Super Mario Galaxy game review
By The Games GuruLet’s get it over with — Super Mario Galaxy is the best game I have covered since I started writing about games for Boys’ Life.
| THE LOWDOWN
Nintendo of America for Wii
Graphics: 10.0 Sound: 9.0 Gameplay: 10.0 Replay Value: 9.0 Overall Score: 9.5
Pros: Great graphics that wouldn’t look any better on a more powerful system; a HUGE universe; challenging puzzles that sometimes seem impossible but are beatable if you keep at it.
Cons: Does not save extra lives when you quit; some camera issues. |
Here’s the story: Once again, Princess Peach has been kidnapped by the evil and lovesick Bowser. This time, though, Bowser takes her into outer space. Instead of running from castle to castle in search of Peach, you fly from one planet to the next.
Going from one world to the next is nothing new with Mario. Mario games have long been collections of unrelated mini games and adventures brought loosely together by a skinny storyline. The only things holding Galaxy together are the basic characters, graphics and in-game physics. Some parts of the game are about exploration, and others are about fighting, racing and puzzle solving.
The neat thing about Galaxy is how well all these elements work together to create one spectacular game.
OPENING NEW DOORS
Before Mario can rescue Princess Peach, he must collect stars by going to various realms and solving problems. In Super Mario 64, the realms were hidden around a castle. In Super Mario Galaxy, the realms are hidden around an enormous universe. Don’t take the name “Super Mario Galaxy” to mean this game is limited to one single galaxy, or you will be in for a big surprise.
Mario can collect just over 120 stars in this game, and he simply jumps from one planetoid to the next. Flying through space is done without suits or breathing gear. The hub for all of these worlds is the Comet Observatory, a cosmic campus floating in space.
Around the Comet Observatory are several domes through which Mario can enter multiple galaxies. Mario can’t enter every dome or every galaxy until he’s earned his stars. You start out with one dome and open more by rescuing Power Stars from the galaxies in each dome.
Mario’s chief mode of transportation is a cannon called Launch Stars. To use it, simply walk Mario close to it and shake your controller. It pulls Mario in and shoots him straight to his next location.
Sometimes Mario uses Pull Stars instead, which draw him in using some kind of tractor beam. Like Launch Stars, Pull Stars are safe and easy to use.
Finding a few stars in one galaxy will generally open another and then another. Pretty soon you can enter every galaxy in the dome. Then, when you find a few more stars, you get the biiiiiiiig battle against a member of the Bowser Clan.
Galaxy includes lots of battles against large and mean boss-type characters. Don’t expect to win all of these battles your first time out. When you win against a galactic boss, you get a Grand Star, which is more important than the Power Stars you collect throughout the game. Finding Grand Stars speeds you on your way toward the ultimate battle.
THE MANY FACES OF MARIO
Mario is a plumber of many skills. In this game he flies through space, explores water planets both above and below surface, competes in high-speed races riding a manta ray like a jet ski, rolls through obstacle courses on a giant ball, travels in a bubble and flings himself through space using rubbery plants called sling pods.
Obviously he didn’t learn all these talents in plumbing school. He develops many of them in the game as he finds mushrooms and flowers that enable him to change. Finding a Boo Mushroom, for instance, changes Mario into a ghost that can fly between bars and through special walls, as well as turn invisible.
Bee Mushrooms turn Mario into a worker bee, allowing him short bursts of flight and making him light enough to stand on flowers.
Some talents, however, come naturally to Mario. He needs no special gear to ride a manta ray, other than the ray itself. Ditto for riding in bubbles or on top of a rolling ball.
MORE AND MORE CHALLENGING
Be warned: Super Mario Galaxy is not an easy game. The first levels are little more than a tutorial. It doesn’t take much to win that first ray-surfing race, and the friendly bee galaxy is easily conquered, as long as you learn how to fly in spurts.
Don’t get cocky when you beat Bowser Junior and his planet-stomping robot. You may have won yourself a Grand Star, but you’re still playing on the JV level.
Things get harder almost immediately. You won’t make it through the Sling Pod Galaxy until you develop fast reflexes and a sharp aim.
With a game this size, you’re bound to stumble into one or two styles of play that test your abilities. My biggest challenge was the sling pods. They were easy enough to use, but my aim was often just a tad off. Instead of sending Mario from one pod to the next, I would launch him into space.
Super Mario Galaxy will test you, and it will taunt you with levels you didn’t quite pass that you’re absolutely sure you can pass with one more try. You will get frustrated while still having a good time.
CELEBRATE THE OLD WITH THE NEW
For better or worse, your parents may like Super Mario Galaxy as much as you do. For one thing, they might have grown up playing the original Super Mario Bros. Galaxy has many of the same traps, settings and villains encountered 20 years ago, but now in gorgeous 3D.
Galaxy also has a lot of cool new stuff. Along with the new worlds, new abilities and amazing new graphics, it also has terrific new styles of gameplay. And the controls are right on. Whether you’re playing as a ghost, rolling the ball, flying through space or whatever, the controls behave exactly as you expect them to.
The game is not perfect, but the flaws are small. My biggest complaint was that you can’t save free lives. It’s fairly easy to build up a good supply of them by gathering little gems called Star Bits. But no matter how many lives I earned, when I quit the game there would only be four men when I started it up again.
So here’s the bottom line: If you don’t own a Wii, Super Mario Galaxy probably isn’t a good enough reason to buy one. If you were thinking of getting a Wii, this game might tip the scales. If you own a Wii—what are you waiting for?
Probably the best game ever invented (after Metroid Prime Trilogy), and I only rented the game for three dayz! I <3 this game! Im thinking about bying it the next time we go 2 game stop…
The most hardest galaxy is the slingpod galaxy, its hard slinging your self across. I did beat it but it is very annoying.
I ONLY GOT TO THE SWIRL LEVEL BUT IT WAS NOT MY WII.
This was the beat game of mario games and there making a 2nd one I really want it.
did anyone beat purple coins in the pog pen in the ghostly galaxy, how do you beat it with 1:00.
i have played the game and LOVED it!
mario galaxy is the best game ever
I think the whole game is easy except for the bowser level.But I beat the bowser level!At the end bowser falls in a fire planet and
his universe crashes down! Then you save peach and get out of there.
You wake up and see it was all a dream!And then you go back to the ship and play more levels until you unlock a whole new world!
Acually it was all a real adventure after when you get kicked of of the castle.
Will, I saw a little mistake in your comment, when you said it was all a dream, it was really a real adventure mario had.
I like super mario galaxy
I really want this game. Everyone i should get it.
I found a stadegy to beat luigis purple coins (Toy Time Galaxy), You need to press z and jump and land quick. I didn’t beat it but it might work.
Best Game Ever! Although at times frustrating, this game is definatly one of the best games of all time. If you have a Wii, buy this game immediatly! Don’t even mind the money because this is defineatly worth it.
SUPER MARIO GALAXY IS LIKE THE ONLY MARIO GAME I’VE BEATON! MY MOST FAVORITE GALAXYS ARE BUBBLE BREAZE GALAXY, BUBBLE BLAST GALAXY, AND THE LOOPDESWOOP GALAXY. my favorite bosses are bowser and bowser jr. I CAN NOT BEAT PURPLE COINS IN THE POG PEN (GHOSLY GALAXYS PURPLE COINS) HOW DO YOU BEAT IT WITH ONLY 1:OO.
Super mario galaxy is the funest mario game created in the history of mario games
i got all 120 stars but i cant beat bowser he has a good stratagy
This is a good game! I Like the MUSIC A LOT!!
Not long ago I sold my Super Mario Galaxy, I thought it was really fun. Now I saw that Nintendo is coming out with a Super Mario Galaxy 2. I want it so bad! : – )
XLR8, whay did you sell it? I know you can sell anything you want,but I thought it was a fun game.
I like it, but it’s hard! I have only 101 stars and Luigi’s Purple Coins(Toy Time Galaxy’s Purple Comet)is so hard that my friend beat everything except that.
I beat the whole game and Luigi is WAY better than mario because the levels are more easy
I got all 242 stars! (Add Mario’s and Luigi’s stars, then add two because the extra level after you get Luigi and beat him.) This game is COOL!
u can turn mario into a comet, press pause,a,c,z.
i still cant get past ray surfing….. i keep dieing .. and dieing…. and y the heck are there no savepoints…..
beat center of universe. get 120 stars. beat it again. you get luigi.
get 120 stars again. beat center of universe AGAIN and you get the starting scene.
find the star and you get 121st star.
you have beaten the game
you can only get rosalina in mario kart wii if you have a super mario galaxy file
you cant get out of the garden (secret room)
I LOVE this game it’s my favorite! But I’m still on the first terrece. Keyman4 did you get to to the Sweet Sweet Galexy? I did but I can’t get past the second part. Can you tell me how? If I could rate this I’d give it a 5+. Oh if you don’t have this game I’d sugguest you buy it.
i got really far i got to the kitchen and you need to pass the posin swamp.
im stuck with the fiercy stronghold. bowsers hard
sorry cj but maybe soon youll get a wii
keyman4, of coures its best 4 wii! its ONLY 4 wii!
i agree with king demott, theres tons of magic! take roselina 4 exampel! p.s. dont complan if i spell wrong, im only in 2 grade!
im stuck on bowsers dark matter planet.
Dear cj it is not on D.s.
To walla luigi:Of course it has magic in it, haven’t you played a mario game before?
I have every thing in the game I have beat the game with mario and luigi.Ive collected 120 stars and I got the secret level.
King DeMott it dosent matter about the graphics it matters how good the game is.
I have this game and its my favirte game ever!!!
that game looks fun! Is there any magic in it?
There is a level on Mario Kart Wii based on this game! Way Cool!!!
The graphics in this game are not exactly good enough to deserve a 10, but it is still pretty much the best game I have ever played… although I brought it bact to the store.
I am already in the center of the universe, and nobody else in my family is!
Man!!!That game looks cool.Is it on the ds:o
I hear after you defeat the center of the universe and then get 60 more power stars, you get to play as Luigi!
This game is the best for Wii,from its amazing graphics to astounding gameplay