Super Mario Galaxy

The plumber in red and blue has come a long way from running up slopes and jumping over barrels. In the latest adventure, the Italian hero finds himself in the vastness of space, where up and down have no definitive meaning. Once again, the super-villain, Bowser, is up to no good. He has kidnapped princess Peach, and escaped deep into the universe, and it’s up to Mario to save the day.

After the princess is kidnapped, you awaken to find yourself in an unknown world. Soon after, you meet some nice little lumas (star creatures) and arrive at a space station inhabited by a starry princess, Rosalina. Rosalina tells you that if you are to rescue Peach you will need to find power stars in order to fuel the space station so that you can travel deep into the universe. Much like all of the previous Mario titles, Galaxy doesn’t have a very rich plot. Keep in mind, this is a platform game, so going overboard with the story is only going to make playing the game a bore - we have our premise, and we have our motivation; the rest is up to the game-play experience.

If you are at all familiar with Super Mario 64, then Super Mario Galaxy should come quite natural to you. In fact, the control scheme is virtually identical to that of Super Mario 64 – for better or for worse. There are some questionable choices the developers continue to make, as well as several new ones, regarding the control that I am not too fond of. Since Galaxy is overall an absolutely entertaining and incredibly enjoyable game, I feel that I ought to get these gripes off my chest right away so I can move onto more pleasantries.

Timing your jumps in succession will result in the double and triple jumps, and pressing the Z button right before jumping will cause Mario to leap into a long jump. It works well, mainly because so many of us have become accustomed to this system. Though, it does seem a bit odd that performing a long jump is achieved very similarly to pulling off a butt-stomp (jump and then Z – or Z then jump), when the two moves have completely different effects. This will most certainly spell disaster for you on several occasions as you stomp down onto nothing but miles of open sky below you, when you really hoped to long jump. It’s not a perfect system, but it at least works for the most part. An annoying little quirk, which seems to have survived into the transition from the N64, is that once you are set in motion in a specific direction (particularly while jumping), changing direction doesn’t feel as fluid as it should. It happens very rarely, but it has been responsible for taking my hard-earned Marios countless times. Speaking of accumulating extra lives – don’t strive too hard for more than you need in a gaming session, because saving your game will not save your extra lives.

Of course, since this is a Wii title, Nintendo wants to take advantage of their Wii remote. For the majority of the time, it comes as quite natural and easy to get ahold of, but there are several “mini-game” aspects of Galaxy, which seem to unnaturally force the Wii remote upon you. First of all, there are a couple levels which you ride on top of a ray and surf the seas. Controlling your direction is managed by turning the Wii remote to the left or right – a feat which does not seem as intuitive as you might think. Also, there are a couple levels in which you are balancing on top of a ball and roll around on it. Controlling the direction is done by holding the Wii remote in an upright position and tilting it forward to go forward, backwards to go backward and of course left and right to go to either side. It sounds easy enough, but execution is a completely different thing. That is because, the Wii remote is incredibly sensitive – much more than you would naturally expect. Tilting the remote just a little bit can have Mario rolling off a cliff before you even have time to process what is happening. The problem is that many of these levels would be incredibly simple if you were to use only the analog stick, so one can only make the assumption that these are unnecessary forces of the Wii remote that could have been optional or left out. If you can do the same parts over literally 10-20 times being shouting obscenities at your Wii, then you know something is up. And when you say to yourself over and over how easy these parts would be if you could do it with the analog stick, then you know it was a poor decision to force the Wii remote on you. It’s not just that it is difficult to manage, but that it in no way feels intuitive to the action which you are performing on screen. It would be understandable if the Wii remote in some way symbolized an object on screen you were moving, but it doesn’t – it’s just a directional device. By this sort of thinking, they may as well have forced you to turn the Wii remote around all the time to control Mario’s every movement. Thank every deity there is imaginable that they didn’t do that.

Although improved since Mario’s first appearance in 3D, the camera does still host a rather schizophrenic personality. It typically serves as a helpful companion; always adjusting itself to get the best angle of the action or zooming to a vantage point to give you a general idea of what your surroundings are and what you should be doing. But, it is not without its faults. Sometimes the camera thinks so much for itself that it is thinking differently than you are thinking, and doesn’t consider what would be best for you, the player. There are a few areas in particular in which the camera is caught behind a wall making you invisible. There are also times in which the camera thinks it knows best but forgets it’s merely a collection of logical programming and has no real brain. That is to say, sometimes the camera will do things that it thinks are right for the game, but are wrong for your particular position or movement patterns. This will lead to your demise on a variety of occasions, and more specifically, in certain areas. Though, truth be told, the camera is quite smart and does very well for it’s purpose even if it does behave badly every so often, and deserve a spanking. Most platform games simply tail behind your character, but at least the 3D Mario engine attempts to always keep a good angle and let you know what you are up against. For that, the camera should be praised for doing a pretty darn good job at finding the best shot of the action.

All of the games throughout the history of the Mario legacy have always revolved around having fun and creating an enjoyable experience. With that in mind, Galaxy is no different. The gameplay in Galaxy is quite similar to Super Mario 64, but with an added dose of ingenuity, creativity and humor. In Galaxy, you will come across a large number of different levels, called galaxies, all of which have their own individual theme and style. Also like in Super Mario 64, there are multiple stars to collect from most of the galaxies – many you are informed about, and many secret stars. Since Super Mario Galaxy has a space theme, there are also certain occasions throughout the game in which comets will orbit a galaxy adding an affect to the level, and also giving you the opportunity to collect another star. There are several different comet types, which have different effects on the galaxy such as completing the level in a certain amount of time, completing the level without taking damage, racing a parallel version of Mario and collecting purple coins. Regardless of whichever comet type is orbiting whichever level, you are almost guaranteed to be up for a challenge. You don’t need to collect all of the stars to complete the game – you only need 60 out of the 120 possible.

Since Mario is now surfing the skies, many levels no longer restrict you to the “you up – ground down” philosophy. In fact, most of the levels are now modeled in a way that you can run all around a planet or object, meaning you can run on the surface underneath a platform you had recently walked on top of. It’s a bit difficult to portray exactly what I mean without seeing it, but needless to say, the developers have really applied some creative mechanics based around gravity. Sometimes it is never possible to fall off a platform as doing so would only have you sucked back up from the gravity of the plane. Other times, you jump from planet to planet or object to object by jumping high enough that you leave your current object’s gravitational field and get sucked into the gravity of another body.

The added style of gameplay, consisting primarily of creative gravity mechanics, would be nothing in execution if it were not for some really well thought out levels. Without a doubt, the level design in Galaxy is top-notch, with some of the most satisfying platform gaming ever. Levels vary in theme from the deserts and haunted houses that many of us have grown up with, to more futuristic settings like in open-space with spaceships and the like. Not only are the levels incredibly unique, but there is a considerable amount of variation in how you play through many of the levels as well. Additional power mushrooms in Galaxy will now transform Mario into a variety of different forms. You can become a bee and fly around and stick to honey, and even turn into a ghost to sift through certain barriers. There is even the classic fire-throwing Mario, which has been around from the very first Super Mario Brothers game. And to rival the fiery wrath of Mario is the newly added ice-Mario, who can run across water as it turns into ice. There is also spring-Mario, although he is just as much of a pain in the ass, as he is of a pleasure. Occasionally, you even get to soar around in the sky unaided, although these parts seem to be much rarer and not quite as enjoyable. While the situations that you get to play as these powered up versions of Mario don’t consist of the majority of the gameplay, they are at least frequent enough to keep things fresh and different as you tour the universe.

Sadly, if you are just trying to finish the game as quickly as possible, it will not take you that long. Collecting 60 stars is a cinch and can be done within 5 hours – possibly even less. While some levels will keep you at a standstill working your best to earn that special star, many other levels can be beaten extremely quickly with little or no effort. I am not sure if I was just too much in the groove of playing Mario Galaxy, but there were at least 5-10 stars that I earned in one or two minutes tops. Most gamers will want to put a little more time into Galaxy than a quick finish, because there is an awful lot to see and do. In fact, I completed the game before even realizing that there was a whole other room containing 4 or 5 different levels I had never even knew existed! Don’t be mistaken into thinking there are hundreds of levels though, because in reality, most of the time you spend replaying the same levels in different ways. All in all, Galaxy contains between 20 and 30 levels – some much longer or shorter than others.

If you are a perfectionist, and want to make it your mission to obtain all 120 stars, know that you will be up for a few frustrating challenges, but you aren’t looking at anything that will take too much time out of your life. Surprisingly, I was able to obtain all 120 power stars in under a week, without the aide or help of anyone else or any guides. To be honest, I was expecting a bit more of a challenge, especially since I never got around to completely finishing Super Mario 64, but sadly Galaxy wasn’t that difficult. There were a few levels which I did repeat the same parts countless times sometimes for more than an hour (for example, the blasted toy level where you have to collect the purple coins), but once you get through those difficult power stars which hold you back, you won’t find many others that will intimidate you quite the same. I can only recall maybe three different power stars that I really had to put an enormous amount of effort into obtaining – the others came fairly easy or simply with a little bit of practice. If you are a regular gamer or pretty savvy with platform gaming, don’t head into Galaxy expecting too much of a challenge. Because it is marketed towards a general audience, Galaxy doesn’t put up much of a fight, even if you are trying to perfect it.

Visually, Super Mario Galaxy is top notch – well, for Wii standards anyway. Let’s be realistic, the graphics are really great looking, but they couldn’t ever dare to compare to most games on PS3 or Xbox 360. In retrospect, if this is the best that the Wii can boast, it’s portfolio is sadly last-gen. Don’t get me wrong – the graphics are really beautifully done – it’s just that in today’s gaming era, one would have hoped to at least see Mario in higher resolution or modeled out of a larger number of polygons. But this review is for Super Mario Galaxy specifically, and not the Wii’s horsepower, so for the tools available to the developers of this installment, the visuals are excellent. One cannot expect a carpenter to craft a log cabin when you only give him mud. The team behind Super Mario Galaxy did seem to push the Wii to its potential, so credit should be given when it is due. Most of the character models are more rounded than ever before and everything from Mario and Bowser, to koopas and goombas look great.

After taking a first glance at these character models you might get the impression that the game is using real time lighting throughout the world. Well, here is another bummer because sadly, it is not. I was a bit disappointed to notice several dead giveaways indicating the lighting effects were pre-rendered. For one, the shading and lighting on character models do not coincide with the shading and lighting on other character models present. In other words, the lighting and shadows on character models imply there are either light sources coming from multiple directions which we can’t see or they are simply pre-rendered. Another dead giveaway are the shadows of hovering objects – as an object ascends or descends, the shadow below it does not increase or decrease in size. Many objects only cast circular shadows as well, instead of a shadow in their masses reflection. One would have hoped that by now we would be seeing real time lighting effects to the arsenal of the Mario engine, but it appears as though we are only being tricked into thinking that it is present.

Most of the texture work throughout Super Mario Galaxy is very colorful and detailed, although there are occasional textures throughout the universe which seem oddly plain – as if they were taken straight from the N64. The visual saving grace of Galaxy is the way that the polygons and particles come into creating appealing imagery, through the use of creative design and construction. In this sense, Galaxy is incredible with a large range of the most beautifully and well designed environments and character models ever seen in any Mario game. Planets are rounded and Galaxy even has 3D lava - both of which look surprisingly awesome for a Mario game. The line of sight is quite far, and popup is minimal at all times. There are also some nice uses of particle effects, which are possibly the best the Wii has seen so far. Although relatively simple looking - the penguins and toads look cute, as does Peach and Rosalina. Bowser looks as angry as ever and now has flowing hair. All of the character models simply look great and manage to retain the same personalities that we have come to recognize. If you had to compare the visual prowess of Super Mario Galaxy to every other Wii game released so far, it definitely takes the eye-candy cake.

But more impressive than the graphics of Super Mario Galaxy are the sounds. I am actually quite baffled and amazed to say this, but without a doubt, Super Mario Galaxy has some of the best music I have heard in a video game in a long time. Most of the music is really pretty or majestic, and other tunes are just perfectly suited for their respective levels. When you play through a haunted house, you will hear eerie music, just as when you are playing a desert level you will hear Egyptian music. Most of the score consists of the sounds of an orchestra, although there are a few nice piano-only pieces as well. I never thought I would hear some of the best music in gaming coming from a Mario game, but truth be told, the music is up there with the best. There are a few secrets throughout Galaxy which require you to collect music notes, and as each note is collected it sounds another note of the song – the funny part is that if you have a good memory you should recognize one of the tunes from Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Of course, there are a wide variety of songs from previous Mario games, remixed in a range of different styles. The sound effects are generally what you would expect of a Mario game, and spoken dialog consists only of those one or two worders (“okay”, or “let’s begin”), which feels a bit unnecessary. Also taken from the Zelda series is the addition of a rather irritating alarm noise that constantly sounds when you are low on health. It’s nice for the heads up, but it can get on your nerves. Another interesting and unrelated note is that seed spitters (from Ocarina of Time) have made an appearance in Galaxy! Generally speaking, nearly everything sounds excellent and those which I didn’t particularly care for are merely a matter of personal taste. Without a doubt, Super Mario Galaxy sounds better than any of its predecessors.

And, if for some reason you get tired of goomba stomping or helping your incompetent green-suited brother, you can drop by the library to read a short story detailing the story of a little girl, who appears to be Rosalina. It isn’t a necessary element of the gameplay in Galaxy, but the storybook feature is always there if you are feeling like you need a rest from star collecting. As you progress through the game additional chapters become available to read allowing you to get the whole background behind the mysterious woman helping you. Don’t go off thinking this is RPG quality storytelling, but it can’t hurt that it is there and at least adds a little more “soul” to Galaxy.

If you have a Wii, then you probably already know, but if you don’t let me remind you: it is your duty to purchase this game. It is a must-own for every Wii gamer there is. It is one of, if not “the”, best looking games currently available on the Wii and the gameplay is unmatched by any platform game to date. Built upon incredibly innovative approaches to how you play, and mixed in with some of the most creative level designs ever, playing Super Mario Galaxy is a definite treat – one you shouldn’t live without.




Overall Score: 9.3

Gameplay: (10) As good as platform gaming gets. Incredibly creative with lots of power-ups, sweet gravity effects and an enormous amount of well balanced variation.

Graphics: (8) Some of the best visuals the Wii has to offer, but sadly, not up to next-gen standards. Camera can ocassionally be a bother, but everything is generally excellent.

Sound: (10) I am a bit embarassed to say it, but some of the best music in gaming dwells within this universe. Sound effects are what you'd expect in a Mario game, but the music is the real treat.

Lasting Appeal: (9) A huge amount of various types of gameplay, with some huge levels and lots of secrets and extras for the perfectionist. It's only a shame that some levels are too easily beaten.