Review: World of Goo

A week ago, World of Goo was released for PC and WiiWare. I will admit that I was just a little bit late to the party. I didn't have any Wii Points handy and I'm not much of a PC gamer. It wasn't until a few days later when a generously-sized demo was released that I paid any attention. 

World of Goo is a physics-based puzzle game by indie developers 2D Boy. 2D Boy is basically a two-man team, which makes this game all the more interesting. They have proved that you don't need the budget and manpower of a small country's military to make an amazing game.

I can probably let you stop reading here with this statement. The PC has Portal, the Xbox 360 has Braid, and now the Wii has World of Goo. 

It's a very simple concept that's executed perfectly and constantly expanded upon so that it never gets stale. You can not be bored while playing World of Goo. Every level introduces some new twist or gameplay element. By the end of the game, it still feels like you've just started playing. When simplified, the basic premise of the game is to build a path from your party of goo balls to a pipe for them to escape through. You must get a specific number of balls from the beginning of the level to the pipe in order to clear it. That description doesn't do the game much justice, though. While that basic mechanic is addictive on its own, what really shines is the unique design of each level. There's always some previously-unseen trick or nuance, such as an explosive goo ball that can demolish walls, or a giant head you need to grind down into a pile of smaller balls to fit into the pipe.

The genius level design is complemented by a very unique atmosphere. The whole game feels like it could have been designed by Tim Burton, with its stylized 2D graphics and truly epic musical score. Every world is ended with a story-advancing cutscene that leaves the player with the feeling that the game is on a much, much larger scale than it actually is. While a sense of humour is certainly prevalent from beginning to end, I couldn't help but get chills whenever I watched certain scenes. 

That's not to say the the game is completely flawless, of course. For instance, there's one level where you have to navigate a giant goo head (like the one pictured above) across a line of goo being supported by balloons. I underestimated the weight of the head and it went plummeting into a pit. When I undid my last move, I saw the head flying across the pit, straight into its destination. I suppose little things like that are to be expected when so many gameplay mechanics are present in a game developed by two people.

I know some people will be put off by the $15 price tag (just like Braid) but I hope this game gets the attention and sales it deserves. 2D Boy has set a very high standard for indie developers on major platforms, including themselves. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what else this studio has coming, because their first effort is one of the best games I've ever played.

Review: Mega Man 9

(Yes, the screenshot is stolen from 1up. Deal with it.)

Mega Man 9 went live on the Wii Shop Channel at noon yesterday. At noon yesterday, I was downloading Mega Man 9. 

I started off with Concrete Man's stage. I did not get very far. The mini bosses (three of them) quickly reminded me of being six years old, trying desperately to make it past Quick Man's lasers without using the Time Stopper (which I would need for the boss). So I left, deciding I would come back later once I had a better weapon with which to smite them.

Next up was Jewel Man's stage. I couldn't keep myself from doing an awkward sitting-down dance to the music. Mega Man music is famous for being some of the best ever composed for video games. Mega Man 9 keeps the tradition alive. The limitations that come with the NES hardware (this time self imposed) seem to bring out the best in the Capcom sound team. Without going into too much detail, this time I managed to make it all the way to the Robot Master himself, where I was quickly turned to scrap metal.

The difficulty has not been spared. I did eventually manage to defeat the Robot Masters (and one Robot Mistress) and make my way to (spoilers if you've been in a coma for 20 years) Wily's Castle. Once again, it's broken into stages. Once again, if you leave, you start over. I am a Mega Man veteran. I've played and completed Mega Mans 1 through 8. Mega Man 9 reigns supreme as the single hardest entry in the series. And for that, I couldn't be happier.

Everything about Mega Man is an obvious throwback to the Mega Man games of the late 80s and early 90s. What could have been nothing but a scrap book of Mega Man memories, created to sell on nostalgia alone, has instead turned out to be a true Mega Man sequel. Of course, nostalgia does play a factor. Everything about this game screams "Play me on a Famicom." While the graphics were designed to be reminiscent of the original 6, only a few sprites have been reused. While the music was composed and arranged using classic NES bleeps and bloops, the soundtrack is (mostly) completely original and very well done. Play the soundtrack of this game with that of any other Mega Man for someone who has never played a Mega Man game before, and they won't be able to tell what's new and what's old. But (if they're a gamer) they'll love each and every song. 

Elements of the older level designs are mixed with new ones. The classic disappearing-block-over-bottomless-pit rooms make a return (and Rush Jet isn't always helpful any more), and no Mega Man game would be complete without at least one room lined with spikes. New to the party are blocks that teleport you back and forth between each other while shooting you 30 feet into the air, suspended platforms that swing back and forth like pendulums using Mega Man's own shifting weight, robots that fall out of nowhere to grab you and drag you into walls of spikes, and more. The level design is possibly the best it's ever been. Enemies are placed more as obstacles than individual challenges. That Mettaur may not do a lot of damage on his own, but when you land right in front of him, only to be knocked back into a pit of spikes, you'll know why he's there. Charged shots have been removed, forcing you to rely once again on your secondary weapons to get you out of sticky situations. Every trap, every obstacle, every enemy has been carefully placed to turn every instance into a unique situation to be dealt with individually.

A few aspects of the game may feel a bit recycled (Magma Man will feel right at home next to Heat Man, Flame Man, and Fire Man, and I think Splash Woman, as feminine as she is, has more than a little in common with Bubble Man, Dive Man, and Wave Man) but those things are intentional, and Mega Man fans should enjoy the throwbacks rather than rolling their eyes. The old parts say "This is a Mega Man game" while the new ones say "But it's definitely a new Mega Man game." 

If you appreciate a challenge or a healthy dose of retro goodness (or both, like me) Mega Man 9 is for you. Otherwise, go back to your interactive movies. Pansies.