Preview: Super Mario Galaxy (Page 3 of 3)
Slash the cursor by a trio of bells and they move and ring. Hover the cursor over an enemy creature and it will pin the monster in place. Spin the cursor around Mario and he will spin in-game, blocking and reflecting attacks. Pass the cursor over items close to him and they'll pull to his form as he's passing by.
The cursor is more than a way of controlling Mario or interacting with the game -- it is a helping hand, allowing you to reach into the game world and clear his path while directly guiding the squat plumber at the same time.
It might sound a bit cumbersome, but in reality it's an incredibly easy control scheme to master, and it opens up brand-new mechanical possibilities. You can have Mario leap into a tree (he retains all his classic moves), then use the cursor to pull the tree back and slingshot him clear across planetoids. You can use the cursor to encase Mario in bubbles void of gravity and steer him through space with the help of hovering star markers. You can do any number of things -- and don't forget, we've only been able to glimpse the surface of the game's potential. There's no telling what the final version will incorporate.
Parting Thoughts
For a game that doesn't even have a release date other than "sometime in 2007," Super Mario Galaxy is already turning heads. While it certainly won't be out soon enough to be a system-seller, it nevertheless promises to be one of the Wii's must-have games next year. That Nintendo is taking its time releasing the game is somewhat positive -- as much as we may want to play Galaxy, at least we know that once it is released, it will have been well worth the wait.
ALERT: IKEA has infiltrated Japan!
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