It’ssssa meeeeee MasterAbbott….. ( I’ve always wanted to say that)  and today I’m here to share with you my review of Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Nintendo Wii.  Super Mario 2 is not a reboot to the series, as a matter of fact there is not much in terms of mechanics or gameplay that has changed.  Super Mario Galaxy has followed the rule that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  Nintendo have added to what was already a winning formula with the original Super Mario Galaxy to create a masterpiece that stands on the top of the mountain with star in hand and yelling out to the world Yipeeeeee !!!!!

Anyone that’s played the original, Super Mario Galaxy will feel very much at home with the controls as the gameplay mechanics have not changed. One thing that is different “but in a cool way” is the level / world selection map that feels like you’re back in Super Mario World as you control Mario’s special FACE-ship (har,har) to pick your next destination across the galaxy.

Speaking about destinations, there’s an incredible amount of new planets and characters to explore and meet along the way.  (No Spoilers) but there a number of old challenges and even a few old bosses that make a comeback from the original game.  The great thing is that old challenges and bosses all appear in fresh new environments which make you feel like you’re battling someone totally new.  On his grand adventure Mario will have his best buddy Yoshi aid him along the way.  Find a Yoshi Egg, smash it open and hop onto Yoshi’s back, Yoshi has new abilities as well.  He can use his tongue to swing across chasms, or grab items and shoot them back at enemies.  Yoshi also has a new fresh diet of peppers and blimp fruit, eating a hot pepper sends Yoshi into a frenzy where he can run up steep inclines and vertical walls.  Eating the Blimp fruit will inflate Yoshi into a balloon where he can float to new heights.  Oh Happy days are here again !!

Mario also has a few new abilities and power ups up his sleeve as well.  There’s the new drill power up that will allow you to drill through surfaces all the way to the other side of the planet.  Also (and this must be seen to be believed – it’s totally amazing), Mario can also transform himself into a boulder by eating a boulder mushroom – yes, a boulder mushroom !!  Now don’t ask me how Mario manages to chow down on a boulder mushroom, but once he does he’s magically transformed into a huge boulder and can ram into objects and enemies. Mario can even become a bowling ball and bowl down pins … STRRIIKKEE !!!!!!  Mario’s other ability is so totally original and out there that when I first laid eyes on it I shed a tear of pure happiness and joy.  Have you ever wanted to make your own clouds ? Now you can not only make them, but you can jump on them to get to places or to objects that are just out of reach, which is handy when there are no platforms to get you there.  With the Mario Cloud suit Mario can create cloud platforms and jump from one to another to reach his destination.  This has to be one of the most brilliant and original ideas I’ve ever come across in a Mario game.

The story of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is not much different from the other Super Mario’s.  Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach once AGAIN and Mario has to travel through planets, goomba’s, Koopa’s and bosses to reach Bowser and defeat him and save her.  The story is basic, but that’s totally fine because main focus in the game is the amazing worlds and challenges that you get to experience along the way.  Breaking it down for you, there is a total of seven constellations consisting of eight brilliant and original levels that are both fun and highly enjoyable.

Along the way you get to collect stars… A LOT OF STARS !! This time around there’s a WHOPPING 241 stars in the game.  This is the most stars ever in a Super Mario game.  Collecting them all will take a lot of time, patience and commitment, along with broken controllers.  Now for all you casual gamers out there following the main story path without straying will nab you about 70 or so stars with approx. 20-22 hours of gameplay.  This in itself is an amazing and remarkable feat as most other games only take 4-6 hours to complete before being placed on the pile to gather dust with the rest of them.

A breakdown of the 241 stars goes something like this:  There’s 120 regular stars which are obtained by completing comet challenges and there’s also hidden stars.  The other 120 stars are Green Stars, and these little buggers are scattered around the original levels.  The last star is a SECRET STAR (and no I’m not going to tell you how to get it – Play the game and figure it out for yourselves!;) ).

For the first time ever in a Super Mario game, grown-ups, casual gamers and even younger gamers who are still learning the ropes now have a helping hand that can guide them through even the most difficult of situations.   If at any point during the game you just can’t pass a specific section of a level, a helper Mario controlled by the computer will complete that section and aid you in moving forward so you can continue on your grand adventure.  This of course will result in a lower bonus once you complete the level, but casual gamers who are not concerned with perfection or high bonuses can at least can feel a sense of achievement by completing the level. This a SUPER move on behalf of Nintendo and the first of its kind.   Along with the little helper within the game, Super Mario Galaxy 2 also comes packaged with a DVD which provides helpful hints and tips that can be viewed to teach newcomers and even skilled players how to play and use certain skills within the game.  This is an absolutely brilliant idea that introduces new comers to the wonderful world of Super Mario.  YES, I know there are people out there that don’t know who Mario is! MAMMA MIA!

Graphics and Music in Super Mario Galaxy 2 are absolutely gorgeous, featuring colourful and vibrant worlds. Enemies and animation are superb and I must say is possibly one of the best looking games on the Nintendo Wii. The soundtrack is fantastic, even after turning off the Wii console I still have those loveable tunes in my head. Some sections of the game where you’re playing in 2D have the original old school Mario songs blazing through the speakers, bringing back all the good times you had on the Nintendo, Super Nintendo and also Nintendo 64. It’s a perfect blend of old and new.

Another section of the game that makes a comeback is the ability to get a second person in to help with the second Wii-mote controller.  Things work a little differently in this mode. Instead of being able to collect the items for you, your friend can now guide items such as coins and shooting star pieces towards you so they can be easily gathered. They can also hold back enemies while you make your way through difficult situations. True multiplayer hasn’t been perfected yet so it looks like Mario will be on his own once again.  However, his brother Luigi does make an appearance as a playable character halfway through the game, so you can take control of him and show Mario how its done ‘LUIGI STYLE’!

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Check out the Video Gameplay & Screenshots below

[pro-player type=”FLV”]https://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/videos/SuperMarioGalaxy2.flv[/pro-player]

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Screenshots *note thumbnails might not be visible in IE.  Click on thumbails to see full images*

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