🔗 Share this article

In my youth, I didn't have Nintendo's Wii system. Admittedly, I experienced Wii Sports plus various premier games when visiting loved ones and acquaintances back in that era, yet I lacked owning the console myself, causing me to overlook several excellent installments within classic Nintendo game lines.

A prime example featured Super Mario Galaxy, together with its follow-up, has been freshly updated then adapted for the Nintendo Switch. The initial release was also included in 2020’s limited-edition collection Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I embraced the opportunity to play what many consider a top-tier Mario adventures created. I was quickly sucked in, and I confidently state it lives up to about 18 years of anticipation. However, it’s also made me realize how pleased I feel motion-sensing features mostly stayed as historical features.

The Cosmic Adventure Begins

Similar to most Mario adventure, Super Mario Galaxy begins with Bowser nabbing Princess Peach including her home. His armada of spacecraft resembling pirates take her to the cosmos, launching Mario out amongst the stars in the process. Mario encounters star-like cuties known as Lumas and meets Rosalina atop her Comet Observatory. She tasks Mario with tracking down stars to energize her spacecraft so they can chase after the villain, opening exploration opportunities to start discovering.

Galaxy's navigation system offers pleasure, requiring only was playing through several stages to understand why it’s held in such high regard. It seems recognizable to anyone who’s played three-dimensional Mario games, and the controls remain accessible and intuitive in typical Nintendo fashion.

Innovative Physics Mechanics

As astronomy fan, the backdrop perfectly matches my interests, enabling Super Mario Galaxy to experiment with gravity. Spherical platforms enable Mario to literally run circles around them similar to Goku chasing after Bubbles from classic anime. When they’re close together, Mario can leap across and get snatched through gravitational force from adjacent structures. Additional areas are flat discs, frequently containing goodies on the underside, where you may not think to look.

Rediscovering Classic Characters

The pleasure in experiencing this game following long gap is having already met certain personalities. I didn't realize Rosalina originated within this title, nor that she served as the caring guardian to stellar beings. Before playing Super Mario Galaxy, she simply represented a frequent choice Mario Kart World driver rotation. Same with the Penguins, alongside whom I enjoyed swimming during an early beach level.

Movement-Based Hurdles

The primary drawback while experiencing Galaxy currently concerns movement inputs, utilized during gathering, targeting, and firing cosmic pieces, vibrant items scattered around levels. Playing on handheld mode involved moving and adjusting the console to aim, proving slightly cumbersome. Gyroscopic elements appear frequently during certain jumping segments, needing users to point the stellar pointer at platforms to attract Mario toward them.

Levels that wholly require gyroscopic features work better when played with independent remotes for better precision, including the aquatic gliding mission in the beginning. I haven't typically been supportive of gyroscopic gameplay, and they remain especially well throughout Galaxy. Thankfully, when acquiring adequate stars from other levels, these motion control ones can be wholly skipped. I tested the mission requiring Mario guiding a massive orb around a course dotted with holes, then immediately quit after one attempt.

Classic Nintendo Magic

Aside from the cumbersome older motion controls, there's hardly anything to criticize within this adventure, and galactic environments provide enjoyment to discover. Although notable titles such as Odyssey have come after it, Super Mario Galaxy continues as top-tier and most inventive Mario games around.