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No Hub for Super Mario Galaxy 2 Wii

23.03.2010

No Hub for Super Mario Galaxy 2 Wii on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto has confirmed what recent screenshots suggested: There will be no hub in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Up until now all of Mario's 3D platformers have had an overworld to explore, each of the stages split up and accessible by doors, paintings and the like. However Miyamoto and the team behind his next game feel that having a main overworld might make getting between levels, and backtracking a bit of a pain.

To remedy this he suggests a each world presented in a long line of planets - think StarFox or classic Mario.

You can think of it in terms of something similar to Super Mario World or New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where you will have a rather convenient map to navigate.

We want players to focus on the joy of the action instead of getting to each game course. We wanted to make it as accessible as possible and as easy as possible for the players. Also because we’re going to incorporate a number of different stars and conquering all the stars is going to be one of the most challenging missions for the player, we want them to understand as easy as possible where they should go next and which places they should go back to in order to get access to the remaining stars.

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Do you enjoy the exploration aspect a hub would provides or the more linear sequence found in the Super Mario Bros 2D games?

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thisissuperk 23.03.2010#1

I'm quite for this, actually.

Azuardo 23.03.2010#2

Heh, I know SuperLink will be annoyed by this, and IGN said the lack of a hub was for the playable demo only. Guess not.

Still, Nintendo say the focus is on getting challenging stars, which is the most important thing, so a quick map-like feature is probably a safe and logical course of action.

vivisapprentice 23.03.2010#3

I dont know, is this Nintendo being lazy again?? This seems more like an add on pack, than a sequel or maybe a 3d mario lite, guess we will find out in a couple of months. Although I have to say SMG had the worst hub world out of the 3 3d marios

Jump_button 23.03.2010#4

who dont want a big mario head ship?

My ART Gallery la la la la!

erv 23.03.2010#5

First response? Feels a bit bummer - the best games I've known mario for had such excellent hubs...

But who knows, their decision might be the right one. I'm quite sure they thought this one through.

Trepe 23.03.2010#6

I prefer a hub world. Linearity and lack of hub world will take some of the character out of it, for me. I don't really want a menu screen to look at no matter how pretty that menu screen is. I'm sure I'll live with it though, it's not the end of the world.

It just seems like another instance of Nintendo dumbing down a little to try and appeal to as many people as possible.

Marzeee 23.03.2010#7

Automatically worse than the first game.

My excitement has drastically dropped. It's going to just feel lazy now and shallow. I wouldn't be surprised if there's not much new music or lots of recycled stuff.

Next it will be Zelda. Nintendo will ruin that by taking away the overworld and replacing it with a map screen, where you just select each dungeon.

Trepe 23.03.2010#8

Marzy said:
Automatically worse than the first game.
My excitement has drastically dropped. It's going to just feel lazy now and shallow. I wouldn't be surprised if there's not much new music or lots of recycled stuff.
Next it will be Zelda. Nintendo will ruin that by taking away the overworld and replacing it with a map screen, where you just select each dungeon.

I am a little scared of what they'll do to the next Zelda. They've been looking at ways to make all of their games accessible to more people. I'm scared they're going to dumb down Zelda and have less exploration and more linearity.

( Edited 23.03.2010 09:42 by Trepe )

PMD 23.03.2010#9

I thought exploring the hub was the best part of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine (not so much in Super Mario Galaxy). However, I also like the linear progression of the first and second games and NSMBW. What I hope is that there are big worlds, not just tiny planetoids like the first Galaxy.

RudyC3 23.03.2010#10

Meh there wasn't too much to do in the hub in Super Mario Galaxy anyway. But a hub à la Mario Sunshine, which acted almost like a level of its own, i'd have been all for it.

( Edited 23.03.2010 11:08 by Kafei2006 )

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JoshSL 23.03.2010#11

Yeah I'm mad, but I'd been expecting this since the Nintendo Conference, I'm not surprised in the slightest by this announcement.

Miyamoto: Dumbing down his own franchises since 2006.

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NintendoStanley 23.03.2010#12

It is a little dissapointing but i will get the game anyway.

Flapper!

Guest 23.03.2010#13

That Anubis game for Wii is lazy game making, Mario Galaxy 2 is what you get when some of the most talented folk work hard and make a game. People complaining no hub means lazyness obviously have no idea what lazy means.

The game will be brilliant and amongst the best gaming you can get for your money, that's my prediction.

( Edited 23.03.2010 12:42 by Bastardman )

JoshSL 23.03.2010#14

Bastardman said:
That Anubis game for Wii is lazy game making, Mario Galaxy 2 is what you get when some of the most talented folk work hard and make a game. People complaining no hub means lazyness obviously have no idea what lazy means.

It's lazy considering how skilled the developers are supposed to be.

Why are they giving us watered down experiences instead of making their franchises better? That's what most devs do. That's what devs are supposed to do.

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Marzeee 23.03.2010#15

It's going to just feel lazy now.

Certainly not saying that the team are lazy, but having a simple map screen gives that impression (to me it does, anyway).

It will feel like a watered down experience. It's taking something away, instead of building upon it and improving it. If I was making a sequel to one of the best games ever made, I'd try and make it even better.

( Edited 23.03.2010 12:55 by Marzy )

Guest 23.03.2010#16

Well that's just opinion of course, since to me no hub means it will play better/more smoothly. I disliked the hub in Galaxy, so taking that away IS an improvement.

The could've chosen to include a better hub this time, but they didn't. Big fucking deal, 100% of what made Mario Galaxy great is still there, and instead of wasting time and energy on a hub they could just as well include more and 'better' levels.
We'll just have to wait and see for that though.

( Edited 23.03.2010 13:03 by Bastardman )

Marzeee 23.03.2010#17

From what I have seen, the levels look worse. More puzzle based, like those dull stages on Sunshine. Also smaller planets, which aren't as beautiful to look at. They have that generic/original/puzzle Mario look to them, instead of being lush and beautiful to look at.

That's from what I've seen so far.

JoshSL 23.03.2010#18

Bastardman said:
The could've chosen to include a better hub this time, but they didn't. Big fucking deal, 100% of what made Mario Galaxy great is still there, and instead of wasting time and energy on a hub they could just as well include more and 'better' levels.

Would you honestly rather Mario 64 and Sunshine had no hub at all?
"Wasting" time? No, it's called putting in effort for more content/deeper games and going the extra mile, something Nintendo hardly do anymore. (I'd say Galaxy was the last Nintendo developed game to do it, Pokémon HG/SS and Brawl aren't Nintendo developed)

I'm just gonna copy what I wrote from the SMG2 thread, it perfectly sums up what the design meetings likely went like:

Miyamoto: Alright guys, some people thought Galaxy had a crappy hub world, keep it or get rid of it?
Employee: Can't we just make a better one like in 64 or Sunshine again?
Higher-ups: *all laughing in hysterics*
Miyamoto: *wipes tear from eye*.... Oh you were serious!? This meeting has gone of for way too long, let's just take them out. It's way too hard to program Rosalina's dress anyway.

( Edited 23.03.2010 13:59 by SuperLink )

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Darkflame 23.03.2010#19

The could've chosen to include a better hub this time, but they didn't. Big fucking deal

Lack of supprise's or exploration IS a big deal.

Thats what made Mario64's castle so great, it was the exploring, and not knowing that you would find.

This made system, by comparison, looks like we always know exactly whats coming. It looks more primative then Mario Worlds, for that mater.

I am a little scared of what they'll do to the next Zelda. They've been looking at ways to make all of their games accessible to more people. I'm scared they're going to dumb down Zelda and have less exploration and more linearity.

*insert terror here*

( Edited 23.03.2010 13:47 by Darkflame )

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Guest 23.03.2010#20

You're acting like because there will be no hub, the game will be devoid of secrets. I don't think Nintendo would do that. Yeah the hub in Mario 64 was cool, and I'm not opposed to a hub, it's just that the hub in Super Mario Galaxy was really bad and clumsy in my opinion. I wouldn't like that again.

Still, the kind of secrets in a hub like Mario 64 could just as well be done in the style of Galaxy 2, just done in the levels instead. Either way I'm not too fussed if they left it out, the game will be brilliant anyway.

JoshSL 23.03.2010#21

Bastardman said:
You're acting like because there will be no hub, the game will be devoid of secrets. I don't think Nintendo would do that.

NSMBDS/W says hi, those games had a really shit amount of secrets compared with even Mario World.

it's just that the hub in Super Mario Galaxy was really bad and clumsy in my opinion. I wouldn't like that again.

You say that as if Nintendo are incapable of making something more akin to 64/Sunshine again. They just can't be bothered, and everyone's OK with it for some reason.

Still, the kind of secrets in a hub like Mario 64 could just as well be done in the style of Galaxy 2, just done in the levels instead.

I'll believe it when I see it, and I'm not counting on seeing it.

Yes, the game will be amazing anyway, but I'm fed up of the "let's stop putting in secrets/extra content because the fans will love it regardless" mindset Nintendo have.

( Edited 23.03.2010 15:38 by SuperLink )

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Guest 23.03.2010#22

And NSMB Wii was also the game I've had the most fun on in years, so I'm not bothered about secrets too much.

Yeah, they could make a good hub like Mario 64 had again, a level select map a la Starwing will do me fine just as well. Sorry. Smilie

JoshSL 23.03.2010#23

Bastardman said:
Yeah, they could make a good hub like Mario 64 had again, a level select map a la Starwing will do me fine just as well. Sorry.

"Just fine" isn't good enough for me I'm afraid. Let up for one minute and they'll start making games all the same because the fans are "fine" with it, instead of making them better with each iteration like they should be doing. Smilie

Yeah I'll love SMG2, but I'm damn well gonna complain so they get off their arses and pull their fingers out of their bums for the next big game. When a 3D game is smaller and more shallow than Mario 64, I'm going to start to really worry.

Is it weird that I can see Nintendo doing just that? (No)

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