| Fuzzmosis said: Greetings all. I'm the sarcstic, contemplative sort (See, bitter), and both myself and a good friend of mine bought Galaxy at the same time. Much discussion ensued when it briefly took the #1 spot on Gamerankings, where my comment was "Well, the top games are kinda like looking at 8 pairs of near identical breasts. Galaxy may just be there because it's younger, but at the same time, what's the complaint if it's not #1". If you do not like breasts, insert personal female body part choice. If you like men, insert favourite male portion of anatomy. But that comes to pass, I'm curious that why some people may dislike the game. I hope to avoid the Xbox thread, where most 360 owners seemed pat each other on the back and say "Jealousy, which to me sorta seems like "They hate our freedom", but anyway. The purpose of this thread is reasons, real or imagined, why you or someone else may actually not like Galaxy. Allow me to start: 1) Swimming. Probably the most commented on in reviews, the swimming works better in Mario 64, mostly because A) There was variation in swimming B) The Camera did not always change what direction you needed to go, whereas in Galaxy you and the battle are often in a tight struggle for control underwater. It was actually quite jarring to feel like the swimming had taken a significant step back. 2) Linearity - The game holds your hand and guides you precisely to every single star, save for the secret ones. Though levels often have hidden quirks, those who have wanderlust will find it quickly filled in every level. 3) Ecclectic Star challenge: Some stars will take you 5 minutes or so of platforming bliss. Others will involve you assaulting an innocent penguin and stealing what it's carrying. Also, some races are quite confusing, sometimes the fastest time has absolutely nothing to do with how fast you need to go to win the race on time (2nd Manta, First Boo Race) 4) Camera view on the spherical worlds: There are moments where what Mario is moving and where you think he should be moving have suddenly changed because of a swap in Camera view. For those who's minds don't quickly grasp changes like this, this is damningly bad controls. Miyamoto said he wanted a game that everyone can play, and there are definate moments where you need to pause, re-orient your momentum, and continue. Stomping Goombas on a sphere world takes time to get used too. 5) Personal complaint (Opinion) - Bowser. None of those fights felt special or deep, compared to the Baby Bowser Airship fight. For the main bad guy, I just wish they had some better surprises in store for him than what they give you. So, I am curious. For those who played the game and disliked it, what else can you add? For those that liked it, were there any other irritations? |
I'm not quite done (at 109 stars) with the first go 'round, and I've enjoyed the game immensely. But I certainly do have some complaints.
1. The linear levels. I'm one of those with the "wanderlust" you cite. I like to explore, and the game gives precious few levels to do so (those that do are among my favorites in the game). Having all those tiny planetoids makes it easy to find any "hidden" nooks and crannies in no time at all.
2. Pacing. This ties in with point #1. The game is relentless in it's drive to get you done quickly. With so few levels designed for exploration, and many structured to prevent you from back tracking, even those who like to lollygag find themselves pressed onward at a rapid pace.
3. Camera. I'm likely in the minority here. Cameras, of course, have been the bane of every 3D platformer, and in that light I think they've done a wonderful job here. However, I ALSO miss the freedom of camera movement I had in Mario Sunshine. Of course, without a second joystick, I don't know how that could have been implemented. But it's a tine gripe.
4. An even smaller gripe - I don't need to read the same text 20 times. When I ask that Lumo to move tha comets, I don't need to go through the same exchange time and again. Which brings me to...
5. The comets. Love the concept, love most of the levels, but what's the deal with requiring the player to move them manually? Is it a lame excuse to pad the game's time? Don't see the point to it. If you average 10 minutes per star (which I think is on the short side), that's 10 hours to finish the game with minimal work, 20 hours to get all 120 stars, and 40 hours to complete the second run through.
6. The Starbits. Were these really needed? They don't do much beyond add an extra life, and putting a shooting element in a Mario game just feels wrong.
7. Speaking of extra lives, they come too quick and easy in this game. Every time I start up, Peach has FedEx'd me a package of 5 mushrooms, and there's another 6 in relatively easy reach on the Observatory. Toss in 1-3 in almost every level, plus the starbit and coin pickups, and the chances of ever running out of lives is minute. So what's the point?
Of course this is just me. I can see a few things that others would take issue with that I don't:
1. Disorientation due to the gravity fields and small planetoids, makes it hard to keep track of Mario.
2. Many levels are too easy.
3. Some levels are too hard.
4. The princess' story is pointless and a bit depressing.
5. Bowser isn't a brilliant boss.
Again, these are all relatively small complaints. The game is a blast, and most fun I've had on a console since Psychonauts.
