henriquegm
3 reviews liked by henriquegm
An all-around fantastic compilation consisting of all of Mario's NES outings that still hold up pretty well to this day.
Mario 1 - Not much different from the NES classic except for the new 16-bit coat of paint it has. Still every bit as good as the original but I really don't like the new visuals. Playing Mario 1 in any way that isn't the 8-bit original just feels wrong. It retains the same jank the original has which can get annoying at times.
Lost Levels: It definitely adds a bit more of a challenge compared to the original Mario Bros and a few extra clever puzzles that stood out to me. Specifically the one with the spinning fire right before the final boss. At first, I was annoyed by it but when it finally clicked, I can't help but think it was a really clever trick. Overall, I'd say it is a good sequel to the original.
Mario 2/Doki Doki Panic: Having 4 different playable characters that each have a unique ability was a cool thing that I wish more Mario games would have. I thought the way the levels were designed was a breath of fresh air that was much needed. Compared to the other games in the collection where you basically are just running from the start of the level to the end, there are times when you will have to find keys and backtrack a little to beat the level. Wart was also a cool villain who I wish could return at some point much like Boom Boom and the Koopalings did.
Mario 3: Part of me is biased because I grew up playing this but for me, it's the pinnacle of 2D platformers. Each world has a different aesthetic and the plethora of new power-ups are interesting and have their uses. The Koopalings and Boom-Boom are fun bosses to fight and I like that the final battle with Bowser changes things up compared to the other bosses and the previous times you have fought him. One thing flaw I can point out is that I think this game is a bit too easy in comparison to some of the other games, especially Mario 1.
If you have a SNES, an emulator, or Nintendo Switch Online then definitely play this compilation. You won't regret it.
Mario 1 - Not much different from the NES classic except for the new 16-bit coat of paint it has. Still every bit as good as the original but I really don't like the new visuals. Playing Mario 1 in any way that isn't the 8-bit original just feels wrong. It retains the same jank the original has which can get annoying at times.
Lost Levels: It definitely adds a bit more of a challenge compared to the original Mario Bros and a few extra clever puzzles that stood out to me. Specifically the one with the spinning fire right before the final boss. At first, I was annoyed by it but when it finally clicked, I can't help but think it was a really clever trick. Overall, I'd say it is a good sequel to the original.
Mario 2/Doki Doki Panic: Having 4 different playable characters that each have a unique ability was a cool thing that I wish more Mario games would have. I thought the way the levels were designed was a breath of fresh air that was much needed. Compared to the other games in the collection where you basically are just running from the start of the level to the end, there are times when you will have to find keys and backtrack a little to beat the level. Wart was also a cool villain who I wish could return at some point much like Boom Boom and the Koopalings did.
Mario 3: Part of me is biased because I grew up playing this but for me, it's the pinnacle of 2D platformers. Each world has a different aesthetic and the plethora of new power-ups are interesting and have their uses. The Koopalings and Boom-Boom are fun bosses to fight and I like that the final battle with Bowser changes things up compared to the other bosses and the previous times you have fought him. One thing flaw I can point out is that I think this game is a bit too easy in comparison to some of the other games, especially Mario 1.
If you have a SNES, an emulator, or Nintendo Switch Online then definitely play this compilation. You won't regret it.
[Revisitation of my Childhood, Part 2]
Okay, what..? This was honestly a crazy experience for me because my whole life, I was thinking that this game was definitely the better out of the two LEGO Indiana Jones games. But this is...much worse. Not saying it's actually bad, but there is a clear drop in quality from the first game. The best way I can describe it is "undercooked additions and confusing exclusions." Example: Hub world. Definitely the most notable new feature of this game from it's predecessor, the hub world is probably the biggest example of an undercooked addition. Everything besides playing levels, including unlocking characters, vehicles, bonus levels, and actually going to the story/treasure levels is done in the hub world. And uh...it's not fun. The minikit equivalents are basically dropped, and everything is unlocked through the hub world, which gets VERY annoying after a while, because of how much slow transportation you have to do during it. Another example of this game's motto of sorts is the shorter levels. All of the levels in the game are shorter than they are in the previous game, and while many would argue that doesn't mean a drop in quality of those levels, in this case, it most certainly does. Oh, also, after you beat the story of an episode, in the hub world there is now treasure levels(basically replaying the story levels with changes to the level design and sometimes appearance of the stage) and bonus levels(custom levels made in the level builder VERY LOOSELY based off of moments in the story not in the story levels, which just comes off as lazy of all things) to do as well, which means a total of NINETY levels to do, EXCLUDING the stupid million stud levels. Other examples of this are the level builder, and the vehicle levels. Oh god, the vehicle levels. Not only are they super annoying to actually play, but the True Adventurer stud counts are stretched SO FAR that you're better off just going for that after you've gotten stud multiplying red bricks. The only new additions that I actually enjoy are end-of-episode boss battles. Most of them ROCK, like Raiders, Temple of Doom, and Crystal Skull 2 and 3. Also the Green Brick extra "Snake Whip", all my homies love Snake Whip.
Also, THERE'S NO BOULDER TEMPLE LEVEL IN RAIDERS STORY. HOW DO YOU HAVE RAIDERS WITHOUT BOULDER TEMPLE
Okay, what..? This was honestly a crazy experience for me because my whole life, I was thinking that this game was definitely the better out of the two LEGO Indiana Jones games. But this is...much worse. Not saying it's actually bad, but there is a clear drop in quality from the first game. The best way I can describe it is "undercooked additions and confusing exclusions." Example: Hub world. Definitely the most notable new feature of this game from it's predecessor, the hub world is probably the biggest example of an undercooked addition. Everything besides playing levels, including unlocking characters, vehicles, bonus levels, and actually going to the story/treasure levels is done in the hub world. And uh...it's not fun. The minikit equivalents are basically dropped, and everything is unlocked through the hub world, which gets VERY annoying after a while, because of how much slow transportation you have to do during it. Another example of this game's motto of sorts is the shorter levels. All of the levels in the game are shorter than they are in the previous game, and while many would argue that doesn't mean a drop in quality of those levels, in this case, it most certainly does. Oh, also, after you beat the story of an episode, in the hub world there is now treasure levels(basically replaying the story levels with changes to the level design and sometimes appearance of the stage) and bonus levels(custom levels made in the level builder VERY LOOSELY based off of moments in the story not in the story levels, which just comes off as lazy of all things) to do as well, which means a total of NINETY levels to do, EXCLUDING the stupid million stud levels. Other examples of this are the level builder, and the vehicle levels. Oh god, the vehicle levels. Not only are they super annoying to actually play, but the True Adventurer stud counts are stretched SO FAR that you're better off just going for that after you've gotten stud multiplying red bricks. The only new additions that I actually enjoy are end-of-episode boss battles. Most of them ROCK, like Raiders, Temple of Doom, and Crystal Skull 2 and 3. Also the Green Brick extra "Snake Whip", all my homies love Snake Whip.
Also, THERE'S NO BOULDER TEMPLE LEVEL IN RAIDERS STORY. HOW DO YOU HAVE RAIDERS WITHOUT BOULDER TEMPLE
Shake Spears!
2011
It's shovelware.