Super Mario Galaxy Lives Up To All Expectations

In my youth, I never owned the popular Wii. Sure, I played Wii Sports along with several major releases during visits to family and friends in the mid-to-late 2000s, but I never had my personal Wii system, which resulted in skipping several excellent installments in Nintendo’s iconic franchises.

A prime example was Super Mario Galaxy, which, along with its sequel, was recently remastered then adapted for the Nintendo Switch. The initial release was also included as part of the 2020 collector's set Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I appreciated the possibility to play what many consider one of the best Mario adventures created. I became immediately engrossed, and can definitely say it lives up to almost twenty years of excitement. That said, it’s also made me realize how pleased I feel motion-sensing features have largely remained from previous eras.

Starting the Space Journey

Following traditional Mario quest, Super Mario Galaxy starts when Bowser capturing Princess Peach including her home. His collection of cosmic vessels carry her among the stars, launching Mario out amongst the stars in the process. The hero discovers charming cosmic creatures named Lumas plus Rosalina on her cosmic observatory. She tasks Mario with tracking down stellar objects to fuel the Observatory to follow the villain, then players gain freedom to begin adventuring.

Super Mario Galaxy’s platforming provides delight, needing just was playing through a few missions to recognize how it receives such praise. It’ll feel familiar to anyone who’s played Mario's 3D adventures, and the mechanics remain accessible and intuitive following Nintendo's style.

Innovative Physics Mechanics

As astronomy fan, the setting aligns with my preferences, enabling Super Mario Galaxy to play with gravity. Round structures enable Mario to circle repeatedly around them similar to Goku chasing after Bubbles from classic anime. With nearby platforms, Mario can leap across and get snatched through gravitational force from adjacent structures. Other platforms appear as discs, frequently containing rewards underneath, in unexpected locations.

Revisiting Beloved Personalities

The enjoyment from engaging with Galaxy following long gap is having already met certain personalities. I was unaware Rosalina first appeared through this adventure, or that she acted as the caring guardian to stellar beings. Before playing Super Mario Galaxy, to me she was just part of my regular Mario Kart World character selection. Likewise for Penguins, with whom I liked swimming through introductory ocean area.

Motion Control Challenges

The only real drag during this adventure currently are the motion controls, employed for acquiring, directing, and launching stellar fragments, colorful objects found across galaxies. Using portable mode involved moving and adjusting the console for targeting, which feels a bit clunky. Gyroscopic elements feature heavily within various navigation areas, where you have to aim the cosmic indicator at surfaces to drag Mario toward them.

Stages completely dependent on movement inputs perform optimally with the Joy-Cons detached for better precision, including the aquatic gliding mission at the start. I rarely become supportive of gyroscopic gameplay, and they remain particularly smoothly throughout Galaxy. Fortunately, if you get enough stars through different stages, these gyroscopic sections might be entirely bypassed. I attempted the stage where Mario has to navigate a large sphere around a course filled with gaps, then quickly abandoned after initial effort.

Timeless Mario Excellence

Except for the awkward motion-based input methods, there’s really nothing to complain about throughout Galaxy, and galactic environments are a delight to explore. While impressive games including later releases have come after it, Super Mario Galaxy continues as top-tier and creative Mario titles available.