There are so many Mario games.  Some people are tired of seeing Mario come out again and again.  All that guy does is jump, so what’s the big deal anyway?  The big deal is that Super Mario Galaxy 2 comes out swinging with just about every trick in the gaming book.  It’s hard to make a list of what you do in this game, because during your adventure you will do so many different things.  The basic gameplay is the same as Super Mario Galaxy, and similar to other Mario games, but maybe more so than any Mario game before, there is a  constant barrage of new ideas, and every level is vibrant, filled with enemies, obstacles, ideas, and polish; it really feels like the level designers slaved over their creations to make sure that they’re perfect.

Use Yoshi’s tongue to grab Bullet Bills and shoot them back at the boss

On that same note, players are eased into each new gameplay idea.  The game masterfully teaches you the basics without feeling like a tutorial, and gradually ramps up the difficulty.  This may seem like nothing, but with all of the various types of gameplay within the game, it is no small feat.  You’ll be eating and shooting enemies, swinging, and flutter-jumping with Yoshi, rolling and smashing things as Rock Mario, flying as a bee, jumping as a spring, navigating an area whose colored tiles alternate their positions to the beat of the music, roll around on a ball using the Wii-mote sensor, making clouds to jump on as Cloud Mario, and so much more!  Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn’t lacking variety in either its gameplay or the abilities available.

The cloud suit can make platforms where there aren’t any

My favorite new Mario ability is the Cloud Suit.  When I first saw it, I really didn’t think it would add anything to the game.  With this suit, Mario is able to create clouds to use as platforms.  He has a limit of 3 clouds, and then he has to refill his power.  In addition to this, Mario’s jumps go a little bit further than normal.  The Cloud Suit may also be acting as a helping hand to gamers who aren’t as good at jumping and long jumping.  With this suit, they can take risks and save themselves from death, and learn to get better at the game.  Don’t worry though, the Cloud Suit isn’t in many levels, and doesn’t make the game too easy.  In fact, the abilities in this game are completely different from most other Mario games in that they usually aren’t there to give you more power to more easily beat a level, but instead exist to provide a different way to play.


The gameplay and level design are fantastic, and are the main reason you’d want to play this game, but as icing on this delicious cake, the music and graphics have the same level of quality.  In Galaxy 1, Nintendo decided to use an orchestra for its soundtrack, and hopefully they’ll never revert back to only using a keyboard.  From the quiet and whimsical, to the boisterous and blaring, the music seems to compliment each level and scenario very well.  I wouldn’t listen to the music on its own, but it does what it’s supposed to do, and that is to support the game.  The graphics look just as good as they did in Galaxy 1, but Galaxy 2 just seems even better.  The levels don’t feel barren, but are rather filled with objects, even if sometimes only to be aesthetically pleasing.  Playing this game, it was clear to me that the designers made sure that the game looks and sounds as good as it plays.

Since this review has been too glowing thus far, I’d like to mention a few of the negative aspects.  The game has a few levels that I didn’t quite like; possibly because when compared to the awesomeness that is the rest of the game, they simply don’t hold up as well.  Thankfully there are only a few of these levels.  There are going to be times when you find an ability, or level etc. that you really like, but because the game constantly moves on to new ideas, you won’t get much time with them.  Aside from this, a few times Mario spun around uncontrollably (probably something to do with the round planets) for a second.  Since it only happened a few times during my 20+ hour play-time, and didn’t result in any deaths, it didn’t really affect me.  The story is almost non-existent, but really, who plays Mario games for that?

So, which one is better?

There are all kinds of nerd debates that go on to determine what movie franchise, or what game of a series is the best.  Well, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is here to really mess with your head.  If you look at Super Mario 64, and then compare it to earlier 2D Mario games, it is readily apparent that the controls, level design, and graphics aren’t quite as good.  3D gaming had to start from scratch and evolve to what it is today.  Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the final result; it is the 3D game that can stand proudly next to its 2D brethren without shame.  Galaxy 2 is, in my opinion, the best 3D Mario game.  Now, on to the other debate.  What about the 2D Mario games?  I know there are plenty of people out there who love to defend their old games from any new ones that come out.  Nobody wants to see their favorite games ousted from the number one position, but I think that Galaxy 2 not only rivals beloved games like Super Mario Bros. 3, it actually beats them.  There, I said it.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a game filled with wonder, creativity, and style.  Despite the fact that this console generation is seemingly devoid of high-quality platformer games, Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn’t a game you’re going to settle for; it would stand on top as the King of platformer games even if there were dozens of others to which you could compare it.  Super Mario Galaxy 2 has thrown its hat into the ring, and the “best games of all time” debates may now heatedly continue.

Grade:  A+

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