I’m really starting to like WiiWare. I’m not to far in the game but so far I’m loving it. It got a 9.5 on IGN, and I’ve had my eye on it for a while.
My only two minor complaints are that there’s no on-screen representation of how many goo-balls there left to exit the stage, and moves can be a bit ambiguous.
There’s an “OCD” rank which you achieve by saving a certain number of goo-balls, which is why I would like to be able to see how many I’m using to build with. The goo can only reach so far, without disconnecting from your structure. There are lines that indicate just how far you can stretch out a goo-ball, the further you pull the goo-ball away, the thinner the line gets, until it just disappears, and the goo ball can’t attach.
The problem I’m having is, one would often want the lines to be as thin as possible, but I have to squint to see if the line’s still there or not. Maybe it’s my TV, but there have been many times where I wouldn’t see a line, thinking I lost one of my balls, an it miraculously attaches. Aside from that there’s no visual cue that shows you EXACTLY how close to the exit you have to be to make it in.
The music and visual style is absolutely awesome. The puzzles are head scratching, and very clever. I just referred to the two things I didn’t like about the game, (so far), because everything else is great.
One thing that’s gets on my nerves about a lot of Wii AND DS games are the icons you have to click on are often so damn small! Sometime, (not yet in this game), they’re small and not spaced apart very wide, so you click on the wrong thing! Why haven’t developers learned by now not to do this!? I bring this up because Goo has a big cursor and little icons. Menu screens shouldn’t part of the game!
So I have THREE minor complaints. If you like these types of games, get it. I’m just cranky today. I should really stop playing for a while and, you know… eat something.
I sure am. Meant to post here yesterday to say so, but was too involved with the game to bother.
I don’t have a Wii, largely in part due to the sort of complaints you put forth for the control scheme. I find game controllers to be woefully inadequate for the vast majority of games and wonder how anyone can cope with using one in lieu of a mouse and keyboard for strategy games and shooters. I don’t have any control issues with World of Goo using the mouse.
That aside, however, the game is absolutely wonderful, and I say that as a routinely disenfranchised participant in the modern gaming era. I’m disappointed with most games of today more often than not, but games like this are a welcome breath of fresh air, truly a 10/10 game … so I guess it makes sense that nobody here is playing it. :rolleyes:
Yeah, the Wii version has some benefits the PC game doesn’t, but a mouse’s precision if hard to beat. It’s very functional with the Wii Remote though. Some of the things I complained about I presume exists in the PC version too.
Wii
+co-op
+five dollars less
+typical console advantages (TV, couch)
PC
+Play on PC, Mac, or Linux with one purchase
+typical PC advantages (mouse, sitting close to the screen)
When you save enough goo balls to progress, a rope comes down that you can pull, but it gets in the way if you’re still trying to get more goo to the goal.
Some things are difficult to see because there’s not enough contrast between the backgrounds. I’m sure this can be elevated depending on the quality of one’s TV, mine is old and small. Computer may be better. The buttons are black, with no borders, and there’s a lot of black in the game, so they are hard to distinguish.
It’s getting better and more inventive the more I play. Just one goo ball away of getting “OCD” on the windmill stage. Left off at the fist scull balls stage
The main reason to play this game is the art style. It’s like Tim Burton mixed with Dr. Seuss scored by Danny Elfman. Or something. Very surreal. It’s nice to see a modern video game use colors besides gray and brown.
The puzzle solutions can sometimes be very imaginative. I loved that the final level of chapter 2 involved ripping a monsters eyes off and using them to float off the island. You don’t see that every day.
I know what you’re talking about now. I was just reading their Goo thread. I was talking to someone about he benefits of the two versions from GFAQ’s, (the "+'s"I listed), who must have gotten it from GAF by the poster named Cheez-It. Or it originated elsewhere. Everything else is all me. I can only speak for the Wii version.
I Googled Armadillo Run and came across a youtube video. It looks awesome. It’s seems to have that Rube Goldberg element to it. I don’t play as many indie games as I should be apparently.
Instead of starting a new, identical thread, I’m just going to semi-resurrect a few month old one.
This weekend, the PC version is available for $5 through Steam. I’d been contemplating buying the game for a while at $20, but couldn’t quite pull the trigger. For $5, I couldn’t resist.
So far, I’ve played through the first season, and it’s a wonderfully fun game. Imaginative, silly, and very pretty to look at. In hearing how wonderful the music was in the game, I went online to find out about it a bit, and discovered that the composer is making it available for free. As was said by Tabby_Cat back in October, for an independent developer offering such a product so freely, this is amazing, and well worth purchase, whether $5 (this weekend), $15 (WiiWare), or $20 (PC retail).
Current Music: “Regurgitation Pumping Station” from the soundtrack, and it’s getting me to tap my foot along to it.
It’s the first game I downloaded for the Wii, based on recommendations here. It’s a wacky game, very frustrating! My husband has an engineering mind, so he’s kicking my butt in Goo.
I just can’t beat the 3rd level (or close to that) where you have to build your goo from the bottom of the screen, around a buzzsaw type thing, and end at the top. My bridge either falls or gets hit by the saw.
Two tips on that level: It helps if you prop the base of the bridge against the left side of the wall. Click on the white bugs flying around your structure if one of your moves results in catastrophe to undo that move.
I’m working on OCD for all levels–it’s pretty darn hard!
It’s funny some of the Dopers are getting stuck in certain areas. No offence directed to them, it’s just that I’m sure the bulk of you could kick my ass in any other games with ‘puzzle elements’. I play Testis DS all the time, but if I go online, or compete with a friend, I can just forget about winning. I found Goo to be the perfect difficulty level. I stopped trying for OCD, however.
I think this game was a great value with it’s original price, so if you have $5, I would consider it.
I’m in love with the PC version. I spent a good portion of winter break becoming getting my family addicted, and mercifully I was able to beat the diabolical smoggy level near the end before I had to go back to school.
Oddly enough, although I’ve beat the whole game and OCD’d maybe a third of the levels, my tower of goo is not large–I keep trying to spell words with it, which leads to lots of awesome collapses.
Only Mostly Dead, I am definitely downloading the soundtrack as I speak. It is a wonderful thing.
I just bought the PC version through Valve’s weekend sale. I just finished the first chapter, and so far I’m loving it. Goo seems to be exactly the right difficulty level for me: hard enough that it’s not boring, but not so hard that I get frustrated. It’s taken me several tries to get through some levels (like the buzzsaw mentioned earlier), but I felt like I was making progress and improving my structure each time. The time flies help too.
I need to get back to Goo. I played the Wii version for a while, got to the 3rd season, and got stuck on a level. Then I got Rock Band 2, which has eaten up all my (limited) playing time since. But I’m going to pick the Goo back up, because it is really incredibly fun and a total bargain at $15.
Now I’m going to click that link about the soundtrack being available for free…
One thing I don’t really like about the OCD challenges is how so many of them seem to rely on grabbing gooballs and bouncing them off things. Seems to go against the “game” of good enginnering.
