Super Mario Galaxy 2
Nintendo Wii
Nostalgia Factor:
I played through the original Super Mario Galaxy about 8 months ago. I really enjoyed my time with that game, and I knew I was going to have to play its sequel at some point in the near future. Now, I have played through both of these games before, but that was back in the year 2011. So it's been a hot minute.
I didn't remember much about Mario Galaxy 2 coming into it. 14 years is a long gap between playthroughs. My only memories of the game were vague. I remember liking it. I remember it being similar to the first Mario Galaxy. But that's about it.
Most critics seem to think that the second game is better, but I have no recollection of feeling the same way. Time to see if I agree. Let's dive in!
Story:
I don't remember much at all about this game's story, and I just finished playing it a few days ago. Something to do with Bowser capturing the Princess again, and Mario has to rescue her. Yada yada. The first Galaxy game definitely had a more interesting story. But you know what? That's totally okay. Stories don't really matter in Mario games, unless you are playing the RPGs. No one remembers anything about the story in Mario 3, and it is considered one of the best Mario games ever made. The same applies to this game.
Gameplay:
Like I said, it's been 8 months since I've played the original Mario Galaxy. I am probably remembering things incorrectly, but I don't think this game is much different from the original? Maybe if I had played them back to back, I would be able to spot more clear differences. But this seems like a lot more of the same to me, which is a good thing. I really liked the first game and I gave it an A when I reviewed it.
The control scheme is the same. The whole "planet based" gameplay is the same. The object of the game (collecting power stars and unlocking new levels) is pretty much the same. But there are some major differences.
The obvious difference is in the game's hub world. There is not much of a hub world here. In the first Galaxy, the hub world was like Mario 64, where you would walk around and try to uncover the next level set. In this game, you go back to a giant Mario-head starship when you collect a power star, but you could completely ignore it and not explore anything and you'd be completely fine. In this game, stage selection takes place on a "path" similar to the map in Mario 3. That's not entirely accurate a representation, but I am not quite sure how else to describe it. You have six different galaxies. Each one is filled with different planets (which represent the game's stages). Each planet only has 1 or 2 hidden power stars, as opposed to the last game where they had like 5 or 6. So you are getting to explore a LOT more planets and stages in this game.
You need to collect a certain amount of power stars before you can unlock the next part of the galaxy map and move onto the next collection of planets. At the end of each galaxy is a Bowser stage that ends in a boss battle. Defeat Bowser, and you move onto the next galaxy. Like I said, there are six galaxies in total. Beating the game unlocks an optional seventh galaxy filled with extra tough stages.
As you progress throughout the game, you'll collect comet tokens hidden throughout the worlds. You don't really know what they do at first, but when you get deeper into the game, you'll notice that they unlock hidden power stars in previous stages. So this incentives returning to old stages you've already mastered in order to explore them one last time for a bonus star. Most of these comet star stages involve tasks you've already completed - but with extra challenges attached to them. These challenges include a time limit, hidden purple coins to collect, and beating the stage without getting hit.
Another major change in this game is the addition of Yoshi. Using Yoshi, you must use his tongue to eat things. He also floats in the air for a second or two when you hold down the jump button. The game introduces a ton of new Mario outfits, too. It seems like every other planet, they are throwing something new at you that you haven't seen before. Like I said, the core gameplay and the whole purpose of the game hasn't changed much. There's just more this time around. More worlds, more stars, more outfits, more secrets. Plus the ability to ride Yoshi or play as Luigi.
I also feel as if the game is a bit tougher than the original. I was rarely challenged in the original Galaxy game. It seemed like each power star only took me a couple minutes to collect, and I rarely if ever would lose a life. In this game, I completely ran out of lives several times. Some stages took me 5, 10, 15 attempts before I could pass it. While I still would not say this is a hard game, it is definitely more challenging than the original.
Graphics:
This is a bright, colorful, and fun-looking game. It definitely encompasses everything you'd look for in a Mario game. I like the stage variety, and how many throwbacks there are to old Mario games. The Mario 64-inspired stage in particular was a real treat to play through. Does the game look better than the original Galaxy? Uhhhhh, maybe? Like I said, I played the old game eight months ago. To me, it looks pretty much the same. But maybe if I were to compare them side by side, I would find that this game looks better. I'm too lazy to do that, though. Some reviewer I am.
Sound:
The game sounds great. Not only is the original music awesome, but all the returning musical numbers sound better than ever. During the Bowser stages they use a remixed version of the Bowser stages from Mario 64, and it sounds terrific. Really hit me in the feels. Of course, the classic underground Mario theme returns, as does stage music from Mario 64. I also really like the "introduction" music from each stage, where it shows you where the power star is hidden. And I also like the music when you collect a star. All around, the game sounds great.
If I had to make one complaint, it would be regarding all the little noises Mario makes. "Wah, hoo, wah!" constantly. I didn't even notice it at first, because it is so burned into my brain. But my wife was in the room with me while I was playing this, and she pointed out how annoying it was. I couldn't unhear it after she pointed it out.
Overall:
This is a great game. I feel the same way about it that I do the original Mario Galaxy. Which game is better? I suppose it's all a matter of preference. I know the popular sentiment is that this game is much better, but I had an equally good time with both games. I think I might have to give the slight edge to the original Galaxy, but that might only be because I played it first. If I had played this one first, my opinion might be the complete opposite.
Regardless, this is a terrific game. If you have any affinity towards Mario or even platform games in general, this is something that you need to play, stat. It is almost as good as you can get. Almost.
THE GRADE:
A
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