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Sony Sponsored Mario Galaxy Review: "Is The Worse Experience"

nsidernews.com — Variety.com writer Ben Fritz puts his name is the Nintendo fan blackbook after writing an insanely bias Super Mario Galaxy review attacking not only Super Mario Galaxy but also Nintendo ’s Wii graphic performance and use of the Wii-mote.

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  • sandrarivas, on 11/15/2007, -99/+18It's understandable why he wrote such a bias review, he was being paid by Sony!
    • punx777, on 11/15/2007, -8/+90Thanks, Captain Obvious.
      • MrFisty, on 11/15/2007, -2/+26Thanks, Beating-Me-To-The-Comment Guy.

        God damn writers strike.
      • fallenone05, on 11/15/2007, -3/+1LOL, This is *****! go to variety.com right now and go to the review section, not only is the Sony sponsored image not there, but none of the reviews have any sponsorship in that space of the web page. They should have done a better photoshop job and place the Sony banner in the ad section of the page (which is in the upper right, next to the column).
        • jedi924, on 11/15/2007, -0/+6Umm, yeah it is. If you are using Ad Block then you need to turn it off.
    • felman87, on 11/15/2007, -10/+18Sony doesn't even pay for exclusives, why would they pay some hack journalist?
      • Langford, on 11/15/2007, -2/+2It seems that with big business, it's not enough to be successful, others must fail.
      • Microdot, on 11/15/2007, -5/+1the wii fanboys cannot accept that someone, somewhere on the planet does not enjoy their console of choice. therefore, they are wrong, bad, evil, paid under the counter, and obviously working with the "enemy".
        stupid fanboys. its a single review. get over it.
    • 01l0, on 11/15/2007, -3/+34Its "BIASED"
    • slicedoranges, on 11/15/2007, -1/+19Nothing gets past you, champ.
    • santasing, on 11/15/2007, -13/+1Maybe I am missong something but how did Sony pay this guy, I mean where does it say that. This guy is just making stuff up.
      • cfulp, on 11/15/2007, -3/+10In the top right hand corner of the variety review, it said sponsored by sony. This has since been removed, but the article that you just read has a picture of it. This combined with the fact that almost everything he says is contradicted by every other reviewer...well, you get the drift.
        • kyrre, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2No, the logo is still there.
        • santasing, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2Dude, companies buy ad space, that's how the world works. Dosen't mean that Sony paid off this guy. You people are so sensationalist. But I guess this review hit a raw nerve what with there being pretty much no games on the.
          • DarkSamus, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2that's what i was thinking, sony probably doesn't even know which article has their ad on it
          • Elranzer, on 11/15/2007, -1/+1"You people are so sensationalist. But I guess this review hit a raw nerve what with there being pretty much no games on the PS3"

            There, finished that for ya.
      • santasing, on 11/15/2007, -1/+1These people are really pissing me off. So now a company can't even advertise. What's wrong with you fanboys? Go play Wii sports or fish or something.
    • jaewon223, on 11/15/2007, -2/+1u must be overly sarcastic! brilliant!!
    • STARTSOMETHING, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1looks like I will be getting the worst experience. For Christmas this year.
    • mugicha, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1I see what you did there.
  • orangespanky, on 11/15/2007, -35/+338Fans may claim that the graphics are good “for the Wii,” but that argument quickly grows tired. There’s clever art design on many of the planets Mario visits, but given the vastly superior quality of the graphics in a game like “Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction,” currently available for the PS3, “Galaxy” looks old fashioned and lifeles

    what are you ***** nuts? That is what clearly gives away that he was being payed off by sony, even if you couldent notice the ***** sponsered by sony logo in the corner of the page

    Dugg for Ben Fritz being a complete ***** idiot
    • postalblowfish7, on 11/15/2007, -29/+79not to mention that tools of destruction plays like a 2nd rate 3rd person shooter, and mario galaxy plays like the best video game of all time.
      • atomicpoet, on 11/15/2007, -7/+77And according to Metacritic, it currently is the best game of all time. It's currently at 98. Ocarina of Time also scored a 98. That means it's a tie.
        • ashmael, on 11/15/2007, -18/+22Galaxy > Ocarina.
          • nathew, on 11/15/2007, -2/+10too soon to tell, dude. wait another 10 years and see how it holds up. it's unfair to compare two games when one was just released while the other is 10 years old.
          • KingBabi, on 11/15/2007, -0/+4Blasphemy!
        • shinythingy, on 11/15/2007, -2/+42Your maths skills pwn
        • omgosh, on 11/15/2007, -12/+43"Galaxy > Ocarina."
          Nothing, ever, will be greater than Ocarina.
          • ashmael, on 11/15/2007, -8/+9Pretty limited universe you live in.
          • InfiniteNothing, on 11/15/2007, -4/+11Have you played OOT?
          • timehat, on 11/15/2007, -4/+3I remember really looking forward to Ocarina because I loved Link to the Past so much and then being slightly disappointed when the game didn't match up to my expectations. I think a lot of this stemmed from how essentially sterile the whole Hyrule Field area was. Still, Ocarina is a kickass game.
          • jjremy, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2Super Metroid > OOT
          • ryllharu, on 11/15/2007, -0/+3I challenge that A Link to the Past is still the single greatest Zelda title ever. But Metacritic only has the GBA version at 95.
        • dclowd9901, on 11/15/2007, -7/+4You know, I don't see any sort of numerical rating on the game. All I see is an article that expresses concern with the Wii's mission statement with regards to the quality of its games.

          Don't get me wrong, I believe Super Mario Galaxy represents the absolute revolution of platforming in the purest form. I purchased it, myself, on launch day. However, it's hard to argue with the fact that the visuals of the game are below those capable of more powerful platforms, that some of the Wii-centric controls *do* feel a bit tacked on (albeit, well), and that the game lacks any sort of coherent story worth noting (and think about Bioshock's story before you go into trying to defend it).

          I love the game, but this guy wasn't so much attacking the most important part of the game (the gameplay) as he was the other stuff. Does it matter? Nintendo said themselves that their focus on this console is to produce fun. SMG does just that. You could certainly say this reviewer "missed the point," but you would be hard-pressed to argue that he is indeed "wrong."
        • MatchStick, on 11/15/2007, -3/+2Ocarina has a metascore of 99.
      • mywhitenoise, on 11/15/2007, -35/+36Hey, man, don't talk ***** about Ratchet! I'd rather have the new Ratchet over the new Mario, but that's just me.
        I love both games.

        Pretty ***** stupid article, and reviewer.
      • shinythingy, on 11/15/2007, -49/+18You sit there and accuse a guy of fanboyism yet here you are doing pretty much the same thing. Have you even played R&CF? It's a mix of platforming, shooting and action adventure. Mario plays like the best game of all time my ass. Just so you know reviews don't mean *****. I played Ocarina and thought it was ass.
        • TimSup, on 11/15/2007, -11/+26I guess you have bad taste in games.
        • rubenz, on 11/15/2007, -3/+23I played Ocarina and thought it was kick-ass.

          ^^ Fixed.
        • Username314, on 11/15/2007, -5/+2You're just asking to be Dugg down, n00b.
        • Totalchaos02, on 11/15/2007, -2/+11Sorry but your opinion means very little when you are talking about a game that is widely regarded as the best video game ever in such a negative way. You may of not enjoyed the game yourself but you cannot deny the technological and influential achievement that the game was.
        • MrSteamTank, on 11/15/2007, -4/+1Don't say anything negative about Nintendo on digg. You just get dugg down. It really is pointless. The Ratchet and Clank series is amazing but it's a real shame it's doing poorly sale-wise.
      • betterth, on 11/15/2007, -27/+6This article, the digg link talking about it and most of these comments are total *****. I think the dick sucking should stop regardless of the console. That applies to all the wii fanbois too. SM galaxy is great. Its fun and definitely the best yet for the wii. Perfect? Hardly. Best ever? Pah-leeze. Its mario 64-2 which is great because 64-1 was great but its hardly revolutionary.

        Calm down and enjoy your sequel like a good final fantasy or halo fan. Sequels rockbut they are still sequels...

        Having said that time to go play galaxy LOL
        • dxprog, on 11/15/2007, -1/+15If Mario 64 was anything, it was revolutionary. It was the game that almost single handedly set the standards for 3D platformers that followed.
          • DarkSamus, on 11/15/2007, -1/+1he's saying galaxy isn't revolutionary
          • Elranzer, on 11/15/2007, -1/+1This guy probably thought Final Fantasy 7 was revolutionary.
        • adraft, on 11/15/2007, -0/+11That's it, I just kicked off my campaign to digg down any LOL's I read in comments, which of course means now I'd technically have to digg this one (my own) down.
        • betterth, on 11/15/2007, -11/+2Mario 64 was, galaxy aka 64-2 is not. Reading comprehension FTW!
        • modix, on 11/15/2007, -4/+0Technically there's only been one FF sequel... FFX-2 and it was more of a sidestory. Unless you want to count Crisis Core or that mobile fine game...
      • jaewon223, on 11/15/2007, -5/+1..
      • opiniastrous, on 11/15/2007, -3/+7This reminds me of the time Sony made up a fake reviewer so that they could insert positive comments from him on their movie posters.
        • JayD16, on 11/16/2007, -1/+1You act like no one else has ever done that...
      • charlescheese, on 11/15/2007, -4/+1I've played both games, and R&C F is equally as good as SMG and in fact it does look significantly better...obviously. I think it's crazy to argue that graphically there is even a comparison here. I highly suggest fans of SMG check out Ratchet F TOD because I KNOW you would love it. It's a dream of a game, and it's one of the best platformers made with a lot of good humor thrown in. You don't need to ***** all over Ratchet because some guy out there took a crap on Mario. Don't blame one of the best games out there because some guy didn't like a game that you like. That's stupid.
        • postalblowfish7, on 11/15/2007, -0/+4no - R&C is all about guns.

          mario is about jumping.
    • CheezIt9109, on 11/15/2007, -2/+7To be honest, I found the review quite entertaining. It reminded me of the various gaming site message boards and forums.

      Now I need to get back to finishing my finals so I can spend more time with this delectible game!
    • seefresh, on 11/15/2007, -10/+5Hey, it's a randomly generated ad like most sites. Probably the keyword "gaming" was used to draw the ad from a database.

      Super Mario Galaxy ***** rocks, but still. Buried as innaccurate.
    • gutterboy, on 11/15/2007, -17/+2Well opinions aside, Mario Galaxy's "planetary" level layout is directly ripped from Ratchet and Clank games. The creators of R&C have commented on this saying it is a "great compliment"
      • whoCares80, on 11/15/2007, -4/+2the creator of R&C is assuming they got it form him that I highly doubt.
      • jedi924, on 11/15/2007, -0/+7What? Sonic Adventure 2 did the planet thing before R&C, and even before that Yoshi's Island did it for one level. So, did R&C rip it off of those games?
      • DarkSamus, on 11/15/2007, -0/+2that topic has been discussed to death and it was also settled
    • MaTT2011, on 11/15/2007, -2/+6Good comment; but I ,like an idiot, because there was no quote around the quote you were, eh, quoting , thought YOU were saying it and i accidentally, and foolishly, gave your comment a thumbs down.

      Sorry bout that, didn't mean to. The lack of quotation threw me off. You made a very good comment.
    • Jpotts12, on 11/15/2007, -9/+0You guys should stop being mean to Ben. He was just trying to be honest. It could hurt his feelings....
      • Jpotts12, on 02/01/2008, -0/+0If you took what I said seriously, you are a complete *****.
    • JayD16, on 11/15/2007, -2/+6I'm going to employ a compliment sandwich to deal with some hate.
      Even though R&C is the best competition I've seen lately Galaxy beats it hands down. Nothing can beat Nintendo on it's home turf.
      ...But seriously guys, interlaced jaggy Mario makes my Bravia cry.
      Bee Mario is adorable.
    • AtomicTank, on 11/15/2007, -1/+8Good grief. I own a ps3 and I love the console... but that was pitiful.
    • chris9902, on 11/15/2007, -0/+2next time put the quote in " "

      I thought the first half of your post was you and then you went schizophrenic on us and tried to debunk your own rant.
    • SirSwirly, on 11/15/2007, -7/+3Read the review again and read it dispassionately, he's right. Look, I have no love for Sony in this generation (and a lot of love for Nintendo, just to be clear). They behaved like impetuous teenagers and now they're getting their comeuppance in the form of a big black turkey, meanwhile the Nintendo Wii doesn't really seem to need any good reviews from Mr. Fritz as it's STILL sold out and Christmas isn't even here yet.

      And while I think that Mario Galaxy is a far better game than the new Ratchet (which, it should be noted, is also good) nothing Mr. Fritz said in his review was actually wrong, he just failed to give due credit to Mario's good points. This is most likely because Mr. Fritz's critical eye is unpracticed at being applied to video games and he simply doesn't know what to look for. This, my friend, is what makes his review stupid, not the naive assumption that because his paper used Sony as a sponsor that Sony was literally paying Mr. Fritz under the table for a favorable review. Let's get our heads straight shall we?
    • joemofo214, on 11/15/2007, -2/+7when will people learn its all about gameplay, not graphics. i ***** love tetris, gta, and the first halo. not the prettiest of pretty, but its ok, theyre ***** great games
      • charlescheese, on 11/15/2007, -5/+1Don't give me that gameplay over graphics garbage. The fact is that both the 360 and PS3 allow for GAME PLAY enhancements on TOP of the graphical enhancements. Just because games look prettier does not mean that there isn't MORE going on behind the scenes besides just making it look prettier. I own the WIi, and I have the right to say that I'm very dissapointed by the Wii in total performance. All around it is a much wimpier box. When they designed the box they said they wanted it to be the size of three dvd's stacked. What kind of ass backwards requirement is that for a games console. You put the aesthetic above the actual performance? Lame, and it shows.

        Now SMG is a great game, but it would be a significantly better experience on the other two consoles out there right now, both in terms of graphics, physics, lighting, number of things on the screen. These all add to game play. Period.
  • chatita, on 11/15/2007, -38/+9OMFG, he was paid by Sony no doubt.
    • Puphles, on 11/15/2007, -10/+7Um, yeah. See that "Sponsored by Sony" thing in the corner? Wonder how that got there.
    • slicedoranges, on 11/15/2007, -2/+8You catch on pretty quick there, sport.
  • strib666, on 11/15/2007, -62/+35First off, reviews are *always* biased to some degree - they are, by definition, opinions. Having said that, I don't see a whole lot of anti-Nintendo bias in the article. The negative things he says are, for the most part, true.
    - He says that the graphics on the Wii are not as good as the 360 or the PS3 - everyone knows that, though many (myself included) don't care.
    - He says the two-handed remote is awkward - and it is for some games (including MG), and more for some people than others. Personally, I *much* prefer the old GameCube controller - and wish there was a way to use that for MG.
    - He says that camera control in MG is a problem. It is, at least in comparison to Mario 64 (which is the closest comparable game and had great camera control).
    - He says the two-player in MG is weak - and it is. Though, again, most people won't care.
    He also uses the superlatives "fantastic" and "amazing" to describe the gameplay, and says that MG is proof that Nintendo has some of the best game developers out there. Hardly anti-Nintendo.

    BTW, Mario Galaxy is a blast. Not perfect, but a blast.
    • Murdats, on 11/15/2007, -6/+2so I take it your payslips have sony written on them aswell?
      I just recently finshed mario64 on virtual console, and despite the fact its a great game, the camera does suck, noone with half a brain denies that the camera sucks despite the fact the game is awesome.
    • Klarth, on 11/15/2007, -2/+2"BTW, Mario Galaxy is a blast. Not perfect, but a blast."

      aka "please don't bury me"
  • yakebob, on 11/15/2007, -19/+80They are always bias but not to this degree, the writer clearly shows no remorse and hasn't played the game.
    And Mario Galaxy is "almost Perfect"
    • shinythingy, on 11/15/2007, -25/+16How could you possibly know he hasn't played the game? He could genuinely not like the game it is a ***** possibility. Not everybody has to love Mario and give it a 9/10 based on the name alone you know.
      • macweirdo42, on 11/15/2007, -4/+16Hey, I don' like Halo, but if I were to write a review, it wouldn't be negative. I mean, I may be a little more nitpicky than some, but hey, no one's more nitpicky than diehard fanboys, so at least I wouldn't be the worst in that regard. Point is, in the end, though I may not like a particular game, I can still recognize and respect a game's technical achievements.
        • BearinG, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1You should be negative if you have some negative.. that's the point of a review. Sure you can mention that you are picky or that alot of other people will love it.. but its not caus you don'T like it that you should "be careful" of what you say.. if you don't like it, you don't like it.. and a review should say if they didn't like it
      • Totalchaos02, on 11/15/2007, -1/+16A reviewer is supposed to look at the game objectively. If he or she did not enjoy the game they must isolate the reasons why and explain how it detracts from the game. You can't look at a game and say 'well I did not enjoy the game so it must suck'. You have to recognize the positives and negatives and realize that maybe you did not enjoy the game because it is not your style and not the game itself.
      • tehsilentcircus, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1Just because you don't personally enjoy a game doesn't mean you don't have to fulfill your position as a professional game reviewer.
    • luchid, on 11/15/2007, -3/+15I agree, to some extent, but please -for the love of the FSM- it's "biased" not "bias". Drop your joystick and go to school.
      • vanbacon, on 11/15/2007, -0/+10Dugg for using Your holy Worship of his noddly one
      • ru1dt, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2Is this case it would be "bias," but yakebob should have said, "There is always bias..."
    • gizmo12688, on 11/15/2007, -0/+13@shinythingy

      oh i dont know, probably the fact that he said that the star bits are pointless to collect, even though they are used to unlock more levels......
  • xtremesportfan, on 11/15/2007, -29/+8I love Mario, and this is as extreme as he's gonna get, flying across the stars... plus playing the Wii makes you exercice! Go Mario!
    • danasghar, on 11/15/2007, -1/+7exercise?
    • roboticelephant, on 11/15/2007, -0/+5You know what's good for exercise? Going outside.
      • Username314, on 11/15/2007, -2/+3Yeah, but you get to go REALLY far outside in MG.
  • postalblowfish7, on 11/15/2007, -20/+8mario galaxy isn't for old people.
  • NYGamer, on 11/15/2007, -14/+9comparing all of the reviews made by magazines, game sites, and a few other places; dude has quite a few problems to rip on BS like that. Lets get a Digg on how much this guy never played games and another Digg on how Sony has to strike below the belt! [sarcasm]Props sony, big ups to ya[/sarcasm]
  • Scarbir, on 11/15/2007, -28/+10I can't agree with the opinion this review is sponsored. Actually, it makes quite good sense until the last few lines about Mario Galaxy's visuals. In fact, I consider the writer of the dugg article a fanboy not willing to accept any criticism among its new love. Furthermore, I'll let you read strib666's lines again. Think he's right.
    • yasuharu, on 11/15/2007, -13/+8It said "Sponsored by Sony" right on it! They took it off, but trust me, it was there.
    • jacksons98, on 11/15/2007, -2/+13@yasuharu It's a shifting banner ad. You will see it all over their site on and off. They run the same sponsored by Sony ad on lots of other sites as well. Keep refreshing the review and it will show up again eventually.
  • doctechnical, on 11/15/2007, -9/+46Perhaps fewer video games and more grammar lessons are called for.

    In other news, Sony introduces the revolutionary new "Point-n-Grunt" interface for their most dedicated gamers.
  • yasuharu, on 11/15/2007, -10/+94Yeah, well... While I agree with the idea that all reviews are biased, this review is still garbage. A review of a Nintendo game that was sponsored by Sony is completely useless, just as a review of a Sony game that was sponsored by Nintendo would be. So, no matter what system you are a fan of, you have to admit that this guy has no journalistic integrity. It's gone now, but that little "sponsored by Sony" tag took away whatever credibility he had. Really though, who goes to Variety to look for game reviews? I wouldn't use it if it were the last review site on the net...
    • MarkOfTheDead, on 11/15/2007, -8/+5I could be wrong, but I don't think I've read a Sony review "Sponsored by Nintendo" ever. Kinda makes you wonder.
      • Zarokima, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2What exactly does it make me wonder?
    • PRlME, on 11/15/2007, -4/+2Why would you want to Review a SONY game all 3 of there best games so far have been reviewed already. Yes all 3 cause i cant think of any more SONY games the rest suck ass. This review Sponsored by my PC.
    • FunkyPits, on 11/15/2007, -0/+6Want some fun look at Ben's article on criticizing the critics where he cries because Variety got bombed on the Metriod Prime 3 review where they did nothing but compare it to Halo 3. Don't get me wrong Halo 3 was and is great but two completely different genres there. He also talks about how video game reviewers are so powerful because everyone listens to them. He comes off as a whiny douchbag imho. Here's the link http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117973970.html?c ...
      • yasuharu, on 11/16/2007, -0/+1Wow, after reading that article, I don't think calling him a whiny douchebag is anywhere near harsh enough... It's not just whiny, it's arrogant! What a worthless writer...
    • KingBabi, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1What has Variety come too? Back in the old days it was the best. "It had news of the show world from different countries, but was all in English".
  • djSyndrome, on 11/15/2007, -31/+121Idiots. The entire DVD and Gaming review column is sponsored by Sony, not the review itself. That logo has been appearing on and off Variety's site for awhile now. It just happened to be there when the review was posted.
    Doesn't mean the review doesn't suck (it does), but crying SONY PAYOLA is just stupid.
    • atomicpoet, on 11/15/2007, -17/+47The entire article was an unabashed advertisement for Sony. I mean how else do you interpret this sentence: "There’s clever art design on many of the planets Mario visits, but given the vastly superior quality of the graphics in a game like “Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction,” currently available for the PS3, “Galaxy” looks old fashioned and lifeless."

      I hope Ben is laughing mirthfully as he counts his dollar bills.
      • jacksons98, on 11/15/2007, -2/+34I agree no reason to throw that in the review. That's not what the Wii is about. We already know the graphics aren't going to be the same as on other systems.
      • djSyndrome, on 11/15/2007, -22/+18Because it's a similar game. Third person family-friendly platformer released around the same time = fair comparison. Galaxy's a good game. So is R&C Future. One just happens to look much better than the other, and that's what was pointed out in this review.
        Wii software is going to have to survive on ingenuity and good game design and innovative controls, because the graphics, sound and online component will never come close to the 360 or the PS3.
      • gogog0, on 11/15/2007, -16/+11same type of game released at near the same time? seems like a fair comparison to me...
        • wesd, on 11/15/2007, -4/+18You missed the point... "currently available for the PS3," was totally unnecessary.

          Compare the games by all means, I don't even mind the graphics being compared (even though nobody ever expected MG to meet PS3 graphics) but if you're following the trend set in my first sentence then every game title should be followed by "currently available on [insert platform(s) here]", otherwise it's just unashamed advertising!
        • ZenMojo, on 11/15/2007, -11/+6If they didn't tell you what system the game was on, how would they compare it? Every reviewer does it, you're just looking for something to complain about.
    • DemDude, on 11/15/2007, -2/+4I think it's enough of a payola to have an entire games and movies section sponsored by Sony. I mean, how can they deliver unbiased reviews when they are paid by one single movies/games company?! That's extremely unprofessional *****!
  • RodWillisx, on 11/15/2007, -9/+16Well, as ironic a coincidence as it was, he sites the PS3 at least twice in his review; and at the end gives extreme reference to… Ratchet and Clank? Why not Bioshock, or some other LESS conspicuous title? Regardless, companies can and do pay for "canned" reviews where they’re purposely flubbed– have you ever wondered why you get the "Maltin minute" only after you purchase a PPV movie? It’s all press, it’s all publicity– It’s all money. All in all, just a very strange situation
    • felman87, on 11/15/2007, -2/+10bioshock isn't a platformer but point taken
    • shinythingy, on 11/15/2007, -3/+14Platformers
      Cartoonish visuals
    • sotopheavy, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2He's probably playing his brand new free ps3 with ratchet and clank a lot lately. Going from a 60" HDTV with bad but beautiful shows to a 30" standard tv with great standard def shows can leave you missing the 60". If he did pay for the ps3 himself he is certainly justifying the extra money was worth it. Graphics are more important to some people. I personally own a copy of mario galaxy and I can say I fully enjoy the time I have playing it. That doesn't mean all others will.
  • atomicpoet, on 11/15/2007, -13/+51Wow. Unabashed fanboyism on a mainstream site. Who would've thunk. Yet another example of what I've said all along: most gamers, and game reviewers, are not so interested in gameplay as they are interested in eye candy for their 1080p displays. Super Mario Galaxy gets universal acclaim BASED ON GAMEPLAY, and this guy knocks it due to the platform it is on. I wonder, is he the kind of person who would slam Pac Man for being hopelessly sprite-based?

    I mean, this guy isn't even saying it's a bad game. He's just idly talking about system specs.

    Well buddy, I got news for you. My Macintosh with Photoshop and Final Cut Pro will beat the pants off the Playstation in the graphics department any day of the week. Huzzah!
    • shinythingy, on 11/15/2007, -33/+7God you Wii fanboys crack me up. The Photoshop thing has gotten old already and it was pathetic.
      Ratchet and Clank got high scores for its gameplay and story, the animations and visuals only helped. Mario got old years ago. You are trying to tell me R&C has no gameplay? The game is brilliant, i found everything about it to be brilliant.
      Photoshop beats the pants off the Playstation? The Wii must be an C64
      • atomicpoet, on 11/15/2007, -4/+14Get a hold of your emotions, sir. I never knocked R&C. I do knock, however, our current graphics-obsessed generation.

        By the way, in almost every way EXCEPT graphics and controls, the C64 beats the pants off the Wii.
        • Nossie, on 11/15/2007, -0/+6I dugg you up because I think people dont appreciate gameplay anymore ... but in all honesty the only thing I miss from the C64 is the gameplay...

          the loading times, the psu overheats... the tape drives in general? the flimsy coax connectors... the crashes?

          Dont get me wrong but the Amiga still kept the gameplay of the C64 but reduced or eliminated every failure the machine had.

          The Wii is far superior to the C64 in EVERY way EXCEPT gameplay... but considering the direction gaming has went since the Amiga / Atari ST days... I cant say I'm too surprised.
        • Soulhuntre, on 11/15/2007, -6/+1Yeah, these kids!

          Hell, look at the way the talkies ruined cinema!
      • JPOOPOO, on 11/15/2007, -0/+10Whoa, no one ever said anything about Rachet and Clank, a little defensive are we?
      • Xondar, on 11/15/2007, -2/+4God you PS3 fanboys crack me up!
    • staticneuron, on 11/15/2007, -1/+1"Yet another example of what I've said all along: most gamers, and game reviewers, are not so interested in gameplay as they are interested in eye candy for their 1080p displays"

      Are you SERIOUS. Again you say an idiotic comment. If MOST gamers and reviewers are more interested in gameplay how can Super Mario Galaxy gets universal acclaim BASED ON GAMEPLAY? This guy writes for variety.... isn't even a real game reviewers and the fanboys have their knickers in a twist. I am enjoying the hell out of mario right now but he does have valid points, in my opinion they are not show stopping but I did notice the lack of camera control and a few minor issues.
  • syroncoda, on 11/15/2007, -12/+13well obviously any competitor sponsored review on a game is going to be negative. and because sony is SUCKING right now in the console wars it doesn't surprise me at all that they bitched about the console specs and controller (that is BETTER THAN the sony ps3 controller).
  • jacksons98, on 11/15/2007, -13/+54I've seen the same exact sponsored by Sony logo on Cnet. Sony sponsors or advertises on probably thousands of websites. A Sony logo showing up on the banner of a Nintendo reviewed game doesn't mean the reviewer was bought. Do you really think if Sony was trying to pay them off they would want their logo on the same page? No freakin way.
    • ganomex, on 11/15/2007, -6/+8DUDE did you even read it it is clearly a payed off review
      AND I QUOTE
      "but given the vastly superior quality of the graphics in a game like “Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction,” currently available for the PS3,"
      • diggrim, on 11/15/2007, -4/+3sure it's uncouth but what's the big deal of the reviewer speaking his mind...does he have to be PC in everything he says and never mention a competitor?
    • HBNDonut, on 11/15/2007, -0/+6He compared it to a PS3 game, yes. But honestly Ratchet and Clank is the only current platformer that Super Mario Galaxy can be compared to. The 360 doesnt have any platformers worth mentioning so that would never have made me think of the review as anything more than bias. BUT as for having the Sony logo at the side of the page... It's Sony, theyre stupid enough to have them put that there. Giant Enemy Crab anyone?
  • kinseyincanada, on 11/15/2007, -4/+26ive been playing galaxy all day, and its a truly great game, very similar to mario 64 and thank god it is, it takes a little time to get used to the camera but i got used to it after the first two levels, and the graphics are amazing, this should be what all Wii games should look like .
    • Eallan, on 11/15/2007, -1/+6The graphics are ok... I suppose they're great for the Wii.I'm just used to Call of Duty 4.

      Mario finally gave me a reason to turn the wii on, so i'm happy.
  • shinythingy, on 11/15/2007, -6/+11I don't think SONY would do this i mean they got so much ***** for the movie thing they wouldn't try it again especially since things are picking up for them. Probably a coincidence and a guy that thought he had to downplay everything not SONY and got carried away. I mean they couldn't be that stupid, twice?

    I wonder is it also possible that someone else had a different opinion of the game and didn't like it as much as other reviewers did. Y'know, a different opinion is possible regardless of what other people think of the game.
    • dafragsta, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2To a point, the less likely something seems possible or less a good idea, the better an idea it is. Hundreds of clever people will defend them on the principle that the idea is absurd.
    • luchid, on 11/15/2007, -5/+8"I don't think SONY would do this"
      I think you're underestimating Sony...
    • ZenMojo, on 11/15/2007, -6/+5They didn't do this.
    • whoCares80, on 11/15/2007, -2/+3thats what i wold have said about the them and the rootkit install their CDs where doing but guess what they got caught installing root kits with out the users knowledge AGAIN!!!!!
  • MrFluffZ, on 11/15/2007, -19/+14Well hello there Sony. Why don't you have a seat over there?
  • monkeyrun, on 11/15/2007, -15/+19lol, Sony should just put the review on their Playstation site.
  • 01l0, on 11/15/2007, -20/+7WORST. BIASED. BURIED.
    • dafragsta, on 11/15/2007, -1/+10BIGGEST. OVERREACTION-WITH-USE-OF-CAPSLOCK-KEYS. EVER.
      • 01l0, on 11/15/2007, -4/+0BRAINLESS. REPETITION. OF. AN. OVERUSED. SIMPSONS. REFERENCE. EVER.
    • ryancxx, on 11/15/2007, -1/+7That doesn't even make sense.
    • ncapone, on 11/15/2007, -0/+3Write a sentence, please!
  • kelowna4life, on 11/15/2007, -17/+23***** this guy.
  • opticwind, on 11/15/2007, -19/+7"Super Mario Galaxy” is proof positive that Nintendo still has some of the best videogame development talent in the industry"

    Yeah, that is SO bias
    • 01l0, on 11/15/2007, -7/+6UNBIASED. ***** hell, do all these morons throwing the term around really expect anyone to believe they know what it means, when they don't even know how to use it correctly in a sentence?
    • 01l0, on 11/15/2007, -2/+6Congratulations, you edited your post. Now my original post would look nonsensical if you hadn't AGAIN mis-used "bias" in your edit.
  • mattrmcg, on 11/15/2007, -9/+5Eh, I say rent it if you want to try it out...that way you don't dump cash if you think it is bad
  • tallonx, on 11/15/2007, -7/+20On behalf of all play station fan boys, this is some stupid *****. Galaxy is a great game, and it really pains me to see such extremists. I really doubt that Sony is out to so blatantly bash the competition, and perhaps this is just an isolated incident with a particularly biased reviewer.

    It's ***** like this which gives sony + sony fans a bad rep.
  • JuniorVX, on 11/15/2007, -14/+10fanboy this fanboy that who cares! buried!
  • merlintg, on 11/15/2007, -7/+11Hehe, just a sony fanboy. I picked up Mario Galaxy, along with 3 other new releases today for various platforms (PC, 360, and WII), and I have been playing Galaxy all day. I don't care what any review says, it is a great game, very imaginative, and the graphics looks just fine to me.
  • scabbers, on 11/15/2007, -7/+5Any site/magazine/etc that carries advertising for the stuff it's reviewing = various levels of lack of integrity.
    • watership, on 11/15/2007, -1/+5Like every other gamesite ON THE INTERNET? Are you all crazy? Advertising does not equal editorial control of content. You are seriously misinformed.

  • lousyhunter, on 11/15/2007, -8/+3boo
  • devo6273, on 11/15/2007, -4/+9I personally think Mario would be REALLY weird with "next-gen" graphics.
    • InitialDMP5, on 11/15/2007, -1/+12when I think of Mario with next gen graphics, I think of how Galaxy looks, but with Hd resolution textures, no shimmering or pixels, even better animation and just that extra polish that using a powerful system would provide. It doesn't have to look like Uncharted or unreal tournament, people always confuse "next gen" with realism. Its more about using the extra power to give the game polish. And who knows, the little planets could have been really huge.
      • zeebo, on 11/16/2007, -0/+2And since Nintendo can't afford to sell their console for a loss like Microsoft and Sony can the system would have cost at least $450, and still not quite been able to produce the same level of graphics as the Xbox360 at 720p, would have been larger and noisier since there is no way Nintendo would tolerate the heat generated problems that so many Xbox360s are having, and it would have meant that rather than the mainstream appeal that Nintendo has managed to achieve with their low-end 480p machine they would have been duking it out in the hardcore niche market along with the 360 and the PS3.
  • LordSeth, on 11/15/2007, -10/+11Sony is the best ever.. OMG I must be getting payed...... cant people be writing things based on their own feelings on something or do we always have to have petty ***** conspiracy theories.
    • gizmo12688, on 11/15/2007, -2/+6People are saying this because of the "Sponsored by Sony" mark at the top....
      • ZenMojo, on 11/15/2007, -4/+6All of their videogame reviews are sponsored by Sony. It's called an ADVERTISEMENT.
  • thecheatah, on 11/15/2007, -4/+13i think this is just made up. I cannot believe anyone can in there right mind write something bad about this game.
  • Christbait, on 11/15/2007, -8/+3That's just a real dirty cheap shot to the top, Sony.
  • Makasuro, on 11/15/2007, -8/+12Played it, thought it was pretty boring. But then again I have never really enjoyed Mario games.

    Except super smash brothers. But that's not a Mario Game, it just has Mario in it.
  • HanSolo69, on 11/15/2007, -0/+9Should have just linked to the review. would have been more effective to let people read it and see how bad it is without the opposite bias of Nsider.
  • CReyes4182, on 11/15/2007, -5/+12Umm does anyone remember that ridiculous Bioshock review? You know.. the one that gave it a 2/10 or something. It turned out that the site that gave that review (sdf-Sony defense force) was actually owned by the owner of wii60.com. The whole site and the review where made to make ps3 owners and fans look desperate and pathetic. I'm not saying this is the same thing but why would Sony let themselves be openly associated with this guy? I mean really think about it! Everyone is praising this game and they are going to pay off ONE guy that nobody knows about and put their logo on the site? Its obviously flamebait.
  • CReyes4182, on 11/15/2007, -2/+13.
  • Rawler, on 11/15/2007, -2/+5http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117935396.html?ca ...

  • Stormwysper, on 11/15/2007, -9/+12It's amazing how this asshat was able to write the article with Sony's ***** in his mouth.
  • watership, on 11/15/2007, -1/+7Advertising and Editorial content are two very separate things.

    • 13tongimp, on 11/16/2007, -0/+1Mindless fanbots don't understand logic.
  • ryan83189, on 11/15/2007, -3/+11"Further more i would like to point out that the ps3 is not only superior, but that the Nintendo is actually dog poop, and i am rubber and your glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you. No tag backs. the end."
  • dj1982, on 11/15/2007, -7/+4Jesus, yes this guy is a moron. but, can we honestly say Sony called this goon up at some whack ass website, that, HELL, I haven't even heard of, so I'm guessing this site is 3rd rate at best, to bash a game they KNOW is going to be GODLY, and to give them even MORE bad press, which they don't need? ***** come on, you droids, stop letting people spin information to make you think a certain way.
    • gudnbluts, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1You haven't heard of Variety?
      • dj1982, on 11/15/2007, -2/+1I think there is a Variety mag, other than that, nothing. being honest.
    • badqat, on 11/15/2007, -1/+2You've never heard of Variety? Eeesh...do you live under a rock?
  • Urusai, on 11/15/2007, -1/+10People love to hate on the PS3, but it plays a mean Folding@Home. I can't wait for LINPACK Hero to come out!
  • XenoSNK, on 11/15/2007, -2/+7I'm sorry, but there's no possible way anyone can take this site seriously. It was created to house the users of the official Nintendo forums, and is run by these people as well - all in all, they're not that bright.

    I also lol'd real hard at the site's forums. "BOARD OFFLINE: One of our articles at NSiderNews is being Dugg, we will be back soon."
    • DJNSider, on 11/15/2007, -3/+0Hi I am Yoshi_Revoulton of that board you can trust them infact right now it's just EJRaVen. To say the truth it's possibly just the ammount of massive rush he is getting from this artice. Or another digg stunt. But you can trust it. I AM A MEMBER FOR PEATSAKE!
      • ZenMojo, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1Member of Nintendo fan board claims Nintendo fan board is not biased. Hm.
      • XenoSNK, on 11/15/2007, -0/+0I trust the fact that the article was written, but the way it was jumped on was clearly a rash decision.

        But, of course, it is EJRaven we're talking about. He's known for that kinda thing.

        A similar article could be dugg saying "NINTENDO BIASED WEBSITE WRITES OUT OF THEIR ASSES ABOUT AN ARTICLE THAT HAS THE WORD SONY ON IT OMG".

        I thought that the article was rather fair.
    • chugger1992, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1I'm a member there and not even I can trust us...
  • will180, on 11/15/2007, -3/+16RIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER!!!! IT'S RIDGE RACER!!!
  • DJNSider, on 11/15/2007, -7/+0People the shocking thing is it's Sony sponsering a article mocking the mascot... stop saying they are right their not.
    • santasing, on 11/15/2007, -1/+6Dude, companies buy ad space, that's how the world works. Dosen't mean that Sony paid off this guy. You people are so sensationalist. But I guess this review hit a raw nerve what with there being pretty much no games on the.
  • ZenMojo, on 11/15/2007, -26/+37http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117935396.html?ca ...

    Man, people are gullible. Take a paraphrase out of context, throw a couple of quotation marks around it, pretend that the reviewer actually said it, and you've got fodder for a bunch of mouth-foaming gamers who have never read anything the writer has done before. Here's a test...raise your hand if you actually read the review. No? Not surprising.

    The review is a good review, straight forward, solid, praising where the controls excel while bemoaning where the use of the wiimote is superfluous or just plain obnoxious (raise your hand if you haven't read a few dozen reviews saying the same thing about most Wii games...exactly). It's clear that a fanboy blogger saw "Sony" on the page, ***** himself, and decided it would be better to exaggerate, mislead, and then let his head explode into a spray of confetti than be honest with himself and gamers.

    By the way, just because you as a gamer don't care what a game looks like does not mean people considering what to get for Christmas should share your views. If I don't own a Wii and people keep saying, fairly, "The graphics are weak to the other two systems this generation," I have a reason not to get the Wii. No one complained when the PS2 was compared fairly against the Xbox and the Gamecube. Besides, it gave PS2 owners a reason to cheer when developers finally caught up to the GC and Xbox with some fancy tricks on a few games.

    Wii fanboys, stop sticking your fingers in your ears or screaming "rabble rabble rabble" everytime someone tells you the truth about your favorite game or your favorite system.
    • ZenMojo, on 11/15/2007, -5/+9By the way, the review says "worst TWO-PLAYER experience," not "Is the Worse Experience." And considering the typos in that same paragraph (like a hanging letter), I'm led to believe nothing was changed.
    • tacom8, on 11/15/2007, -7/+15uh oh you expressed a rational thought, prepare to be pointlessly burried. It's a shame really, just wish more people on digg could READ things and form their OWN opinions.

      its truely sad that a small group of people can basically manufacture news which then becomes reality...
    • JKVM, on 11/15/2007, -6/+9I read it. I love the game and completely agree with *everything* in the review. RTFA people.
    • SirSwirly, on 11/15/2007, -3/+1Here, here.
    • hockey, on 11/15/2007, -1/+5QFE:
      Here's the actual first paragraph from the review:
      "“Super Mario Galaxy” is proof positive that Nintendo still has some of the best videogame development talent in the industry, but they no longer have the best platform on which to work. The latest platforming adventure starring the portly plumber features the most astoundingly original levels of the year, enhanced by gravity tricks never before seen in videogames. But “Galaxy” makes poor use of the Wii’s motion-sensing controls and the graphics simply aren’t up to par with what players can now find on the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. While brisk sales are certain given the Wii’s popularity, the “Mario” franchise may now be vulnerable to a challenger on another console better suited to 3-D running and jumping."
      • radix33, on 11/16/2007, -0/+1Mario is Nintendo. You can't blame them for trying to perpetuate the franchise. I may get tired of their many re-incarnations of Mario, but there will always be one or two that stands out beyond expectations. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, anyone?
  • biseor, on 11/15/2007, -4/+15I picked up Mario Galaxy the other night and I have to say it's one of the best gaming experiences of all time.
    Except for mario's increasingly high pitched voice.
  • slicedoranges, on 11/15/2007, -0/+1Metacritic begs to differ (average review of 27 leading professional reviewers give Galaxy 98/100).
  • Kenzan, on 11/15/2007, -2/+3Kudos to Variety.com for purposely creating controversy to lure outraged Diggers to sign up just to deluge the article with hate mail.
    Evil +1 Diggers 0.
    Unless you did the wise thing and didn't sign up, in which case, you are to be commended for your intelligence.
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