Source: videogamesblogger.com

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins in many ways represents the Game Boy’s increasing momentum during the early nineties, now with an established userbase at hand and solid software support.

Much in the same way that Super Mario Land felt like a portable subset of Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins borrows heavily from the previous two home console iterations; Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World while adapting a style of its own.

System: Game Boy
Genre: Platformer
Released: October 21st 1992 (JPN), November 1st 1992 (USA), January 28th 1993 (EUR)
Players: One Player
Developed by: Nintendo R&D1
Published by: Nintendo
Origin: Japan
Rating: E for Everyone

Beginning directly where he last finished off, Mario; savior of the Mushroom Kingdom, returns home to Mario Land only to discover that the evil Wario has seized control of the creatures of the island as well as Mario’s prime real estate; his castle, locked away by the 6 Golden Coins. The only one that Mario can resolve this issue is by obtaining the 6 golden coins (spread across each world) and use them to open the castle gates to overthrow Wario waiting at the top.

This is Wario’s debut title and after Super Mario Land 2, he carries on as series protagonist in the games following. His role in Super Mario Land 2 is largely played down though, with a few tidbits about his origins in the game’s manual which depicts him as an overgrown, angry manchild jealous of Mario since they were both children.

Super Mario Land 2 commercial featuring Wario.

Super Mario Land 2 will be a familiar experience to those who’ve played series highlight; Super Mario World (SNES). As much as Super Mario Land borrowed heavily from the original Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Land 2’s does the same, with Super Mario World as its carrier. As a result many of the play mechanics have transferred across, refitted to the Game Boy’s portable nature. There are significant changes though, some passed over from Super Mario Land and others new to this installment that go lengths to separate the game from its console counterpart and keep things feeling fresh.

The first nod to Super Mario World begins after you finish the introductory level, Mario moves forward one space and the world map opens itself up. Unlike the previous games though Mario begins with two paths at either side which loop around Wario’s castle (in the centre of the island), branching off into the six respective worlds. These worlds are open to you from the outset and you are free to play any of them at your own leisure. Each world is roughly as difficult as the next, offering a similarly mid-range challenge throughout. I imagine that the open ended nature of gameplay would be beneficial for first time platformers or younger children as any difficult stages can be put on hold for later when skills develop.

As discussed in the Super Mario Land review, the Mario platformers can be grouped dependent on their play mechanics which dictate the pacing of the game. Super Mario Land 2 is an overall slower game than its former, promoting a heavier emphasis on exploration, in the same vein as Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island. The game mechanics slow you down, allowing you to absorb the finer nuances in the environment which often lead to clues of hidden areas and power ups. Much like the other Mario games of this nature, the world map further encourages this style of play with secrets that spill out onto the level select. Furthermore a tally of completed levels lies above your save slot in the file select menu. Each of these mechanics reinforce each other, heightening the sense of adventure and discovery. It’s a fantastic concoction of finely balanced game design working in unison.

Along with the slower movement, the viewpoint is also brought in noticeably closer to the player creating larger sprites with finer detail. Larger sprites in turn allow you to notice the animation in each object which moves with consistently fluidity, as does the scrolling of the screen.

Super Mario Land 2, just like its former was designed by Gunpei Yokoi and upholds his off-beat take on the Mario universe that was present in Super Mario Land. The playing environment is now set in day-to-day real life locations like inside houses, on beaches and whatnot. The usual Mushroom Kingdom staples are present but take a back seat to the insects, bugs and animals which natively populate the environment. This almost gives the game a ‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids’ feel to it which actually works better than it sounds.

As featured on the game’s cover, bunny ears are a new power up giving Mario the ability to sprout bunny ears and use them to glide over long distances. This mechanic flows with the momentum of Mario’s movement and provides another outlet (exclusive to this installment) for exploration possibilities such as floating over large chasms to access an alternative route. Their other function serves to diversify the playing environment. When you wear the ears, Mario’s functionality is expanded and so to is the way you play the game. The diversity that this brings to the game is significant since many platformers rely on ever changing gameplay situations to keep players interested (go on, thank of any good platformer, they all do it) and this feature does just that. It’s more than that though, instead of being just a linear nuance to the game (such as the shoot ‘em up themed levels of Super Mario Land) they are embedded right into the character which I think is very important.

Perhaps not as intuitively implemented (due to the limited buttons of the Game Boy) but still significant is the spin jump, actioned by pressing down as Mario descends. This move allows Mario to smash certain blocks in the game and once again adds another layer to the exploration feel of the game.

The coinage system has also seen modification, much like the bunny ears this addition is only apparent in this portable installment. Hearts replace 1UP mushrooms as extra lives and 999 coins can be collected with no life gained for the 100th, these coins can later be used in a mini game accessed from the world map to gamble for additional lives. This (arguably) increases the significance of coins in the game.

Daniel’s Super Mario Land 2 Retro Video Review.

Fun Factor: 9
Solid by franchise standards, pretty good compared to everything else. Feels just like Super Mario World on a smaller scale and it fits in your pocket! New mechanics work themselves naturally into the rest of the playing style. Not as deep as the console iterations but stands fine in its own right.

Graphics: 9
Super Mario Land 2 increases the size, detail and complexity of its sprites from the original game while maintaining a flawlessly smooth scroll rate. Animation is also noticeably fluid with the larger sprites (possible due to using an enhanced Super Mario Bros. 3 engine). Lots of smaller details and subtle effects which go a long way to propel the overall visual presentation.

Audio: 9
The loops have been lengthened but otherwise satisfactory tunes which won’t grate on your ears which is probably saying a lot for 4-bit sound. Sound effects are much the same; little to complain about and will keep you smiling.

Ingenuity: 8
Not so much invention as adaptation of familiar mechanics to a handheld style of play. The uncanny take on the Mario universe still feels interesting, preluding into the Wario mini-verse. The bunny ears and reworking of several series standards add a twist to the expected formula, and are executed in typically intelligent fashion.

Replay Value: 8.5
The open ended design makes way for a significantly longer play through by having hidden levels spread throughout each world. These levels are often flaunted on the world map and will have you returning to the game upon completion to clear with a 100% completion rate.

Editor’s Note: Let’s rap with the Ambassadors of Funk feat. MC Mario’s song Six Golden Coins.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Super Mario Land, alongside other early Game Boy classics, should best be remembered for its role in establishing portable gaming as an individual medium. Games such as Mario, Tetris, Donkey Kong Land and Kirby; miniaturizations of their console counterparts, proved that through the steady balance of hardware economics and portable game design, ‘gaming on the go’ was indeed a viable alternative to console playing. The synergy between these games was infectious and it was their combined effort that would create the initial demand for the Game Boy. This was the kick that portable gaming needed to launch as a platform and without it the portable gaming market would not be the success that it is today.

What these titles share is the foundation of great portable game design, what they don’t share though is perhaps why you are reading this review. Super Mario Land is a fantastic title and not only for the reasons just listed, this title managed to carve a significant niche into the lore of Mario universe.

Editors Note: Today we’d like to introduce you all to VGB’s newest review writer: Daniel Primed. No doubt after reading this retro review — and in time his future reviews — you’ll come to agree with us that he’s got the writing chops to inform you about classics such as those in the Mario/Wario Land series. Take it away Daniel! …

System: Game Boy
Genre: Platformer
Released: April 21st 1989 (JPN), August 1st 1989 (USA), September 28th 1990 (EUR)
Players: 1
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Publisher: Nintendo
Country of Origin: Japan

Mario Land is unconventional, in that, in most cases it’s not derivative of its older NES brothers. Mario’s sprite representation is in essence a monochromatic iteration of the original Super Mario Bros’ and while he does control with the same weighty physics as he always has, the environments that you run through, enemies that you head stomp and vehicles that you man are all foreign to the Mario universe. This being because Super Mario Land is set in the ’somewhat multicultural’ world of Sarasaland instead of the traditional Mushroom Kingdom. This means that all of the usual Mario staples have been replaced; Bowser by Tatanga, Princess Peach by Princess Daisy and most of the enemy set (with the exclusion of Chibibos that look/act exactly like Goombas). Much of this change can be attributed to Gunpei Yokoi taking the role of game designer over franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto. The differences aren’t just cosmetic though; the level design, enemy orientation and overall flow of the game is less natural and balanced than Miyamoto-san’s game (but by no means bad or less of a game).

The unfamiliar décor is actually the greatest strength that this game has to offer and is what makes the exhibition feel so refreshing. With all this talk of difference though the game remains true to the expected formula; Mario platforms his way through a series of progressively difficult stages each sanctioned into set ‘worlds’ with their own thematic vibe. The thematic though differs from the typical settings of element centered worlds (ice world, lava world etc.) instead replaced with a more “cultured” set of locations. There are Egyptian, Aztec and Japanese worlds, just to name a few. So for veterans in the sport of Mario platforming, this orientation can be summed up with “same rules, new environments”.

Now let’s talk about that “sport” for a moment. There’s a particular quality that some Mario platformers inherit in that, the run and jump mechanics fit perfectly into the mold of a digital triathlon. That is; you run, jump and dodge your way through various stages at the quickest possible pace, speed running, if you will. While not necessarily an emphasized way of play, it becomes clear after playing so many 2D Marios that such a mechanic polarizes this branch of platforming.

This style of play is bred into the control mechanics of each installment. Nintendo seem fully aware of this and seemingly switch it on and off for each installment which is why you can easily divide up the Mario games as by whether or not they qualify to be played as a sport. Super Mario World (SNES), Yoshi’s Island (SNES) and Super Mario Land 2 (GB) are all examples of exploration themed Mario games while Super Mario Bros (NES), Super Mario Bros 3 (NES) and Super Mario Land are all playable as a sport, with Lost Levels (NES (JP), SNES(US)) being the champion.

Now, if you understand this language then chances are you’ll know exactly what to expect out of this title as it falls into the “sports” category of Mario platformers. If you aren’t familiar with this concept though then think of Super Mario Land as playing an extension of the original Super Mario Bros (NES) rather than the later Super Mario World (SNES). It should further be noted that this attribute of Super Mario Land benefits, in such a way, to other aspects of Gunpei Yokoi’s design. Most notably how the game deals with screen size.

Super Mario Land gameplay from various levels.

If you look at the screenshots and video, you’ll note that despite the smaller resolution of the Gameboy (128 x 123 pixels) everything in the game is fitted to a good proportion, allowing you to see a good deal of sky, in fact there is more on screen here than in the original Super Mario Bros (256 x 240 pixels). This is achieved by the environments and set pieces being significant smaller in size (ie. zoomed out). What this means for you the player is that Super Mario Land is a bit more tricky, perhaps even finicky (to use such a term!) when it comes to landing your jumps. Furthermore this isn’t helped by the generous amounts of moving 3 block platforms over large descents. It can be a little difficult, even frustrating in parts. The only alternative option though is for the game world to be larger (ie. zoomed in) which wouldn’t work given the speed in Mario’s step and lead way that is required to keep moving (as we have learnt from the Sonic Game Gear titles).

Fortunately this is somewhat remedied by the end of stage bonuses. At the end of each stage sits two doors, one on lower ground, the other raised above. If you enter the higher up door then you automatically partake in a slot wheel like mini-game involving 4 platforms and 4 bonuses including lives and a fire flower before proceeding to the next stage. The trick is to get to that raised platform you need to traverse a difficult set of jumps to get there. So while you may die more often, there are more lives at your disposal.

It can be frustrating at times when you miss a tough jump but I found it hard to blame the game for it. The levels in Super Mario Land are very well designed and have a distinctively different feel from the other games (once again a cue to Gunpei). The design is different, partly because it is a little unconventional much like the rest of the game but also because the difficulty level is perhaps a notch higher than the typical Mario fare. I’d place Super Mario Land in between the original Super Mario Bros and Lost Levels. This results in some simply diabolical level designs. Diabolical in the way your platforing senses may be accustomed to. It’s quite easy as a gamer to build up a taste as to how a typical level from Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World plays out. You build these things up over time, sure. Super Mario Land though won’t reward you for such a instinct, oh no, rather banking on the unpredictable and through its tough levels will demonstrate why you are such a clumsy participant in this sport.

Fortunately though the game provides a break from the stressful platforming with a couple of shoot ‘em up-like levels seeing Mario in a small fighter plane and a submarine. These do a good job at breaking up the action.

Fun Factor: 9
Super Mario Land obeys the same rules set its fore bearers, the twist comes in the unconventional environment, enemies and level design. It makes for an overall refreshing change to a series that we are all accustomed to. Perhaps not “his best adventure yet” as the front of the box puts it but still a top Mario game, worthy of your attention.

Graphics: 9
Minimalistic but there is a charm to the brief animations and trim characters. There are enough graphics in each environment to justify the theme set. Otherwise it is essentially a monochromatic Super Mario Bros.

Audio: 9
As expected from the early handheld hardware; limited number of short loops. Each one of them has as much personality as you can get out of such simplistic tunes. The sound effect for when you attack bosses is ear tearing though.

Ingenuity: 8.5
Some new tricks to the proven formula, such as how Mario can ride boulders to navigate over spike ladened floors or how fireballs bounce off walls. The more life-like environments bring a refreshing change and should be applauded.

Replay Value: 8
Depends on your experience with the 2D Mario games I guess. There is a harder difficult on the second playthrough and after that a level select opens up, so it’ll take some practice to get that far. While the game can be completed in less than an hour, it’ll take roughly a good five or six to learn all the tricks.

Editors Note: Listen to the Super Mario Land’s level 1-1 theme in 1992’s Ambassadors of Funk’s Supermarioland.

The 2nd Super Mario Land song from the Ambassadors of Funk “Super Mario Compact Disco” CD, Go! Mario! Go!

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Tetris was originally developed on a Russian DCC clone PDP Computer by a humble employee of the Moscow Academy of Sciences. Alexey Pajitnov’s mega hit succeeds where other puzzle games have failed: by keeping it simple. Seven blocks, known as Tetraminoes, and one empty “well” quickly translate into hopeless addiction. There are few games that haunt you even after you stop playing — but 30 minutes with this puzzle masterpiece and you’ll see Tetris pieces wherever you look. No matter what platform it’s on, Tetris remains one of the purest and accessible videogames ever made, proving that some of the most addictive games are the simplest.

One of the all-time great puzzle games. Watch the Tetris video “review”.

Source: videogamesblogger.com

Metal Gear Solid 4 is coming to PS3 today. After running you by the original Metal Gear 2D games, Metal Gear Solid 1’s storyline, Metal Gear Solid 2’s storyline and Metal Gear Solid 3’s storyline. Today you’re taken through a recap of all portable games in the series in 20 minutes. These games are: the 2D return Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (GameBoy Color, 2000), the turn-based strategy games Metal Gear Acid (PSP, 2004) and Metal Gear Acid 2 (PSP, 2005), as well as the direct sequel to the Metal Gear Solid 3 game Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP, 2006).

If your anticipation for the game is building, don’t forget to join our Metal Gear Solid 4 competition before the day has passed.

A short recap of the portable Metal Gear Solids:

Source: videogamesblogger.com

The latest issue of the British games magazine Edge is reporting that “Animal Crossing for the Wii will be an MMO/social networking title. It’s no great surprise – in a few short years, Animal Crossing has become one of Nintendo’s most-loved and top selling franchises (over seven million copies of Animal Crossing DS sold), particularly in Japan. Nintendo refers to the title as a ‘communications game’ rather than a videogame, and playing already depends on real-world timekeeping, weather patterns, social conventions, and above all else economic interactions. In almost every way, Animal Crossing has always been the perfect MMO concept, and this development is simply a fulfillment of that promise.

The game has yet to be officially announced (although Nintendo has at least confirmed that an Animal Crossing game is in development for the Wii) and so details are not so much thin on the ground as nonexistent. But there are some indications of where the game will take the series: Katsuya Eguchi, head of development for the project, has made relatively non-committal noises thus far, but hinted that connection to mobile phones and PCs (for basic functions such as messages) would be included in an interview as far back as last year. Animal Crossing’s earlier iterations already feature travelling between towns, the ability for players to live in the same town (though not to play in it at the same time), and the ability to design your own clothing – and to sell it.â€?

But the exciting new future developments for Nintendo don’t end with Animal Crossing MMO. Nintendo would be wise to grant retro gamers wishes and offer a classic games emulation service similar to that on the popular Wii Virtual Console, Edge mentions that a DS Virtual Handheld emulation service is underway. To quote the next-gen transcription:

“Of similar importance is the imminent arrival of an official DS flash card, which will initially just be available to allow Nintendo to sell the back catalogue of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. The uncontrollable homebrew and piracy communities that use the DS rely on similar devices for their more nefarious ends, but this should, in the long term, allow Nintendo to exercise some control over at least the former through the simple step of offering a path to publisher-supported content. Compared to the slightly vague WiiWare proposition, this has the possibility to revolutionize homebrew development – at least in terms of distribution and the possibility of mainstream success –- but how far the notoriously controlling Japanese giant will allow that community the creative freedom it requires to flourish will only be seen in practice. And before getting too excited, the device will launch exclusively for old Game Boy content, initially.â€?