MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Super Mario PC, by kikweb3
Review Author	Vitiman
Created	Dec 29 2015, 5:32 AM

General Commentary and Game Overview

The title alone must make you think "gee, how old is this, exactly?" and the answer is... not entirely that old! Okay, sure, 2003 was a long time ago now, but it isn't DOS old. Speaking of DOS, I'm gonna come back to that sorta, later. For now, let's jump to the pros and cons like we typically do!

(also, yes, the game is in French. Knowing French isn't necessary to play, but if you're interested in hearing Yoshi's wisecracks, it might be time to pick up a copy of Rosetta Stone!)

Pros	Adorably quirky Decent static engine + relatively stress-free Unusual SFX (thus, very unique and a breath of fresh air from most fangames) Creative enemy choices Toad helps you sometimes!
Cons	...but if you can't read French, these tips mean diddly What you're supposed to do isn't entirely clear sometimes Amazingly rough and poorly ripped graphics Game seems to end at a dead end on the second level

Impressions

Gameplay 7 / 10	What an amusingly quirky little game! From a time when Mario's Mansion ruled the plains of fangaming and MFGG was in its infancy, this must have stuck out like a sore thumb. It sticks out now, to be honest! But the graphics are for another section, for now let's discuss how it handles: well... errm, FAIRLY well? Not entirely amazing, but for a static engine in TGF it's surprisingly smooth or at least bouncy feeling - as a personal preference, I prefer okay-ish engines to have less stick to them, because at least that gives it more room to be my fault than the engine's. With that said, the engine can occasionally hinder my progress quite a bit, but most of the time it's actually very... odd things. Invisible blocks where you'd expect to try to bounce off an enemy, Koopa shells only being hit from above without taking damage during a "kick", certain enemies being killable by a hop but resistant to fireballs. Speaking of, you gain fire power from mushrooms. That messes with my head more than it should! Of final note, I couldn't get past the second area thanks to a weird dead-end that was pretty much a giant pit. I wasn't sure what to do, so I just gave up. If I had to use a pipe, the game wasn't entirely clear on if I needed to or not.
Graphics 3 / 10	Probably the weakest element of the game by far. While it has a VERY charming DOS game vibe to it, thanks in large part to the graphics and overall visual atmosphere (the background colours help, too), they're objectively bad, no question about it. These almost kind of look like they were ripped out of magazine scans rather than any sane way to get graphics. Some enemies (like the piranha plants) are pretty much custom but clearly derivative of existing graphics. It's a very odd clashy experience that, while not necessarily AWFUL to stare at, does leave a lot to the imagination on how much better this could have looked, even for its time.
Sound 6 / 10	Some would call the soundtrack unfitting. Those people are crazy people, because I think it fits in a very odd, delusional way. That song... I'm still not sure if it's from something or not. Could be an entirely custom composition, maybe it isn't. As for the sounds, I love them. They are such a nice break from your typical SMB3 and/or SMW sounds used so often in games then and now. They're also decidedly oddball and have their charm in how bizarre they are!
Replay 4 / 10	The game appears to have more levels beyond the second, but alas... I couldn't see beyond that. They do look very neat, though! I'm gonna have to crack open the source and take a peak... what? It's an old game, don't judge me! It's for SCIENCE!

Final Words

Super Mario PC may not have the most original name in the world, but its dual charm of weirdness and '90s DOS nostalgia will have you at least giving it a run. Who knows? You may even like it!

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Comments

	Q-Nova Jun 28 2021, 5:14 AM
In the second level, you're supposed to use a pipe in order to move on. It's the last one before that big pit you were talking about. You'll need to use the pipe once you get there, because if you jump onto the island after that, you're unfortunately unable to get back on the platform with the pipe. It is a rather poor design choice, however though.

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