MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Super Mario Bros. Dimensions, by LangtonLion64
Review Author	Syaxamaphone
Created	Mar 18 2015, 7:05 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

After getting the boot by Mario, Bowser stumbles on a surprisingly dangerous artifact that lets him switch between his own dimension and a very similar yellowy-orange dimension. Bowser uses his newfound power to do what he usually does, but this time with a dimension-switching mechanic.

On the outside the game looks like a recipe for disaster. I'll be honest, when I see a game with the word 'dimensions' in it, I get a little nervous. You can immediately see the contrast between the official Mario graphics and the developer's custom art. The backgrounds are bland and some of the color choices are questionable to say the least (I'm not a fan of the yellow/orange dimension).

Luckily, looks aren't everything because if you give this game a chance, you'll quickly see that a lot of thought was put into the dimension changing mechanic. You basically can press your designated dimension-switching button and Mario will jump between the regular level and a similarly constructed alternate level. Using this mechanic you can find easier ways past enemies, collect star coins and bypass other obstacles and hazards. Luckily, guides were implemented that do not allow you to switch into blocks or over pits and you're givin mercy invincibility so you don't immediately die to an enemy.

With a total of six star coins per level and recordable statistics, you may find yourself wanting to go through this game more than once.

tl;dr version: Looks bad, plays great - I recommend this.

Pros	+Good level design +Interesting dimension-changing mechanic +Lots of secrets to uncover
Cons	-No way to resize screen while maintaining aspect ratio -No game pad support -Poorly made sprites mixed with official Mario graphics.

Impressions

Gameplay 8 / 10	It certainly plays like Mario. While not a perfect reproduction of any official Mario engine I'm familiar with, it still feels enough like Mario to be familiar. The dimension-switching mechanic is well executed and star coins are cleverly placed. It adds an extra layer of puzzle solving without breaking the signature Mario gameplay style.
Graphics 3 / 10	I can't say I'm a huge fan of the graphics. While the SMB3 graphics look fine, the custom graphics used to fill in the gaps just don't mesh well. A few poor color choices (like the orange spikes on orange background in the mini game) are off putting. Unfortunately I can't say that this is a very good game to look at.
Sound 10 / 10	<Did not have access to sound at time of reviewing>
Replay 7 / 10	I didn't get super far but it looks like there's a lot to keep players coming back with a total of six star coins per level. Collecting them all might get stale after a while but recorded stats might make the venture more worthwhile.

Final Words

I was delightfully surprised to see that underneath the poor art decisions and somewhat generic title "dimensions", was a commendable Mario platformer with a very well thought out mechanic.

Report This Submission

Comments

	RaymanFan1995 Mar 19 2015, 6:28 PM
1) If by "backgrounds are bland" you mean "backgrounds are only a solid color with a few clouds here and there", the game is trying to emulate the NES era; before detailed backgrounds existed (in the Mario universe, anyway). As far as the choice of colors go...yeah, I can see why you'd say that. 2) Even if a game doesn't have game pad support, there are still ways to play any PC game with any USB game pad. I use JoyToKey, which is a program used to emulate keyboard keys using the game pad's buttons (for example, in this game's case, the arrow keys can be mapped to the D-Pad, the Shift key can be mapped to the X button, and the Ctrl key can be mapped to the Square Button if you're using a PS3 controller). PM me if you want more detailed instructions (this goes for anyone who's interested). 3) As for not having access to sound, did you make sure the .OGG files are in their proper place? You cannot move files around to other directories; otherwise, the game will not load them. Aside from these notes, this is a very well thought-out review with fair critiques. There are some things here and there I don't fully agree with, but I'm a man who can respect opinions.


	Syaxamaphone Mar 19 2015, 7:05 PM
Quote (Somari64 on Mar 19 2015, 6:28 PM) 3) As for not having access to sound, did you make sure the .OGG files are in their proper place? You cannot move files around to other directories; otherwise, the game will not load them. I usually play these in places where I can't have my sound on. That's why I never include sound in my reviews.


	fahyda Apr 8 2015, 9:49 AM
2) Even if a game doesn't have game pad support, there are still ways to play any PC game with any USB game pad. I use JoyToKey, which is a program used to emulate keyboard keys using the game pad's buttons (for example, in this game's case, the arrow keys can be mapped to the D-Pad, the Shift key can be mapped to the X button, and the Ctrl key can be mapped to the Square Button if you're using a PS3 controller). PM me if you want more detailed instructions (this goes for anyone who's interested). Some people don't like having to get 3rd party software because it just doesn't feel right. Take somecallmejhoney (think I spelt something wrong) for example. He likes to have the support in the game.

Pages: (1) 1 | Last Unread