Narrative: 3 - Gameplay: 4 - Visuals: 3 - Soundtrack: 5 - Time: 3.5
Stars: 3.5
My journey with Super Mario's three-dimensional platformers is coming to an end. And so far ahead in the road, I come across some weird game. I mean, what the hell was Nintendo thinking? Everything - from the cutscenes to the gimmick chosen to be the core mechanic - is weird...
And kind of cool.
The plot with Bowser Jr. in his dramatic search for his misplaced mother is absurd and so funny. FLUDD is a nice gadget-side-kick (character?), but where's the mouth? The screw are eyes? And don't get me started with the islanders and that water-type mammal-shaped Island. And, by the way, I hope to God that Delphino Island and its inhabitants aren't some sort of reference to Brazil or Latin America. At the same time, the carnivalesque soundtrack sure points towards that. Regardless of my doubts, their design is just awkward. None of that takes us off the solid gameplay.
When I saw some bad criticism about the second half of the game, I was surprised and kind of suspicious. I mean, we all know that Nintendo can drop the ball with new consoles or IPs, but to think they would mess up one of their main franchises would shock me. Well, it was not exactly like that. I see the frustration that comes with some of the clunkiness of the controls, and some levels can get irritating, but in the end, it's all good fun and solid game design. There are challenges, and I won't lie: I'll die cursing Pinata Village (and praising Sirena Beach).
In the end, I'm glad that Nintendo took some weird directions with this one. I feel that it can hold its ground with no shame side-by-side with all the other three-dimensional Super Marios.
Next - and final - stop: Super Mario Galaxy.
Stars: 3.5
My journey with Super Mario's three-dimensional platformers is coming to an end. And so far ahead in the road, I come across some weird game. I mean, what the hell was Nintendo thinking? Everything - from the cutscenes to the gimmick chosen to be the core mechanic - is weird...
And kind of cool.
The plot with Bowser Jr. in his dramatic search for his misplaced mother is absurd and so funny. FLUDD is a nice gadget-side-kick (character?), but where's the mouth? The screw are eyes? And don't get me started with the islanders and that water-type mammal-shaped Island. And, by the way, I hope to God that Delphino Island and its inhabitants aren't some sort of reference to Brazil or Latin America. At the same time, the carnivalesque soundtrack sure points towards that. Regardless of my doubts, their design is just awkward. None of that takes us off the solid gameplay.
When I saw some bad criticism about the second half of the game, I was surprised and kind of suspicious. I mean, we all know that Nintendo can drop the ball with new consoles or IPs, but to think they would mess up one of their main franchises would shock me. Well, it was not exactly like that. I see the frustration that comes with some of the clunkiness of the controls, and some levels can get irritating, but in the end, it's all good fun and solid game design. There are challenges, and I won't lie: I'll die cursing Pinata Village (and praising Sirena Beach).
In the end, I'm glad that Nintendo took some weird directions with this one. I feel that it can hold its ground with no shame side-by-side with all the other three-dimensional Super Marios.
Next - and final - stop: Super Mario Galaxy.