Super Mario Galaxy 2 : User Testimonial and Reviews

This upcoming adventure for the Wii console marks the first time a second 3-D Mario game has arrived in the same console generation. In the game, Mario rides his trusty dinosaur companion, Yoshi, to new stars and the fantastic worlds found there. This 3-D platforming adventure provides longtime video game fans with a fresh round of out-of-this-world challenges in the style introduced in the critically acclaimed original.

Average Rating: (4.8 out of 5 stars) 

 More of the Same!
My 5 year old grandson has already completed this game (in less than 3 weeks) has all the gold power stars, fought the "Bowser" and is now in World S. Much too like the regular Galaxy, it is difficult, and would be much too stressful for a child that was unfamiliar with the first Mario Galaxy. The graphics are great, music is the same. I, as a grandparent, was disappointed because I felt I just purchased more of the very same thing. Nothing different, except for some graphics and he rides Yoshi through this game more.
Submitted by bfronca (West Chester, PA) 
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 apotheosis of design
this game is the limit possible in three-dimensional field supported by today's TV panels 2D. a masterpiece of design
Submitted by Wassi (sestri levante - italy) 
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 WOW
This is a fantastic game! Extremely fun.
Submitted by alonsoapc (Brazil) 
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 Its good
If you say its more of the same don't worry because it eally isnt. Old people like that other person that posted say that every thing is the same. I recommend getting it because of everything.
Submitted by Adan (Maryland)
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Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to the smash-hit galaxy-hopping original game, includes the amazing gravity-defying, physics-based exploration from the first game, but is loaded with entirely new galaxies and features to challenge and delight ...    Super Mario Galaxy 2 is quite simply one of the greatest games released in the modern generation.

The game clearly demonstrates that technical obstacles are remarkably easy to overcome, and that brilliant game design trumps spectacular pre-rendered cinematics, realistic graphics, and perhaps even flawless online multiplayer. Game design remains the most important element in making a game great, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of the best-designed games I've ever seen. The plot is a throw-away, the multiplayer is basically a sham, and the graphics favor cartoon chic over any semblance of realism; not none of this matters. The game is brilliantly designed, brilliantly implemented, brilliantly polished and brilliantly fun.

The Game

The overall framework is the standard Mario fare. Bowser has kidnapped Mario's beloved Princess Peach. To save her, Mario has to collect numerous stars from various places around the galaxy. Once he's collected enough stars, he can face Bowser and rescue Peach.

Each star is housed at the end of a particular level. Your goal is to navigate from the start of the level to the end. In effect, though, that framework is applied in such a wide variety of ways that you might lose track of it. Sometimes you'll just complete a standard platformer level. Sometimes you'll solve puzzles or complete challenges. Sometimes you'll perform a standard level under unique conditions.

The game as a whole is built around playing with gravity. Instead of always being in big areas, you'll find yourself in a wide variety of situations where gravity is manipulated. You might jump from one planet to another and see yourself exit one's gravitational field and enter another's. You might hit a switch and alter gravity in an entire area. You might run around round planets or jump across spinning terrain. Gravity is the chief manipulation here, and while it isn't always an issue, it's often the main unique element.

The Good

There is a lot to like about Super Mario Galaxy 2, from the individual level design, to the varied gameplay options, to the brilliant expert/novice balance, to Yoshi and Luigi themselves. But I think the most important thing to note about Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also perhaps the most difficult one to describe, so I'll start with that one.

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It finally happened. After over twenty years of failed schemes, Bowser had a revelation: he was thinking too small. Kidnapping a princess and taking over a kingdom? Child's play. He's a supervillain; why should he be satisfied with conquering one pathetic, aging nation? He deserves something better. Bigger. Rather than retrying his typical shenanigans, Bowser decided to go for something a little more direct. He's grown to the size of the planet, single-handedly ravaged the Mushroom Kingdom, nabbed Peach again, and launched himself into outer space to rule his own galaxy. Not exactly subtle, but it got the job done. With Bowser conquering the cosmos, Mario has to board a star-powered spaceship and save-

Wait, wait. Haven't we heard this all before?

You should, if you've played Super Mario Galaxy. The premise of this game is practically identical, but it ignores almost everything established in the previous title. It's not like anyone actually cares about the continuity of the Mario series, anyway. Rather than zipping through the universe in the most colorful observatory ever conceived, our hero has gained command of his own spacecraft. The Starship Mario (seriously) is considerably smaller than the between-level areas of the last few games; it's just a giant, mechanized rendition of Mario's head - moustache included - with a bunch of NPCs standing around to make the place more lively. Instead of acting as a central hub, the ship flies around on a world map grid akin to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. and the other 2D games. The only difference is that you need to earn enough stars to unlock the next section of the given path; if you're coming up short, you've got to go back to previously explored levels and complete any additional challenges that might have appeared. Depending on how many Star Bit pickups you've collected, you can even unlock hidden stages and find alternate routes to the end of that given area.

This blend of classic layouts and newer progression methods is an interesting spin on an otherwise stale concept. Every 3D Mario game has forced you to wander around a massive hub world to get to appropriate area. It's a tedious process. This system is far more streamlined; not only does it let you peruse the various levels on the fly, but it also displays any extra stars or bonus missions that are still available. That way you're not wasting time looking for some obscure star you might have missed three worlds ago. The advancement mechanics are clever as well. By requiring a high amount of stars to make it to the next area, the game provides more of a focused challenge. Since some of the secret galaxies can only be unlocked via collectible currency, it gives you even more of an incentive to go back and revisit stages.

It's not like you'll need a reason to keep replaying. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is crammed with incredibly fun levels. The basic mechanics are taken straight out of the previous game; depending on the gravity of a given stage, Mario can walk and jump on walls, ceilings, and the sides of anything that comes into view. It usually involves collecting a number of trinkets or defeating all the enemies on the screen, then moving onward. It's not always so linear, though; imagine running the side of a stadium-sized satellite, narrowly dodging a never-ending barrage of Bullet Bills. Or sprinting across a wooden bridge as rotary saws slice it into Swiss cheese. Many of the stages switch camera perspectives to simulate the older sidescrolling games. You might have to leap past some giant falling object, then use it to wall kick to a higher platform. Or leap over lava pits, only for the beaten path to suddenly curve upward until you're jumping upside-down over fireballs, spikes, and whatever else that gets in your way. What's interesting is how frequently these 2D-style levels appear; rather than forcing you to deal with several large 3D stages, the game manages to balance both perspectives evenly.

The Comet Challenges are another returning feature. These extra missions offer unique objectives and rules for a previously beaten level. That waterfall stage you thought was so easy? Try beating it again in under a couple of minutes, with a bunch of shadowy Mario clones trying to kill you. Think you're good at collecting stuff? Good luck nabbing a hundred purple coins - some of which are strategically placed just to give you that extra bit of trouble - in mere seconds. Not to mention the special irony that comes with the boss fights. Most of the major baddies are easy; they have predictable attack patterns and can be taken down fairly quickly. Try fighting them with only a sliver of your health, and watch how quickly you get your ass handed to you. While such missions won't be new for seasoned Galaxy veterans, the method of unlocking these comets is. There are hidden medals strewn throughout each stage; collect enough, and the comets start flying. This approach provides more incentive for gamers and completionists alike to take the time to explore everything. Since many of these collectibles require near-perfect platforming, it makes for a good test of your skills.

Though this game's mechanics are essentially unchanged from Super Mario Galaxy, it doesn't settle with being a rehash. Nintendo has taken all of the great ideas from the previous title and expanded on them. Some galaxies have you stepping carefully over a series of vanishing panels. The difference is that you shake the WiiMote to toggle between the platforms. Not only does it make you time your jumps more carefully, but later versions have you manipulating entire levels to clear out obstacles and activate switches. Other stages constantly change the gravity based on anything from hitting a switch to staying in rhythm with the background music. You could be within inches of reaching some coveted pickup, only for everything to suddenly flip and send you falling upward into that ceiling of spikes you didn't see. There's even special fencing that allows you to flip through floors, attack enemies, and dodge spiky walls. It all sounds simple in concept, but many of the later stages require a considerable amount of precision. The sheer variety is stunning; one galaxy might have you swimming through a watery labyrinth, while the next has you wandering through a snowy village. Or sliding down the hollowed trunk of a giant tree. Or leaping around a space station, narrowly avoiding force fields and navigating spinning platforms the entire time. The clever designs never stop coming; every level - sometimes each individual star - brings something completely new.

Such variety is extended with the power-ups. Many of them return from Galaxy; Mario can don a bee suit, turn himself into a ghost, a Slinky, or temporarily sling fireballs with questionable accuracy. While those are interesting enough, the new items steal the show. Take the Rock Mushroom. It turns Mario into a living boulder and lets him careen across stages a la Goron Link from Majora's Mask. It's immensely fun to use, especially when you're ramming through small armies like a giant bowling ball or crushing obstacles in a flurry of dust. The Cloud Flower offers more practical functionality; by shaking the WiiMote, you can summon up to three clouds as makeshift platforms. Windy levels and huge jumps make for some insane platforming. You'll get the most use out of the Spin Drill, though. Traversing all those small, generic planetoids becomes much more entertaining when you can fire this thing up and launch yourself through entire levels, ambushing enemies and discovering hidden areas. Since many of the levels incorporate these power-ups into their designs, you're going to get plenty of use out of them.

The same goes with Yoshi. Like the other items, he figures heavily into the levels in which he's included. Riding him an interesting, if not unusual experience. Rather than just sticking his tongue out and latching on to whatever's nearby, you have to point and click with the WiiMote. For enemies and grappling points, anyway. It's kind of awkward at first, but the quick and accurate controls make it a breeze to get used to.

Yoshi can eat enemies and digest them into currency, or swallow projectiles and fire them back out. Not only is this a nod to his Super Mario World playing style, but it provides functionality as well; many stages feature obstacles that require you to utilize Yoshi's moveset. His unique power-ups make things even more chaotic; eating a hot pepper sends him careening, mouth aflame, across water surfaces and through narrow, cleverly-designed tracks. There's also the Bulb Fruit, which gives him the ability to make otherwise non-existent platforms appear. It's a brilliant extension of a concept from the first Galaxy; imagine having to run down a lengthy corridor, the floor beneath your feet vanishing into nothing as you make that final, all-or-nothing leap for the star at the end. Moments like that come frequent, and it makes the stages all the more intense.

But if having a dinosaur sidekick isn't enough to help you win (and really, it should be), the game offers a few more conventional options. If you've got a spare controller, you can recruit someone for a little co-op action. By pointing the cursor at the screen, your partner can collect stray Star Bits and grab any floating coins and hard-to-reach pickups. They can even snipe or hold down smaller enemies, which lets you get in a free hit or avoid getting hurt. It doesn't sound like much, but it can be a godsend when you're stuck in some enemy-infested deathtrap or trying to grab an item without getting yourself torn apart. More importantly, it allows other people to participate; while some gamers might be satisfied with sharing controllers, these features allow someone with less skill get in on the fun.

But if they're old school Nintendo fans, they'll probably be too overwhelmed by the nostalgia to help. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is loaded with references from the previous titles. There's an entire galaxy taken straight out of Super Mario 64. Many of the Bowser levels have glowing lava pits, fire bars, scowling Thwomps, and everything else you'd expect. Not to mention the Supermassive Galaxy, which takes the giant enemies from Mario 3 and makes them even more ridiculously huge. It's not all retro stuff, either. Many of these levels offer an amazing amount of creativity. One stage has you ascending a mountain-sized birthday cake, while another has you nimbly leaping through a rotating column of stone arches and monster-sized enemies. There are plenty of little touches, like Mario's ridiculously well-animated ice skating moves, that wraps it all up perfectly. The camera (which has been considerably improved from the last game) not only readjusts itself automatically, but allows you to toggle the different angles as well. Given all of the detail and liveliness, you'll want to take in as much of the scenery as you possibly can.

Or you can just stand around at listen to the music. No one would blame you for doing so. The soundtrack is superb. It's got several new themes, all of which are orchestrated well. Many of the tracks from the previous games have made in it too; not only do you get slightly altered themes from the first Galaxy, but from older titles as well. Longtime fans will grin when they hear that jazzy, upbeat rendition of Whomp's Fortress. Or the Butter Bridge theme (along with bridges themselves) from Super Mario World. Bowser's new theme is an excellent remix of the one from Super Mario 64, complete with a choir echoing the high notes of an already dark and haunting song. While the levels are fun and compelling enough, this excellent music ties it all together for an amazing experience.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn't just another sequel. It's an experience.

You know what the funny thing is? People are going to complain about this. They're going to say it's too similar to the first Galaxy. In a way, they'll be right; its fundamental gameplay remains unchanged. But despite all its similarities, it offers so much more in terms of content and creativity. The sheer variety and unique twists on ideas make for some of the greatest platforming you'll ever see. You can go through whole stretches of this game and find something new and completely different in each passing level. The extra challenges, the new items, and Yoshi all bring even more to the already well-designed levels. Though the graphics are some of the best on the Wii, the soundtrack is what's going to keep you hooked long after you've gotten every star. This makes for one of, if not the best titles on the Wii. Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn't just another sequel. It's an experience.

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