New Super Mario Bros. Wii & Sonic Generations, two critically acclaimed games that were unanimously
praised by the fans, but only one captured the proper vibe of their respective franchises' roots.
Let's find out which is the victor in an epic Cygnus Destroyer Vs. Battle!
Released on November 15th, 2009, New Super Mario Bros. Wii follows in the path established
by its 3DS predecessor, but utilizes the advanced hardware to elevate it to a whole new level.
The story kicks off with Princess Peach's birthday party being rudely interrupted by
a few unwanted guests a.k.a. Bowser Junior & the Koopa kids.
The evil fiends cake-nap the princess & the band of brave heroes pursue their fleeing
airship as the scene transitions to the standard overworld map.
In keeping with the tradition of the series, there are eight worlds in total, broken down
into sub-sections with two boss fights & a variety of bonus games strung in between.
As with the majority of the previous entries, New Super Mario Bros. Wii features a co-op
mode, but it ups the ante from the earlier installments by ditching the obsolete take
turns style in favor of four player simultaneous sidescrolling action!
I unfortunately can't vouch for how the co-op is since I don't have that many Wii-motes
or people to play with, but it looks like a fun chaotic mess & I applaud Nintendo for
their forward innovation.
Whether taking the journey solo or with a group of friends, New Super Mario Bros. Wii
offers an exciting mix of fresh & familiar ingredients that will be instantly accessible
for veterans & rookies alike.
The titular characters have to progress through a wide array of stages, covering terrain ranging
from the bright & vibrant Mushroom Kingdom to the cold confines of the spooky Boo castles
and they're assisted in their quest by the Toads, who provide a number of helpful items
such as extra lives & power ups.
The power-ups include the typical size-boost mushrooms & fire flowers from the 8 & 16 bit
era, but New Super Mario Bros. Wii tosses in some original ideas that cleverly twist
the classic formula, such as the Ice Flower & Penguin suit, the mini mushroom & the motion
control enabled Propeller hat.
Yes, New Super Mario Bros. Wii takes advantage of the system's trademark mechanic and some
people are understandably going to be turned off by that, but I think it's a great addition.
The Wii-mote flicks excellently enhance the performance of certain key tasks, but they're
mostly optional, so anyone who prefers the simple control scheme of the past will find
plenty to enjoy with this seventh generation gem.
In a fitting nod to its influences, New Super Mario Bros. Wii maps most of its necessary
functions to the 1 & 2 buttons in a manner reminiscent of the NES & anyone who grew up
with the groundbreaking titles that established the plumber as a gaming icon should have no
problem getting acclimated to them.
I was personally able to blaze my way through this in two very enjoyable evenings, & while
I died a lot over the course of my recording sessions, they were all attributed to a combination
of my own mistakes & the surprisingly severe difficulty.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii definitely retained that old school challenge & I encountered
quite a few moments of genuine blood-boiling frustration, but this nostalgic trip is well
worth taking in spite of those occasional bumps in the road for all of the exquisite
little details.
From the rhythmically dancing enemies to the reinterpretations of quintessential tunes,
Nintendo did a fantastic job of celebrating their roots & this is one retro throwback not to miss.
Released on November 1st, 2011, Sonic Generations marked the twentieth anniversary of Sega's
mascot in a truly spectacular fashion.
The Blue Blur joins forces with his younger self in order to reverse the damage done by
the Time Eater.
This malevolent entity is introduced in the opening cinematic & it subsequently devours
Green Hill Zone & the rest of the legendary terrain, leaving nothing but a vast white
void in the aftermath.
This void serves as a central hub for all of the activities to follow & it houses a
sequence of stages ripped straight out of Sonic's back-catalog.
Each of these are broken down into two acts as usual, but Generations brilliantly deviates
from the expected by splitting them between the two iterations of the protagonist, with
the first sticking to the classic 2D format & the second focusing on the modern.
This concept had the potential to be catastrophic in the wrong hands, but Sega executed it masterfully.
I absolutely adored seeing modern Sonic traverse through the levels of my youth & vice versa
and I especially appreciated the acknowledgment of '06 & Crisis City.
'06s negative reputation is infamous at this point & most companies would pretend
that such a massive stain on their track record didn't exist, but not Sega, and for that
they've earned my eternal respect.
Regardless of your opinion about '06, the fact that the developers left no stone unturned
in their career spanning passion project is beyond admirable & their fine-tuned attention
to detail resulted in a top notch title that's guaranteed to please a wide ranging audience.
To put it another way, Generations is the gaming equivalent of a greatest hits record.
The iconic set-pieces that put the sidescrolling superstar on the map are stunningly recreated
in all their glory, ensuring that Sonic enthusiasts will be overwhelmed by a warm fuzzy sensation
upon loading the disc.
From the reappearance of Blaze & Silver to the airborne combo Adventure pose, there's
something here for everyone to enjoy & Sega did an extraordinary job of commemorating
their legacy.
The controls are tight, the action is fast paced & I had a blast dishing out homing attacks,
spin dashes & boosting through the familiar settings.
The voice-over cast consisted of most of the actors that still perform these roles to this
day & they were a treat to my ears after the audio onslaught from the latest IUPG.
The music is similarly stellar & features an energetic blend of chiptunes, rock & orchestral
arrangements that perfectly match each of the Blue Blur's iterations & enhance this
chronological feast for the senses.
There are easter egg references as far as the eye can see & the supporting cast, including
fairly obscure characters such as Cream, are given their moment in the spotlight.
The bosses, with the exception of the Time Eater itself, are again recycled from earlier
titles, but they're implemented in a different manner that makes them feel fresh.
The story only took me around six hours to finish & the Super Sonic conclusion was admittedly
a bit anti-climactic, but the pay-off more than made up for the relatively short length.
I mean, two Eggmen arguing with each other & questioning their purpose in life...
That's just priceless!
Sonic Generations may not be most original entry in the long-standing series & I honestly
wish it had taken after '06 in regards to replay value, but all in all it's a huge success.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii also relies heavily on the formula established by its predecessors,
but it expands upon it & broadens the scope of the franchise in the process.
They both offer phenomenal presentations and feature controls that are smooth as silk.
They're each excellent representations of their respective source material & newcomers
will have an equally fulfilling experience no matter which they choose.
With that said, though, I'm debating over which did the better job of celebrating their
roots, and as amazing as these both are, I think the clear cut winner in this battle of the titans is...
Sonic Generations.
Call me a Sega fanboy if you want, but it's tough to argue against Sonic Team making the
superior effort in acknowledging their roots because that's what Generations is all about.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii shows its influences on its sleeves, but it also brings enough
of its own material to the table to make it stand as the next step in the progression
of the 2D Mario universe.
Sonic Generations, on the other hand, feels more like the culmination of everything that
came before, and while it's possible to get enjoyment from it without having played
the titles that preceded it, the overall experience is greatly enhanced if you have & I personally
had a blast reliving some of my cherished childhood memories thanks to it.
Anyway, now that I've declared a victor, let me know which one you prefer & why in
the comments below.
Also, could you please do me a favor & check out some awesome retro gaming YouTubers that
have been affected by the new monetization policy?
They all make quality content & deserve far more recognition than they have, so I'm
hoping to help them get it.
In the meantime, be sure to come back for the long awaited return of the LJN Defender,
but until then, this is Matt a.k.a. Cygnus Destroyer signing out!
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