Earthbound and Dune 18.11.17

Once again I'm making excuses for not writing this in a while but in my defence I've managed to start recording a lot more footage of me playing games, which has been a steep learning curve in hooking up old consoles and finding interesting things to say about games, which I've found much harder than I thought it would be. Check out our youtube channel if you've got the time

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk4B6QFpf3RAYnCbU7Fo0iA

Anyway I have played a ton of Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) since its release and I absolutely love it. I've completed it in the conventional sense, and have the option to buy every costume to dress Mario up in so I'm now at the point where i'm getting moons (the games main collectable) just for the fun of it while also getting precious coins to buy the last couple of bits to make Mario look different. Its not done to Mario what Breath of the Wild did for Zelda, in that its not really reinvented that much rather build and refine on Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64. It turns out though that thats all thats needed to make a fantastic game, the hat capturing mechanic which has been added replaces power ups from previous games and isn't as revolutionary as it at first looks, instead of a penguin suit or a propeller hat Mario now inhabits creatures which give him similar powers. What this leads to is some fantastic level design, whole areas of the kingdoms visited are designed around using a certain creature and its here that the game can feel completely different from a traditional Mario game, or any platformer i've played. Weird jumping plants, fantastical caterpillars and little woodpeckers all get significant use in really inventive ways. The game also follows previous Mario games by introducing truly brilliant ideas and not overusing them, they appear later when the game opens up to a whole new scale but never feel repetitive. I've found the game refined to the the point of almost perfection, every little space in ever level is there for a reason and will offer up something unique, charming or useful. 

By using a range of art styles throughout the game, from realism which hasn't been touched on to more cartoony looks (which in one area looks heavily influenced by Grow Home) it makes the journey seem even more unique and every level I got to felt completely different. On top of this there are 8bit sections thrown in throughout which are stylish and offer a different challenge. The story itself isn't too much of a diversion from the usual Mario stuff although near the end it offers a variation of the Peach as a damsel in distress plot which had become a little bit dated. Two events as it led toward the games first conclusion had me beaming with joy. There is, like Super Mario 3D World a platforming challenge which is a culmination of everything learned in the game. It's completely optional, but I felt impulsed to complete it and after hours of failed jumps I got through it, it wasn't hard for hards sake and while seemingly impossible at first is totally doable which practice and a bit of luck. The game also offers no barriers to ability, from what I understand infinite Moons can be purchased from shops in the world (for the coins Mario collects all the time), its refreshing to see in a world of achievements and micro transactions. 

The only (and this is really slight) thing I don't love about the game is the foot races against Koopa's, they are a bit too tricky for me and I don't see myself going through the process of completing them all. Thats completely my taste though and i'm sure plenty of people enjoy them. 

In complete contrast to the above game I played and finished Sonic Forces (Nintendo Switch) in no time at all. Infuriating at times, for all the wrong reasons, jumps are hard to make and targeting enemies seems like a dice roll. Levels are at times really bland and while there is a lot of them areas seem to be reused all the time. It looks alright and some of the music was okay. The story is self serious to the point of being the one reason I didn't hate the game, it goes through an extensive catalogue of Sonic characters and gives them all a bit of screen time. The character creator is alright too. Nothing else really grabbed me. The final boss was a pain in the ass but then thats par for the course of a 3D sonic title for me.