oh, smiling Boon,
why do these cats hate you so?
translation I need
Additional Comments:
Well, now I feel guilty giving 2ch's SMW hack collaboration origin a haiku, but neglected to pen one for SMWC's initial foray into collab hacks. I probably wouldn't feel so gutted (I'm not) if I hadn't written such a blatantly nonchalant review, especially when a majority of my thoughts were posted elsewhere. Seems I really snubbed that game and rather undeservedly at that - well, I don't know if undeservedly is the choicest word since there are quite a few problems. Then again, the wisest way to describe that game: an experiment, much like the first VIP and Wall Mix. Aha! Cleverly utilized segue.
Like any hack, no matter the foundation and/or purpose, it's guaranteed that the game is going to play incredibly unpolished. Hey, it's a hack, what do you expect? We're not talking about professional grade games made by professional, nine-to-five game makers. Ok, maybe there are a few rare selections that can sneak their way over to the grown-up table, but Mix 1 is certainly not one of them. If anything, Mix 1 is about the furthest thing from a well-rounded, professional-aspiring 2D romp. Ok, all the YouTube spew out there is far worse, but that goes without saying. Lest we forget, Mix 1 was developed in the early days of SMW hacking when tools were few and those tools that did exist were extremely limited in functionality. And I think that is often overlooked when people are quick to eschew the early SMW hacks. Unfortunately, the vast majority of gamers are so reliant on bells and whistles, namely graphics, that they will quickly sneer at anything that appears to have backpedaled. What mystifies me is the amount of people who dip their toe into ROM hacking and express the same attitudes. I'll never understand this, but then I suppose I'm putting too much faith in the intelligence of the gaming masses. The point is, for someone to rail Mix 1 purely on aesthetics is absurd. Sure, the VIP contributors could have spent a little more time buffing out the details - Trap! Riddle? Joke Material! immediately comes to mind - but as long as the functionality is there and there's no guesswork involved, I'm not going to complain. I'll admit that I don't like looking at blocky, cutoff ugliness myself, but I think there's also a time and place to place blame on beauty over architecture. Mix 1, and really all the Mix's, it's obvious that the hacks place importance on level design and not razzle-dazzle. Otherwise, fire away, and I'd jump aboard the bandwagon myself and harp on the ugliness that is VIP and Wall.
What should be criticized is level design, difficulty and the wanton abuse of tricks, glitches and any other aggravating programming anomalies that are taken advantage of. But even here I feel some leniency can be allowed. The question is how much, though you may be asking why I'm even willing to look the other way when it comes to the grief of advanced flight control, for instance. Well, honestly, it's a hack. I know that's a cop-out, but the reality is that we're dealing with an entirely different beast here. It again showcases that we're dealing with hobbyists and not paid developers. And while I can only speak for my own personal interests, my belief is that a majority of these hobbyists are doing it purely for their own gratifications. They're not out to make a buck; nor do they have any real ambition of attaining quality or perfection outside of their own acquired taste. Collaborations likely being the one exception to the rule, but even here, quality is more or less standardized to the ambitions of the collab leaders and not the paying public. Of course, a vast number of published games out on the market, ranging from the beginnings of the industry to today could likely render the argument moot, but that's another story.
Much to the dismay of many, the VIP's thrive on difficulty and questionably unfair tactics. But unlike many hacks, or even games that do the same, the VIP's manage to exude fun no matter how diabolical the levels become - primary examples being (^O^) Smooooth, Boon's Mechanism Mansion, or MissingNo. All three of these levels aggravated the hell out of me, yet I still thoroughly enjoyed them. (^O^) Smooooth's secret exit's reliance on uncanny flight maneuverability is way over the top, but at the same time, it's not exactly brutal, say to the point of Kaizo's madness, or perhaps something more dear to most gamer's out there: Battletoad's Turbo Tunnel, or for those who ever made it that far: Rat Race. For me, it almost comes across as a training ground for advanced tips and tricks - which does have it's use later on in the game or series.
However, there is a dramatic drawback to glitch/trick reliance. Obviously, the average gamer is not going to know how to perform any of Mario's demanding Cirque du Soleil-like talents. Never mind advanced aptitudes, the average gamer complains about the increased emphasis on Mario's little used spin jump in most hacks. Figuring there was only one place in the original Super Mario World (that I can quickly think of off the top of my head) where the spin jump was mandatory - Star World 1 - why would anyone willingly use it? On the surface, it was a weaker jump. Point is, that is a major issue with this game. If you don't know the ins and outs of SMW trickery, you're going to be fully stumped by the time you reach the end of the first world; possibly sooner if you're looking to score the secret exits. And what fun is that? No fun. While I can't say I sympathize with the less than adept, I can fully understand the grief the game causes and the chastising that results. I'm sure I would completely hate the game if I fell into the same category of gamers. Graces to Super Kaizo World for planting the seed to enhance my Mario abilities I suppose and/or curses to the game for the exact same. Not sure what I feel more, especially since I now look at Super Mario World or any of its plagiarized derivatives in a different light.
Basically, the overall fairness and difficulty of the game is idiotic and it's about as beautiful as an open blood wound, but the levels are experimental, clever, and strangely a joy to play. I know most people would avidly disagree with my opinion on architecture and fun, but I'm certain there's a ripe handful of gamers out there who wouldn't. And while it's not the best in the VIP series, I somehow keep returning to the one that started it all. I don't know how many times I've completed this game, but I do know that I still get as much enjoyment out of it now as I did the first time I played it. Somehow, I just can't say the same for the subsequent VIP's - though it could simply be a case of nostalgia. Meh...
Nano-Rant:
There's one room in Boon's Mechanism Mansion where I still have no idea what the intended solution is. Every time I've been thrown into the room, I've always had to manipulate the P-Balloon and ON/OFF triggers differently than intended and perform either a shell jump or P-Switch jump. If anything, it's given me more confidence in real-time shell jumping techniques. Huzzah!!
Rating: 3.5 apples out of 5
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