OK. I'm at work and waiting patiently for the Oscars to start, so I guess now is a good time to write this review. First and foremost I'd like to apologize for not posting any reviews past the first few rounds. I've been absent for a variety of reasons both involving and separate from the forum, but for simplicity we can just say that I was at the store.
UPDATE: Lol nevermind about those Oscars. Apparently the only way to watch it online is to either be home (missing the entire point of watching it online) or paying $70 to watch it on Hulu. So recaps it is!
Now. Onto the project. Before I get into the specifics, you guys came together really well to get this project done. Teamwork was great, and I think each of you landed on the IP that best suited your abilities and interests, even if you weren't all familiar with your IP. Presentation was fine. A google doc, while perhaps a bit too simple, was a perfectly fine way to present your project. I know some people had issues with your font and background color choice, but I don't have any issues with it.
I like the thematic through-line your land has. The land getting progressively darker is a pretty cool concept and I think you conveyed it really well. The only thing that sticks out to me is F-Zero's layout. It's not really your fault since
@TheOriginalTiki and
@goofyyukyuk forced you to include it, but it takes over a bit too much of the skyline for me. I love the idea of it going over the lagoon, but the lagoon is just a bit too small for the coaster to not overtake it. Anyway, onto the attractions.
Super Smash Bros.: Invasion was a lot of fun, but suffers from a bit of an identity problem. It was a great idea to convert the theater into an indoor one, especially for such an effects-heavy show. The story was a little bloated and complicated. I liked the concept, but find it largely unnecessary. It's fun, but I don't think a Smash Bros show really needs a villain outside of Master Hand, or maybe the enemies used in Brawl's story mode, though I totally understand that you're not
super familiar with the IP. The show starts out with a really interesting, oppressive atmosphere that I feel just doesn't quite fit the property or the characters. All I could think of when reading the reveal of the crated Mario Kart items was Mario being added to the 1984 Apple commercial.
What you did do well was capture the feeling of a dramatized round of Smash Bros. The fights feel like Smash Bros. and I love how dangerous the Smash Ball feels. I love the number of worlds we visit. Practically I'm not sure how that would be achieved in such a short amount of time, but it seems like it would be a great sequence, especially with the addition of live puppetry. I also love the final fight and the focus on the original Smash Bros. characters. The idea of incorporating multiple endings is fantastic and a great way to get people to see the show multiple times. The sequel sting is a bit weird for a stage show. I like it as a way to incorporate some villains, but it's still a bit weird to me.
All in all I think the good outweighs the bad. The feeling of Smash Bros. is absolutely present and conveyed very well, and I love the characters you chose to feature. I just think it got bogged down by your story. And totally a personal thing, but I would have loved to have seen a giant Master Hand puppet during the climax. The show already has puppetry and theres precedence for large-scale stage puppetry that it's realistic enough. Despite my problems with the story this was a fantastic show and a pretty great project to go out on.
Metroid: Phobia was a fantastic passion project. I was very excited to read it when seeing how excited Tegan about it. While not your best attraction, your passion and knowledge for the IP absolutely shows. When reading the brainstorming I was a little concerned that you'd get caught up in canon and timelines. While I think you did get a stuck in the story, the overall attraction is still great and a fantastic introduction to Metroid.
I think my biggest, and really only, issue with this attraction is the overly plausible story. I'm sure that sounds weird but hear me out. I don't think a Metroid ride needs this much story. As a Metroid fan, but not one that knows every story beat, I don't want to see the Galactic Federation - I want to see the iconic characters like Samus (obviously lol) Ridley, Kraid, and Mother Brain. I don't think we need an explanation as to why we're a part of the story. A simpler story would have been more effective here, I think. Get in an elevator (if you wanted to keep that effect it totally could have been rethemed to look like the ones in Prime) and open up into a cave system on some strange planet. Bring the intense danger and oppressive atmosphere of the ride to the queue, y'know? One more sidenote - I could be wrong since it's been a few days since I read your portion of the project, but not featuring Samus' ship was a HUGE missed opportunity. The sunken area in the queue (the current MIB reception room) would have been a perfect place to feature that.
Story issues aside, I love the focus on horror here. Metroid is one of those properties that could absolutely be scarier than it normally is. When playing the game you constantly feel in danger, lost and weak while trying to make just that little bit of progress. You captured that spirit flawlessly. That being said, I think you it went a bit too dark at some points. Colonel Wilson's death specifically comes to mind. It's a cool visual, but I don't think it would fly in a theme park. Assuming Nintendo would even approve it in the first place haha. Despite that, of all the attractions this project, I think you captured the spirit of your property the best. This really feels like Metroid, and seems like it'd be a fantastic way to introduce some of the characters and get people into the franchise. I think Goofy mentioned being disappointed at the lack of dueling, but I personally prefer it. It's great for MIB, but i think Metroid is stronger if you feel alone in the world, especially to sell the horror of it.
All in all, another great attraction flawed only really because of its story. I think if you focused more on the world and the "gameplay" of the attraction you could have knocked it out of the park.
Star Fox: Defense of Lylat was a lot of fun. This ride seems the closest to the source material, however I don't think it
feels quite like Star Fox as much as the other attractions feel like their property. The tone is there, and it was great seeing, like, every Star Fox character, and the actual ride is a lot of fun, but I was left wanting a little more.
First and foremost, I was a little confused about the queue. Is it the same as The Simpsons Ride's current queue? There's mention of preshows, but the actual queue is kind of glossed over. I was also a little confused about the ride vehicles. What do they look like? Are they the same as they are currently, but with a Star Fox design? I would have loved to have gotten some details in the practical setup outside of the story exposition.
The actual ride is great. I love the randomized scenes - it mimics the games and entices people to ride multiple times. The visuals are all great and the sequences all seem like a lot of fun. Honestly, I wonder if this attraction could benefit from AR. I think the thing really missing for me is the iconic Star Fox HUD and some sort of interactivity. Adapting the attraction to be a bit more personal (perhaps by getting rid of the Omnimax screen and using AR and some light shooting elements could help set it over the edge. You guys were allowed to change anything from the current attraction - I would have loved to see you do something with that power.
Really, I had a lot of fun reading this. You guys captured the tone very well and it's a great Star Fox adaptation. I think I just wanted a little bit more to make this truly great. Corneria Confections was a really fun addition as well. Great job!
Luma Lookaround is a really charming flatride. You captured the serenity and beauty of Super Mario Galaxy really well, and this seems like a great addition for families. I don't have too much else to say about it, but really great job adapting such a simple attraction. Also, great art,
@monkey92514. Please make more art.
Pikmin Treasure Collector was fine. I don't have a ton to say about this either. I wish there was more thought given to it, and that the game felt more Pikmin...y but what you have sounds fine.
Earthbound: Super Saturn Rescue was real good. As I mentioned in your team PM, I am a huge Mother/ Earthbound fan, and apparently the resident Mother/ Earthbound fan on the board. At the beginning of the project, the first person who came to my mind to write it was
@Pi on my Cake so I was very happy to see you step up to the challenge. The Mother games have a very distinct style of writing and humor that I think is write up Pi's alley and pretty similar to your comedic voice.
Saturn Valley was absolutely the right choice for the facade and surrounding area. It perfectly encapsulates the vibe of Earthbound, and is probably the most accessibly Sci-Fi setting in the game. And you captured it really well. The ladders, the buildings, everything worked so well to really sell the weirdness of Saturn Valley. Of course, there are a few inaccuracies, but I can't fault you since you were so unfamiliar with the property. Starmen for example, despite their design, are living beings so it's kind of like putting a skeleton or a corpse at the entrance to your attraction.
Everything else is perfect. I love the inclusion of Milky Well, the integration of the Earthbound party is great, and the story is perfectly low stakes for such a small attraction. I'm going to stop because I'm just going to start dissecting details and I don't want to do that, just as I'm sure you all don't want to read that. Point being, I really enjoyed this ride. It captures the spirit of the IP really well, even more impressive when remembering that you came into this with no real knowledge of the Earthbound. Great job!
Last one. Please give me your strength.
F-Zero: GX Racers is a fantastic Universal coaster. While I don't like the footprint and placement, I still really like the ride as a ride. Just like the games, the set up is short and simple, putting guests right into the world and ready to race. I love the ride system you chose. I've never heard of it, but it fits F-Zero like a glove and seems almost tailor made to it. I'm not sure the testing section of the attraction was really necessary, but I understand it from the perspective of trying to make the attraction longer or more than just an outdoor launch coaster. The surprise dueling element is a fantastic wow moment, and I could see it quickly becoming an iconic moment.
The actual coaster looks great. I don't have a ton to say about it, but it looks like a great dueling coaster with some fun elements. Really captures the spirit of F-Zero well. I like the idea of AR integration, but I'm not sure how necessary it is. I don't think motion sickness would be too much of a problem, but I'm not sure if it really needs another immersive element when you already have the F-Zero cars and track featured and visible throughout the ride. if any ride here should get AR, I'd give it to Star Fox.
Falcon House is another great dining option. Since they were all separate, I didn't realize your shops and restaurants were in the same complex until I saw the map. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning.
I'm gonna make this quick because I've already written a book of a review, but really great job, guys. Each one of you came out with some great attractions and shows that captured the feeling of each game exceptionally well. To
@Dark PerGron and
@Brer Panther I'm sorry to see you both go. To
@Brer Panther specifically, this season was seriously the best game you've ever played. Keep it up!
Thanks for reading and I'm excited to see how the rest of the season plays out.
