Super Mario Maker

By: Robert Murphy

Have you ever come across that one Mario level that made you rage so hard you almost smashed your controller? You had to go back to easier levels and spam for lives just to beat it. Fun times, right? Well have you ever wanted to make that rage inducing level and have hundreds to thousands of people play it till they pull their hair out? Well Super Mario Maker finally gives you that opportunity.

Okay so it's not as evil as all that, in fact Super Mario Maker can best be described as a celebration of everything Mario games have been through over the past three decades. The introduction to the game alone is enough to make your inner child smile as you start out on an unfinished level that you must complete. This gives players a brief introduction into the mechanics of making their very own Mario levels. From the basic stuff like placing down blocks to stacking enemies one on top of the other making a towering being meant for blocking anyone to come in its path. Players can also change which generation of Mario their levels will reflect from the golden days of pixelated Goomba to our modern day wall hoping hero. The pure addiction that goes into making levels is something that I did not expect however and as many people already know time simply flies when you're play video games but I've found a whole day could go by making a Mario level if you're not careful. 

Perhaps the reason behind this is the sheer simplicity of making each and every level no matter what generation creators happen to prefer. The game map is laid out in a grid fashion so everything will snap into place when items are dragged onto the screen. A basic level can be constructed in no time and it is something that even younger kids would be able to pick up quite easily. While the more challenging levels and tricks that people have discovered and exploited will obviously take much longer to create, it is done with such ease that you will leave your maps with little stress and feelings of accomplishment. It's almost therapeutic, like a build session of Minecraft, and the more you do the more features you will unlock from the Mario universe.

Super Mario Maker isn't just limited to the level design formula that we've all seen before however and it allows for a much more personal touch. There is an extreme freedom to create anything and everything you can possibly think of no matter how simple it may seem to everyone else. There are levels devoted to things like rube goldberg devices that propel players in every which direction without you even needing to move, there are levels with hidden birthday messages and even levels for proposals. Add to this the tiny touches that can be made to a level such as individual sounds and costumes and you will find that no two things are alike when you set out to see what others have made. It's all worth mentioning simply because it not only shows the games potential but also just how much these games have brought people together over the years.  

Once you've completed a level and proven that it can be beaten, by making it all the way through it yourself, you can upload it in seconds to Nintendo's network for others to try and vice versa. Levels are presented through various categories like "new levels" or "popular levels" so you can try out up and coming designers and see just what everyone else in the world is making. It's truly amazing when you see it as well, some levels are simple and pay homage to classic Mario and others are mindbogglingly difficult to complete. This is where the aforementioned rage comes from, but it still an incredible collection and coming together of designers. It is a bit difficult though to directly find levels that are made by your friends since there is no direct search function for people you have on your friends list, but if you simply ask for the code to their level it can be found with relatively quick.   

If you're having trouble sifting through all the levels and can quite determine where you want to start then look no further than the 100 Mario challenge. It wouldn't be a true Mario game if Princess Peach weren't captured and taken prisoner by Bowser or one his evil spawn and that's exactly what this mode does. Players are given 100 lives to traverse a number of user created levels at random difficulties in order to once again save your Princess from certain danger. It's a great way to get a feel for the massive community and levels out there without having to pick them out one by one. If a level ends up being too difficult then a quick switch out can also be made for another randomly picked level and then it's back to business. 

Super Mario Maker serves as an excellent reminder of the games many wonderful moments throughout the years. It's simple, sweet and doesn't bog players down with an overabundance of rules or restrictions when it comes to creating, you have a blank canvas and you can do with it what you will. When I also start to think about all the features and items that could potentially be added on top of everything that is already present it leaves me with the feeling that the game is not only a fantastic created piece on it's own but it has the ability to get even better. But, for the moment there are many more castles left to explore and it would seem that Princess Peach can never be saved for long, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Good:

- Quick to pick up controls

- Unlimited creative potential

- 100 Mario challenge allows to quickly try out a multitude of online levels

Bad:

- No quick interface to try friends levels

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Mario Party 10

By: Robert Murphy

When people usually hear about a party they think, a good time, few beers and good friends, not screaming in rage or frantic attempts to murder one another on a charming Mario style game board. Well, this is what you often get with Mario Party games (and most Ninetendo games in my experience) as you and your friends fight one another over stars, minigames and the attempt to be the first across the finish line and named the victor. It’s a charming little setup that has been going on for years now as groups of four players start on a variety of different game boards and move across the spaces to gain the most stars and victory over your friends. Mario Party 9 saw a change up in the long standing dynamic that continues on here in Mario Party 10. Four players cram into a vehicle together and individually roll a 3D dice to progress across a linear map, dodging obstacles and taking on different challenges depending on the game board you choose. New features though have come with the addition of the Wii U gamepad and other new Nintendo products so let’s see what lies in store for another “fun” party.

Despite my insane competitiveness, I’ve always found that Mario Party games were the best to lose at because of the amount of luck that can come into play with a game such as this. A randomly generating dice decides your fate and the fate of your friends each turn and there are any number of obstacles that can make or break you along the game board. Players can end up being bitten by a Piranha Plant or shot by a Bullet Bill and lose a fair amount of their stars or even worse you can now end up unleashing Bowser from behind his prison bars and he could steal half of your stars. You just never know what is going to happen when you roll those dice, all you can really do is pray that you will still come out on top. I haven’t kept up too much with the recent additions of the game but with the purchase of my Wii U, I thought it would be a fun game to have for my family and friends. A part of me does miss the old school styling of the game where players were all separate on the game board and raced each other across the looping map to get to the one solitary star placed at a random point. The new mechanic of everyone moving as one does lead to quicker games to be played but this new style of playing does debunks the long standing strong point for Mario Party and that is the minigames.

Minigames are the key part of every Mario Party game and where all the fun practically comes from considering most of the game involves you staring at a screen waiting for each player to take their turn. Minigames now though are far less frequent and do not occur after each player has taken their turn, rather they now appear to randomly generate on any one of the square spaces. There’s no labeling to indicate whether or not the square you land on will lead to a minigame so you never know when one will come along to break up the monotony. It isn’t like they never occur but it is sad that one of the strongest parts of the game doesn’t occur as much as it should.

When you do get a minigame, it is still an insane amount of fun and takes on the new look and feel of the recent Mario games that players have come to know. The bright and brilliant colors all look wonderful and you and other players will happily be jumping around trying to complete the various objectives such as being the last player bouncing on a trampoline while knocking everyone else off or kicking the most Cheep Cheep’s as they head towards a peer. There are also game modes for the motion controls on your old Wii controllers that will prove to be a challenge. Being the first player to move your player on top of a giant ball across various buttons was the hardest for me but others like choosing the Shy Guy with the most donuts on his plate even things out in terms of difficulty.

This all just happens to be part of one mode for Mario Party 10 and I came to find out that there are three different modes for this new game. The next mode I played was Bowser Party which brings the Wii U gamepad to some actual use and introduces a fifth player into the action. Bowser was always soar about being left out of things and so now another player can take on his role of crashing the party and stealing other players hard earned stars. In this mode Bowser follows the other four players that travel along like usual in their car and trying to get across the game board. Bowser in turn rolls a few dice to try and catch up to the other players and if he manages that then a 1v4 minigame takes place (hooray! minigames!). The games are fairly balanced to start off with as players will try to do things like dodge fireballs or avoid being thrown into a fiery pit as they run along a giant wheel. If the players manage to continue staying far ahead of Bowser or continue to beat him then the difficulty for the players gets turned up a notch and Bowser ends up more in favor of victory.

The mode is delightfully fun for the Bowser player as you lord over your friends trying to take them out (gosh, no wonder my friends think I’m mean). Regardless, players will no doubt have some evil fun at the expense of the entire party. Perhaps the best map to take advantage of being Bowser would be the underwater level due to the fact that certain points of the game board diverge to two separate paths, one usually worse than the other. Bowser can manipulate the signs at the diverging points with the gamepad due to the fact that they’re written in squid ink. It’s not a huge mind game to play but it is still a devilishly fun feature.

Our final game mode is the amiibo party and was initially something of a delight for me as it returns to the original Mario Party style of each player taking their own turn and moving separately. There is, of course, a gigantic catch and that is the frustrating mechanics behind this particular game mode. Players must constantly be close to the Wii U gamepad in order to plug each of their amiibo’s in when it is their respective turn to do something. Organizing this little function is like a game of hot potatoe or worse an exercise in everyone crowding around on the floor of your home to try and work this mode out. You also have to add on to this the fact that the maps to this game mode are fairly flat and linear, yes, there are different maps for the different amiibo’s but they do not vary much from each other in anyway. Overall, it feels like an exercise in futility to have even included this game mode in the first place (same goes for the amiibo’s in general) and I was supremely upset that this mode wasn’t as enjoyable as it should have been.

In the end, Mario Party 10 does prove to bring some new features to the table and make use of the new gamepad functionality. It certainly helps you become an evil mastermind while you take control of residential party pooper, Bowser. However, I do wish that if you’re going to bring back the classic Mario Party format, you definitely shouldn’t ruin it by adding the amiibos and making players crowd around the gamepad. It really detracts from the enjoyment. While there definitely are some shining moments for this game, there just isn’t enough to make you race to the store to pick it up.

Good:

- Five player Bowser game mode

- Wonderful maps and a few new minigame types to play along with the classics

Bad:

- Amiibo mode is a disappointment

- Where are all the minigames? And why am I not playing them more?

Scully Rating: 6.0 out of 10

Super Smash Bros. Wii U

By: Robert Murphy

As it is with any Nintendo made game, it always holds a special memory for me whenever I get to play a new version of an old favorite and with Super Smash Bros. Wii U, there are more than a few memories to relive. Yes, the intense beat'em up game that pits classic characters against one another has returned to ruin all of your friendship all over again but this time you will be able to take on even more people and cause far more chaos. The introduction of 8 player fighting, brand new characters and fresh faces for players favorite choices to pummel their buddies have all been added to this latest addition to the games rich history. If you thought things were tough before then you're in for a real challenge this time around, who will be the ultimate Smash player in your group of friends? Well, let's dig into the details to help you find out.

Everybody who has ever played Smash Bros., undoubtedly has that one character that they're the best at using, that one character that can complete destroy everything when you use him (Captain Falcon for me). But, what is great about the game is that no matter what you play as you can always choose another character from the games roster and have just as much fun with it. Players will happily see the return of Mario, Fox, Link, Pikachu and plenty others and that's one of the reasons the entire experience with the game is so much fun, the nostalgia feel for all those years, bright eyed and controllers locked into our hands playing the old 8 bit classics. This time around, nostalgia will play an even larger role because of the way some of the characters special moves are handled and even down to the way the characters behave on screen too. Mega Man, one of our new additions for example calls upon all his iterations throughout the years when activating his special to blast away everything that stands in the way of his blast. And in the terms of aesthetically pleasing features, Link for example has fine definition presented, right down to the triforce on his shield, showing just how far he's come in all these years.

As for the combat itself, it's all incredibly pleasing to watch, players can move beautifully across the screen, delivering punches and signature attacks against one another. New items make their way into the action as well, the POW block and a flame wheel sword from Mario add into the destruction brought down on your opponents. Add alongside this a variety of old and new maps to bring back memories and incorporate the new look and features that Nintendo has made over the years. Classic Final Destination maps and Hyrule Temple all make a return and new maps such as the Mario Circuit which adds a trippy 3D effect to your brawling experience.  

For myself, a special treat arose once I learned that players won't be losing their ability to use GameCube style controllers with this new Wii U system. Many players can probably testify that using the GameCube controller for Smash Bros. Brawl was the way to go, myself included, but with the new console it seemed like something that would be lost. However, with the use of an adapter, GameCube style controllers can be used to beat the snot out of your opponents once again. The Wii U gamepad also brings with it it's own charms though to battling it out with your friends, I found the screen built into the gamepad a welcomed addition to my combat style alongside my love for the old school GameCube controllers. So whichever way you choose to go about it, there really is no bad way to go about playing Smash Bros. Wii U.

Alongside these many wonderful features, new game modes make for some devilish game types to try out with other players. Event mode for example will be the game type that takes you further through the roster list and play as character that you may not have known how powerful they can be. The mode usually lets you play as any number of characters to learn their moves as you fight through a short made up scenario. Classic, All Star and Special Orders modes are also present and allow for players to unlock hidden trophies for the game. Special Orders takes advantage of the new smash coin system where you earn coins during battles and then use them to play in a special event for a trophy or other items. 

Finally, perhaps the most unique of the games new features is the amiibo, you've scene those Pixar and Disney toy figure games well now Nintendo has their own figures to add to their games as well. Despite my slightly sarcastic tone, amiibo's are kind of an interesting aspect to the game. This independently purchased item for the game allows you to buy a figurine sized version of a game character who will fight against you like a normal A.I. bot but will learn and increase in level through a few hours of gameplay. The fun arrives when you unleash the demon creature on your friends and sitting back to watch your creation in action. The bot is of course out of your control for the most part and may not have your best intentions in mind while it plays but it is an interesting feature for Smash Bros. to have taken this time around.  

In the end, Super Smash Bros. Wii U does it's predecessors proud by not only adding new characters, maps, items and fresh new faces for our old favorites but also adding that oh so sweet nostalgia feel to it's gameplay. Classic characters return to the game as well as many new features to attract those of you who don't know all the ins and outs of the older generation. Eight player fighting also adds pure chaos to an already chaos fueled game and new game modes allow for some creative matches to be tried out with you and your friends. There is just an incredible amount of features to be played with that you will be hooked from the very moment you put the game in.  

Good:

- Eight player brawls

- New characters, items, maps and more

- Smooth new look for returning characters and other classic icons from the games past

- The variety of game modes and game alterations to fool around with

Bad:

- The amiibo will be a hit or miss item for players

Scully Rating: 9.5  out of 10 

In the News: Assassin's Creed 4!?!?!?

Written By: Sean Dibble

Well guys and gals Ubisoft has just announced that Assassins Creed 4 : Black Flag is a go. The game will be released on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and the Wii U with no inclination of its release on the PS4, but with that being released this year we can only assume that this game will be released on that system as well. The game will be based upon a pirate theme and if any of you are like me when enjoying the naval battles of Assassins Creed 3 asking “why didn't they make this a bigger part of the game?” well I believe they had this game already in mind. What is interesting though is that because the games usually take place during famous eras and because its pirate based that would mean sometime between 1500's to the 1700's, but Assassins Creed 3 took place in the late 1700's during the American Revolution. So this may be a first for the franchise instead of moving forward in time they may be going backward or even possibly overlapping. The overlapping theory comes from the Examiner who believes that the games main character will be Edward Kenway and yes that name should sound somewhat familiar being because he is the grandfather to Connor Kenway the main character to AC3.  Another thing that will make most players very happy is that they are not creating the many spin-offs to AC3 and jumping straight to the next part of the series.  But that is all we know so far hope to hear more very soon according to Ubisoft they will be releasing more info about the game Monday but we can only hope.