Super Mario Galaxy is Heavenly, According to Reviews
In 1985, 'Super Mario Bros.' defined what the next decade of 2D-platform games would and should be on home consoles. Mario did it again for 3D games in 1996 with 'Super Mario 64' on the Nintendo 64. And while we may have to wait a bit longer for 4D games, this week's 'Super Mario Galaxy' seems to have, according to a plethora of pro-plumber reviews, set the bar unbelievably high not just for Wii games but all "next generation" action titles.
With a current metascore (an average of all review scores) of 97 out of 100, 'Super Mario Galaxy' is garnering critical acclaim not only for its adherence to what's made Mario great in the past, but also for its innovative use of the Wii control, outstanding visual presentation, and orchestrated score (a first for Mario games). It's not ALL good news of course as no game is perfect, but here's what the critics say:
The Good:
- 'Super Mario Galaxy' is a reminder that games don't have to be ultra-violent, make clever social statements or ride the marketing machine to succeed. They simply have to be fun, and you'd be hard pressed to find one as genuinely enjoyable as Mario's latest.
The Bad:
- ...a little disjointed from time to time.
...it would be nice to hear Mario say something other than 'Woo-hoo!' from time to time.
The Good:
- ...the best Mario game since the NES classic, 'Super Mario Bros.' It innovates in a genre that we had thought we had seen everything from, and in doing so delivers some of the most entertaining gameplay to date.
The Bad:
- While it's nice that you rarely have to fuss with the camera, there are times where walls will obstruct your view, or you won't be able to rotate the perspective to see where you are supposed to jump next. And worst of all, for a game that puts such an emphasis on going out of your way to get an extra life, all of your lives are reset when you turn the Wii off.
The Good:
- One of the greatest platformers I have ever played, Wii's best game, and an absolute must-own experience.
The Bad:
- Every so often ... you will find yourself in a situation where the camera isn't quite right ... When that happens and you can't center yourself, you have no recourse, which is unfortunate ... It's not perfect."
The Good:
- 'Galaxy' proves that Mario matters just as much today as he did 25 years ago, and that makes him one of a kind in this medium. But don't play 'Galaxy' simply because Mario is the timeless godfather of gaming. No, play 'Galaxy' because it's fantastic.
The Bad:
- With the health power meter now reduced from six sections to three, experimenting with new enemies and tactics can be a little fraught - try the wrong thing twice in a row and you're in immediately danger of dying.
It's great to see Mario still kicking ass among such big titles this year like 'Halo 3' and 'Mass Effect'. Mysteriously, our copy seems to have gone missing in the mail. But, we are more than excited to see Mario return to the throne. And we don't mean that in the plumbing sense.
Related Links
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
