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Ethos Video Game Reviews
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
1.2 out of 5.0
Now Playing: Maru's Mission (1991)
Topic: Game Boy

    

     This game is a mess. What is it? Maru's Mission is a Game Boy game made back in 1991 that no one remembers. I'm surprised I remembered it enough to review here on Ethos. This is a game embodies many qualities that will repulse the player.

     The graphics are not the worst, but often look too dark and become difficult to see - even when you adjust the brightness on the Game Boy itself, it's not easy to look at. The story is uninspired, cliched, and not very compelling. Perhaps the worst aspect of this game is its gameplay. It is a side-scrolling platforming game, and the main character, Maru, shoots a projectile - simple enough. However, it is so confusing, and boring. It's a game that isn't sloppy, but it's just not good. It doesn't give off the vibe of a game that was slapped together, but it is simply a bad game - with poorly made choices by the developers. I can't get over how horrendous the gameplay really is, and the bizarrely executed health system, which seems that after each hit you take, your health is drained in a random numerical fashion.

     The only fairly commendable quality is the sound. The music is moody and interesting, and the sound effects articulate the action pretty well. Unfortunately, the music and sound in this game only acts as an auditory reinforcement of what I'm actually playing - and that is this gahbidge game. I know that when I hear the audio of this game, I am playing the dreadful Maru's Mission.

     On top of being an awful game in so many ways, the icing on the cake is that it is punishingly hard - it's the awkward design and terrible gameplay that often contribute to the insurmountable difficulty. So, while already a bad game from so many different persectives, Maru's Mission is rendered virtually unplayable because of many of its innate issues. And how can a game be unplayable? That's an oxymoron. You play a game!! How can a game exist that is unplayable? Well, I've found it! Maru's Mission is that game.

     I know, I know, there are worse games out there; E.T., for Atari 2600 and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for NES come to mind, but those were beyond horrible - they are at least memorable because of their legendary and notorious infamy. What separates Maru's Mission from those bombs is that Maru's Mission is a forgettable experience. Nobody remembers it, and nobody will. Hopefully by writing this review, I will have purged this game from my memory and it will be lost in the abyss of nothingness, where it ultimately belongs.

-Kurt L.

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Posted by ethosreviews at 10:14 PM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, 13 April 2010 10:18 PM EDT
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Wednesday, 24 March 2010
4.0 out of 5.0
Now Playing: Super Mario Land (1989)
Topic: Game Boy

    

     Just as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) revolutionized the console gaming market, Game Boy did the same for handhelds. Prior to the release of this new phenom in 1989, the handheld market was limited to those Game & Watch games; Nintendo changed all that with the Game Boy. It was like a miniature NES, and although its graphics and sound were surely inferior to its larger counterpart, it still made "gaming on the go" possible. By today's standards, the GameBoy is rather large and bulky, but then, it was a marvel. It's flagship game was Super Mario Land, and just like the original Super Mario Bros. before it, Mario Land ushered in a new era of gaming.

     Super Mario Land plays a lot like the aforementioned Super Mario Bros. It is that classic side-scrolling fare with its unique brand of supreme gameplay and memorable characters. However, unlike SMB, Mario Land offers up some different challenges and new faces. Yes, you'll see such classic enemies as goombas and koopa troopas, but, this time, once you stomp on a koopa troopa, there shells explode after a few seconds - an interesting twist! When you are Fire Mario, your fireballs richochet off the walls rather than bounce along the ground like in other Mario games. Also, you are not out to save Princess Toadstool, but rather, Princess Daisy. Additionally, there are new enemies to face as well, including stone faced Easter Island-like statues and lions - making for a pretty darn diverse group of foes.

     This game is defintiely one of GameBoy's best games, but isn't without its own little flaws. The gameplay, while for the most part is tight, can often be a little unresponsive. Sometimes there is too much "give" when Mario runs, and if too close to the edge, you will plummet to your demise - so, be careful to time your jumps just right when leaping from one platform to the other. This minor issue doesn't plague the gameplay, but only hampers it on seldom occaissions; essentially, the control is very good, but just not as flawless as Super Mario Bros. was.

     The music in this game is just wonderful. The tunes are endlessly catchy, and you'll find yourself humming them for years to come (I know I do!). Combine that with some solid 8-bit monochrome graphics, and this game is a total winner. If you really want this game to shine though, I would suggest playing it on a Super GameBoy peripherial for the SNES, or a GameBoy Player (for Nintendo Gamecube), and you'll see a big difference.

     In any case, Super Mario Land is a Game Boy classic. Like I said, it's one of the handheld's best games, and arguably its own memorable. If you can track down a copy of this gem, I'd say go for it, because you will not be disappointed. How could you be? It's Super Mario!

-Kurt L.

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Posted by ethosreviews at 3:03 PM EDT
Updated: Friday, 26 March 2010 10:09 AM EDT
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