Game Review: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Tags

Mario, Nintendo, Platformer, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Wii, Yoshi

I mentioned in my Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy review that a single experience of a film or game isn’t always enough to judge fairly how good it is. So it has proven with Super Mario Galaxy 2, last year’s sequel to Nintendo’s critically acclaimed Wii platformer. Replaying my 2010 Game of the Year for the first time has brought me to the decision that it is not superior to the original after all, not that it is anything other than utter brilliance.

After the relative disappointment of the Gamecube’s Super Mario Sunshine, a game that still has great merit, Nintendo recaptured the faith and admiration of fans and critics with Super Mario Galaxy which sent their mascot to a number of ingeniously designed ‘galaxies’ in search of power stars, repeating the structure of the classic Super Mario 64. Along the way gamers were treated to an endless array of superbly realised gimmicks and gameplay concepts that had them constantly changing gear in a title that never repeated itself. Variety and quality made the game great and the sequel didn’t mess with the formula.

The story, however, is just a tad confusing as it plays out as though the events of Super Mario Galaxy never happened. Bowser’s huge and has kidnapped Princess Peach again and it’s up to Mario to pursue his arch-nemesis through the universe to save her. Princess Rosalina returns from the first game in lesser role but the game makes out that Mario has never met her before. Why Nintendo went with this approach is a mystery but no-one ever played a Mario game for the story.

This is all about tracking down stars and the good news is that Super Mario Galaxy 2 is right up there with its predecessor in terms of crafting engaging and imaginative gauntlets for you to get through in pursuit of them. One notable change in the structure is the presence of world map in the style of Super Mario Bros. 3. You must pilot your starship (which looks like Mario’s head) through the various worlds and choose a galaxy to visit. By finding one star in a galaxy you will be free to proceed but there are frequent checkpoints that you can only get past if you’ve gathered a specified number of stars which necessitates revisiting old locales for new challenges. At the end of each world you will face off against either Bowser or Bowser Jr. for a Grand Star before proceeding to the next map. This approach is designed to streamline the experience allowing speedy access to the galaxies and avoiding the need to run around a hub world and it certainly succeeds.

Each galaxy offers a number of challenges with stars as a reward, many of which play out like a simple linear race to the finish but you’ll often have to beat a minigame and will very frequently make use of a number of new and returning power ups. You will also have to keep a lookout for a Comet Medal in each galaxy. These are big collectible coins usually located somewhere semi-hidden that will prompt a prankster comet to come into orbit around the galaxy. If you visit a galaxy when a prankster comet is in orbit a new star challenge will appear. This might require you to repeat a previous star in a time limit, set you up against a boss with only one unit of life energy or make you gather one hundred purple coins. Keeping your eyes peeled for Comet Medals adds a layer of depth to the game but if you miss one it can be a pain to have to redo the star as you have to collect the star as well as the medal for it to count.

As you’d probably expect the ideas and innovations in Super Mario Galaxy 2 never stop coming. The delightful moments were the game messes with gravity or puts you on little planetoids that were so popular from the first game make a welcome return and are accompanied by no shortage of new concepts. A few galaxies play on rhythm with platforms appearing and disappearing in time with the music. Elsewhere many of the best moments come with the power ups. Mario’s new upgrades include a drill which lets him burrow straight downwards through planets and out of the other side making for some brain bending puzzles. There’s also a cloud suit with which you can make three cloud platforms to stand on giving you great freedom to traverse seemingly impossible gaps and the boulder suit turns the plumber into a rocky bowling ball to mow down enemies.

The most significant new inclusion is Yoshi who actually made his 3D debut in Super Mario Sunshine but he’s been handled much better here. In some galaxies you can hitch a ride on the green dinosaur and gobble enemies by targeting them with the Wii Remote pointer or use his tongue to swing from floating flowers. Better still Yoshi even has his own power ups that make him float upwards, run fast or illuminate hidden platforms that don’t exist when unlit. Every single Yoshi level stands out and although its perhaps a shame that you can’t keep him after grabbing a star the game would be in danger of becoming repetitive if it let you use him all the time.

Of course the level design is crucially important to compliment the varied gameplay mechanics and by and large Super Mario Galaxy 2 does not disappoint. Standout galaxies include the crumbling Clockwork Ruins Galaxy and the hot and fiery Melty Monster Galaxy which offer linear challenges but some of the more open world levels are a little underwhelming. The visual direction however is flawless utilising the same colourful art style and graphical quality the first game was praised for. Character and enemy designs are strong throughout and absolutely every part of the game looks as pretty as anything the Wii has done.

Once again the soundtrack is top notch with sweeping orchestral tunes accompanying some high quality MIDI arrangements. Music highlights include the bouncy theme of the Puzzle Plank Galaxy and the tense, stirring tune that spurs you on during time limited stars. A number of classic tunes from the first game also return and the comical sound effects are top quality throughout. It’s an audio package that can proudly be considered the equal of that of the game’s predecessor.

One important improvement over Super Mario Galaxy is the difficulty level. One mild complaint of the first game was that it didn’t offer veteran players much of a challenge. The sequel has clearly made things tougher without going overboard and many of the later stars will cause some headaches. On the other hand the game features a Super Guide feature the like of which was first introduced in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. If you are struggling to reach a star and find yourself frequently losing lives a ghostly Rosalina will appear and offer to show you what to do. It’s possible to let the game play out for even to the point of collecting the star although any stars gained in such a manner will be an unattractive brown colour and a constant reminder that you didn’t get it yourself although it is possible to try again and earn the proper gold coloured star. This controversial feature has led to purists claiming it makes the game too easy but it is entirely optional and gives less able players a better chance of seeing the end credits. The reward for collecting all 120 stars is the best the series has ever produced and needless to say the game is huge and will keep you going for an extremely long time.

But as I said this is not a superior sequel. In fact it’s about shoulder to shoulder with its older brother but if I had to pick one I would go for the original. The reason for this is a question of heart. I understand why Nintendo brought in the map screen concept but I have to confess that I miss the Comet Observatory from the first game. The hub of Super Mario Galaxy was a much larger world than Starship Mario and although there was nothing really to do there it was a delight to return to again and again. The mysterious and somehow serene observatory, populated by adorable Lumas, and, of course, Princess Rosalina, floating through the soothing darkness of starlit space was an extremely pretty base for accessing galaxies that grounded the game in a satisfyingly homely way. It felt like the most wonderful haven and a nice change of pace from the frantic platforming, not to mention serving as the venue for the melancholy story Rosalina reads to the lumas but most important was the absolutely enchanting music. Nothing equivalent appears in the sequel. It might seem like a minor point and no doubt many will prefer the speedier setup and the Comet Observatory doesn’t have the sense of mystery about Princess Peach’s Castle in Super Mario 64 but for me the absence of such a wonderful hub world lessens the soul of the sequel somewhat. The efficient, lightning fast service the map screen offers seems strangely impersonal and does nothing for immersion.

This is somehow a slight problem throughout the game. Perhaps it’s because it came first but Super Mario Galaxy just feels better, more immersive, more rounded and more heartfelt and that really is the only difference between the two games. The sequel, to its credit, improves on many areas of the first but it doesn’t quite do enough to surpass it. What it does it does so well that on first view it might seem that it is the better of the two but examining it over time makes it apparent otherwise. But this is all a rather unimportant matter of comparison that doesn’t change the fact that Super Mario Galaxy 2 is an absolutely superlative platformer, the latest in the series’ proud tradition and one of the two best games available for the Nintendo Wii.

 

Presentation – 10

Design – 9

Gameplay – 10

Graphics – 10

Sound – 10

Difficulty – 8

Longevity – 9

 Verdict

The same brilliance of the first game with a million and one new ideas. More of the same is not always a bad thing and this is so much more than that. Another top drawer title for the most recognisable character in video games.

9.7

Film Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tags

Mark Strong, Thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Tomas Alfredson, Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Colin Fith, Ciaran Hinds, David Dencik, Stephen Graham, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Kathy Burke

It’s not often a reviewer says this but I recommend that you don’t trust this review. After a long and tiring day I stepped into the cinema with eyelids already drooping and watched this complex, slow-burning and wordy film in a state of mild exhaustion which is not the optimum condition to be in for it. Needless to say I couldn’t follow the story properly and will have to see it again to form a more reliable opinion but in spite of this enjoyed what I did take in a great deal. I’ve never believed that one’s first experience with a film (or a game) is enough to gauge how much you like it, I’ve already changed my mind about Disney’s Tangled which I reviewed earlier this year and now, after several DVD viewings believe it deserves another star, something I suspect may also apply to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Based on John Le Carré’s novel which was famously adapted into a popular BBC series the cold war story makes for a fairly atypical spy film that swaps Bondisms of Martinis, car chases and gadgets for something far more authentic, human and absorbing. The 1970s setting leads the aesthetic design which is overwhelmed by that era’s strange taste for bland colour schemes. Offices are brown, teal or grey and drowning in a fug of cigarette smoke populated by suited men and the occasional attractive blond. This is the world of British Intelligence that acknowledges the fallibility of its spies and their stunted, strained relationships.

The cast is a who’s who of the cream of (almost exclusively male) British talent including John Hurt, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones and, of course, Gary Oldman who takes the lead as George Smiley, a master spy brought out of retirement to investigate the presence of a mole in his former office. It’s a story of suspicion and intrigue where colleagues and friends lose their trust in each other. As you’d expect the acting is superb throughout, every player delivering some tremendous turns with the likes of Hardy and Cumberbatch standing out in their movingly human performances but it’s Oldman’s show and he here provides one of his quietest performances but he nails the character with a level of precision and professionalism few actors can manage. The subtlest movements of facial muscles do more here than some actors can achieve with far fewer restrictions.

The script also zings with terrific flavour that gives the actors plenty to get their chops round and you can be sure there’s a lot more than espionage going on here. Most characters have two or three arcs to get through and scenes that would seem innocuous in other movies really stand out. The whole thing is enshrouded by a gloom that evokes an old-fashioned world of deceit and suspicion. The only difficulty with it is that you rather need to be switched on for it. A handful of people left the packed showing I attended. Just to reiterate my reaction to this film is not entirely reliable. I thoroughly enjoyed it but know I would have got more out of it were my mind a bit sharper.

Verdict

The kind of film you really need to be awake for but enthralling in its depth and performances. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy brings the cold war espionage story of yesteryear back with brilliant relevance but it’s the characters that will stick in the mind. Consider these four stars a codename for five stars.

3DS Ambassador Games Review Roundup

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3DS Ambassador, Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong Jr., Ice Climber, Mario and Yoshi, NES, NES Open Tornament Golf, Wrecking Crew

In order to boost the sales of the ailing 3DS Nintendo recently gave the handheld system a drastic price cut, a move that might have disgruntled those who had already picked up the console were it not for the Ambassador program. By way of apology to their most loyal fans Nintendo has promised no fewer than twenty games will be made available to anyone who registered their machine on the Nintendo eShop before the date of the price drop for free. Instead of new games the list is made up of ten NES and ten Game Boy Advance titles (only half of the GBA games have actually been confirmed at this point). The NES games, which are already available for ambassadors will also be made available to everybody else at a later date but they’ll have to pay for them. The GBA games however will remain exclusive to ambassadors. It’s a pretty sweet deal to make up for the missed saving and I happily downloaded all ten of the NES titles, a handful of stone cold classics mixed with a number of rather more forgetable games, at the first opportunity. Here’s the full list.

Super Mario Bros.

The Legend of Zelda

Zelda II – The Adventure of Link

Metroid

Donkey Kong Jr.

Wrecking Crew

Ice Climber

Mario and Yoshi

NES Open Tournament Golf

Balloon Fight

For this review roundup I will be considering six of these games. I reviewed The Legend of Zelda quite recently, you can read it by searching in the Game Reviews category. That game’s sequel, Zelda II – The Adventure of Link, Super Mario Bros. and Metroid are all games I’ve played before and I’m not planning to play them again just yet. The rest are all knew to me (with the exception of Mario and Yoshi, sort of) so having sampled them all here’s my opinion on each.

Donkey Kong Jr.

 

This conversion of the arcade sequel to the classic Donkey Kong which launched the careers of both the eponymous gorilla and Mario himself subverts the formula of its famous predecessor by casting the portly plumber as the kidnapper, DK as the victim, and his son as the would-be rescuer. Other than that the structure remains largely the same, four repeating levels in which you must reach the top whilst dodging peril, the only change to the gameplay is Jr’s ability to climb ropes. Donkey Kong and this sequel were relevant in their arcade heyday of the early eighties but after Super Mario Bros. revolutionised everything the simplistic concept became pretty outdated. There’s still a retro charm in chasing high scores here but the not particularly inspired level design and general lack of variety limit the game’s lifespan.

5.7

 

Wrecking Crew

 

This puzzle platformer featuring the Mario brothers challenges you to destroy various features of the scenery in each level while avoiding enemies. There’s no context for this mindless destruction and needless to say it’s not the most riveting concept. There is some strategy involved in choosing what to destroy when so that you don’t cut yourself off but it’s just not much fun. One thing you can do is design your own levels but this is hardly the most inviting prospect.

5.1

 

Ice Climber

 

Nana and Popo, a pair of eskimos best known these days for appearing in two Super Smash Bros. games first appeared in this vertically scrolling platformer in which you must collect vegetables and hammer enemies. The sluggish gameplay and samey level design fails to create an engaging experience but at least there’s a couple of decent tunes.

4.6

 

Mario and Yoshi

 

The Game Boy version of this falling block puzzler was one of the first Nintendo games I ever owned. You control Mario and rotate the position of four plates to move stacks of Mushroom Kingdom baddies and reduce the piles by matching two of the same type. It’s pretty basic stuff but you can also combine occasional egg shells to hatch Yoshis. Game A is the traditional keep-going-until-you-inevitably-lose routine started by Tetris but Game B challenges you to reduce stacks to nothing and thereby clear the level and is the more engaging. It functions perfectly well for what it is but won’t hold your attention for long. A good introduction to the genre for kids.

6.0

 

NES Open Tournament Golf

 

A late release in the console’s lifespan this golf game starring the brothers Mario is fairly deep in its mechanics and offers plenty of options. You must consider your choice of club, the direction and speed of the wind and how you hit the ball with every shot making for a satisfyingly robust experience. The visual presentation stands out with backgrounds changing depending on the position of your lie and even the odd basic cut scene. Needless to say it’s the best next best game on the list after the classics.

7.3

 

Balloon Fight

 

This diverting little game sees you controlling a balloonist in a series of scuffles with numerous enemies. By tapping A you gain altitude and most carefully use the physics to burst enemy balloons and then tackle them to win. It’s tricky to master but quite diverting. Better is the secondary Balloon Trip in which you must scroll (from right to left, atypically) dodging innumerable hazards in pursuit of high scores. It’s not scintillating but it works well.

7.1

Book Review: Rakkety Tam – Brian Jacques

Tags

adventure, Brian Jacques, Rakkety Tam, Redwall

My sequence of reading that has seen me tackling the Redwall books one by one, alternating between those I had already read in chronological order and those I hadn’t previously read in publication order has lead me to Rakkety Tam, the seventeenth book in the series, published in 2004, which is the last book I will be reviewing before the main event, Redwall itself.

As one of the series’ new-age editions Rakkety Tam sticks its nose ahead of much of its preceding competition and stands out a bit. By this time Jacques had settled in to a comfortable routine of producing one new book a year, roughly, risking little in each instalment and failing to deliver the kind of appealing characters and interesting situations common throughout his early work. Rakkety Tam is no different but it’s closer to past glories than many of the books published in the few years before.

The title character Rakkety Tam MacBurl is a tough, claymore-wielding highlander warrior squirrel currently in service to the insufferable Squirrelking Araltum and Idga Drayqueen whose realm is mercilessly ravaged by the forces of Gulo the Savage, a wolverine from the lands of snow and ice who steal the royal standard. Tam and stalwart buddy Wild Doogy Plumm strike a bargain with their employers and promise to recover the precious flag in exchange for their freedom from duty and set out to track Gulo’s horde down.

Meanwhile at Redwall Abbey a pair of wanderers bring news of another wolverine’s death beneath a fallen tree and a mysterious verse describing the whereabouts of the mysterious Walking Stone, an artefact Gulo needs to claim true leadership over his lands and which he is tirelessly searching for.

It’s a more eventful and less predictable tale than usual with plot threads clashing and parting frequently as various parties chase about striving to recover treasures from other parties. The villain is quite notable on this occasion, the vicious wolverine described as being the same size as a badger which helps create a vivid impressions of size and physical power in the antagonist for series veterans. However Gulo lacks real brains and is memorable solely for his species but it’s nice to see something new. That he and his gang are cannibals makes up for their relative seen-it-all-before status, a fact that gives rise to some uncharacteristically grisly early moments.

If it seems a darker tale than usual at the beginning things soon get back to normal with plenty of feasting and singing as a cast of okay characters trundle through the plot. As the hero Tam suffers from Lord Brocktree Syndrome, frequently upstaged by his number two but his thick accent, well-written by Jacques gives him character.

Verdict

Not quite good or rounded enough to earn that fourth star but far too entertaining to warrant fewer than three. This is another middle-of-the-road outing from Jacques that beats much of his immediately preceding output.

Film Review: The Skin I Live In

Tags

Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Pedro Almodovar, The Skin I Live In, Thriller

After a busy day of training for my new job some workmates and I chose to partake of this enigmatic thriller from auteur Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, a film that has garnered plenty of deserved critical praise.

It’s clear from the start that there’s something not quite right going on in The Skin I Live In. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas, reuniting with the director for the first time in two decades) is an influential plastic surgeon who has recently perfected his creation – a new type of skin impervious to heat and insect bites. His research could have dramatic implications but for the unethical nature of illegal transgenetic techniques. His secret test subject is Vera (Elena Anaya) a beautiful prisoner in his private home clinic. Ledgard’s ambitions struggle with his own desires and his mysterious guinea pig is restless to be let out but unexpected events open up unsettling questions about sexuality and identity that takes her down disturbing avenues.

The Skin I Live In is another film that will divide opinion. The quality of the acting and direction, not to mention the script speak for themselves but a film this downright weird is certain to put people off. Things first start to get creepy when a criminal dressed like a Mexican wrestler with a Tiger fixation shows up at the house/clinic claiming to be the son of the housekeeper (Marisa Paredes) and takes a fancy to Vera resulting in sex and death. But it is the backstory of Ledgard that will slowly get under your skin.

We learn about Ledgard’s wife who committed suicide after being horrendously burned in a car crash and his mentally disturbed daughter whose first opportunity to do a bit of socialising outside of her treatment hospital doesn’t go too well. Then there’s a young man on whom Ledgard exacts a cruel and deeply unpleasant revenge. There’s a big twist in there that will likely define your opinion of the movie entirely but whatever your reaction to skin crawling events (and believe me there will be a reaction, especially for men) it’s worth noting the skill with which the reveal is made. Instead of rug-pull shock like The Usual Suspects or The Sixth Sense, the revelation here comes slowly the first clues gradually developing into something clearer that will guide your imagination to places you don’t want to go. Before suspicions are confirmed by a very stark cut you’ll be in denial because it’s just too damn gross. It all builds into a strangely but powerfully emotional conclusion that will make you wonder what the hell you would do in that situation.

With brilliant cinematography, camera angles and a subtle, slightly unhinged score there’s a lot to like about the film as a piece of art but Banderas is probably the greatest joy as he quietly and superbly brings to life an insane monster with serious issues all over the place. Do not expect anything close to Zorro.

Verdict

Beautifully crafted and artistic with great performances that bring an unpleasant and uncanny story to vivid life. Another film that you won’t forget whether or not you enjoy it.