What wasn’t so old is new again as Super Mario Galaxy 2 sets out to expand on what we saw in the original Galaxy game. New levels, new power ups, 242 more stars to collect and the return of Yoshi are all here to achieve that expanded gameplay experience. But is that what Super Mario Galaxy 2 simply amounts to – an expansion pack? Or is Super Mario Galaxy 2 a step towards 3D platforming game perfection? Pick up your Fire Flower and let’s burn through this to find out.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn’t muck around much with extra story, it sticks with the tried and true Mario game premise. Once again, you have to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from Bowser, but this time he’s been made giant-sized by an infusion of cosmic power from stars he has stolen. The Lumas help out again as you travel through space to retrieve stars that provide power to your new “faceship,” yes that’s a spaceship shaped like Mario’s face. The faceship is really a (welcomed) minimalist hub world. Where you had to walk from station to station on that huge ship in Galaxy 1, in Galaxy 2 you select destinations on a simple map. Think the top-down world maps of Super Mario Bros 3 or New Super Mario Bros. By stripping down the story and the hub world, Galaxy 2 feels like a series of individual levels rather than a cohesive experience. It’s not really a bad thing as Mario games, historically, have always been light on cohesiveness.
Like its predecessor, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a treat for the eyes. Bright colors and that classic smile-inducing Mario esthetic persist throughout the game. At a glance, it’s easy to dismiss the graphical quality as being the same as Galaxy 1; however, Galaxy 2 looks noticeably better to me on my 46” LCD than the original. There must have been some technical improvements as things just look smoother even at far camera distances. It’s an impressive amount of polish, which is understandable as they’ve had loads of time to hone the visual output. It’s still running at just 480p but Nintendo is definitely squeezing more out here than most other Wii games are doing. That also applies to the controls as the motion controls are surprisingly tight, even though they’re still minimal. Take the Super Monkey Ball-type levels and the Bluzzard flying levels in particular – both felt remarkably responsive and accurate despite not requiring Motion Plus.
The difficulty level is solid as the game seamlessly integrates a difficulty curve that should satisfy novice and expert players. As in the original, newbies can get through the game without having to complete every single galaxy if they don’t want to, and the hardcore platforming fans can face the sometimes vicious challenges available — just have a decent stock pile of 1-Ups you’ll do fine.
Of course difficulty goes hand in hand with level design, and again Nintendo has crafted some levels that push the limits of 3D platforming games. The way many levels vary the direction in which gravity will act and the way the drill power-up makes you think about the environment differently are both excellent stuff. I liked how some levels through the game are designed to end with you feeling like you just made it, giving you a fun sense of accomplishment. Most of the exploration that was in Galaxy 1 is gone, in favor of level design that is even more linear. So again, things feel even more focused and, in turn, a little more bite-sized — which is good for those wanting to be able to pick up and play to collect a few stars and then turn it off. Yoshi is a fun addition to the game, the pointer mechanic for eating enemies and items with his tongue is spot on. I still wish you could bring Yoshi from galaxy to galaxy with you, but it’s not a hindrance. The new power-ups are well-implemented. Though the cloud flower has a similar feel to the bee mushroom, and I still get annoyed at the spring suit. Some very fun and unique bosses are also in the game, especially after the first world.
While it’s quite obvious that I really enjoyed this game, I do have some complaints. First, I think the subtle uses of classic Mario music here and there and even a couple of full-on homages to Mario64 add a nice feeling of familiarity and recognition as you play. However what I didn’t care for as much was the make up of the Special World that’s unlocked after you beat Bowser at the “end” of the game. I had myself built up wondering what new and wonderful craziness Nintendo would try in the Special World, as it was for the more seasoned players who had finished the game. However, what you get are a series of Galaxy 1 level rehashes including a boss rush level. Sure, they’re still fun and challenging but I felt like I’ve literally played them before — which I did. I felt this way a handful of times in other places in the game but none as much as the Special World.
It almost feels a little foolhardy to complain about repetitiveness in Galaxy 2 when it is a game that thrives (and nearly succeeds) on giving the player a new experience around every corner. I was pleased to see enemy rarities like the Hammer and Boomerang Bros, but there are way too many Octoombas around, in their various color incarnations. They’re the spotted guys that spit rocks at you, you know the ones. They’re everywhere. I would have liked if some of the score-based chimp challenges didn’t always have to involve them on top of their generous use in the main game.
My final complaint involves the final encounter with Bowser. It was very anti-climatic. Outside of an easy extra end sequence, the main Bowser fight is the same battle you have with him several times through the game. I don’t see any reason why the final encounter couldn’t have been a little more different.
My only real complaint about the original Super Mario Galaxy was that I just wanted more. With Super Mario Galaxy 2, I got that in spades. It turns out that “more” also included more refinement and expansion of what was already one of the best games I’ve ever played. Despite my qualms with the Special World, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is really the new benchmark for the Wii and sets an awfully high bar for the other systems as well.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 will make you smile even in the most frustrating parts and have you repeating the phrase “just one more star” over and over again.
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