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Chris Carlsson's Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
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| [January 26, 2008 02:40:14 AM]
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Gameplay/Level Design 2:
The usage of the physics engine continues to impress me. The third galaxy I visited was the loopdeeloop galaxy, which tested my abilities to surf on a river with no barriers except the gravitational pulls that hold the water in place, using the accelerometers inside the wiimote as a real life balancing mechanism. The loopdeeloop galaxy seems like a sidequest for those who wish to obtain all 100 or 120 stars to collect in the game, as it does not progress the story any further. In the main galaxies new elements have been added, like the reversal of gravity that occurs when Mario crosses some invisible barrier.
Mario Galaxy has been lauded a great deal and even called the best platformer of all time. Though many of the games in the Mario series (specifically the games which are adventure based) have been known for fantastic gameplay, this latest addition to the franchise has really perfected the genre and has polished out any kinks that its predecessors had. What makes this game so entertaining so far is it’s ability to present a new atmosphere or gameplay variant anytime I want. As I complete the missions they all move me toward the next boss battle, because my progression is based off of my magic star count. The amusing character design from the little star characters also adds comic relief to an already light-hearted game.
The first Bowser battle was fairly generic as far as Bowser battles go, however. I didn’t play Super Mario Sunshine, but I remember that Super Mario 64 the same idea of using Bowser’s own attacks against him comes into play. Hopefully, the fact that this is the first Bowser battle means that the fights will be less predictable later on in the game. From the speed at which I’ve completed the first multiple galaxies and bosses, I am worried that the game will be too suited for children and won’t present enough of a challenge; something Nintendo has been doing too much in it’s games lately.
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| [January 26, 2008 02:07:19 AM]
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First Hour Analysis:
After the first fifteen minutes of the game, the story has already been set up. Fortunately for Super Mario games, the story is not an integral part of the experience. In fact the simple and ridiculous storyline is expected and with any further depth, the Mario game wouldn’t be a classic Mario game. In the next half an hour aside from the story the game excels in graphic qualities, design elements, and gameplay design. Also the story is so cutesy, it makes me want to throw up candy… everywhere.
Graphics:
The graphics on Super Mario Galaxy are, as expected, bright clean, and fluid. Especially when you take into account the limited graphical capabilities of the Wii hardware. So far the levels have differing themes, that change up the esthetics of the game and keep the game fresh, to appease the 50 second attention span that I have. The top-notch graphics also give the player incentive and excitement in opening a new galaxy.
Level Design:
The game does a very nice job of making an emergent game look progressive. While Super Mario Galaxy is not purely emergent as the player is able to pick, choose, and skip planets (levels), the game progresses the story and boss fights the way the designers choose. Even the specific planets look open ended, but the open fields force you to complete specified tasks to continue through the story. Aside from the linear format, the design features excel in incorporating planet themes with gameplay obstacles.
Gameplay:
The galaxy themes, for example the honeyhive galaxy, uses honeycombs as a climbable surfaces and add a control variant that makes dodging enemy bees difficult. Aside from the predictable storyline, the gravity usage in this game adds a new dimension to gameplay that has been seldom seen in platforming games to date. I am excited to see what the physics engine holds for the next couple hours of gameplay.
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Chris Carlsson's Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 23 January, 2008
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