Super Mario Galaxy
Wii
Nostalgia Factor:
I first played Super Mario Galaxy back in 2009. It was one of the very first games I ever rented from GameFly. I don't remember much about the game, other than the fact that I was able to beat it, and I had a pretty good time with it. I haven't played it once in the 15 years since then.
I recently noticed that my local library has this game available to check out, so I figured why not? I was hoping my four-year-old would see how cool this game is, and take an interest in video games, but it didn't happen. Oh well. At least I could still play it for my own enjoyment.
So how would I like this game after all these years? Let's dive in.
Story:
This isn't a game you really play for its story. I'm not going to sit here and go into a ton of detail, because to be honest, I wasn't paying much attention. Something about a starship traveling across the universe that is stuck in Mario's galaxy. Bowser decides to take advantage of the opportunity. He seizes the Princess (again) and uses the star power from this ship to attempt to create his own personal galaxy for him and the Princess.
Mario is called into action. It's his goal to collect enough power stars to refuel the starship, rescue the princess, and end Bowser's plans once and for all. Well, until the next time he decides to act a fool, anyway.
Gameplay:
The main gimmick of Super Mario Galaxy is how each stage takes place on a spherical world floating in outer space. At first I thought that this would get old pretty quickly, but it actually works out really well for this game.
If you've played Super Mario 64, you should be familiar with the control scheme. Action takes place in a fully 3D environment. Mario runs, jumps, and flips his way through a series of stages, collecting power stars. The gravity gimmick really works well with 3D Mario, and how you can run freely through each spherical stage without having to worry about falling off. I mean, you can fall off from time to time, but it is often impossible to do so.
Remember how the stars worked in Super Mario 64? That's how they work here, too. Each stage contains a set number of stars. Like Mario 64, you play through each stage, attempting to collect all the stars in it. It is not the end of the world if you miss a few. You mainly just want to make sure you are getting as many as you can, because the more you collect, the more stages open up to you.
In Mario 64, the stars were sometimes pretty well hidden, and you really had to scour each stage to find them all. In this game, the action is very focused. When you select a star from the stage's menu, the stage itself changes in a way that moves you towards the star. When you collect this star and return to the stage, the level layout will change in accordance with your new objective. The game pushes you towards this new star. There is almost no puzzle solving involved, and you rarely have to use your mind to figure out what to do next.
That leads me to my biggest complaint about the game: it is easy. It may be one of the easiest Mario games I have played. There is almost no challenge to be found here, whatsoever. It makes the game pretty accessible to younger players, which I suppose is good. And I have to admit it is a very, very fun game. I got hooked as I played this, telling myself I'd stop after just one more star. And then I'd keep playing and collect five more. But yes, it is very easy. I never once felt like I was in danger of running out of lives or continues. Most stars can be collected on one life - and if you die, you know what not to do next time. There was maybe one stage this entire game I died more than two times.
Boss battles are fun, but again: easy. I love analyzing their patterns and exploiting their weaknesses. It may be easy, but this game is never not fun. It is perhaps one of the most addicting games I've played in recent memories.
In addition to typical platforming stages, there are stages where you have to complete special tasks like racing or collecting hidden items. I know people don't like the underwater racing levels because of the weird motion controls, but I didn't mind them. Speaking of motion controls, I always enjoyed pointing the Wii remote at the screen and collecting as many stars as I could. There is just something very satisfying about this.
One last Mario 64 comparison: the hub world. Instead of Princess Peach's castle, the hub world takes place aboard the alien starship. Different observatories take you to different galaxies, which are essentially this game's version of the paintings in Mario 64. There are also special characters you can feed star fragments to, in order to gain access to new or hidden galaxies. This is one of those games where there is always something to do, whether in the overworld or in the actual stages themselves.
Maybe it is because I am someone who mainly just lives in the past, but this game was shockingly good looking in my eyes. It is a big step up from Mario 64 and Mario Sunshine, which are probably the "newest" Mario games I have played prior to playing this. And Mario Sunshine is 22 years old! Needless to say, this game blows both of them away.
Mario is very detailed and cartoon-looking. The enemies look sensational. The world of the game looks sensational. The special effects are sensational. Everything is sensational!
I don't know why, but I expected this game to be more bland looking. Maybe just because it is a Wii title? Well, it is definitely not bland. This is a very visually pleasing game.
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Sound:
Mario games are known for their good music and sound effects, and this game is no exception. The soundtrack is phenomenal. The original songs are majestic and fit the grandiose, sci-fi feel of the game perfectly. I love the little jingle that plays when you collect a power star.
Most of the classic Mario tunes make a return, and it was always a real treat to hear them brought to life on the Wii. Sound effects are flawless, too. Bravo, sound team!
Overall:
In case you could not tell, I liked this game. I had a blast from beginning to end. Once I dived into this game and got into the groove, I could barely put it down. I think I got something like 35 stars in one day? This game is addicting, there is no doubt about it.
This is the most "video gamey" video game I have played in a while, if that makes sense. It's not some interactive movie with lots of dialogue and story shoved in there, like God of War Ragnarok or The Witcher. It feels like a classic old game, with its short, rapid fire levels. You are never bored. You are almost always in control of your character. You are almost always having fun. And I like that.
I toyed with giving this game an A+. I was really addicted to this game, beating it in just a couple of days. I haven't had this much fun with a game in a while. So why won't I give it an A+? Because those perfect scores are reserved for awe-inspiring games that really change my life. While I had a great time with this, can I really say it left much of a lasting impression on me? Am I going to look back in 5 years and say "Wow, Super Mario Galaxy! What a classic! This changed my life." Probably not. It's a fun game, and I really had a great time with it, but it is not a perfect game. It would have been nice to face an actual challenge every once in a while, too.
So there you have it. Mario Galaxy. If you haven't played this game, you need to remedy that immediately. It's an amazing game.
A little bit of trivia before we depart: this is now my 15th review of a Mario game, tying it with Batman for my most reviewed gaming franchise out there. I hope you have enjoyed them all so far!
THE GRADE:
A
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