MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Super Mario Bros. Dimensions (Summer Demo), by LangtonLion64
Review Author	TTTTTsd
Created	Aug 26 2014, 9:19 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

So, a fully fleshed out, 8-bit Mario fangame. Going into this I had no idea what to expect when I was told about dimension flipping, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the execution of the gimmick as well as the aesthetics and the way everything put itself together in terms of consistent aesthetics, deep gameplay on a simple surface, and of course, the audio selection. Bravo, Langton, you have certainly impressed me! But what did I find good about the game itself?

Pros

- Very nicely done aesthetics with little options to alter them to your desires
- Level design that both freely allows you to play in a single dimension as well as levels that force the gimmick creatively.
- Physics are responsive, unique, but do not feel unnatural. Very Mario-like.
- Music is all 8-bit, nicely selected.
- The animations and quality of the 8-bit sprites are very nice.
- I definitely like the concept of a free open world selection. Pick your own order has always been an awesome thing for me.

Cons

- Certain handling issues do occur. Being able to hold a button for the Jetpack would be nice.
- While it may be an engine flaw I am inserting this regardless, holding the run button and transitioning into another room does not carry over the button press.
- Toad Houses seem to crash the game.

Impressions

Gameplay 8 / 10	To begin with, this game controls like your standard Mario game, with a twist! Starting with the standard info, Mario can, of course, run and jump. Both of these actions feel incredibly responsive so there are definitely no issues here. The main thing I'd like to talk about in the gameplay is the addition of Polter and of course, the dimension flipping. I don't know when or how this idea struck the author, but they stumbled onto something that inherently adds a ton of depth, with the depth itself being purely organic. With the simple press of a button, you access an inverted or otherwise twisted version of the current level you are in. Bear in mind you can only do this when the Polter indicator says you are able to, otherwise the game will very conveniently mark the areas in which dimension flipping is impossible(a very nice touch, for the record.) This mechanic adds a lot of depth to the levels themselves, as it presents the player with a fundamental choice. Which dimension do I want to play this level in? Both offer unique powerups between the two, and have different structures. Certain levels may force dimension flipping, but otherwise it is purely optional. I find that this kind of option truly fleshes out the gameplay and lets you approach levels at multiple angles. In lieu of this, I wish there was a way to choose which dimension to start the level in. Another bonus point for the gameplay is the medals system, as I will call it. You are awarded a medal based on time spent in a level and the coins you collected. This increases replay value significantly, and lets players aim for the best time or best coin score (or even both!) Overall, the gameplay is definitely solid, beyond the cons I mentioned earlier in terms of how Mario handles within the environment. The only other problem I can cite is the Toad Houses crashing my game for... some reason. Not too sure about this myself!
Graphics 8 / 10	I'm not a very good artist for anything, really, but I can definitely identify very good aesthetics when I see them. This entire game is done in a very nice 8-bit style. Where it branches off from the limitations of 8-bit is in its slightly(and only slightly) more diverse palette, but more specifically, the smoothness of the animations. Nothing looked really off, and everything animated very very nicely. The star coins were especially awesome to watch spin around. The effects on most things(such as fireballs, enemy deaths, collecting a star coin) were also very eye-pleasing. To put it simply, the graphics are very nice and don't stray too far from their 8-bit roots, but they diversify themselves with their nice animations.
Sound 7 / 10	In the auditory section, the game is also purely 8-bit. Most of the sound effects are of course, from the old Mario games, but the music is generally 8-bit or chiptune variants on modern Mario songs as well as music from the older Mario games themselves. The music choices(from as far as I have played) never clash with the environments presented, and the sound effects of course match the visual style quite nicely. I do question the use of Sonic and Kirby music, but it's not a very important question as it is all picked very nicely and none of it stands out too much from the game itself. Overall, nothing really clashes, and the selections seem solid enough.
Replay 9 / 10	This is where the game definitely shines over other linear Mario platforming games. The multi-dimensional gimmick makes traversing levels much more interesting as you can explore new routes, and perhaps discover new secrets! Each dimension also has 3 star coins for you to collect, and if you're like me, you may end up playing a level twice, one for each dimension if possible! The medals are also a nice touch to add to replay value, as personal records are definitely a point of interest for some people, not so much myself. I can definitely see the purpose and interest it would generate, however. In terms of replay value, this game is definitely much more solid than a linear game.

Final Words

For a demo, this shows a lot of promise. The core mechanic and gimmick is very focused but never incredibly intrusive, and the game itself is put together well. Give it a try, it's worth at least a bit of your time.

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Comments

	RaymanFan1995 Nov 1 2014, 5:44 PM
This is a very well-written review, and I fully agree with everything you've said. I agree that there should be an option to choose which dimension you start a level in; perhaps even being able to switch dimensions on the World Map, and (as you can probably guess), depending on which dimension you're in on the Map, that's the dimension in which you start the level.

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