Stratosphere High Expectations

When Mario Galaxy 2 was first unveiled last year at E3, I was excited, but also had some serious reservations. After all, the first Galaxy is my favorite single-player game of this generation, and just a scant year and a half later, I already had a second one to look forward to--it felt just a little too soon. And it didn’t help that quotes from Miyamoto himself hinted that the sequel itself may not be as fully featured as its predecessor. Luckily, after playing the game for two-days straight, I can soundly put those fears to rest: Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a sequel absolutely worthy of the Mario name.

If you’ve played any Mario game before, you know the drill: Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser and it’s up to Mario to rescue her. The story’s bareboned, even when compared to the original Galaxy, but it’s all the game needs on which to hang its magnificent gameplay. Frankly, it’s refreshing to play an epic adventure such as this and be in control nearly the entire time, without having excessive cut-scenes interfere with the fact this is first and foremost a game--a product meant to entertain actively instead of passively.

 

For the uninitiated, the core of Super Mario Galaxy 2, like its predecessor, is generally based around a series of bite-sized environments strung together to form surprisingly long levels, most of which utilize gravity in some unique way. For instance, some levels take place on miniature planets, enabling you to actually orbit around them if you can jump far enough. Other times, you’ll find yourself walking up walls and along ceilings depending on which way gravity’s pulling. It’s all very clever, but also something those who played the first game should be familiar with. But luckily, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Mario Galaxy 2.

In a word, the level design is simply superb. Not only is nearly every level a joy to play, but the game’s constantly introducing new mechanics that will often make you exclaim “whoa” (or in my case, usually some less family-friendly variant). For example, you’ll stumble upon something called a “Spin Drill”--using it enables Mario to burrow right through the ground to the other side of the planet! It’s really neat and opens up some interesting gameplay possibilities, such as a giant  spider-boss whose weakness is his exposed underside, forcing a subterranean attack.

An Old Plumber Can Learn New Tricks

Of course, what would a Mario game be without an array of power-ups, several of which are brand new? While the Bee, Boo, Spring, and Fire Flower are all back, they’re also joined by the new Cloud and Rock suits. The Cloud suit augments Mario’s jumping prowess, enabling him to create a fluffy platform wherever he likes, whereas the Rock suit transforms Mario into a boulder that allows him to steamroll through the environment at high speed (much like the Goron from Majora’s Mask). I found the Cloud suit to be a particularly enjoyable addition, encouraging exploration enabled by your platform safety net. However, I didn’t find the Rock suit to be quite as fun, due to its touchy controls and inability to come to a stop, sending me off a few more cliff ledges than I would have liked.

Perhaps the most noticeable addition to Galaxy 2 is the return of Mario’s dinosaur buddy, Yoshi, opening up a slew of new gameplay opportunities. In addition to enabling you to leap further (thanks to Yoshi’s signature Flutter Jump), he can chow down on nearby foes or swing from nearby platforms merely by lashing his tongue out effortlessly and directing it with the Wii Remote’s pointer. Riding Yoshi is a blast, and using his tongue is perhaps the best implementation of the Wii’s pointing ability yet. Beyond that, scattered throughout the game are fruits that Yoshi can gobble, granting him special powers such as running fast, flying, or lighting up areas.

 

Something else that has changed is the overworld, or rather, the lack thereof. Instead of having to navigate a large environment that connects each individual level (or “galaxy,” in this case), everything is accessible from a map, not unlike those featured in the side-scrolling Marios, such as Super Mario World or New Super Mario Bros. I have mixed feelings on this; I actually quite like the idea of an overworld, as it can be fun exploring the environment discovering new levels and secrets (such as in Mario 64). However, navigating the one in the first Mario Galaxy was cumbersome, often making it difficult to find levels or even figure out which ones have or haven’t yet been completed. So in this respect, Mario Galaxy 2’s map is a success, streamlining level selection ensuring you always know where to go next. Unfortunately, the world map isn’t particularly exciting, especially when compared to previous Mario titles, where secrets often lurked off the beaten path, encouraging you to fully explore each level to find the hidden route. However, this is a relatively minor complaint as the map system works just fine, even if it’s uninspired.

A Treat for the Eyes and Ears

The visuals, like Galaxy before, are outstanding. They again demonstrate that a competent art style can overcome lacking hardware. Each world has seemingly been crafted out of sheer energy, using a bright color palette and bouncy animation that compliments the lively gameplay. And let me say this: some of the sights are simply jaw-dropping. Whether it’s light filtering through the forest treetops or a lush garden set against a glorious sunset, I have absolutely no reservations about pointing to Super Mario Galaxy 2 as one of the prettiest games this generation.

 

The beautiful visuals are joined by a fantastic soundtrack, which does a great job in setting the tone for each stage. I can’t help but become a bit giddy whenever I hear some classic Mario songs make their return, but I still have one complaint: the music isn’t quite as epic in scale as the amazing production in the first Galaxy, though it really is still fantastic in its own right.

A Stellar Experience

Super Mario Galaxy 2 cements that Nintendo is king of platforming in a 3D space. Everything in Super Mario Galaxy 2 feels completely natural and an extension of what Mario has done before.  It expertly combines brilliant level design, inventive gameplay mechanics, tight controls, and beautiful visuals and sound into what can only be described as a masterpiece. Even though Super Mario Galaxy 2 provides north of 30 hours of gameplay, it still leaves you wanting more. Sure, it may not be as revolutionary as its predecessor, but it expands upon it in so many creative ways that it really feels like an entirely new experience.

Many critics lavish praise on games and films that engender emotions such as sadness or fear, but it’s strange that happiness, the emotion we humans tend to enjoy the most, also seems to be the one referenced the least. Super Mario Galaxy 2 delivers this emotion in spades, offering an experience that often borders on ecstasy. This is the type of game that stands in stark contrast to the dark and “realistic” experiences that are prevalent in gaming today.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is magical. An artifact of a bygone era where gameplay was paramount. There are no words that more aptly describe the sheer unadulterated joy felt while venturing through Mario’s latest adventure; it’s simply a stellar experience from start to finish. Mario has once again set the benchmark, and I just hope other developers follow suit.