Super Mario Galaxy Lives Up To the Hype

As a child, I missed out on owning Nintendo's Wii system. Admittedly, I tried Wii Sports and other major releases during visits to family and friends during the 2000s decade, however I missed my personal Wii system, causing me to overlook numerous outstanding titles within classic Nintendo game lines.

One of those games featured Super Mario Galaxy, together with its follow-up, was recently remastered then adapted for Nintendo's hybrid system. The initial release also appeared within the 2020 special compilation Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I appreciated the possibility to experience what many consider a top-tier Mario games ever made. I was quickly sucked in, while affirming that it matches about 18 years of excitement. However, it helped me understand how glad I am motion and gyroscope controls have largely remained as historical features.

Initiating Galactic Exploration

Like any other Mario adventure, Super Mario Galaxy begins with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach and her castle. His collection of spacecraft resembling pirates take her to the cosmos, launching Mario into the galaxy during the event. The hero discovers adorable stellar beings named Lumas and meets Rosalina aboard her comet ship. She assigns Mario with collecting power stars to fuel the Observatory so they can chase after Bowser, and then we’re set free to go exploring.

Galaxy's navigation system is a joy, and all it took was playing through a few missions to understand why it receives such praise. It seems recognizable to anyone who’s played a 3D Mario, while the gameplay prove user-friendly and intuitive in typical Nintendo fashion.

Unique Movement Systems

As a space nerd, the setting aligns with my preferences, and it allows for Super Mario Galaxy to have fun with physics. Orbital stages allow Mario to circle repeatedly about them like he’s Goku following Bubbles in popular series. With nearby platforms, Mario can leap across getting captured by the gravity of a nearby platform. Other platforms appear as discs, typically including goodies on the underside, easily overlooked spots.

Revisiting Beloved Personalities

The pleasure in experiencing this game after nearly two decades includes knowing familiar faces. I didn't realize Rosalina first appeared through this adventure, or that she acted as the adoptive mother for Luma creatures. Before playing Super Mario Galaxy, to me she was just part of my regular Mario Kart World roster option. Similarly with Penguins, with whom I liked swimming through introductory ocean area.

Motion Control Challenges

The primary drawback during this adventure today concerns movement inputs, which are used for collecting, aiming, and shooting star bits, vibrant items found across galaxies. Operating in mobile format required angling and turning the console for targeting, proving slightly cumbersome. Gyroscopic elements are prevalent in various navigation areas, requiring players to direct the star-shaped cursor at platforms to attract Mario in their direction.

Levels that wholly require movement inputs work better when played using separate controllers for better precision, like the manta ray surfing level in the beginning. I’ve never been enthusiastic about movement inputs, and they haven’t aged particularly smoothly within this title. Thankfully, when acquiring adequate stars through different stages, these gyroscopic sections might be entirely bypassed. I attempted the stage featuring Mario maneuvering a giant ball through a track filled with gaps, then quickly abandoned after one attempt.

Enduring Gaming Quality

Apart from the clunky Wii-era input methods, there’s really nothing to complain about throughout Galaxy, while its cosmic stages offer pleasure to discover. Even as standouts including later releases have come after it, Super Mario Galaxy remains one of the best and innovative Mario games around.