Topic: Radio Free Nintendo: Super Mario Galaxy Special

[Karl Castaneda #2]

Having a hard time tracking down a copy of Galaxy today? Listen to this podcast!
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14787

 Personally, I'm playing Fire Emblem. But apparently some game called Super Mario Galaxy came out today (kinda)?    

Special: Super Mario Galaxy    

The return of the two-person podcast!    

 
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Super Mario Galaxy shipped to stores today, so Evan and I thought it'd be pretty rad to put out a Special Edition Radio Free Nintendo all about the game. This one's a bit of a shorty (clocking it at just under a half hour), but we discuss a whole lot. From Evan's hurdles in actually buying a copy to our thoughts on review scores to some meaty impressions, there's a lot to be had here.    

Because we're freaking insane, this doesn't even count as this week's RFN! There's going to be another episode going up later in the week, so you'll want to check back then.    

See ya on Thursday, folks!    

Credits:    

This podcast was edited by Karl Castaneda.    

Music for this episode of Radio Free Nintendo is used with permission from Jason Ricci & New Blood. You can also purchase their new album, Rocket Number 9 directly from the record label, or call your music local record store and ask for it!

[ShyGuy]

Oh Snap

[Smash_Brother]

When you said "This one's a bit of a shorty (clocking it at just under a half hour)" I thought you meant SMG for a second and I nearly swallowed my tongue, which would have been unfortunate as I would've liked to use it to curse out non-gamers everywhere.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
When you said "This one's a bit of a shorty (clocking it at just under a half hour)" I thought you meant SMG for a second and I nearly swallowed my tongue, which would have been unfortunate as I would've liked to use it to curse out non-gamers everywhere.

Well according to the Wiik in review Galaxy only takes 6-10hrs to beat the game (Getting all 120 stars is another matter entirely).

[MegaByte]

Well, I got the game on Saturday and spent about 12 hours beating it (60 stars) and then another 12 on Sunday getting the other 60.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Quote
Originally posted by: MegaByte
Well, I got the game on Saturday and spent about 12 hours beating it (60 stars) and then another 12 on Sunday getting the other 60.

Someone has to answer me, maybe you will Mega. How is the difficulty compared to something like Mario 64?

[MegaByte]

Well, it's less frustrating than Mario 64.  Due to the checkpoints and better control, it probably ends up being easier, even though less hit-points and certain challenges theoretically make it harder.  Of course, after so many years of 3-D gaming, it's hard to make an exact comparison.  Just getting going with Mario 64 was more challenging when it first came out just like 2-D platforming was probably challenging when you first played SMB, but not so much by the time SMW rolled around.

[ShyGuy]

12 hours a day gaming? Holy crap. Hardtime Longcore indeed.

[vudu]

For someone who's been avoiding spoilers for Galaxy for months, when will it be safe for me to listen to this podcast?  Now?  After I play the game for a few hours?  After I beat it?

[Karl Castaneda #2]

Yeah, this podcast is completely spoiler-free.

[vudu]

Interesting podcast, but I'm not quite sure you can call it a Galaxy Special.  Galaxy was discussed for less than ten minutes out of this half-hour long podcast.  It was mostly Evan ranting about release dates and review scores.

[Caliban]

Ah, good to know this mini-podcast is spoiler-free, I was holding myself from listening to it even though I've played SMG today for a good few hours.

[Patchkid15]

good podcast and may i say that I am now a proud owner of the game. Yay me.

[Djunknown]

Yeah release dates are always tricky. I got lucky with Metroid Prime 3, as I bought it the day it shipped. I was trying to double my pleasure with picking up Galaxy and RE:UC at the same time, but no dice in RE. The stores I went to (Gamestop/EB, Target, Gamecrazy, Best Buy) didn't have it on hand. Oh well, its just another 24 hours...

[Jonnyboy117]

20 minutes in, I'm thinking: "Uh, is this podcast supposed to be about Mario?"

[vudu]

If you don't mine me asking, where's the new episode?  Friday night's come and gone.

[Karl Castaneda #2]

Jimmy John's Gourmet Subs and Sandwiches happened. That took me out of commission this weekend to fix the problems present. However, I am working as I type this very post to get the show up this afternoon. Give me two hours, and it'll be on the site and on iTunes, I promise.

[vudu]

That's a good excuse; we all know the Hunter Club is awesome.  

[Karl Castaneda #2]

I'm a Bootlegger Club man myself, but I tried the Vito this time, and it tore my stomach up.

[KDR_11k]

Quote
Originally posted by: MegaByte
Well, it's less frustrating than Mario 64.  Due to the checkpoints and better control, it probably ends up being easier, even though less hit-points and certain challenges theoretically make it harder.  Of course, after so many years of 3-D gaming, it's hard to make an exact comparison.  Just getting going with Mario 64 was more challenging when it first came out just like 2-D platforming was probably challenging when you first played SMB, but not so much by the time SMW rolled around.

I think that may be the best description. SMG is the least frustrating of the three 3D Marios, if you die at a boss (which is easier than in SM64 I'd say) you don't have to do the whole level again, only the final stretch. Same for falling in a hole. Some levels are quite devious (especially the one-off galaxies) and I think many come close to SMS Secret Level difficulty minus the camera issues. What makes the levels better than SM64 is that there's few of those annoying steep slides SM64 has practically everywhere but SMS fixed that issue already. The levels see MUCH more variation than in any other 3d Mario, while you cannot take any star you want like in SM64 and are bound to a linear progression within a galaxy (secret stars exempt) each galaxy has fewer stars and there are a LOT of single star galaxies, often new galaxies pop up faster than you can play them. All in all that makes it very rare to encounter the same areas again when looking for new stars.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Maybe I am missing something, but Mario 64's boss fights, for the most part were "Just around the corner" because the stages were so small. Heck I believe the  only boss fights that you reappeared close by were the ones that took longer to get to, like Bowser and I believe the desert boss.

Regardless I think Galaxy is much harder than Mario 64, even with all the one ups (But ALL the 3D Mario games have had easy 1ups). Some of this challenge, sadly, comes from the camera which can get flat out confusing at times, I definitely prefer a controllable camera wherever possible, which is probably why I love the larger stages a bit more. Another area that is tons harder than Mario 64 is the boss battles, in Mario 64 they are virtually a cake walk now, here there are some truly challenging (yet fun) boss battles, something I enjoyed about Sunshine as well.

[vudu]

Quote
Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
Maybe I am missing something, but Mario 64's boss fights, for the most part were "Just around the corner" because the stages were so small. Heck I believe the  only boss fights that you reappeared close by were the ones that took longer to get to, like Bowser and I believe the desert boss.

What about the very first star in the entire game?  You had to climb all the way up the mountain side to fight Big Bob-omb.  If you effed up you had to replay the entire level.  That's just an example off the top of my head; I'm almost sure it was that way for all of the bosses.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu

Quote
Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
Maybe I am missing something, but Mario 64's boss fights, for the most part were "Just around the corner" because the stages were so small. Heck I believe the  only boss fights that you reappeared close by were the ones that took longer to get to, like Bowser and I believe the desert boss.

What about the very first star in the entire game?  You had to climb all the way up the mountain side to fight Big Bob-omb.  If you effed up you had to replay the entire level.  That's just an example off the top of my head; I'm almost sure it was that way for all of the bosses.

Yeah, and it took like 3 minutes to get back up there. I may be wrong but I believe the boss of world two had you start close by. I KNOW that if you died on Bowser you started right next to his pipe.  

[vudu]

You died on Bowser?  Psh ... amateur.

[IceCold]

About the controls.. it's like this.

The "earth" physics and control of Mario in Sunshine were just about perfect. He was acrobatic, responsive, and he controlled like a dream. That game has easily the best earth controls for any platformer ever.

For Galaxy, the controls are still awesome, but in a different way. Since Mario's in space, they're supposed to feel a bit floaty, light and looser. Yet, for me, Mario still does everything I want him to do nearly 100% of the time. I've never died as a direct result of the controls in Galaxy.

And as for the camera, the whole point of it is to be disorienting. But you should be able to adjust pretty quickly and figure out your bearings. At least, I always have been able to.