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| Super Mario Galaxy: Is It Really That Good?; 56k, screenstretch | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 15 2008, 03:37 AM (1,260 Views) | |
| Mr. Storm | Jan 15 2008, 03:37 AM Post #1 |
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Child of Dust
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![]() Super Mario Galaxy. The plumber’s grand inevitable return to platforming goodness. Well, I suppose we should go over the game first before we judge, eh? Even Mario isn’t excused from that, so let’s dive into the depths of Galaxy. You should know the basics by now. Collect the stars, save the princess, blah, blah, blah... let's just do this. ![]() We’re off to collect the stars once more. I wonder what Mario does with them after his adventures… Super Mario Galaxy starts off with a great cut-scene that gets you set and ready for the graphical feast that is Galaxy. You’ll really be amazed by the light effects, color, and just general art that goes into each level. It’s quite evident from the get-go that Galaxy was a labor of love for its developers. Truly, Galaxy makes almost all other Wii games look like cheap, old-generation titles. It’s just that darn beautiful and fluid. Eye-candy. Pure, unadulterated eye candy. Mmm…candy. The audio is by far the best in a Nintendo title yet. A fully orchestrated breath-taking soundtrack enchants the user by taking classic Mario tunes and puts a new spin on it. Of course, it makes new tunes to add to the library as well. Dolby Pro-Logic II is supported, as expected, and if you have a setup that can use it, enjoy the melodies as they wash over you. It’s really nostalgia and beauty in audio form. Even the plain old sound effects seem to have new life. Maybe it was just me, but Mario’s “Wahoo!” sounds much more full of life than normal. Enjoy the sensory experience in Galaxy, it’s unmatched on the Wii, and perhaps in all of gaming. ![]() If you don’t enjoy this game’s sensory experience, you have no soul. The controls feel smooth and sharp. Joystick to move, A to jump, shake your Wiimote to spin, etc. It’s a very smooth experience. Alas, Galaxy’s greatness really ends there for me. The all-too-common theme, in Galaxy in the admittedly short time I played it, was “been there, done that.” I re-played Super Mario 64 a few weeks in advance of Galaxy in preparation for it. I had fun, the game was fresh, inventive, fun, and it sucked you in. Galaxy merely takes all the old Mario pieces, shuffles them up, and makes them pretty. Boss battle after boss battle seemed to just be the same old thing. Hit the tail, hit the ball back at him, jump… you get the picture. It’s just the same old thing. For a system so obsessed with innovation, surely it could do far better. Not to say they didn’t try… ![]() Welcome Gimmick #1. Yeah, you’ve probably heard of Bee Mario and Boo Mario. Don’t get excited, there’s nothing new here. It’s just new suits for the same old stuff. We’ve climbed grates, I mean, honeycombs before. The only thing really new in this entire game is Starbits. Both a key to new areas, and a weapon, Starbits are a fresh take on the Mario series. However, instead of being something fresh and new, it feels like a desperate attempt to use the Wiimote. Use the IR interface to shoot things? This is Mario, right? I didn’t think it was a shooter… My fault, Nintendo. What I do know is that the only truly new thing in Galaxy fell flat on it’s face. ![]() Starbits. Because when you see this, you think “Where’s my $%#@ing gun?!” It appears Nintendo has met its match. I felt it in Twilight Princes creeping up, but I ignored it. But now, Galaxy just makes it so obvious, it’s impossible to ignore. Nintendo is merely taking the same old puzzles and strategy, putting it in a new world, and pasting on a new story. By the way, I didn’t mention the story for a reason, cause it’s not worth mentioning. Back to my point, this wouldn’t be excused in any other franchise, so I cannot find myself to do it now. The bottom line is this. I only played the game about ten hours. You say “He didn’t play it long enough!” I merely respond with this. Shouldn’t a game make you want to play it by 10 hours in? I honestly have no desire to ever go back to this title. I don’t WANT to play it more. Why should I? Is the game going to change that drastically? Nah, I don’t think so. It’s going to be the same thing from then on. So if you’re looking for the same old stuff repackaged and prettified, by all means, pick up Galaxy. If you want something fresh and innovative, don’t give this game a second look. ![]() Goodbye Bowser. It appears I won’t see you in your true form for another 4 years. Here’s hoping it’ll be better. FINAL GRADE: C- |
| "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use." - Galileo Galilei | |
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| Arnieboy | Jan 15 2008, 12:34 PM Post #2 |
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Garo
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editted |
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| Mr. Storm | Jan 15 2008, 02:45 PM Post #3 |
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Child of Dust
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*sigh* Did you read it? |
| "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use." - Galileo Galilei | |
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| Tedyz | Jan 15 2008, 02:55 PM Post #4 |
Ultimate pwnage.
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Meh. I've never been a Mario fan. And I didnt like Mario 64 much either. I MIGHT try this game, just to see how it is, but I doubt I'll like it. I heard the french translation was funny tho. It's the only reason I really want to play it lol. |
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| Link_of_animals | Jan 15 2008, 04:17 PM Post #5 |
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Master of Cows, MASTER..OF THE WORLD!
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I hate the story. I HATE CHANGE |
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| Arnieboy | Jan 15 2008, 04:58 PM Post #6 |
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Garo
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To be honest, i couldn't be bothered XD And A is an overstatement but it's definately a B, i've played it, good fun. |
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| Fullmetal | Jan 15 2008, 06:00 PM Post #7 |
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Moblin
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I thought it was a great game. I'd give it at least an A. |
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| Naoko | Jan 16 2008, 02:17 PM Post #8 |
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I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS
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Did you ever have someone else to play with? The duo-gaming thing was pretty cool. The second player could hold things back, even destroy things for you. At times, it was EXTREMELY helpful (ahem, Lava Spire Daredevil Run?). I just thought it should've been mentioned, because it was something new, and was actually pretty cool. As for the "same old stuff"... Yeah, the bosses are pretty much the same experience most of the time, but most of the stars you gather aren't from bosses in the first place. Besides that, I like the things it takes from SM64. The worlds go upside down and all that other good stuff. There are a lot of new ideas, as well as ideas from SM64. If it wasn't anything like SM64, it wouldn't be a Super Mario game, period. The idea is that you go around to different worlds, complete different obstacles, and gather stars. That's what I was looking for in the game - something similar to the layout of SM64, but new, changed, unfamiliar.
As for the story... Mario has NEVER had an in-depth story. Let's go back to SM64: Peach: "Mario, please come to the castle, I've baked a cake for you!" Toad: "WAAAH MARIO BOWSER TOOK PEACH... AGAIN" Mario: "Mama mia, OHSHI-" Bowser: "ZOMG Mario beat me again!" Pretty straight-foreward. This Mario has more story than any Mario I've ever seen before. (I never played Sunshine, though, so I don't know about that one.) So whether the story sucked or not, at least it had more than "zomg Mario, we has cake, come kick Bowser's arse, thank you very much." And despite that, it still wasn't a whole lot of story. So meh. Mario is a game for adventure, not story. You want story, you play Zelda, or an RPG, or something like that. I liked the story for this one, though. Anyway. Got to agree with Fullmetal. Honestly? This is the best video game on Wii so far, and the only upcoming thing I see to beat it is Brawl. If the best game on Wii has a C- grade, then we have a problem. (Zelda is on GCN, so it can't count as the best Wii game.) EDIT - I do think you made a lot of good points in your review, by the way. I just disagree with some of it - I really like the elements they took from SM64. I hate spring Mario with a passion, though. Dumbest idea ever. |
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| Game Freak | Jan 16 2008, 02:47 PM Post #9 |
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King of Games
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trauma center was a pretty good game though, so that should have an A grade... |
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Completed: - - - - - - - - - - - - Currently Playing: - Zelda II: Adventure of Link | |
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| Mr. Storm | Jan 16 2008, 04:42 PM Post #10 |
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Child of Dust
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I guess I'm the only gamer looking for something new, I guess. As I said at the end, if you like the old stuff with some spice, you should get the game. As far as SMG being the best game, for me, it wasn't. As I said, I didn't even want to play it. All the other games I own I at least can motivate myself to play it. Granted, it's my opinion, but I think SMG is a rather mediocre title in the Wii's library. I think I gave this the same grade as Umbrella Chronicles, to give you an idea of where I put it. And yes, as I have posted before, the Wii has serious software problems. Brawl, No More Heroes, Baroque, Okami, Bully, etc. should bulk it up a bit in the first half, but alot of those are PS2 ports. It's a disturbing trend. This is why I'm probably going to drop Nintendo after this generation is over. |
| "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use." - Galileo Galilei | |
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| Naoko | Jan 16 2008, 06:32 PM Post #11 |
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I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS
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I find this to be extremely sad, but it seems as though Xbox is starting to lead. Which really sucks. (No offense to XBox, of course. I mean it's sad for gaming history, not that the XBox is bad.) Besides, I know the Wii is doing fairly well, but you know what? The reason it's selling so well is because non-gamers are buying into it so much. That didn't happen with most other consoles. And there's nothing wrong with non-gamers playing games, but... It's kind of sad when the gaming industry is starting to be dominated by non-gamer casual players, instead of real gamers like us. Am I the only one bothered by the large amount of non-gamers playing games? I mean, like people who only play a few games, got their DS just to play Brain Age, don't know anything about classics, and... Well, they're not real gamers. They're just regular people playing a few games. Which is fine, but not when they're dominating Nintendo's consoles. Nintendo keeps on pumping out games designed for non-gamers. In fact, these games are even CALLED non-games, apparently. It's crazy. It might sound a little weird, but I wish gaming could get back to... Gaming. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, but I know a lot of people think I'm weird for thinking this way, too. x.x; Anyway. I think SMG had more newness to it than you give it credit for, Storm. All it really keeps from SM64 is the basic setup - go to different worlds, collect stars. That's how the Super Mario 3-D games work - SM64, Sunshine, Galaxy. They're supposed to have that setup. I never played Sunshine, but it's usually grouped with those two, so yeah. Besides, this one even had more of a story than most any Mario game has. It goes from "Mario, please come to the castle, I've baked a cake for you," to "OHSHI- FLYING, SPACE-TRAVELING CASTLE THING!" Besides, the whole comet idea was really new and interesting. I wish they'd done more with it - I had expected to have to do every single comet on every single world, not just one random comet and one purple coin comet. Yeah, those comets got extremely annoying on some worlds (*ahem,* Lava Spire), but they were really fun most of the time, and I wanted to do more of them.
I have to disagree with this. We were all looking for something new, and most of us found it. You're just looking for a different type of new. Fullmetal, Arnie, and the rest of us saw innovation and newness in it. We're just looking for different types of new, apparently. The way I see it, it's not old stuff with some spice, it's new stuff with some old-game spice. |
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| Mr. Storm | Jan 16 2008, 06:51 PM Post #12 |
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Child of Dust
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Haha, I never by casual games because most of them can be found for free online in flash form. I don't need to fork out the cash for alot of those titles, let alone the whole "interest" issue. I still don't understand WHY though. You say it's a new game with old spice, what's new about it? Cool, it's set in space. Cool, you run around on orbs. That would be a hell of a lot cooler if they CHANGED THE GAME ITSELF. You know, puzzles, boss strategies, gameplay in general. Instead, it's just like... "Alright, Mario. We'll get plenty of cash as is, so let's just take the same stuff, up the graphics, and put it in a new world. Hmm... what do nerds like...?" "Lord of the Rings?" "That's Zelda." "Oh right. Hmm...how about Star Trek?" "Hmm...that's good. We'll have Mario explore planets...Let's get to work!" I just want something new. I'm getting tired of the same concepts over and over. Same with Zelda. Nintendo's just capitalizing on nostalgia at this point. That's why their hardcore market isn't expanding. This makes me sad too, because I remember being in love with Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time. But those memories have faded, and no new ones have replaced them. |
| "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use." - Galileo Galilei | |
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| Naoko | Jan 16 2008, 07:14 PM Post #13 |
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I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS
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I'm a bit busy for a longer reply at the moment, but I wanted to point something out really quickly: Wall kicking in this game was actually cool. It was near freaking impossible in SM64 and it drove me crazy. Yay for good wall-kicking. |
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| Millumi | Jan 16 2008, 07:36 PM Post #14 |
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???
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editted Nintendo doesnt think of the nerds anymore, they said clearly that the point of Wii was to get non-gamers to play. Oh, and I agree about how they just took things from other mario games, look at the begining of Paper Mario, Mario goes to a party, and then Bowser brings the castle into the sky, and then he has to collect seven star spirits to get to the castle. |
![]() Hard work pays off later, Procrastination pays off now | |
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| Game Freak | Jan 16 2008, 08:54 PM Post #15 |
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King of Games
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that was the first thing i noticed O_O and yeah, a new type of new, everyone's lookin for something new. I found my something new. After playing all these 3d games i realized that all games in the same series/genre are relatively the same. All zeldas are similiar, all marios, etc. I finally found a game i liked that was diffrent. trauma center O_O |
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Completed: - - - - - - - - - - - - Currently Playing: - Zelda II: Adventure of Link | |
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| Mr. Storm | Jan 16 2008, 10:05 PM Post #16 |
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Child of Dust
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I actually think, for now, they're trying to retain the hardcore with their old series'. Mario, Metroid, Zelda, SSBB, etc. All their new IPs are casual-friendly stuff though. |
| "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use." - Galileo Galilei | |
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| Tedyz | Jan 17 2008, 12:18 AM Post #17 |
Ultimate pwnage.
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Trauma center is really good. But it's kinda hard. I'm stock :( |
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| Naoko | Jan 17 2008, 02:23 PM Post #18 |
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I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS
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There's nothing wrong with the casual-friendly games, but... These are gaming companies. I'd like for GAMING companies to focus on the GAMERS, not casual others. Casual others = money more than anything else. And while they're getting their money from the casuals, they're alienating their real fans - the real gamers. It bothers me. |
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| Game Freak | Feb 24 2008, 08:15 AM Post #19 |
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King of Games
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Does Microsoft alienate their true gamers? I've been considering a 360 for some time now. I want to try out Microsoft's systems. The only non-Nintendos I got is a PS1 (1996), PS2 (2001), Genesis (1989), TRS-80 (1982), and Atari (1978) some list O_O |
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Completed: - - - - - - - - - - - - Currently Playing: - Zelda II: Adventure of Link | |
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