127crazie
Smash Journeyman
Well, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has been out for more than half a year now, and the timeless debate continues: does it really top the original?
I bought SMG2 on the 25th and now have 91 stars. While I have not completed it (or come even close), I have a pretty good feel for what the game is like. My take: both games are excellent, but the original is superior. Here are a few reasons why:
-Much better music. SMG's music ranged from epic to beautiful to angry, and all the way back. SMG2's music was... it was good, but kind of flat. Starship Mario's music, while pretty "fun" sounding, was much inferior to the breathtaking Comet Observatory's theme, for example. Plus, much of the music in SMG2 was recycled from the first one.
-More exploratory. This one is kind of personal taste: do you like the pure platforming experience or the exploration of a vast world more? I'm in between, and SMG had both. Some galaxies (Beach Bowl, HoneyHive, etc.) were pretty big and had a good multitude of stars, while there were plenty of frenzied platforming experiences as well. SMG2 had better pure platforming and tons of levels, but the galaxies were really short and never gave you the chance to have fun exploring them. The Comet Observatory may have been somewhat too big, but didn't you like running around and finding 1-Up mushrooms? It also gave you a nice break between levels. I explored the entirety of Starship Mario in what seemed like half a minute, then barely ventured outside of the "Select Galaxy" button ever again. Boring.
-More creative. I'm going to take a lot of heat for saying this. I don't mean to say that SMG2 wasn't creative; it was. But it was also missing many of the memorable features from the original, or didn't use them enough. Where are the Sling Pods? The Cosmic Comets, racing Cosmic Luigi? I also found myself frustrated with Rock Mario, who was hard to control, and the drill, which was just lame, while awesome power-ups like Boo Mario were barely used at all. The "space theme" of the original seemed to be neglected as well. I feel like Galaxy 2 sacrificed some of the original's varied features in lieu of creating a more streamlined platforming experience. Was it worth it? Eh...
So there you have it. In general, I wasn't a big fan of how streamlined the second Galaxy was; it was very polished, but you just rush through the entire game without being encouraged to slow down and appreciate the individual galaxies, the hub world, and their respective music. Super Mario Galaxy 2 may be the ultimate, pure platforming experience, but I want the more complete package in the original Super Mario Galaxy.
And, of course, it must be noted that both games are freaking awesome!!! before we launch into hateful debate. Questions, comments, concerns? What's your opinion?
I bought SMG2 on the 25th and now have 91 stars. While I have not completed it (or come even close), I have a pretty good feel for what the game is like. My take: both games are excellent, but the original is superior. Here are a few reasons why:
-Much better music. SMG's music ranged from epic to beautiful to angry, and all the way back. SMG2's music was... it was good, but kind of flat. Starship Mario's music, while pretty "fun" sounding, was much inferior to the breathtaking Comet Observatory's theme, for example. Plus, much of the music in SMG2 was recycled from the first one.
-More exploratory. This one is kind of personal taste: do you like the pure platforming experience or the exploration of a vast world more? I'm in between, and SMG had both. Some galaxies (Beach Bowl, HoneyHive, etc.) were pretty big and had a good multitude of stars, while there were plenty of frenzied platforming experiences as well. SMG2 had better pure platforming and tons of levels, but the galaxies were really short and never gave you the chance to have fun exploring them. The Comet Observatory may have been somewhat too big, but didn't you like running around and finding 1-Up mushrooms? It also gave you a nice break between levels. I explored the entirety of Starship Mario in what seemed like half a minute, then barely ventured outside of the "Select Galaxy" button ever again. Boring.
-More creative. I'm going to take a lot of heat for saying this. I don't mean to say that SMG2 wasn't creative; it was. But it was also missing many of the memorable features from the original, or didn't use them enough. Where are the Sling Pods? The Cosmic Comets, racing Cosmic Luigi? I also found myself frustrated with Rock Mario, who was hard to control, and the drill, which was just lame, while awesome power-ups like Boo Mario were barely used at all. The "space theme" of the original seemed to be neglected as well. I feel like Galaxy 2 sacrificed some of the original's varied features in lieu of creating a more streamlined platforming experience. Was it worth it? Eh...
So there you have it. In general, I wasn't a big fan of how streamlined the second Galaxy was; it was very polished, but you just rush through the entire game without being encouraged to slow down and appreciate the individual galaxies, the hub world, and their respective music. Super Mario Galaxy 2 may be the ultimate, pure platforming experience, but I want the more complete package in the original Super Mario Galaxy.
And, of course, it must be noted that both games are freaking awesome!!! before we launch into hateful debate. Questions, comments, concerns? What's your opinion?
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