The reason for this brief history lesson isn’t actually just to pad out the review to fill the minimum word quota, but is in fact needed to point out how Super Mario Galaxy is one of these genre defining games. As good as Super Mario Sunshine was, it’ll never live in the memory in the same way Super Mario Bros. 3 or Mario 64 do. Super Mario Galaxy quite possibly will, simply because it has the magic, the ideas and most importantly, the imagination that the very best of the best have – and Galaxy has all of the above in spades.
Imaginative environments have always been a staple ingredient in the Mario games and it was in this area that Sunshine really came up short, ditching the surreal Mushroom Kingdom for more (and we mean this in the loosest possible sense) ‘realistic’ settings. Beaches, fairgrounds, shipping harbors and villages are about as visually appealing as a stretch of motorway when compared to the delights contained in Mario’s latest offering. The use of Galaxy in the title really emphasizes the degree of freedom the developers have had in creating the world. There are no boundaries, nothing is too surreal or off limits as far as the environments go.
One minute you’re invading the site of a rocket launch, the next you’re scaling a giant, motorized robot like something out of Shadow of the Colossus. To go into any further detail would only rob you of the magic of uncovering these delights yourself, but needlessly to say the game constantly surprises, and delights, again and again. As does the actual level design which frequently ignores any unwritten rules or conventions when it comes to platforming. For a kick-off, the game is constantly shifting from 3D to 2D depending on the situation. In 3D platformers there are always parts where a simple fixed camera would suffice. For example, you simply don’t need a 3D plane when you’re on a fixed moving platform, dodging between laser beams and balls of fire. Galaxy recognizes these moments and adjusts the perspective accordingly.
Looks like we have a mole problem....
The trend in most 3D platformers since Mario 64 has been to throw you into a 3D world and have you complete a handful of tasks to progress. Despite star collecting still being the aim of the game, Super Mario Galaxy again tosses the rulebook out the window and does things how it wants. Contained within the main hub of the game are a selection of observatories, and each contain a different galaxy of orbiting planets. These planets could be absolutely anything. They could be a Mario 64-esque world containing a selection of stars, or they could be a linear set of interconnected planets, each with their own mini puzzles to solve in order to progress. Anyone who enjoyed the semi-linear Bowser stages in Mario 64 will be happy to see a spiritual return of those too. It’s not uncommon for whole planets to exist solely for a single star. Take, for example, the water park planet within the first galaxy - a giant water slide suspended in mid-air created for one single race. Things aren’t needlessly reused here to artificially lengthen the quest like they are in lesser games.
Unlike Super Mario Sunshine, where collecting red/blue coins made up a large percentage of the 120 stars (‘shines’ in that game), there is none of that laziness here. You can really appreciate the care that went into making practically every star in the game an enjoyable achievement. One of the biggest reasons why Yoshi’s Island is such a special game is the way each level had its own theme, its own idea, its own power up or ability that made it different from the rest. Super Mario Galaxy replicates that variety.
Its ideas are simply jaw dropping at times, whether you’re jumping your way through gravity switching tubular structures, taking a ride inside a bubble, or sling-shotting yourself across an asteroid belt, the game constantly presents you with new, exiting ideas and gameplay mechanics. A big factor in achieving this sense of variety is the inclusion of arguably the best set of power-ups in a Mario game since Super Mario Bros. 3. We’ve all seen the ‘bee’ costume that handily lets Mario hover in the air briefly as well as tread lightly on clouds and flower petals, but it’s predictably the ones that Nintendo have kept under wraps that offer the most thrills.
The game isn’t afraid to completely change the control dynamics for particular levels either. The water slide race mentioned earlier, for example, features Excitetruck-like controls, while a motion controlled Monkey Ball tribute stage is hidden away too. There are many sections where the Wii remote pointer is used - most commonly for traveling between the blue star orbs scattered through space but it does have other quite frankly more inventive uses that you’ll be keen to discover.
Mario's plan to sell fruit & veg didn't quite turn out as he'd hoped.
While on the subject of the Wii remote, it’s of little surprise that Super Mario Galaxy's controls are absolute perfection. The camera is near faultless, never getting stuck in silly positions and always trying its best to give the best possible view of the action. Mario is controlled exactly how you would expect him to with movement on the nunchuck analog stick, jumping with A on the Wii remote and a combination of Z and A to perform Mario’s butt stomping, long jumping and back flipping abilities. His movement is quicker, his jumping is smoother and his ‘weight’ feels just right. In short, Mario is a complete joy to play with, especially given the swift pace of the game. When playing at full flow, leaping between platforms, bouncing off enemies and flying from planet to planet it echoes one of those expert Super Mario Bros speed runs, such is the fluidity.
For the most part this game could be controlled on a Gamecube pad, but doing so would remove the surprising satisfaction that the spin attack provides. Traveling between planets is achieved by activating star launch pads. They could have made them activate automatically or with just a button press but by requiring a shake of the Wii remote it genuinely connects you to the game. It’s the same with the boss encounters. In the past a punch from a button press would have been more than acceptable, but smashing the tail of a giant piranha plant or fiercely returning a watermelon into the face of a humongous octopus with a sharp thrust of the Wii remote is strangely satisfying.
On the topic of boss fights, the quality of the ones found here are in keeping with the high standards the rest of the game has set, the Bowser encounters being the jewel in the crown. Not just because they’re superb, screen filling affairs, but also because Bowser is back to being mean again. In recent years he’s been treated as a bit of a token comical bad guy, but in Galaxy he’s angry and he’s evil and it’s great to see. Especially given the strength of the story this time around which, without going into detail, has a much grander, more epic feel to anything that has gone on in a Mario game before now.
In terms of visuals and presentation there isn’t a single game on the Wii that can match what Super Mario Galaxy delivers. From the Yoshi’s Island-style story book sketchings that open the game to the gorgeously rendered cutscenes that play throughout, the game is presented in the highest quality. Graphically it’s in a league of its own compared to other Wii titles. It’s bright, it’s colourful, it’s imaginative, it’s surreal, it’s beyond anything you could expect from a Mario game but at the same time it’s exactly what you would expect. It looks like Mario but offers so much more. Everything is huge and totally over the top and we love it. It all runs incredibly smoothly, no matter how fast things are moving or however many things are on screen at once.
One of the finest platforming levels in gaming.
Music has always been a big part of what has made the Mario series so special. Everyone knows the Super Mario Bros. theme, the level 1 tune from Super Mario Bros. 3 and the unforgettable melody of Peach’s castle in Mario 64. Thankfully Super Mario Galaxy yet again excels in this area, providing the player with a variety of catchy tunes that you’ll find yourself humming around the house or whistling to yourself in the shower, especially the beautiful orchestrated hub theme. To add to this delight there are also a handful of classic tunes thrown into the mix, including the Bowser stage music from Mario 64 which pleased a certain member of our staff.
It’s hard to find any fault in Super Mario Galaxy. Sure, there are a handful of anti-climatic star missions, but out of 120 of them it’s hardly a worthwhile complaint. Difficulty is something that has often been lacking in recent Nintendo games, but even here Galaxy excels, managing to challenge the player more the further you get. Being able to ‘finish’ the game at 60 stars also gives the game a wider appeal, allowing more casual, lesser skilled gamers get to the ‘end’ while the hardcore players will attempt to truly finish it at 120 stars (and beyond…) much like in Mario 64 where you could finish with 70/120 stars, or even Yoshi’s Island which wasn’t a hard game to finish but the underlying score system gave the committed gamer a worthy challenge.
Sometimes a game of such high quality comes along and you’ve just got to hold your hands up and say well done. Super Mario Galaxy delivers blistering quality in every area, whether it’s level design, the soundtrack, boss fights, graphics or controls. It feels familiar but fresh thanks to the sheer amount of ideas and creativity put into each and every level. Like so many lesser games do, corners haven’t been cut by reusing ideas over and over or artificially extending the length of the game with collect-a-thons. Practically every level offers something different from the one before it and it’s a game that will surprise and delight more the deeper you explore. There's no such thing as a perfect game, but Super Mario Galaxy comes as close as you're ever likely to get. An essential experience for all gamers.
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