And classic elements such as the ever-present Goombas and Toads, as well as a cameo of appearances by Luigi, remind you that you're still playing the Mario series that you know and love.
The Super Mario Galaxy adventure begins as one would expect, with Bowser disrupting a party in Mushroom Kingdom and abducting Princess Peach. Something happens and you end up in a place called the Comet Observatory, surrounded by star shaped creatures named Lumas. From there, the game rolls out the story via chapters that explain the existence and purpose of the Comet Observatory and its leaders, Rosalina.
The plot is conveyed in a weird way---you listen to Rosalina read from a children's storybook. There are surely better wasy to explain the plot; this feels like a shortcut that does a disservice to the fans who have grown up with Mario.
Regardless of the presentation, Galaxy continues the Mario series's proud tradition of innovative platforming. On most stages (called galaxies), Mario's activities take place on small planetoids---sometimes he can circumnavigate them, and sometimes, he must stay on one side of a planetoid. Gravity plays a huge role in the action and fortunately, it doesn't take long to acquire a feel for how it affects your movements. Nonetheless, and even with Galaxy's scary-smart camera following you obediently across curves, 3D surfaces, you will sometimes make a leap that you're sure is correct, only to be tossed into deep space. Crazy gravity or not, Mario's new ability-granting outfits weave into the gameplay as well, too---it's nice to see the long-awaited return of Fire Mario, and Boo Mario is comically great. All of the outfits probably could have been utilized even more than they were, but the gameplay balance between them and regular Mario is perfectly adequate.
Galaxy doesn't go out of its way to remind you of the remote-and-nunchuk control scheme. This is undeniably a good thing, particularly to shake off the notion that Wii control is simply a gimmick---Galaxy shows that the controls have real, positive uses that can be intergrated smoothly into conventional games, as well as to create new genres. By jiggling either the Wiimote or the nunchuck, you can get extra height on jumps or spin to hit nearby enemies. Spinning also lets you hit switches and has a few context-sensitive uses, such as commencing skating while on ice.
In Mario titles of the past, the intergration of great graphics to enhance the gameplay has been a key feature---Super Mario 64's 3D worlds and the water in Super Mario Sunshine come to mind---and Galaxy follows suit. The expansive 3D worlds would be entirely innavigatable if it weren't visual cues created by reflections, shadows, and transparencies that probably coundn't have been done on prior hardware. As we saw with Metroid Prime 3, Nintendo has simply been able to get more out of its hardware than other developers have. Crisp, vibrant surroundings and minimal draw-in despite the spacious worlds that allow you to remain immersed in the vibrant galaxies. And the environments dazzle with real-time lighting particle effects that again prove the Wii isn't just a new controller.
For the most part, Super Mario Galaxy does an excellent job of organizing its levels in terms of difficulty---nearly every new challenge is a little bit harder than its predecessor. But occasionally, you'll come across a regular mission that is easier or much more difficult. And unfortunately, Galaxy as a whole doesn't seem to be able to overcome the industry's slow, steady march towards easier games; in particular, for sure, but it won't keep hard-core gamers up at night.
Despite a few weak spots, Mario's debut effore on the Wii is stellar. The diverse gameplay and steer platforming joy will keep you mesmerized.
Pros
- Graphic + Music
- Layout Of Levels
- 2 Player Co-op
- Makes You Think
Cons
Bottom Line: 10/10 (Mario Maniacs, Jump For Joy...*Jump*)
