Gaming Bytes: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Read the full in-depth review HERE
Developed By: Nintendo
Platform: Wii
Players:1-2
Online: N/A

What It’s All About:

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is just pure fun! The premise is the same as previous titles – run and jump through a huge collection of levels spread across a bevy of different locations, collect power stars along the way, defeat big bad Bowser and rescue the Princess. It’s a formula that has been working for over twenty years and it still works just as well today. You’ll find yourself flying from planet to planet, being sucked into orbit, gravity making the ceiling of a level into your floor, all ideas that were developed and explored in the first tile. These ideas have all been built upon with exciting twists and capabilities, with each galaxy exploring them in their own unique way.

What It Did Right:

• Fantastic level design

• Tight and precise control scheme that feels like second nature

• Beautiful visuals and stunning soundtrack

• Accessible to casual gamers and hardcore gamers alike

What Brings It Down:

The Final Verdict:
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is simply more than just “Galaxy 1.5”. It provides some of the most fun, challenging and addictive gameplay that has come out this generation, and yet still manages to be accessible for casual gamers and the hardcore alike. Nintendo implement a series of helpful mechanics for gamers who need assistance finishing the game so smartly, those of you who are skilled enough to collect all 120 stars wont even notice they are there. The graphics, the sound, the level design and the overall charm perfectly encapsulate the spirit of classic gaming while still offering something next, exciting and unique. All backed up by a tight and precise control scheme that simply feels like second nature and is so intuitive you don’t even have to think about it. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is platform gaming at its absolute finest and is one of the greatest games to be released this generation.
I never give a game 10 out of 10, never! Yet I purely cannot see how Super Mario Galaxy 2 could ever be improved upon.
10/10

Gaming Bytes: Sam & Max The Devil’s Playhouse Episode 1: The Penal Zone

Read the full in-depth review HERE

Developed By: TellTale Games
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, Wii
Players:1
Online: N/A

What It’s All About:
Episode 1: The Penal Zone puts a tick in all the right boxes; Super-intelligent Space Gorilla on a quest for toys that can bend reality, check; weird and wonderful apparitions that are equally hilarious as they are frightening, check; a prophecy that foretells the end of the world, naturally involving Max, check. For fans of the duo’s beginnings as a comic book, their first outing in the video game realm “Hit The Road”, or the cartoon series, this episode feels the most like Sam & Max. It’s wacky, it’s out there, and it feels more comfortable in it’s universe than Season One or Two did.

What It Did Right:

• Great puzzles
• Genuinely funny dialogue
• Terrific voice acting
• Great art design

What Brings It Down:

• Story can seem a little lacking at times
• Seems a little shorter than previous episodes
• More of a setup for the rest of the season than it’s own episode

The Final Verdict:

The Penal Zone is a solid intro into the new season that sets the player up for what is coming ahead. While the story can seem a bit thin at times, the new interface along with the implementation of some great new gameplay features make this a delight to play through. For hardcore Sam & Max fans this is a must play, as it really feels like the first true Sam & Max game since “Hit The Road” from the 90’s.

8/10

Game Bytes: Borderlands

Read the full in-depth review HERE

Developed By: 2K Games
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Players:1-2 (split-screen)
Online: 4 Player Co-Op

What It’s All About:
Welcome to Pandora, a bandit-ridden wasteland that draws the attention of off-world scavengers for one reason: The Vault. The Vault is a mysterious structure that is believed to hold the most powerful and wealthiest treasures in the universe, and everyone from scavengers to fortune seeking global corporations wants to get their hands inside. This is the setting you will find yourself wading through with Gearbox’s latest title Borderlands, a FPS meets RPG.

What It Did Right:

• Great character development
• Unique art design
• Reward system
• Fantastic Gunplay

What Brings It Down:

• Vehicle Control
• Lonely, anti-social single player experience
• Cock slap of an ending

The Final Verdict:

Borderlands succeeds as a perfectly balanced combination of the RPG and FPS genres. Along with it’s unique gameplay style, it boasts an art design that makes Pandora come alive and will keep calling you back to the bandit ridden wastelands. With satisfying character development and an impressive arsenal of weapons, this game will keep you busy for a long time. There are a few places that the game could be improved, especially when it comes to the anti-social and lonely nature of it’s single player experience. All in all, Borderlands is a great title that is well worth checking out.

8/10

Gaming Bytes: A Boy and His Blob (Wii)

Read the full in-depth review HERE

Developed By: WayForward Technologies
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Players: 1
Online: N/A

What It’s All About:
A Boy and His Blob is a 2D Platforming re-incarnation of the classic NES game featuring hand drawn graphics and all new motion controls.

What it did right:

• Hand drawn graphics and smooth animations
• 40+ levels plus challenge stages
• Great puzzles

What brings it down?:

• Bloated control scheme
• Lacking any replay value
• Frequent loading screens break immersion

The Final Verdict:
A Boy and His Blob is a fantastic homage to the titles roots on the NES, featuring 2D platforming at it’s best. A gorgeous game to look at, the only downfalls are in the bloated control system and staggering load times that really break immersion. If you want a platformer that has more than just running and jumping, A Boy and His Blob will keep you entertained for hours.

7.5/10

Gaming Bytes: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Read the full in-depth review HERE

Developed By: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Players: 4
Online: N/A

What It’s All About:
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a homage to the classic entries of the beloved plumber, going back to basics with a side scrolling platform adventure, and adding in the ability to play simultaneous four player on the one console.

What it did right

• Fantastic level design
• Challenging difficulty
• Replay value
• Great fun with friends

What brings it down?:

• Multiplayer can be frustrating depending on who you are playing with
• No Classic Controller support

The Final Verdict
Is New Super Mario Bros. Wii the greatest Mario title to date? That’s a decision you need to make for yourself, but the fact that it’s debatable is a true testament to just how good this new addition is. Bringing in the best of series, going back to the original form as a 2D platformer, and throwing in four player mayhem brings Mario and his adventures to a whole new level. The most important ingredient is fun, and no matter who you are, you will undoubtedly have a bunch of fun with this title. Nintendo have just proven again that they are the masters of creating a game to suit a large age group.

9.7/10