Archives for the Month of November 2007 on media addict
Super Mario Galaxy
I beat Super Mario Galaxy last night. I won't say I finished the game as I have not found all 120 stars yet, and as a non-completest, probably never will. That said, this is a fantastic platformer with the right mix of easy, challenging, and infuriating levels. The galaxy theme is somewhat of a gimmick, especially since several levels take place on only one planetoid, but for the most part it serves as a fantastic way to break levels into sections which can be wildly different from one another without feeling forced.
Graphically Super Mario Galaxy gives me great hope for the Wii. It uses the strategy I believe every game for this system should use, keep it simple. By using smooth textures, bright colors and good art design it is much easier to mask the Wii's lower resolution graphics. Games that try for more realistic graphics only emphasize the difference between themselves and similar games on the Xbox 360 or PS3. This game is supposed to be one of the first games designed specifically to run on the Wii's hardware and it definitely shows. A lot of naysayers claim the Wii isn't much more powerful than the GameCube, but there is no way the GameCube could run Super Mario Galaxy. I also enjoyed the use of the Wii's motion controls. Initiating Mario's spin move and throwing shells are the most common uses, but I liked the ball rolling levels the most.
It took me about 15 hours to beat Super Mario Galaxy and I find that to be a perfect length. When you take into account the amount of gameplay remaining to complete the game I like the fact that you can accomplish a lot in a moderate amount of time and still have more goals left to finish at your leisure. From its awesome level design to its fun and challenging boss fights Super Mario Galaxy is a must own for the Wii.
No Country For Old Men
No Country For Old Men is an excellent example of a movie that is more about the journey than the destination. Not only that, but the journey we are taking does not steadily follow one character's perspective. No Country For Old Men is about three main characters' parallel trip through an imperfect, stark, fascinating world.
Upon first viewing this movie, I thought it ended rather abruptly. After thinking about it I realized that I had missed the climax of the movie; I had misunderstood the characters. There was a reason that what could have been the biggest action sequence in the film is not shown (we only see the result). That reason is that the Coen brothers are more interested in creating pervasive, engrossing tension than they are in showing gory action (although there's plenty of that too). The level to which they bring this tension is incredible. The way they show the preparations Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem go through before their confrontations is brilliant. We see the level of control and desperation these characters exhibit with every action. There are not many good modern westerns, but this one is excellent. 4.5/5
Portal
When Valve released the Orange Box I wasn't overly excited since I already have a copy of Half-Life 2. Hidden in this compilation is another game which is not only original, but is a great reminder of the potential of video games. Portal is a game in which you generate portals (wormholes) in order to solve puzzles and get from one area to another. It is a simple concept, go in one portal come out another, without any loss in momentum. When this is implemented using Valve's excellent physics engine, the results are spectacular.
Portal has tons of things going for it, but I have three favorites:
- The game is very original, not a new version of a tired genre (like pretty much every shooter made)
- It is incredibly fun to play (what a novel idea)
- It joins the short list of games that are genuinely funny (the game's narrator is perhaps the best written, best voiced character in a game I have played)
The only real drawback of Portal is that it can be completed in under 4 hours, but I didn't really mind the length. Too many games feel the need to have an epic story and quest and end up tacking on meaningless content to pad their length. I much more enjoy a game that plays to its strengths and doesn't overstay its welcome; plus for only $20 this game is a bargain.