Mario Galaxy a star!
November 28th, 2007, 4:53 pm by electrikALIEN
It’s been a good while since I’ve touched my Nintendo Wii. The lack of titles this summer really left a fine layer of dust on the machine. That is until Super Mario Galaxy came out. Here’s a quick run of my feelings for Mario games since the entry into three-dimensional worlds in Mario 64 and the follow-up Super Mario Sunshine.
So here I am, burned by Nintendo’s star (pun intended) franchise two games in a row. All I want is Mario gameplay that’s fun and works well. Thankfully Super Mario Galaxy is very fun and, for the most part, controls very well. Mario is controlled using the Wiimote and the nunchuck. Basically, the analog stick controls Mario’s movements, while the Wiimote buttons control his actions like jumping and looking forward. Shaking the Wiimote allows Mario to do a spin attack. Throughout the entire game Mario collects starbits scattered around each level. To collect any starbit all you need to do is point the Wiimote at it and the cursor will pick it up for you. It’s a pretty satisfying way to play. Mario’s movements feel very precise this time around. He doesn’t float nearly as often as he used to when coming to a stop. And jumps are much easier to land thanks to tighter controls. I appreciate this since the game take place in outerspace. Gravity plays a huge role in each level and you will often find yourself playing upside down or even jumping from one plane of gravity to another. The controls had to be perfect to make it work, and I’m satisfied. The camera system in Galaxy is good, but not perfect. While the majority of the game will be played in predetermined camera angles, which are well placed and usable, some parts are nonfunctional due to lack of camera control. The camera will never break the game, but it will annoy you from time to time. Mario has never looked better, but he still could. Galaxy supports only up to 480p resolution which is slightly higher than a standard definition television. This is forgivable, though, since it really is a pretty game. Nintendo pushed some of the best graphics out of the Wii this time. The learning curve with Galaxy is much more forgiving than before like the other Mario games and the overall difficulty won’t make gamers cry. Some goals feel much easier than they should be, but others feel just right. If you have a Wii, or have been wanting to get one, this is the game needing to be played on it. |



Just found a new internet jewel and it happens to be a flash-based game.
Last week Valve Studios released
Portal is a very funny game. Even the enemies, though sparse and not very threatening, will often apologize for shooting at you or even forgive you for deactivating them. Your “guide” through the tests will often be the subject of all the humor, but rooms hidden off the predefined path will reveal more chuckle-inducing moments.
This is where physics comes to play. Your momentum and trajectory when you enter a portal will continue through the other. Here’s an example. To cross a gap, fire one portal high on a wall above your head, then fire the second one into the bottom of the gap. Jump into the gap and fall through the portal there. You will then be thrown through the other portal on the wall and will safely careen over the gap. Fun with physics!
The Wii controller doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of those that wield it. But some over zealous player’s have damaged tevelvisions, pets, windows, and children alike. Accidents happen… but swinging your Wii-mote fast enough to break the speed of sound is just plain stupid. (
Around 12:20 a.m. Tuesday morning, I held my Limited Edition Halo 3 tin case in my hand and jolted home. Well, maybe not jolted. More like casually drove… fast.
Think Secret
Last night I finished 2K Studio’s latest game, 
The creepiness of Bioshock never really fades as the game progresses. There aren’t very many parts that will make you wet yourself, but the growing dread of what the next area might entail will definitely have you hugging your teddy bear. Oh, and little, big-eyed girls in pink dresses who drink blood doesn’t help much either.


