gamesandtings

Masterpiece.

For those that know me, that would come as no surprise considering my penchant for Nintendo products. They, however, mistakenly think an appeal to nostalgia is enough to enrapture its already converted audience. Nostalgia definitely plays its role here, that is without question. But, nostalgia also sets a standard or expectation that can easily be unmet. A mistaken view of an enjoyed past creates an unrealistic view of a fulfilling future.

It’s not that deep. And I’m sounding like a posho. It’s just to say, things aren’t as easy as that. That’s all.

I wasn’t that hot on the game initially. The introductory levels didn’t feel particularly varied or captivating. The Cascade Kingdom was a good example of that – pre-historic stonework and a bastardised version of Galaxy music.

The new structure of finding moons was always weird for me to take. Considering how previous 3D Marios had a definite pace to finding each star/shine, where upon finding one you would be booted back out to a hub word – it helped create a “level” like feel. Exploration was always open, well some more than others, but each star helped mime what previous Marios had done: start of level, run around a bit, find the thingy, end of level. Being left in a world, till your frustrations got the best of you, hunting down each moon, was initially a bit strange. However, by the game’s completion, this was something I loved dearly. It felt like each level was a mess of enveloping structures, hiding moons wherever it could fit them.

It is a Mario that continuously pays homage to the ones that came before it. You can see its lineage and it treats it with the utmost respect. From the small 8-bit Super Mario Bros. parts, to running around holding bulbs like 2, to the Super Mario Sunshine fragments where Mario is stripped of Cappy and must coordinate with a modest moveset. Each game feels like it is represented in SMO, celebrated by offering players a fun but challenging experience.

I will say that to get the most out of this game, to fall in love with it, you do have to making an earnest effort to get all 880 moons. There are things to enjoy that happen along this journey. Stopping after the first set of credits may leave you a bit flat. Persevere and you will be rewarded with some of the best that Mario has to offer.

The game is an absolute delight. Its music too. I’ve not even mentioned the phenomenon that is Luigi’s Balloon World.

You got 10 Moons! None left to find.