I'm around 15 hours into Super Mario 64
and I have to say, this is a much bolder re-imagining for an established franchise than I have ever seen in this industry, personally.
Games like Breath of the Wild, Resident Evil 4 (or 7) and the like were huge changes for their respective franchises, but even though they were radically different from their predecessors, there was still quite a lot that they retained, not just in terms of nebulous concepts like the "feel" and "atmosphere", but also specific gameplay mechanics or design philosophies. This new Mario, though, is just so different from the 2D-era games. I mean, it still feels like a Super Mario game thanks to its tone, Mario, and the general nebulous "feel" of the experience, but in almost every way that can be put down on paper, this is nothing like the previous Super Mario games.
The only similarities I've been able to spot are very minor things- like using B to lift heavy objects at times, or collecting coins, or spike hazards in the environments, or upgrading your health meter via collectibles. And it all just works so well- most, if not all, of these changes are for the better, I'd say. Probably for the first time ever, I'm having as much fun playing Super Mario as I am gawking at the scope and spectacle (if not more so).
Even if this massive re-imagining hadn't worked out, I'd say Nintendo would still deserve props for the huge risk they've taken. Good thing it paid off though, because so far this is one hell of a game, and if the rest of it is as good as it has been up until now (or gets better, like I suspect it will), it might end up becoming one of my favourite games of all time.
NOTE: Please use spoiler tags in your posts whenever applicable! :)
EDIT: A lot of you seem to be understanding (I guess I was clear about what I was trying to say), and I'm
saying this is a completely new way to play games. Even close. It doesn't borrow heavily from other genres, even other Nintendo first party titles, as many of you have pointed out. I'm saying it's a bold shift for the series and for the industry or for video games as a medium at large.
(Credit to https://www.resetera.com/threads/go...magining-of-an-established-series-ever.37773/ for the thread idea.)
I just dispelled the yellow frog and now I'm inside the heart of Tall Tall Mountain, just used the giant cannon thingie to go to the higher level with the cloud jet traps in the beginning
and I have to say, this is a much bolder re-imagining for an established franchise than I have ever seen in this industry, personally.
Games like Breath of the Wild, Resident Evil 4 (or 7) and the like were huge changes for their respective franchises, but even though they were radically different from their predecessors, there was still quite a lot that they retained, not just in terms of nebulous concepts like the "feel" and "atmosphere", but also specific gameplay mechanics or design philosophies. This new Mario, though, is just so different from the 2D-era games. I mean, it still feels like a Super Mario game thanks to its tone, Mario, and the general nebulous "feel" of the experience, but in almost every way that can be put down on paper, this is nothing like the previous Super Mario games.
The only similarities I've been able to spot are very minor things- like using B to lift heavy objects at times, or collecting coins, or spike hazards in the environments, or upgrading your health meter via collectibles. And it all just works so well- most, if not all, of these changes are for the better, I'd say. Probably for the first time ever, I'm having as much fun playing Super Mario as I am gawking at the scope and spectacle (if not more so).
Even if this massive re-imagining hadn't worked out, I'd say Nintendo would still deserve props for the huge risk they've taken. Good thing it paid off though, because so far this is one hell of a game, and if the rest of it is as good as it has been up until now (or gets better, like I suspect it will), it might end up becoming one of my favourite games of all time.
NOTE: Please use spoiler tags in your posts whenever applicable! :)
EDIT: A lot of you seem to be understanding (I guess I was clear about what I was trying to say), and I'm
saying this is a completely new way to play games. Even close. It doesn't borrow heavily from other genres, even other Nintendo first party titles, as many of you have pointed out. I'm saying it's a bold shift for the series and for the industry or for video games as a medium at large.
(Credit to https://www.resetera.com/threads/go...magining-of-an-established-series-ever.37773/ for the thread idea.)
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