Two of the most anticipated video game sequels of the year take players to the exotic locales -- Renaissance Italy and the Super Mario Brothers' world. NY1's Adam Balkin filed the following report.

If you like video games because you like to immerse yourself in other environments and take a bit of a vacation while sitting in your living room, then "Assassin's Creed II," set in Renaissance Italy, may be your game of the year.

Just like its predecessor, the believable scenery in "Assassin's Creed II" may actually steal the show from the game's storyline. Players wander around as the assassin Ezio, again, uncovering a conspiracy hundreds of years in the making, that's actually unfolding in today's time.

Not only does Ezio get to hang out in a historic Italy, but he also uses weapons and gadgets of the time. Leonardo da Vinci helps out by creating some of his inventions from his famous concept drawings. As Q was to James Bond, so is da Vinci is Ezio. The assassin then uses the tools as stealthily or as unsubtly as he chooses.

"Assassin's Creed II" is rated "M" for Mature and is available on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC for between $50 to $60.

Another big sequel out is "New Super Mario Bros. Wii." To emphasize just how long Mario has been around, Nintendo unveiled a temporary Mario Museum at its flagship Manhattan store that commemorates all the games and gear spawned since the gaming franchise hit the shelves almost 30 years ago.

As for the latest "Mario" game, even though it's on the next-generation Wii console, it still has that traditional side-scrolling feel where players will need to collect coins, hop on top of bad guys, and navigate all sorts of funky terrain as they shake, rattle and roll a bit with their Wii-mote.

The game can also foster teamwork or cutthroat competition.

"What makes this game so different is the multi-player capability," says Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo. "That means you can play cooperatively with up to three people or you can play competitively with up to three people. And when I say competitively, I mean literally pick up the other player, throw them in the pit of lava or throw them in a crevice."

"New Super Mario Bros. Wii" is rated "E" for Everyone and is out now for the Wii for $50.