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I didn't expect
there to be a sequel
to Mario Galaxy when
Nintendo released
New Super Mario
Bros. With all of
the 'accessibility'
features that the
Wii has and that
being one of its key
marketing features,
a game like Mario
Galaxy was too
complicated for the
intermediate gamer.
Mario Galaxy is an
awesome game, but
it's not something
that someone who
hasn't played a
video game in the
last ten years can
just jump into.
New Super Mario
Bros. was a fun
game and it's a game
that type of person
can jump into right
away. It's a great
game but just like
Super Mario Galaxy
is too hard for some
intermediate gamers,
New Super Mario
Bros. is too easy
for the advanced
video game lover.
Super Mario Galaxy
2's biggest
achievement is it's
balance. It's a game
that keeps everyone
happy. It's easy
enough for the new
audience of Mario
fans to play through
and enjoy and it's
hard enough with
enough unlockable
playable content for
the most avid gamer
to thoroughly
embrace.
In this sequel a lot
is the same from the
original. The
controls are the
same, the concept is
the same, and even
the graphics look
the same. It's not
about what's
different with Super
Mario Galaxy 2, it's
about what's new,
and there's a ton of
new features and
content. The level
access is easier and
more accessible with
a linear 2D way of
navigating through
worlds and levels.
It's not as fun as
exploring and
finding new levels
like Super Mario 64,
but it's easy to see
what you've
accomplished and
what you haven't and
it's a good feature
for the casual video
game fan. Also new
are the power ups
that Mario can
accomplish. There's
a cloud Mario that
lets you create
three temporary
platforms at a time
and there's a rock
Mario that lets you
roll into a boulder
and run over
enemies. Those are
just a couple of the
power-ups, but the
most notable.
The power-ups are
awesome but the
biggest addition to
the game is Yoshi.
You get to ride on
the dino and eat
things, just like
every other game.
But the controls are
tight and solid and
he's added in spots
to the game where
he's necessary to
beat the level, not
just to ride on and
make things easier.
All of the flare of
Yoshi and the
power-ups are great,
but the subtle
improvements make
this a great game.
The biggest example
is the 2D Mario that
Nintendo came back
with in New Super
Mario Bros.
It's implemented
steadily throughout
the course of the
game. It begins with
the introduction to
the story with a
basic 2D interactive
environment story
book and then it's
continued with
different phases of
levels. The funny
thing about it is
that you don't even
think about it being
basic 2D when you're
playing it. It
becomes a part of
the adventure.
A big fix with Mario
Galaxy 2 is the
camera. The camera
stays with you
consistently- even
when you’re upside
down. The camera
angles were a little
tricky with the
previous game. It
also helps that you
seem to be upright
in Mario Galaxy 2
about 90% of the
time. With the
previous installment
it was as fun, but
you could get dizzy
playing . You won't
get dizzy playing
with Mario Galaxy 2.
Nobody should be
surprised that Super
Mario Galaxy 2 is a
fantastic game.
Nintendo wouldn't
have put it out if
it wasn't great.
It's a deep and
enjoyable experience
for every type of
gamer and an amazing
achievement for
Nintendo developers.
There's nothing
wrong with the title
and everything from
visuals and audio to
mechanics is
perfect. It's games
like this that
introduce new people
to the hobby and
keep hardcore gamers
entertained.
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