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Jan 15th, 2008 at 03:50:20 - Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) |
GameLog #2
GamePlay:
My second time around playing Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii continues to be a fun and exciting experience. As I continue playing, throughout the game more familiar characters become intertwined within the story line. For example, Bowser shows up for the first time during my second hour of playtime for this game, as well as Luigi. I feel that these familiar characters keep the story moving along and from becoming an uninteresting piece of artwork. I also discover during my second hour of gameplay more about the newly introduced characters to the story, which is another element which keeps the story line compelling and unique.
As I continue playing, Super Mario Galaxy continues to keep my interest. I do not get bored with it, yet I find myself becoming more engrossed in this made up world. I believe that all of the games elements, via level design, music composition, story line, the implementation of the controllers, characters, make and keep this game flowing smoothly. I never thought at any point during my gameplay experience that this game was awkward or was not fun to play. It keeps the interest of the gamer with different and unique surprises throughout the made up world.
Design:
I feel that Super Mario Galaxy is an excellent game because of all of the elements combined. The way the game creator's intertwined the different elements of the game is what truly makes this an excellent game.
The main thing that I noticed about the game was the level design. All of the levels are unique and contain excruciating detail. The way the creators designed the levels is very original and I do not know of any other game on the market right now that has this same 3D environment as in Super Mario Galaxy. The game physics is also constant throughout the entire game, which is really nice. Each level within the game is also unique and brings something new to the game as a whole. There are certain characteristics on one level of the game while there are completely other characteristics on a different level of the game. For example, on one of the levels, Mario can turn into fire or ice Mario and obtains certain abilities, while on another level Mario can turn into a bee and have completely different abilities, while on another level Mario can become a ghost and have completely different abilities than the first two levels. Each level is different, so players are constantly having to change their game plan come time for a new level, which I believe is just one element that keeps this game very interesting.
Another thing that I loved about this game was the music score. The score was new and it definitely added to what the players feeling throughout the game. The music also did a very nice job of complementing the already incredible level design. For example, there is a beach level that i am particularly fond of. When I first entered the level, I felt like I was being taken away to a relaxing, tropical island, just through the design of the level. Then I noticed the music, and it was a very light-hearted tune that added to my feeling of being on a vacation. The music combined with the level design made it so much more appealing. Also, the music changes throughout the game to complement the different levels. For example, when I am about to fight Bowser, the music will change to add to the feeling of doom and despair. I absolutely loved the musical score and would change nothing about it.
I also really liked how the creator's implemented the unique Wii controls into the game. The controls are accurate and quick to respond, and I found nothing at fault with that part of the game. The controls felt very easy to learn and master, which I think helps appeal to a wider age group of gamers.
Another element that I also liked that I thought helped a wider array of people like the game was the difficulty of the objectives throughout the game. I feel that the objectives are complicated enough that hard core gamers are still interested in playing the game yet simple enough for a less intense gamer to figure out what the objective is without being discouraged. I believe that the developer's did an excellent job of creating a wide medium for the difficulty of the missions throughout this game.
Although this game is excellent, it still has some flaws about it. I believe that the multiplayer mode throughout the game can be improved quite a bit. All the second player does is point the Wii-mote at the screen and slow down bad guys for the first player. The second player can also make Mario spin, but I found this to be annoying and cumbersome for the gamer who is playing Mario at the time. This feels like a solo single player game, which does not help the social interaction between human beings while the game is being played.
Another element of the game that I found to be lacking is the camera angles. For the most part, the camera angles are good, but there are some parts in the game where I found myself losing a life or two because of the camera angle. The game does not let you switch the camera angle around when you need to, which results in a very frustrated gamer.
Overall the game is excellent. The flaws are not that bad and can be dealt with pretty easily. The pros heavily outweigh the cons on this game. I think it is a very well constructed game that is interesting and appeals to a wide range of gamers, and I give at 5 stars out of 5.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Jan 15th, 2008 at 04:40:22.
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Jan 15th, 2008 at 03:49:00 - Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) |
Gamelog Entry #1
Summary:
This Mario game starts off just like the previous ones. Peach sends Mario a letter asking him to meet her at her castle at a certain time, due to the fact that she has a gift she wants to give him. On his way to the castle, down comes Bowser and kidnaps Princess Peach. Mario then has to venture forth into the galaxy collecting the Stars to power up a space ship in order to save Peach. Along his adventure, he makes various allies, helping them as well as continuing his quest to save the Princess.
Gameplay:
This game begins the same as other Mario games, so when I first started playing and watching the introduction, I didn't feel that the story line was going to be original. I soon found out that the creator's of this game put a new twist on the story by adding in the character Rosalina and her small friends the Lumas. Since I grew up in the generation playing the Mario games, I am already familiar with the main characters of the series, and I feel that the addition of the characters to this game is a good aspect to add on to an already incredible series. I feel this way because I feel that closeness to the original characters while also becoming interested in getting to knew these new added personalities.
Whenever I watched the television commercials for Super Mario Galaxy, I thought to myself that this new 3D environment in which the game takes place in looks kind of awkward, which, in turn, I thought would take away a fun element of the game. However, over winter break, a couple of my good friends from high school bought the game and said it was a great game so I sat there and watched them play it for a couple of hours, still hesitant on whether or not its a fun game. I decided to demo this game for this assignment to see whether my predictions of the game would be true or false, and I am safe to say that they were false. This game is a lot of fun and how the creator's implement this innovative environment is interesting. The mixture of a regular 3D platform game in some of the levels and of this new 3D game world in other levels is well balanced. I do not find myself wishing more of one type of level over the other type of level design.
Another element that I was skeptical about is how they would implement the Wii's unique form of controllers into the game. I was always used to having the "old school" type of controllers, "old school" referring to the likes of Nintendo, Super Nintendo or Nintendo 64 controllers. I had this weird idea etched into my mind that this kind of control was going to create a hassle for movement and the completion of objectives in this game world. I am pleasantly surprised at how there is no hassle like I thought there would be and the controls are quite easy to learn and get used to.
My first time experience playing this game is excellent and I enjoyed it immensely...
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 15th, 2008 at 03:49:27.
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