The Video Game Critic

I've been playing Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch lately, and it got me to thinking. I never feel like I enjoy that game as much as I should because it's too childish. The characters and the plot almost feel like you're playing a Dora the Explorer game sometimes. And yet, I play other games that are just as, if not more, childish than Ni no Kuni. Like Super Mario Galaxy, for example. Bright colors, cartoony enemies, bouncing like a human pinball, etc. And yet, I never once thought, "Wow, I sure wish this was more mature." Best I can figure is, Mario games are gameplay centric, while RPGs like Ni No Kuni are a lot more story heavy. Mario doesn't let you sit still long enough to let the immaturity sink in, I guess you could say, while NNK makes you sit through cutscenes that last for minutes, filled with cringe inducing dialogue. ("Uh oh, Ollie boy! Looks like the cat king of Ding Dong Dell's been kidnapped by the mouse king in the Ding Dong Well! We'd better go rescue him and teach him how to feel happy again before the whole kingdom catches his laziness disease!" UGGGGGH)

Anyway, how tolerant are you to stuff like this? Is an overabundance of cheesy, immature stuff a turn off for you? Does it bother you more in some games than others?

Cheesy? I like cheesy. I like The Monkees, the 60's version of Batman, and Irwin Allen's TV shows, and the Pokemon anime. I adore cheesy. Especially cheddar and mozzarella.

Immature? You'll have to define that; I think of 7th graders using random curse words in every sentence. I don't like that.

This goes for games as well as other media.

And yet, I play other games that are just as, if not more, childish than Ni no Kuni. Like Super Mario Galaxy, for example. Bright colors, cartoony enemies, bouncing like a human pinball, etc. And yet, I never once thought, "Wow, I sure wish this was more mature."

Mario games follow the tradition of classic cartoons. Goofy, but not dumb per-say. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch sounds more like high-camp ; the stupidity's supposed to be funny. Different styles of comedy; different tastes.