Mario Discussion

@SuperDEF
 
Maybe, but I’m not in the market for excuses.
 
I mean, while I agree with pretty much everybody else that Galaxy 2 is pretty much just dlc, it bears mentioning that the best level in that dlc was a remake of one of 64’s worlds, and even that wasn’t as good as the original.
 
Besides, Galaxy is basically like Sonic Adventure 2 if you could only play as one character like in the more recent games and most of the levels were like the last levels (in fact, technically, the game basically just expands upon the last level in Sunshine).

I don’t know, I feel SMG2 had enough unique/differing qualities to stand as it’s own game or a sequel, rather then be refered to as “DLC.” (It’d be like Sonic Adventure 2 was just new levels/DLC to SA.)
 
SMG2’s levels style, and way of progressing was a bit different with more focusing on platforming, and were in general more challenging then the first. The game also had a map screen reminiscent of the 2D games, a more simple hub, less focus on story, new enemies, some new/different powers. Not to mention Yoshi changed gameplay quite a bit for his levels. (Also, I think the Throwback Galaxy was quite fun frankly.)
 
Not to mention, SMG2 is the first 3D game to adapt Hammer Brothers, and some things. So I feel it deserves some marit, and to stand as it’s own game.

@Beau Skunky
 
…you’re seriously comparing the changes in Galaxy 2 to the changes in SA2?
 
Actually, ya know what, somebody who feels even more strongly about this than I do has already explained this issue better than I could, so I’ll just let him do the talking.

@archestereo  
I’m just saying I feel SMG2 has enough stuff/differences/improvements going for it that it deserves to be considered an actual sequel or it’s own game rather just “DLC” or “the same exact game as the first,” which I feel doesn’t do the game justice.
 
In fact, I might be the few who actually prefers the Galaxy sequel, over the first. (And it’s nice at the time we didn’t have to wait for a new console to come out to get a new Mario game.) I prefer it’s higher challenge, level style, enemies, and such. One thing I miss from the first are the Doomship levels, and the bigger more playful hub/rest area. (But at least Prankster Comets don’t disappear, after you unlock them.)
 
I don’t need to see another typical Youtube video of another mediocre wannabe reviewer nobody telling me it’s the same game as the first, and such… (Forgive me, if I’m prejudging said video. Though, I will kinda agree the “New SMB” games are kinda getting repetative. At least, the WiiU one gave us new backgrounds, a few new minibosses, and minigames for once, so I’ll cut it some slack.)
 
You’re all free to disagree with me though, but I don’t really wanna argue about it.

@Beau Skunky
 
Well, I guess that’s fair, unlike certain other things that have been said in this thread.
 

 
 
…although, you are kinda prejudging the video a little, or at least the youtuber himself (I mean, yeah, the video is sorta like that, but it’s a pretty old video and in general he seems to provide insight that you just won’t get from other reviewers).

@archestereo  
Well, some critics have points, (like I said I kinda agree about the NewSMB games getting repetative, I find them alot more-so then the 3D ones.) but honestly, some like him kinda get on my nerves, and tend to be way to negative most of the time.
 
Plus, just ‘cause a game is similar to another one, doesn’t make it bad.  
The indie game, “Freedom Planet” is similar to Sonic, and been criticised for it, but many feel it actually is better then recent Sonic titles, and has enough of it’s own unique marits to stand as it’s own series.

@Beau Skunky
 
…actually, he might have almost as many positive reviews as negative (although, admittedly, might be a tad biased towards Pac Man and Factor 5 games), plus he has videos where he just discusses the nuances of game design in general.

@Beau Skunky  

 
Okay, I admit as a Mario Fan I should be ashamed for calling Galaxy 2 nothing more but a DLC base game. It is in fact a sequel with its own unique features and challenging levels.
 
However, I don’t agree that Galaxy 2 is better than Galaxy 1 for numerous reasons. While Galaxy 1 is almost practically a cinematic game, Galaxy 2 sacarfice so much of that and it’s story for the sake of more gameplay. Don’t get me wrong, gameplay is always and should be the number 1 concept of a Mario game, but it can’t be both? Or at least innovative in making a story in a Mario game (especially something as big as Galaxy) at least more interesting than reusing the same plot? That’s a real step back in comparsion to Galaxy 1’s cinematic story and gameplay to Galaxy 2’s lesser story/plot but more competitve and challenging gameplay.
 
I can nickpick on other stuff, like Galaxy 2’s majority of NPCs are tutorial instructors, unlike Galaxy 1 were most of the NPCs will have different dialogues as the game progressive. Not to mention Rosalina (the one character who made Galaxy practically famous) was reduced to a cameo character and replaced by someone else.
 
That’s all I really have to say. Gameplay is great and all, but that shouldn’t be an excuse anymore; Mario games as of the recent years always will have great gameplay.

@SuperDEF
 

 
 
…two words: green stars
 
The difficulty in this game is so cheap that it breaks immersion; if I wanted to memorize the nuances of collision boxes, I’d play some half-assed FPS.
 
That said, for the 10 seconds before the green stars were revealed, I thought I had finally got 100% in a Mario game; at least half of Galaxy 2 is actually easier than the first one. Even the final boss was disappointingly easy; it could’ve been one of the most epic boss fights ever if failure didn’t require more effort than success.
 

 
…it only counts the first time, buddy; after that, you’re just making dlc.

@archestereo
 
And they had the BRILLIANT idea to take the “Luigi’s Purple Coins” mission from the first game, make an entire GALAXY centered around it in World S in the second game, and simultaneously make it easier than it was before and HARDER than it already was before.
 
Seriously, I really hate how half of World S in Galaxy 2 is, “Take already frustrating missions from past 3D Mario games and make then 10 times harder”.

@Jarkes  
>Purple Coin Missions  

@SuperDEF
 
The one in Ghostly Galaxy in the first game was just as bad. Only 1 minute, the floating meat causes you to bounce around all the Pull Stars, and of course, in the first game, the timer doesn’t stop when the Power Star has appeared.

@SuperDEF  
Frankly, while admittedly SMG1 had a better story, (despite the whole “Bowser stealing Peach’s castle” was already done in Paper Mario.) it really wasn’t as cinematic as you say. Not counting Rosalina’s dialogue and storybook scenes, the game overall only had 3 major story cinama scenes. The intro, the one before the final level, and the ending scenes. So it really has no less cinematic scenes then SMG2. (Still, I admit SMG’s intro was better. The Doomship attack on the Mushroom Kingdom was quite epic.)
 
In fact frankly, Super Mario Sunshine felt more story based, and had more cinematic scenes.
 
@archestereo  
I don’t know, some green stars were pretty hard, and added some exploration to the game. I think they were a better reward for getting 120 stars, rather then just play through the whole game again as Luigi.
 
@Jarkes  
I actually liked that personally. (Granted, some like the SMSunshine level were easier then the original to me.) And I loved the boss rush level. (Something the Mario series never did before.)

@Beau Skunky
 
Right, the Sunshine level used in World S was probably easier because of Galaxy 2’s different jump physics, as well as the fact that you can long jump (Sunshine didn’t have a long jump because of FLUDD, and in the “Secret” levels in the game, the “Secret of Ricco Tower” being the one used as the World S galaxy, you didn’t have FLUDD). World S also had the “Flip Out Galaxy” with the flipping platforms alongside flipping walls, and goddamn Cosmic Clones as the Prankster Comet mission. I saw one guide sum up that galaxy thus: “The Flip Out Galaxy will indeed make you flip out.”

@Jarkes  
Yeah, that one was a li’l tough, but frankly the final unlockable level “Grandmaster Galaxy” made it look easy. Especially, the “Perfect Run” mission. That one makes “Lost Levels” look easy.

@Beau Skunky
 
I must confess, that I never even got that far into World S. In fact, I’ve never 100% cleared any 3D Mario game. …Or any Mario game period, really. It’s weird… despite enjoying the genre, I’ve never been particularly good at platforming games… I’ve never really been able to do all the super difficult ones.

@Jarkes  
Maybe you just have more of a life then we do. ;)

@Beau Skunky  
Well lucky you Perfect Run is just one level. Atleast the whole game is not like that.

@igotnopicks  
Yeah, though game isn’t “Lost Levels” hard, but SMG2 was still more challenging then the first.

@Beau Skunky  
Only a couple level I found were challenging in the game and I never made it to that level.

@Beau Skunky
 
I remember in the Super Mario Galaxy commentary from Brainscratch, one of them (I forget who) said that they never really had a problem with Luigi’s Purple Coins, and everyone else was like, “Well, aren’t YOU special!”

@Jarkes  
Trust me Luigi’s Purple Coins is a bad mission in Mario Galaxy 1.
 
I beat it with Mario and I spent my time studying how other people did it before I did it.

Speaking of “Lost Levels”, has anyone ever made it to any of the hidden Worlds after beating the game?
 
I got as far as World A and never made it further due to how impossible it was to beat a certain level without a Power-up.

In my humble opinion, I put Galaxy 1 and Galaxy 2 on the same tier. SMG2 had a lot of great new features, but I can’t quite call it an “even better sequel” due to certain elements that I felt dragged it down. You can’t make me choose between one or the other as the better game.
 
@SuperDEF  
I’m pretty sure I haven’t even beaten the original SMB1. Actually, I’m not even sure I’ve played it, but given that I’ve only just made it to World 2 on SMB3, I’m probably going to struggle with SMB1. (Although I do feel I’ve gotten better at classic 2D Mario games since buying Super Mario Maker.)

@romantiCaveman  
It’s probably just me, but after struggling through “Lost Levels” SMB1 becomes boring in comparsion. Once you’ve gone through some serious bs segments, countless game overs, and FINALLY beaten the game, then the entire SMB1 just feels too easy.