A reply to a weak SMG review

[Reinhart]

Don't believe the hype: Super Mario Galaxy is not that great

Eh, it's OK
(Credit: Gamespot)


After sifting through a host of reviews calling Nintendo's new Super Mario Galaxy game "one of the best Mario adventures yet", I decided to head down to my local Gamestop and pick up a copy.


Now, it should be noted that I have played each and every Super Mario game dating back to Super Mario Bros. and have always been a fan of the series. In fact, to this day, I still consider Super Mario Sunshine to be one of the better games in the Mario franchise. Further, Super Mario 64 was simply a marvel of its time and easily one of the best experiences I've ever had gaming.


But after playing through Super Mario Galaxy for the past week, I simply don't get all the hype surrounding the game. Is it a good game? Sure. Is it a great game? No.
The first thing that struck me about this game was the utter lack of beauty. And while I realize the Wii doesn't have the horsepower we've all come to know and love in the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or the PC, this game looks no better than games released back in 2001.


Is graphics everything? Of course not. But don't you think Nintendo could have done a slightly better job creating a better looking world? I hate to be picky, but compare this game to Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube -- Nintendo's last generation device -- and there is no contest. And after playing games like Call of Duty 4 and Assassin's Creed, I can't help but think this game is downright ugly for this generation.
But alas, Mario games have always been about gameplay. And while much of the jumping and fluid motion I had come to love in Sunshine is still present, the interaction of the game with the Wii-Mote made this game feel gimmicky.
Am I the only person in the world who started playing this game and thought the need to "shake the Wii-mote" back and forth was one of the dumbest aspects of this game?


And I think that's where Nintendo lost me. With a first-party game, I truly believe the Wii-mote should be inexorably tied to gameplay. Unfortunately, it simply wasn't. In fact, it almost seemed like this functionality was tacked on at the end because, after all, a Wii game must use that Wii-mote in some way, right?
But perhaps this is an issue that plagues the Wii more than this game itself. Is it possible that Wii-mote interaction is difficult and it only really works on mini-games and sports titles? Now that I've played Super Mario Galaxy, I certainly believe so.
One other major issue I had with this title is its unbearably boring story. Why must I sit through drawn-out text discussions of the story when all I really want to do is play the game? Suffice it to say, Nintendo's way of telling a story through a dialog box is out-dated and stupid. It should have been thrown out the window with the Gamecube.


Of course, not everything was bad in Super Mario Galaxy. In fact, Nintendo broke the mold of gameplay in quite a few ways that should usher in some new ways to make games. I especially enjoyed running under planets and moving around and jumping was as simple and fun as it always has been.


But in the end, I was left wanting more out of this game. Not only does it look downright ugly at times, the tacked-on feel of some of its controls and its utter lack of a compelling story preclude me from calling it the "wonderful" game others have called it. Is it a good game? Yes. Is it great? Not a chance.


If you ask me, this game deserves a 7 out of 10.

________________________________________________________

So here are his problems with the game:

Storyline:
While he Praises the original Super Mario Bros and Mario 64 with the same.. if not WORSE story lines?
Please.. at least stay consistent.

Some games do not require and are not made BETTER by a story line.
Do people play tetris or Wii Sports and declare "WHEREZ DA STORY?!"
No.. that is because SOME GAMES ARE NOT MADE BETTER BY A STORYLINE.

Graphics:
You must wonder why everyone in the gaming world disagrees with you on this point.
The graphics are wonderful in 16:9 Progressive Scan. Can the Wii do more?.. Probably. Did it need to do more to render a cartoon plumber that jumps on stars?.. no. The game is rock solid at 60+ FPS and never skips a beat. The colors are vibrant and the animations are fluid.

WiiMote "Tack-Ons":
"In fact, it almost seemed like this functionality was tacked on at the end because, after all, a Wii game must use that Wii-mote in some way, right?"

What do you mean "Use it in some way?" You have the remote pointed at the screen the ENTIRE game! There are multiple mini games within SMG which require ONLY the use of the remote. Also the entire 2P experience requires the remote as well.

Tacked on?.. Give me a break.. its 1/2 the entire control scheme!

You're obviously an intelligent guy..

So my question to you is..
Obviously you can't be intellectually honest and write what youve written.
So..

Did you do this to get hits on your blog?
Are you being Paid?
Or do you just like attention?

I'm guessing the latter.


Reinhart
Nintendo World Webmaster

[Space_Case]

you tell that loser Reinhart! he probably just couldnt get past the first lvl thats y he was mad. xD

[Godfather]

He's eating his words now.

[jbtenseventeen]

It's to bad you didn't like the game. I loved it. You got to leatn to enjoy the game.

[Sirjinx]

You know this guy is just doing it for attention. How can he say he is a true long time mario fan and write that? Everyone is saying how great of a game it is and that guy figures that if he says it is just "ok" then everyone will shout bloody murder and give him lots of traffic.

This guys 5 seconds of fame are up.

[GreenSleeve]

His revies was sponsored by sony. It says somewhere on that page.

[The Mole]

I really can't wait to play this game myself now, just to see this loser completely proven wrong in every aspect possible

[Luke]

The evil sony is behind this dastardly feat... death to sony!

[Arthur]

His consistency is so thin as to undermine his entire article;

...I have played each and every Super Mario game dating back to Super Mario Bros. and have always been a fan of the series.

...And SM64 had a great story line? Were any Mario games ever compared to Homer, Tolstoy, et al?

And after playing games like Call of Duty 4 and Assassin's Creed, I can't help but think this game is downright ugly for this generation.

It's a thinly veiled attack on the graphics. While I would have liked to seen a larger step up the decision that was made still led to a great gaming platform. 480p in widescreen is sufficient. Anyone want to bet what the outcry over Manhunt2 on the Wii would be if there was photo realistic graphics? <shudder>

Haters always show their true colors when you read/hear "I've been a long time (fan/player/owner) but the graphics will doom the Wii to to be known as a kiddy game and never a real hardcore machine." <sigh>

[misa]

He's entitled to his opinion, however skewed it may be.

For all those people who keep saying Wii Lacks graphics and it's going to be its downfall, consider this. Out of the big three console manufacturers, how many of them were/are producing at full capacity one year later and still having trouble meeting demand.

I guess I can see their point though. Just go to your local video store and see how many DVD's they have vs. HDDVD and Blue-Ray...they're right, people spend more for better graphics all the time.

I say Mario for president

[Zrakas17]

yeah i agree with sirjinx. that guy must be trying to get atention. i honesty think that it is and extremly fun game.

[P1 Pharmacy Student]

I think Super Mario Galaxy is overrated at a 9.7 IGN and 9.5 Game Spot. I think it is a great game, but not a 9 out of 10. However, giving it a 7/10 is also too low. I would give it an 8/10 and I can understand ratings of 7.5-8.5/10. I am going to rate every game I own. This list does not include games I sold, I rate those a 4 or lower.

Highest to Lowest and range of acceptable ratings:

1. Zelda: Twilight Princess: 8.5/10 Range 8-9/10
2. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition: 8.5/10 Range 8-9/10
3. Medal of Honor: Heroes 2: 8.25/10 Range 7.75-8.75/10
4. Super Mario Galaxy: 8/10 Range 7.5-8.5/10
5. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption: 7.5/10 Range 7-8/10
6. Super Paper Mario: 7.5/10 Range 7-8/10
7. Rayman: Raving Rabbids: 7/10 Range 6.5-7.5/10
8. Wii Sports: 6/10 Range 5.5-6.5/10