this game is a classic from my edgy phase at 13, that being said I've always thought this game was pretty funny as i grew older so I can't hate it despite how edgy it is. The art is really class too.
This is a fascinating work of fanfiction insofar as I can't believe it exists, but obviously it just doesn't work on a conceptual level. Mario's contrast to the anime-style visuals borderlines on the comedic such that any tension the games setting can evoke is completely undermined. He is unceremoniously transplanted into a totally different kind of game; the plot itself being a standard Sen-style RPG Maker horror (think Misao or Mad Father). The "creepypastas" that would define mid 2010s internet culture- Sonic.exe, Ben Drowned, etc. worked on some level because they were appropriating the original games' context. The game world itself is being corrupted with the presence of the horror. By contrast, Music Box is just taking Mario and putting him in a Victorian-style mansion and having him deal with a setting completely unfamiliar to the actual games. I guess Luigi's Mansion would be the closest thing tonally, but Mansion didn't have anime characters running around.
Mario's personality in this game wavers between passive observer and tortured soul; which I guess is okay, because if you think about it, what really is Mario's personality? The Music Box simply wouldn't work if Mario was just the ceaseless automaton he is in other games. Problem is, Mario is... Mario. He's a plumber in a red hat and overalls, with a huge moustache and nose. You can't divorce that iconic look from the memories it evokes of playing the Mario games. As a result, watching Mario brood and grimly comment on some mutilated dead bodies is impossible to take seriously. It is just impossible not to laugh or find it amusing.
Music Box also runs into the problem that the games its based on aren't particularly good as "games." What endeared people to Sen's games was atmosphere and worldbuilding- something that this game fails at right from the start. Take that away and you're stuck with the extremely mediocre gameplay these titles have. The clunky exploration sequences and endless backtracking to solve puzzles bored me out of my mind. In true RPG Maker horror fashion, there are multiple red herrings that lead to you immediately dying and having to reload your save. These were mostly hilarious, but many of them are impossible to predict; meaning you need to save every time you reach a new area or you risk losing a bunch of progress.
For the reasons I have outlined, the game is very tedious if you can get past the absurdity of the concept. I played through to the first ending I could reach (of which there are multiple), which was this really strange rip-off of Puella Magi Madoka Magica before I called it quits. I don't think I'll ever revisit it; even though the game has a huge, branching storyline that encompasses multiple timelines and a sequel.
I will end this review on a positive note by saying "Immortal" is a banger and the game gets an extra star just for the opening music video.
Mario's personality in this game wavers between passive observer and tortured soul; which I guess is okay, because if you think about it, what really is Mario's personality? The Music Box simply wouldn't work if Mario was just the ceaseless automaton he is in other games. Problem is, Mario is... Mario. He's a plumber in a red hat and overalls, with a huge moustache and nose. You can't divorce that iconic look from the memories it evokes of playing the Mario games. As a result, watching Mario brood and grimly comment on some mutilated dead bodies is impossible to take seriously. It is just impossible not to laugh or find it amusing.
Music Box also runs into the problem that the games its based on aren't particularly good as "games." What endeared people to Sen's games was atmosphere and worldbuilding- something that this game fails at right from the start. Take that away and you're stuck with the extremely mediocre gameplay these titles have. The clunky exploration sequences and endless backtracking to solve puzzles bored me out of my mind. In true RPG Maker horror fashion, there are multiple red herrings that lead to you immediately dying and having to reload your save. These were mostly hilarious, but many of them are impossible to predict; meaning you need to save every time you reach a new area or you risk losing a bunch of progress.
For the reasons I have outlined, the game is very tedious if you can get past the absurdity of the concept. I played through to the first ending I could reach (of which there are multiple), which was this really strange rip-off of Puella Magi Madoka Magica before I called it quits. I don't think I'll ever revisit it; even though the game has a huge, branching storyline that encompasses multiple timelines and a sequel.
I will end this review on a positive note by saying "Immortal" is a banger and the game gets an extra star just for the opening music video.
a painted door killed me. wow.
I can think of at least one guy who would really appreciate the non-patronising, multidimensional tone of this title. At long last, a Mario without jumping and the condescension of the hooting and hollering that accompanies it. With those yelps and the praise of item-finding gone, I can confidently say my tail is no longer wagging.
Recommended by franz as part of [this list]
Recommended by franz as part of [this list]
LMAOOO
The most unintentionally funny game of all time
roommate walked in and asked what the fuck i was playing and i had no legitimate answer so i stopped after the far cry ending
roommate walked in and asked what the fuck i was playing and i had no legitimate answer so i stopped after the far cry ending
Unintentionally hilarious. I can see a look of time went into making this, cutscenes, art, the game itself looks really good. I kinda feel bad for only rating it 2.5
Update: I've been informed that the creator of this was a Mario fictionkin who got in drama often so I'm halving the one star I gave it
The art's good, but the rest is just... bad. I physically couldn't continue after one of the button-mashing segments. I'm a fast clicker too, so it's not like I just suck mashing or anything. The Mario characters just feel out of place...? If the Mario characters were replaced with characters like the side ones that fit the game's tone and style and the gameplay was better, I feel like it could've been a neat little RPGmaker horror game. Nothing fantastic, but it could've been fine. I can't say much on the story because I never got that far in. Mario's mere presence ruined the entire mood in a way that's honestly comedic
The art's good, but the rest is just... bad. I physically couldn't continue after one of the button-mashing segments. I'm a fast clicker too, so it's not like I just suck mashing or anything. The Mario characters just feel out of place...? If the Mario characters were replaced with characters like the side ones that fit the game's tone and style and the gameplay was better, I feel like it could've been a neat little RPGmaker horror game. Nothing fantastic, but it could've been fine. I can't say much on the story because I never got that far in. Mario's mere presence ruined the entire mood in a way that's honestly comedic