New Super Mario Brothers Wii – Review

Review first published on Game People
New Super Mario Bros. Wii strikes an excellent balance by giving old-school Nintendo fans the 2D Mario game they’ve been dreaming of since 1991, but also making an accessible experience that’s just as much fun to play in co-op with the family than it is single-player. Although the later levels became increasingly difficult and the manic thrill of having four players onscreen at once is a little too stressful, I still found this spiritual sequel to Super Mario World a beautiful family gaming experience.

Time for a shocking confession – I never played the Mario games when I was growing up. Being a child of the Commodore 64 and Amiga meant I was far more interested in complex flight Sims, Cannon Fodder and James Pond than the platforming delights of Mario Bros. on the NES. Whilst my peers had their videogame epiphany’s on the sofa with a controller, I had mine hunched over a monitor, bashing keys on a discoloured keyboard or wonky joystick. I always felt like I missed out on those special moments that my friends had with the Goomba-squishing antics of Mario and Luigi, but fortunately New Super Mario Bros for the Wii seemed to fold back the years and gave me inexplicable, first-time videogame moment goosebumps the moment it came up on the screen.

There has to be some secret recipe that hits all the right nerve centres in my brain, but watching the brief cinematic intro and getting straight into World 1-1 with my son by my side gave me a buzz that no other game has managed to pull off. It’s like a combination of small, seemingly insignificant features came together to create a vortex of addictive excellence that both my son and I adored the moment we stomped on a Goomba.

It’s like a combination of small, seemingly insignificant features came together to create a vortex of addictive excellence that both my son and I adored the moment we stomped on a Goomba.

Part of this charm comes from the 2D presentation of the game that harks back nearly 20 years to the last 2D Mario game, Super Mario World. That’s a game we’ve both been playing on the Game Boy Advance and Virtual Console and its charm and ease of play has been placed in New Super Mario Wii and enhanced by some clever new features.

The most obvious difference is the four player co-op that enables you and three others to progress through the campaign together. With just my son and I jumping into this mode at first, it felt like the perfect way for both of us to experience the game. I usually have to take over any game he’s playing to get him past the awkward parts and in this mode I can do it all within the game, never breaking the flow of our experience. This was fantastic at first as the levels slowly ramped up their difficulty that meant we could both get used to the controls and I could figure out how to get him past the more troublesome parts. The simplicity of just pressing A to enter a protective bubble was sublime and it meant he could float alongside me whilst I dealt with the more complex platforming or troublesome enemies.

Playing the game this way was a lot of fun and even when the levels became too difficult another new feature stepped in to make progression easier – Nintendo’s DemoPlay. This system kicks in whenever you die eight times in a row during the game and pops up the option to allow the Wii to play through the section for you. Far from being the heinous crime the more ‘hardcore’ gamers are declaring it as, I found this option a revelation for allowing me and my family to experience the full nature of the game. I only wish it didn’t take quite so many lives for this DemoPlay feature to become active. There were certain points that I knew I wasn’t going to get past and dying eight times in a row is a little tedious when you know you’re at a point where you can’t progress further.

Once we’d had our fill of the regular game the rest of the family joined in the action and this is where New Super Mario Wii starts to get a little… mad. Playing in co-op with my son was one thing, playing with three others of varying skill levels and attitude turned the game into a free-for-all circus that made the evening a mix of arguments, laughter and near-violence. The problem lies with the natural competitive nature of some of us and the game is quite happy to let players pick each other up and fling them into the lava or a chasm. There’s no equality with the power-ups either so one person can greedily collect them all and leave the others vulnerable and (more likely) irritated.

I found my family’s enjoyment of the game curtailed by the anti-social behaviour four-player co-op involved.

In a way this isn’t the game’s fault but I found my family’s enjoyment of the game curtailed by the anti-social behaviour four-player co-op involved. The Coin Battles added a bit more structure to the game and kept events from getting too out of hand, but trying to go through the campaign with anything less than true co-operation led to some unnecessary arguments and dramatic walk-outs.

This never took away the beautiful experience I had with my son in co-op or when playing by myself. New Super Mario Bros Wii is a tremendous tribute to those older 2D platforming games and getting the chance to experience it like so many of my friends experience Super Mario World for the first time makes this a unique and special game. Playing this in two-player co-op is just as memorable and I know that it will replace Mario Kart as the de facto game of choice for many months to come. What sets it apart is that unlike Mario’s racing game, I’ll be playing this long after the family is tucked up in bed. As an enthusiast gamer as well as a family gamer it hits all the right buttons and shows that Mario, no matter how many dimensions he’s in, is still the man to beat.

Rating:

Review – Resident Evil 5

Taking place in Africa the latest version of the survival horror series eschews its scares for a more action shooter style. The new setting oozes atmosphere and I found myself converting my initial disappointment with the demo into fervent adoration.

Playing as Chris Redfield from the original Resident Evil, the story takes you through some claustrophobic and atmospheric settings. Although it keeps the same control mechanic of previous games, RE5 actually benefits from this approach with some memorable moments and boss battles. Whether its fending off the usual infected zombies or taking down a psychotic chainsaw wielding maniac, the stunning visuals and an excellent co-op system keep the action tense and thrilling.

With a large amount of reply value including a ton of unlockables, this was a game I never expected to like and one I’ll be returning to for a long time.

Play in front of the kids?

No. RE5 is 18-rated and uses all the disturbing imagery it can get its hands on. Everything about this game is bloody and graphic including some gruesome depictions of infected humans and animals.

Save system

Although the checkpoints are usually well placed and regular, the save points are a little more infrequent. Each level has 1-3 save points which can vary in length from 10 minutes to half an hour. So watch for the save text to appear before quitting or it might send you back a little way.

Rating:

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Flower (PSN) – Review

Flower is a triumph of simplicity, beauty and subtle storytelling that shows a side of videogames that many are too quick to dismiss or ignore. Whilst the vast majority of games are violent experiences of conflict or combat, Flower tells a story of destruction and redemption in the most visual and moving way possible.

Starting you off in a depressing and dirty flat, the single flower on display is the only colour on the whole screen and you’re immediately drawn to enter its world. Once inside you’re struck by the vibrant change in colour to deep blues and verdant greens. Blowing off a single petal from an unfolding flower you use the Sixaxis motion controls on the PS3 controller and begin moving around the landscape.

These much maligned controls are surprisingly responsive and intuitive and soaring high and then swooping low to collect up other petals becomes second nature very quickly. The exhilaration of blossoming enough flowers to change the world around you is the first of many emotional moments in Flower. Even touching each flower produces a satisfying sound effect and before long you’re creating a symphony of gameplay moments that make non-gamers stop and stare in amazement.

Moving over certain clusters of flowers sets off waves of new green growth in the landscape and unlocks further areas. All the time you’re regenerating parts of the earth or putting into motion static wind turbines and sending your entourage of colourful petals hither and thither. It would be easy to dismiss the game at this point of being little more than a glorified screensaver or a new-age tech demo. Both assumptions would be crass and untrue – not that a new age tech demo should be dismissed in any case.

But once you reach the halfway point in Flower’s journey the game takes a darker turn and moves into far more meaningful territory. It’s impossible to describe the game from this point without spoiling it but let’s just say it’s an essential experience for anyone with even a passing interest in games.

Play with the family?

This is definitely a title that has an extended reach into the non-gamer world and kids are likely to love messing around with the Sixaxis controls. For other less experienced gamers Flower can seem a little daunting at first – there’s only one instruction in the whole game and that’s to press a button to make the wind blow. Other than that it’s a case of figuring out the game yourself and it seems to be hit and miss whether non-gamers find this game as accessible as it might first appear.

Good for those with limited time?

Just like Flow (That Game Company’s previous work) this is a game that can be played in small chunks for relaxation or just for a pretty screensaver. Each of the six main levels are no longer than 20-30 minutes and you can blast through the whole game in around 2-3 hours depending on how much of a completist you want to be.

Conclusion

With wearing its heart on its sleeve Flower is a beautiful and meditative experience. You can view it as art or as just an artistic flying game – but it’s still a tremendous experience that’s worth every penny and every minute of your time.
Rating:

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Russell Grant’s Astrology announced for DS

Nintendo’s hugely successful hand-held console branches out into the mystical gaming space with the announcement of Russell Grant’s Astrology. The popular UK astrologer lends his name to the title which:

“Provides users with up-to-date daily horoscopes, helps them keep track of the current position of the moon and their biorhythm, and offers personal advice on all the important spheres of life. Thus, players can get a detailed horoscope based on their birth constellation, as well as predictions for their love life, health and career, and even combine two people’s horoscopes to learn more about their relationship.

For those really interested in the subject, the title also offers the opportunity to take part in an extensive training program. Here they will get to know all the fields of astrology step by step, and take part in three courses that will make them real stargazing pros.

Russell Grant’s Astrology also features entertaining games in keeping with the astrology theme, such as a puzzle and a symbol sudoku game.”

It’s always great to see new genre’s and innovative steps being taken with the DS and it’ll be interesting to see how comprehensive the training part of the game will be. Astrology, whether you believe in it or not, is a deep and complex subject and hopefully the accessible nature of the DS will help to break this down into easy sections.

But as long as the game features the disembodied head of Russell exclaiming ‘darling!’ after every sentence, then it’ll be a sure success.

Review – Crayon Physics Deluxe

It’s a truism that the most simple ideas and concepts can sometimes be the best. Crayon Physics is a remarkably simple game that revolves around getting a ball to touch a star on the same screen. But the magic is far deeper than that. On your sheet of virtual paper whatever you draw come to life – draw a circle and it will become a ball rolling down a slope, draw a pivot and a straight line and you’ll have yourself a see-saw to send things flying through the air. Rope and pulley system? Just sketch out string and square blocks. Need a car? Two circles and a box will do the trick.
 
It’s an amazing work of one man and although it’s been around for nearly two years in some shape or form, Crayon Physics Deluxe is a definitive version. Over 80 levels are in the game and are arranged as a series of islands. Collecting stars unlocks other islands as you go and you’re free to choose what order you play most of these challenges in. There’s also an unlimited amount of objects you can draw on-screen which can lead to some creative and original solutions to some of the levels. And this is where opinions are likely to diverge dramatically in whether or not you ‘get’ the game.
 
For the most part, the levels are a simple affair and can be completed on many occasions by drawing a bridge and pushing the ball towards the star. Only in latter stages does the difficulty level take a hike and this can seem a little jarring at first. But CPD is all about creating your own solutions rather than being forced into arbitrary puzzle solving. If you’re willing to play around a little – just like you would on a sketchpad – then Crayon Physics will continue to delight and enthral you.

 Another added feature from the original version is the ability to create, upload and play other user-generated levels. It’s no Little Big Planet just yet but to see this level of support for an indie game is heartening and the creator, Petri Purho, has already put out a major update for the game. This ‘Release 53’ adds the option to watch replays of your solutions and also doubles the number of stars in the game. A second star is available if you complete a level in a particular way and is a direct answer to those wishing for more a challenge.

 Could kids play this game?

 They’ll certainly have fun drawing objects that come to life on the screen, but it’s likely they’ll get bored quite quickly. Whilst the open nature of the puzzles is good for people deciding their own difficulty level kids will probably need something a little more structured or rewarding like Peggle.

 Suitability?

 This is an excellent game that you can spend just a few minutes dipping in and out of. The soothing music and beautiful visuals give you a really mellow experience and with over 70 levels to play around with there’s a lot of content for your money.

Conclusion

With more updates planned in the future, Crayon Physics Deluxe is a worthy purchase and stands alongside other recent indie greats like World of Goo and Braid.
Rating:

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Crayon Physics – An interview with Petri Purho

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to grab a brief interview with the creator of Crayon Physics Deluxe – Petri Purho. He very kindly answered questions about his motivation and inspiration for the game and his website Kloonigames.com, where he ran a project to develop a new game every month. Check out his site for more updates about Crayon Physics and other forthcoming games.

Games for Dads: Can you explain what Crayon Physics Deluxe is for everyone?

Petri Purho: It’s a game about being creative. You draw with crayons and then magic happens.

GFD:  Did you develop every part of the game from sound to physics etc?

PP: I did most of the game, but not everything. Music is something that I cannot do and I don’t understand how people can create something so beautiful and I have nothing but respect for composer and musicians alike. So I had to ask for some help doing that. A friend of mine, Samuli, helped me with user interface graphics (editor, main menu, stuff like that). And the physics engine is by Erin Catto (it’s box2D).

GFD: It must be incredibly hard work to do everything yourself – how do you manage to motivate yourself to finish your games?

PP: I honestly don’t know. I’m a very lazy person by nature, so I’m as surprised as anyone when I look back at what I’ve created. I’m as amazed as any when I saw that I’ve actually done 24 freeware games in the last 30 months. I have no idea I did it.

GFD: Crayon Physics is such a unique gaming experience – where did you find the inspiration to create its visual style and its design elements?

PP: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. That was a big inspiration for the visuals and the design of the game.

GFD: Is there anything you want players to gain from playing Crayon Physics? 

PP: Creativity and better understanding of the laws of physics.

GFD: Crayon Physics Deluxe came from your own project to develop a new game every month Kloonigames.com- why did you decide to develop Crayon Physics into a full game and not any of the others?

PP: I thought it was the quickest / easiest game to do. Also it was one of the most popular. So it wasn’t a difficult choice.

GFD: CPD has been very well received – did you ever expect this level of success when you first started developing?

PP: Honestly no. I’m a very pessimistic person, so I thought I would be happy if the game sold any copies at all.

GFD: I’ve been reading a lot of reviews of your game from various outlets and whilst it’s been getting favourably ratings there seems to be some criticism about whether there’s enough challenge in the game. Do you think that’s a fair comment or have people misunderstood what Crayon Physics is?

PP: I think it’s a very fair comment about the game. I didn’t want to do a challenging game or game that would cause frustration. I updated the game so that people looking for more challenge and less creativity can now play the game that way as well. I think it now has enough difficulty, solving some of the levels with one object only is extremely difficult, so there’s challenge for those looking for it.

GFD: What’s your take on the Indie scene at the moment? There seems to be a resurgence in recent times with the likes of World of Goo, Braid and Everyday Shooter coming out on a variety of platforms.

PP: I love the indie scene. It’s the most refreshing thing that’s happened in gaming in the last 10 years or so.

GFD: Part of the game allows you to create your own levels and upload them to your website – has anything totally bizarre or incredible caught your eye?

PP: There’s been a couple of totally awesome levels that I’ve been meaning to blog about. Unfortunately I’m currently been drowning in emails

GFD: The other games on Kloonigames that you’ve developed are all pretty unique, so do you just have a disturbed imagination or do you draw inspiration from other sources?

PP: Disturbed imagination.

GFD: Many thanks Petri and good luck with your future games.

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Review – Bob the Builder: Festival of Fun (DS)

After seeding the phrase that would let Barack Obama become the next President of the United States, everyone’s favourite builder gets his own videogame release on the DS with Festival of Fun.

As the name might suggest this is all about getting the characters from the TV show to help build all you need for a rollicking good party. The ten mini-games range from clearing up rubbish, blowing leaves away (by using the mic), digging out foundations and building the party dome.

Most are fairly simple and easy to complete with the stylus but the unnecessary time limit on the levels brings in an unwanted difficulty curve. I can’t quite see the logic in making all of these mini-games subject to a timer as some require more precise work which was even a struggle for me to get done within 60 seconds. The locking off of the challenge mode also strikes me as an unnecessary step – why lock off content like this? It serves only to irritate rather than extend any gaming experience.

Apart from these misgivings, Festival of Fun still has a good variety of games that kids like playing although it’s terribly short to hold interest for long. The extra difficulty setting adds a little longevity, as does the 2-4 multiplayer which is local versus play only, but you get the feeling that only half a game is here.

Conclusion

 
With all the familiar voices present and a good ol hard-house sing-a-long at the end to reward the player for their hard work, Festival of Fun has solid foundations but is let down by minimal content and unnecessary timing challenges.
Rating:

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FlOw – Review

Sometimes videogames can surprise you in the most unusual ways. Whether they have plot twists that compare to a Hitchcock thriller, or produce gameplay that has your heartbeat hitting the roof in exhilaration. 
Flow is something very different to what you’re used to playing. Whilst Xbox Live Arcade spews out retro titles and erratic original content, the Playstation Network reserves its releases to, seemingly, the most polished or abstract titles out there. Flow sits right in the middle of this arty brain bubble and is an experience that shouldn’t be missed.
Released in 2007, FlOw consists of playing as a sea-creature and swimming around eating others creatures and gradually evolving into a larger, more complex form. Although most of these creatures are defenceless some of them will attack you and your have to figure out how to avoid them or strategically take them down.

Sounds simple enough to be considered utterly boring but the majority of FlOw’s charm comes from its ambient soundtrack and ethereal visuals. It’s far more of a dreamy meditation than an actual game despite the gamey mechanics inside it. Using the Sixaxis to control your creature is also a revelation as it works wonderfully and strangely adds to the experience as a whole – there’s something far more connecting to moving a controller than just pressing buttons or moving sticks around.

Good for those with limited time?

Absolutely. FlOw can be played just as a glorified screensaver, or as a casual 5 minute fix to de-stress or calm down everyone in the room. Although the ‘levels’ require you to reach the end before the game saves, you can barrage through them in a few minutes if you’re really inclined.

Play with the kids?

There’s four player multiplayer which allows anyone else to just drop-in and out as they want. Anyone joining can also choose whatever creature they want to play out of a total of six. It’s doubtful that most kids would be entranced for long playing FlOw but it does seem to grab their attention by just watching.

Conclusion

This is a game I have no hesitation in recommending no matter what your taste in games. It’s the most relaxing and chilled experience you can have on a console and it shows that games can be sublime and beautiful as well as enjoyable.

Rating:

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Review – Little Big Planet

If there’s one game that can frustrate and delight in equal measure at the same time then its Little Big Planet. No other game has that level of cuteness to make you laugh and smile when your Sackboy flies through the air as his legs thrash wildly to reach the other side of some spike-filled chasm.

No other game has that level of freedom to let you create almost anything you can imagine a platforming game can do. It has a sense of community that can’t be matched by any other game on the PS3 as you play the most silly and ridiculous levels that have been made by your friends, with your friends online.

And by that same token it encourages others to pick up controller for the first time and actually engage in a videogame – surely this must be nirvana?

But no. Mixed in with all this messianic design and concept lies a few flaws that for me (and I stress that this is a personal misgiving) come close to ruining the game entirely.

First of all, what is the game? Little Big Planet is a platform game with a single-player campaign that’s purpose is to teach you how to go about building your own level. Along these 4 chapters you collect materials, items, stickers and decorations, essentially unlocking content to use yourself later on. Although most of these items can be collected single-handedly, you’re going to have to rope in another player or two to reach everything the developers have put in there.

This is a minor problem as there’s always a kind soul online that’ll be willing to shepherd you through these parts and it’s also a good excuse to get anyone else hanging around to give you a hand.

The two major problems I had though were with the controls and with the difficulty curve. Now it’s fair to say that both of these are concerns I should just get over. Controls can be adapted in my gamer brain over time and difficulty curves just show how crap I am at games and how I need to just try and try until I get it right. After all, most games get harder as you progress through them so why should LBP be any different?

Well my concern is that LBP seems to pull in both directions. On the surface it’s a wonderful and accessible title that pulls in a lot of casual and non-gamers that see it in action. But once you get into the meat and bones you find a hardcore heart beating away at its single-player campaign.

So most people enticed in by the cute art style don’t get beyond the 2nd world. Even as a gamer with many years behind me, I got increasingly frustrated with the difficulty hike – some of which would have been solved by changing the checkpoint system. Although these are placed at convenient intervals you only have 4 lives to get the next stage right. Otherwise it’s essentially game over and you have to restart the entire level.
I understand that you want some sort of ‘game’ out of LBP as its primary aim is giving tools to the userbase and letting them create levels, but god, really? Just 4 lives? I’m quite happy to forgo any kudos and be branded a cheat on my Gamertag if you just give me infinite lives.

How much time is needed to play?

For the single player you could put anywhere from 5 hours to 15 hours depending on how you get on with the controls. For all my own problems with them, the levels are worth savouring because nobody yet has come close to reproducing their quality.

As for user-generated content and your own creations… It’s more a case of what the minimum time needed to create a level is and you’d be looking at an hour to make something meaningful. User content varies in length to just a few minutes to almost half an hour for some of the tougher and more complex levels.

Play in front of the kids?

Oh yes, there’s no doubt Little Big Planet is an excellent game for kids to watch and play along with you. With 4 player co-op available on everything you play it’s a real hit for a family evening and there’s nothing quite like making a level for your kids to muck around in. A level made entirely of explosions or rockets is a sure-fire win!

Conclusion

Despite all my misgivings on the controls and the difficulty curve, this is a game you simply have to try if you want to know if it’s for you. One problem Sony had with LBP was marketing the game and that’s because its very difficult to describe clearly. But try it for just an hour or so and you’ll know if it’s the game for you.
Rating:

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Review – Tomb Raider: Underworld

Lara Croft has had a rough time in recent years. Flogged as Eidos’ main cash cow she’s had to put up with shoddy and rushed games ever since Tomb Raider 3. But since Crystal Dynamics took over the franchise from Core Design, gamers have had Legend and Anniversary to fall back in love with the old girl. Those games had their flaws but Tomb Raider Underworld goes back to what Lara does best – exploring lush environments and solving complex puzzles, leaving the combat as a small and infrequent distraction.

The story in Underworld is as bonkers as ever, although the riff on Norse mythology is done far better than others games like Too Human, and it succeeds in drawing you along its nutty way with the promise of more exotic locations to explore. With visits to the Mediterranean, Malaysia, Mexico and the Arctic, you’ve got a lot of visual treats in store as well as a couple of explosive levels in the Croft mansion to enjoy.

But enjoyable is not the word you would use to describe some of the controls and more specifically, the love affair between camera and jumping. On far too many occasions you have to make blind jumps that leave you crossing your fingers in the hope that they work. You can sometimes inexplicably jump the completely wrong direction too and the only cast-iron way of avoiding this is pedantically moving the camera to the right position.
This seems to be Tomb Raider’s curse – no matter how expensive the budget is or how long the development time is, the camera is always the weakest part of the game choosing critical moments to either fill the screen up with Lara’s left buttock or veer around like a drunken loon.

Adding to the mix is a few new moves for our Lara. She can now wall-climb at certain points, balance along thin beams and abseil with the all-new rappel line. These are excellent additions and help to make the climbing and exploration feel a little more dynamic than before, although we’re a long way from the freedom we’d all like.

How much time is needed to play?

Although Underworld has been quoted as a short game you’d have to be a Lara veteran to breeze through it in under 8 hours. Depending on how easily you solve puzzles (and some can be convoluted) the game can extend well beyond this and if you were to try and collect all the treasures and relics then you’d be adding a lot more time to this game.

Chapters vary in length from around 30 minutes for the shortest to over 2 hours in the larger ones. In these longer sections it can feel frustrating as you’re never sure how much progress you’re making.

How is the save system?

Aha! Here’s the problem. Although checkpoints are usually very good and placed in convenient spots, the game is never saved at these points. I lost 2 hours due to not manually saving halfway through a level section. Later, after saving specifically to avoid this, the game pushed me back 15-20 minutes and I had to replay part of a level. Not game-breaking stuff but when you have a game that taxes the mind with its puzzles the last thing you want is your progress rewinding.

Play it in front of the kids?

As long as you don’t mind them seeing Lara’s backside throughout the game then there’s not much to worry about. The combat does include killing several tigers, mercenaries and giant spiders. There are also a few undead monsters towards the end of the game but nothing ever gratuitous or gory.

Conclusion

Tomb Raider Underworld is a satisfying game and despite the flaws that still remain from the previous game it’s a step-up for the franchise. Gorgeous graphics and sound really convey the environments and the focus on exploration rather than combat is a welcome relief.
Rating:

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