Can Mario outshine his last platforming adventure on Wii?
Consider me "wowed." Again. Yes, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is more of what made the original so amazingly good: brilliant gravity platfoming. Incredibly tight and responsive controls. Fantastic musical score. But it's not a "me too" experience -- a significant majority of this sequel is brand new. New level challenges, new gameplay mechanics, new (and incredible) orchestral pieces. All done up in a package that streamlines the classic Mario experience: a straightforward presentation, a much more intelligent camera system, and a rewarding progression that opens up some seriously devious and fulfilling level challenges.
Mario has always been a universally appealing game design and Nintendo has done an incredible job to make sure its key franchise is just as accessible to gamers of all walks of life. Most of all, Super Mario Galaxy 2 perfectly captures that classic videogame charm, the reason why most of us got into gaming from the start.
Presentation: Big and bold, with a progression that's been tightened up and streamlined. This is Mario at its core, and one of the best, if not the best, Nintendo has to offer. 9.5/10
Graphics: A testament to the amazing game engine from 2007: it still looks fantastic and beautiful. 9.5/10
Sound: A much stronger saturation of "big band" tunes here, and that's just awesome. 9.5/10
Gameplay:This is the absolute pinnacle of Mario gameplay: everything that makes a Mario game so incredibly fun is represented here. Both in 2D and 3D. 9.5/10
Lasting Appeal: If you just want to get to Bowser you'll be done in a few hours. But if you want to strut your gaming skills you'll be playing this one for weeks. 9.5/10
Overall: 9.5/10
My Verdict: Deffinately buy it :)