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aubcook's Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
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| [January 25, 2008 11:49:33 PM]
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GAMEPLAY
The game has presented a few more types of gameplay, including a level where the player surfs on a stingray. I have also encountered new types of power-ups, from an increased health meter to Bee-Mario who can buzz around in short bursts. The second session of play has made me more hooked on this game.
I really like the characters in SMG. Most of the characters I have seen in previous Mario games, like Toad and other talking Mushrooms (like Toad). SMG has upped the size of all the various characters wardrobes, and the result is Toad dressed as a mechanic, etc. The costumes really add to the gameplay; seeing the same Toad guy again and again can become repetitive, so the extra outfits are a welcome addition.
I have unlocked around 5 galaxies total and fought maybe 2 bosses, and am having a great time doing all of this.
DESIGN
From what I have seen, SMG has top notch game design. Of course, any Mario game gets a head start in game design as long as it follows the basic principals of the Mario platformer series, which has been a huge success. The outer space aspect of the game brings a very innovative and interesting spin on the Mario world, which gamers are beginning to know almost too well. I really like the planetesimals in the game, the design of the game Spore has this element and it caught my eye but has not been released; it is very fun to finally be able to play a game with planetsimals, especially when they have interesting physics: I can almost throw myself into orbit around a planetesimal when I long jump in areas!
The music in SMG is also very good. I don't notice the music too much while playing, but when I do listen I realize that it fits the gameplay very well, so that music is mixed into my overall play experience and I don't regard it as an isolated aspect of the game, which is good. The soundtrack is classic Mario with a hint of space and wonder.
Another aspect of SMG which I really enjoy is the level design. Each galaxy (level) is very unique and each presents an all new array of objects, enemies, and puzzle solving. The developers have come up with a huge number of ways to utilize the planetesimal style of levels; the levels are unique and varied even though each level has planetesimals. The racing levels and other non-platformer style levels are a pleasant change from the normal gameplay as well.
The only problem I can point out so far in the game is perhaps some minor camera issues. Mario is moving around planetesimals very quickly and the camera can have a hard time following. The issue is very small and I haven't been frustrated by it at all.
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| [January 25, 2008 10:32:07 PM]
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SUMMARY:
Super Mario Galaxy has a fairly simple story: The player is Mario, who must save Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Bowser after he kidnaps her and takes her into space. Mario goes after the Princess with the help of small stars called Lumas, who allow him to travel through space via their space observatoy. Mario must collect Power Stars (bigger stars) which power the observatory allowing him to travel to more distant galaxies.
GAMEPLAY:
Super Mario Galaxy is arguably the most far-fetched Mario to date, as he has never before adventured in deep space. However, the game still feels like the Mario we are used to playing. The story is simple; the game is very happy and positive. Even boss battles aren't very dark, which is suitable for a Mario game.
I usually am not a fan of games with text-only dialogue, but in SMG the text is kept very brief, and I am glad. Too much text can make a game almost tedious, and this game is far from tedious. The storyline is simple but interesting. Of course, most players will already know the basic story elements of any Mario game: save Princess Peach from Bowser. Apart from the basic plot, the space elements of the story are very interesting.
The physics of the game can be a bit tricky to master in the first 30 minutes, but the player figures things out soon after this point. The game executes the planetesimal gravity idea very well, especially considering few other games have this element (such as Spore), and I don't know of any platformers with this element.
The game flows very nicely, the story moves along constantly and there have yet to be any mundane aspects of play. I played longer than an hour because I lost track of time absorbed in the gameplay!
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 25th, 2008 at 23:22:33.
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aubcook's Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Friday 25 January, 2008
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