139 replies to this topic

[D~N]

OH GEE, SORRY. Thanks for telling me, because I thought they were an example of the most free swimming in a video game, clearly I was wrong. Seriously, leaving Galaxy out of it for a moment, find me a game from the same era that had even half-as-decent 3D swimming controls.

Banjo Kazooie and Tooie pretty much nailed it.

I've never had any trouble leaping out of the water, especially on Galaxy when you can just flick the Wiimote or hold down the A button for a second. But it wasn't even difficult on Mario 64. Maybe you just didn't know how? o.o You have to press down on the stick and then press A. That's about it.

It seems I'm not alone here when it comes to leaping out of the water and all of the problems associated with it. Maybe you've lucked out and discovered the secret, but for the most part I don't think people can fluently control Mario in his aquatic levels...You know controls are bad when it comes to the point that when I see a water level appear as a "new galaxy", I loose interest in playing the game. =/ Honestly, I dread aquatic levels in this game, and I hate to say it.

Of course it wasn't, because it was swimming. It's meant to be a bit slower. But even then, if you Spin you end up going pretty quickly. And if you went any faster, you'd end up bumping into things all the damn time, or you wouldn't be able to precisely aim at coins and things. Yes, the shells make swimming much easier, but that's the whole point. That's like saying

'but the Red Star makes flying much easier than normal, without it it's simply a cruel handicap!'.

That's not an accurate analogy, as that item is 100% required to do that action. Swimming, however, isn't something that has to be done with the shell at all. In fact, the default setting i to swim without that said "attatchment". Because that's what it is - an attatchment. And without it, I really feel as if my game is messing up! It's random, unresponsive, and creates far too many problems for there to be 5 or more levels centered around a water theme. True, swimming should be slower, you've got me there. But still, there's certainly a lot of room for improvement.

Personally I have not one jot of a problem with swimming in either game. Maaaybe you just suck at it. XP

Look around and view all of the people with swimming complaints here on this board. The only conclusion that can be reached is that "swimming difficulties" is/are a common problem that shouldn't exist in such an otherwise-flawless game. (Same goes for SM64)

[CID Farwin]

I honestly don't get what all these complaints are about with the swimming. I found the shells to be, if anything, too fast and could really use a stop capability (like that certain other item.) I always just spin to get anywhere, the only problem with which being that you run out of air faster.

The thing is, there's not much need (from what I remember) for underwater accuracy, and any problems there are, are due to a much bigger camera fault more than anything else. Although,

Banjo Kazooie and Tooie pretty much nailed it.

I'll have to agree with that one.

[Fyxe]

Banjo Kazooie was not as good with swimming. The breaststrokes were far too jerky and took you way too far, often massively overshooting your mark. Generally though, the controls in the Banjo games were far too sluggish for my liking, same for Donkey Kong 64. The swimming was pretty much identical to Mario 64, just slower, so I don't know what you guys are on about. It seems that if you prefer that, you actually prefer less fluid and less realistic but more solid yet jerky swimming controls. Fine, but then you might as well be flying, so what's the point of swimming at all?

I think you guys are just pressing the control stick too hard or something. It's pretty sensitive when you're under the water due to the momentum. Just be more gentle.

Seriously, I'm utterly lost on this one now. I have never had any trouble swimming in any Mario game except Sunshine, and that was because all you could do was dive.

Did you guys have trouble with the swimming levels on the 2D games as well? That is, without the Frog Suit.

Oh, and just for the record, just because it's not entirely easy doesn't mean it's broken, not in the slightest.

Edited by Fyxe, 03 January 2008 - 06:29 AM.

[Veteran]

I've never been frustrated with Mario swimming. I can understand the jumping out of water thingy in both 64 and Galaxy but after a couple of tries it was easy to remember what to do.

[Raien]

When I wanted to go up I went down, when I wanted to go down I went up...

In traditional gaming, flying games were controlled with a joystick as they would be with real flight controls; the vertical axis is reversed so that pulling back sends the plane up and pushing forward sends it down. This has come to stick with current analogue stick controls, and since Mario would technically be flying if the water was removed, the reversal of the vertical axis has been applied.

I honestly don't get what all these complaints are about with the swimming. I found the shells to be, if anything, too fast and could really use a stop capability (like that certain other item.)

The shell does have a stop capability. Just hold Z (like that certain other item).


PS: Hilarious Zero Punctuation Video Review! (Please don't take the negativity seriously. The review exists purely for humour's sake, not as a recommendation of the game's quality.)

http://www.escapistm...er-Mario-Galaxy

Edited by jhurvid, 03 January 2008 - 09:15 AM.

[Raien]

[disregard]

Edited by jhurvid, 03 January 2008 - 09:15 AM.

[Xkeeper]

That Zero Punctuation review is gold.

I really like the Psychonauts one, too.

[Fyxe]

I like Yahtzee's reviews, they're amusing in a childish kind of way, certainly more fun than most video reviews on the net (which largely consist of nerdaholics whining like pansies, or uninformed Gamespot employees who have no idea what they're drivelling on about). Partly this is down to the speed up voice coupled with that very British accent of his. Sometimes it's down to him getting to the nub of the issue and really hammering it home, like with Halo 3.

Problem is, he seems to be pulling criticism right out of his butt just for the sake of it at times. For example, he seems to be trying to make a serious point about Nintendo reusing old franchises to death, which is an odd criticism to make given that virtually every other major game developer does the same thing, to a similar degree, sometimes moreso. Hell, Capcom has made a living out of it, Sega only exists because Sonic has a fanbase, and Rockstar will be milking GTA for years and years to come. I mean, what does he expect Nintendo to do? Stick a different mascot in a Mario game and you're not fooling anyone, despite Rare's vain attempts to prove otherwise in the N64 days.

Then he makes some comments about the actual gameplay that make me wonder if he's actually played the game. He accuses the boss fights of all being like intergalactic Pong, when, if I remember correctly, only one of the bosses (which shows up twice, to be fair) is like that.

Ah well, at least he's funny. @.@ I just think when he stops being funny and tries to make a serious criticism he often falls flat on his face.

Edited by Fyxe, 05 January 2008 - 11:07 AM.

[Raien]

I like Yahtzee's reviews, they're amusing in a childish kind of way, certainly more fun than most video reviews on the net (which largely consist of nerdaholics whining like pansies, or uninformed Gamespot employees who have no idea what they're drivelling on about). Partly this is down to the speed up voice coupled with that very British accent of his. Sometimes it's down to him getting to the nub of the issue and really hammering it home, like with Halo 3.

Problem is, he seems to be pulling criticism right out of his butt just for the sake of it at times. For example, he seems to be trying to make a serious point about Nintendo reusing old franchises to death, which is an odd criticism to make given that virtually every other major game developer does the same thing, to a similar degree, sometimes moreso. Hell, Capcom has made a living out of it, Sega only exists because Sonic has a fanbase, and Rockstar will be milking GTA for years and years to come. I mean, what does he expect Nintendo to do? Stick a different mascot in a Mario game and you're not fooling anyone, despite Rare's vain attempts to prove otherwise in the N64 days.

Then he makes some comments about the actual gameplay that make me wonder if he's actually played the game. He accuses the boss fights of all being like intergalactic Pong, when, if I remember correctly, only one of the bosses (which shows up twice, to be fair) is like that.

You have to understand that Yahtzee doesn't get to choose what games he reviews; most of them are provided by The Escapist. Since there are inevitably games that Yahtzee enjoys, such as Psychonauts (which he later said in his Bioshock review was not funny as it should be) and Portal (which was excused because he could criticise the other games in the Orange Box), Yahtzee has to struggle to find laughs. In Mario Galaxy's case, bringing up Nintendo's franchise history and the lack of a proper story (which to be fair, most people don't want to get in the way of Mario gameplay, and I think he understands that). I honestly didn't think Yahtzee would be expected to review SMG, simply because it was such a good game, but he was and he did nicely with what he was given (but not as well as he normally is).

Edited by jhurvid, 05 January 2008 - 02:40 PM.

[Toan]

So I bought the game while it was on sale at a local Target over the holidays for $37 (nice deal :3)... but since my Wii was back at school, it sat there until yesterday.

Since I'm rather close to the end, methinks, I'll have to say I LOVE the music. I thought people were only exaggerating when they said it had good music.... no.

The Bowser battles have simply epic music - gotta love it. And the throwbacks to the old songs we all know and love are amazing.

On the topic of swimming... I always had trouble getting Mario out of the water if he wasn't facing directly upwards in Super Mario 64. This time, with the spin, it makes it quite easy. But on the note of what games might have a better scheme for swimming.... well, I always had fun swimming as Mikau/Zora Mask'd Link in Majora's Mask. Never encountered problems there.

Not sure if this is a spoiler or not, but in the Hot/Cold Galaxy or whatever it's called (Freezing Boiling, maybe?) when I found out how to ice skate to catch the penguin.... I could ice skate like that all day. Too much damn fun. XD

[Raien]

Not sure if this is a spoiler or not, but in the Hot/Cold Galaxy or whatever it's called (Freezing Boiling, maybe?) when I found out how to ice skate to catch the penguin.... I could ice skate like that all day. Too much damn fun. XD

You know what makes it even better? Push Z. See what happens.

[Toan]

I just got 60 stars and got to see the ending.

Dear. God. What a trip. XD

But holy shit that was good. Nearly blew out my speakers. XD So epic.....

[Chukchi Husky]

I managed to play the game for an hour and a half last night, and got to 36 stars.

[Splash]

I just got 60 stars and got to see the ending.

ffffff >:I

I finally got to 60 stars before I left home (time restraints etc.etc.etc.), but I actually have not played since I got back.
'Cause I let a certain someone start playing, and I really can't play the ending in front of him.
ffffff i wanna' see it

Also, 2 Player mode is actually pretty damn fun.

[Selena]

Just got it yesterday, and it's loads of fun. Finished the first Bowser fight. Definitely made of win. The music's also very well done.


I also don't understand why people complain about the swimming. I haven't had any problem with this one, nor did I have any issues with SM64. It's very straightforward. It's essentially the same kind of controls found on the 'Birdman' levels from Pilotwings 64. Leaping out of the water is also not a problem. I get out by going to the surface and pushing jump. And if that doesn't work for some odd reason, then I spin. This also makes you jump. I fail to understand how it is difficult. Swimming in Mario games has always been one of my favorite things. Same with flying.

Perhaps more people should have just played Pilotwings!

[Fyxe]

Perhaps more people should have just played Pilotwings!

This is pure truth, right here.

[Chukchi Husky]

The only problem I had with the swimming is when I try to get an object like a coin and just miss it. I had no problems with going out of thw water. I played games that have worse swimming controls.

I never played Pilotwings.

[D~N]

I don't know how many people go to ign here, but I thought I'd spread teh good news - Mario Galaxy took IGN's Overall Game of The Year!

http://bestof.ign.co...overall/25.html

[Selena]

Now... somebody tell me I'm not crazy. Did I hear a remixed Star Trek theme in one the 'extra' levels? edit: "Drip Drop Galaxy" to be more specific? o.o


Also, I have rediscovered that I'm an overzealous long-jumper.

"Wahaha--- AAAHH SHIT SHIT."

One trait from SM64 I had hoped I outgrew.

[vodkamaru]

Also, I have rediscovered that I'm an overzealous long-jumper.

Long jump then spin at the end for added distance, height, and control.