4 10 - Tuesday, November 27, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom I Time to reorient yourself The Nintendo Wii's flagship experience By C Iris aclerig DnilyN Miusic Editor There was a time before the release of Nintendo's Wii that the console was known simply as "Revolu- Super Mario tion" A fitting title for Galaxy the interactive control- ler setup, early results Wii returned a rather mun- Nintendo dane response. The vari- ous games created for the contraption were muddled by confus- ing, awkward controls, and the Wii was looking less like a revolution and more like another failed experiment by a recently disappointing company. But like nature, Nintendo found a way. The system's greatest strength proved to be Nintendo's in-house releases, be it the ability to download old classics on its Virtual Console or Nintendo's own inno- vations. "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" was the first inclination that the system had what it takes to pull its weight. With focused attention on the controls, the game remedied many of the issues with prior games. So with the system finally finding its stride and the company rein- vigorating its name, it was time for Nin- tendo to do what Nintendo does: release the complement Super Mario game to its new system. The result, "Super Mario Galaxy," the famed franchise's latest addition, is unquestionably the best game on the Wii and one of the best games I've ever played. It's all there: a gorgeous, functional envi- A LONG TIME AGO, IN A 'GALAXY' FAR, a game of intergalactic "Pong." FAR AWAY: "Super Mario Galaxy's" envi- ronment is entirely different from the DANCING WITH THE STARS: Watching one in previous Mario games. The game someone play "Super Mario Galaxy" is a revolves around a floating space station bit like chaperoning a middle school dance that appears from a distance to be a psy- and watching the kids' stilted moves. Con- chedelic carousel hovering aimlessly in trolling Mario is simple: use the joystick real complaint to file against "Galaxy" is her - an innocuous, outmoded plot, but it space. But the structure stands as the por- on the nunchuck to control his movements its playing length. Any moderate gamer once again feels reinvented. tal to galaxies near and far. As Mario col- while attacking with a shake of your other can beat the game in one long night of lects scattered stars, giving the station the hand. But using the Wiimote, the player play. Its replay value is remarkably high, THE NINTENDO REVOLUTION?: So is power to launch him further into space, controls a star-shaped pointer that collects though, since more is revealed after the "Super Mario Galaxy"truly a revolution in new galaxies are unlocked for exploration "star bits" used for picking off too-feisty game's completion and through further gaming? It was widely rumored tobe one, and said star searching - remarkably sim- enemies. Mastering the game's controls' playing. but the game's lasting effect remains to ilar to the castle/paintings system estab- lies in the fact that it uses the Wii's unique be seen. It employs aspects of interactive lished in "Super Mario 64." system but does not wholly rely on it. But GET THAT PRINCESS SOME TAE BO environments and controls not yet intro- the various arm movements are only half LESSONS: Seriously. The storyline of duced in other gaming, buthow thatmight HE'S GOT THAT MAGNETIC PERSON- the fun. The rest lies in watching players "Galaxy" revolves around the conniving affect future games is unclear. What's ALITY: Possibly the most interesting and tilt and turn their heads, trying to correct Bowser once again abducting helpless known, though, is that "Super Mario Gal- innovative function of"Galaxy" is the way the disorienting camera angles as Mario Princess Peach - typical Mario fodder. axy" is undeniably an incredible game that gravityfunctionsinit.Most3D platformers traverses around the small planets. And yet it would be wrong to have the will be difficult to top and stands as the 4 U walk upside down on small objects floating in space (implying a horrible, plummet- IS BIGGER ACTUALLY BETTER?: The only game designed any other way. Mario has his damsel and will stop at nothing to save greatest Mario game in an epic franchise of invention. PASSMAN From page 9 where he trains and his father's pub in England, is more interested in playing darts and putting away pints than talking about how awe- some he is. "24/7" does an excellent job of developingthese "charac- ters," and it's the reason why I shelled out for the pay-per-view last May and will doit again on Dec. 8. And that's precisely what makes "24/7" problematic. In case you haven't figured it out yet, the show is an elaborate infomercial: This thing is made to sell a pay-per-view special. There's a reason "24/7" only exists in the weeks running up to HBO's biggest pay-per-view events, and it's because it's one of the most extensive promotional vehicles ever unleashed on televi- sion. Yet I don't really mind what HBO is doing, and this is coming from someone who once wrote a column about how "The Office" was being overrun with product placement - somethingcreator Greg Daniels has since ended. Per- haps I'm forgiving HBO because it isn't badgering viewers with ads for the pay-per-view, but it's not exactly hiding it either. "24/7" maybe an elaborate tool to sell me something I definitely don't need, butit's also one of the best half-hours of TV right now, regardless of whatlabel you put on it. And sure, maybe I've been brainwashed into spending waytoo much money on one fightcthat was a dud and another thatvery well may be, but if $55 is the price of admis- sion for "24/7" and a potentially good fight, I'll gladly oblige. I just hope the "24/7" franchise doesn't branch out to any more pay-per-view events. My bankroll can't handle "Shaquille O'Neal's Celebrity Birthday Roast - Part Deux." - Passman is looking to make a move to amateur boxing. E-mail him at mpass@umich. edu to show your support. 4 ( Ht0RIN 512 E. William (734) 663-3379 WEEKDAY HAPPY HOUR at bar only 0 MONAYFDY n z :0P -:0P 4 a 5 0O 0 A