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R2D2's Super Mario World (SNES)
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| [January 25, 2008 10:40:04 PM]
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[Entry 2]
Gameplay:
The second session was very different than the first, instead of playing with a friend I played on my own. The experience was very immersive. My focus was set completely on Mario and reaching the end of each level. As I played longer my proficiency skyrocketed. I was running through each level at top speed, hitting enemies on their heads and getting all sorts of power-ups.
Super Mario World was and still is a very creative and in many respects revolutionary game. The main map of all the levels gives you the feeling that you are playing in a very large area when in fact you are not. Each level consists of basically the same elements. One generally has to get from the beginning of the level on the left, to the end on the right. It’s amazing how the creators of this game were able keep the player interested in a game where the basic goal is almost always identical to the last. Some of the techniques that made this possible were things such as the different mushrooms, power-ups, the ability to hold shells and shoot them too, and even bonus and secret levels.
Design:
Although I love this game, there is something I though that could have used some improvement. At the end of each ‘sub-world’ there is a boss in his castle. This was completely fine with me, but the actual boss battles left something to be desired. Each time, Mario only has to hit the boss three times to defeat him! I don’t know what the thinking is on this; possibly to keep it easy enough so that the player can progress, or maybe to place less emphasis on each boss. Whatever the reason, I thought that the boss battles should have demanded more from the player than merely jumping on someone’s head three times.
Overall I had a lot of fun playing Super Mario World. It may be about 18 years old now, but it still can compete with current games, which is a very rare thing. I am glad to still own a copy and recommend it to anyone who has never played.
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| [January 25, 2008 10:39:24 PM]
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[Entry 1]
Summary:
You begin the game as Mario, the infamous Italian plumber character created by Nintendo. The story is started right away with an urgent note containing the premise of the game, “Princess Toadstool is missing again!” You must go through a series of worlds as Mario in order to defeat bosses and ultimately save the princess from Bowser to beat the game.
Gameplay:
This was not the first time I had played Super Mario World. As a younger kid several of my friends owned this game and I loved to go and play two-player with them. For my first round of game play I played two-player with a friend of mine. The experience was much more engaging than playing by myself as well as a lot more fun. The way two player works is that one person plays as Mario and the other as Luigi. The game is exactly the same except that each person trades off playing either by level or if you die. The interaction between players is key in two-player mode. Since each person is essentially on the same side working towards the same ends, there is a certain sense of comradery. While playing there is constant communication between players, even if it is not through words. For example, the person watching often makes “OOhh” and “Awwww” sounds according to how well you’re playing. This is almost a kind of encouragement.
One Thing that makes this game so special to me is the memories it evokes. Once the very first level came onto the screen and the music started up, my mind shot back to grade school and playing the game with my best friends. Once I could get over how good the memories made me feel I could concentrate on the game itself and rediscover what made this game good in the first place. What struck me more than anything else in this game was the music. Although it is very simple, lo-fi electronic music, the lead sounds are very catchy and carry you through each level. The music changes in each level according to scenery, which your character is traveling through. When you guide Mario through underground levels the music sounds evil and it echoes through the caves giving the sensation that you are really down there jumping on koopa’s heads.
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R2D2's Super Mario World (SNES)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Thursday 24 January, 2008
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