Tag Archives: Super Mario Bros

Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)

Developer(s) – Camelot Software Planning

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director(s) – Haruki Kodera (N64)

Producer(s) – Shinji Hatano, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Shugo Takahashi & Hidetoshi Endo

PEGI – 3

Released back in 1999, with a separate port finding its way onto the Game Boy Colour. Mario Golf was met with an overwhelmingly positive response on release and would then go on to spawn a whole new series in the Super Mario franchise, garnishing even more critical and commercial acclaim. A vast majority of spin-off Super Mario series’ historically start as well as what could be expected, such as Mario Kart, Luigi’s Mansion, and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. There are some, however, that in my opinion, started off with evident flaws, but then later go on to have games developed that are far better than the original. Super Smash Bros. is probably the best example of this, but the way I see it, Mario Golf under Camelot started the same way as well.

Graphics – 6/10

The visuals of the game, as what any fan of the series would’ve come to expect at the time, fit in well with the tableau of the Super Mario mythos; the courses are extremely reminiscent of parts of the Mushroom Kingdom as seen in previous Mario titles, and the developers did relatively well to diversify each tournament’s settings in that respect. When comparing it on a technical level to previous Super Mario games ported to the Nintendo 64, players will find that the level of detail is also on par with many of them; arguably even better than some too. The biggest problem I had with this game, in terms of both graphics and gameplay, is the character roster. Of course, you have classic Mario characters, such as Mario himself, Luigi, Donkey Kong Peach, and Bowser among others, but as well as that, there are also a lot of generic characters included alongside them, like Plum, Harry, Sonny, and Charlie; the majority of which have never been seen in a Mario game again, and for good reason.

Gameplay – 6/10

The game has several different modes to choose from, such as playing 18-hole tournaments, speed golf, ring shot, and the head-to-head mode that pits you against other characters to unlock. The game has a lot to offer in terms of variety, but with the get-character mode, it’s a mixed bag due to how equally exciting and boring it can feel to unlock certain characters. It’s also not the most accessible game in terms of difficulty too. I remember playing this game when I was growing up, and even unlocking Luigi seemed like an endurance test; and I still find it to be the case now, even after playing other games in the series.

Controls – 7/10

Probably the worst thing about this game, however, is its control scheme. The heads-up display is not self-explanatory like it is with future Mario golf games; the putting system is unnecessarily complicated, as it becomes almost impossible to determine how much power should be put behind the ball. There were many other 3D golf games even back then that had much better control schemes attached to them, and although this would be improved in later entries, it didn’t start out well in my opinion.

Originality – 6/10

Although this is one of those games that was probably dreamt up by many Nintendo kids before it was even conceived, it does fairly well to keep things unique on its own merits with its diverse settings for different tournaments (again, something which would be improved on further. Again, the thing holding it back most in terms of originality is having so many unoriginal characters included in addition, which by Nintendo’s standards, were profound to me, even at the time. There were so many other characters they could’ve included at this point that it just baffled me to know that they chose to go with Camelot’s idea of including so many generic ones instead.

Niiutral

Overall, Mario Golf is not the best entry in the series; not by a longshot. And later, a plethora of improvements would be made with the likes of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Golf: World Tour. The upcoming Mario Golf: Super Rush also seems set to break new ground with its story mode and additional challenges attached to it, but in terms of the Nintendo 64 game, the developers could’ve done better.

Score

25/40

6/10 (Average)

Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Switch)

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Developer – Next Level Games

Publisher – Nintendo

Director – Bryce Holiday

Producer – Alex McFarlane, Bjorn Nash & Kensuke Tanabe

PEGI – 7

Originally intended for release on the Wii U, Luigi’s Mansion 3 was eventually released on Halloween of 2019 for the Nintendo Switch and garnished both critical and commercial acclaim new ideas. After having played through this game myself, I was thoroughly impressed by what it had to offer; so much so I consider it to be one of the best releases on the console so far.

Graphics – 9/10

The latest installment of the series is set not in a mansion, or a series of mansions like in the previous games, but in a 15-floor hotel; each floor with its own distinct theme, such as one for Medieval England, another themed on film, one on fitness and one on Ancient Egypt to name but a few. From the point of view of conceptual design, it’s certainly a lot more diverse than the previous two games, which whilst they remained fresh with different kinds of rooms throughout, the third game simply enhances what was already great about the first two games, which will be a recurring point I’m going to be making throughout this entire review.

The only minor gripe I had with the game in terms of graphical quality was that the areas surrounding the mansion, ie grassland, trees, mountains, etc, are greatly simplified compared to everything else in the game. But it’s only a minor issue since they’re just that; they’re additional background details that aren’t to be paid too much attention to anyway. The real attention to detail is perpetuated within everything besides; the textures the developers used for Luigi, in particular, are extremely impressive, with everything down from visible stitching on his clothes to the internal machinery in his latest weapon, the Poltergust G-00.

Gameplay – 9/10

Again, the gameplay in this title is yet another example of how the developers took the blueprint of the original two games and greatly expanded upon them. It perpetuates most of the ideas that were established with Luigi’s Mansion 2, such as the dark light mechanics to uncover hidden secrets and the strobulb used to stun enemies, but also combines them with the Gooigi mechanic that was first preliminarily introduced as a co-op mechanic in the 3DS remake of the original Luigi’s Mansion and making it an integral part of the single-player campaign, with players having to use Gooigi to traverse through insubstantial barriers such as drainpipes and shuttered doors to either uncover more secrets and solve puzzles. It reminded me of the mechanics in the original Soul Reaver that allows Raziel to pass through similar obstacles.

The setting of the game also clearly allowed for expansion on the general idea of the gameplay, giving players a lot more to do than in the previous installments, which in my opinion, was greatly needed for if Nintendo ever did decide to develop a series of sequels to the original Luigi’s Mansion. The second one came close to being better than the first, as there was more added to that game in comparison to the original, but the third expands on this idea to an even greater extent, making for an extremely enjoyable gaming experience overall.

Another aspect in which this game improves on its predecessors is the quality of the boss fights. The boss fights in the first game were particularly good and the second game offered creativity in this respect but failed to top those of the original game, but the boss fights in the third are even more well thought out and even more challenging, as some of which require the use of Gooigi and therefore require the player having to periodically switch between him and Luigi to beat some of the bosses. The best example of that is the boss fight against Hellen Gravely, whereby the player must use Gooigi to switch off security systems that can hurt Luigi from underneath the floorboards, whilst also using Luigi to avoid Hellen’s attacks and defeat her.

Controls – 10/10

The control scheme of Luigi’s Mansion 3 is taken largely from Luigi’s Mansion 2, which in itself was a largely simplified variation of the control scheme for the original game, but it also introduces a lot of new mechanics to keep things fresh. But at the same time, it presents no issues. The combat system is largely refined in comparison to both 1 and 2 and the increased ghost types also necessitate the modification of strategy to best suit them; it all makes for one of the most unique titles to have ever come out of Nintendo in my personal opinion.

Lifespan – 8.5/10

Whilst not being quite as long as Luigi’s Mansion 2, it still makes for a delightfully lengthy gaming experience, requiring at least 20 hours to complete to 100%. Again, it’s the idea of having a hotel with multiple floors is the means by which Nintendo has expanded on the lifespan of a game within this series. I think If they were to make a fourth game, a good idea would be to set it inside a haunted skyscraper with over 100 floors and more side quests complete with a courtyard at the base. But I digress; an expanded lifespan is exactly what was needed to further develop the ideas perpetuated by the original two games and Nintendo delivered on this greatly with the third game.

Storyline – 7.5/10

Luigi’s Mansion 3 begins with the Super Mario Bros along with Princess Peach, three Toads, and Luigi’s pet ghost dog Polterpup taking a vacation to The Last Resort Hotel, whereby once they all check-in and settle into their rooms, Luigi falls asleep whilst reading a book. When he wakes up, he finds that the hotel has turned into a ghostly apparition of itself and that the others are missing. It turns out that with the help of the hotel’s owner, Hellen Gravely, King Boo has returned, possessing the hotel and capturing Mario and the others and trapping them in picture frames. Luigi must defeat King Boo whilst finding and freeing the others from him with the help of Luigi’s old ally Professor E. Gadd, who sets up a secret lab in the hotel basement once Luigi finds and rescues him from his own picture frame, whilst also offering Luigi advice from afar and modifying his Poltergust G-00 with new abilities throughout.

Whilst basically copying the plot of the original Luigi’s Mansion, I like this game’s story for the same reason why I liked Super Mario Odyssey’s story. Despite the fact that both games simply perpetuate the same idea in terms of story as most of every other game in their respective series; before it, Luigi’s hardships and successes are conveyed better through emotion and body language than in previous games, which is most likely part of the reason why this game won the award for best in-game animation of 2019. Spoken dialogue within the game is strangely a lot more diverse than what players would normally find in a Super Mario game, with Luigi saying various phrases upon defeating bosses.

Originality – 10/10

As I pointed out before, this game perpetuates some of the most original ideas that I’ve found in any Nintendo game before it. Not only because of the modifications that have been made to the game’s control scheme, but in every other aspect as well, from the gameplay to the conceptual design. It always baffles me how Nintendo is able to take their series’ and expand on the ideas perpetuated by previous installments and the third Luigi’s Mansion game is no exception.

Deliirious

To summarize, when I first started playing Luigi’s Mansion 3, I immediately thought it was going to be at least on par with the original two games. But having played it through to the end, I put it above the other two. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is unanimously the best game in the series; it takes the best of Luigi’s Mansion 1 and 2 and expands on them to introduce new gameplay mechanics, better boss fights, and an overall far more enjoyable gaming experience. I can’t recommend this title enough.

Score

54/60

9/10 (Excellent)

Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

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Developer(s) – Nintendo EPD

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director – Kenta Motokura

Producer(s) – Yoshiaki Koizumi & Koichi Hayashida

PEGI – 7

Released in the holiday season of 2017 for the Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Odyssey presents players with a return to the open-ended 3D style of play of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, and invigorates the series with new abilities and environments, as well as incorporating elements of classic Super Mario gameplay, such as side-scrolling. From start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed this title, and whilst it didn’t become my favorite Super Mario game of all time, it certainly goes above and beyond many other games in the series in recent years.

Graphics – 9/10

The first thing to say about the visuals is that on a technical level, this is the best that Super Mario has ever looked. Each character and level found throughout the game is wonderfully detailed, and the blending of 3D and 2D makes for something particularly special in terms of graphics. Conceptually, the game does fairly well to stand out from the rest of the series in addition, which is quite remarkable given the astounding amount of transition the series has gone through over the 32 years it’s been around. After having watched the trailers for the game before its release, I was skeptical as to how some of the environments that were shown would fit with a series like Super Mario Bros, but after playing, I was posthumously proven wrong. Each level especially the Metro Kingdom, which I was most skeptical about, adds a new dimension to the series that I hadn’t thought possible beforehand.

Gameplay – 9/10

Much like Super Mario Galaxy 2, the objective of the game is for the player to find power moons, instead of stars, to power up Mario’s newfound ship named The Odyssey to advance from one level to the other in order to reach Bowser and rescue Peach from him. The most standout feature in terms of gameplay is Mario using his new anthropomorphic hat named Cappy to possess certain enemies throughout the game, and thus use their abilities to the player’s advantage. Much like the new settings, it adds another unique twist to the series’ tableau, as well as a new approach to gameplay, which has scarcely been seen in games before. And in lieu of 3D Super Mario tradition, the game simply doesn’t end with Peach being saved from Bowser. After the main game has been completed, there is a plethora of additional power moons to find, as well as additional objectives given to players for completion on a scale never seen before in a Super Mario game.

Controls – 10/10

Since the 3D Mario formula has existed for over 20 years, it would be more than reasonable to think there would be no issues with the controls; and so there aren’t. Super Mario Odyssey plays out as seamlessly as any other 3D Mario game since Super Mario 64, and the way in which new combat abilities and enemy abilities that Mario can adopt are also seamlessly integrated into the rest of the formula.

Lifespan – 9/10

The base game will take players there around 10 hours to complete, but after which, that hardly even counts as scratching the surface. Each level has a number of collectibles to pick up that are unfathomable compared to every other Super Mario game before it. It will easily make for 60-70 plus hours of gameplay, and an excellent addition to the collection of extremely long games on the Nintendo Switch along with Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and Skyrim.

Storyline – 7.5/10

Following the usual Super Mario Bros formula, Super Mario Odyssey follows the story of Mario having to save Princess Peach from Bowser; only this time, Bowser plans to marry Peach after stealing various relics from each kingdom throughout the world. Mario is also joined by the aforementioned anthropomorphic hat named Cappy, who is also out to rescue a female anthropomorphic hat named Tiara, whom Bowser has Peach wear in preparation for the wedding. Though for the most part, the story is largely unoriginal, especially for anything seen in a Super Mario game prior, what makes the way in which his story is told in Odyssey stand out fractionally more than other Mario games is the projection of emotion found throughout. Mario is portrayed as slightly less of an unstoppable superhero capable of beating anyone he comes across and is shown to feel the difficulty and hardship of what it is he is setting out to do. On several occasions, Mario comes painfully close to rescuing Peach from Bowser before the final battle, but he is shown to suffer setbacks, which visibly frustrate him, and though these are not things that haven’t been seen in games prior to this by any stretch of the imagination, it is something new to the series, which in terms of story, has needed for quite some time. But in terms of depth in plot, it still leaves players wanting much more in this respect. It’s certainly my biggest criticism that I have to levy against this game.

Originality – 8.5/10

With that one main qualm I have out of the way, the fact of the matter remains that this game is the most unique Mario experience released since Super Mario Galaxy 2 in terms of every other aspect aside from the story. The settings are outstanding and the gameplay is even more so. In recent years, the originality of this series has been very much hit and miss in my opinion, with me contrasting the uniqueness of games such as Super Mario 3D World and Paper Mario: Colour Splash, but Odyssey could possibly pave the way for more unique Super Mario experiences in the future, introducing new elements to the series, which could potentially be either expanded upon or could be spun off into even more new elements depending on what direction Nintendo want to take it into.

Happii

Overall, despite lacking in story, Super Mario Odyssey delivers players, which is in my opinion, the best Super Mario game since Galaxy 2. And whilst it may not be anywhere near as good as the former, it certainly spells a bright future for the franchise, as well as giving players what is probably the longest Mario experience ever.

Score

53/60

8.5/10 (Great)

Yoshi’s Story (Nintendo 64)

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Developer(s) – Nintendo EAD

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director – Hideki Konno

Producer – Takashi Tezuka

PEGI – 3

Back in a time when the 2D side-scrolling genre was being phased out and the 3D platforming genre was coming into prominence, Nintendo attempted to revive the former by releasing a spiritual successor to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island in the form of Yoshi’s Story; but with considerably less success on both a commercial and critical level.

Graphics – 5/10

Whilst the scenery of Yoshi’s Story is fairly diverse and the game itself is very well polished, the overall visual style made it feel far too much like a kid’s game; even for Nintendo. Everything from the storybook style to the pretty annoying sound bytes used for the Yoshi characters made me think very little of what was on offer, and severely lacks the kind of atmosphere that came with games such as Banjo Kazooie, Super Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time. This title for me just didn’t seem to give that kind of prominent impression, which other Nintendo games had; even for the time.

Gameplay – 6/10

Though it’s somewhat satisfying to rack up the highest score (something that was lacking in prior Mario titles), I still felt the game’s play was wanting. As it was clearly developed with kids in mind, the game is consequently very easy. The bosses, in particular, stand out as being some of the easiest bosses I’ve ever encountered in video games. Yoshi’s Story also had attached to it the most pointless and least threatening Nintendo character in my opinion; Pak E. Derm, who is an elephant with a stop sign, who blocks the player’s path. The player must pound the ground in order to make Pak E. Derm fall to the ground, allowing the player to pass. That mechanic is one of the most senseless things I’ve ever seen in any video game.

Controls – 10/10

There are no problems with the controls, at least. Yoshi’s Story plays out very similarly to Yoshi’s Island, except there is no Baby Mario to accompany Yoshi on the adventure. But by that token, I think the game becomes much less intense as a result, but that’s down to gameplay.

Lifespan – 2/10

As the late 90s was undoubtedly a pretty poor time to try and bring back the 2D side-scrolling genre, I was at that point used to playing games that would last in excess of 30 to 40 fours, such as Ocarina of Time or Final Fantasy VII. It took me inside a day to complete this game, which whilst that may have been acceptable prior to the release of the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation, it certainly wasn’t then, and it definitely isn’t now. One fact about me is that I believe the longer a game can be made to last, the better. That opinion of mine was developed in me throughout the fifth generation of gaming, and since, I’ve never looked back. I’ve grown to think little of games, which seem like fleeting experiences unless they have other decent elements or substance in gameplay.

Storyline – 5.5/10

Yoshi’s Story involves Baby Bowser turning Yoshi’s world into a storybook and stealing the super happy tree, with the Yoshis resolving to reverse the damage. The game looks like a kid’s book; plays out like a kid’s book, and the story is very reminiscent of something someone would find in a kid’s book too. It’s as outlandish as anything else that Nintendo had come up with prior, but it’s just considerably more simplistic, and considerably less appealing and entertaining in my opinion.

Originality – 6/10

Nintendo can’t be faulted for attempting what they have succeeded at so many times; revolutionizing how video games are played out. But this time around, they failed in my opinion. Though they would eventually go on to revive the 2D side-scrolling genre with the New Super Mario Bros series, they didn’t get off to the best start with Yoshi’s Story.

Angrii

To summarize, Yoshi’s Story is a forgettable title on an otherwise legendary console, in my opinion. Nintendo created some great experiences on the Nintendo 64 when 3D gaming started to find popularity, but they went back on themselves in a negative way with this game.

Score

34.5/60

5.5/10 (Below Average)

Wario World (Nintendo GameCube)

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Developer(s) – Treasure

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director(s) – Kouichi Kimura & Hitoshi Yamagami

Producer(s) – Takahiro Izushi & Masato Maegawa

PEGI – 3

Release somewhat late into the GameCube’s shelf life, Wario World provided a different take on what players had seen on that particular console, but not so different from what they had already seen on past systems. I have played much worse games, but this is the first and last Nintendo game that Treasure ever developed, and understandably so.

Graphics – 7/10

One aspect I don’t think I should criticize too much is the visuals. There is some diversity present in both level and boss designs, and the enemies and characters that can be found throughout the game are not as generic as they seem at first glance. To list a few examples, the five Spritelings to be found in each level (in itself a reference to the Jinjos in the Banjo-Kazooie series) closely resemble Pikmin, the fact that the purple flying dinosaur enemies can be seen as a homage to Ridley from the Metroid series, and the Magon enemies found from the very first level closely resemble Bowser from the Super Mario series; the fact that there is a skeletal variation of the Magon would seem to clarify this even further.

Gameplay – 6.5/10

The game is a 3D platformer, but not made in the same vein as what was popular at the time; but rather made to be much more linear, and as a result, I think it suffered. It is enjoyable for a time, but it could be argued that it is far too easy; even for a Mario game, and even to complete it to 100%. Its level of difficulty made obvious to me by the fact that there are even the Magons in the first few levels that don’t attack the player. However, it is interesting to be able to identify different influences the developers took to create the game’s play; not just from Nintendo games. For example, the level and world layout are very similar to the first three Crash Bandicoot games, and the ability to spin enemies around and throw them hearkens back to the strategy of defeating Bowser in Super Mario 64.

Controls – 10/10

Another thing I shouldn’t complain about is the game’s control scheme. Although it is an easy game regardless, it could have done with no complications in terms of controls, and thankfully, there are none.

Lifespan – 4.5/10

As a 3D platformer made in the same vein as classic Crash Bandicoot, the linearity of it, unfortunately, made for a particularly and disappointingly short experience of about 5 hours. Particularly from Nintendo’s point of view, I imagine that it would have seemed like a particularly underwhelming experience, since many other games released on that system, including 3D platformers, were made to last considerably longer, and provide much more entertainment.

Storyline – 6/10

The story of the game follows Super Mario antagonist Wario, who is on a quest to reclaim his riches after they are turned into monsters by the evil anthropomorphic black jewel, which Wario had recently acquired. The only good thing I would say for it is that it is slightly different from most other plots across the Super Mario franchise since it tells a story from the point of view of evil as opposed to that of good, but it still can be seen as nothing overly special and pretty mundane.

Originality – 4/10

Although the game does have its charms here and there, in lieu of Nintendo tradition, it’s still bland enough and far too packed with recycled elements for me to be able to legitimately call it original; especially in terms of gameplay. After pioneering the 3D platforming genre with Super Mario 64, and then going on to make a ton of successful games in the same genre, it seems to me that with this game, Nintendo was actually going back on themselves; something that they rarely do. Nintendo had always pioneered themselves as innovators, but it’s evident to me that innovation wasn’t a watchword at Treasure during development.

Niiutral

In summation, Wario World isn’t the worst game ever developed, but it’s certainly not one of the best either. It was below par by any level of standards ever set by Nintendo and gives testament to the fact that not all developer collaborations can work out well.

Score

38/60

6/10 (Average)

Super Smash Bros Wii U

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Developer(s) – Sora Inc. & Namco Bandai Games

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director – Masahiro Sakurai

Producer – Shinya Saito & Masaya Kobayashi

PEGI -12

Super Smash Bros Wii U game is a new variation of one of Nintendo’s most brilliant ideas for a series (one of which many gamers dreamed of before it was finally invented), with new characters, new game modes, new unlockables, and new features in the form of compatibility with Nintendo’s Skylanders-esque Amiibo toy line. In my opinion, though it doesn’t match up to the quality of many other Nintendo games, and is not the best in its series, it’s certainly a worthy sequel, and one of the best video games on the Wii U so far.

Graphics – 8/10

Many people have argued the case that the newest game in the series either looks the same as Super Smash Bros Brawl, or even that Brawl actually looks better. Although I think there is some basis in the opinion that Brawl looks better, with more textural detail, there is also just as much diversity in stage design; if not, more so. So I happen to think that both games look as good as each other, since the visuals in both games have their own strengths, and they are played extremely effectively.

Gameplay – 7/10

With most of my preferred features of the series kept intact, such as the trophy hoarding, variety in game modes, and a plethora of characters, I’ve found the latest game in the series to be particularly enjoyable, and definitely one of the standout titles of the 2014 holiday season following the disappointment I felt after playing Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. That being said, I was very sorry to see the departure of the story mode, since I believe that alone made Brawl the best game in the series in my opinion. The story mode was handled exceptionally well for one within a fighting game, and I see no reason why the same could be repeated and kept fresh at the same time with the inclusion of so many new characters, such as Pac-Man, Mega Man, and Palutena from Kid Icarus.

Controls – 10/10

With so many different kinds of peripheral compatible with the Wii U, including the GamePad, the Wii remotes, a third-party controller, and even a compatible GameCube controller, there’s no reason why either fans of the series or newcomers shouldn’t find a style of play to suit them; especially fans of the series, since virtually every previous control scheme is available, bar the one from the original game. However, I would impose the same precaution as I did in my review of Hyrule Warriors if playing with the GamePad; regarding not to tense your hands around it too much, which can result in prolonged cramping in the hands and/or fingers.

Originality – 7/10

Though there isn’t much present to differentiate this game from other fighting games, especially since the basic premise of Super Smash Bros itself has been around since 1999, the series’ general formula has been kept relatively fresh with the inclusion of new characters, stages, game modes, and incentive. There have certainly been many fighting games throughout the years that have come and gone trying to be the next Street Fighter II, and failing profusely; especially during the fourth generation of gaming. The difference with many of them compared to Super Smash Bros is that elements such as character design are much, much weaker.

Happii

Overall, Super Smash Bros Wii U, whilst not living up to overwhelming hype spanning over 3 years, is regardless, an enjoyable game, and it comes highly recommended by me. I’ve been a fan of Super Smash Bros since the GameCube era, and this game does an excellent job of bringing one of my favorite Nintendo franchises into the generation of gaming.

Score

32/40

8/10 (Very Good)

Super Smash Bros Melee (GameCube)

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Developer(s) – HAL Laboratory

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director – Masahiro Sakurai

Producer(s) – Masayoshi Tanimura, Hiroaki Suga, Shigeru Miyamoto & Kenji Miki

PEGI -12

Developed as a launch title for the Nintendo GameCube back in 2001, along with Luigi’s Mansion, Pikmin and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, Super Smash Bros Melee made a multitude of significant improvements on the original game in every imaginable way, and it made for what was ultimately one of the greatest games on the system. Although the likes of Wind Waker and Metroid Prime were yet to have come along by that time, this game was more than just a suitable placeholder in anticipation of greater titles.

Graphics – 7.5/10

I don’t think that this game did as good a job showing off what the GameCube was capable of on a graphical as Luigi’s Mansion did with its very effective use of lighting and textural detail, Melee certainly makes up what would have potentially been lost points by including a level of variety in stage design comparable to any other great fighting game, featuring many different universes from Nintendo’s vast repertoire of game series’. In particular, they did a particularly decent job of presenting the Metroid universe, when by that time; they had considerably less source material go from than many other Nintendo franchises.

Gameplay – 8/10

The most significant improvements made in the original game were undoubtedly in the gameplay. There was increased variety, more unlockable characters, the advent of unlockable trophies, and additional game modes on top of that. It can be argued that Nintendo had to introduce variety on this kind of scale to continue to perpetuate the series in the long term, but the variety introduced in Melee was unlike anything I’d ever seen in a fighting game prior and would have been a major factor in turning the series from a casual interest into a major system-seller for Nintendo.

Controls – 10/10

The control scheme employed in Melee was also a massive improvement on that of the original game, since more characters, in turn, meant more move sets for each of the characters, and therefore made for more to do on a smaller controller than the preceding system; the Nintendo 64. Aside from that, however, despite the lack of the immensely popular combo system synonymous with the fighting genre, I find there to be no issues with the control scheme.

Originality – 8/10

At the time, the Super Smash Bros formula was fairly new anyway, but with significant improvements made after the first installment, it felt like an entirely new game at this point, and in my opinion, surpasses the quality of many other great fighting games to have come before it as a result.

Happii

In summation, Super Smash Bros Melee is one of the best games of the sixth generation of gaming, and a must-have for anyone with either a GameCube or a Wii. The series may have gotten even better after this once Brawl came out, but for me, this was the installment that said to me that Masahiro Sakurai meant business with this series.

Score

33.5/40

8/10 (Very Good)

Super Princess Peach (DS)

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Developer(s) – TOSE

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director(s) – Akio Imai & Azusa Tajima

Producer(s) – Shigeru Miyamoto, Yasuhiro Minamimoto & Hitoshi Yamagami

PEGI – 3

Released in the early years of the shelf life of the original DS, Super Princess Peach was designed to be a unique take on the classic 2D side-scrolling formula pioneered by Nintendo, whereby players take control of Princess Peach for the first time, as she assumes the role of the heroine as opposed to the damsel in distress. Though it does have some basis in uniqueness, I found the game to be particularly easy compared to most Mario games, and by proxy, nowhere near as good or interesting.

Graphics – 7/10

In lieu of Super Mario tradition, the atmosphere is happy-go-lucky, and the game has no shortage of vibrant and colorful environments and an array of different enemies and worlds. An interesting element of this game is Peach’s weapon; an anthropomorphic umbrella named Perry, which was actually a young man once, as revealed through various flashbacks throughout the game. Back when the original Super Mario game was relatively new, there was a cartoon film made of it in Japan, featuring a dog, which turns out to be Peach’s prince and it returned to normal at the end of the film. I can’t help but think that this particular element of the film may have inspired this game in turn.

Gameplay – 6/10

As in most Mario games, the objective is simply to get from point A to point B. But in this title, there are 3 Toads to find in each level, as well as an array of different abilities for Peach to use in the form of different emotions. For example, crying projects water, which may be used to water beanstalks, growing them to advance. Though there is that small element of puzzle solving to it, it is still a particularly easy game, since Peach is at a great advantage with her umbrella, which can be used to attack enemies. To me, it highlights why it was such a bad idea that Nintendo originally wanted to give Mario a gun.

Controls – 10/10

As far as the control scheme goes, whilst there shouldn’t have been any problems with the basic layout (and so there isn’t any), at this point, it wouldn’t have been particularly hard to add other features to the mix along with them. I was pretty happy to see the touch screen being put to decent use, at least. Other than this, however, there isn’t much else to say about it, unfortunately.

Lifespan – 4/10

Though it does indeed last around the same time as most other conventional Mario games, clocking at about 3 to 4 hours, the game’s paltry difficulty level can make it seem as if it lasts a great deal shorter than even that. The side quest can keep more intrepid players busy for a short while longer, but not as long as its world layout would suggest. The map looks a lot like that of Super Mario RPG, so I was somewhat disappointed to learn that it lasts nowhere near as long.

Storyline – 3/10

Not differing to any great extent from the plot most typically associated with Super Mario, Princess Peach, along with her umbrella friend Perry, are on a quest to save Mario and Luigi from Bowser as opposed to it being the other way round. Though the game didn’t necessarily need a decent story at all, what I don’t like about it is how much it contradicts the entire premise of the series. If Peach has always had these different abilities, then it makes me suspicious of why she couldn’t use them against Bowser whenever she is kidnapped.

Originality – 6/10

The game does have at least some basis in uniqueness at least, with the different range of abilities Peach has throughout the course of the game. Ultimately, however, it plays out essentially like any other Mario game and doesn’t stand out to any significant extent. I think the developers could build on what they achieved with this game if they ever decided to make a sequel, but the first game in this potential series was a question of trial and error.

Niiutral

Overall, Whilst Super Princess Peach isn’t one of the worst games I’ve ever played; it, unfortunately, doesn’t stand out as one of Nintendo’s better efforts. I can’t help but think that with a bit more challenge, it could have been much more than what it turned out to be, but given the less-than-satisfactory sales figures this game has garnished, a sequel seems unlikely.

Score

36/60

6/10 (Average)

Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)

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Developer(s) – Nintendo EAD

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director(s) – Yoshiaki Koizumi & Kenta Usui

Producer(s) – Shigeru Miyamoto & Takashi Tezuka

PEGI – 3

Following on from the immense success of Super Mario 64 back in 1996, Nintendo released Super Mario Sunshine on the GameCube in 2002 and went on to receive overwhelmingly positive critical acclaim, with many publications giving it a perfect score, and Japanese website Famitsu also giving a near-perfect score; one of the very few games at that time to achieve such an honor. Personally, however, although I can understand why critics and players alike appreciate this game to the extent that they do, with it presenting a new and outlandish style of play that had never been seen in a Super Mario game prior, it seemed like too much of a step down from Super Mario 64, and there were fundamentals that I feel the developers didn’t handle as well as they should have done.

Graphics – 7/10

In terms of conceptual design, Nintendo was at least able to break away from many of the normal conventions there were within the series at that time, and take it to an entirely new setting with new types of supporting characters, very effectively expanding the mythos of the entire Super Mario universe; something that arguably needed to happen for some time prior to the release of this game. It was also the first time at FMVs that had been implemented in a Mario game, which helped it to showcase what kind of graphics the Nintendo GameCube was capable of processing in its early shelf life.

Gameplay – 5/10

After the prolonged success of 3D platforming games on the Nintendo 64, Super Mario Sunshine was Nintendo’s attempt at bringing something new to the table, introducing new gameplay mechanics in the form of Mario’s new companion, F.L.U.D.D; a water hose which Mario must use to clean areas of land in order to get around and to use a weapon against enemies and bosses. The problem I had with this game, however, is that there are a number of game-breaking glitches throughout, which made me believe that it was left unfinished overall. It was highly unorthodox by Nintendo’s standards, making this game one of the first true signs of weakness I personally witnessed within the gaming industry. Yoshi’s Story did little to impress me when I was a kid, but I naturally expected much more from a Mario game, and unfortunately in this instance, my expectations were not met.

Controls – 8/10

Another way in which Nintendo could be seen as going back on themselves in this instance is in the game’s control scheme. It ultimately plays out almost identically to Super Mario 64, but the new mechanics can take some getting used to at first, and even after this, I found them to be somewhat unresponsive at times. Overall, it was a little dissatisfying to see this after Nintendo had pioneered such a sophisticated control scheme with Super Mario 64.

Lifespan – 8/10

One good thing I can say about this game, however, is that for those who may not experience as much of a problem with it as I did, there is certainly a fairly lengthy experience to be had. Lasting just as long as any 3D platforming Mario game, around 30 to 40 hours time can be clocked, which is pretty impressive. In general, it surprised me how such long games could be stored on mini discs when I first started laying the GameCube. I saw it with both Wind Waker and Metroid Prime, but his game is yet another shining example of this.

Storyline – 6.5/10

The story of Super Mario Sunshine takes place on a vacation island called Delfino, in which an unidentified figure has been vandalizing large sections of the resort. Once Mario and company touch down ready to take their own vacation, Mario is immediately and wrongfully identified by the Delfino authorities as being the vandal and is sentenced to clean what mess has been made with the aid of F.L.U.D.D. At first, it seemed like a positive change from the damsel in distress story that had become synonymous with the series even at that point, but over time, that’s exactly what it unfolds into, overall making it not much different from any other Mario game.

Originality – 7/10

Despite Nintendo’s unwillingness to provide a great deal of uniqueness in terms of story, I do respect their willingness to have tried something new in terms of gameplay; which after all, is much more important than the former. There would be many more 3D platformers released throughout the sixth generation of gaming that would blow this title out of the water in my opinions, such as Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank, but this game was able to at least stand out among these others to the extent that it did.

Niiutral

Overall, Super Mario Sunshine is my least favorite 3D Mario game, but it’s by no means the worst game in the franchise overall. There are gamers out there who hold this title in much higher regard than I do, and this is understandably so, but to me, there were far too many faults I found with it to be able to call it a classic game.

Score

41.5/60

6.5/10 (Above Average)

Super Mario Maker (Wii U)

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Developer(s) – Nintendo EAD Group No 4

Publisher(s) – Nintendo

Director – Yosuke Oshino

Producer(s) – Tazashi Tezuka & Horiyuki Kimura

PEGI – 3

Partly inspired by the Super Nintendo classic Mario Paint, Super Mario Maker is a game in which players are given the facility to design their own Super Mario courses and share them across the Internet with players from around the world. Personally, whilst I was mightily impressed with the practically infinite amount of replay value there is to be had with this title, I did have a few issues with it preventing me from being able to call it the ultimate Mario experience.

Graphics – 8/10

The templates available to players to create their own Super Mario levels consist of the conceptual and technological design of the original Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros U. By proxy, players will already know that they will eventually be in for a whirlwind of customization options involving some of the most wonderfully outlandish conceptual design in video game history. If that weren’t enough, Nintendo has also added a few new elements into the mix that can be implemented, such as distorting scenery to add to a stage’s level of challenge, and a whole range of sound effects and scenery effects like fireworks, and funny noises activated whilst interacting with a certain object in each stage. In some of the better level designs I’ve encountered so far, I’ve been impressed with how Nintendo has managed to keep the franchise relatively fresh and creative even after thirty years.

Gameplay – 7/10

As mentioned, what Super Mario Maker entails is players designing, sharing, and playing a multitude of different Super Mario courses based on four templates of four classic Mario games. Different elements can be unlocked through either playing other people’s courses or through the nine-day unlocking cycle, but there is another way of getting around this for anyone who would prefer to have these features unlocked even sooner. All that the player must do is experiment with the creating mode for 5 minutes at a time, at which point they will receive a notification that new features will soon be available, After this, the player can then set the date forward by a day in the system settings, reload the game, and the new features will become available. This can be done multiple times until all the features are unlocked. However, one problem that I think will always apply to this game is that the levels present will always vary in quality from either masterful to exceedingly boring since the content is almost solely user-generated. I’ve already encountered this problem whilst playing, and I don’t think this at least is likely to ever change.

Controls – 10/10

There is hardly anything to say about the game’s controls since it consists of a control scheme, which has already been around for thirty years, and has been perfected all this time. Super Mario Bros set the standard of how a 2D side-scrolling video game should be correctly developed, and by proxy, there was never going to be an issue with controls.

Originality – 6/10

Though the entire concept of user-generated content and modding is by no means anything new to the world of gaming, Nintendo has still managed to at least keep the Mario franchise relatively fresh by adding a gameplay concept new to it, whilst along the way, adding new elements never seen in Super Mario stages before. Ultimately, the majority of what uniqueness this game holds lies with the player’s ability to design as many rich and varied courses as possible, and from what I’ve seen so far the quality of that has ranged from captivatingly unique to courses that Nintendo themselves would despair at if they were to see them for themselves.

Happii

Overall Super Mario Maker is a very decent game. It also has the potential to be even better still if Nintendo decides to provide players with even more course templates and elements as the next few months or years go on. In my opinion, it could potentially pave the way for Nintendo to make even more of these kinds of games, which could be extremely interesting if they decide to do so. It would be just another example of how this franchise could possibly continue to establish new trends in the world of gaming.