest I had missed along the way. I did not want this game to end.
GoPro Hero13 Black Review
Rugged simplicity has always made a GoPro feel special. But over the years, the experience has become more complicated for creators as the company battled to add more professional controls to its pocket-sized action camera. Enter the new GoPro Hero and the GoPro Hero13 Black. The cameras, which landed this September, are a line in the sand moment. The GoPro Hero is the new entry point for anyone looking for a cheap way to take action shots on their next holiday.
We spent one hour playing The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Here's what it's really like.
After spending the better part of 40 years as a supporting character, Princess Zelda is more than ready to star as the hero of Hyrule. In a few short weeks, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will arrive for the Nintendo Switch and after playing through the first hour of the game, I can confidently say its creators are not playing it safe. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is an onslaught of ideas and creativity.
Sydney fans get to play new game Star Wars Outlaws before release
Star Wars die-hards in Sydney have been given the chance to play new game Star Wars Outlaws early. Fans piled into the Microsoft Experience Centre at the Pitt Street Mall on Saturday, to spend an hour with the video game ahead of its official launch on August 30. Cloé Hammoud, an Associate World Designer on the project, can't wait to see what players think. "We are all very excited to finally see players reacting to what we've crafted over these years," Hammoud told 9news.com.au.
The Melbourne women diverting tonnes of clothes from landfill
Susan Tait has been making furniture in Thomastown in Melbourne's north for 32 years. Every year, she and her husband were sending 500 kilograms of wasted fabric to landfill. "Someone said that's the size of a one-year-old elephant," joked Tait.
Why you need to start sleeping with your Apple Watch
For years I've taken off my Apple Watch every night before bed. I've always slept with it on charge so I can start the next day with a full battery. But if you want to get the most out of Apple's new Vitals app, Dr Sumbal Desai says, that has to change. "Physiologically your body enters a basal state at sleep," explained Apple's vice president of Health on a call with 9news.com.au.
'Devilishly puzzling': Luigi's Mansion 2 is now on Nintendo Switch
Nintendo loves to release (and resell) old games on new consoles. Usually, they're cheaper to buy or packed with extra features to justify paying full price. Metroid Prime Remastered arrived in 2023 at $59. Pikmin 1 + 2 HD were sold together for just $65. Nintendo even bundled together HD versions of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy for just $79 to celebrate the plumber's 35th birthday.
The Thousand-Year Door is the game Mark Santomartino has waited decades to play
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a game I've waited decades to play. I loved Super Paper Mario when it graced the Nintendo Wii in 2007. I had never played Paper Mario before and amidst a sea of reviews lauding the game's humour and ability to switch between 2D and 3D, I paid little attention to the small number of fans lamenting the loss of the turn-based combat from earlier entries. READ MORE: Australia now has national digital ID laws.
Delays, cuts and broken election promises: How the Victorian budget unfolded
Analysis: Jacinta Allan's first state budget was never going to be pretty. Victorians have watched the state's net debt balloon to record highs for years for years and Labor's go-to solution - under Daniel Andrews - has been new and increased taxes. On Tuesday, the new Premier's debut budget bucked that trend. Jacinta Allan and Tim Pallas finally did what commentators, experts, business leaders and other politicians have been desperate for the government to do.
Victorian treasurer tight-lipped ahead of 'difficult' state budget. Here's what you can expect
There's a difference between spending money and spending money well. Victoria's Labor government will deliver its tenth budget on Tuesday and after a decade of record spending on infrastructure, health, education, family violence and mental health, Jacinta Allan's first budget as Premier will not be pretty. Victoria is staring down a mountain of debt worth $178 billion. To battle this, Treasurer Tim Pallas has flagged that cuts are coming and major projects could be slowed.
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