"Oh. My. God.
That. Was. A. Spectacle."
Above are the words that I said when I saw the E3 trailer for this marvel of a video game.
Yes, JUST the E3 trailer.
When I got the game, I literally started going crazy.
First up, I'll say this. I have a HUGE bias towards Mario. My first video game was Super Mario World for the SNES. The Super Mario games were the most addictive, challenging, and ultimately, wonderful games of their time, maybe even today!
The Mario games had (or rather STILL HAVE) a certain whimsical, goofy, yet all-encompassing charm to them, that any casual gamer would get drawn in like a magnet. Not only were the original NES Mario games good, but each future Mario game raised the bar, consistently.
Super Mario World 1 and 2 for the SNES, Super Mario 64 for the N64. Heck, I even thought Super Mario Sunshine for the GameCube was amazing. (It actually is, but that's a whole different story)
But, when I saw the E3 trailer for THIS game, I was so hyped. In fact, I was never MORE hyped for any other game EVER. It was the whimsical, colorful, charming and adventurous traditional 3D Mario platformer, but in space! And it looked amazing! Man, was I hyped.
It might sound a little cheesy, but it was the PINNACLE of all ideas for a Mario game. In the first place, Mario games were bereft of most logic and sensibility, or actually deep story in the first place. The story was mostly loose, and had the same traditional plot: rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the dastardly Koopa King Bowser. But, whatever it was, it worked for Mario games, since they put gameplay before story, and yes, even logic, sometimes. But who cares? It's a video game, not a movie, where everything HAS to have a controlled plot.
EVERYTHING about this game was near PERFECT, from start to end. The fun, fast and engrossing gameplay, the visuals on the Nintendo Wii, the sound effects, EVERYTHING. At times, it was challenging as heck, and at others, it felt like a breeze. Still, playing through the game is wonderful for not just the gameplay and the levels (some which have an ingenious design, by the way), but even for the masterful presentation. The game looks, plays, and feels truly, like a spectacle.
Don't think I wasn't going to mention the music, which was definitely the highest of all high points for Super Mario Galaxy. This game has some of the BEST video game music, in years. It's so memorable, it brings me to tears, whenever I hear the theme for Battlerock Galaxy. Not that anything sad or depressing happened then, but because of the memories that it invoked. Truly, Super Mario Galaxy has one of the best video game soundtracks, of all time.
A lot of people say that games like GTA, Halo and Call of Duty are the greatest, because they're more 'mature', and 'cool', and that Mario and Nintendo games are for 'kids'. I say that that's not true. Sure, games like GTA and Halo are good, in their own right, but just because that they're for mature audiences, doesn't mean that that's what makes them good. They have a lot of other factors that make them what they are. Whereas, these games, intended for children, are made with just so much heart and thought, that they become great in THEIR own right. And, OH, what a great game this is.
And, this is it. My huge love letter to my absolute favorite Mario game, and video game, of all time. No other video game has filled me with so many memories. Thank you, Nintendo, for bringing to me, and so many other gamers, one of the best video games ever.
It would be a crime for anyone who calls themselves a true 'gamer', to not play this game and keep calling themselves that.
That. Was. A. Spectacle."
Above are the words that I said when I saw the E3 trailer for this marvel of a video game.
Yes, JUST the E3 trailer.
When I got the game, I literally started going crazy.
First up, I'll say this. I have a HUGE bias towards Mario. My first video game was Super Mario World for the SNES. The Super Mario games were the most addictive, challenging, and ultimately, wonderful games of their time, maybe even today!
The Mario games had (or rather STILL HAVE) a certain whimsical, goofy, yet all-encompassing charm to them, that any casual gamer would get drawn in like a magnet. Not only were the original NES Mario games good, but each future Mario game raised the bar, consistently.
Super Mario World 1 and 2 for the SNES, Super Mario 64 for the N64. Heck, I even thought Super Mario Sunshine for the GameCube was amazing. (It actually is, but that's a whole different story)
But, when I saw the E3 trailer for THIS game, I was so hyped. In fact, I was never MORE hyped for any other game EVER. It was the whimsical, colorful, charming and adventurous traditional 3D Mario platformer, but in space! And it looked amazing! Man, was I hyped.
It might sound a little cheesy, but it was the PINNACLE of all ideas for a Mario game. In the first place, Mario games were bereft of most logic and sensibility, or actually deep story in the first place. The story was mostly loose, and had the same traditional plot: rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from the dastardly Koopa King Bowser. But, whatever it was, it worked for Mario games, since they put gameplay before story, and yes, even logic, sometimes. But who cares? It's a video game, not a movie, where everything HAS to have a controlled plot.
EVERYTHING about this game was near PERFECT, from start to end. The fun, fast and engrossing gameplay, the visuals on the Nintendo Wii, the sound effects, EVERYTHING. At times, it was challenging as heck, and at others, it felt like a breeze. Still, playing through the game is wonderful for not just the gameplay and the levels (some which have an ingenious design, by the way), but even for the masterful presentation. The game looks, plays, and feels truly, like a spectacle.
Don't think I wasn't going to mention the music, which was definitely the highest of all high points for Super Mario Galaxy. This game has some of the BEST video game music, in years. It's so memorable, it brings me to tears, whenever I hear the theme for Battlerock Galaxy. Not that anything sad or depressing happened then, but because of the memories that it invoked. Truly, Super Mario Galaxy has one of the best video game soundtracks, of all time.
A lot of people say that games like GTA, Halo and Call of Duty are the greatest, because they're more 'mature', and 'cool', and that Mario and Nintendo games are for 'kids'. I say that that's not true. Sure, games like GTA and Halo are good, in their own right, but just because that they're for mature audiences, doesn't mean that that's what makes them good. They have a lot of other factors that make them what they are. Whereas, these games, intended for children, are made with just so much heart and thought, that they become great in THEIR own right. And, OH, what a great game this is.
And, this is it. My huge love letter to my absolute favorite Mario game, and video game, of all time. No other video game has filled me with so many memories. Thank you, Nintendo, for bringing to me, and so many other gamers, one of the best video games ever.
It would be a crime for anyone who calls themselves a true 'gamer', to not play this game and keep calling themselves that.