Mario, the king of the platformer, has set a new lofty standard for the genre.
THE GOOD
-Outstanding level design
-Intense platforming in later galaxies
-Seamless transition between 2D and 3D elements
-Sweet power-ups
-Memorable soundtrack with some nostalgia thrown in
-Good controls
THE BAD
-Minor camera annoyances
OVERVIEW
Mario is back in another exhilarating, platforming adventure. Mario's journey, once again, stretches beyond the familiar Mushroom Kingdom and takes him into the far reaches of space, exploring uncharted galaxies in search of power stars. The reason our friendly Italian plumber is pursuing this quest is because Bowser is back and has kidnapped the Princess for like the twentieth time. Princess Peach basically does two things really well: baking gourmet cakes and getting herself captured.
This time around, Mario won't be traveling through the stars with Rosalina. Instead your pilot is a purple Luma named Lubba and your spaceship is basically a giant Mario head. To power this massive shuttle, Mario needs to collect power stars scattered all throughout the universe. There are 120 regular power stars to discover plus an additional 120 hidden green stars and 2 ultimate challenge stars, for a total of 242! You won't need to find every single star to finish the game but it does add a nice challenge for those hardcore fanatics out there.
GAMEPLAY
Mario's base of operations is aboard his uniquely shaped starship. From here you can view the overview map, see which stars you have acquired/missed, talk to friendly lumas, toads and other creatures you've picked up along the way and bank the star bits you've collected. Occasionally, Peach will send you a thoughtful letter granting you five extra lives. Actually, this game makes it really easy to collect extra lives and rightly so because this platforming experience is just as, if not more, challenging than its predecessor.
The level design is outstanding in Mario Galaxy 2. Each World has an assortment of uniquely themed galaxies to traverse through which include ice skating your way around the Freezy Flake Galaxy, floating on clouds in the Fluffy Bluff Galaxy and avoiding quicksand in the Slipsand Galaxy. Every galaxy is completely different in design and ensures that your adventure stays fresh and doesn't become boring or repetitive. Majority of the power stars offer the right amount of difficulty to keep experienced players content as well as keeping the less skillful from getting frustrated. However, there are a few levels out there that provide a really nice challenge that'll even give those hardcore types a run for their money.
The comet stars make a return in Mario Galaxy 2 but things are slightly different than last time. In order for comets to appear around galaxies, you have to collect comet coins; each galaxy has one comet coin to acquire. Each comet coin unlocks a comet star for a specific galaxy so you may not see the fruit of your labor until later in the game. The comet levels offer different objectives which include collecting a set amount of purple coins, reaching a goal within a specific time-frame or even defeat a boss with one health. What's nice about the system this time around is that the comet levels won't disappear over time. Instead, they'll always be there waiting for you to tackle them when you're ready. Again this fun alteration to the normal gameplay is highly successful in keeping things fresh, fun and exhilarating.
To aid Mario in his quest, there are plenty of awesome power-ups to utilize. There are some old favorites like the Bee and Boo suit but there are some cool new ones to add to the list like the Rock and Cloud suits. The Rock mushroom grants Mario the ability to roll up into a boulder and accelerate in any direction destroying almost anything in his path. The Cloud flower lets Mario create tufts of fluffy clouds to give him a temporary platform to stand on. Yoshi also makes a welcomed return to the Mario series. This hungry, green dinosaur can use his tongue to devoir small enemies, stun larger foes and interact with various elements to making platforming easier. Another nice feature Yoshi has is his ability to flutter his legs in midair which lets you hover for a quick second. The fun power-ups have always been a staple for the series and Mario Galaxy 2 offers some of the best.
For those that have played the first Super Mario Galaxy, you'll find that nothing has changed with the well programmed control scheme. Mario's jumping techniques are still the same like the long jump, triple jump and back flip via combinations of the A and Z buttons. The shy Luma hidden underneath Mario's cap still grants him the spin attack ability via shaking the Wii Remote. The second player can still help out by collecting star bits and coins plus your buddy can freeze enemies in place; all this is simply done with a point and click. Also, there is a new and helpful ability your partner can do in regards to dispatching foes. While holding an opponent, the second player can kill that enemy (weaker adversaries only) with just a simple shake of the remote.
Another area where Mario Galaxy 2 thrives is the transition phases between 2D and 3D aspects. Some levels offer this changeover and it's really neat when you experience it in action. As a veteran gamer, since the NES era, I was really pleased to see the 2D elements incorporated and handled well in this game. This game has also fixed a lot of the camera angle / depth perception issues that plagued the predecessor. It's not flawless but there aren't nearly as many problems this time around.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The graphics are filled with vibrant colors and superb animations, just like the previous game. The environments and characters are designed with superb clarity and fit the themes presented in each galaxy perfectly. Super Mario Galaxy 2, just like the prequel, are two of the best games for the Wii in regards to overall graphical presentation.
The audio is yet another aspect that shines brightly. Each orchestrated song is highly memorable and there are a few remixes of the series' past thrown in and some of those are even better than the original. The sound effects are Mario-tastic and also work well in keeping the gameplay fun and uplifting.
CONCLUSION
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a must have for all Wii owners. Just about everything presented in this game is enjoyable and there is no doubt that it will be nominated for "Game of the Year" in many gaming communities. There is the right amount of challenge for beginners and plenty of difficulty for veteran gamers. The level design is really well crafted and makes Super Mario Galaxy 2 the new standard for platformers for this generation of gaming. Mario has always been the king of the platformers and this is a perfect example of why he'll remain on top for years to come.