Posts

• JimJimBinks Registered User

  November 2007

  I just preordered it at Toys R Us last night. I guess I'll move the $5 I had down on it at Gamestop over to Smash Brothers.
  I am so freakin pumped for this game. I thought about using the $25 gift card to get Assassin's Creed at the same time, but Assassin's Creed doesn't have Chain Chomps.

  

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• LBD_Nytetrayn TorontoRegistered User regular

  November 2007

  Anyone know if that TRU deal is good in Canada?

  

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• Peewi Enchanted, I'm sure Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Nickle wrote: »

  Oh man, 8 days.
  
  8 grueling days.
  

  Spoiler:

  And Sunshine was awesome, you guys. It wasn't as awesome as 64, simply because 64 pretty much set the rules for 3d platformers. It's an unfair comparison.

  
  LIES! It's 11 days.

  3DS code: 3480-2527-9521 Diablo 3: Peewi#1575
  

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• Nickle Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Peewi wrote: »

  Nickle wrote: »

  Oh man, 8 days.
  
  8 grueling days.
  

  Spoiler:

  And Sunshine was awesome, you guys. It wasn't as awesome as 64, simply because 64 pretty much set the rules for 3d platformers. It's an unfair comparison.

  
  LIES! It's 11 days.

  
  America! Fuck yeah!

  
  Xbox/PSN/Steam: NickleDL | 3DS: 0731-4750-6906

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• Peewi Enchanted, I'm sure Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Nickle wrote: »

  Peewi wrote: »

  Nickle wrote: »

  Oh man, 8 days.
  
  8 grueling days.
  

  Spoiler:

  And Sunshine was awesome, you guys. It wasn't as awesome as 64, simply because 64 pretty much set the rules for 3d platformers. It's an unfair comparison.

  
  LIES! It's 11 days.

  
  America! Fuck yeah!

  
  Moar liek amerika, fuck you.

  3DS code: 3480-2527-9521 Diablo 3: Peewi#1575
  

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• Nickle Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Peewi wrote: »

  Nickle wrote: »

  Peewi wrote: »

  Nickle wrote: »

  Oh man, 8 days.
  
  8 grueling days.
  

  Spoiler:

  And Sunshine was awesome, you guys. It wasn't as awesome as 64, simply because 64 pretty much set the rules for 3d platformers. It's an unfair comparison.

  
  LIES! It's 11 days.

  
  America! Fuck yeah!

  
  Moar liek amerika, fuck you.

  
  THESE COLORS DON'T RUN!
  
  Alt post:
  
  Git-R-Done.
  
  Are you importing, or are the NA and EU release dates that close together? That's pretty nifty for you terrorist folk (read: non-Americans).

  
  Xbox/PSN/Steam: NickleDL | 3DS: 0731-4750-6906

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• Peewi Enchanted, I'm sure Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Nickle wrote: »

  Peewi wrote: »

  Nickle wrote: »

  Peewi wrote: »

  Nickle wrote: »

  Oh man, 8 days.
  
  8 grueling days.
  

  Spoiler:

  And Sunshine was awesome, you guys. It wasn't as awesome as 64, simply because 64 pretty much set the rules for 3d platformers. It's an unfair comparison.

  
  LIES! It's 11 days.

  
  America! Fuck yeah!

  
  Moar liek amerika, fuck you.

  
  THESE COLORS DON'T RUN!
  
  Alt post:
  
  Git-R-Done.
  
  Are you importing, or are the NA and EU release dates that close together? That's pretty nifty for you terrorist folk (read: non-Americans).

  
  No, I'm not importing. The european release is november 16.

  3DS code: 3480-2527-9521 Diablo 3: Peewi#1575
  

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• SwashbucklerXX Coo! Quaggan Loves You! Tyria/TorontoRegistered User regular

  November 2007

  LBD_Nytetrayn wrote: »

  Anyone know if that TRU deal is good in Canada?

  
  I have yet to see TRU Canada match any offer from TRU USA, and the Internet doesn't seem to have found any proof that TRU Canada will do this. I did learn that you can get a Laughing Elmo Doll for $9.99 if you spend $100 at TRU Canada, though. He laughs at our sorrow.

  

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• bruin Registered User

  November 2007

  I just read the Eurogamer review again for fun
  
  If COD4 wasn't coming out tomorrow to distract I'd probably be nuts by next Tuesday

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• AbsoluteZero Registered User regular

  November 2007

  JimJimBinks wrote: »

  I just preordered it at Toys R Us last night. I guess I'll move the $5 I had down on it at Gamestop over to Smash Brothers.
  I am so freakin pumped for this game. I thought about using the $25 gift card to get Assassin's Creed at the same time, but Assassin's Creed doesn't have Chain Chomps.

  
  Do you only get the $25 gift card if you pre-order, or what?

  3DS Friend Code: 0817-5033-8184 // Nintendo Network ID: AbsoluteZero

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• bruin Registered User

  November 2007

  Review from Press Start (no score)
  Full text w/ bolding:

  Spoiler:

  Space. The final frontier. It’s always held an irresistible allure to man, and exerts a palpable sense of fear over many. It’s huge, exciting, unfathomable. So when you start the first level proper of Super Mario Galaxy and you’re tasked with running around a spherical planetoid, the vast reaches of space surrounding you like a gigantic, gaping maw, it’s a woozily disorientating, vertigo-inducing, almost frightening experience. It also feels utterly freeing. Not just for the player, but for Mario, too. Long he’s been confined to sprinting and leaping across flat planes. Now he can leap from the topside of a platform and slingshot around to the base, gravity keeping his plumber’s boots firmly planted on the ground, even as he hangs upside down. And then you’re flying; shooting through space, fired by a star’s celestial power. Mario yelps in delight, and spreads his arms wide, taking in a handful of stardust as the universe spins below, the camera following Mario like a comet as he descends to the next planet on his adventure. It’s all you can do not to hold your nunchuk and remote out in a similar manner. A thrilling, magical moment, and it’s one of a great, great many in Super Mario Galaxy.
  
  It’s taken ten years for Nintendo to realise what exactly made Super Mario 64 so special. Undoubtedly, the simple fact that gaming and one of its most famous avatars had finally made that leap into the third dimension was a major part of its success. Here was a virtual world unlike any videogaming had seen before, and Nintendo had nailed the move to 3D at its first attempt. But its classic status - the reason it has endured where so many retro titles have lost their appeal - is down to the sheer delight felt at exploring its environments. Put simply, it took you places you’d never been before - it created a genuine sense of wonder through perfection in level design, through sheer gasp-inducing inventiveness, and a sprinkling of that magical Nintendo difference that can turn the mundane into the special. Super Mario Galaxy has that in spades. But not only that, it reintroduces that sense of wonder that’s been missing from gaming for so long. The wow factor at seeing things you’ve genuinely never seen before. The jaw-dropping awe at the majesty of its virtual worlds. At times, it makes you feel like a kid again, when all you wanted to do was be a spaceman and live in the sky.
  
  The Mario games have never concerned themselves too much with story, and things are no different here, at least initially. Peach and her castle have been spirited away by Bowser once more, except this time he’s gone one step further and taken her to the centre of the universe. Naturally, it’s up to Mario to do his hero thing and rescue her, but this time he’s assisted by a friendly star named Luma. This little fella acts as the remote’s onscreen cursor, and is used to collect colourful star bits dotted around each level. These act both as weapons (you can stun certain enemies by aiming at them and pressing B to shoot them) and as extra lives - collect 100, and you’ll get that all-familiar 1UP mushroom. They’re also used to unlock other galaxies from the observatory hub which sends you to these weird and wonderful places.
  
  Aside from the pointer, Mario doesn’t control too differently from previous excursions - the analogue stick manouevres Mario, with the A button to jump. The one real concession to the Wii’s motion controls for Mario’s basic moveset is the spin attack - a brisk shake of the remote near a foe and Mario will whirl around, usually sending them flying onto their backs. Running into their prone bodies sends them into the ether, usually in a shower of star bits. It’s a welcome addition given that the nature of the galaxies is such that jumping on their heads is more difficult than ever before. Though occasionally it’s a big help that you can still ground-pound them into submission, as they usually cough up life-giving coins if you defeat them the old-fashioned way. Mario has three bars of energy to get through before he loses a life, and the frequency of the coins and these star bits is a godsend - it might be a forgiving game, but it’s not necessarily easy.
  
  So, for the most part, this could easily be done on GameCube - simply remove the remote-based star-vacuuming and it’d be a perfect fit for Nintendo’s last console. But then you’d be missing out on all the environmental manipulation the game throws in at regular intervals. Aim and grab a floating blue star, and Mario will be drawn towards it; waggle near a spiralling vine, and he’ll rapidly shimmy up it; grasp a hovering flower, and a shake will whip it upwards on the breeze, sprinkling petals as it goes. And that’s before you get to the Monkey Ball-aping Rolling Green Galaxy, or the manta-ray riding Loopdeloop Galaxy, where you’ll need dextrous tilts and twists to get you through. It’s telling that you spend a significant time not just controlling Mario but his environment too. And that simply wouldn’t have been possible before.
  
  And on it goes: Nintendo throws surprise after surprise at you in the myriad galaxies available. Gargantuan bosses that seem like a cheeky nod and wink to Shadow of the Colossus; self-referential moments that see New Mario meeting Old Mario; mind-bending, gravity-altering 2D sections that will test the neophytes from the veterans. A whole universe full of inconsequential yet beautiful little touches, level design that will leave you stunned, music that will make your heart soar, and intense scraps that will make your heart pound. Then - just when you think it’s stopped dazzling you - Nintendo slings in a power-up which will leave even the most jaded gamer with a Cheshire cat-sized grin on their face. And when it’s all over and 120 stars are yours, there’s the mother of all bonuses - a pure fan-service moment that says ‘thanks for playing. Now go and play some more.’ Naturally, all this is best experienced cold. Stop watching the videos now - you’ll only ruin it for yourself.
  
  Yet it’s not just the meticulous craft, and the sheer love for the character and his world shining through near-as-dammit every level that makes this so special. The worlds themselves are often so gorgeous it hurts - tropical oases that best Sunshine in a single stage, chilly ice and fiery magma worlds that transcend genre, and areas so odd and idiosyncratic that they defy simple description - a mish-mash of thoughts and ideas that somehow gels into a cohesive whole. And it’s all soundtracked by - at last - a fully orchestral score that marks some of the best music ever heard in a Mario game. There’s a bit of Theremin-enhanced weirdness and one or two minimalist soundscapes to add texture to the John Williams style anthemic bombast and Koji Kondo jauntiness, and it makes a welcome change to the usual formula.
  
  A game with this many ideas and this many levels can’t possibly be perfect, and so it proves. The camera, perfect for almost the entire journey, struggles on the underwater sections. The hub world, while a treat for the eyes, isn’t the playground it deserves to be - the one area where Sunshine is definitely superior. And one or two stages manage to fall below the quality watermark of ‘excellent’ into merely ‘decent’ territory. Once you’ve collected the sixty one stars needed to complete the game, some players might take umbrage that around half the stages that remain are simple coin-hoovering challenges, or redux versions of existing stages (comets occasionally change the victory conditions, from racing Shadow Mario through a short section of one level to beating another in a strict time limit). But it’s hard to imagine anyone not wanting to revisit these perfectly-formed self-contained microcosms. Particularly when the comets change the dynamic of the stages so much that they feel like different levels entirely. Besides, it’s certainly an improvement on the laborious blue coin route.
  
  It seems churlish to criticise these failings, particularly as when Super Mario Galaxy is at its best, there’s no game in the world that can match it. Some stages are absolutely astonishing, showcasing a staggering creativity. One or two have more ideas crammed in than most games in their entirety, and that’s no exaggeration. For something which is essentially all about running and jumping, there’s a variety to the action that few games can touch. It will make you laugh with blissful joy, gasp in childlike shock, marvel at the inventiveness of the designers, and smile at the effort poured into making such a complete videogaming experience. It’s the kind of game that inspires feverish devotion, the kind of game that leads impressionable minds to nail their colours to the mast of a multi-billion-yen-earning corporation, and somehow make that seem like an entirely reasonable thing to do. It’s a game that’s been made with nothing but love and respect for its iconic protagonist, and nothing but love and respect for the people that play it. It’s an absolute, God’s-honest masterpiece.
  
  It’s taken ten years for Nintendo to realise exactly what made Super Mario 64 so special; a decade to create something that finally lives up to one of videogaming’s defining moments. Amazingly, Super Mario Galaxy is tsufufum all over again.

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• UncleSporky Registered User regular

  November 2007

  AbsoluteZero wrote: »

  JimJimBinks wrote: »

  I just preordered it at Toys R Us last night. I guess I'll move the $5 I had down on it at Gamestop over to Smash Brothers.
  I am so freakin pumped for this game. I thought about using the $25 gift card to get Assassin's Creed at the same time, but Assassin's Creed doesn't have Chain Chomps.

  
  Do you only get the $25 gift card if you pre-order, or what?

  
  Yeah, gotta preorder.

  3DS Friend Code: 0989 - 1731 - 9504
  Nintendo Network ID: unclesporky

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• AbsoluteZero Registered User regular

  November 2007

  UncleSporky wrote: »

  AbsoluteZero wrote: »

  JimJimBinks wrote: »

  I just preordered it at Toys R Us last night. I guess I'll move the $5 I had down on it at Gamestop over to Smash Brothers.
  I am so freakin pumped for this game. I thought about using the $25 gift card to get Assassin's Creed at the same time, but Assassin's Creed doesn't have Chain Chomps.

  
  Do you only get the $25 gift card if you pre-order, or what?

  
  Yeah, gotta preorder.

  
  Hmm... maybe I'll go do that today.

  3DS Friend Code: 0817-5033-8184 // Nintendo Network ID: AbsoluteZero

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• Cullen Registered User

  November 2007

  I need to stop reading these reviews. My eyes fill up everytime leaving me craving this game all the more. WHY ISN'T IT OUT YET?

  

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• JimJimBinks Registered User

  November 2007

  I hadn't heard that you need to preorder in order to get the gift card. It doesn't make much sense if the ad isn't coming out until the day before the game is supposed to be released. I figured it was just to get people in the store on the release date.

  

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• LewieP Registered User

  November 2007

  bruin wrote: »

  Review from Press Start (no score)
  Full text w/ bolding:

  Spoiler:

  Space. The final frontier. It’s always held an irresistible allure to man, and exerts a palpable sense of fear over many. It’s huge, exciting, unfathomable. So when you start the first level proper of Super Mario Galaxy and you’re tasked with running around a spherical planetoid, the vast reaches of space surrounding you like a gigantic, gaping maw, it’s a woozily disorientating, vertigo-inducing, almost frightening experience. It also feels utterly freeing. Not just for the player, but for Mario, too. Long he’s been confined to sprinting and leaping across flat planes. Now he can leap from the topside of a platform and slingshot around to the base, gravity keeping his plumber’s boots firmly planted on the ground, even as he hangs upside down. And then you’re flying; shooting through space, fired by a star’s celestial power. Mario yelps in delight, and spreads his arms wide, taking in a handful of stardust as the universe spins below, the camera following Mario like a comet as he descends to the next planet on his adventure. It’s all you can do not to hold your nunchuk and remote out in a similar manner. A thrilling, magical moment, and it’s one of a great, great many in Super Mario Galaxy.
  
  It’s taken ten years for Nintendo to realise what exactly made Super Mario 64 so special. Undoubtedly, the simple fact that gaming and one of its most famous avatars had finally made that leap into the third dimension was a major part of its success. Here was a virtual world unlike any videogaming had seen before, and Nintendo had nailed the move to 3D at its first attempt. But its classic status - the reason it has endured where so many retro titles have lost their appeal - is down to the sheer delight felt at exploring its environments. Put simply, it took you places you’d never been before - it created a genuine sense of wonder through perfection in level design, through sheer gasp-inducing inventiveness, and a sprinkling of that magical Nintendo difference that can turn the mundane into the special. Super Mario Galaxy has that in spades. But not only that, it reintroduces that sense of wonder that’s been missing from gaming for so long. The wow factor at seeing things you’ve genuinely never seen before. The jaw-dropping awe at the majesty of its virtual worlds. At times, it makes you feel like a kid again, when all you wanted to do was be a spaceman and live in the sky.
  
  The Mario games have never concerned themselves too much with story, and things are no different here, at least initially. Peach and her castle have been spirited away by Bowser once more, except this time he’s gone one step further and taken her to the centre of the universe. Naturally, it’s up to Mario to do his hero thing and rescue her, but this time he’s assisted by a friendly star named Luma. This little fella acts as the remote’s onscreen cursor, and is used to collect colourful star bits dotted around each level. These act both as weapons (you can stun certain enemies by aiming at them and pressing B to shoot them) and as extra lives - collect 100, and you’ll get that all-familiar 1UP mushroom. They’re also used to unlock other galaxies from the observatory hub which sends you to these weird and wonderful places.
  
  Aside from the pointer, Mario doesn’t control too differently from previous excursions - the analogue stick manouevres Mario, with the A button to jump. The one real concession to the Wii’s motion controls for Mario’s basic moveset is the spin attack - a brisk shake of the remote near a foe and Mario will whirl around, usually sending them flying onto their backs. Running into their prone bodies sends them into the ether, usually in a shower of star bits. It’s a welcome addition given that the nature of the galaxies is such that jumping on their heads is more difficult than ever before. Though occasionally it’s a big help that you can still ground-pound them into submission, as they usually cough up life-giving coins if you defeat them the old-fashioned way. Mario has three bars of energy to get through before he loses a life, and the frequency of the coins and these star bits is a godsend - it might be a forgiving game, but it’s not necessarily easy.
  
  So, for the most part, this could easily be done on GameCube - simply remove the remote-based star-vacuuming and it’d be a perfect fit for Nintendo’s last console. But then you’d be missing out on all the environmental manipulation the game throws in at regular intervals. Aim and grab a floating blue star, and Mario will be drawn towards it; waggle near a spiralling vine, and he’ll rapidly shimmy up it; grasp a hovering flower, and a shake will whip it upwards on the breeze, sprinkling petals as it goes. And that’s before you get to the Monkey Ball-aping Rolling Green Galaxy, or the manta-ray riding Loopdeloop Galaxy, where you’ll need dextrous tilts and twists to get you through. It’s telling that you spend a significant time not just controlling Mario but his environment too. And that simply wouldn’t have been possible before.
  
  And on it goes: Nintendo throws surprise after surprise at you in the myriad galaxies available. Gargantuan bosses that seem like a cheeky nod and wink to Shadow of the Colossus; self-referential moments that see New Mario meeting Old Mario; mind-bending, gravity-altering 2D sections that will test the neophytes from the veterans. A whole universe full of inconsequential yet beautiful little touches, level design that will leave you stunned, music that will make your heart soar, and intense scraps that will make your heart pound. Then - just when you think it’s stopped dazzling you - Nintendo slings in a power-up which will leave even the most jaded gamer with a Cheshire cat-sized grin on their face. And when it’s all over and 120 stars are yours, there’s the mother of all bonuses - a pure fan-service moment that says ‘thanks for playing. Now go and play some more.’ Naturally, all this is best experienced cold. Stop watching the videos now - you’ll only ruin it for yourself.
  
  Yet it’s not just the meticulous craft, and the sheer love for the character and his world shining through near-as-dammit every level that makes this so special. The worlds themselves are often so gorgeous it hurts - tropical oases that best Sunshine in a single stage, chilly ice and fiery magma worlds that transcend genre, and areas so odd and idiosyncratic that they defy simple description - a mish-mash of thoughts and ideas that somehow gels into a cohesive whole. And it’s all soundtracked by - at last - a fully orchestral score that marks some of the best music ever heard in a Mario game. There’s a bit of Theremin-enhanced weirdness and one or two minimalist soundscapes to add texture to the John Williams style anthemic bombast and Koji Kondo jauntiness, and it makes a welcome change to the usual formula.
  
  A game with this many ideas and this many levels can’t possibly be perfect, and so it proves. The camera, perfect for almost the entire journey, struggles on the underwater sections. The hub world, while a treat for the eyes, isn’t the playground it deserves to be - the one area where Sunshine is definitely superior. And one or two stages manage to fall below the quality watermark of ‘excellent’ into merely ‘decent’ territory. Once you’ve collected the sixty one stars needed to complete the game, some players might take umbrage that around half the stages that remain are simple coin-hoovering challenges, or redux versions of existing stages (comets occasionally change the victory conditions, from racing Shadow Mario through a short section of one level to beating another in a strict time limit). But it’s hard to imagine anyone not wanting to revisit these perfectly-formed self-contained microcosms. Particularly when the comets change the dynamic of the stages so much that they feel like different levels entirely. Besides, it’s certainly an improvement on the laborious blue coin route.
  
  It seems churlish to criticise these failings, particularly as when Super Mario Galaxy is at its best, there’s no game in the world that can match it. Some stages are absolutely astonishing, showcasing a staggering creativity. One or two have more ideas crammed in than most games in their entirety, and that’s no exaggeration. For something which is essentially all about running and jumping, there’s a variety to the action that few games can touch. It will make you laugh with blissful joy, gasp in childlike shock, marvel at the inventiveness of the designers, and smile at the effort poured into making such a complete videogaming experience. It’s the kind of game that inspires feverish devotion, the kind of game that leads impressionable minds to nail their colours to the mast of a multi-billion-yen-earning corporation, and somehow make that seem like an entirely reasonable thing to do. It’s a game that’s been made with nothing but love and respect for its iconic protagonist, and nothing but love and respect for the people that play it. It’s an absolute, God’s-honest masterpiece.
  
  It’s taken ten years for Nintendo to realise exactly what made Super Mario 64 so special; a decade to create something that finally lives up to one of videogaming’s defining moments. Amazingly, Super Mario Galaxy is tsufufum all over again.

  ...and goosebumps.

  SavyGamer.co.uk / Rock Paper Shotgun / Twitter

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• Guek Registered User regular

  November 2007

  is it even possible for a game to live up to this much hype?

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• LBD_Nytetrayn TorontoRegistered User regular

  November 2007

  SwashbucklerXX wrote: »

  LBD_Nytetrayn wrote: »

  Anyone know if that TRU deal is good in Canada?

  
  I have yet to see TRU Canada match any offer from TRU USA, and the Internet doesn't seem to have found any proof that TRU Canada will do this. I did learn that you can get a Laughing Elmo Doll for $9.99 if you spend $100 at TRU Canada, though. He laughs at our sorrow.

  
  I was hoping that this might be true, and if so, it might be in effect.

  

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• Algertman Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Guek wrote: »

  is it even possible for a game to live up to this much hype?

  
  APPARENTLY IT HAS

  PSN; AlbertBOMB

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• Nickle Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Guek wrote: »

  is it even possible for a game to live up to this much hype?

  
  I don't think the glowing reviews count as 'hype'. They've played the game, they know how good it is.
  
  It's not like there's a Mario-branded Mountain Dew floating around anywhere.

  
  Xbox/PSN/Steam: NickleDL | 3DS: 0731-4750-6906

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• dmauro Registered User

  November 2007

  Algertman wrote: »

  Guek wrote: »

  is it even possible for a game to live up to this much hype?

  
  APPARENTLY IT HAS

  
  Yeah, SMG definitely lives up to the hype. This is not going to be a "love it or hate it" game like Sunshine was, everyone is going to love it. If you can't enjoy this video game to a great degree you might want to check with a doctor. I could probably get my mom to play this. This game is definitely better than Mario 64 and it has me considering if I really do like Super Mario Bros. 3 the best. By the time I finish collecting all 120 stars, I might have a new favorite video game at the top of my list.

  [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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• JimJimBinks Registered User

  November 2007

  I just played a few more minutes on my lunch break at Gamestop. I'm convinced of a few things.
  
  #1 Gamestop has no fucking idea how to set up the displays on their demo units
  
  #2 Mario makes me so happy that I can't stop smiling for at least half an hour after I'm done playing.
  
  #3 Judging by how dizzy I felt running in circles around the little planetoids, I'm going to be playing this game in a pool of my own vomit.

  

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• JihadJesus Registered User regular

  November 2007

  I'm starting to think that I'm going to be quite pissed off playing this game in the end. Beautiful, creative, whimsical...but ultimately built on a game design formula that makes me want to beat someone's head in with a brick painted like a Wiimote.
  
  [Edit]
  

  Unlike Mario 64, whose challenges were often focused on exploration (finding the 8 red coins, for example), most of Galaxy's challenges are pretty linear. The galaxy you're in will be rearranged for each challenge, with new planets and launch stars, but you're usually moving in one specific direction throughout. The end result is that none of the challenges are going to take you spectacularly long (unless, of course, you end up dying a heck of a lot). The hardest challenge is usually just staying alive

  
  That makes me very, very happy. Maybe this won't piss me off like other 3D platformers have.

  Tired of getting reamed by Gamestop? Sign up for Goozex!

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• bruin Registered User

  November 2007

  http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=17993
  

  Gameplay: A
  Presentation: A
  Fun Factor: A+
  Value: A-
  Overall: A

  
  Full text:

  Spoiler:

  It's not every day that we get a new Mario game. I don't mean a soccer game starring Mario or a puzzle game featuring some ancillary Mario character, I mean a balls-to-the-wall, insane platforming, mushroom gulping Mario game. The last one was New Super Mario Bros. on the DS and before that, well, Mario Sunshine didn't really feel like a Mario game. For many you'd have to go all the way back to Mario 64 for a pure Mario title on a home console, and that was more than 10 years ago! So yes, we've been waiting a while for Super Mario Galaxy, and now that it's finally here we can see it was worth the wait.
  
  Super Mario Galaxy Basics
  
  Super Mario Galaxy begins in pretty typical Mario fashion. Princess Peach is swiped by Bowser and his minions and it's up to Mario to save her pink frilly butt. This time, though, it'll require some interstellar travel, as Bowser's packin' UFO technology! The only way to catch up to him is by powering up a space station with star energy, collected from nearby galaxies. And so your adventure begins again.
  
  The space station/observatory acts like Peach's Castle did in Mario 64. It's basically a hub world from which you can travel to different levels. Each galaxy (which are just like the paintings from 64), has several challenges, and completing each one earns you a star. More stars unlock more galaxies, so on and so forth, until you've caught up to King Koopa. The basics should be pretty familiar to anyone that played that 1996 classic.
  
  Once you jump into a galaxy, though, it's clear that things are a little different. Super Mario Galaxy is all about the ways to use and abuse gravity. Many of the levels allow Mario to step off ledges, only to walk right off the side and turn himself upside down. Walking up walls and around mini planets are staples of the game, and they really require a different mindset than you've had in previous Mario games. Every dimension must be considered, not just the single plain that stretches out in front of you. If you get stuck you're probably coming at the problem from the wrong angle.
  
  Super Mario Galaxy Controls
  
  Despite the wacky gravity, the controls are actually pretty similar to previous Mario games. You can still pull off triple jumps, butt slams, long leaps and wall jumps, using different combinations of the Nunchuk and remote. New to the mix, though, is an onscreen cursor which allows you to fire star bits into enemies, stunning them and allowing Mario to walk over and boot them into the blackness of space. You can also pull off a spin attack by shacking the Remote, which sends enemies spinning in the opposite direction. On the basic levels, though, the motion controls are used sparingly and I never felt put off by them. The experience was pretty similar to how they were used in Twilight Princess. In short, less is more.
  
  There are mini-galaxies, however, that use the motion controls in entirely different ways. In one you're challenged by a giant penguin (sound familiar?) to try Ray Surfing. Here you hop on the back of a manta ray and follow a flowing stream of water, which is pretty reminiscent of the giant slide from Mario 64. The difference, though, is that you steer the ray by twisting your wrist. In another galaxy you're tasked to jump atop a large ball. Holding the remote in your first with the top pointing up you can steer the ball by tilting in the direction you want to go. These mini galaxies are rather fun and provide a nice change of pace from the rest of the game.
  
  As an extra bonus, Super Mario Galaxy actually features co-op play as well. At any point during the game, a second person with a Remote can hop in. That second person really just controls a cursor, but with that you can fire star bits, hold enemies in place or even save Mario from a fall by giving him an extra boost. It's simple yet elegant, and it actually makes playing the game a much more party-friendly experience.
  
  Super Mario Galaxy Shiny!
  
  Visually Super Mario Galaxy is by far the best looking game on the Wii. Its worlds and characters are incredibly vibrant and often overwhelmingly large, giving you a real sense of scale. Also, jaggies that were pretty prevalent on HDTVs during Twilight Princess are hardly noticeable here. Granted it's not going to look as sharp as a fully HD game, but within a few moments of playing you probably won't care. The game also features a brilliant score, featuring a mix of classic tunes with new riffs, which changes depending on the galaxy you're in.
  
  Is Super Mario Galaxy Too Short?
  
  It's worth noting, though, that this isn't the longest Mario game you've ever played. Unlike Mario 64, whose challenges were often focused on exploration (finding the 8 red coins, for example), most of Galaxy's challenges are pretty linear. The galaxy you're in will be rearranged for each challenge, with new planets and launch stars, but you're usually moving in one specific direction throughout. The end result is that none of the challenges are going to take you spectacularly long (unless, of course, you end up dying a heck of a lot). The hardest challenge is usually just staying alive, with the puzzles taking a back seat. This is great news for platforming fans, but if you're looking for more of an adventure experience you won't get a lot of it here. Because of this you can probably blow through the main game in about 10 hours. Of course if you're inclined to go for all the stars and discover all the hidden galaxies you're probably going to double that time. And then, on top of that, there may or may not be a very good reason to play through it again...but I'm not really allowed to go too in-depth with whatever that reason may or may not be.
  
  Super Mario Galaxy: Final Word
  
  While it doesn't have the industry-changing clout that Mario 64 did, I'd so as far as to say that I've had a lot more fun playing Super Mario Galaxy. It's not tremendously innovative (though some of the galaxies are ingeniously designed, it still feels very Mario), and while pretty, it's not going to win any awards for its graphics. What it comes down to is that it's just plain fun. I haven't had this much fun with the Wii since Wii Sports, and for Mario Galaxy you don't need a crowd or a protective screen over the TV! It's also the first game since the system's launch that's a must-buy for anyone that picks up a Wii. Some people just don't dig Zelda or Metroid, but who in the world hates Mario? And does that person hate bonus checks and puppies, too? Flat out, if you buy one Wii game this year, Super Mario Galaxy should be that game.

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• .la1n Registered User regular

  November 2007

  this is a serious spoiler, click at your own risk.
  
  

  Spoiler:

  we know playing through the second time nets you luigi playable right?

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• bruin Registered User

  November 2007

  .la1n wrote: »

  this is a serious spoiler, click at your own risk.
  
  

  Spoiler:

  we know playing through the second time nets you luigi playable right?

  Spoiler:

  You need to get all 120 stars, not just beat the game

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• LBD_Nytetrayn TorontoRegistered User regular

  November 2007

  It occurs to me that someone's getting a face full of plumber ass in that third picture...

  

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• .la1n Registered User regular

  November 2007

  bruin wrote: »

  .la1n wrote: »

  this is a serious spoiler, click at your own risk.
  
  

  Spoiler:

  we know playing through the second time nets you luigi playable right?

  Spoiler:

  You need to get all 120 stars, not just beat the game

  Spoiler:

  wasn't sure on that one, thanks

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• mts Registered User regular

  November 2007

  While i am completely psyched for this to come out, i am slightly concerned by the fact that while mario64 is fun and all, i haven't really gotten into it that much. I find the controls kind of clumsy. I can never seem to get mario to read signs, and always seem to make him fall on his ass.

  

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• Guek Registered User regular

  November 2007

  GODDAMNIT, UGO. I NEED NUMBERS TO EVALUATE MY GAMES

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• Marlor Registered User

  November 2007

  Guek wrote: »

  GODDAMNIT, UGO. I NEED NUMBERS TO EVALUATE MY GAMES

  
  From their review, I'd say they gave it a 9.73/10. Could be a 9.74.

  Mario Kart Wii: 1332-8060-5236 (Aaron)

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• setrajonas Registered User

  November 2007

  You're joking, right?
  

  Spoiler:

  9.742

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• Nickle Registered User regular

  November 2007

  I'm still trying to understand the logic of the reviews that are saying 'this is the most fun I've had with gaming in forever, and I can't find any real flaws', then going on to give a 9.5 out of 10.
  
  Not that it really matters, but what the hell?

  
  Xbox/PSN/Steam: NickleDL | 3DS: 0731-4750-6906

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• Khavall Registered User regular

  November 2007

  So this game comes out two days after my schedule goes from 14+ hour days every day of the week to 8 hours a day, at least until the spring when I'll probably get more gigs and have 14+ hour days and be going to NYC every month or so.
  
  I think Ninty just loves me the most.

  
  Khavall's Beginner's Guide to Music Everything(Theory Blog)

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• Guek Registered User regular

  November 2007

  setrajonas wrote: »

  You're joking, right?
  

  

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• Chen Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Mental note: Get Wii before soccer moms buy it all up.

  

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• No Great Name Registered User regular

  November 2007

  Chen wrote: »

  Mental note: Get Wii before soccer moms buy it all up.

  Uhhhh

  Xbox Live: OGSirToons PSN: NoGreatName Bnet Tag: SirToons#1214 NNID: SirToons
  Steam ID: SirToons 3DS: 3024-5277-3254 Twitch: SirToons

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• Chen Registered User regular

  November 2007

  There must be some stock lying around.
  
  I don't know.
  
  

  

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• Cantido Registered User regular

  November 2007

  I don't think there has ever been a system that has been out for a year and people STILL can't find it. It boggles the mind. Nintendo must be happy.

  The sound of eight hooves reaches his ears, comes from the heavenly light, two wolves howls fills his heart with fear, and he sees two ravens fly. Down from the sky a warlord rides, like fire his one eye glows, and just before the preacher dies he knows his god is false.

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• Mr Peepers Registered User

  November 2007

  I find it amazing that Wiis are still not widely available. Galaxy isn't gonna help the situation much .
  
  And holy shit its gonna be bad for some kids.
  
  "Sorry, we couldn't find one this year either. Maybe next Christmas?"

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