An In Depth Review of Super Mario Galaxy.
Super Mario Galaxy is super easy if you are just trying to get sixty measly stars. 1up's, and coins that regenerate your three hearted health and are handed out excessively, and other items such as a red mushroom that gives you six health. Peach constantly mails you five 1up's even though she is with Bowser; and there are a couple 1up's scattered in the main hub that always reappear. On top of that, most stars are practically given to you! It is also worth noting that the lack of voice acting during conversations hurts the presentation yet again, because Mario Sunshine did pretty well with more voice, why not Galaxy? But even then, Galaxy is still a great game, why?
Each of the six solar system/dome has five galaxies within. Two six star galaxy's, which are your main one's, two one star hardcore galaxies, and one that is a big boss fight. Getting all six stars in each of the main galaxy is a tough task, as well as most of the one star galaxies. You will be racing on a manta, swinging Mario with precision, and other specific tasks. It is clear this was intended to be the hardcore part of the game, only one would wish there were multiple stars in each of those one star galaxies.
One great aspect of Galaxy is it's formidability to throw out innovative gravity. For example, in the "Good Egg" galaxy, you can walk up walls like a ninja, and walk upside down on planets. It makes for some cool gameplay iterations, especially some small, fun, tasks.
A new aspect of Galaxy is star bits. By waving the remote, you can collect tiny colored star bits. You get 1up's on a scale of collecting fifty at a time, and you can unlock new galaxies with them. Lastly, you can move comets (special missions) for twenty star bits, so shooting the bits (pressing the B button) that can only hurt the weakest of enemies is a poor decision.
Mario platforming has always had its camera attacked, and it still does now, and it is even worse than its predecessors. The zoom – in D-Pad views do not always allow you to use them, and the C button does not always turn to where you want it to go. Think of it like this: Try to see where you are walking backwards without tilting your head in either direction, you can't. In some cases, you will not see exactly where to hop next like my example implies, and the D-Pad and C button will lock up on you during those times where you need them most.
If you thought each star mission was going to be dreamily fun, you're wrong. Some missions require you to find Luigi and his overalls, plus collecting 100 purple coins. There are other tasks that are boring, but I'm sure you will get bored just reading about them. If you are on your 121 star quests, be prepared for these dumb, tedious tasks.
Even though Mario is in space, he's still the same old Mario. Saving Peach, Bowser's terribly planned goals, and a vast galaxy. Finally, that classic Nintendo feel of bright colors which obviously suggest it is a Mario game.
Galaxy also has a few new suits: Spring, fire, ice, bee, and boo Mario. There also is some type of flying Mario, but sadly, you can only access it at the hub. I'm sure others including me are begging for new suits, they're just that dang cool.
One of Galaxy's biggest weaknesses is its boss fights. Not only do the Bowser fights repeat like 64 did, but all of them are easy. Half of the bosses are beaten without any interesting concepts, and seem to end right when you start fighting a boss. The only time you will be challenged by a boss is when you are forced to beat it with one heart, one of the types of comet missions.
I am sure casuals will love the new co – op mode. A second player can join the first player in the game at any given moment. The second player can paralyze bullet bills, all enemies, give an extra jump, collect star bits for you, etc. But no worries, we all know it's a little stupid mode.
Galaxy's biggest pro is its fully orchestrated music, and it all fits perfectly in each scene. It is rare that we get orchestrated music, and it is all beautiful.
Another strong point in Galaxy is its visuals. You cannot mistake it for a Game cube game, you cannot mistake it for an Xbox game, and you cannot mistake it for a last generation game. Galaxy has bright, brilliant colors and effects that make this the best looking game on the Wii. It may not look as good graphically as the average 360 or PS3 game, but it's the artistic point of view that separates it even from current generation games on both of those consoles.
Super Mario Galaxy has been the most hyped up game for the Wii in 2007 (that actually came out), and for great reasons. Even with its few short comings, it is hard to find a big fault/complaint about this game. Zelda: Phantom Hourglass failed to give a hardcore experience, while Tokyo Games actually cared about both audiences instead of just leaving hard core's left in the dust. In my opinion, Super Mario Galaxy is just below AAA status.
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+: Star bits play an interesting role in the game.
+: Classic Mario atmosphere.
+: Immense galaxy/level design.
+: Cool suits.
+: Although easy to get sixty stars, Galaxy does a good job with hardcore aspects.
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-: Camera needs some tweaking.
-: Some tasks are boring.
-: Co - op sucks.
-: Bosses are a disappointment.
-: Easy to get sixty measly stars.
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Presentation: 8/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Value: 9/10
Sound: 9.5/10
Graphics: 9.5/10
--- OVERALL: 8.9 / 10 --- or 44.5/50.