Super Mario Galaxy

I've tried to avoid most of the stuff in magazines or on websites about Super Mario Galaxy. I find that although there is an eagerness in me to find out as much about the Wii's most anticipated game as I can, it would be very easy to spoil the experience. I've seen the ratings it's getting, I don't need to know if it's my kind of game so I'm happy to pay my money and enjoy every second without thinking 'oh this is the bit I saw in that review.

What I am interested in though is some of the decisions that go into creating a game like this. I found a great interview which is linked to at the bottom if you want to read more, and don't worry there are no spoilers. The bit I'm going to concentrate on here is the sound design as it's something I've always been interested in. As an example, the Exorcist may not be up every ones street as far as films go but there's a brilliant extra on the DVD about creating the sounds for the film. Sound choice can make or break the atmosphere and even choosing where to have silence is a skill. It's one of the main reasons the film still stands up today. As far as games go, music and sound effects were often the last things that got thought about, but as technology has improved so has the importance on getting this part right. Anyway, enough of me, here's a brief exert from the interview:

Yokota:
I mainly used Latin instruments, and expressed the space part by using a synthesiser to create that sound you hear in old Sci-Fi movies. The track isn't used in the final game so the players won't get to hear it, but it had actually been approved at one point by Koizumi-san, the director. My love for Nintendo games goes back a long time and I have spent a long time playing all the Mario games thoroughly. I was full of confidence when I presented that track to Kondo-san. But when I asked him "This is how Mario music should be, right?" he just replied "This is no good".

Iwata:
Were you shocked?

Yokota:
So much so that I thought about quitting my job! (laughs)

Kawamura:
I remember observing Yokota-san at the time. He looked so down about it that I felt really sorry for him. He really did say "If this doesn't work, I will quit my job!"

Yokota:
When the track was rejected, the words that Kondo-san had said really stuck with me. Those words were "Yokota-san, if somewhere in your mind you have an image that Mario is cute, please get rid of it."
When I heard that, I realised that I had always had this image that Mario was a character for kids, and without realising it, I had been composing “cute” music that I thought would appeal to children. I asked Kondo-san at the time, "Then what kind of music would work with Mario?” He replied that "Mario is cool".

Iwata:
You must have thought, "You could have told me that in the first place!" (laughs)

Yokota:
At first, all he told me was "If it matches the game, you can make anything you want." (laughs) In retrospect, the time I spent struggling trying to make music that sounded like Mario may have been a waste of time, but by struggling so much, the impact when I realised these things was all the stronger. Kondo-san then came to say the music I made from that point on had “become natural”.

So what kind of things did you come up with in making the most of the Wii Remote speaker?

Kawamura:
Well, for example, we made it so that when Mario gets Star Bits, you will first hear a sound effect coming from the TV, and then just after, you will hear another Star Bit sound coming from the Wii Remote.

Yokota:
By slowing the tempo of that second sound on purpose, it makes it feel like the Star Bits actually fly into your hands. There are a lot of features in this game that use the Wii Remote's shake control, like shooting Mario away to the next planet using the Star Sling, and knocking out Goombas, and we worked hard on sounds that make shaking the Wii Remote fun.

I think it's very easy to overlook the thought that goes into some of these things but I guess that's all part of when you get something absolutely right. One thing doesn't stand out in particular and it's the experience as a whole that is enjoyed.

If you're interested in reading the whole interview click here and to wrap things up I'll leave you with an insight into the Super Mario Galaxy orchestra during recording.



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Vick's Monday Blues (Killer Tortoise)

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Evil at it's best!



Like gaming and tortoises? Sense of humour? The GAMEOV3R Forum needs you

:) Vick :)

MySims Mini Review

Fifi crawled out of bed bleary eyed at 6.30 a.m. she had to go to work, she couldn't get to sleep the night before, there's something about having to get up early that prevents easy sleep. Still awake in the wee small hours Fifi contemplated getting up and going for her DS, she was building a Sim City, but then again it might be a good opportunity to catch a rare nocturnal Pokemon or that elusive tarantula in Animal Crossing .......... Fifi decided it would be more responsible to really try to get to sleep.

Once up Fifi rushed around getting ready, remembering to slip her Gameboy Micro into her work bag just in case there was any "down time" in this job (Fifi is a temp so her work life is constantly changing).

Fifi was already in a bad mood anyway, her new My Sims Wii game had turned out to be rather frustrating. She was thinking "*!& Polly and her stupid flower shop, eventually realising that her flower stand gift hadn't been accepted yet because it needed to be painted with happy essence. Once Polly had accepted her lovely flower stand there was an opportunity to stare at the "brick wall" loading screen again ........ there are many opportunities to stare at the "brick wall" loading screen, every time you complete a task or enter/exit a building if you are really lucky it will occasionally give you a tip while you wait.

A cross between The Sims and Animal Crossing but doesn't match up to either. Oh you do get to make your own furniture with the Wiimote .......but it becomes annoyingly irksome after your first achievement.

There are other areas to unlock but I don't think I can stand to play it long enough and I'll be trading it in as soon as another game I want comes out.

To make things worse a friend had made a casual mention, something about "wasting money on games", Fifi was getting pumped as a Pikachu, Fifi was steaming, wasn't this the friend who had so much fun trying her Wii Sports, she bit her lip deciding to try to keep the peace but harboured vengeful thoughts of deleting said friend's Mii.

.......to be continued ......

Fifi

The GAMEOV3R Forum awaits you and we're all smothered in happy essence! Come and join the party

Slow Down!

Picking up the PS3 box for PES2008 in Gamestation I happened to notice they have several special features that XBox 360 owners don't get! I demand to know where these special features are and whether owners can get them in a future update?! See below.

Konami aren't taking this lightly and are taking some swift action. Unconfirmed reports say a patch is nearly ready to combat the slowdown in the PS3 version. Apparently this will remove 6 players from each side making it 5 a side! Konami say after applying this patch the game runs smoother than Birds Eye ready made custard.

Seriously though what is going on with the PS3 versions of many games? Is it really that hard to program or is Microsoft giving developers a bung to add these 'extra features' so they have the best version available?

What do you think is going on with PS3 versions of games? Get on the GAMEOV3R Forum and let your voice be heard

What’s the colour of money

If you’re Bill Gates, and talking Yen, it’s blue.

Microsoft is still trying to win a slice of the Japanese market. I’m sure they want the whole cake but with the Wii and DS selling like hot ones, iced and with cherries on top, PSP Lite and PS3 selling quite well and a lot of gamers still satisfied with their PS2 it’s possible Microsoft will have to settle for crumbs for some time to come. Or will they?

The Japanese are well known for not being fond of the FPS genre and the Xbox is the console home of the FPS. So where to go? Microsoft’s plan was to aim for Japanese gamers at their weakest point and win hearts and minds with a game that they just would not be able to resist.

Microsoft released the massive 3 disc RPG anime styled adventure Blue Dragon and it actually did quite well. It did better than that in fact and spawned it’s own merchandise and even had an anime TV series created. I’m sure Microsoft thought they had created a gaming hammer capable of market cracking and perhaps, just perhaps, they’d started to win some more Eastern fans.

Microsoft are set to keep the Blue Dragon ball rolling by going for the jugular and releasing the game on a budget label. Not only that, but parts 1 and 2 of the Blue Dragon anime are going to be available on XBL from 15th November, to tie in with the reduced price, for free. Microsoft are hoping (praying?) that this will generate a lot more interest in the 360 and create some new Xbox owners.

They could be right but what I want to know is where are my free cartoons and cheap Blue Dragon Bill? Are we going to see these freebies in the UK or are you casting us off so you can woo your oriental desire? I feel so used.

Is Microsoft throwing dollars down the drain when it comes to Japan and is Bill just a plain ol’ hussy? Gameov3r says he is and that he’s going to sprinkle itching powder in Bill’s underpants drawer. Scratch that itch on the Gameov3r FORUM.

Pure Genius

Nintendo are one of the few companies that just know what pleases people and how to make them smile with their games. At the moment I just can't stop playing Metroid on the Wii. Apart from the game itself being brilliant its bonus content that you can purchase using vouchers earned during play and also special ones sent to you from friends works extremely well due to the thought that's gone into it. One great thing is that you don't have to register another friend code to do this. If a friend is added to your Wii address book and they have Metroid save data they'll appear in bold and you can send them these special friend vouchers. Receiving these is the only way to buy some of the bonus items.

So far I've bought a Mii Bobblehead and some bumper stickers for my ship. The bumper stickers you get are based on what other game saves you have on your Wii and the bobblehead stands proudly atop your dashboard in its Samus uniform. You can even prod the head to make it wobble and I've wasted minutes doing just that! Utterly pointless but I can't remember the last time I smiled so much in a game. That was even before I took off in my ship the following day and the engines made it wobble all by itself!

Sometimes I wonder if it's normal for something like this to give me so much pleasure, but I don't think I should be questioning it. I could easily write pages on things I don't enjoy in games and no doubt in future I'll be doing exactly that on this blog. For now though the only thing that matters is that I do enjoy it and I let it please me. As much as you can moan about certain decisions Nintendo make, you have to admit they are geniuses at what they do and at the top of their game nobody does it better.

Let us know on the GAMEOV3R Forum what gives you pleasure... keep it clean though eh

Prime Time

Nintendo rock! They have confirmed, as if we really needed it confirming, that they are numero uno in the video game industry. Not only have Nintendo given us unique and fabulous consoles in the Wii and DS but they are backing all this up with awesome software.

Metroid Prime is now amongst us and it is as good as you always wished it would be. If you’re a gamer you owe it to yourself to play this. The critical and public acclaim lavished on Samus’ final outing in the Prime trilogy is evidence already of this game’s destiny to be an all time classic.

16th November sees Mario back on UK shores for an out of this world epic. I suffered through all of the Game Cube hype and rumours that surrounded the alleged Mario 128. We waited and waited and, as we all know, it never arrived. The disappointment was tangible as Nintendo failed their fans and Maz only had eyes for Sunshine and GBA re-releases. Galaxy looks set to blitz every game that has gone before it and everyone will forgive Nintendo.

They’ll more than forgive though. With Prime, Mario and more on the shelves this Christmas Nintendo is going to own the festive period. The game buying public worship at the alter of Nintendo.

Is demand for the Wii going to out strip supply again this Christmas? Can Sony or Microsoft stop them? Get on the Gameov3r FORUM now to praise or slate as you see fit. Just don't bother talking about anything Christmassy or wishing anyone a Merry Christmas just yet. Gameov3r’s orders because “IT’S STILL OCTOBER!!*”

* I can’t actually quote all of the words Gameov3r used. We’d probably be shut down if I did! He did mention the name Stuart a few times amongst all the expletives though.