Mario Galaxy Review: “The Worst Two-Player Experience”

If sony was sponsering that, he probrubley only did that because sony payed him. This is unstandable.

Lol, sorry but do you have any understanding how advertisements work? A place like Variety has an ad sales team and editorial team (review staff). They work independently because of conflicts of interest. It's called hilarious irony when stuff like this happens, not Sony buying out reviews... *sigh* To your credit, the attacks on the graphics were baseless as you really need to compare with what looks good on each system, not cross pollinate.

From what I see, he mainly fussed about the petty issues rather than the game itself. IMO, co-op play and the console's controler shouldn't be rated. Oh no, a different controler! Now we'll have to try something new! Apparently, this guy has little hands-on time with the Wiimote. As for co-op, get over your Halo fanboy-ism and try a game NOT built around online play.

Ben is such a retard, this game is awsome, and there is no way to mock it.

*grabs toruch and burns PS3* RACHET AND CLANK IS THE ONLY GOOD GAME ON THE PS3 RIGHT NOW SO BE QUIET!

Finally, a honest and unbiased review of a rather mediocre game w/ poor graphics.Let's face it, only Nintendo seems to be capable of producing decent gameplay with Wii's controller and that's what we have with Super Mario Galaxy as well.. decent gameplay, but nothing to write home about.

Pontus, look, stop beign Glib XD Not I not going to be Tom Cruise on you but still you aren't looking at the facts. HE BARELY GETST TO IT! He mocks the Wii overall rather then looking at the Game as a whole. It's comparing to the PS3. It's even sponserede by the copycats at Sony *burns PS3 even more*. AND THAT'S THE ISSUE! It's sponsered by Sony because it's marketing sony because it's mocking Nintendo. GET THE FACTS PEOPLE!

Well, I think I know which news article you said was recently 'Dugg'... lol.

lol, true, pelord i wonder when the fourms are going to be back up....

You're all welcome to your own opinion of my review, but for the record "is the worse experience" is not a quote from my review. I assume what you MEANT to quote was "one of the worst two-player experiences ever seen in a videogame." Also, just for the record. I called the game "astoundingly original" and "brilliant." And I have absolutely nothing to do with the ads that are sold or where they are placed.

I love that some of these commenters are willing to murder the reviewer because he gave a bad review.  I have the game.  It's good fun, but it really is far from perfect.  Sure, every time I play it I cannot put the controller down for hours, but it does not mean the game is immaculate.  The camera does not mix well with the controls at some points, and while it isn't a game halting flaw, it is rather annoying.  Of course the graphics are not as good as the other systems (duhh), and if you want a visual experience, you will be impressed but not amazed.  And the coop is actually pretty bland.  Everyone who has tried it in my apartment has chosen to rather watch than help me jump higher.Its actually one of the more unbiased reviews I have read so far.  Just because it is Mario, doesn't mean it is perfection.

You know what? Sony can go fuck itself. Seriously. They wouldn't know gaming if it hit them on the side of their heads. Theyre like..failures. Idiots

Regardless of whether Sony explicitly paid this guy off, Sony has just been digging it's self a ditch recently, and by recently I mean the past 2 years consistently. My own personal views of Sony aside, the company has been a concentrated PR disaster this generation. It's like they want to lose.

Seriously, the review was not as bias as you made it out to be. It praises Mario to be innovative throughout the article. It's true the Wii is not the best console to work on, there's a reason why there're so little quality 3rd party games for the Wii. Hell the top 10 nintendo Wii games are all Mario related. Story really isn't Mario's strong suit. Have kidnapped princess saved by fat plumber suddenly became the greatest story of all time because its on a Wii? Nope. So no one really need to elaborate on that same story for each game. And seriously, Mario IS an Italian Stereotype. Saying reviewers shouldn't compare Wii to the other 2 consoles are absolutely stupid. They're in the same market, they should be compared with. While nintendo is ahead of the curve with their inventive controls, I'm pretty damn sure Wii owners all wish the graphic of Wii are better. I sure do. Imagine Twilight princess and Mario Galaxy with the same graphics as that displayed with a PS3 or 360. Heck I wish I can just use the Wii classic control more with its dual thumbsticks. I'm saying this and I'm a fan of nintendo.

@ EmperorChow Thank you, that was an objective opinion, I admit that you have very valid points, heck why don't we get guys like you to write video game reviews? But, to your disadvantage to say that the review wasn't as bias as I made it out to be sir... well I doubt many people will agree with you on that one, I sure don't.

10,000,000 pissed off 16-year-old gamers who toss around terms like "journalistic integrity" as if they knew what it meant, responding to a post where the original author apparently isn't aware of the existence of the word "biased". So awesome. So... leet.

I'll have you know I've forwarded your review to the important people on the internets who reside in the important places on the internets, I'll have you know, because we understand that a sponsorship logo on a page means that the writer works DIRECTLY for that sponsor, so we know, Ben Fritz, you work for Sony, Audi and Pinecone Research (don't deny it!!!), and that your attack on Super Mario Galaxy was baseless when you said, " “Super Mario Galaxy” is proof positive that Nintendo still has some of the best videogame development talent in the industry..." and has nothing to do with our reading comprehension whatsoever and if we see you on the street, we'll beat you to a pulp over a videogame when people are starving in the streets because THIS IS SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT!!!!!!    Watch your back, Fritzy.

a lot of hate in here =x

None of you people have even a remote understanding of the editorial separation that occurs in a publication like Variety. What is more likely: that part of the site carries sponsorship that's unrelated to the reviews process, or that Variety would tarnish its reputation and trustworthiness by accepting money to influence the content of reviews? Please use your brain and refrain from accusing me, too, of being on Sony's payroll.

You know what your problem is Sony? You just can't accept that it's a good game. You can't accept the fact that people love this more than your war-killing games. "Oh yes, war and death is way more fun, woo!" Fuck you. Take your piece of fucking fail and shove it up your tight fucking ass. You don't know games, so quit while you still can and just stop. Everyone's sick of your useless remarks, noone cares. So just STFU. Your useless, stupid, and lame. Oh, BTW, GRAPHICS DONT MATTER! It's gameplay.

lmao nice bias review dude. HINT: when your writing a review you dont compare the games graphics or gameplay to other games on other consoles. Nice try dude but you fail.

This sounds like the people whining after some site didnt give Zelda TP a high enough score to satisfy them.

Xanthic_Schistosome Says: Well, as ironic a coincidence as it was, he sites the PS3 at least twice in his review; and at the end gives extreme reference to… Ratchet and Clank?  Why not Bioshock, or some other LESS conspicuous title? ----------------------------------------- Maybe because Ratchet and Clank is a platformer like Galaxy, while Bioshock is and Adventure/RPG title. You honestly couldn't have figured that out yourself?

Well, I'm buying the game.  Nice try, Sony.

I agree with V13. Maybe he just didn't like the game. Not everyone likes Mario games. I haven't liked any of them since it went 3D.

a lot of the same points are made in pro-nintendo reviews. yeah, this guy takes it a little farther, but you kind of overhype it and misreprepresenting his spelling/grammar.

stop deleting posts you do not agree with I'm sorry but if you really read the review it is clear he likes the game and many of its new concepts  "Super Mario Galaxyâ is proof positive that Nintendo still has some of the best videogame development talent in the industry"  "features the most astoundingly original levels of the year, enhanced by gravity tricks never before seen in videogames"  "causing the camera to flip, they may feel motion sickness. But once they get used to it, they’ll find it enables some amazing tricks."  "But the best ones take full advantage of the games fantastic physics"  You could have red lined these quotes to make the point that he likes the game.  and in all fairness the story is not a big thing in any of the supper mario titles and possibly it is the worst TWO user experience ever and more a gimmick the a real 2 player game.  last but not least you miss quotes him in more than only the title of your article you say: "while at the same time declaring Ratchet and Clank for the PS3 "vastly superior" " while in the review it says: "given the vastly superior quality of the graphics in a game like Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction"  he doesn't like the  wii graphics that's it. And any one knows that the wii graphics are not the strong point of the wii and that the xbox360 and ps3 are vastly superior in this department. the only thing you can say is that he could not compare, that's it.  and indeed while the wii remote brings a lot of new possibility's in lacks some standard possibility's like camera control etc. I didn't mind this to much in zelda, because with some tricks you can control the camera, but it is his opinion, that he doesn't like this. Nothing wrong with that  your article is little more than a way to get more traffic to your site and to set a fellow reviewer in a bad spot lite. ultimately it is you how writes a biased article and you miss quotes  Fritz Benjamin to make your point of a far fetched conspiracy theory come true.  I truly think you should be a shamed, because this is little more than a character murder.  

这真是够鸡巴的

Super Mario Galaxy is awsome! Sony... i dont even know what to say

That's why I only trust Famitsu's rating and review.  By far, they are the least biased magazine that I have ever read.  Also, they have been reviewing games since the Atari era, so they know what they are talking about.

It's a great game and if any ill-informed people refrain from buying the game due to this review, it's a crime.  Fritz, you're a taint on the gaming industry.

My main issue with the review is the half-hearted comparison to Ratchet and Clank.  He comares the graphics, but not the rest of the game. Ratchet and Clank is indeed a visual spectacle, but to me, the rest of the game feels incomplete. The plot is so under developed that they had to stoop to a cliffhanger ending to make it seem interesting.  The levels have become increasingly linear and in doing so lost much of what made the early Ratchet and Clank games great. Finally, the game play brings nothing new; I could have just popped in Going Commando and had the same game play experience. But my follow up issue is that anytime some one wants to bash a Wii game they go after graphics and controls.  Either no analog stick is used and the controls are "too gimmicky," or the nunchuck is used and the game "doesn't make good use of the motion controls."  If I remember correctly, the reason for having a modular controller was so that you could specialize the control scheme for particular types of games, play different games different ways, and have only the controls you needed for a particular game. Furthermore, people like to slam Nintendo for being "gimmicky" while quietly ignoring Sony's infractions in that area.  I can't be the only one who found Ape Escape (the first game to require the Dual Shock) awkward to play and lacking in substance. And the use of the Sixaxis in Ratchet and Clank didn't add anything to the game, it's like Sony came to Insomniac and said "The game's looking good guys, but can you use the Sixaxis a little bit?  Oh, and we need it out before the holidays, don't worry if the game is lacking, as long as the graphics are good and you use the motion controls."  I think it benefits Nintendo (and the consumer) because they know if they actually do implement something as a gimmick, there's a horde of people just waiting to call them on it. That being said, that the review does make a valid complaint regarding the camera (as does every other review of the game).  Would it be so hard to allow me to center the camera directly behind Mario a la Ocarina of Time? I mean come on.

lol dongs

you guys do realize that the 'sponsored by SONY' is for the site not the specific review right?  If you add "?categoryid=1269&cs=1" to the end of any page on that site it will say 'sponsored by SONY'

I think nothing of this review and any one who does is a dick bitch, I mean dude it's just one guys opinion, jeez get a life you masterbaiting while thinking about nintendo, dick bitches 

I don't understand what all the fuss is about.  Really.  I mean, all those underlined points are either true or/and meaningless.   Wii is not the most powerful system, true, the graphics don't match Xbox 360/PS3, also true.   Also, story in Super Mario -games, come on now, really?  Since when? This whole thing is just Nintendo fanbois crying over completely meaningless things.  Yeah, there actually are people who might have a differing opinion, get over it. And yeah, I've been thinking of getting a Wii just for Super Mario Galaxy.  Since Mario -games have always been about gameplay.

my god you guys need to get a life jezus why do you even care about one guys opinion on some game thats right.... you do know it's just a game....right? don't think i'm just siding with sony, i've got a Wii, DS, ps2 and in the long run who give a shit I mean they are just trying to make a living by making you waste time in front of the tv, give them a break. If you are truly upset about this review there is a fantastic site called http://www.dntbdikbitches.getalife (I think jack hill and john hill are the same guy so if you read this, "nice touch" lol

Note to self:  ignore all articles on nsidernews.com, as they are written and responded to by foolish, foolish people. I thought Nintendo fanboys were happy, dew-faced scions of innocence, dreaming about rescuing Peach for the 100+200+400+800+1600+1UP! time.  This site is populated with Bowsers.

EJ, I’m going to post this again… and ask for a response this time since you seem to be making this intensely personal.   Why?  A lot of us would like to know.  Why has this become a personal vendetta for you?   And also… did you read the article?  Here’s a direct quote, " This post goes out to my boy Ben Fritz from Variety. He caught flack on Monday for panning Super Mario Galaxy in his review saying the game “looks old fashioned and lifeless” when compared to PS3 graphics. Aside from dismissing the fact that Nintendo has long since marginalized the importance of HD graphics, I don’t think Ben was following my guide to playing Super Mario Galaxy in a post-HD world:"  Do you notice, the tips come from the creator of the article, not Ben?  He’s sending the tips TO Ben.   "…I don’t think Ben was following MY guide…"  Ben didn’t send the tips, the article’s writer wrote them TO Ben.   What do you think, EJ?

john hill is a dick bitch... catcher

EJ and all the readers who’ve taken one review WAY out of proportion, I applaud the efforts you've made to sensationalize Ben's article and promote the viewership of this website (a little transparent EJ, isn’t it?).  And EJ, special kudos to you for respecting your readers like Tim (ala “Get the fuck out of here Tim!”).  I hope we all “get the heck out of here” and leave this site to dry, this site doesn’t deserve our attention that it’s getting…   And for everyone else, I know the video game community is much smarter than this so let’s act like we are and stop the mob mentality. I get (and value) loyalty, especially to Nintendo.  But to actually think for a minute that an ad on a website constitutes paying off a reviewer is just absurd (thank you EJ for finally changing this post to reflect that).  I guess we should target Paramount/Dreamworks, Universal as well as Adobe if this is the case... It’s almost embarrassing to be a video gamer when I read the comments made on a review like this.  You don’t have to agree with it but at least read it with a semi-objective eye.   Let’s take the emotion out of this and take a step back and look at his review objectively.  Why he would highlight its more positive features by saying SMG has “the most astoundingly original levels of the year, enhanced by gravity tricks never before seen in videogames” and how Nintendo “still has some of the best development talent in the industry.”  For all those who’ve lambasted Ben, are we to take these statements in the same article with a grain of salt also? Sure he does find faults in the game, that’s his job.  And I for one take this criticism of Galaxy as a good thing, a challenge if you will (does that make me a culprit of being paid off by Sony also?).  We need critics like Ben to continue being critical, pushing the boundaries for what a video game can be.  IT’S GOOD BUT IT CAN ALWAYS BE BETTER.  I want to be wow’d by games that push that experience like Donkey Kong Country did or that first moment when you play Wolfenstein (yes I could go back further, but you get the idea).   I’m done.  I look forward to getting this post taken off almost immediately.  And for everyone else, Game On.

Actually now that I think about it more...It's hard to entirely disagree with the guy. I still have to say that it might not have been such a good idea to criticize the graphics. They are some of the best for the console...and unless they expected Nintendo to develop a game for the Xbox I don't really know what they could want. I also don't really think that using the nunchuck for movement in a third person game is all that awkward. However I am willing to accept that motion sensing may seem tacked on, and although I don't own the game, the multiplayer experience at least from what I understand of it doesn't seem to be all that great. However I don't really think SMG is about the multiplayer experience. Overall the review seems to focus more on the negatives...but I'll have to say that it's easy to find something to complian about even in a good game. Perhaps I shouldn't make judgement...on someone else's judgement before experiencing what they are judging, but as of present...well that's all I have to say right now.

Anonymous Says: The funniest part of this is how all of you nintendo fanboy morons think that the random Sony advertisement on the first honest Wii game review ever is somehow a conspiracy. Face it guys, your system sucks, it’s just another gimmick-laden Gamecube update with a 3-year lifespan. By 2009 you’ll all be buying the next crappy Nintendo console just like you all do with those stupid Gameboy systems, and Zelda remakes, and lets not forget Super Mega Metroid  Prime Zero  Hyper Championship edition. When are you idiots going to figure out that Nintendo keeps polishing the SAME turd and selling it to you AGAIN? Hi guys, me here. Disregard that, I suck cocks.

Mario Galaxy sucks, that guy is right... is a kiddy and boring game and I don't care about what the media and a bunch of Nintendo fanboys say, it sucks!

Congratulations mr Fritz on a good job , As you see you just won the Internet with your  review , nice work and Kaz said that the check is in the mail  !

This is seriously a perplexing issue that I think has rumbled throughout the gaming world.  You see this isn't even an issue of fanboyism, but just a witch hunt now... Altering even one word of a title will change the context and message that the author is trying to convey.  This recently occurred with Ben Fritz's review of Super Mario Galaxy.  Fansite N-Sider posted this as a headline, "Is The Worse Experience."  Wow, and from this headline that was misapproriated cries for Ben's blood filled the forums - from Digg to N-Sider many are calling for his blood, and some his credibility.  Ben's job is simple, play games and review them.  He is giving his honest opinion and comparing the game fairly across the board of systems currently available.  It is true that the Wii does lack in power across the current generation, and he voices his opinion.  That's the point, voicing his opinion.  I myself have purchased Mario Galaxy, and I do disagree with some of Ben's criticisms, but that's the beauty of this country and the beauty of art (though Roger Egber argues constantly on the importance of gaming in the art world) we are entitled to our opinions.  Hell, Ben even compliments the game for it's ASTOUNDINGLY ORIGINAL LEVELS.  Hmm... doesn't seem that biased of a review does it now?  After all if he was a Sony drone or Microsoft Lackey, why give any credibility at all to Nintendo's famed plumber? The fact is it's unfair to line up all the hate comments and claiming a witch hunt to this altered headline.  Since then, N-Sider has corrected the the headline citing "The Worse 2-Player Experience."  That is not to say the damage has been set.  Without even reading the actual article, which I do recommend reading, people have chosen to wage war on Ben.  He did say it was the worst experience... but referring to the two player mode that does fail to live up to the fun of actually having a REAL co-op mode.  I'm the biggest Nintendo fan, and I do feel that this is the LEAST innovating mode of this otherwise brilliant game.  In the end of the day though, I choose what to take in.  Just because Ben states that this might not be up to par against the graphical powerhouses of other systems, will that really stop you from buying or enjoying the game?  Does it even make a difference?  When has one review ever dictated the sales of a game? D.O.A. was one of the most beautiful games of it's time when it was realeased on Microsoft's system.  It got sub par reviews all across the board, but did that stop all the fans from buying it?  Better yet, did any of the crucify the critics?  Sure Mario is a symbol of gaming, but at the same time he should not be subjegated to GOD LIKE STATUS.  Mario Sunshine sucked...everyone felt it, and even Miyamoto goes on saying it wasn't as good as he hoped... why no witch hunt there? Let's talk about the sponsored by Sony Ad.  Just because an advertisement of the competitor appears on a review does not make the individual a plant, or employed said corporate evil.  Do you believe Ben actually went out and asked Sony to pay for this advertisement that accompanies his review?  If you answered yes, that is just plain ignorance in your part.  There is a seperate department that handles selling space for ads, and I doubt that Ben dictates that.  EGM, one of the finest publications in gaming (well in my opinion), features a cornocopia of ads from rivaling companies.  Does that mean I am not to trust the review for Pokemon if there is a one page ad for Capcom's MONSTER HUNTER running on the previous page?  People, that's how a lot of these companies make money… Advertisements.  You can't deny them the right to run a business can you? Read his review.  Don't read a headline and base your feelings towards that.  People, let's shed this nerdy god like alleigance to the brands and be civilized.  We are all on the same boat, we just want to have fun playing our games.  I'd rather have differing opinions, it's through these opinions brilliance is birthed.

Actually, If you give bad reviews, companies will pull their ads. Not all of them but a lot. read the article on penny-arcade on the assassin's creed reviews. He mentions about ads. This is old school tactics Nintendo and Sega used to pull off. Comercials attacking each other. All this is, is a commercial for sony and their ratchet and clank game. If the guy gets paid by Sony of course he will stand by it. They do not separate sponsors  info from reviews. If a company threatens to not by ad space, and that company is a big reason why your able to stay a float, many mags/site will do some butt kissing.

Since I can't find a link to e-mail the obviously tech-dumb writer of this page-- let me explain what exactly happened when one nintendo fanboy hit the link to the Super Mario Galaxy review link on Variety.com. They got the a(n) (un)lucky link to a page that managed to have Sony's sponsor link in the top corner. Sony does sponsor Variety in some cases, but this was a complete flaw. If you directly go to the Super Mario Galaxy review from Variety.com's website, it will most likely not have the Sony "sponsor" image in the top right corner, like in this picture, and on that current link. It was a matter of sheer luck that the user who found this found the sponsored by sony image in the corner. In short, the badly-designed website created this page, and allowed it to be re-distributed. The website was built poorly, the review was not sponsored by sony.

Well, it looks like a couple people here don't like fun games.

As a huge Nintendo fanboy who's only console is the Wii I have to say SMG is disappointing in a lot of ways. The two play experience is terrible. I would never sit around and help someone jump. Its silly. The graphics also are a bit clumsy. Many of the environments differ little from SM64 in texture and geometry. Espesially liquid textures with are overly simple and often pixelated. I also dislike the space ship hub. Its just not as interesting and explorable as the Castle. The levels are also far more linear and strict that SM64. Over all its a fun and satisfying game, but its like Windows Vista. Improved, but in the end only mildly better than the previous installment. Makes you feel "We waited 10 years and this is all they came up with?"

I am a huge fan of the mario games, but I didn't enjoy Galaxy at all. The story was uninteresting, and the controls could be irritating at times. The graphics were quite impressive for a wii title, but couldn't make up for the extremely linear levels and either generic or ridiculous locales. Three of my friends have played the game and agree completely.

THAT REVIEW WAS UNBIASED AND GOOD!!!!!! This comment was approved by Sony Corporation.

Mario Galaxy is boring. Wii graphics stinks nigger ass.

hello im new on this forum....