Review: Mario Galaxy

ComradePepp...

91%

I was never into kiddie games. I have always said that Grand Theft Auto is the best video game concept ever created. The Mario theme always threw me off with its mediocre level design and boring jumping puzzles, but my opinion changed when I played Super Mario Galaxy. I was pleasantly surprised by its incredible level design and its unique gameplay mechanics. I was also surprised by the GameCube graphics.
  But then I did some research and found out that the Wii is just slightly more powerful than the GameCube. Playing SMG is like eating a cold watermelon on a hot summery day; it is a delight. Mario has a lot of abilities and gadgets at his disposal ranging from a bee costume to a classic Mario fire ball attack. What's really disappointing is the fact that you can't use them all at the same time. Mario Galaxy is also a bit too easy. An average Wii gamer can beat this game in 15 hrs. The puzzles are innovative but not challenging enough for gamers with skill.
   Mario Galaxy is polished and bug free; it works well with the Wii controls. The story in this game is pathetic, but don't worry, it doesn't really matter. Mario was never about the story. It was about solving cute puzzles and doing cute things. It is always amusing to see a chubby man in a red jumpsuit doing kind, silly, harmless things.
   Once you're done helping our cute cuddly fatty rescue his slut of a girlfriend, you will be able to unlock some extra content and Mario's boyfriend Luigi.

Newton

98%

Mario Galaxy is practically the first game for the Wii. I’ve always marveled at people’s ability to endlessly play bowling at parties, but to me it’s Galaxy that really heralds the beginning of this systems lifecycle. Nintendo, you really need to make a true sequel Mario game for the Wii.
   The game is amazing. I’m a huge Mario fan, and aside from Sunshine I played each game with all my energy. 64 was one I sat down with and played through at least 8 times. I know because I remember my 8th time through I did all 120 stars in 1 sitting. To me Galaxy really is the true sequel to Mario 64. Only a few things kept this game from being perfect in my opinion.
   The “punch” ability was a controversial one when 64 came out I would imagine. Mario usually jumped on everything’s head, hit it with a shell, or bumped it form underneath when it stood on a brick. They took the punch away in Galaxy, I don’t particularly mourn its loss, I just really wish I had the “dive” in the air from 64 which was done with “punch + jump”.
   I just loved the innovation in this game. Lots of time and thought obviously went into creating it. Time trial levels were a great addition to Super Mario games, but what happened to the “run faster” button? I loved the old Mario Brothers feel where you can run through a level fast and impress everyone watching.
   This game is something a lot of people should be proud of. I can only hope other game developers play this thoroughly and take note.

EuroTrash

95%

Wow, Mario Galaxy was cool, but I don’t think it was the game of the year or anything. The game is based off a tech demo called Mario Gravity and like that name suggests is all about quirky gravity based puzzles. This was not a negative in and of itself, but the game often flips and twists too much. I found myself getting a wee-bit nauseous with all the spinning at some points.
   I also found I missed getting the stars that asked for 100 coins on a level, but then I found the purple coin challenges and I was satisfied. The levels where you have to get every single coin and you are on a moving platform with multiple sides which you don’t control were seriously intense. It’s sad that they had to switch to 50 coins equaling a life though. Why change from 100 which it has always been in the past?
   The supposed two player feature in this game is really upsetting to me as well. Why do away with the classic alternating Mario/Luigi game play that existed in Super Mario Brothers? When we let the young kids in the family try Galaxy out it was really annoying that two could not play on an equal footing, but one had to play the real game while the second controlled the side game. The side game is neat, but at the cost of real two player it’s not something I would have included at all.
   I struggled to find negative things to balance my praise of Mario Galaxy. The game is just good from start to finish. You won’t have this much fun playing any other game we have reviewed yet. I doubt many people haven’t gotten this one already.