Super Mario Run

By Nintendo

The best thing about Super Mario Run is the fact that it’s a Mario game on Android! At first glance it appears that this isn’t some half-assed, watered down Mario game for the mobile market – this is an actual Mario game! The levels –graphically and design - are almost identical to the New Super Mario Bros series on the DS/3DS. The basic objectives of the game are the same as any standard Super Mario game of the last 30 years – collect coins, jump on Gumbas etc. Even the theme tune and noises are there! Super Mario baby!

I, like so many children of the 80’s, am lifelong Super Mario fan but I still have to ask myself the question– do I want to pay £10 for the full Super Mario Run game? Um… No. I do genuinely love the fact I’m playing Mario on my phone and I love the classic Nintendo graphics– however its only my love of Mario that has kept me playing for so long.

The main game is meant to be a platformer meets endless runner but for me I don’t think it works that well. I don’t know if I have played too much regular Mario over the years but it’s so frustrating not being able to go back on yourself when you have missed a block or a coin etc.

The extra stuff they have included ain't all that either. The competitive mode is alright I guess but it still relies on the same endless runner mechanic of the main game. And of course the only reason you play in the competitive mode is to earn coins to help rebuild the kingdom that King Bowser has destroyed… ‘Use your coins to build a castle’. ‘Build Blue Yoshi a blue house’. ‘Share with friends on your Nintendo Mii account' … I really don’t care about this nonsense!  But I guess no one over the age of 10 is meant to!

If this was any other game would I put up with, a) not particularly enjoying the actual main game and, b) not giving a tiny rats ass about the extra stuff they’ve included to lure you into playing the game? Probably not. After a while I will admit I was getting a better hang of the controls however I don’t think I’ll ever be that good- especially considering the fact that presumably the levels will get harder the further you get into it.

It breaks my heart to say it but I’m really not that impressed by Super Mario Run. It’s just not enjoyable enough for me to want to continue playing – especially paying to continue play. Maybe its my own fault  - in my head I guess I wanted either a standard platformer or a proper endless runner and instead I got a bastardised mix of the two doesn’t quite work.

I’m so sorry Mario.

2/5 

Pro Feel Golf

By Behaviour Interactive

Pro Feel Golf is one of the better golf games I’ve played. The graphics are pretty slick and the course designs are really good.
Additionally the level progression is pretty decent in that you ‘buy in’ to a new course once you’ve earn enough points on previous courses – done though both getting low scores and passing objectives (objective  being along the lines of ‘hitting 300 yards in one stroke’ etc.).
The special balls you can ‘buy’ are also worth highlighting – for example using the ‘dead ball’ your ball doesn’t bounce, whilst the ‘lucky’ ball allows you to smack a ball without hitting any obstacles – pretty handy if your trying to pull that par down to an eagle on a windy, woody fairway!

An aspect of the game I'm not too keen on is the controls. To ‘swing’ you pull back on the controls to bring up the trajectory graphics. You carefully position where you want to place the ball to land and then let go (which then starts the hit the ball graphics). This sounds pretty easy but in reality it’s actually really fiddly – one false twitch sends the trajectory line all over the place and it can be surprisingly difficult to realign. As such it’s not a game you can play flat on your back with one eye on the TV!

On the whole there’s more good than bad about Pro Feel Golf - despite the occasionally tricky controls I have definitely found myself enjoying the game. If I was going to compare it to anything it would be like a pretty girl with short hair and an eyebrow piercing – basically Pro Feel Golf has some obvious flaws but ultimately has it where it counts.

3/5