Thursday, December 17

Reloaded Review: Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)



Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
EAD Tokyo
Player(s): Single 1, Co-op 2
Genre: Platform
Release Date: (NA) November 12, 2007 (JP) November 1, 2007 (CA) November 14, 2007 (EU) November 16, 2007
Platform(s): Nintendo
Wii
Rated: Everyone

Story:
Do I really need to explain this one? What has the plot been for a Mario game ever since the very first game?
Bowser decides to rip Princess Peach's castle right from it's foundation and carry it off into space where he plans to use the power of the Grand Stars to create his own universe with his own newly created sun at the center of it all with Peach by his side.

As Mario, you must travel into space collecting these Grand Stars to power up an observatory you are traveling on and make your way to
Bowser.

Does it really get more epic then that?
Bowser is seriously never going to learn.

Presentation:
I'll start by saying that if Super Mario Galaxy is not the
Wii's best looking title then it's a close 2nd. It's graphical polish and colorful visuals even match wits with some of the games on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Now that is saying something.

Each planet and galaxy you explore is unique with it's own distinctive look and feel which keeps all of the visuals and environments from getting old.

Most of the enemies you will see in the game are new with the exception of a few like
Goombas and that annoying wizard..thing which are a Mario staples, they honestly have to be there for it to be Mario.

Boss battles are nothing short of spectacular. They may not be enormous creatures like you'd see in games like Resistance or Shadow of theColossus, they are epic in their own right.



Gameplay:
Super Mario Galaxy plays out the same way all of the other Mario games have. You enter a stage (which are now signified by galaxies) and finish whatever objective it tells you to do and then you get a star. Typical Mario game but that is exactly what fans wanted. Once you have collected enough stars, the galaxy's boss will be available and defeating it will grant you a Grand Star.

Throughout the game you will also collect tiny colored objects known as "Star Bits" by running your cursor over them or touching them. These bits are used to feed hungry stars you find throughout the game and once you've given them the amount of bits they required, they fly into the sky and explode, transforming into a stage which you can play, beat and collect your star. The bits can also be fired at enemies to stun them allowing Mario to boot them to death.

The biggest difference in Mario Galaxy is the new gravity mechanic. You can now run in basically a complete 360 around any object you happen to be standing on unless there is a black hole nearby waiting to suck Mario inside it.

The controls are fantastic until you go upside-down and then they suddenly become reversed on you which can be really frustrating if you're trying desperately not to fall.



Mario's abilities make comebacks such as the fireflower which is used to burn enemies or ignite torches and the star that makes Mario not only invincible but also turns him to the "Flash" causing him to speed up immensely. New abilities also make appearances such as a spring item that turns Mario into a human slinky and an ice flower that freezes the water below your feet and also turns enemies into ice blocks. Not only that, but you can also find mushrooms that turn Mario into a bumblebee and a Boo (the series' trademark ghost).

The biggest problem in the game is the utterly pointless
multiplayer function. If you happen to have two Wii-remotes, the 2nd player can collect star bits and shoot them. Sounds fun right? I have no idea what Nintendo was thinking when they put this in there.

Sound:
Music is another one of this game's best features. You get all the ambient and peaceful music you'd expect from a Mario game but then during the battles with
Bowser, you get full-on orchestral pieces with a chorus and everything. It's some of the most epic music I've ever heard and when you have that blasting your ears while duking it out with one of gaming's most notoriousvillains, you know you're in for an experience.

As you would come to expect, Super Mario Galaxy has no voice acting with very few exceptions. 95% of the dialogue is said through text and yes, not even
Bowser has a voice and after the annoying assault on the ears we faced with his voice in Super Mario Sunshine, I applaud Nintendo for making the change.



Overall:
It's a Mario game. Need I say more? If you own a Nintendo
Wii then you probably already either own this game or have played it through completely.

It's the same amount of immensely high quality you come to expect from a Nintendo game featuring their mascot and it's undeniably one of the funnest and most entertaining gaming experiences out there. Own a
Wii? You better own this.

Pros:
- One of the
Wii's best looking games
- Incredibly fun
gameplay and stages
- Fantastic musical score
- Loads of variety in the level design

Cons:
- Controls can be frustrating at times
- Worthless co-op mode

10/10

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