Freezeflame Galaxy Analysis - Wasted Potential | Super Mario Galaxy

Welcome to the Freezeflame Galaxy!
This is part eight in a fifteen episode series on the level design of Super Mario Galaxy. Each episode will be featuring a different galaxy, closely analyzing it and discussing its strengths and weaknessess.
Full playlist:
• Super Mario Galaxy Des...
Next up: The Dusty Dune Galaxy
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[@zapzapfishes5878]

Despite the power ups being a bit annoying, this is probably my favourite level. It really does capture the feeling of being dwarfed by the most vast mysteries of the universe, featuring one of the key fundamentals of physical reality that is temperature and phase shifts. The level seems to be set at some kind of longstanding war in slow motion between hot and cold that is completely indifferent to the petty squabbles of heroes and princess-kidnappers. A tidal struggle of entropy progressing on a cosmic timescale, where Mario's visits are barely consequental or noticeable. It seems like Nintendo even went further with this theming in the sequel's counterpart, where the infamous skybox silhuetttes watch over everything you do, never bothering to interact in any way whatsoever.

[@ww4464]

For the music: Same key, different instrumentation. The manga is also not japan only or at the very least not completely, almost bought it in barnes and nobel the other day. Rock on bro✌️

[@lotion5238]

Freezeflame Galaxy will always hold a special place in my heart, the jingle of Ice Mario playing while you could WALK ON WATER LIKE JESUS is like a flash memory that will always stick with me. In the second game there's a mission where you need to wall jump on WATER FALLS and it's just such a badass powerup that even with all of the restrictions and without any rose tinted glasses on.

[@JackaveliGames]

Yeah, this game's Ice Mario is definitely the best iteration! I believe there is a jumping-on-waterfalls mission in Galaxy 1 as well, as a bonus star in the Beach Bowl Galaxy.

[@onlookerofthings6029]

Baron Brrr is a clear reference to the real Aaron Burr. Baron Brrr has a different name in Japanese that has nothing to do with Aaron Burr, so it was a pun made in localization

[@exister6652]

The thing I love about freezeflame so much is the way it feels like actual planets. Between the wooden and brick structures on the icy mountain and the stony ruins in the lava core, there's just an implied history that the slow mysterious music almost bega you to think about. Those lava ruins even bring to mind lower norfair from super metroid, with stepping foot in it just letting you bask in the ideas of what was. I also don't find the level structure here to be bad, I get thinking that all levels should have both but having it just be for one mission makes it more special I think. It's also a very logical progression, a, then b, then boom! Both! In a way I feel like this level really suffers from the linear structure of galaxy. Imagine a world where galaxy is more like sunshine, and this level lets you launch around between the fire and ice areas. You could manually bring a power up from one area to the other, especially with your idea of the no-timer flowers, which hearing your explanation I think I agree with. This galaxy feels like a space I explored like few other galaxies do, beach bowl and deep dark come to mind but that's it. Others show something but don't let yoy fully explore it like ghostly galaxy or dreadnought, or are so abstract you feel you absorb it all at a glance. So this galaxy always stuck out to me as a place I was intrigued and wanted to be, if that makes sense. I only with the game could lean into that instead of away from it, but even as is the secret shortcut, iptional star, and untimed purple coin mission do a great job for the ice section at least. Hopefully what I said makes sense, I'm trying to describe a strange and vauge concept/feeling of mine. If you're reading this, thanks for reading! And have a good day 👍

[@serperior2264]

I've played Galaxy 1 and 2 both dozens of times and even I never knew about the backwards skating! Awesome video! hope to see you make more!

[@JackaveliGames]

Thanks!

[@breen7771]

I felt the same way when I replayed Freezeflame twice when I played 3d all stars. The third mission became my favorite because it contained both lava and ice themes in the same level in a way that did the level's theme justice. I also hated the purple coin mission on this stage, which used the first mission ice area as a base. The third mission would've been way cooler to hunt for coins in. I never really thought about the flower powerups much before but I guess there was a reason I wasn't excited to use them as a kid the same way I was when I found a bee mushroom or boo mushroom or something. The flowers basically function as tools and it's not done in a very interesting way. I also thought it would make more sense for the fireballs to be controlled with the pointer. Maybe instead of shooting star bits, Mario would through his fireball towards the cursor when hes powered up. I always struggled to aim the fireballs with the nun-chuck joystick.

[@Damariobros]

19:21 Actually, there are THREE balls of fire in the previous mission, in all three missions in fact! They start out far away in the first mission, but are much closer to the icy ring in the second mission. Then, they finally crash into each other on the third mission! You can see them as you're flying into the galaxy, if you're paying attention.

[@AlphaCrucis]

Haven't played this game since it was released, but I remembered feeling it didn't live up to its potential even back then, as I was into game design myself. Not sure if I was conscious of the issues of the flowers being core to my issue or not, but I think you nailed it there. There's so much potential for fire and ice puzzles that remains untapped as a result. And I definitely remember disliking the powerup music since I loved the stage music. If anything, they should've just done what they later did with Yoshi, and add an instrument to musically represent the powerup. Sigh. Hopefully Galaxy 3 comes out some day and fixes this, as you said.

[@micahrobbins8353]

I always look forward to the ice flower when I replay it. I can't say I've had the same experience

[@AlphaCrucis]

Whoa whoa whoa... Super Mario 3D All-Stars?? Why am I only hearing about this now??

[@mariocartmichael6133]

Freezeflame has always been my favorite galaxy besides Battlerock and Dreadnought, i love all three main stars and the secret star is great too. I also love both comet missions, the frosty cosmic mario/ luigi race is a lot of fun, especially knowing that you can long jump while ice skating to go even farther to take huge shortcuts. And then the purple coins on the icy mountain planet is my favorite purple coin star in either game and my favorite collect 100 coin stars in any 3d mario. I always save it for my 120th star in my runs. I do agree that the powerups arent great. Definitely missed potential there, but i still feel like the level itself is very good. One of the few galaxies where i love every single star.

[@HeyKyle]

Your videos are great quality and deserve more recognition! I dropped a sub brother

[@JackaveliGames]

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@PixelaGames2000]

Galaxy is one of my favorite games ever, it will always hold a special place in my heart

[@mariobroultimate1808]

Baron Brr is a name only used in the English version. Japan's name is simply the Lil' Brr King. So Nintendo of America are the ones who had the third Vice President in mind.

[@JackaveliGames]

Interesting, thank you!

[@justinthompson2867]

14:40 that is known as a reprise

[@DavyCDiamondback]

Baron Brr is likely a Nintendo of America influenced translation It's Kachikochi King in Japanese

[@katiemutschler6040]

I wanted to leave a comment for the algorithm, but also I have done a bit of studies in video game music. Basically, they used synths and certain reverb on the ice level. Nintendo tends to use higher pitched instruments for the ice levels like bells because we think "icy". Hot levels are more "controversial" right now in academia. The composer here used drums and instruments western audiences associate with hot places. The controversy comes from if these stereotypes are used correctly and how can we work with people from hot countries to be more accurate. Anyways I went to a presentation on cold music in Nintendo and felt "hey I can finally share this"

[@tristanalain9239]

I think you should give Metriod Prime a playthrough if you haven't. Phendeona Drifts I feel deserves to be on your top 10 for ice areas But this is an interesting take on Freezeflame. As it was honestly my feelings playing it for the first time.

[@JackaveliGames]

Hey thank you, I actually have a video on Metroid Prime! (Although it's a bit rougher than what I make now) kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKvPpKRuirVpqJo Phendeona Drifts was one I was definitely considering for the list, but I couldn't put it above anything else I already had. However, it would definitely be in a #11 to #15 spot if I expanded it. Thanks a ton!

[@iug1925]

Maybe one of the worst levels in the game, but the fact that there's still so much elements to praise speaks volume about mario galaxy

[@prodbyquick]

most people would say its the best

[@rwcreation2831]

how do you have >800 subs??? incredible channel man

[@JackaveliGames]

Thanks so much! It's great to hear things like this

[@RappingNinja]

Real ones know Freezerflame Galaxy is just the store brand version of Hailfire Peaks from Banjo-Tooie

[@zephon6745]

You got a sub from the video

[@joshwillcox7141]

Heroes is the best Sonic game. I will not take this spander. You say you saw more flaws when returning to it when I appreciate it more and more with each new playthrough. It really is so deep. But then you do need high IQ to understand Heroes. (I'm joking but also not really)

[@BeltryOmega]

Tbf it is a very good ice level, but also a boring fire level

[@iantaakalla8180]

Freeze Galaxy lol