Some thoughts on Super Mario Galaxy 2

As it was released over two months ago this isn’t a ‘full’ review of Nintendo’s latest Mario opus, but having just completed the main game I feel compelled to put a few of my thoughts down...

Many people, myself included, wondered just how Nintendo would manage to improve on 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy, which still stands as one of the finest games of this generation. A triumph of gameplay and art design, it established the Wii as a serious competitor against the more grown-up Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, using the Wii’s unusual controller to it’s advantage rather than shoe-horning in unnecessary motion controls. In an unusual move for Nintendo, Galaxy 2 was announced barely two years after the release of the original. It would be the first time since the NES days that a Nintendo console would see two proper Mario games released on it.

We needn’t have doubted the big ‘N’. Despite only having collected 71 of a possible 120 stars Super Mario Galaxy 2 has proven itself to be one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences currently available, and easily surpasses the first game as the best game available for the Wii. It’s yet another triumph for designer Shigeru Miyamoto, the Walt Disney of the video-gaming world, whose last game let’s not forget was the risible Wii Music.

Critics have labelled Super Mario Galaxy 2 as little more than a mission pack for the original, and while reductive it is hard to argue with this view. Despite some aesthetic changes the general format remains the same, much as it has for previous generations: as Mario you work your way through a variety of themed worlds, fighting bosses and ultimately collecting a gold star, allowing you to progress further. There is a new emphasis on accessibility for less-able players however: the version I bought came with a separate DVD on how to play the game, and should you get stuck at any point a helpful figure appears to either show you the way or actually take control away from the player for a short period.

Yet within such an established framework is a game of such diversity and wit as to shame most other games for their lack of originality. One level you may be using Boulder Mario to take part in an impromptu game of bowling, the next you’ll be racing on the back of Yoshi, followed by a bit of timed box destroying. There are gravity-defying platforming sections, huuuuge boss battles against Bowser, ice-skating levels with Luigi... I could continue listing some of Galaxy 2’s great moments but it would turn into a very long list.

All of this is displayed by an art style more colourful than a hundred Gears of Wars, with an orchestral music score just as enchanting as its visuals. The level of polish on display means that you will encounter no bugs as you play, no imperfections to distract you from the perfection of the gameplay.

If it seems that I’m gushing a little, then good, because anything less would be a disservice. In a market crowded with first person shooters, sandbox games and mini-game anthologies, Super Mario Galaxy 2 stands as a breath of fresh air. The Wii is often criticised for the relative lack of top-quality games released compared to on it’s rivals, but it seems that the old adage of ‘quality over quantity’ has prevailed again. Bravo, Nintendo, bravo.