(click for mushroom power-up effect)While Wii games aren't exactly few and far between, those actually worth picking up (in the eyes of most gamers, anyway) are a little on the rare side. Fortunately, Nintendo is pretty much the strongest first party developer in the world, owning several franchises that are synonymous with video games. The biggest of these, and perhaps single-handedly responsible for rescuing the video game industry in 1986, is Super Mario. And it just so happens that those crazy Europeans over at CVG (and the local yahoos at IGN) got some hands-on time with the plumber's latest title: Super Mario Galaxy 2. Before we get into the details of CVG's hands-on experience, I feel it worthy to note that Super Mario Galaxy 2 is notable for two reasons: 1) Super Mario Galaxy was AWESOME! and 2) This is the third "true" Mario game (i.e. platformers. Not offshoots like Mario party, Mario [insert sport] or Mario RPG/Paper Mario) for the Wii. Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Brothers Wii being the first two. There hasn't been more than one true Mario entry in a Nintendo system's life cycle since the Super Nintendo. Some would even say that the Gamecube didn't have any, considering the oddball, even...weak, entry that was Super Mario Sunshine. I think this calls for a w007!
Now, if you're anything like me, what I'm about to tell you may not only be something you guessed from the image above, but also the best part of Super Mario Galaxy 2: Yoshi. Yes, Yoshi returns and brings some of the classic traits from his debut in Super Mario World. The classic traits accompanying Yoshi's return include finding him by cracking open eggs and should you take a hit while riding your dino sidekick, Yoshi will take off just like SMW, or he could retreat back into his egg. Also making the jump from World to Galaxy is Yoshi's ability to gobble up and spit out enemies. In the requisite Wii control update, however, this ability is directly controlled by pointing with the Wii-mote, giving considerable accuracy beyond even that found in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. IGN reports that it is as simple as keeping the Wii-mote pointed at an enemy until Yoshi locks on and pushing a button to inhale the fiend. A second tap of the button will spit the enmy back out.
According to CVG, this new found accuracy is not only helpful, but necessary on some levels. One particular galaxy, Bowser Jr's Fearsome Fleet, which is riddled with Bullet Bill turrets, all focused on the plumber-dinosaur pair. But with Yoshi's tongue-of-steel, it's a simple matter of point and shoot to grab the projectiles with Yoshi's tongue and fire them back.
In addition to returning classics, there are also new abilities to be found in Galaxy 2, like drill. In a Super Mario version of digging a hole to China, Mario can drill from one side of the planet straight through to the other. This can be quite useful when the only way to get at something is from underneath. Whether that something is a 1-up stuck inside a cage, a star resting atop and otherwise unreachable tower, or the underside of a boss. Also enabled by the drill ability is access to the core of hollow planets, allowing Mario to run around inside the planet collecting coins. (Did anyone else just hear the Underground Theme in their heads?)
Combing new with some of the old, Yoshi gains some entirely new abilities. Seen on the aptly named Tree Trunk Galaxy during CVG's play time is the "Blimp Fruit." Swallowing this fruit causes Yoshi to inflate like a balloon and release a constant stream of air from his mouth, propelling him around the level...also much like a balloon. Once obtained, this power-up allowed CVG to access a launch star that shot both characters to a giant log in the sky. With the perspective changing to 2.5dimensions (3D graphics with 2D movement) gravity makes it impossible to fall off the rollign log in space, instead Mario will fall indefinitely, or until he lands safely on a platform. Another use revealed for this 2.5D perspective was the true function of "Blimp Yoshi" in a level that required the player to maneuver Yoshi up towards a power star while avoiding hazards like flying goombas and spiky brushes along the way by holding his breath with the "A" button, which allowed the player to float in place. IGN also mentions a Dash pepper that ignites the little dinosaur, giving him a speed boost and even, in some sections, allowing him to run up walls.
As far as visuals go, IGN claims that Galaxy 2 is only a minor update to the original Super Mario Galaxy. That's nothing to scoff at, however, as that game remains the best looking title on the Wii.
All in all Galaxy 2 looks to impress just as much as the first Galaxy title did. Speaking of which, you may want to get out Galaxy and brush up on your skills because CVG had one more thing to say about Super Mario Galaxy 2: it's even more challenging than its predecessor.
No comments:
Post a Comment