Impressions of Super Mario Galaxy

Breaking sales records left and right, Super Mario Galaxy is receiving universal praise as one of the best Mario games to date. The only console that I own is the Nintendo Wii, so naturally I was anticipating this one for a long time. I picked up the game last week, and so far I have been very impressed.

The game is reminiscent of Mario 64 in style and presentation. I never played Mario Sunshine, but from what I have read Galaxy is more similar to its N64 counterpart. From the start I felt right at home with familiar moves such as the double and triple jump timed presses. For those who have played a 3D Mario game, you will feel right at home with the control. Also familiar is the “star system” of level completion.

There are plenty of references to plumbers past; I have already noticed three songs that are old-school Mario tunes from games such as Super Mario World and Super Mario 3. The standard character set is present, and all the environments burst with color and excitement. The best part of this is that the game feels completely fresh while retaining the classic Mario feel.

Contributing to this is the new gravitational (?) gameplay. What I mean by that is the small worlds that Mario traverses across traditionally, sideways, and upside-down. What feels crazy and foreign at firsts quickly becomes second-nature. What stays around is the undeniable wow factor every time you walk on the bottom of a planet.

Another piece of the game that stays consistent (so far) is the joy of obtaining a star. Even though there are over a hundred to obtain in the game, I have enjoyed getting each one to this point. There are new power-ups such as Bee Mario and Boo Mario which are incredibly fun and help change the pace now and then. The “skill levels” are challenging side levels that enhance the main quest. They are also a blast to play.

I am about one-third of the way into the game (30+ stars), but everything I have seen so far has been great. I am trying to think of a complaint, but as of now I simply do not have any that spring to mind. I will update again once I get further, but one thing is clear: if you have a Wii, you need this game. Has anyone else been enjoying it or anticipating it? Let me know in the comments.

Images courtesy GameRankings