Are you growing tired of all of these Super Mario Galaxy 2-related posts? I hope not, but if so I apologize. It'll all be over this Sunday. Regardless this video shows off a remake of a Super Mario 64 level, Whomp's Fortress. If I read reports correctly, this is just one of the many parts of a Flash Back Galaxy or something to that extent. Enjoy this short clip of this remastered masterpiece.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Demo Round-Up: ModNation Racers and Rocket Knight
Today, two new demos came out for download on the PlayStation Network. The first I played early today, and here are my impressions. It's ModNation Racers on the PS3.
ModNation Racers promises players the ability to create, race, and share their own tracks with the world. With the demo you could create tracks choosing from one of four themes (village, desert, seaside, and jungle). Creating the track is as simple as driving the track builder across the empty field much like you'd be driving in the game. When you complete a circuit, you have the option of having the game automatically fill your track with props, trees, and other obstacles. Those wanting more control of their track-building experience will want to put them in themselves, and it's easy as pie to do so. Currently, you could race on the tracks as a test, but you couldn't share them in the demo... obviously. However, a future update promises that any tracks or mods made in the demo can be transferred over to the finished product. Pretty cool if you ask me. Which you are, or else why would you be reading these impressions?
Racing reminds me of a cross between Crash Team Racing and Diddy Kong Racing. You grab weapons via item pods. These weapons can be powered up by collecting another item pod. Do it a third time, and you have one powerful item to unleash on your opponents! ModNation uses a drift mechanic that earns you juice in your boost gauge. You also earn juice by drafting behind an opponent or side-swiping them. This gauge can either be used to perform a nitro boost for a limited amount of time or draw up a shield, protecting players from projectiles. Here comes some strategy. Do you use the boost to get ahead of the pack, or do you use a shield to dodge rockets and other weaponry?
At this point in time, the framerate is noticeably improved from the beta, but the load times are brutal. The developer, United Front, promises a patch for this problem as it is one heck of an inconvenience. Additionally, rubberband AI runs rampant in this game feeling more like Mario Kart Wii in this regard. I barely could scrounge up second or third place in a given race. Despite these problems, ModNation Racers seems to be a great treat for kart racing fans and an excellent alternative to Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing.
Next up is a character that hasn't been seen since the Super Nintendo/SEGA Genesis days, it's Sparkster from Rocket Knight Adventures. This time he's back in glorious HD for $14.99 on XBLA and PSN. It's Rocket Knight!
Rocket Knight is a pure platformer at heart. Instead of jumping on heads, our hero slashes enemies with his sword, shoots out fire from his blade, and uses his jetpack to temporarily boost up to higher, otherwise inaccessible platforms. There were just two levels in the demo, and both played differently. Similarly though, they both took me around six minutes each to complete. The first level was your traditional run, jump, boost, and slash gaming action. In each level there were a bountiful amount of gems to collect. The real fun is trying collect everything there is to find in a given level. This can be rather tricky as some levels are multi-tiered and full of clever hiding places.
The second level was like a shoot-em-up. You scrolled automatically to the right, dodging enemy fire, blasting baddies, and collecting gems and other worthwhile tokens. I found this level quite challenging, and I even lost a life. Thankfully, there's an abundant amount of checkpoints to be found, so dying seldom has you losing too much of your progress. At the conclusion of the demo, I fought a doppelganger nemesis of Sparkster. The battle was pretty routine, but it didn't stop the fight from being fun. A cliffhanger ending concluded the demo.
I really dug the visuals. They're colorful, crisp, and appropriately cartoony. There's nothing in the way of slowdown, so I think Climax did a wonderful job prepping this entertaining demo of the game. Would I shell out fifteen bucks for the game? I don't know. I'm waiting on impressions on how long the game is. If I do happen to purchase it, you can be sure I'll have a review up shortly!
ModNation Racers promises players the ability to create, race, and share their own tracks with the world. With the demo you could create tracks choosing from one of four themes (village, desert, seaside, and jungle). Creating the track is as simple as driving the track builder across the empty field much like you'd be driving in the game. When you complete a circuit, you have the option of having the game automatically fill your track with props, trees, and other obstacles. Those wanting more control of their track-building experience will want to put them in themselves, and it's easy as pie to do so. Currently, you could race on the tracks as a test, but you couldn't share them in the demo... obviously. However, a future update promises that any tracks or mods made in the demo can be transferred over to the finished product. Pretty cool if you ask me. Which you are, or else why would you be reading these impressions?
Racing reminds me of a cross between Crash Team Racing and Diddy Kong Racing. You grab weapons via item pods. These weapons can be powered up by collecting another item pod. Do it a third time, and you have one powerful item to unleash on your opponents! ModNation uses a drift mechanic that earns you juice in your boost gauge. You also earn juice by drafting behind an opponent or side-swiping them. This gauge can either be used to perform a nitro boost for a limited amount of time or draw up a shield, protecting players from projectiles. Here comes some strategy. Do you use the boost to get ahead of the pack, or do you use a shield to dodge rockets and other weaponry?
At this point in time, the framerate is noticeably improved from the beta, but the load times are brutal. The developer, United Front, promises a patch for this problem as it is one heck of an inconvenience. Additionally, rubberband AI runs rampant in this game feeling more like Mario Kart Wii in this regard. I barely could scrounge up second or third place in a given race. Despite these problems, ModNation Racers seems to be a great treat for kart racing fans and an excellent alternative to Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing.
===
Next up is a character that hasn't been seen since the Super Nintendo/SEGA Genesis days, it's Sparkster from Rocket Knight Adventures. This time he's back in glorious HD for $14.99 on XBLA and PSN. It's Rocket Knight!
Rocket Knight is a pure platformer at heart. Instead of jumping on heads, our hero slashes enemies with his sword, shoots out fire from his blade, and uses his jetpack to temporarily boost up to higher, otherwise inaccessible platforms. There were just two levels in the demo, and both played differently. Similarly though, they both took me around six minutes each to complete. The first level was your traditional run, jump, boost, and slash gaming action. In each level there were a bountiful amount of gems to collect. The real fun is trying collect everything there is to find in a given level. This can be rather tricky as some levels are multi-tiered and full of clever hiding places.
The second level was like a shoot-em-up. You scrolled automatically to the right, dodging enemy fire, blasting baddies, and collecting gems and other worthwhile tokens. I found this level quite challenging, and I even lost a life. Thankfully, there's an abundant amount of checkpoints to be found, so dying seldom has you losing too much of your progress. At the conclusion of the demo, I fought a doppelganger nemesis of Sparkster. The battle was pretty routine, but it didn't stop the fight from being fun. A cliffhanger ending concluded the demo.
I really dug the visuals. They're colorful, crisp, and appropriately cartoony. There's nothing in the way of slowdown, so I think Climax did a wonderful job prepping this entertaining demo of the game. Would I shell out fifteen bucks for the game? I don't know. I'm waiting on impressions on how long the game is. If I do happen to purchase it, you can be sure I'll have a review up shortly!
Monday, May 17, 2010
SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Viewtiful World Edition
Another week has hit us like a redheaded stepchild, and with it comes five more great video game tracks. This week we start things off explicitly with some MadWorld, go down for the count with Punch-Out!, get viewtiful with Viewtiful Joe, go into overdrive with Gran Turismo 4, and show our Pokeymans with Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Onto the music!
v556. MadWorld - Move
We go from the cute, cuddly Pokemon to murderous mayhem in MadWorld for the Wii. This game was awarded best soundtrack at SuperPhillip Central's Best of 2009 game awards. Take a listen why. It's not every day I listen to hiphop, rap, and heavy metal, but for MadWorld, my ears happily made an exception! This song is Move, and it's performed by Ox.
v557. Punch-Out! - Main Theme
Ding-ding! The round starts and the fighters circle around the ring. Glass Joe opens up a weakness, and Little Mac capitalizes greatly! K.O.! Punch-Out!! was an immensely rewarding, challenging, reflex-based game that was a lot of fun. Too bad I absolutely stunk at it! Here's the main theme from the Wii version.
v558. Viewtiful Joe - Joe & Sylvia (Shadow Space Fort)
Ah... here we have arrived at the ultimate chapter of the first Viewtiful Joe, Joe & Sylvia, modeled after the movie Star Wars. This level takes place in space aboard the big bad's space fortress. Viewtiful Joe remains one of my favorite Gamecube games, and it was so good I double-dipped so I could play as Dante in the PlayStation 2 version. Here's the track Joe & Sylvia (Shadow Space Fort) for your listening amusement.
v559. Gran Turismo 4 - Freedom to Win
Rev up your racer as we're putting the pedal to the metal with Gran Tursimo 4. This extremely catchy, soft rock track is from the official soundtrack performed by THE BAD. There's the good and the ugly, but I was always did prefer THE BAD. Here's hoping Gran Turismo 5 comes out sometime soon!
v560. Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver - Violet & Olivine
This jaunty little theme comes from the recently released Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver. Which version did you pick up? I got SoulSilver-- bucking the trend of always buying the first of the two games. First it was Ruby, then it was FireRed, and then followed by Diamond. Back to my roots this time just like when I originally bought Pokemon Blue. Man, I feel so old!
This week of VGMs comes to an end, but they'll be back, bigger, faster, stronger. We can rebuild them. We can make them... bionic. Until then, have a great week, everybody!
v556. MadWorld - Move
We go from the cute, cuddly Pokemon to murderous mayhem in MadWorld for the Wii. This game was awarded best soundtrack at SuperPhillip Central's Best of 2009 game awards. Take a listen why. It's not every day I listen to hiphop, rap, and heavy metal, but for MadWorld, my ears happily made an exception! This song is Move, and it's performed by Ox.
v557. Punch-Out! - Main Theme
Ding-ding! The round starts and the fighters circle around the ring. Glass Joe opens up a weakness, and Little Mac capitalizes greatly! K.O.! Punch-Out!! was an immensely rewarding, challenging, reflex-based game that was a lot of fun. Too bad I absolutely stunk at it! Here's the main theme from the Wii version.
v558. Viewtiful Joe - Joe & Sylvia (Shadow Space Fort)
Ah... here we have arrived at the ultimate chapter of the first Viewtiful Joe, Joe & Sylvia, modeled after the movie Star Wars. This level takes place in space aboard the big bad's space fortress. Viewtiful Joe remains one of my favorite Gamecube games, and it was so good I double-dipped so I could play as Dante in the PlayStation 2 version. Here's the track Joe & Sylvia (Shadow Space Fort) for your listening amusement.
v559. Gran Turismo 4 - Freedom to Win
Rev up your racer as we're putting the pedal to the metal with Gran Tursimo 4. This extremely catchy, soft rock track is from the official soundtrack performed by THE BAD. There's the good and the ugly, but I was always did prefer THE BAD. Here's hoping Gran Turismo 5 comes out sometime soon!
v560. Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver - Violet & Olivine
This jaunty little theme comes from the recently released Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver. Which version did you pick up? I got SoulSilver-- bucking the trend of always buying the first of the two games. First it was Ruby, then it was FireRed, and then followed by Diamond. Back to my roots this time just like when I originally bought Pokemon Blue. Man, I feel so old!
This week of VGMs comes to an end, but they'll be back, bigger, faster, stronger. We can rebuild them. We can make them... bionic. Until then, have a great week, everybody!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) North American Commercial #2
Earlier last week I posted the first North American commercial for Super Mario Galaxy 2. Now it turns out there's a second one to ogle over. It executes the planetoid/gravity concept beautifully though it is skewed towards a family angle rather than a gamer which will most likely make many gamers cry manchild tears. Here's the commercial.
Rank Up! - 3D Super Mario
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is but a week away, so let's Rank Up! What is Rank Up? Rank Up is a relatively new feature on SuperPhillip Central where I take a franchise and rank the titles from worst to best. Let it be known that there is no worst title when it comes to 3D Marios. Here are the titles we'll be examining.
Super Mario 64 (N64)
Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
Super Mario 64 DS (DS)
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
In 1996, when Mario went 3D, he revolutionized gaming. Yes, 3D had been done before, but never to the perfection and mastery of Super Mario 64. Mario's next adventure would take him to the tropical shores of Isle Delfino in Super Mario Sunshine, a game that many consider to be the worst of the bunch. Then again, the worst of the bunch in a Mario game is still pretty excellent. Then a remake came out when the DS released. The remake was of Super Mario 64 with added content. Finally and most recently, Mario shot for the stars in the superb Super Mario Galaxy. Now with that out of the way, let's Rank Up!
4) Super Mario 64 DS (DS)
Super Mario 64 DS was the headliner for the Nintendo DS' launch lineup. It was one meaty remake including thirty brand new stars to collect, several new worlds to explore, new bosses, and the addition of three other characters to play as in the form of Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario. This game would be higher on my list if it weren't for the controls. The d-pad takes getting used to when playing on a 3D space, and the touch controls were adequate at best. Throw in some clever touch screen mini-games which would also be included in New Super Mario Bros., and you have a wonderful game to anyone's DS collection.
3) Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
Mario is on a pleasant vacation to the sunny shores of Isle Delfino. Unfortunately, a little impostor known as Shadow Mario is causing trouble, defacing the island with icky, paint-like goop as one of the Toads say. This puts Mario in the judicial system as the main suspect to the crime. His sentence? To clean up the island by collecting several shine sprites all around the island. Super Mario Sunshine for better or worse was more story-intensive than previous Mario games either 2D or 3D. Mario wasn't alone in his endeavor, however, as he came across a water-shooting nozzle device named FLUDD. Together, they helped to clean up the island, take out the main villain behind the pollution menace, and have a lot of fun doing it. Nearly all of Mario's moves were present and accounted for including the ability to hover for a limited amount of time, the wall jump, and the awesome rocket nozzle. The bonus stages where Mario was stripped from FLUDD were my favorite parts of the game. While the camera was imperfect and the locales weren't as varied as one might like, Super Mario Sunshine remains a fun and entertaining game.
2) Super Mario 64 (N64)
We go from a game that ran with the formula to the one that started the formula to begin with-- Super Mario 64. The game had fifteen unique worlds each with seven stars to collect. Collecting power stars opened up new areas in Peach's Castle, the hub of the game. The story was minimal at best. Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach after she invites Mario over for some cake. Mario arrives to see the castle in chaos, and opts to leap inside the worlds hidden among paintings to gather power stars, take down Bowser, and rescue the Princess for the umpteenth time. I remember first playing this game at a kiosk at a Best Buy. I couldn't get a handle of the controls, so I kept running in circles into the water and out. This play experience convinced me of getting a Nintendo 64 as silly as that sounds. With revolutionary 3D gameplay, awesome moves such as the long jump and wall kick, and impressive for the time visuals, and you have my second favorite 3D Mario.
1) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Here it is-- the most recent and best 3D Mario ever (perhaps until Super Mario Galaxy 2 comes out). Mario and company celebrate the arrival of a comet at the Star Festival. Suddenly, Bowser's airship armada bombs the heck out of the village surrounding Peach's Castle, captures Peach, and sends Mario sailing into space. It's up to Mario to collect enough power stars to engage the mysterious Rosalina's observatory to reach where Bowser is no doubt hatching his next devious plan. The addition of planetoids and a more rigidly linear structure lending well to Super Mario Galaxy. It felt like you were playing a 2D Mario only in 3D with the point being you're going from the start to the goal of the level (the power star). Don't even get me started on the absolutely phenomenal presentation! From the sensational visuals to the supremely fantastic soundtrack (half of which was orchestrated), and you have my top pick for 3D Mario games.
What about you? Is your order of these games different than mine? Let me, and everyone else know, in the comments section!
Super Mario 64 (N64)
Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
Super Mario 64 DS (DS)
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
In 1996, when Mario went 3D, he revolutionized gaming. Yes, 3D had been done before, but never to the perfection and mastery of Super Mario 64. Mario's next adventure would take him to the tropical shores of Isle Delfino in Super Mario Sunshine, a game that many consider to be the worst of the bunch. Then again, the worst of the bunch in a Mario game is still pretty excellent. Then a remake came out when the DS released. The remake was of Super Mario 64 with added content. Finally and most recently, Mario shot for the stars in the superb Super Mario Galaxy. Now with that out of the way, let's Rank Up!
4) Super Mario 64 DS (DS)
Super Mario 64 DS was the headliner for the Nintendo DS' launch lineup. It was one meaty remake including thirty brand new stars to collect, several new worlds to explore, new bosses, and the addition of three other characters to play as in the form of Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario. This game would be higher on my list if it weren't for the controls. The d-pad takes getting used to when playing on a 3D space, and the touch controls were adequate at best. Throw in some clever touch screen mini-games which would also be included in New Super Mario Bros., and you have a wonderful game to anyone's DS collection.
3) Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
Mario is on a pleasant vacation to the sunny shores of Isle Delfino. Unfortunately, a little impostor known as Shadow Mario is causing trouble, defacing the island with icky, paint-like goop as one of the Toads say. This puts Mario in the judicial system as the main suspect to the crime. His sentence? To clean up the island by collecting several shine sprites all around the island. Super Mario Sunshine for better or worse was more story-intensive than previous Mario games either 2D or 3D. Mario wasn't alone in his endeavor, however, as he came across a water-shooting nozzle device named FLUDD. Together, they helped to clean up the island, take out the main villain behind the pollution menace, and have a lot of fun doing it. Nearly all of Mario's moves were present and accounted for including the ability to hover for a limited amount of time, the wall jump, and the awesome rocket nozzle. The bonus stages where Mario was stripped from FLUDD were my favorite parts of the game. While the camera was imperfect and the locales weren't as varied as one might like, Super Mario Sunshine remains a fun and entertaining game.
2) Super Mario 64 (N64)
We go from a game that ran with the formula to the one that started the formula to begin with-- Super Mario 64. The game had fifteen unique worlds each with seven stars to collect. Collecting power stars opened up new areas in Peach's Castle, the hub of the game. The story was minimal at best. Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach after she invites Mario over for some cake. Mario arrives to see the castle in chaos, and opts to leap inside the worlds hidden among paintings to gather power stars, take down Bowser, and rescue the Princess for the umpteenth time. I remember first playing this game at a kiosk at a Best Buy. I couldn't get a handle of the controls, so I kept running in circles into the water and out. This play experience convinced me of getting a Nintendo 64 as silly as that sounds. With revolutionary 3D gameplay, awesome moves such as the long jump and wall kick, and impressive for the time visuals, and you have my second favorite 3D Mario.
1) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Here it is-- the most recent and best 3D Mario ever (perhaps until Super Mario Galaxy 2 comes out). Mario and company celebrate the arrival of a comet at the Star Festival. Suddenly, Bowser's airship armada bombs the heck out of the village surrounding Peach's Castle, captures Peach, and sends Mario sailing into space. It's up to Mario to collect enough power stars to engage the mysterious Rosalina's observatory to reach where Bowser is no doubt hatching his next devious plan. The addition of planetoids and a more rigidly linear structure lending well to Super Mario Galaxy. It felt like you were playing a 2D Mario only in 3D with the point being you're going from the start to the goal of the level (the power star). Don't even get me started on the absolutely phenomenal presentation! From the sensational visuals to the supremely fantastic soundtrack (half of which was orchestrated), and you have my top pick for 3D Mario games.
What about you? Is your order of these games different than mine? Let me, and everyone else know, in the comments section!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)