Impressions: Super Mario Galaxy
After finally getting a copy of the game and playing for, oh I don’t know, two minutes over the past two days, I thought I’d write up my initial impressions of the game. As we all know, I wanted this game to transport me to a magical gaming nirvana, but that doesn’t happen much these days (last time I felt “compelled” to play a game was when I discovered the awesome combat of Final Fantasy XII… I actually would wake up early and play it before work. Then I got tired of it after a week, since level grinding is level grinding).
Here’s the deal: it’s pretty cool. I have to come to the realization that I just can’t have Mario 64 ever again. That game was the reason for the jacked-up N64 controller, and although subsequent Nintendo controllers have been even more jacked, none of them have the capability for camera control that the N64 had. We just gotta cope with it.
Mario Galaxy does what it can, though. The camera is quite a bit better than Mario Sunshine’s; in fact, it feels very similar to a Zelda-style system, in that pressing “C” will center the camera behind Mario. I wasn’t adjusting the camera very often, actually, simply due to the nature of the way Galaxy works. Most levels are made up of small (usually spherical) planetoids, and the camera is usually pointing almost straight down on Mario, and has to adjust very quickly because of the constant curvature of the “planet.” So far I haven’t gotten frustrated with the camera, which is good news.
I’m still not totally sold on the Wii remote’s functionality, though. You use it to direct a cursor to pick up/shoot Star Shards, little bits of colorful debris that stun enemies. It just doesn’t seem to be that useful… it might have been cool to be able to pick up coins or something. You can also shake the remote or nunchuck to make Mario spin – what might now be considered his default attack. Spinning tromps enemies, as well as breaks crates and crystals. Jumping on enemies seems to be a bit harder now than it was in the past, mostly because of the crazy differences in the camera.
Right now I’m loving the fact that each area in the game is more linear. We don’t have to run through the same levels in the game over and over, it seems.
Expect a full review to come once I have a bit more time to actually play the darned game.
EDIT: Yeah, it’s good. I played for a while this morning before work, and have found little negative to say… maybe the worst thing is that you go through the levels so quickly.
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