Utilises fun little gimmicks in mostly interesting and unique ways, and combines this larger meta gimmick in the funny little platforming guy game. What else do you need? Excellent bite sized chunks, a little lack in mechanical variety at times but still engaging, accessibility options so wide there's 12 playable characters and 24 (technically 22) different modifiers in the form of badges to help you play the way you want. This is not pinnacle mario but definitely a highlight in it's history. Now that I've (hopefully) communicated why I rated this game as well as I have, this context will help to understand my main reason for writing this review.
This game sets out to become exact what you expect it to be, with the 'randomness' of the wonder effect even staying within your expectations, and exists merely to maximise fun in lieu of overall favourable design or quality of life design elements. So that begs the question, why review it? The game spits in your face upon any attempts to diagnose the cavities left by design choices in the game. Why spin jump? Cause the r button didn't have much to do. Why does wall sliding have a delay? Because levels utilising the mechanic wouldn't be paced as well otherwise. Why the special badges? Because it may be fun to you to use them in normal levels, but they exist more to throw another gimmick level at you. Why another super secret really hard post-game level? Because it's expected at this point, and fairly easy to make this time around. This game attempts to be incapable of proper analysis, as it seems to imply that would be missing the point of the game. And don't get me wrong, this isn't me being angry at it being 'too easy and thus not engaging' or 'trying to find complexity in the funny jump for kids', as I find the 2D kirby games are easier (most of the time) and more engaging than this game. Clearly I should 'get over myself' and just enjoy the funny boing yahoo game...
And yet, we typically associate a good experience in playing a game with quality gameplay and intentional fun-first design, which this game features very little of in the platforming parts. The quality of controls is just passable enough to not be noticed unless it becomes an issue in the secret levels (or before if you pay attention), the level design is also just passable enough to get you interacting with the controller so that when a wonder flower pops on screen you're not apathetic enough yet to walk right by it. The focus of the game seems less on experiencing a platforming adventure and more on minigames featuring rule changes.
I felt disinterested in the actual jumping around I was doing by about world 4, and realised that I had stopped seeing the game as a platformer and more as a puzzle game, and I could only get back into the platforming mindset by attempting to count the clock externally to force some semblence of pressure on my interactions through the controller. It felt like the platforming came second in the level design to presenting a mechanics-based lock and key puzzle to progress, especially with the purple coins. Celeste is a perfect contrast (as always) of good platforming design, as the puzzle elements in the level design serve to help you with a blueprint for what actions to take in getting to your goal, the puzzle is secondary to jumping good.
All of this is in it's worst form for me with the search parties, now your ability to move a character around a screen is merely to search the screen for hidden or blocked off tokens. I especially did not like pipe park, however given the overwhelming about of trick/improperly communicated puzzle levels in the Mario Makers, I may be the exception. The mechanical intrigue, the 'action' part of the game, is (usually) hard sidelined in search parties, and less so in the game as a whole.
The overall quality of the game feels underwhelming/incomplete through many more elements than just the level design, however I find this to be a prime example for my personal gripes with the game. Every other design element seems to be lacking something, from more 'expected' or conformatory music to wonder flowers rarely adding more than just the gimmick to the experience. A lot of time and effort has to have gone into making this game, especially with wonder mechanics, however when a plan is not well thought out the follow through becomes somewhat lacking despite it's quality in execution. Also just to reiterate, good game, I had a good time, I also felt frustrated in my fun.
Really makes you wonder why are the mario bros super
This game sets out to become exact what you expect it to be, with the 'randomness' of the wonder effect even staying within your expectations, and exists merely to maximise fun in lieu of overall favourable design or quality of life design elements. So that begs the question, why review it? The game spits in your face upon any attempts to diagnose the cavities left by design choices in the game. Why spin jump? Cause the r button didn't have much to do. Why does wall sliding have a delay? Because levels utilising the mechanic wouldn't be paced as well otherwise. Why the special badges? Because it may be fun to you to use them in normal levels, but they exist more to throw another gimmick level at you. Why another super secret really hard post-game level? Because it's expected at this point, and fairly easy to make this time around. This game attempts to be incapable of proper analysis, as it seems to imply that would be missing the point of the game. And don't get me wrong, this isn't me being angry at it being 'too easy and thus not engaging' or 'trying to find complexity in the funny jump for kids', as I find the 2D kirby games are easier (most of the time) and more engaging than this game. Clearly I should 'get over myself' and just enjoy the funny boing yahoo game...
And yet, we typically associate a good experience in playing a game with quality gameplay and intentional fun-first design, which this game features very little of in the platforming parts. The quality of controls is just passable enough to not be noticed unless it becomes an issue in the secret levels (or before if you pay attention), the level design is also just passable enough to get you interacting with the controller so that when a wonder flower pops on screen you're not apathetic enough yet to walk right by it. The focus of the game seems less on experiencing a platforming adventure and more on minigames featuring rule changes.
I felt disinterested in the actual jumping around I was doing by about world 4, and realised that I had stopped seeing the game as a platformer and more as a puzzle game, and I could only get back into the platforming mindset by attempting to count the clock externally to force some semblence of pressure on my interactions through the controller. It felt like the platforming came second in the level design to presenting a mechanics-based lock and key puzzle to progress, especially with the purple coins. Celeste is a perfect contrast (as always) of good platforming design, as the puzzle elements in the level design serve to help you with a blueprint for what actions to take in getting to your goal, the puzzle is secondary to jumping good.
All of this is in it's worst form for me with the search parties, now your ability to move a character around a screen is merely to search the screen for hidden or blocked off tokens. I especially did not like pipe park, however given the overwhelming about of trick/improperly communicated puzzle levels in the Mario Makers, I may be the exception. The mechanical intrigue, the 'action' part of the game, is (usually) hard sidelined in search parties, and less so in the game as a whole.
The overall quality of the game feels underwhelming/incomplete through many more elements than just the level design, however I find this to be a prime example for my personal gripes with the game. Every other design element seems to be lacking something, from more 'expected' or conformatory music to wonder flowers rarely adding more than just the gimmick to the experience. A lot of time and effort has to have gone into making this game, especially with wonder mechanics, however when a plan is not well thought out the follow through becomes somewhat lacking despite it's quality in execution. Also just to reiterate, good game, I had a good time, I also felt frustrated in my fun.
Really makes you wonder why are the mario bros super