MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	N/A, by N/A
Review Author	Willsaber
Created	Jul 19 2015, 3:31 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

Well. I must say, at first I wasn't really interested in playing this game, as it didn't seem to have a core mechanic. But after reading Mors' review, I was intrigued, so I gave it a go. And it was VERY enjoyable!

Sure there are a LOT of nitpicks, and the game doesn't have anything that makes it one for the ages, but the levels were well-designed, there was tons of eye-candy, a lot of familiar graphics, and more or less solid gameplay.

The bottom line of this game is that you should play it. Really, it's as good as an engine clone will ever get (not accounting for engine stability).

Pros

- Great level design, with tons of attention to detail
- Awesome graphics, though some clash a lot
- Some really cool 2D Worlx edits
- Umm... best remake of the Super Mario Bros. 1-1 EVER!?!?!?!?

Cons

- The Course Clear spinning animation is sort of weird
- Acceleration is kind of slow to start
- You have to constantly press jump for the Tanooki to hover
- No P-meter sound effect
- Clashing enemy graphics
- The spare item mechanic needs to be modernized
- I feel like there are better Thwomp sprites to use
- In 1-3, there are some platforms that can't be jumped on, and don't stop enemy movement as they are purely decorative. They look like part of the level, and I got hit because of that
- I don't like the flip block sprite
- Slopes are a bit buggy
- There's a Ninji in the fourth level which seems kind of out of place
- When you die, you go back to the level you were last at, just like in Super Mario Bros. 3
- I'm not a fan of the game mechanic and enemy changes in 7-RETRO
- 8-RETRO doesn't feel like SM3DL's 1-1.
- You can pick up P-switches. Really, the game doesn't take full advantage of this feature, so why have it?
- When you get hit and become Small Mario, your spare item automatically drops down. What does this accomplish aside from making the HUGE risk of losing of your item? NOTHING.
- The last level has some questionable level design.

Impressions

Gameplay 7 / 10	It's basically Hello Engine. There are fairly few bugs, smooth gameplay, and it feels all-around polished. But there is nothing special here, and it comes with all the flaws of Hello Engine. I mean, when you die, you go back to another level on the map. This isn't so bad if you are just going through levels one after the other, because it's a very short distance. But if it's a long distance, it'll hurt. The spare item slot is terrible, and functions pretty much identically to how it did in Super Mario World. It's function in New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 3D Land/World is much better, smoother, and less frustrating to use. There is a lot of questionable level design ELEMENTS throughout the entire game, but the levels in their entirety are really good. Though, the last level is really bad. Plus, it uses Cape Koopas, which seems odd since that's the only enemy in the entire game to use a power-up. There aren't even Tanooki Goombas in 8-RETRO (A level based on the first level of Super Mario 3D Land). Speaking of 8-RETRO, it feels like a lazilly "imported" version of the original level. Making a 3D level 2D is difficult, and it's clear Mario Silva hasn't had a lot of practice with it. I beat the level in literally 30 seconds, everything felt really clumped together, and there was pretty much no exploration to be had. When making a 2D level of a 3D world, you need to compensate for the space in between different areas, otherwise it doesn't really feel fun. Oh, and the background at the start was way too high up. Not all the RETRO levels were bad, though. I love 1-RETRO. It feels really nostalgic, but also fresh at the same time. I especially love your use of wider item boxes in it! Unfortunately, I can't say the same about 7-RETRO. You got rid of all the Pokeys, and replaced all the Tower Blocks with Note Blocks. There aren't any bosses in this game, which is kind of disappointing, especially given its fairly long length. Though, it is sort of odd that most of the levels are RETRO recreations of other Super Mario levels. The game has two powerups. The Tanooki Suit, and the Hammer Suit. The Tanooki Suit actually functions like the Racoon Suit, but the Hammer Suit is exactly what you'd expect from a Hello Engine game. The most unique thing about this game are the stars in each level. If you collect all the stars in a level, you get an extra life. They aren't collectibles though, as they reset every time you leave the level. I'd give this a 6.5, but since I can't I'll round up to 7.
Graphics 6 / 10	Ehmm... at first glance, they'll seem pretty cool. Kopejo pipes, items, and tiles, with 2D Worlx Mario sprites, and BMSaints backgrounds. But when you further progress into the first level, you'll find the enemies. Icegoom Rex, edited Super Mario Land 2 Goomba, and a Koopa I'm not familiar with, but doesn't fit in all that well. I mean, could Mario Silva really not find any better enemy sprites? Both powerups have custom sprites, which is really cool. They're high quality edits, and just fit in really well. That's about it. Overall, the graphics are good, and there is a TON of eye-candy and graphical detail in the levels, which is really neat. But the enemies' clashing graphics is so hard to over-look.
Sound 6 / 10	It's all re-used music from other games, but it's a good selection. There are a lot of missing sounds, though, such as the P-Meter effect. Sound tends to be the section I focus least on because there is generally the least to talk about, so I'll cut it off here.
Replay 4 / 10	There aren't really any collectibles, and I don't care enough to go back and play it again, even though the levels are really good. I'll play the next demo for sure, though!

Final Words

It's a good game, but it's lacking greatness. It needs a core game mechanic that isn't jumping. I mean, look at other fangames. Purplian Electric Aura, the Techno Catalyst, Dimenswitching, etc.

Report This Submission

Comments

No comments have been left.

Pages: | Last Unread