Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Review

Luke

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Review by Luke

Wii Review: A great partnership?

DancesInUnderwear · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:09 am�� Post subject:

I bought this game on the weekend, and have had 2 distinct experiences with it - while drunk, where it is a lot of fun (though I did knock over my beer attempting to sprint), and hungover, where it is ... significantly less fun (way too much effort - though maybe I shouldn't have attempted a swimming relay). I've yet to play it normally, but it looks disappointing that I will have to to get to new events. Seriously, thats a trend that needs to be stopped (especially in the Mario Party games, but thats another story).
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Karai Pantsu · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:13 am�� Post subject:

ittekimasu · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 12:06 pm�� Post subject:

just keep drinking and you won't have hang over and the game will still be enjoyable win/win situation.

thou i'm dissapointed that a fat italian man has the potential to beat a character which is created purely for speed. still, looks like great fun in large groups.
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Jaws · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:23 pm�� Post subject:

The review is far better than I thought it would be. I was looking forward to the Mario Party style multiplayer in Sonic & The Secret Rings, but that was awful in my opinion (along with the rest of the game), so a good heads up Luke.

Luke · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:43 pm�� Post subject:

Yeah I really think it is important to look at the game like a mini game compilation and it really is one of the best on the Wii, mascots or no mascots.

Sunrider · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:37 pm�� Post subject:

borgster101 · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:30 pm�� Post subject:

Good review, my rating would be about on par with this, it's fairly good, and quite addictive as well, most of the events are handled very well using the Wii controllers

Feels a bit like Mario Kart I think, particarly the Circuit mode, with the points based system

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GroovySamurai · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:56 pm�� Post subject:

This game is also due out for the DS too isn't it? Anyway it looks really fun, I would most likely get this if I had a Wii at the moment.
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Xbox ID - GroovySamurai
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DancesInUnderwear · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:06 pm�� Post subject:

GenerationXXX · Status: Offline Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 7 $poons: 0.00

I've just been reading some of Luke's reviews, as he is the general manager and all. What boggles my mind is how such a poor writer could ever become a games journalist, much less one with authority. Does he use a template for all his cookie-cutter reviews? I guess the reason he has done so many is because they all read exactly the same. Sure enough, this latest Mario & Sonic review is more of the same and uses the exact same material. I decided to check out some of the trends he uses in his "writing".

Here's some little review tagline things. They are almost always a question, and almost always so unoriginal they could easily be replaced by "Is it good?", "Is it bad?", or "Is it good or bad?"

A great partnership?
A real blast?
Leading the way?
Still a good value purchase?
Worth spending your small fortune on?
A pile of junk or worthy of a download?
Best Simpsons game ever?
A cause for celebration?
Still rocking?
Feeling hot?
Five stars?
First place?
Worth a paddle?
Rocking?
Simply fun?
Feeling bored?
Best left in the sewers?
An absolute blast?
Fit for a king?
Ultimate Carnage or an absolute wreck?
A big hit?
A goal or a penalty?
Mega good fun?
Swashbuckling fun or a Pirate's curse?
Portable ace?
The ultimate MX title?
Awe-inspiring carnage or generic racer?
Revolutionary?
A port that's well suited to the Wii?
A monster of a game?
A new way to play?
A quick port for the Wii or a stand out title?
A reinvention for the series?
Legendary?
Do you feel the need?
The PSP's premier racing game?
Are you feeling sporty?
An improvement?
A New Beginning or an old ending?

Here comes the real kicker. More often than not I will scroll down a review to find a paragraph that inevitably starts off with: "Graphically". Sigh. Yeah, the same "Graphically the game" seems to be used over and over and over again. These are all taken from the first couple of pages of recent reviews.

Graphically, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
Graphically Moto GP 07
Graphically, Hollywood Quiz
Graphically Hot Import Nights
Graphically Cookie and Cream
Graphically Jackass: The Game
Graphically it's no lie to proclaim Tools of Destruction
Graphically, Pressure Play
Graphically EA Playground
Graphically Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Graphically FIFA 08
Graphically Alien Syndrome
Graphically Airborne
Graphically, Spider-Man 3
Graphically, the Xbox 360
Graphically Sonic the Hedgehog
Graphically Stuntman Ignition
Graphically it's hard not
Graphically, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
Graphically Rainbow 6 Vegas

Graphically Ultimate Carnage looks rather impressive
Graphically Call of Juarez is quite impressive
Graphically Armageddon is more impressive
Graphically, the game looks very impressive
Graphically, the game looks very impressive
Graphically the game looks very impressive
Graphically MTX Mototrax looks quite impressive
Graphically Carbon looks pretty impressive
Graphically the game is pretty impressive

Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically the game
Graphically, the game

Gaphically (yes, obvious spelling error in something he has typed thousands of times) the game

Visually the game is still pretty impressive
Visually the game looks very impressive
Visually the game is pretty impressive
Visually the game
Visually the game
Visually the game
Visually the game
Visually the game
Visually the game
Visually Gripshift
Visually Shrek the Third
Visually Pirates of the Caribbean

I don't know. I don't understand how this has happened in an indsutry where writing skills are meant to be paramount. These reviews are really, really bad. I could keep looking through to find more of the same, but I think I'll go bang my head against a wall.

A13x · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 7:32 pm�� Post subject:

Bitchacho · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 7:35 pm�� Post subject:

Plussed for having balls. I had noticed the review taglines, but to be honest don't even bother reading the articles because they can drag on and on about stuff that don't need to.

Also Alex we've gone through bagging people about spelling errors, don't be a troll.

GroovySamurai · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:52 pm�� Post subject:

Jaws · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:48 pm�� Post subject:

Well regardless of how original or spaced how Luke's writing is, what I do gain from the time he has obviously taken to actually type this stuff out is whether or not the game is worth a purchase. Ideally.. isnt that what it's all about?

If you think you yourself can write a kick ass article, then apply with the team and bring your own creative spin to the table. Apart from that, I really dont see how this post helps anyone else. You've obviously taken a massive amount of time checking over this stuff to come to such a conclusion (over which im still trying to work out whether it's a commendable or beratable act), but at this stage, perhaps keep it as a private message between you and Luke or put your money where your mouth is and join the crew?

I appreciate your keeping it on a constructive level though.

James · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:40 am�� Post subject:

GenerationXXX

While some of the criticisms about Luke's writing is valid, they seem relatively trivial in the scheme of things. If your worst complaint is that he re-uses sentence structure, then I don't think he has much to worry about.

The success of PALGN is in a large part due to Luke. It is since he has been the leading contributor to the site, that it has rose up out of obscurity.

Fetidchimp · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:33 pm�� Post subject:

GenerationXXX

Ah how much did you pay to get on this website and read it.......$0

I could understand an attack like this if you just forked out $10 for the latest issue of magazine X,Y or Z, but this is a free service put together by the good people of Palgn for knuckleheads like me to come and check whats going on in the world of gaming.
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kill, kill, kill.....the white man. Kill the white man, kill

Infested Jibbs · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 4:15 pm�� Post subject:

I Love Luke.
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Spanca · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 4:56 pm�� Post subject:

magrat · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:18 pm�� Post subject:

I'm not really suprised that a sentence would start like that as often as it does. I found in the game reviews I wrote it in the reader's review section that it was natural to talk in a fairly freeform style at the start where your discussing game concepts, general thoughts and the like, but then when you get towards the end you start elaborating on the various topics that you score against, and it's a fairly natural to start the paragraph that way - "The graphics in <Game> are ...", which at least here on PALGN marries up to the first scoring topic. I'd be suprised if the author in question here is the only one who writes that way.

If you want deep and insightful video gaming reading, you buy EDGE for $20 a month or whatever it costs at your local newsagent. If you want good reviews, good features, and current news written by people who love gaming - then I reckon this is a fine site (and no I don't work here

)

3mt · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 7:12 pm�� Post subject:

isnt the critisism too harsh?

think about luke's feelings u know

GooberMan · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 7:45 pm�� Post subject:

Puddingfork · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 7:48 pm�� Post subject:

just a note, I plussed him not for the fact I agree 100% (although do understand where you are coming from, and I might agree a tiny tiny bit with one or two things), just that he did support his argument pretty well, and put a fair bit of work into getting all that stuff, thats why I plussed
<3 Luke though
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bonsai · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:15 am�� Post subject:

NeoSanity · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:56 am�� Post subject:

Well most structured writing does follow some kind of format and to say that it is mediocre because of it is kind of a half-arsed argument. One thing about journalistic writing is that it poses a lot of hypothetical questions on order to gain the attention of the reader also the use of a clever pun works well too.

When you look at the amount of times he uses graphically have you ever considered that its used as more of a standout term in order to help give a clear direction to what the paragraph is about? I'm not sure about most when, but when I flick through an articles and I see the word graphically pop-up as the first word in the topic sentence I tend to believe that maybe he'll be putting his thoughts about the graphics of the game in there.
I'd also go as far to say that it's done in a tactful way to engage the reader with a key term like that. Making a passing mention of the graphics of the game in a topic entrance isn't as engaging as using graphically as the first word.

Honestly in writing that isn't trying to be revolutionary or different it doesn't bother me that such a strict structure is used in his reviews because often the clever use of adjectives and clear and coherent descriptions of his thoughts about this game are enough to please the majority of viewers out there. There aren't going to be revolutionary reviews for the niche market who likes something different from reviewers because it's not going to engage or gain the same viewership as many other articles.
It isn't a personal attack o you those are just my thoughts on what you've said. I'm really not expecting to get into a whole argument about structure writing and creating writing (As you'd need someone who actually passes English for that

).

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