May 7th is the magical day. Have those plungers at the ready.

Following up on a recent rumour, the latest Nintendo Power magazine has indeed tabbed New Super Mario Bros for a May 7th release. Designed for the popular DS portable, New Super Mario Bros marks the plumber's first true new side-scrolling adventure in...well, a long time. Particularly if you don't count Super Mario World 2 which actually starred loyal dino-pal Yoshi in a bodyguard/living transport role.

The release timing is a bit odd however. Nintendo Power, the official Nintendo magazine in the US, is certainly a very reputable source (Katamari Damacy DS not withstanding). Nevertheless, if the May 7th date holds, New Super Mario Bros will not only launch in advance of E3 (May 10-12th) but launch on a Sunday (Nintendo hasn't released titles in the US on Sundays in...well, I can't remember if they ever did). To top it all off, the game may even be gracing the States before it releases in Japan (recently slated for some unspecified date in May). Thats at least a bit odd.

Either way, new Mario platforming goodness is so very close...but not for Europe. Yet. A solid release date has yet to be set, but the announcement should be coming soon. Stay tuned for further details.