Tech Report: Updated 3DS Software Analysis

Yesterday Nintendo announced the worldwide launch details of the 3DS, revealing that the machine would be released in Japan on 26th February, and sometime in March 2011 for both North America and Europe. The system will go on sale in Japan for at 25,000 yen, roughly equating to 200 of our GBP, or 300 dollars for those folks over the pond.

But rather than repeating countless details that you can read pretty much everywhere else, instead we’ll be taking an tech-focused look at some of the direct-feed trailers released by Nintendo and select third-parties of first batch 3DS software.

Nintendo themselves displayed a multi-title show reel of games currently in development for the system, although heavy-hitters like Resident Evil Revelations and Dead Or Alive Dimensions managed to get their own individual trailers. Seeing these two titles in motion alone, along with Metal Gear Solid 3, I was left distinctly impressed with the kind of quality on offer from these early, first-gen experiences.

Clearly these titles are already beyond anything seen on the last generation of consoles. Whilst polygon counts may be lower, and in some regards noticeable so, the impressive quality and precision of the effects on offer more than make up for this. In fact, they prove that despite the low paper specs of the console, that it can still deliver some graphically accomplished titles whilst touting all the benefits of stereo 3D along with them.

Taking a look at the individual titles themselves, and we can see the various strengths and weaknesses of the system in their entirety.

Metal Gear Solid in particular seems to show a perfect balance between low geometry and use of advanced visual effects. Whilst the game’s poly counts are noticeable lower than the PS2 version, the level of detail on offer is also visibly superior. You can easily see in the trailer that most of the game is normal mapped, and not just the characters.


The environments in particular benefit hugely from this, in some cases looking smoother than in the original PS2 game. The flower scene particularly demonstrates the 3DS’s ability to throw around lots of normal-mapped geometry on screen, along with having enough power left over to handle all the physics calculations needed for so many moving objects.

MGS Trailer

Dead Or Alive seems to feature excellent use of per-pixel lighting and normal mapping, both effects looking far superior to anything seen on the original Xbox. Texture detail is reasonable, filtering is pretty good maintaining relatively moderate levels of image quality, and the characters also seem to have dynamic shadow maps applied to them, which works well with the rest of the lighting solution. One downside however, is the lack of any self-shadowing. This makes the game look slightly flat compared to SSFIV and RE Revelations. Although seeing as it should be running at 60fps, this is a worthy compromise.

DOA Trailer – Our previous look

We’ve already taken a look a Resident Evil Revelations extensively here, and dare I say seeing it in motion is an incredible experience, comfortably showing off just what the 3DS can do. The quality of the normal-mapping is superb, the per-pixel, HDR infused lighting solution creates an incredible sense of depth, and texturing is quite possibly the most detailed on the platform.



Obvious issues stand out with the game running in 3D mode however. Texture shimmering and aliasing is apparent, as is edge aliasing due to the lack of any AA being present. These issues can be seen in the majority of PSP titles - a clear graphical downside of the Sony system - and in most of the 3DS games revealed so far.

RE: Revelations footage can be found this in line-up trailer

Super Street Fighter IV we’ve already covered here, so to be fair there’s very little we can add on to our original report. The game’s downgraded use of assets from the PS3/360 versions makes the title look remarkably close to the high-end console game. Self-shadowing if evident, and is backed up with a slew of impressive shader effects.

SSFIV Trailer

Perhaps one title that didn’t impress as much as the others was Capcom’s Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, a separate game from RE: Revelations. As you can see from the screenshots below, the game suffers from terrible aliasing from both a lack of AA, and from some pretty bad texture shimmering. This is made worse than in RE: Revelations due to greater amounts of small geomretry being present on screen, along with what looks like a lower level of texture filtering, and poorer mip-mapping.

Detail levels are incredibly high though, and it is clear that despite the low image quality that the game looks considerably more impressive than RE4 on the iPhone.



A general trailer showing off a wide range of 3DS games in development can be found below:

Nintendo 3DS Games Line-Up Trailer

Judging from the various videos released yesterday, it is pretty apparent that in many ways the 3DS easily outclasses every last-gen system with regards to visuals effects, and in fact pretty much everything seen on the iPhone so far. Epic citadel may have higher res texture maps and art assets, along with higher precision normal mapping, but it is also lacking some, if not most of the high-end, per-pixel effects that so many top-tier 3DS titles are showing off.

Case in point; there is nothing running in real-time on the iPhone that I’ve seen matching RE: Revelations, or MGS3 with half as many effects, whether that be an actual game, demo, or otherwise. Maybe that is simply because there is very little incentive to produce titles with such high quality visuals on the platform. And when most high-end titles sell for just £6.99, that is completely understandable, though it is precisely this difference which could make the 3DS stand out. That, and of course the fact that every game will be playable in 3D on the console with most of its visual integrity intact.

However, despite the polished visual mastery on offer with high-end 3DS titles, we can also see that the machine struggles with maintaining overall texture fidelity in some cases, with various issues from poor mip-mapping, to aliasing being present, very much like with what we are seeing on the majority of PSPgames. This is one downside that I perhaps didn’t quite expect to see so obviously given the nature of the hardware.

When you look at how even early Dreamcast titles manage to feature correct mip-mapping on textures with better filtering, and a lack of texture aliasing (even in titles which feature no AA), then we can begin to see the compromises Nintendo has had to make in order to get a reasonably powerful, albeit low spec handheld with 3D support out the door at a relatively low cost.

Saying that the 3DS isn’t the iPhone, nor is it the PSP2. Plus battery life, and a reasonable entry cost are far more important than having the absolute bleeding edge in visual fidelity at your disposal. It’s these factors, along with the desire to innovate, which usually separate Nintendo from the competition.

Even when taking into account some of the graphcal cut-backs sighted, the trailers released thus far show that for the most part, in real-world terms that the 3DS handles top end visuals extremely well for a handheld device, with a slew of shader effects balancing out the few negatives. Coupled with the fact that developers also have the option of enhancing their games with 2D only extras (AA and per-object motion blur) then what you have here is still a mightily impressive showing, just not quite as flawless as some may have hoped.

Tech Report: Nintendo 3DS Hardware Analysis

We first took a look at how powerful we thought the 3DS might be right here, and then again here, just after we learned which GPU would be powering the system. Now it’s time to do this once again, as a few days ago IGN appeared to accurately reveal the complete 3DS spec sheet, with information encompassing everything from CPU type and final GPU clock speed, to the amount of memory on board, both for system and graphics use. In short, the complete picture has been unravelled right before our eyes.


The full specs list for the 3DS is as follows: the machine is powered by two ARM11 CPUs running at 266MHz, and a DMP PICA200 GPU clocked at 133MHz. It features 4MB of VRAM dedicated to graphics (textures, framebuffer, effects? That’s not clear yet), 64MBs of RAM, and 1.5GBs of flash memory for storage.

Looking at the above, we can see that the 3DS appears initially to be rather underpowered. The GPU speed is incredibly low for a modern handheld device, and the ARM11 CPU was last featured in the original iPhone and iPod touch, and certainly more than a fair bit weaker than the A4 Cortex powering the new iPhone 4. However, when looking closer at the hardware itself, the resolution it runs at, and just what graphical features will be running, and how they will be implemented, it is also clear that the hardware isn’t quite as stillborn as you might expect.

Current game demos like Resident Evil Revelations, and Metal Gear Solid 3 both showcase the machines strong graphical capabilities despite the on paper limitations. And it is also important to point out that Nintendo’s hardware, unlike that of the iPhone and other multimedia / general handheld devices, the 3DS isn’t likely to feature a performance sapping OS powering it, or a restrictive high-level API limiting what you can do graphically. Nope, it’s almost certain that with the 3DS it will be possible for developers to code directly to metal, thus ensuring that they get ever last drop of juice from what the hardware is capable of.



Taking into account the small screen size, and small screen resolution itself (800x240), then you find that the system’s overall performance is perfectly suited to this type of environment. There’s no point for example, in rendering dozens of millions of textured, layered, and complexly shaded polygons per-second on a small screen in which at such a low resolution - most of that will almost certainly go to waste. Instead, like we have said before Nintendo seems to have taken a balanced, economical approach to their next-gen handheld hardware. And this looks to be the right choice. Cost/performance wise, it looks set to get the job done comfortably, and when looking at the individual make up of the system’s internals we can see why.

The CPU for example, an ARM11 running at 266MHz, is unlikely to be doing any complex physics calculations, or highly advanced AI routines – these aren’t really needed for small doses of on the go gaming, so appears to be low spec, but entirely adequate for the task in hand. Of course we can expect basic physics, and the illusion of advanced AI with the chip – seeing as it is rated roughly in line with an Intel 486 CPU, then scripted AI events, and arcade-like physics are more than possible, and satisfactory.

Looking at what was achieved on the original iPhone, and the fact that developers were still hindered by Apple’s domineering software API, then you can easily expect a substantial improvement when coding direct to metal, or much closer with a less restrictive development environment. Better collision routines, AI etc. All that is possible when taking into account the chip in context of how the 3DS works in comparison.

The decision to downclock the GPU is a rather interesting factor, not least of all because the standard PICA 200 running at 200MHz is very low spec by today’s standard – trailing way behind the iPhone 4’s SGX535, but also because it’s unlikely to be that much less cost effective. Instead, like in our original assumptions, we assume that this downgrade was done in order to preserve battery life, whilst also providing a small, but altogether beneficial decrease in overall system cost.

Even with GPU’s downclocking to 133MHz, it still packs plenty of punch. The original PICA-200 running at 200MHz can push around a maximum of around 15.3 million polygons per-second in a best case scenario, although that is unlikely to be in a real-world game environment (30 or 60fps with full effects etc).


In the 3DS, where the clock speed has been lowered to 133MHz we can expect a further drop in performance. From what we can see with current game demos, is that the systems peak polygon performance (on first-gen software at least) looks to be around the 3 to 6 million mark per-second – just over that of the PSP, and equalling the mid-range table of what the PS2 can do. Of course this is assuming optimised conditions, seeing as none of the software looks like it pushing anything more than around 4, maybe five million polys per-second.

However, such low geometry counts seldom makes a big difference these days, especially where advanced shaders, and multiple texture layers are concerned. And this is where the 3DS shows us its trump card. With the addition of advanced fixed-function effects which simulate the use of programmable shaders, along with actual vertex shader capabilities, Nintendo’s handheld can do a lot more with less, polygon wise, thus negating what can be seen as a lack of overall polygon pushing power. Also on such a small screen, huge amounts of geometry is always going to be less beneficial than a string of useful visual effects.


In terms of memory, the system is pretty much on par with the PSP. The 3DS has 64MB of main memory, and 4MB of video RAM - basically the same as the PSP Slim & Lite (bar VRAM in which the PSP S&L has 8MB). Initially, the inclusion of only 64MB of memory for the overall system to use may seem limiting. However, when you consider that the 3DS is a cart-based system, and that large amounts of data can be streamed in real-time from the format, then 64MB appears to be a suitable amount given what’s expected of it.

The same could also be said of the system’s 4MB of video RAM. Although it does seem rather limiting at first - it’s not yet known whether it is simply being used as framebuffer memory, or to hold the entire rendered scene, complete with textures and fixed-function texture layers - it should be enough for most games given the overall make up of the system's architecture. Determining its impact on performance though, is somewhat guesswork at this point.

Saying that, assuming Nintendo has included an efficient texture compression system then 4MB should be more than enough to fit in both the framebuffer and graphics data as an all-in-one solution. At the 800x240 resolution games are rendering at, you’re not really going to need that much more space for decent image quality anyways.

Obviously we don’t know the bandwidth numbers for the system’s graphics memory, although current game demos clearly demonstrate performance beyond that of the PSP, and the PS2 with regards to visual effects. And that’s with pushing around a lot more through the graphics pipeline. The standard PICA-200 GPU running at 200MHz has a pixel fill-rate of around 800 million pixels per-second (more than the GCN but less than XB and Wii), so we can comfortably say that the downclocked 3DS revision features noticeably less that. Although by how much, we can’t really say.

Surprisingly, when looking at the raw numbers of the 3DS’s specifications, you can actually see that the machine isn’t all that much more powerful that Sony’s PSP, with the amount of memory being the same, and geometry counts being very similar, albeit a little closer to the low end, mid-range of the PS2. What gives the 3DS its visual edge it seems, is simply down to its GPU’s capacity for rendering loads of advanced fixed-function effects on screen in lieu of having proper pixel shaders. Per-pixel lighting is supported, as is bump-mapping, specular and diffuse reflections, refraction mapping, procedural texturing and soft shadowing.

All of these add serious clout to the final images the 3DS produces in its games, and is exactly why the likes of Resident Evil Revelations and Metal Gear Solid 3 looks so good. The former looking closer to current 360 and PS3 games than most titles on the original Xbox.

Lastly, the system also features 1.5GBs of flash memory, used primarily for user-based storage. We can expect this space to be occupied by downloadable content, and various music and media files the user has transferred onto the console. Interestingly, it appears that the system actually features a 2GB flash memory chip inside, leaving 512MB solely in the hands of the OS. It is likely that this will be used to upgrade the machine’s firmware further on down the line, adding new functionality to the unit and who knows what else.


With the final specifications of the 3DS revealed (minus the odd bit of info here and there) it is clear that the system is, at first glance, not blinding more powerful than the PSP as it originally appeared. Much of what makes the 3DS games graphically so impressive comes from cleaver implementation of layered texture effects, and some impressive texture compression. Obviously, stuff like total system bandwidth is still up in the air. Although we can see that Nintendo's machine is working smarter, rather than harder.

However, this just might be enough. From what we’ve seen of the software, the machine has no problems in overshadowing DC and PS2 games, even bettering some Wii and Xbox 1 titles, so the lacking nature of the machine’s raw specifications are certainly not the be all and end all of the story.

Like with the N64, GCN, NDS, Wii, and pretty much every games console they’ve ever done, Nintendo have always been clever in selecting cost-effective, but capable performing parts, ones which get the job done without needing as much raw grunt as its competitors. And this is exactly the case here with the 3DS. They could have gone with NVIDA’s Tegra 2 solution (and evidence points to the fact that they originally were going to), however, for what is likely to be either cost or power efficiency issues, decidedly to switch to the DMP PICA-200 chip instead.

The decision, however silly it might seem in the face of vastly superior smartphone tech, and the rumoured PSP2, makes sense when you consider that the main draw of their system is it’s ability of deliver a solid 3D experience without the need for the user to wear glasses, and at what is likely to be at a reasonable price. The fact that games for the system currently impress, despite paper limitations, is just another sign that the company has done the right thing, especially given the circumstances of the ever-increasing cost of having cutting edge hardware in the home.

Balancing impressive graphics hardware and a low entry price with mass-market adoption is usually not an easy task. But Nintendo has shown time and time again that it definitely knows what its doing in this sector. And the 3DS looks like being another shining example of just that.

Feature: Super Mario Bros & 25 Years Of Mario

Today, Monday 13th September, marks the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and in celebration of the occasion we will be running two special features here at IQGamer over two days. Yesterday we took a brief look at the defining NES gaming system, and today we look at Super Mario Bros and the Character himself.

It’s easy to blind you with stats about how successful Super Mario Bros and the Super Mario series of games has become. The character itself is one of the most famous and recognisable faces in the developed world, and his impact has been felt across more than one generation, as families open up their children’s lives into the world of videogames, and of course Mario. Indeed, the character is not only one of the worlds most enduring, now being far more popular, and dare I say more recognisable Mickey Mouse to the youth of today, but one which transcends boundaries of age, race, gender, and time. Everyone it seems loves, or knows about Mario.


The original Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo Entertainment System alone is the second biggest selling game of all time, with a whopping 40 million copies to its name – that’s like the equivalent to how many Xbox 360’s have been sold worldwide so far, only missing out on first place to Nintendo’s other global smash-hit, Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training on the Nintendo DS. What makes this feat more incredible is that it happened in the 1980’s, long before videogaming was a mainstream leisure activity, and the PlayStation a blink in Sony’s eye.

Some of the most familiar, iconic imagery, and recognisable sounds of today come from this 25-year-old videogame – a testament to the impact it had, and continues to have on the world. When you see children, teenagers, and fully grown adults sporting a Mario mushroom t-shirt, and your dad humming the first level theme tune to Super Mario Bros you know something extraordinary has happened. To put it bluntly, Mario the character, and Mario the game was, and continues to be a worldwide phenomenon.

Although these days his success is far more restrained - the brand has dissipated ever so slightly as more and more younger games are weaned on the likes of Call of Duty and Halo, rather than fun, family-friendly platform games. Still, the impact he had cannot be understated, and continues to be felt to this day.

The brainchild of one Shigeru Miyamoto, the original Super Mario Bros was a revolutionary step forward in game design. Pretty much most of the concepts that hold together traditional platform games can be traced back to this very one title. The use of power-ups, a scrolling playing field, secret pathways, and different environmental physics depending on whether the character was either underwater, on icy ground, or on normal solid, were all concepts that had never really been explored before - certainly not to the extent of Miyamoto’s classic. Hardware restrictions, development costs, along with the desire to keep game prices low held back these kind of forward-thinking ideas until the NES, and SMB delivered them in spades.


The basics of Super Mario Bros gameplay was simple. The title saw Mario progressing from the left to the right hand of the screen, collecting golden coins and jumping on the heads of any enemies, whilst also navigating a series of ever more tricky platforms and traps laid down in his path by the nefarious Bowser. It sounds pretty basic by today’s standard. Although back then there was nothing else remotely like it. Most platform games were either single-screened affairs, or featured a move from one screen to another, rather than the continuously flowing nature of Nintendo’s title.

SMB also had some extremely clever level design ideas that even a decade after its release, was still not being matched by its rivals. Warp pipes lead Mario into secret areas containing either more coins, or another power-up, and also acted as a quick level skip counteracting the lack of a battery-save option in the cartridge. The most familiar of these is contained in world 1-2, in which it is easily possible to break out above the confines of the normal stage design, avoiding most of its perils before leading you to a secret room featuring three warp pipes, each teleporting you to later worlds, congratulating ardent players skilled enough to discover this.

Moving platforms, rotating rows of fireballs, underwater sections, and icy whether conditions all changed how certain areas would play, thus not only increasing the game’s challenge as a result, but also providing players with a sense of wonderment and adventure not seen in other comparable, early 8bit platformers. All these things we now tend to take for granted, but back then all of this was revolutionary stuff, and was executed with exemplary precision.

The game also opened up the concept of having ‘power ups’ enhance the main character’s abilities, making him bigger, invincible, being able to shoot fireballs from his hands. But to be fair, there’s no need for any further explanation as most of you already know about the ‘Super Mushroom’ and Fire Flower’ power ups, the use of the Starman, the concept of hidden power-ups, and other such design ideas, many of which are still considered part of the basic blueprint for the 2D platformer.


Outside of the highly praised and revolutionary gameplay it was Koji Kondo’s memorable score which is perhaps one of the most recognisable pieces of music in today’s popular culture. Even people who have never played any of the game will often sight the tune as ‘ the theme from Super Mario’, something all the more apparent when you that the catchy, first level theme has been released in various forms from mobile phone ring tones, to being modified and used as an example of generic videogames music for TV advertisements.

The game’s iconic western boxart is also one of the most highly recognised in the world. The image of Mario, drawn in 8bit pixel art, and blown up onto the front cover of Super Mario Bros shows the quirky, simpler nature of early designs that often donned games outside of Japan. By contrast the artwork for the Japanese release is altogether more in-keeping with the rest of the series, featuring both Mario and Luigi, along with Bowser and his minions taking centre stage on the front cover.


A mock-up below shows us just what the North American and European releases of SMB would look like with the Japanese art replacing the familiar 8bit styled design most of us remember so vividly.


Super Mario Bros biggest success though came from the fact that the game was so incredibly simple to play, and controls being so much more responsive than other comparable titles released at the time. It was seemingly easy to pick up and play, but incredibly challenging in later stages, testing even the most ardent gamers to the limit. The game was always fair however, with that fine line between success or failure down to the player’s own swift reaction times and ability to read, and then take advantage of the situation.

I remember first getting a hold of the game with NES in 1988, and quite frankly it was like nothing else I had played. Sure, I had owned other single-screened platformers - even ones that saw you moving between different screens, but nothing as smooth or quite as polished, expertly designed as SMB. For the first time since the likes of Pong popularised gaming in the home on the Atari 2600 VCS, this was a giant leap forward, the next true evolution of the medium. Well, for platform games that is. Nintendo would continue to expand and perfect other gameplay concepts and ideas in future titles, like Metroid and Zelda, although some of the groundwork was laid down firmly here.

Going beyond the game itself, many of the imagery found in Nintendo’s worldwide smash has made its way into popular culture. T-shirts featuring the 1-up mushroom are commonplace; TV advertisements all too often shamelessly rip off the theme tune and ideas behind the series thus to represent gaming as a whole, whilst the mere use of blue, denim overalls screams Super Mario whenever an unlikely sole may be happening to wear them.


Mario’s biggest legacy by far however, is with the NES in helping to transform the videogames industry into what it has become today. It largely helped take an industry left on its last legs after the 1983 videogames crash, and revitalised it, perhaps driving it forward further than any other title had done in the years before. That’s not to discredit earlier successes by the company, or some of Atari’s, Ultimate’s or even Activision’s hits of the day, but SMB moved beyond those, forming many of the gaming concepts present in all 2D platform games today.

So far Mario has starred in games selling an excess of over 210 million units to date, and has constantly been the driving force behind reinventing what can be seen as possible in a videogame. With each subsequent sequel the series added multiple routes, gameplay incorporating advanced visual effects, the first real, fully 3D (in terms of both gameplay and graphics), interactive platform world, and the use of physics and gravity like never seen before, all of this combined with some quirky humour and some of the most finely-crafted gameplay mechanics to date.

To talk about everything that the Mario series has brought to the table would take all day, and several thousands words more than anyone would care to write in one week, let alone in a few hours. To keep it short, the original Super Mario Bros transformed the industry we loved forever, and the series has a whole has been constantly redefining itself, never afraid to change direction or push the boundaries into new areas. And amongst all this, the character himself, a once two-toned carpenter originally known as Jumpman, has become one of the largest entertainment properties worldwide.


It has been exactly twenty-five years today since the ‘worlds favourite videogame hero’ appeared in Super Mario Bros, released on the 13th September 1985 in Japan, and we, along with hopefully the entire industry, salute him, and those responsible for his creation. Hats off to Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Koji Kondo, everyone at the team at EAD, and of course Nintendo. Here’s to another 25 years of gaming magic.

Feature: A Brief Look At The NES

Tomorrow, Monday 13th September, will mark the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and in celebration of the occasion we will be running two special features here at IQGamer over two days, covering both the console and SMB itself. Today we take a brief look at the defining NES gaming system, and how it helped shape the industry I work in today.

The Nintendo Entertainment System is one of the most recognisable videogames consoles that has ever been released, anywhere in the world. At one point it has been said that the majority of the population of the United States either had, or had access to a NES in their homes, and almost certainly a copy of the game said to have kick-started a second wave videogame revolution, the awe-inspiring Super Mario Bros. Indeed when talking about the impact the NES had on the world it’s almost impossible not to talk about SMB shaped this change, and how this one game changed the fortunes of our favourite pastime forever.

It’s hard to believe that it has been twenty-five years since the NES reshaped the videogames industry so many of us take for granted each day. The bulky, square-shaped, grey console was instrumental in bringing the joys of gaming to a mainstream audience long before the NDS or Wii was even a blink in Nintendo’s eye.

Many of the things we associate with the industry today started with Nintendo’s fledging 8bit system. The game design blueprints firmly laid down by Super Mario Bros; the near two decade long Japanese domination of the videogames industry; and the whole concept of software liecencing to third-party developers, all started with Nintendo, and the release of the NES.


In 1985, armed with a slew of high-profile Japanese developed hits, and two years after reaching fever-pitch success with its launch at home in Japan, the NES touched down in North America to a fantastic reception. Despite the videogame crash of 1983 the public were more than happy to give another videogames system a try, and after an initial launch in select retailers in New York Nintendo released the NES all across the country in February of the following year. This not only gave confidence to retailers looking to stock the system, but also the whole market for videogames itself.

Following on from its North American launch, Nintendo was already riding high on a wave of immense success when it decided to bring its Nintendo Entertainment System to Europe, or more specifically the United Kingdom. The machine had quickly spread to homes all over the US and was by and large a phenomenon of sorts, with Mario leading the charge all the way, and backed up by other popular hits such as The Legend Of Zelda and Metroid, both staple, must have titles for arguably one of the most cherished consoles ever to have been released.

The company launched the system in most of mainland Europe themselves in 1986, and then a year later in the UK, Australia, and Italy, with Mattel distributing the hardware, facing strong competition from Sega’s Master System a few months later. It wasn’t until 1990 when Nintendo opened their own operations in the UK, and took over distribution of the NES, along with marketing the machine.

Although featuring far more in the way of polished software in the first few year of its release, the NES never managed to achieve the same levels of sales success across Europe as the Master System - not initially anyway. Poor marketing and management on the side of Mattel, along with delayed European releases of many games proved troublesome, and allowed Sega’s 8bit console to take the lead. The fact that Sega’s system was some £50 cheaper upon launch didn’t help matters either (it sold for £100, against the £150 entry point of the NES).

However in both North America and Japan, where Sega’s presence was much smaller and less impactful, the NES was by far the most popular console at the time outselling every other videogame system by a wide margin.


The unique look of the NES console – a familiar sight in most North American homes, and many across Europe as well - was designed to differentiate it from other videogame systems of the time, with Nintendo not wanting to be associated with the 1983 crash of the games market, while also attempting to revitalise it with cutting-edge new software. Compared to other systems the NES was bigger, bulkier, and featured a square, angular design which housed a front-loading cartridge slot (hidden under the flap with the printed NES logo on it), and two control pad ports on the right-hand side – a first for most videogame systems.

It’s what most of us remember playing while we were young.

Interestingly the PAL version of the console was also subtitled with the words ‘Mattel Version’ or ‘NES Version’ being printed directly below the ‘Nintendo Entertainment system’ logo. This was due to Mattel distributing the system in part of Europe for three years, before Nintendo finally took over control themselves in 1990, leaving many late adopters bragging that their ‘NES Version’ was “better” or “more authentic” than their friends Mattel branded console.

In reality, the difference actually boiled down to the ‘Mattel Version’ featuring a slightly higher quality plastic finish on both the top and bottom of the machine, while the ‘NES Version’ was compatible with games from North America.

I myself received my ‘Mattel branded’ Nintendo Entertainment System in Christmas 1988. It came packaged with two controllers, a copy of Super Mario Bros, plus Duck Hunt and the famous Nintendo Zapper. After months of seeing what seemed like constant TV adverts in the run up to Christmas, I was completely overjoyed, and my first little foray into console gaming would later lead me into becoming a fully-fledged enthusiast during the 16bit era with the Sega Megadrive. But it all started here, with the NES and a copy of SMB.

Indeed, compared to my first gaming experiences with my old green-screen Amstrad computer, the NES was like a breath of fresh air. The games were far more responsive, and that d-pad made playing fast-paced action titles a breeze compared to the Amstrad’s clunky official joystick.


Whilst the console itself may be considered iconic, the controller itself is no less revered. In the eighties most consoles released with large, somewhat bulky control pads or joysticks, restrained by their inherent arcade heritage and often, by the use of only one action button. Most of these, like the one that came with my Amstrad PC, were rather unresponsive, requiring strong, defined joystick movements, and hard button presses in order to control the action on screen.

Nintendo’s rectangular, slab-shaped design of the controller, along with its cross-shaped d-pad then, was revolutionary. A multi-button set-up, consisting of two action buttons; ‘A’ and ‘B’, plus both ‘START’ and ‘SELECT’ buttons, and its most defining feature; that Nintendo d-pad design synonymous with modern day gaming, basically provided the next standard in control for well over a decade, up until the launch of the N64, and its controller’s trademark analogue stick.

Better, more responsive d-pads may have since been produced – with Sega’s Japanese Saturn pad commanding the lead – but it was this NES/Famicom original that paved the way.

Even now the NES controller is still one of the most responsive out there, making a laughing stock of the shamelessly plasticky feel of both Wii Vitual Console controllers, and their poor imitations of that ‘NES styled’ d-pad used in every Nintendo console to date in some form or another.


Outside of the revolutionary control pad, Nintendo also produced a few other iconic peripherals, including the Zapper Gun, and R.O.B, both of which were packaged up with NES at some point in its life. The Nintendo Zapper, along with Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros was often bundled with the NES console, and two control pads.



The NES had a rather successful worldwide run that lasted up to twenty years (including the Famicom in Japan), at one point being the biggest selling, and most recognisable console of all time - a feat that perhaps has only been dwarfed by Sony’s PlayStation; another success story that changed the industry for the second time.

Some of the worlds biggest gaming franchises also began life on the system, including Mega Man, Castlevania, and Contra (Probotector), along with Nintendo's own Mario, Zelda, and Metroid - just another area of significance for one of the most popular consoles ever to come to market.

In 1995, after steadily declining sales and large software droughts, along with a decade of success, Nintendo discontinued the machine in both the United States and throughout all of Europe - to be fair the last release for the platform was in 1994 with Wario’s Woods. In Japan the machine would continue to be sold up until 2003, although software production was halted years before when the popularity of the Super NES had long since taken over, and the release of the N64 garnered more of their attention.

In its long and prosperous life the NES defined a new standard in which other videogame companies would follow, and that is still echoed in the designs and choices made by Nintendo and other companies today. The concept of software licensing for third-party developers, the trademark controller and d-pad design, establishing some of the most common, and copied blueprints of videogame design with Super Mario Bros, and the near two decade long Japanese Dominance of the videogames industry, were just some of the things Nintendo, and the NES brought to the table.

It’s this forward thinking approach that has both disappointed (Virtual Boy) and propelled (Nintendo DS, Wii) the company to be the revolutionary success story it is today.

Eyes-On: Kirby's Epic Yarn

Kirby has always been one of those secondary Nintendo characters, playing the lead role behind the likes of Mario, Link and Samus Aran. But he’s also always been the more unique fellow of the bunch, and individuality as they say will get you far. So far in fact that after nearly twenty years and as many games he’s still going strong, and still playing second fiddle to other Nintendo heroes.

Some things never change, though with Kirby that should be re-written to some things always change, given the character’s unique shape-shifting abilities and power to use these multiple forms in the most unlikeliest of ways. The culmination then is with Kirby’s Epic yarn, a highly stylised platform adventure that is perhaps on first impressions almost as magical as the wondrous Super Mario Galaxy.


But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. This is still a Kirby game, and in many ways closely follows the blueprint laid down for the series way back in Kirby’s Adventure on the NES. However Epic Yarn also looks like becoming one of the most imaginative straight up platform titles to date, which is something that is undeniably represented by the game’s unique art style and all round bubbly, happy feel.

Everything from Kirby himself, to the various foes he meets, the colourful vistas in the background, and the whole environment is covered in a fabric-like look. This look is initially somewhat similar to the paintbrush effect found in Okami, or the hand-sketched appearance of the world found in Yoshi’s Story on the N64. However, rather than being soaked in a lavishly painted or pencil drawn style everything looks like its been created from various types of fabric; a blend of cotton, wool, and other various textiles from cross stitch patterns to knitted designs all make up every single piece of the game’s unique visual appearance.

But this isn’t just an artsy graphical effect, instead this is something that is completely interwoven with the foundations of the gameplay and make up of Kirby’s world. As our squishy little friend bounces around the environment, platforms contract and expand, just like when you sit down on your sofa, or rest on a cushion in real life. This gives the game a kind of floaty feel to it - something that connects the art style to what we experience in reality, and in turn sucks us deeper into the experience.


Another nice touch is the how the use of zips, when pulled, reveals pathways to new areas throughout the stage, or how tugging on a thread dislodged from a piece of the background scenery opens up a door allowing Kirby to teleport into other parts of the level. You can also find openings which seem to take you behind the scenery itself, leading to concealed loot and other stuff to collect. It’s pure genius and just what you’d expect from the minds at Nintendo.

These elements shown off so quaintly in the gameplay footage I’ve witnessed so far really adds to the tangibility of a world made from various fabrics, with everything reacting as you’d expect, but also creating a real vibrancy and magical touch to things. Seeing Kirby transforming into a car for example, and watching him bounce across the screen in a completely un-realistic fashion but in a way so inexplicably natural in the context of the game world that it immediately takes hold of you, makes you almost fall in love with the concept on offer here, even if some of it isn’t particularly original.

Outside of the bouncy environment and beautifully realised fabric-inspired world, Kirby himself also has some neat little textile touches of his own, such as when he attacks enemies by whipping them with an arm made from what appears to be a woollen thread, or how instead he latches onto them before rolling them up into a little ball ready for throwing.

These little abilities make Kirby feel like he is part of the fabric nature of the world itself, and also allows the developers to try out new things in unexpected ways making the your time spent with him equally refreshing. It’s undeniably cool, and is just one of the many inspiring elements the game has to offer.


Like in previous titles Kirby can also once again transform into various objects, changing both shape and size gaining new abilities as he does so. However, unlike before he does this without needing to gobble up the various enemies he encounters instead having these abilities from the get go.

In Epic Yarn these powers are activated with either a single touch of the attack button when in certain areas - such as when Kirby is immersed in water thus immediately turning into a pink submarine - or in others by simply tapping a combination of the d-pad plus the attack button on the Wii Remote when in the air or on the ground. Doing this I’ve seen Kirby change into a car and a helicopter, each providing our pink friend with the means to complete his quest and unlock new areas and secret passages.

Simplicity is the key here, and according to Nintendo all the main actions can be performed by using just the d-pad plus the 1 and 2 buttons on the Wii Remote, with motion control being used just for specific abilities and not as the main way of doing things.


What’s cool about the way this is done is that you now have far more choice as to how you approach certain situations, and how you avoid potentially fatal encounters. Of course, some of Kirby’s abilities are restricted to when he is in certain areas of the environment; for example he can only change into a submarine when immersed in water, or turn into a parachute when falling in the air from a ledge rather than when jumping up off the ground.

Also to make things easier still (though hopefully not too easy) Kirby’s Epic Yarn is said to take a more relaxed approach to difficulty, being more of a smoothly calm challenge than a mountainous struggle for survival. I guess you could say that it is rather soft like its fabric-inspired exterior, which is both pleasing to hear but also faithful to what fans of the series myself might expect.

However, for those looking for something extra to keep yourselves occupied whilst playing through the game – just in case you find it a bit too pedestrian – there should be plenty of hidden areas and secret pathways to find throughout many of the colourful stages, along with lots of cool stuff to collect on the way.


So far it certainly seems like Nintendo, and the guys and gals over at the appropriately named Good Feel Inc are ticking all the right boxes with Kirby’s Epic Yarn, especially with regards to all the subtle touches being added throughout every facet of the game world and all of its characters. It definitely looks like quickly becoming one of the most exciting, and charming titles on Nintendo’s release calendar, whilst also being a fitting follow up to the character’s last home console excursion, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, which debuted nearly ten years ago.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn is due for release on the Nintendo Wii early next year, and as already stated, looks set to be another superb adventure featuring our favourite squishy pink blob. We look forward to hopefully get our first hands-on with the game in the near future, and certainly can’t wait for the final copy to arrive for us to review. In the meantime take a look at the inspiringly cute and rather lovely trailer for the game.

Editorial: Moving On From The NDS

In 2008, when the Nintendo DS was at its peak, nobody really expected a slump in sales to be heading its way. Although in hindsight, all the signs were there, albeit subtly rising to the surface with Nintendo providing the obvious reactionary response by releasing new hardware in the form of another restyled Nintendo DS console.


You could argue that after nearly five years on the market, that it was time for the company to be thinking about new hardware - about replacing the existing NDS with something considerably more powerful whilst also adding in another standout feature, a talking point which could convince existing owners to move over to the new machine; the recently unveiled 3DS.

That feature, and the talking point of the latest machine, is 3D - a format brought back to the attention of the mainstream by movie studios in an attempt to re-invigorate cinema screen ticket sales, whilst also fending off digital downloads and the increasingly popular digital rental market. The very nature of the format makes it far more suitable for gaming than film however, with depth perception being far more important in trying to gauge your next jump, or in making that critical headshot. Interactive content demands high precision and definitively accurate reactions, all of which can be increased via the added depth afforded by 3D.

It’s a natural fit, and one that has the potential to immerse the user into the experience beyond what was possible with current tech, while at the same time giving Nintendo that difference for a second time running. Nobody else has 3D gaming hardware like this. No one else has a portable 3D solution outside of the cell phone.

So, given the large drop in sales and rampant piracy that has plagued the DS in recent years a change in hardware is really for the best, and in that respect not really all that unexpected. 2008 marked the highest point for NDS sales. Riding high after the constantly repeating success of Brain Training and its sequel, New Super Mario Bros, Nintendogs, and various third-party hits like Professor Layton, cracks began to appear in the machine’s previously unblemished record.

Software sales for first and third party titles were down across the board, and despite an initially strong uptake of the new DSi console, sales started to tale off a few months later. Third party publishers for the first time began cutting back on all DS operations, sighting both piracy and a saturation of games being produced for the casual market as the cause of this change. Nintendo themselves had barely released any notable titles for the system outside of the new Layton game, and another instalment in the Mario & Luigi series of RPG’s, instead relying on more sales of existing products and me-too third party clones of its own titles.

But why the sudden drop off in sales, and how come after four straight years of success is the platform slowing down so rapidly?

A number of factors have to be considered. Firstly, the casual market has seen a massive explosion ever since Nintendo struck gold with the likes of Brain Training and Nintendogs, with competing titles covering practically every avenue of potential interest, from pets, to playing doctor, and string of brain teasing games and puzzle-based adventure titles.

A crowded market is rarely a healthy market, especially when consumers are so bogged down with choice that they simply decide to vote using their wallets, by not buying anything, or simply to look elsewhere for entertainment otherwise provided by the DS. This over abundance in choice it seems is equally restrictive in the sense that the choices available are limited to certain genres and titles that casual gamers have grown accustom to appearing on the format. Outside of these genres there is little innovation, and titles aimed at the ‘core’ gaming market are mostly ignored due to a lack of familiarity even if some of those are perfectly suitable.

It appears that the bubble has broken, and that a string of similar experiences simply won’t be enough to sway a vast number of new owners to the platform, especially when there are over a hundred million of them already. Combined with the fact that the world market has just hit a sudden downturn due to the recession, and that leaves consumers vary of splashing out, something that the gaming market, despite early signs pointing otherwise, is not immune to.

The other reason why so many publishers and developers have recently been turning away from the DS, and in turn why consumers find themselves with a lack of imaginative new software is piracy. That old dog is once again up to its old tricks in a re-run of what has happen countless times before with the old gaming platforms of the 1980’s, the original PlayStation, and continuously to this day with the PC market. Like with any popular platform the NDS is far from immune from the problem, instead further feeding the pirates with its gigantic userbase.


Simple piracy in it self isn’t a huge problem for the DS, it’s the widespread scale of the issue, and the fact that it has become a fairly commonplace thing amongst casual gamers, and not just the technologically literate hardcore. Everyone from the little girl next door to parents simply out to save a few quid have turned to illegal downloading and game sharing for the DS. The popularity of many micro SD card readers for the system, such as the infamous R4, has made this phenomenon possible, and the ease of obtaining both the hardware required and the games themselves, so widespread across so many demographics.

Although Nintendo have in recent months begun to heavily crack down on large illegal game distribution operations, and hardware manufacture, they may have inadvertently left it too late. The R4 and other similar devices have too much market share now in order to be effectively combated to a point of no longer being a problem. Plus with the DS platform itself aging rapidly (it’s five years old already) there is little financial sense it trying to salvage and rebuild the success that it has seen over those five years with the same hardware. Instead it makes far more sense to concentrate on a new console altogether, one which will feature much greater protection from the pirates, and that can also instil fresh imagination into the gaming public.

Enter the 3DS.


With the selection of original NDS games quickly depleting, and the machine largely falling out of favour with the hardcore crowd to the less successful PSP, Nintendo have a chance to re-build bridges with that audience as well as provide a platform that doesn’t alienate the current casual consumer. In fact the use of 3D however gimmicky it may at first seem, may just convince those very people to jump aboard and experience a more traditional form of gaming. After all, what is there to loose, you have complete backwards compatibility with the existing DS, making the 3DS more of an upgrade than a complete replacement, along with a whole host of visualy alluring titles. Granny or little Suzie may not see the appeal, but many others will.

Importantly, the 3DS more than anything else will provide a safer development environment for developers away from the piracy ridden confines of the current NDS platform. This new sense of security will also be backed up with a fresh way of looking at handheld titles. Maybe not fresh, in the sense of new gameplay experiences, but fresh in the sense of experiencing PS2-like blockbusters in full 3D anywhere you go, in addition to fan favourites such as Mario, Zelda, Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid.

The NDS has definitely run its course, and now you can so easily see why and where most publishers development resources have gone. The shrinking selves of DS games will surely be replaced with a greater amount of 3DS titles come next year. Some may just be enhanced DS games aimed at the mainstream, whilst most look likely to be titles bread and nurtured for the ‘core’ gamer. It’s no surprise to learn that most Nintendo-based handheld software projects are being lined-up for the 3DS, both from first and third parties, and this in turn represents why DS software has dried up of late.

In the end, while it may seem like the DS is somewhat dying, and in a way it is, the future of the brand remains intact and ready for its second phase. Backwards compatibility ensures that the 3DS won’t alienate the current audience, or destroy the existing DS software chain overnight. But it will ensure the healthy continuation of the platform as a whole.

That is, of course if it becomes successful, although all signs point to it having an initially bright future. The rest, as always is up to the software and marketing, being able to convince the right people that this IS the right product for them. And with Nintendo’s recent track record that shouldn’t be a problem.

Review: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

The original Super Mario Galaxy was unquestionably my 2007 game of the year. With it’s magical atmosphere, delightful art styles, stunning graphics, and exemplary level design it was one of the best games to come out of Nintendo since the N64 days, and Super Mario 64 itself. This is made even more impressive as during the GameCube generation, with the exception of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Nintendo failed to create anything quite as captivating, or as awe-inspiringly beautiful as their N64 masterpiece.

SMG displayed the kind of wondrous personality and gameplay mastery associated with the company for the last twenty years or so, providing all who ventured into its grasp with some of the most refined and downright amazing platforming on any videogame system to date. It was to many, myself included, beyond just being a sequel to one of the best games of all time, firmly stamping its own mark into a genre long since forgotten amongst today’s mainstream gaming crowd.

The use of gravity as a gameplay mechanic, throwing players around from planet to planet; and the use of switching perspectives, 3D to 2D, and back again, brought forward deviously fresh gameplay which had never been seen before. Not quite like this, and all the more refreshing as a result. Huge bosses, unique level designs and challenges, new and old characters, all contributed even more to the experience. And that’s not even mentioning the whimsical nature of the affair, steeped in a lovingly polished goodness of visual beauty and orchestrated audio delights, quite possibly the closest thing to perfection in a long while.


This sequel in many respects is more of the same, partially streamlined to be more accessible, but more hardcore at the same time, without compromising on the style and gameplay foundations which worked so well the last time around. But it’s more than just a rehash of what has gone before, and the concepts established in the first Super Mario Galaxy. It’s an attempt to bringing together something fresh and altogether familiar at the same time.

At first glance SMG2 is undeniably similar to the last game. The intro sequence in particular being a 2D homage to the opening of the original SMG, with Bowser once again invading Princess Peach’s castle and stealing her away from Mario once more, thus yet again introducing us to the use of space travel and the need to collect those delightful golden stars. From this point on, the mechanics are pretty much identical to the last game, and the use of gravity, the combination of traversing across large and tiny planets are all so familiar. The difference is, that this sequel mixes it up far more than seen in the original SMG.

It’s a testament to the minds at Nintendo’s EAD team that they’ve managed to plunge so much originality in what could be seen as a rehashed, homage title of sorts. Calling it a rehash though, simply doesn’t do SMG2 any justice, as the game is brimming with brand new ideas, excitingly tough and imaginative levels, and perhaps the best orchestral score used in a Mario game to date. It is definitely in many ways a homage title though, more so than the last game.


SMG2 also expands upon the gravitational ideas and shifting perspectives introduced to us in the first game, whilst adding practically a new gameplay mechanic almost in every level. Nintendo have taken onboard what worked, and ditched perhaps what didn’t, or rather what did, but just not as well as it could have. At the same time they have also reduced the number of stages which favour Mario 64’s brand of exploration, instead focusing on obstacle course style level layouts. These stages have a definitive beginning, but the end sometimes feels out of place and strangely positioned into what appears to be the most challenging to reach area in the stage, whether it makes sense of not.

Despite this the game still manages to be an awesome experience through and through - just not quite as amazingly perfect as I would have liked - and this is further upheld up by the inclusion of cool new power-ups, and the return of an old friend from Super Mario World. The finely crafted orchestrated sound track, and magical nature of the game also plays a large part in this too, with the usual Nintendo touch being applied without restraint.


The first thing that you’ll notice has changed in SMG2 is the use of a hub world to serve as entry to one of many galaxies to be found in the game. Instead of featuring a large and expansive hub in which to both explore and to act as a gateway to new stages, you now have Starship Mario, and the return of a traditional map system. This new map system is very much like the ones found in both New Super Mario Bros and Super Mario 3. Levels are clearly marked in order along with the amount of stars possible to collect in each one, and the amount required to unlock the next stage. There are also branching pathways which lead to bonus levels or other normal stages.

The map can also be zoomed in and out, to show either individual galaxies, or simply the stages to be found in each one. It is a far more convenient way of displaying all of the game’s levels, which are now easier to find and keep track of, than to have to hunt around for them in the old hub world. Sadly the map system lacks some of the same charm and magical quality compared to SMG1’s ‘observatory’, although Starship Mario certainly does not.

Starship Mario itself is a smaller version of the hub found in the original SMB, complete with hidden areas, and a cool reproduction of one of the last game’s observatories, which acts as a museum of sorts for displaying power-ups found and artefacts uncovered on your journey. The Starship looks like Mario’s face, and you can run all around it, venturing into unlocked rooms and talking to the inhabitants that arrive at certain points throughout the game. Jumping on the pressure pad in front of the steering wheel (yes, a wheel) takes you to the game’s map screen, in which you browse through, and select your levels.


Outside of the new hub world and map system, most of the changes and improvements are contained within the gameplay itself. The biggest addition to SMG2 is the inclusion of Yoshi, who has been missing in action for far to long in a Mario game. He hasn’t changed much from his debut in Super Mario World on the Super NES, keeping both his tongue grabbing and hovering abilities at the forefront of what he’s all about.

Yoshi is only used in certain stages, most of which have a new mechanic, which uses him in different ways from just running around and doing the usual platform jumping. For example, some stages will require you to keep Yoshi fed with fruits enabling him to walk on otherwise invisible platforms. At other times eating a blue coloured fruit will see him puff up like a balloon and enable him to float up in the air to areas out of reach using the standard Mario/Yoshi combination. Likewise, the game will also test your basic tongue-lashing capabilities by having you swing from objects suspended high up in the air before reaching a specific location.


After Yoshi comes the use of brand new power-ups, including Cloud Mario, Rock Mario, and a funky looking drill that Mario can carry above his head (Drill Mario?). These are awesome, especially Rock Mario, which sees the little fellow take the form of a rocky boulder when waggling the Wii Remote, causing him roll around on screen at speed, much like Morpthball Samus in Metroid Prime.

Cloud Mario has the ability to create a few temporary platforms in which to stand on, allowing you to reach previously out of the way areas. Simply by jumping up and then waggling the Wii Remote creates one of three clouds for Mario to stand on. These clouds can be created in jet streams allowing Mario to glide across the sky, or just to gain a little extra height. After using up all three clouds it simply a case of grabbing another power-up to refill your supply, and away you go.

Like with Yoshi levels are all specifically designed to use these abilities, and in many cases new mechanics are presented for the player to learn and master. The range on offer is pretty incredible, with an almost constant barrage of new, or quirky things coming your way, all of which are done extremely well.


If there is one complaint about an otherwise near perfect experience, it’s that a lot of the levels are very linear in nature, and with little exploration to be had. You never really get to ‘know’ the levels like in Mario 64, or even parts of the first SMG. Instead the levels feel like a design homage to the likes of Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, or Super Mario World, created more in the way of testing your hardcore platforming skills rather than delivering the most intoxicating, and expansive Mario game yet.

However, the challenges set in nearly every world are as imaginative as the last, and a lot of effort has gone into making this one of the most inspired Mario titles yet. It also works beautifully as homage to the old 2D Mario titles, with redone orchestral music, and faithfully styled level designs. Approaching the sequel in this way, rather than putting it on a ten out of ten, revolutionary, and perfectionist pedestal, is perhaps the way to go.

And this is in itself the way that Nintendo views the game – as a hardcore instalment of the series designed for the most experienced, and dedicated Mario fans. In which case the game succeeds with flying colours, earning its Koopa wings, but maybe not in making it the ‘best’ Mario game of all time. Perhaps not quite as sublime as the first SMG either, though that will be debated for years, I’m sure.


Moving forward, there is plenty to do once you’ve finished the game. After getting 120 stars you unlock another 120 green stars to collect, taking the challenge up a notch, and giving you another chance to play through every level once again. Getting stars is only one part of the challenge though. Throughout every level is a hidden comet coin, and picking this up unlocks specific challenges in addition to the main task required to getting a star. So, for example you might have to do a timed run of a specific star challenge, or a race to the end of the stage.

Occasionally I thought that some of the challenges the game has to offer are just a little too frustrating, especially later on when the slightest mistake leads to a lost of life. In these situations it isn’t so much the level design or actual challenge itself that is the problem, but it’s these elements combined with what appears to be occasionally restrictive camera placement that impacts on the overall polished nature of the experience. It’s nothing overly bad, or even enough to tarnish the delights that Nintendo have managed to cram in here, but it does in my opinion make it less of an overall exemplary experience compared to the first game.

So, you could say that while this sequel does much to improve on the original, it doesn’t quite beat it outright, at best matching the original’s brilliance, and at worst not quite hitting the same highs. Either way, however you slice it, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is still one of the best games to be released in the last ten years or so, and well worth picking up, essentially so, even if it’s not as awe-inspiringly fantastical as SMG was.


Overall SMG2 does so much right. The inclusion of new characters and power-ups are suitably inspired as they are superb, as is the streamlined map system and the extra challenges that keep you going after finishing the game, not to mention the beautiful visuals on offer – Nintendo have really pushed the Wii in this regard, shiny and beautifully lit graphics all at a lavish 60fps. That said, this sequel isn’t quite as groundbreaking as the first game, and not quite as finely balanced either. However, you do have to appreciate the fact that Nintendo very rarely makes a Mario sequel, and in this case it’s one of the best they’ve ever made, minor issues aside.

Perhaps, at the end of the day that’s all that matters, because whilst Super Mario Galaxy 2 might not be as revolutionary as the first, it’s still full of imagination, atmosphere, and some of the most impressively creative level designs to date. Sure it can be frustrating at times, and the reduction in larger level exploration is mildly disappointing. But by the same token it is complete celebration of what gaming used to be about, not what it is about now, and with this in mind it is an undeniable success.

VERDICT: 9/10