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Well, it appears I've set a right cat among the pigeons with my dissection of Super Mario Galaxy, with none other than Carnage leaping to the game's defense! You'll have to forgive me if I do interpret my good friend Carnage's article as follows: "So... ND... is... harsh and... just plan untrue. I'm sorry ND old bean but... Get in touch!" Really? Well, I'm always one for a sporting fight, old bean! Let's take a look at Carnage's comments in this FullHealth rebuttal article!
We'll cut to the chase by breaking down Carnage's article bit by bit. And as the man himself often says: Here-we go! 1. Linear Gameplay Carnage: Yes, open world games are great and yes you do get some wonderful ones, but since when did linear gameplay become such a freakin’ crime? Well, linear gameplay has never been a crime, but it's nice to be able to step out into a 3D world and just explore, without being limited by Sling Stars or other forms of rails. Anybody who has played SMG can vouch that there are some fantastic set pieces... Yes, there are. I particularly agree with the Melty Molten example, and also of course floating through Gusty Garden Galaxy with those... floaty plants, passing through the checkpoints until you finally hit the Rainbow Star and blow that Golden Chain Chomp into smithereens! Great fun. But what about the good old days of Super Mario 64? Think back to Bob-omb Battlefield, Jolly Roger Bay, Shifting Sand Land... all examples of (then) huge worlds with many different things to do and many possible objectives. No set paths and no "go here, do that" scenarios. This is the sort of thing that made Mario 64 a truly great game, and whilst Galaxy's set pieces were indeed fantastic, there was always the feeling (at least for me) that there just wasn't enough freedom to do what you wanted to do for a game so big, let alone for one carrying Mario's title. 2. Bad Story and Theme This really is a matter of taste, because I liked these things once again ...and if I’m honest her back story made me quite upset, I felt quite touched by the woeful tale. Sorry Carnage, but I'll have to double-check - you actually sat through that rubbish and endured it? Good gracious man, I think I'll have to book an appointment with Dr. Mario for you!
Being a veteran Mario fan and quite a purist, I personally brushed aside that storybook stuff for the nonsense it was, and paid only a token visit to the Library for the sake of completeness. (Jamming the A-button to get through the obligatory first chapter was bad enough, but watching the whole thing... whoa! No way! Is that even possible?) As to the overall plot, what is more epic than Bowser destroying the Universe to create a new one for Princess Peach, his son and himself?... Watching the hundreds of lunas fly into the sun, dying for their cause gave me goose bumps, and the final ending made me shiver with delight. Bah! All rubbish! :P
A very nice story as you said there, with Bowser destroying the universe and everything, but spoiled horribly by those rotten Lumas and that stupid Rosalina. I say cut that rabble out of the formula and you've got a great plot! 3. Difficulty Well, it looks like Carnage has conceded this one, but I'll have to take the opportunity to jab him - you've never completed Super Mario 64? Dear oh dear! So you've never stomped on the Thwomp, or rolled into the cage, or gone somewhere over the rainbow, or found the secrets in the shallows and sky, or...
(I'll just hide in this little corner and pretend I've completed Super Mario Sunshine with 120 Shines even if I've never actually played it... anyway, where were we all?!)
But I'll have to agree that the soundtrack to Galaxy, again, was amazing. 4. Missed Opportunities Now this got my blood boiling!... have you ever played a 3D co-op game...? Uh... well, no, I guess I haven't... But I'd really, really like to! ;)
(And please - never use the phrases "Mario Galaxy" and "split screen" together in the same sentence) And Yoshi? YOSHI!?... Yoshi was good in two, count them, TWO Mario games... Tripe, garbage, leave him to die I say. (explodes)
What?! What is this?!?! Leave Yoshi to die?! Why, my canine blood is boiling so hot I believe I'll cook some Bonio pie! No, no my man, if anything Yoshi should have been rideable, playable, feedable and everything else-able in Galaxy!
(Or perhaps I need to go and play Super Mario Sunshine to see how bad he really is, eh?) As to anti aliasing... I’m sorry but I’ve no idea what you are on about... Jaggies, my man. Galaxy's horrendous lack of anti-aliasing regularly produces enough sharp edges to rival the cutlery sets of a thousand butchers. Especially in the main Observatory area - take a look at those serrated edges! Nasty butchery indeed. And the final reward, well can you actually think of a decent final reward in a game?... Yup. Super Luigi Galaxy with at least some sense of difference to the main game, of course! Yes, Super Mario Galaxy is quite a super game, but I say it overall fails - just slightly - to live up to the hype created for it... Well, Carnage, there you have it; my riposte to your honourable reply. And as for our readers - again, who are you going to side with? Will you take sides with my slating of Mario Galaxy or join Carnage in his defense?
Please let us know in the Comments or Forum. We love hearing your input and no reply goes un-noticed!
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