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Tuesday 4 March, 2008
Gamelog Entry #2
Gameplay
Alright, so I have spent about an hour playing MvL mode and the Mini-games with my girlfriend via the DS's wireless gameplay. I know I was kind of hard on the mini-games in my first gamelog entry, but I still stand with my first assessment of them. The music wasn't that great, and the games are derivatives of one another (with some exceptions). Even when playing them in 2 player mode, the mini-games weren't as fun as they could be. I found that some of the games (blackjack, speed, etc) made me wonder why I didn't just get a real deck of cards and play with my friends. Bottom line, mini-games work for something like Mario Party where it makes sense to have them: not as a tacked on feature on NSMB.
On the other hand, MvL mode makes sense and is a lot of fun. The mode itself has the look and feel of the main game and is loads of fun to play. I found myself getting really involved in trying to win each round. MvL mode is a lot like the mode featured in Super Mario Bros. 3 mixed with Mario 64. I would argue that NSMB only needs its the main game and MvL mode. Ether way I guess it doesn't matter if the mini-games are included or not. Overall, NSMB is a decent game.
Design
Like I wrote before, the level design of the game allows for the player to rush through the game effortlessly. The incentive to make the player replay or slowdown is to collect gold coins or find alternate routes which lead to secret alternate worlds. Another thing that makes the game fun to play are the power-ups. The Mega Mushroom, Blue Koopa Shell, and Mini-Mushroom, change the gameplay. With the Mega mushroom, the player can essentially power their way though 3/4's of a level in a few seconds. With the Blue Shell, they player can turn themselves into a spinning shell and make themselves invincible. Lastly the Mini-Mushroom makes the player the size and weight (yes weight) of a flea. This makes the player extremely vulnerable yet virtually weightless. Apart from those deign elements, the game shares many of the same characteristics as many of the other Mario games.
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