This game takes the simple idea of Mario in 3D and tries a slightly less traditional storyline. It also adds some new gameplay mechanics that could really make or break this game for you.
Story: I don’t want to give things away but basically you are on vacation but something goes horribly wrong. This beautiful little village is covered in oil and Mario is being blamed! It’s up to you to help the townspeople and prove Mario’s innocents.
Gameplay: The traditional Mario style gameplay is here and it controls how you would expect it too. If you played Mario 64 not a lot has changed but they did add something new. You now have this jet pack that seems silly at first but actually works pretty well. I actually hated this feature so much that I didn’t play the game for years after it came out because of it. Just give it a chance. It’s really not all that bad.
Art Style: It looks like a Gamecube game and nothing is perfect. The island motif is nice at first but after a while everything starts to look the same. I preferred the varied environments of 64 personally but it doesn’t really kill the game. What does cause concern though are the camera angles. Normally this isn’t a problem but there are “special levels” where you aren’t able to use the jet pack. They are typically much more difficult and actually my favorite part of the game. The camera however doesn’t work well in these levels and you find yourself playing blind at times where you have to make jump based on an assumed distance rather than visually.
Difference: The game is a lot of fun but can be frustrating at times because of the camera angles. I would have to say it is the most difficult of the 3D Mario titles. To me this is a selling point but to others it may be a deterrent.
Buy it? Maybe. This game got a lot of mixed feedback from fans because of its difficulty and style. As a result you can find it cheaply but you might also have some issues with its jet pack system. Honestly with two Galaxy games to play you could probably skip this one but if you are looking for some more Mario action then definitely give it a try. I give it an 8/10.
I really didn't enjoy the game that much. I tried my hardest to because, well, it's a Mario game! I have to agree with you that the most enjoyable parts of the game were the levels where you couldn't use the jetpack. Thinking back on them now, I think they seem very similar to Galaxy. I thought it was mediocre and ended up rage quitting after having to feed my finicky yoshi a soccerball-esque fruit and then spray juice on fish.
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah I think my least favorite mission was the one where I had to push the watermelons down the hill. It wasn't hard but you had to move so slow and sometimes they would just break on a flat for no reason at all.
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