Super Mario Galaxy
Platforms: Wii
Players: 1-2
Original Release Date(s): Nov 12 2007(US), Nov 16 2007(EU), Nov 29 2007(AU), Nov 1 2007(JP)
If there was one game with the weight of the world on its shoulders, or should that be galaxy as far as Nintendo games go for the Wii it is certainly Super Mario Galaxy, after the Gamecube outing came under some criticism for certain design choices and the Wii had yet to have a big first party game released for it developed for the ground up for the Wii itself, as Twilight Princess was a Gamecube game to begin with after all, there was a lot resting on this game from a Nintendo fans point of view and boy did it ever deliver.
Presentation
Right from the story book starting you can tell this game in going to be quite magical, the whole game is really sewn together really nicely from the cut scenes that use the in game engine as opposed to Sunshine's low quality pre-rendered ones minus the awful voice acting too, and the amazing sound track that accompanies the whole thing. It really if anything takes the best elements from previous Mario games and mixes them all together to make a truly wonderful piece of software
Graphics
Few Wii games prior to the release of Galaxy were considered to look any better than what the last generation could do with the exception of a select few, then there was truly a new standard set here, not only does it use what the Wii has to offer in terms of basic features with widescreen and progressive scan support but it throws every single graphical effect and lighting trick out there too and still manages to be one of the most colourful games you will ever see.
There is no one area in particular this game excels at in terms of visuals as it excels in every one of them really showing what the Wii can do when really pushed and showing how much of a leap over the Gamecube it really is in terms of power, of course all that extra storage space on the discs really helps too, but the leap is still quite significant.
Every part of the design of this game is truly excellent and shows what a good art style can really do for a game regardless of the hardware it is made for as Super Mario Galaxy will certainly give any game a run for it's money regardless of what system it is on as it really does look that good and even better when running.
If there is one area that this game is really impressive it is the character and enemy models they are amazingly detailed and each one looks amazing, and some have impressively large sizes making the detail really stand out while throwing some impressive visual effect in there such as the fur on the queen bee as you climb up her to collect star pieces.
This game is really a true test of what the Wii can do if you take the time to push the system and not treat it as the same old tech as the previous generation, if only more developers but the same kind of effort in as Nintendo did then the Wii would have had some truly spectacular looking games.
Sound
Yet another area that Super Mario Galaxy sets a new standard for Wii games by having the full games musical score being preformed by an orchestra making all those classic Mario tunes sounds like new ones, and each one sounds as epic as the last one, because even though you may recognise all the familiar tunes you will also notice just how different they are when you listen and just come to notice the level of detail that is in them.
This is certainly one of those games that you will really want to have the best sound set ups you can have so a set of 2.1 speakers is a must, as it really does enhance the game when you can hear it all and the quality is top though out from the amasing musical score to all those familiar Mario sounds that you have come to know and love over the years.
Gameplay
If the Wii has been promoted as a console that aims to deliver a new style of play then games like Super Mario Galaxy show that you can still map a very traditional style of game to the controller and it play like any other previous game in the series yet still use some kind of motion control that doesn't hinder the game in any way.
Super Mario Galaxy plays like the two previous 3D Mario outings Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine jut more refined and having tighter overall controls, the only one major change from the previous two games is the lack of any real free camera control, but that doesn't really cause any kind of problem at all since the camera is so smart in the game it follows the game perfectly and from memory I can't thing of any times it ever got in the way of the action, which is really a testament to how well it has been designed as how well the game is designed too that there are no real objects or walls to get in the way letting the game flow.
Lasting Appeal
This game ranges from levels that are very simple to ones that are very difficult but not so challenging that you feel tricked as even the toughest of the tough stars to get can all be got with some patients and practice making the whole challenge feel very rewarding when you finally get those stars you have tried several times to get and never feel cheated by cheap moments.
Beating the game fully is similar to the two previous Mario 3D outing having to reach that magic 120 mark for stars collected, but then their is quite a big bonus once you manage that as you may easily want to play through the whole game again but this time as Luigi who becomes unlock-able upon collecting all 120 stars expanding the game for completionists and being a nice little bonus for fans.
You will defiantly want to play this game through to the end and try and get as many of those stars as you can though and even go back and play your favourites over and over again as much like previous Mario games there are many memorable moments through out the game that you will want to see again and again.
Overall
A game that right many of the wrong that Super Mario Sunshine made and manages to improve in every way on Super Mario 64 and Sunshine making it the best of the 3D outing by far and a showcase of what the Wii is capable of when some one takes the time and effort to make a game that really uses everything that there is on offer rather than just making a simple PS2 port of a game, but then it was Nintendo that were at the helm and you really should expect no less. A truly amazing game that should be played by everyone who owns a Wii.
Scores
Players: 1-2
Original Release Date(s): Nov 12 2007(US), Nov 16 2007(EU), Nov 29 2007(AU), Nov 1 2007(JP)
If there was one game with the weight of the world on its shoulders, or should that be galaxy as far as Nintendo games go for the Wii it is certainly Super Mario Galaxy, after the Gamecube outing came under some criticism for certain design choices and the Wii had yet to have a big first party game released for it developed for the ground up for the Wii itself, as Twilight Princess was a Gamecube game to begin with after all, there was a lot resting on this game from a Nintendo fans point of view and boy did it ever deliver.
Presentation
Right from the story book starting you can tell this game in going to be quite magical, the whole game is really sewn together really nicely from the cut scenes that use the in game engine as opposed to Sunshine's low quality pre-rendered ones minus the awful voice acting too, and the amazing sound track that accompanies the whole thing. It really if anything takes the best elements from previous Mario games and mixes them all together to make a truly wonderful piece of software
Graphics
Few Wii games prior to the release of Galaxy were considered to look any better than what the last generation could do with the exception of a select few, then there was truly a new standard set here, not only does it use what the Wii has to offer in terms of basic features with widescreen and progressive scan support but it throws every single graphical effect and lighting trick out there too and still manages to be one of the most colourful games you will ever see.
There is no one area in particular this game excels at in terms of visuals as it excels in every one of them really showing what the Wii can do when really pushed and showing how much of a leap over the Gamecube it really is in terms of power, of course all that extra storage space on the discs really helps too, but the leap is still quite significant.
Every part of the design of this game is truly excellent and shows what a good art style can really do for a game regardless of the hardware it is made for as Super Mario Galaxy will certainly give any game a run for it's money regardless of what system it is on as it really does look that good and even better when running.
If there is one area that this game is really impressive it is the character and enemy models they are amazingly detailed and each one looks amazing, and some have impressively large sizes making the detail really stand out while throwing some impressive visual effect in there such as the fur on the queen bee as you climb up her to collect star pieces.
This game is really a true test of what the Wii can do if you take the time to push the system and not treat it as the same old tech as the previous generation, if only more developers but the same kind of effort in as Nintendo did then the Wii would have had some truly spectacular looking games.
Sound
Yet another area that Super Mario Galaxy sets a new standard for Wii games by having the full games musical score being preformed by an orchestra making all those classic Mario tunes sounds like new ones, and each one sounds as epic as the last one, because even though you may recognise all the familiar tunes you will also notice just how different they are when you listen and just come to notice the level of detail that is in them.
This is certainly one of those games that you will really want to have the best sound set ups you can have so a set of 2.1 speakers is a must, as it really does enhance the game when you can hear it all and the quality is top though out from the amasing musical score to all those familiar Mario sounds that you have come to know and love over the years.
Gameplay
If the Wii has been promoted as a console that aims to deliver a new style of play then games like Super Mario Galaxy show that you can still map a very traditional style of game to the controller and it play like any other previous game in the series yet still use some kind of motion control that doesn't hinder the game in any way.
Super Mario Galaxy plays like the two previous 3D Mario outings Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine jut more refined and having tighter overall controls, the only one major change from the previous two games is the lack of any real free camera control, but that doesn't really cause any kind of problem at all since the camera is so smart in the game it follows the game perfectly and from memory I can't thing of any times it ever got in the way of the action, which is really a testament to how well it has been designed as how well the game is designed too that there are no real objects or walls to get in the way letting the game flow.
Lasting Appeal
This game ranges from levels that are very simple to ones that are very difficult but not so challenging that you feel tricked as even the toughest of the tough stars to get can all be got with some patients and practice making the whole challenge feel very rewarding when you finally get those stars you have tried several times to get and never feel cheated by cheap moments.
Beating the game fully is similar to the two previous Mario 3D outing having to reach that magic 120 mark for stars collected, but then their is quite a big bonus once you manage that as you may easily want to play through the whole game again but this time as Luigi who becomes unlock-able upon collecting all 120 stars expanding the game for completionists and being a nice little bonus for fans.
You will defiantly want to play this game through to the end and try and get as many of those stars as you can though and even go back and play your favourites over and over again as much like previous Mario games there are many memorable moments through out the game that you will want to see again and again.
Overall
A game that right many of the wrong that Super Mario Sunshine made and manages to improve in every way on Super Mario 64 and Sunshine making it the best of the 3D outing by far and a showcase of what the Wii is capable of when some one takes the time and effort to make a game that really uses everything that there is on offer rather than just making a simple PS2 port of a game, but then it was Nintendo that were at the helm and you really should expect no less. A truly amazing game that should be played by everyone who owns a Wii.
Scores
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