02-08-2013, 07:26 PM
(02-07-2013, 10:26 AM)Kriven Wrote: In the past when Bowser was angry, you could see it. He would twitch and slouch and try with all his might to kill you. It actually felt like you were being threatened by the fearsome Koopa King. Now it's more like just going through the motions. Instead of showing the tension it's just more like "Okay, Bowser's angry now, guys." And then you battle Bowser, but there doesn't seem to be any real risk. Win or lose is all the same. Just a game. A very different impression from having battled him in Super Mario 64, where it seemed much more like you were fighting for your life.
As much as I enjoy pointing out how much better the older Mario games are in design, music, game play and well, everything I'm afraid this just isn't the case when looking at your complaint.
It's seems to me to be a much more awful issue: You're growing up. That's it really. As a kid, man I crapped myself every time I got to Bowser in SMB (doubly so if I wasn't Super) but play it now - and it's no big deal, it's just a game. A very very good game. But alas just a game. It takes a lot more for a game to give that sense of wonder to an older person than a kid.
In Galaxy when the boss went berserk the first time I was a bit more careful but I didn't fear it.
When my nephew played it and the boss went berserk - he feared the boss. It was nice to see the magic.
Don't get me wrong, there is a LOT wrong with NSMB (I thought Galaxy was good, haters be damned and 3D Land was Ok) but you also have to remember - we aren't the target audience. And as much as it was nice that SMB 3 was hard enough for the older gamer, was it really for the best? Maybe NSMB being as easy as breathing is better for kids? As they actually get to see most of the game?
Kirby's Epic Yarn and Wario Land Shake Dimension are good examples of how a game can be easy (minus the challenges on Wario) but also fun for an older gamer. I would love for a Mario game to pick up where SMW 2 left off in terms of excellence and be challenging - but I don't think that's the way Nintendo is going. It's no longer making 'kiddy' Mario games, it's making Mario games for kids.