Innehållsförteckning för December 2023 från K-Zone

GET INTO 1st Eat a Red Apple Day7th Letter Writing Day7th Hanukkah begins10th International Children’s Day14th International Monkey Day15th Hanukkah ends21st Crossword Puzzle Day21st Look On The Bright Side Day24th Christmas Eve25th Christmas Day26th Boxing Day26th Kwanzaa begins31st New Year’s Eve SPORT 2nd Australia vs India T203rd AFLW Grand Final9th Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane Heat in BBL14th Australia vs Pakistan Test 123rd Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder in BBL HAPPY BIRTHDAY 3rd K-Zoner Cooper11th Hailee Steinfeld, AKA Kate Bishop and Spider-Gwen16th K-Zoner Apple21st Samuel L. Jackson, AKA Nick Fury23rd K-Zoner Manan SCHOOL 8th Last day of school in Qld14th Last day of school in WA15th Last day of school in ACT, NT, SA19th Last day of school in NSW,20th Last day of school in Vic21st Last day of school in…

1 SO MANY CHARACTERS You can play as Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Toadette, Nabbit, and Yoshi (Green, Red, Yellow, or Blue)! A Yoshi is best for beginners – they can’t use power-ups, but won’t take damage. They can flutter jump, eat (and spit out) objects, and give players a ride! 2 LARGE AND IN CHARGE Thought Cat Mario was the king of cute? Mario and the gang can transform into Elephant forms in Super Mario Bros. Wonder! Their trunks can swat aside Goombas and spray water to make seeds bloom. The drill power-up lets you shatter crystals and burrow into the ground… or ceiling! 3 CASTLING THE KOOPA KING What happens when Bowser touches a magic Wonder Flower? He merges with the Flower Kingdom’s castle to become the most…

Meet Dr Jodi Rowley, a herpetologist at the Australian Museum, and co-founder of FrogID. Dr Jodi recently received the 2023 Australian Museum Research Institute Medal! K-Z : Hi Jodi! How would you explain your work as a herpetologist, and your role at the Australian Museum? J: Herpetology is the study of amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians), and reptiles. Frogs are my particular obsession, but they are in a lot of trouble, with four species of Australian frog already becoming extinct. I want to make sure we don’t lose more amazing frogs, so I spend my time trying to understand how many species of frog there are, how they are doing, and how to help. As a researcher at the Australian Museum, I search for frogs at night in…

A TITANIC TRIO Super Mario RPG was Mario’s first role-playing game, and starred Princess Peach and Bowser alongside the man with the moustache. The game’s wacky ‘tude gave us a new look at the Mushroom Kingdom, and the turn-based combat ruled too! You could use Action Commands to amp up your attacks and double down on the defence. A radical remake of Super Mario RPG is hitting the Switch in November 2023! Wahoo! BOTHERED BOWSER Paper Mario: Thousand-Year Door is an all-time classic, and a version will be released for Switch next year! In this paper-based adventure, Princess Peach gets kidnapped by the X-Nauts. Bowser is not happy – kidnapping Peach is his job! Mario teams up with a Koopa Troopa, Goomba, and more on a rescue mission. Turns out,…

GAMEZONE COMING SOON These animals don’t want to party – they want to rumble! Take your pick of the pack, then fling yourself into the fray! Party Animals is about tackling tigers, punching pigs, and melee-mad moose. You’re in a battle, but it is mostly against your controls, which are willfully wonky. Each arena has stacks of action to see, like the lab arena with a destructive black hole. Every few minutes, the pesky black hole will send everyone (and everything) floating into the air. You need to grab a chain and hold on to avoid getting sucked up and away from the match! In another arena, you’ll be slipping and sliding on an ice floe. Avoid falling in the freezing water as the ice breaks – otherwise you’ll be…

GAMEZONE CHEATS ▶ KNOW YOUR ROLE It’s important to have at least one Scorer, Booster, and Blocker on your team, as well as a mix of powers. Focus on your role, as this fills your power bar faster, but you can help the team in other ways. Even Blockers should collect and bank Wumpa fruit! ▶ A TRUE GEM Always lock down your team’s gem pads ASAP, then try to activate some of the others. The more you have, the bigger your Wumpa bonus! Some powers can hold gem pads too, like Flytrap Spitters and the Gasmoxian Guard. Watch for the icon that shows when a set of pads are coming online again! ▶ STAY ON TARGET Don’t get too caught up in the combat. It can be good to…

I AM GROOT STREAMING NOW ON DISNEY+ There’s no limit to the trouble our favourite walking and talking twig can cause! Baby Groot is back with a new season, and the young hero is exploring the universe while travelling in the Guardians’ spaceship. Baby Groot will meet colourful creatures in strange places! From hatching a mysterious egg and building a dangerous snowman-robot, to nabbing intergalactic ice cream and fulfilling an ancient prophecy, Baby Groot’s life is wild! WATCH OUT FOR: NEW SMELLS! MY DAD THE BOUNTY HUNTER STREAMING NOW ON NETFLIX In the second season, Terry is kidnapped by a bounty hunter! When Tess leaves to save him, Sean and Lisa are left behind. Sean accidentally releases a scammer alien that was previously captured by their father, and before…

1. I grew up guarding the Master Emerald on Angel Island! 2. I am actually a remarkable genius with an IQ of 300! 3. Sonic Superstars is the first time that I will be a playable character in the orig release of a Sonic game! 4. My greatest fear is lightning! 5. The colour of my fur was chosen by the game’s creators because it represents ‘peace, trust, and being cool’! 6. I’m actually from an alternate dimension known as ‘subspace’! Sonic Superstars is out now! Raced through this quiz? Check your answers at KZONE.COM.AU I love Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails! – Jason…

Q Why are tigers striped? A So they won’t be spotted! Eli, SA Knock knock!Who’s there?Bacon!Bacon who?Bacon a cake foryour birthday! Sebastian, NSW Q Why doesn’t the Ender Dragon like reading books? A He always starts at the end! Lucas, Qld Q How does a bee travel? A The buzz! Boni, NSW Q Did you hear about the bad electrician? A Yeah, I was shocked! Saxen, WA Q Did you hear about the kid whose mood ring was stolen? A They didn’t know how to feel! Peyton, NSW Q What is on the cover of a book about the ocean? A The tidal! Tommy, NSW Knock knock!Who’s there?Nunya!Nunya who?Nunya business! Oliver, Qld Q Why did the monkey put the steak on his head? A He thought he was a griller!…

GET YOUR BUILD ON THIS PAGE! Congrats to this month’s ScreenSpace artists! You have scored a copy of SkyWake: Endgame ! We Want YOU! Have you made something AMAZING on your computer, console, tablet or phone? To be in ScreenSpace, visit www.kzone.com.au and click on ‘Be in K-Zone’! Go to ‘ScreenSpace’ to submit your epic gaming screenshot, coding creation and digital artwork. Remember K-Zoners, it’s all about protecting your identity. Be a safe gamer and don’t talk to anyone online who you don’t know for real. I love Sonic! – Brendan…

AWESOME AUSKICKER Name: Pippa Heroic feat: Winning the 2023 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year competition, and attending the Grand Final! FAST FOUR WITH PIPPA K-Z : Hi Pippa! Why did you enter the NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year competition? P: I watched the Auskicker interviews on TV and saw the medallions being presented. I asked my Mum, and entered with a video I made at our farm. K-Z : How did you feel when you won? P: I was surprised and happy. My family and I were on a tour of the MCG (that’s what I thought). When we got to the oval to take a photo with Beryl the tour guide, Joel Selwood and Katie Brennan surprised me. Meeting Katie and Joel was amazing. I won $5000,…

BRIDGE ISLAND The game’s first Zone is similar to starting zones like Green Hill and Emerald Hill, but it’s unique! Enjoy the beach in the day or sunset, and keep an eye out for Crabmeat, Buzz Bomber, and Dr. Eggman. A giant gold ring and a blue ring will lead you to Special Stages! SPEED JUNGLE This jungle is filled with hanging vines to help you fly high, a robo-mozzie boss firing harpoons, Girders, Badnik factories, and broken machines. After the first Act, you can play an alternate version where Fang chases Sonic the entire time. Of course, once you complete the normal second Act, Dr. Eggman turns up again. Go Sonic! – Luke…

MOUNTAIN MAYHEM Austrian freeskiing star Nadine Wallner became the first woman to complete the Vertical Jungfrau Marathon in a one day expedition in early 2023! With Swiss mountain guide Simon Wahli, Nadine climbed to the summit of the Jungfrau Mountain in the Swiss Alps. A vertical marathon is a fusion of rock climbing and long distance running. Wallner and Wahli needed to ascend two rock faces, traversing 23 climbing segments at an altitude of 3600 metres, and tackling a ridge climb. The elevation of the Vertical Jungfrau Marathon hike is four times the height of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper. Wallner completed the marathon in 16 hours and 20 minutes! K-Zone plus holidays equals good times! – Cameron Buy all issues of K-Zone for a good holiday read!…

GAMEZONE COMING SOON This clockwork classic originally hit the Game Boy Advance in 2004, but is now speeding over to Switch in a revitalised remake! The set-up is simple. Donkey Kong has stolen a bunch of Mini-Mario wind-up toys, so obviously Nintendo’s moustachioed mascot is hot on DK’s heels to get them back. Each level of the game mixes puzzle solving and platforming, with switches that tweak terrain, ropes to climb, bars to fling from, and ledges that require a deft backflip to reach. In some levels, Mario is questing for a key so he can follow DK through the next door. In others, he will spot a toy for the taking. The 2004 game was pixellated fun, but the new version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong has upgraded graphics…

SHIVER ME TIMBERS! One of the biggest games on Roblox right now is ‘Blox Fruits’. First, you have to pick whether to be a Pirate or Marine. Once you select a lifestyle for the seven (uhh, three) seas, you can spend time sailing around doing different quests, fighting big bosses, and eating weird fruit to gain awesome abilities. When you get to Level 300, you can even form your own pirate crew! My fave is the Buddha fruit. You transform into a glowing golden giant that can do leaping attacks and trigger explosions. You can still use weapons while you’re massive, which means you can land sword hits from way further out! One day, I’ll finally master all the moves and then Awaken them to max out Buddha’s power. You…

GLUE GAG Glue the lid onto a jar – get an adult to help because you are using strong glue! Once the lid is glued, ask someone to help open the jar. We did this to my brother and he tried for ages. He didn’t understand why it wouldn’t open, we all laughed so much. Jason, NSW CALL CONSPIRACY Sitting in the same room as the target? Put the target’s phone in another room, like the kitchen. When you want a snack, call the phone. When they answer, ask ‘em to bring back the snack you want. N-ICE TRICK Fill a mug with warm water, and another with ice. Don’t let your target see. Explain that one cup is hot water, the other is cold. Say you can telepathically tell…

HECTIC HOARDER OF THE MONTH Name: Riley Collects: LEGO minifigs Mega mini fan: Riley has been collecting LEGO minifigures since he was four years old! There are over 1000 minifigs in the collection, and Riley displays any special collections in frames on the wall. Riley’s favourite minifig is the rare Shaquille O’Neal minifig! THIS MONTH’S COOL COLLECTABLE GIFT! We’re sending Riley the LEGO Dimensions Midway Arcade Level Pack (with Gamer Kid minifig), LEGO City Level Pack (with Chase McCain minifig), The Goonies Level Pack (with Sloth minifig), and a copy of Brickman’s Family Challenge Book! Collect something cool? Consider yourself a mega fan? Tell us all about it at K.ZONE.com.au Hi Alex and Jamie! – Kane…

Minecraft Mega SquishMe Minecraft fans need these new squishable characters from their fave blocky world! The Series 3 Mega SquishMe mobs are the Ghast, Fox, Snow Golem, and Bee. If you ever take a break from squishing, sniff 'em for a strawberry scent! Turtle Beach Recon 50 Multiplatform Gaming Headset We love the neon blue and red design of this gaming headset! The Recon 50 works with Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and mobile, so you can take your gaming audio and comfort to the next level! Nintendo Switch Console OLED Model – Mario Red Edition Mario fans, start saving your gold coins – uhh, pocket money! This special edition Switch OLED is bright red, with matching Joy-Cons, a docking station, and sneaky details! Find Mario jumping on the…

1 SKETCH Start by lightly sketching the form of Mario with a pencil, using only simple shapes to flesh out his body. Add crosshairs to the head to mark the centre and eye line. This will be a useful guide for working out where to place his facial features. Draw Mario’s large oval nose, the pair of crescent-shaped eyebrows and the eyes. Next, draw the moustache, mouth, and outline of the face, as well as his left ear. Now, add the wavy hair around his face! 2 OUTFIT Draw the pair of straps and the buttons on Mario’s clothing, plus the outline of the overalls down to the waistline. Fill in the details on Mario’s pants, including the pocket on the right. Sketch the pant legs one at a time,…

200+ real players star in Cricket 24, from teams including Australia, New Zealand, England, India, and Ireland! There will also be 50 authentic stadium settings! 24 previous gen Starter Pokémon are coming to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's second DLC, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 2: The Indigo Disk! 9 iconic characters are available to be played in Avatar: The Last Airbender – Quest for Balance, including Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Iroh, and more!…

▶ CONTRABULOUS FABTRAPTIONS What’s the best way to get around in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? Why, in your very own contraption, of course! Link’s latest game lets you build boats, cars, planes, and more. You can then power the vehicles up to haul the Hero of Time around Hyrule. The creativity doesn’t stop there. You can also fuse wicked weapon combinations, and augment your arrows to beat Bokos! ▶ BLOCK ROCKIN’ BUILDS Minecraft is obviously all about creativity. The game is so serious about expressing your imagination that it has a mode called ‘Creative’, where you have unlimited access to all the blocks and tools in the game. The sky’s the limit. Well, 320 blocks into the sky at least... What will you build? Master Minecrafters…

BEDTIME STORIES WITH R.A. SPRATT Prepare for a read packed with stories so good, no human mind could possibly invent them! Told to R.A. Spratt by storytelling pig, Nanny Piggins, you’ll find tales about everything from Medusa and 1001 Arabian Cakes, to the Sword in the Stone and Twelve Dancing Pigcesses! There are fun facts for each story, to tickle your funny bone and boggle your brain all at once. READ IT... FOR JOY! TWO SPARROWHAWKS IN A LONELY SKY REBECCA LIM When tragedy strikes, 13-year-old Fu and his sister, Pei, journey across countries and oceans to find their father, who travelled to Australia years ago. Refusing to be separated, the siblings set out with only a photograph and a few letters that they can’t read. Will their courage…

ACROSS 1. Which invention causes chaos across the city?4. The school is taken over by this type of animal!5. Who is Mr Gradgrind?7. Name the school truancy officer!8. Who forgot to shut the door before using the invention in Clue 1? DOWN 2. What are Anti-Andy, Terrible-Terry, and Junkyard-Jill?3. Where do the evil opposites come from?6. Which vegetable is used to power the translation transmitter? Want to check the solution? Head to KZONE.COM.AU The 169-Storey Treehouse is out now! Shout out to the K-Crew! You rock! – Jason…

GROSS GLOVE I was playing Drake in my school production of Annie, and got to wear cool white gloves. I needed to use the toilet, and accidentally dropped my gloves in the toilet! Peter Paul, WA TOOTH TRAGEDY I was playing on the couch and my baby tooth got caught on a threaded pillow. The tooth ripped out and hurt – there was a lot of blood, but at least it was my baby tooth. Austin, SA STOMACH STRUGGLE I was feeling sick on holidays. We went to a cafe and I got a hot chocolate. Before I took a sip, I started to feel worse. I told my mum and she took me to the toilets. As soon as I got to the hall, I started vomiting! Tommy, NSW…