Super Mario Galaxy is the game many Wii owner were looking forward to. Mario games are thought to be the end all and be all of platform games. So does Super Mario Galaxy live up to its legacy? In short, yes. Critics have given it ridiculously high ratings. Game Rankings give it a composite score of 97.2%, the second highest score ever. Metacritic gives Super Mario Galaxy a 97, making it their 11th best game of all time. So the ratings are good. AAA.

Gameplay is both fun and challenging. Princess Peach is stolen by bowser (again) with a huge array of airships and a UFA and taken into space. Mario has to make his way from planetoid to planetoid using stats to power his observatory to go farther into space. The graphics are great, rendering little mini-planets floating through space with beauty and artistic vision (although some anti-aliasing would be nice at times). Though out the game you play with bizarre concepts of gravity and weird views as you explore oddly shaped objects in space. All the core elements of Mario gameplay are present, but the added controls to take advantage of the Wiimote are great, and well integrated.

You can use the pointing function to point at the screen and gather starbits, useful for a variety of things including getting free lives. Your main method of attack, spinning (Mario’s hopping-on-things-head’s days are over apparently) is activated by shaking the Wiimote lightly. For non-Wii players, pointing while playing is totally new, yet fun. The controls are creative, making you feel like you are experiencing something new, while still keeping a shallow learning curve.

Super Mario Galaxy manages to be quite difficult, but not frustrating. Similar to games like Super Mario 3, or Yoshi’s World most young gamers probably won’t even realize that the game can be beat. But also like those classics, for some reason, this won’t bother them. For those of us playing to win, a heavy challenge lies ahead, in classic Mario format. So stock up on some lives and get ready for a challenge.

The game offers an interesting cooperative mode. Where one player controls Mario while another can collect and fire starbits. This, in my opinion is great for siblings of different ages. The older sibling can control Mario, and the younger who would normally just be watching, can contribute to the game. My younger sisters (14 and 8 years old) greatly enjoyed this cooperation as they played through the game.

All in all, I give Super Mario Galaxy a 10 out of 10. Great gameplay, beautiful graphics and classic Mario fun make this game the must buy game for the Wii. I’m looking forward to developers seeing what Super Mario Galaxy did right, because it really is the proof that the Wii is well suited for AAA games.

Two games are coming to us tomorrow on the Virtual Console. One is from the SNES and one from the Genesis. Both of them are going for 900 points and are rated E for everyone.

DoReMi Fantasy: Milon’s DokiDoki Adventure

This is a relatively unknown title. An action game set in a cute fantasy world, in fact, the country of Fantasia. Your fairy friend is kidnapped and you have to head off on a series of quest to retrieve her, and solve the dark mysteries of the world, silencing the singing in the forests. The came is fun and comical. DoReMi has a loyal following of supporters, but unfortunately for them, no sequel was ever released, nor was much attention ever given to the game. Maybe this Virtual Console release will bring some attention to the title. For the most part though, I doubt that many people are going to shell out $9 for a SNES game they’ve never head of. I would completely recommend the games for anyone who enjoys fun adventures, but I would also recommend Nintendo lower its VC prices.

Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu 

Puyo Puyo can high success, and Puyo Puyo 2 was widely acclaimed. Unfortunately, here in the west, it is just another unheard of title. This game consists of falling Puyo’s which you have deal with in various ways, usually by rotating sets of four. There is a wide set of rules and options open to you, which expands as the game goes. The game plays like a puzzle, with quick thinking being a plus. Like most modern games of this sort, you can build chains for increased scores. At the time of the release, Puyo Puyo had gameplay that was fairly unique. Nowadays we have a lot of games of this sort running around, so I don’t know what the demand will be. Again, I bet this would do better with lower costs. It costs almost nothing for Nintendo to distribute this. Hopefully in the future we’ll see lower VC prices.

Virtual Console has good things going for it. I’m hoping for more releases soon. A wider range with lower costs. That’ll really get things moving. If Nintendo doesn’t wake up on the VC and shake things up, homebrew is going to offer better emulation, for cheaper. After that, it is game over.

Geometry Wars is the little game that could. Starting off as a minigame in Project Gotham Racing 2 for the Xbox. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was created for the Xbox live arcade on the 360 and had huge success. The latest version, Galaxies, is for the Wii and DS. Geometry Wars is a simple shooter with a lot of punch. Similar to those old school classics like Galaga, but way more intense

The game takes place on a small spiral galaxy. In this galaxy are several star systems that can be unlocked. In each star system are several planets, each representing a game level. Gameplay consists of moving your ship around with the Nunchuk and aiming with the Wiimote to shoot a variety of geometric enemies. Losers can use the classic controller, so that no pointing is necessary, but it is my official opinion that this method is lame.

Overall, the one impression that I’ve come away with: this game is intense. Geometry Wars: Galaxies is action packed and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Gameplay has several significant improvements over previous versions, including the collecting of ‘Geoms’ to up a score multiplier. The score multiplier resets when you die, upping the stakes. Geoms you collect are also tallied up to spend on unlocking stars and planets, or buying a drone with different functions.

I was very impressed with the level design, and the amazing number of different ‘feels’ you can get. I also like how your drone levels up each time you try a level, even if you didn’t break any new records (although, sometimes it would gain experience when I had just given up, which seemed lame). At first, I thought the economy was broken because in the first star system it was easy to get huge amounts of bonus Geoms by easily making the ‘bronze’ score on those levels. Only later did I realize that making any of the achievements, bronze, silver or gold, was going to get harder very fast. I still think the economy is a little loose, but being able to buy levels whenever I want helped stave off the monotony that would have set in doing the same level again and again.

All in all, I would give Geometry Wars: Galaxies 7 out of 10. It is a great little games, but unfortunately, that is all it is, a little game. No story, goal or real objective brings back old school memories of games like Galaga. The coop mode provides for a small bit of multiplayer fun, but it really isn’t a robust multiplayer game. The online scores chart is fun, and it is interesting to see how much you actually suck, but it isn’t revolutionary. If you liked Geometry Wars, you are going to love Galaxies. It really brings make those old acrade game memories.

Continued from What the Wii Has to Do to Win, Part 1

Keep Pushing Innovation:

Controllers, sound, design, genre… everything. Innovation is key. At the moment, if given a choice between a free Wii and a free PS3, most people would choose the PS3 because they feel it is more valuable. Nintendo needs to put the focus back on the quality of the games. Nintendo is honestly the god of games, and if anyone can do it, Nintendo can. There is already great movement in this direction with Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy. Now if only the third party developers can get their act together and make some good games.
When the PS3 and Xbox 360 prices start to drop, people will have to actually prefer the Wii. I think this is possible. I think it is starting. But they have to make a strong case to keep people away from that technology loaded PS3. One thing that might ruin everything is if PS3 developers catch on and start releasing titles with more motion sensitivity. One huge PS3 blockbuster in this area could put the nail in the Wii coffin.

Keep the Controllers Coming:

The Wii seems more like an entire game box instead of just one console. Nintendo needs to take advantage of that by keeping the new controllers coming. Also, they should stay away from giving people the impression that they are doing it to make people buy more attachments. They are making good strides with the Wii Wheel and how they are including one with the game. Keep including these attachments, it is important that people don’t feel like they are being forced to buy them. The wide array of controllers is already making the PS3 and Xbox 360 look kinda boring. Lets emphasize that even more. The Wii needs to be seen as an arcade emulator, not just a console.

More Genres:

The Wii is a little top heavy in the genre department. Too much casual and light children’s games. We need to make the case the the Wii is all you need, and in order to do that we need a broader range of genres. RPGs, first person shooters, real time strategies, 4X, simulation, massively multiplayer online. All of these genres are almost completely missing and the Wii. If Nintendo is going to win the console wars this generation, they need to broaden their horizons.

On the whole, I think Nintendo is doing a very good job. But only the battle is won, not the war. We still have a long way to go. Nintendo’s lost cost system was a good way to sprint in front at the beginning of the race, but it is possible that Sony’s Playstation 3 — with almost 25 times more processing power — has the endurance for the long haul. Remember, there are 120 million people out there with a PS2, and they’ll want a console that can play the games they already have. Nintendo is doing everything right, but they might have a run for their money is Sony does the same.

So far, the Wii is up. But the battle isn’t even close to over. So far the Wii has sold over 20 million units, but last cycle, the PS2 sold almost 120 million units. We still have a long way to go, and here is what Nintendo needs to do if it wants to stay number one:

More Wii Games:

We need more games designed for the Wii. More games that can only be played on the Wii. Games like Metroid Prime 3. Games that wouldn’t be the same if it was ported to a different console. Nintendo needs to deemphasize games like Wii Sports — just a motion sensitivity gimmick — and show some games that focus on game play, with the Wiimote of course. Super Smash Bros Brawl is a spectacular example. Unfortunately, most developers are using the Wiimote capabilities for the same things they would use a mouse for. Or they only really use them in small and lame mini-games. We need more games that include the Wiimote into core game play, in unique and innovative ways that work.

At the moment, the Wiimote is new. So I understand the slow developer movement to explore the possibilities. Nintendo is doing a great job of showing the way, and I think that developers are starting to take a real good look at what they can do. So far, so good in this category.

More Non-Wii Games:

A lot of big franchises are skipping over the Wii. This has to stop, or eventually people will get those other consoles. A lot of developers don’t even want to deal with how to manage a port, and many of them feel that if they can’t incorporate motion sensitivity it isn’t worth it. Nintendo needs to put more emphasis on the Classic Controller. They need to arrange more people having one so that developers can count on players having one, making the port simpler. If Nintendo doesn’t reel these developers in, many gamers this cycle are going to end up with two systems. In that case, I think developers will continue staying away from the Wii which will only lead to the Wii will losing out big.

Drop Virtual Console Costs:

The VC is a great idea. Tons of people love the old games and want collection of them. This is already common in the computer emulator and rom world. I think the VC could be a great draw, and a good reason for people to buy a Wii. But costs need to go down. Ten bucks for an old N64 is far too much. I know they’re working on this, but Nintendo also needs a much bigger collection. People like the idea of having every old game at their fingertips. If Nintendo drops VC prices and offers a wider collection, I bet it’ll help them stay in the lead. Imagine the amazing response if Nintendo offered every NES game ever made — free. That is marketing, get on it Nintendo, people are already pirating them anyway.

High Def:

And I’m not just talking high definition here, I’m talking super high definition. One thing computer systems have over consoles is the ability for super high resolutions. I think the future of both television and consoles lies in tapping into that potential. Now, television have more colors than computer monitors usually do, so if you are far enough away they both look the same. But more and more, people are seeing the crisper view they get on computers. High def is a start, but consoles and TVs still have a ways to go to catch up, and I bet the next generation makes some inroads. The Xbox 360 and PS3 are already a good way there with 1080p support, while the Wii only has 480p.

Surround Sound and More:

Sound is integral to our gaming experience, and the Wii is already making good progress with the speakers in the controllers. Delivering sound on a per-player basis is a wonderful innovation that has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the sound out of those speakers kinda sucks. Expect that to get better, this generation. Next generation expect much more support for real 7.1 or more digital surround sound. I also expect that one Wiimote attachment is going to be a headset, possibly with a microphone. Nintendo might opt out of the microphone to keep thing kid safe, but the headphones — to give individual people specific sound cues in high quality sound — could have tons of multiplayer uses full of fun.

Developer Tools:

Getting high quality games on the Wii, or any console, is mission critical. I expect that in future generation — when technological progress stops mattering as much as creative progress, a process we are already beginning to see — console produces will provide more developer tools. This might be as simple as controller analysis or as complex as MMO back-end support, both of which I’ve already talked about. I suspect that will start providing simple engines designed low budget third party developers. Just because they don’t have a huge budget doesn’t mean they don’t have a good, innovative game idea.

Just look at what Flash has done for online games. Thousands are floating around now, and a lot of them are very good. I suspect, though, that if tools are provided to make development open, Nintendo will start mandating quality standards, my next point.

Quality Standards:

The Wii is already hurting from the number of bad games it is getting. It is being stuck with a ‘casual only’ image that could be hard to shake. Bad rip-off titles could swing the masses against the Wii. On one hand, Nintendo needs to improve its relations with third party developers. The N64 and GameCube has notoriously bad sales for third parties. Nintendo can’t very well start rejecting some games do to poor quality without further alienating developers. But on the other hand, the bad mini-game packages have to stop. I suspect that once it becomes clearer that the Wii is to be taken seriously, Nintendo will start pushing the quality issue a little harder. By next generation, they will probably be in a position to demand the best.

Baroque is a full on hardcore dungeon-crawling RPG coming out on the Wii April 8th. Originally it was scheduled for March 18th, but the publisher — Atlus USA — has pushed it back three weeks. The story seems rich and dark. Placed in a ruined world, a character full of guilt. Some cataclysm has destroyed the world and even twisted the souls and bodies of humanity.

The dungeon crawler genre is an old and respected one, but one that hasn’t had much success on Nintendo’s newer consoles. The NES and SNES were spawning grounds for RPGs, even giving birth to the long lasting Final Fantasy series. In recent years, as Nintendo has targeted a younger crowd, most RPGs, and especially the more hardcore variety like crawlers, have stayed away. It’ll be interesting to see whether Baroque has any success. I’m hoping that it is a hit. I’m hoping that it’ll open the gates a little more for non-traditional genres.

Baroque is being developed for the PS2 and the Wii. No news on whether they will be using the Wiimote for anything it is good at. Probably not. Despite that, I still have high hopes for the game.

Baroque will be using a randomly generated map, ever so popularized by Diablo, despite the fact that many crawlers before Diablo used random maps. Baroque also claims a very strategy oriented inventory system, which includes the ability to fuse items. One interesting tid-bit is that death and reincarnation are actually incorporated into the story, and look like they are suppose to happen. Often in crawlers, you somehow re-spawn after death with no real explanation. It would be interesting if Baroque not only explained reincarnation, but also made it integral to the story.

Speaking of the story, at the moment, it seems exceptionally rich in feel and darkness. One thing that a lot of dungeon crawlers lack is solid story, something that Diablo addressed and was rewarded for. I think the game will appeal to RPG fans. The question, though, is are there any RPG fans on the Wii that don’t already have a Playstation. The publisher doesn’t have much to lose if the Wii version doesn’t sell well, since they are releasing it on the PS2 as well, but Wii fans have a lot to lose if we scare producers off with poor sales.

All-in-all this looks like a real crawler in the footsteps of Rouge and ADOM, only graphical. With rotting food, creative ways to use items and death looming, it will do the Rouge-like genre proud. Not surprising in and of itself, but very surprising that it is coming to the Wii. Baroque looks quite gruesome and tough so for. This doesn’t fall into the Wii’s normal consumer base of kids and casuals. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this doesn’t backfire and convince developers to stay away instead of drawing them in. Increasing the Wii’s normally perceived scope would only benefit us gamers in the end. It will be a hard process, and I’m glad that Baroque is giving us a chance to start on that road.

A quick breakdown of this weeks sales numbers, just out.

Consoles:

The Wii sold 375k consoles this week. That is more consoles that the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 combined. They sold 152k and 179k respectively. This shows a continued trend of the Wii totally blowing the other two comsoles out of the water. In other news, the Nintendo DS is also topping the charts with 379k units, which trumps the PSP’s 206K.

This is good news for Wii owners. As the Wii starts attracting such a wide user base, developers will be forced to reckon with the Wii. Ports to the Wii will become more common, and serious games designed specifically for it will rise in numbers. Wii games are expected to be slightly lower priced than other console’s games. That is keeping a lot of more serious developers away. But soon the numbers will speak for themselves and developers will basically have no choice.

Games:

The Wii sold 1.8 million games this week, which is almost five games per console. Again, this is way more than the Xbox 360 with 1.3 million or the Playstation 3 with .8 million. This time the Wii didn’t beat they both together. The games per console number is more important to Sony and Microsoft than it is to Nintendo. That is because both the Xbox and the Playstation 3 are actually selling at a net loss to the company. Both companies are relying on game sale to make it up. The Xbox is doing best in that regard, with 9 games per console, while the PS3 is about equal to the Wii with 5 games per unit. This is probably because the Wii and PS3 have been out for about the same amount of time while the Xbox has had a lot longer to sell consoles.

By Publisher:

Nintendo is definitely the biggest publisher this week, with over 1.9 million titles sold. The runner up, EA, only has a little more than a third that number. While on one hand this is good for Nintendo, on the other, third party releases on the Wii don’t get as much attention as Nintendo releases. This is something that needs to change if the Wii is to start attracting more serious developers.

By Game:

Wii Sports is topping the chart, but that is only because it is bundled with the Wii. Next up is Wii Play. I think that is because it comes bundles with a Wiimote. After that, Mario and Sonic Olympic Games, Super Mario Galaxy, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (not out in the US). No surprises there.

SSBB should get a huge number boost this week when it is released in North America on the 9th. I know that I, for one, will be buying it.

All the numbers just go to show that this little console is pack big punch. Here’s to everyone who scoffed at the Wii when it was unveiled in 2005.

After decades of bitter rivalry it seems that — for now anyway — Mario and Sonic are putting their differences behind them and working as a team. Sonic — often categorized by opponents as an abusive left-wing nut job — first appeared in 1991. He immediately challenged the incumbent, Mario — often derogatively referred to as the dictator of the right-wing gaming machine — who had been on the scene for about 6 years already. Mario was throwing his full support behind the SNES at the time, and Sonic was in favor or the Sega Master System.

Things got very negative as Sonic lost ground in that battle. At one point an adviser of Sonic’s campaign accused Mario of “brainwashing unsuspecting kids” with that “unholy gaming device”. In the press conference that Sonic held to finally admit defeat, Sonic was anything but civil. He was reported to have said, “I just don’t understand why anyone likes that <bleep>ing Italian. What has he ever done besides throw lizards in fire? Anyone can do that. I’ve actually defeated sinister, conniving bosses. I’m ready to battle for my life — on Day One.” Mario responded by saying, “I’ll tell you why I’m winning — because no one likes that spiky freak. Everyone can see that he is in it for himself. That guy can’t even breath underwater.” Mario went on to point out that it wasn’t just any lizard he tossed in fire, but the king of lizards himself. Mario also said that Dr. Robotnik, Sonic’s archenemy, was an idiot that “any 5 year old could defeat”.

But the story doesn’t stop there. After a brief rest, both contenders were at it again with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn. This time Sonic tried to stay on the issues, calling foul play on the “so-called 64 bit system”. The Sonic team insisted that the N64 was only 16-bit times 4. While the Saturn was actually 32-bit. These subtleties had little effect on a vast majority of consumers, who thought the squabbling childish. While Sonic and Mario duked it out, Crash Bandicoot quietly supported the Playstation and ended up winning the nomination.

Sonic got particularly desperate at this time, adding addition after useless addition to his console, thoroughly confusing everyone. Afterward, Sonic began harassing Mario — appearing every now and then, mocking him, “It’s a-me, Sonic” or yelling, “Lookout, a turtle!” Mario didn’t respond well to these taunts, often spitting fireballs or reaching for an invincibility star. Eventually Mario got a restraining order.

Everyone assumed that Sonic was over with, but he tried one more time with the Sega Dreamcast, which everyone ignored. Sonic tried to file lawsuits against Crash Bandicoot and Master Chief, accusing them of kidnapping and torture. But due to Sonic’s mental instability and drinking problems, the case was dismissed in court. Sonic fueled a few conspiracy theories when he accused his judge, Princess Toadstool, of sleeping with Mario, but most of the conspiracists disappeared when Sonic was forcefully committed to to drug rehab.

But not all was well for Mario. Having lost two gaming seasons to Crash, he was getting desperate. His smooth, cocky opponent who talked about change and hope just couldn’t be beaten the same way draconian lizard kings could be. Mario was coming in third place. Even the militaristic, warmongering extremist Master Chief was doing better in the poles than him. People close to Mario during this time have said that he had an unhealthy obsession with mushrooms. Everyone thought that the era of the old-school gaming figures like Mario and Sonic was at an end.

Then something unexpected happened. During some closed-door negotiations, it was decided that Mario and Sonic would both work together this next gaming season in what people have called a “dream ticket”. Both game figures put their support behind the Nintendo Wii, and so far they are leading in the polls.

So have Sonic and Mario really made up their differences? Most behind-the-scene witnesses say no. People frequently hear Sonic complaining about the fact that it’s “always Mario and Sonic, never Sonic and Mario”. People also say that Sonic often shows up to work drunk and is sometimes abusive. Both the Sonic and Mario teams deny this. Analysts say it is likely that the strain of “being player number two” will probably have the same effect on Sonic that it had on Luigi, who is currently back in Italy after complaining publicly that Mario was a “power-hungry fool” that “can’t give anyone else the reins”.

So far Sonic has appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario and Sonic Olympics, but people have overheard Sonic say “if I have to work with that overweight Italian one more time, I’ll kill him three times and laugh at the game over screen.” So future joint ventures are still in the air. Will this tenuous alliance last? Who can say.

Multi-Screen Support:

The Wii has made tremendous inroads into fun multiplayer games. Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, games got more and more single player oriented. In the early 2000s the online multiplayer industry started booming, but now, thanks to the Wii, the off-line multiplayer game is back. To help further accommodate this, I think the next generation will feature the ability to display on multiple screens, allowing dozens of players to play cooperative or competitive games at the same time all on one console. This would be really cool.

Most households nowadays have multiple screens anyway, so this would be useful to a large number of families. In addition, I predict that Bluetooth televisions become more popular, and that the new Nintendo console will have the option to communicate to these multiple sets through Bluetooth.

No Sensor Bar:

I don’t know how, but I think Nintendo will be looking to get rid of the Sensor Bar. It is a patched together system that really has to go. It made motion sensitivity cheap this generation, but I think we will need something less likely to produce mistakes in the next generation. One question that has to be asked is how a controller will detect which way is forward without a sensor bar. A good question and one that needs to be answered.

More controller innovation:

Nintendo has had a long history of controller innovation. The N64 controller was crazy and the GameCube controller was its own monster. Both, in my opinion, were flops. Now Nintendo has stumbled upon a design people are saying is Good. Will that stop them from innovating? I don’t think so. In designing the next generation, Nintendo will probably want to keep backwards compatibility, but I bet they’ll do that by having some type of compatibility with the old controllers rather than having a similar controller. Nintendo is showing with the Wii beautiful and complex ideas about input flexibility. I think Nintendo has several surprises up their sleeve this generation, and next generation — when they get to build things from the ground up again — I bet they’ll that all the feedback from gamers and developers and really improve upon the system. I trust Nintendo to do a good job with this, and look forward to seeing what they come up with.

Input processing is a complex field even when you only have analog sticks and buttons. Making the gamer forget about the fact that he or she has a controller in their hand requires a lot of smart programming. Think of the original Super Mario Bros, even though there were really just a total of 8 buttons on the controller (two that were never used in game), the programing really had the think about the input to make it smooth. Remember how Mario would slowly speed up over time? Remember his skid when you changed directions. Remember how he would take a tiny jump is you tapped jump quickly. They took those few buttons and put a lot of intuitive power into they. With the Wii, there is so much more information coming at the programmers, and processing it all can be tricky. In the next generation, I expect that Nintendo will have preprocessing routines for the data based on comprehensive fuzzy logic systems that get a feel for each users style. This won’t be as obvious to the gamer as a huge processor, but the developers need this.