Review: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Played on: Wii

Everyone who was alive in the 80s/90s at least knows of Mario. Most gamers grew up on the Mario story and game line. Mario himself has appeared in over 200 games. Here's a list. If you have been around gaming at all, you have seen him at least once.

Well, Nintendo decided to bring Mario back and to recreate the platform game with one major adjustment, you can have up to four players. This may not seem like much, but in a world swamped by 1st person shooters, we now have a new platform game, a throw-back to the old Mario, and it is the first Mario game since 1983 to have multi-player (excluding party games and racers).

Visuals: Men around the world will hate this, but it's a really cute game. There are lots of bright colors reminiscent of a bright child's room (or acid trip). The large hills in the background are nice and colorful, and polka-dotted. It has all the cute images of old Mario games but they look a lot better (mostly just because they aren't in 16-bit 2-D). One of my favorite additions is that the background interacts with the music. As the music goes, the flowers dance and jump to the beat! Now, before I get too distracted, it is a platform game. There aren't a lot of movie like cut-scenes though a few do exist. The gameplay can be smooth or you might watch your guy mess up a jump a few more times then you (or he) would like.

Audio: The music is fun and lively without being overpowering or obnoxious. The game does have some new music as well as old music that has been updated for the new game. There aren't any painfully annoying sound effects. Much of the game does have the same music so it might begin to be a bother after a few hours, but that's just theory. I haven't had any trouble with it.

Involvement: If you don't want to play, there are a few instances where you can help your guy try to figure out how to get to a certain place or reach a far coin, but if you really want to get involved, pick up a remote. The multi-player aspect of the game is really fun and the game play is relatively easy to pick up. Now, for the most part, the game is played in a classic manner (you move the character by hitting buttons) but there are a few moves that use the remotes motion abilities. Have your guy walk you through the first few minutes and then enjoy the classic fun of Mario.

Overall: If you have a Wii and your gamer has not yet bought this game, and you forgot to get it for him for Christmas, head to your local game store and pick up a copy. It's a great throw-back to the old Mario, but with a new look and remastered music. If you play him or if you just let him go solo, this game is a lot of fun and really entertaining to watch. I struggle to find a negative critique.

Merry Geek-Mas!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

From your friends, at GamerGirlfriendReviews!

Hi! Remember me?

For those of you who don't know, I'm currently in grad school. This means that during the semesters I am crazy busy! This is my excuse for not posting anything since October. You can take it or leave. I do hope to get some more reviews up during the winter break. There have been some great games to come out, and some that frankly, you just don't want to see. Be looking for reviews of new games like Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare, and some older ones like God of War 1 & 2 which were recently rereleased. I hope to also get some articles out about storage tips for games and game "stuff" as well as some more Gamer-Speak so you can keep up with your guy and his friends.

Afternoon Quickie: Batman, Arkham Asylum

Arkham Asylum really surprised me. I assumed it would have some cool fights and I was pleased with the list of villains that were expected to show up, but as we got closer and closer to the release date, I got more and more excited. Once Philip brought the game home, I was not disappointed. In fact, this Batman fan was quite happy. I think the game did a great job combining the action hero that our generation has known with the original detective of the early comics. It is a very dark game, but has an interesting story line. The villains that are in the game span far and wide and include the big names like the Joker and Riddler. There are some areas where the girlfriend/wife can easily get involved and this game easily passes the Wifey Watchability Test.

Review: Uncharted 2

Played on: PS3

I never watched (nor had heard of) Uncharted 1. Ok, to be honest, Philip says I watched him play the first one, but I don't remember that at all... So anyway, in this game you are a treasure-hunter thief. You are searching for a treasure that you believe was found and then lost by Marco Polo. In the game you fight the other people who are searching for the same treasure and the occasional Yeti (yes, I said Yeti).

Visuals: This game is incredibly beautiful. The scenery is amazing and the weather effects are great. As you play the game, your character's clothing gets effected by the surroundings as well. For example, if you walk through high amounts of snow, snow builds up on your jeans. You also go through some lovely areas that are based off of real places in exotic locations like Nepal and Tibet.

Audio: The soundtrack is very nice. It's mostly soft instrumental music through out the game play. Of course, when a gun fight does erupt, the pretty music is drowned out by firing weapons. (Why can't guns just sound like flutes or piccolos or something...) Now the worst apart about the audio aspect of the game is the grenades. If a grenade goes off near you, the game plays that lovely high-pitched squealing noise. Now, this supposedly makes the game more realistic, but I have never had a grenade go off near me, nor do I plan to engage in such an activity, and would rather my eardrums not be assaulted.

Involvement: There are some aspects of the game that lend themselves to the seeking of help. Some of the puzzles will allow for some non-player involvement, but they don't occur too often. More oft than not, if a girlfriend wants to be involved, she can help point out the snipers and the gunmen attacking the player. Now, not all players will like receiving this help. Know your player, if he likes direction in times of video game crisis, then go for it, otherwise, just let him find them on his own (even if it takes him dying 19 times to do so). One thing that can be helpful, is trying to spot the treasures. There are 100 little treasures hidden throughout the game, and you can always help your player find these. (They look like little lights shining, so you know.)

Overall: I really like watching this game, for a while. It's a lovely game and can be quite entertaining, but there's not much for me to do and I get a bit bored with gunfights. This would be a great game if your player is relaxing on the couch while you're up and about getting things done. It passes the wifey-watchability test but it doesn't meet the commercial's claim of being so movie-like that you won't know the difference.

Starter Game: Persona 3

Persona 3 is the most traditional of the games listed. It is also the leader by far. A group of students are working to rid the area of “Shadows” and solve the mystery of why people keep disappearing. Most of the fighting happens during what is called the “Midnight Hour” which is a special time just as the clock strikes Midnight that only a few people are aware of.

These people are also able to use a special ability called the “Persona.” The Persona is a part of the self that is able to fight the Shadows using special abilities that are based on the elements (Fire, Ice, Wind, etc.). The main character is extra-special as he is able to use multiple personas. You form a team and work your way through a mysterious tower that only shows up during the Midnight hour, and changes it’s layout each time you visit.

While not fighting shadows during the Midnight Hour, you go about daily life. You are the new kid in a Japanese high school. You go to the mall, join clubs and teams, and hang out with your friends. When you strengthen your relationship with certain friends, your personas also get stronger.

The fighting is done in a turn-based system, which is great for a beginner because you have time to think about what attack you will use. However, when initiating the fights, you are supposed to try to sneak up on the Shadows. If you aren’t used to video game walking, this can be somewhat difficult. (OK, it was the worst part about the game for me. I kept running in circles and going too far in one direction or the other. I don’t think I was ever able to sneak up on an enemy. At the end of it all, I am still not very good with video game walking, but then again, I’m not so good with real-life walking either…)

The relational aspect is a lot of fun and seemed to come really naturally. Now parts of the story line do include references to Japanese culture that I didn’t get. This is where the strategy guide starts to come in handy. The strategy guide defines the Japanese terms that an American may or may not know.

The strategy guide really is worth the money for this game. Not only do you get to learn a little about the great nation of Japan, but it tells you what each Persona’s abilities are, what each enemy is weak to, and which answers will benefit your relationships and which will cause harm.

All in all, the game is a lot of fun. It’s a great game to watch if you don’t think you’re quite up to the challenge, but if you have been playing a few games and are looking for more of a challenge and a “real” game, this is a great choice! If you have never played a video game before, get your boy to play with you. You can get introduced to the wonders of gaming and the two of you can have something to do together.

Article: Top Ten Starter Games

The Top Ten Starter Games:

The Gamer Girlfriend's top games for the girlfriend who wants to start playing...

10. Virtual Villagers (PC) tied with Endless Ocean (Wii)

9. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)

8. Wii Play/Sports/Sports Resort (Wii)

7. My Sims (Wii and DS)

6. Guitar Hero/ Rock Band (PS3, XBox 360, Wii, DS)

5. Mario Kart (Wii)

4. Mario Party (Wii and DS)

3. Spore (PC)

2. My Life as a King (Wii Downloadable)

1. Persona 3 (PS2)