Finally we have Mario 128, and it’s in space!
Playing Super Mario Galaxy is as close as I have ever come to gaming nirvana. Simply put, it’s like nothing else out there. It’s the kind of game that will set a benchmark that is nigh on unachievable. It will inspire clones and copiers who can’t even dream of capturing it’s true essence, but they’ll try anyway because if they do somehow even manage to replicate a fraction of the greatness that is Mario Galaxy, then what they’ve done is a success. This is what the Wii was made for – innovation merged with infinite accessibility and depth. This is a gaming experience unlike anything you’ll ever experience. And you’ll love every second.
Super Mario Galaxy’s story hasn’t really changed that much from previous iterations. Bowser steals Princess Peach, Mario undergoes quest to retrieve her, Mario defeats Bowser and saves Princess. The big difference here is that all of that happens in outer space. Basically, at the very beginning
It’s the kind of game that will set a benchmark that is nigh on unachievable.
of the game, Bowser invades that Mushroom Kingdom and kidnaps Peach by cutting her castle from the ground and lifting her up into space. Mario manages to grab a hold of the castle and flies up with them, until a Magikoopa blasts him away. He lands on a small planet, where he meets a couple of Luma’s, which are small star shaped things that show up at first as rabbits. He helps the Luma’s save a Power Star from Bowser. They take him to Rosalina, who tells him that Bowser has take Peach to the center of the universe. In order to save Peach, Mario must retrieve all the Power Stars that Bowser stole from Rosalina, so that she can power up her ship and fly to the center of the universe. It’s all very basic, but the story is only used as a means to tie everything together, and therefore isn’t all that important. What really makes the experience is the gameplay.
And man does it play. You move from planetoid to planetoid, stomping Goombas and hurtling shells. It’s more akin to the earlier Super Mario Bros games on the NES and SNES than Mario 64 or Sunshine. What’s truly amazing about it is the way it uses gravity. Each small planetoid has it’s own gravitational pull. If two small pieces of rock are on top of each other, and you jump up into the air on the bottom rock, the top rocks pull will draw you in and you’ll land on the top rock. It changes how you see the game dynamically, because if you can’t find the exit on a platform, it could be on the side or the bottom. It’ll take you 5 minutes to get used to, but then it becomes so natural that you can’t believe other games haven’t thought of it. It’s backed up by quite solid controls that are supremely responsive. A is to jump, B is to shoot little star bits that you can collect, Z is to crouch and a shake is to do the new spin attack. It’s a very simple button layout, but it works very well with the game. There is nothing quite like the gameplay in Super Mario Galaxy. Every time you play it you’ll discover new things that change the way you’ll play for the better. No game plays better on the Wii and you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s better on the other systems as well.
Everything else in the game is topped off by a brilliant score accompanied by some great sound effects. There are the traditional wa-hoo’s and its-a-me’s from Mario, with some quite excellent music in the background. It fits the mood perfectly- When Mario is strolling around Rosalina’s ship, everything is light and cheery. However, if you’re about to go up against a boss, everything is very dark and foreboding. It’s some of the most truly excellent music I’ve heard, and it’s just another facet that will draw you in further and further into the game.
Simply put, Galaxy is head and shoulders above everything else out there, and will probably stay that way until the next one comes along. The graphics will hook you and the gameplay will make you stay as you jet off with your good friend Mario into one of the most incredible adventures you’ll ever know
The Bad: Seriously, there are NO cons
