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Friday 25 January, 2008
GAMEPLAY:
After playing for another hour, it really hit me how innovative this game really is. I'm really surprised that it has held up this long without feeling gimmicky. There have been countless times while playing where I spend a lot of time just messing around with the gravity pulls of different planets.
The storybook elements are pretty interesting. After beating certain levels, you unlocks pages in a storybook that tells the story of Lumas and the mysterious Rosalina. While the story isn't amazing, it does add a much needed layer of depth to Mario. I still think the next Mario game is going to need a completely different story however. This just seems like putting a band-aid on a much larger problem.
One of the problems I had with Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine is that it really didn't feel like a Mario game like Super Mario World. It felt like a platforming game with Mario thrown on. Somehow, they were able to fix this with Mario Galaxy. Every once in a while, the camera shifts to 2D and it turns into a complete throwback to older Mario games, while keeping the innovative feel of Mario Galaxy.
DESIGN:
One design element that has been a staple in 3d mario games is that you must collect 120 stars to beat the game and save the princess. Now that this is the third mario game with this goal, it is starting to get a little overused. I think this game could have benefited by having a different ultimate goal, something new and original.
Also, when you go to play certain galaxies sometimes, it forces you to do a certain challenge, like a speed run of a Star. There were a few times I tried to go into a galaxy to show a friend a cool level, but I couldn't access it. Not the biggest problem, but small little problems like these are easy to fix and can greatly enhance the appeal of a game.
The designers of this game really did the unthinkable. When they asked Miyamoto what to put in the next Mario game, all he said to them is he wanted there to be spherical worlds. They took this vague and simplistic idea, and successfully crafted an entire game around it. When Mario Galaxy was announced, I really wasn't looking forward too it. I thought it looked really gimmicky, and that the whole space concept was going to be tacked on.
What really made this idea work is the incredible level design. Although very linear, the pacing is perfect. They do a good job in tricking you into thinking that you are in a much larger world, but there is usually only one way to truly go.
I was also incredibly impressed with the graphical effects they were able to pull on on wii. There are some amazing particle effects, textures, and more that I thought were not possible on the Wii. At points, it looks like an Xbox360 launch game, which is quite impressive.
Overall, I think it's my favorite Mario game, and probably my favorite Wii game at the moment. I never thought Nintendo could truly deliver a spiritual sequel to Mario 64, but I think they have succeeded here.
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