Super Mario Galaxy  - Review

Super Mario Galaxy
Ages: Everyone

What a beginning, an attack by awesome battle galleons that wrench Princess Peach, castle and all into the cosmos. In pursuit, Mario lands on the Comet Observatory – the launch pad to the galaxy. Space travel has never been so much fun.

There is so much to see, do and ways to play in getting the 60 stars you need or it's such fun you might want to try for the full 120. There are more than 40 galaxies which are made up of five or six different planetoids that offer different environments and many challenges.

Full use of the Wiimote and the Nunchuck is almost seamless. Camera controls are handled so well as Mario go from upside to underside that I never made use of the "C" button on the Nunchuk for camera reset. Music follows the action without being too intrusive – some sounds vaguely familiar.

Travel is surprisingly easy – find a big orange Pull star which will propel Mario to another place in the galaxy. Pipes are still there, transporting you to different places on the planet you are on. Mario jumps, climbs up poles, rides on balls, flies, swims, skates, spins, climbs walls, vines, launches from cannons and defies gravity as he jumps from galaxy to galaxy. The galaxies themselves are adventuresome fun environments, some harder to navigate, volcanic galaxy with its iron core remnants, water world that looks like paradise island, toyland with geometric shapes, a space capsule with antigravity changes indicated by up and down arrows, honeycomb land with flowers that act like rubber bands and fling you from place to place.

The game is like a good book – you feel sorry when it ends. But then there is lots of replay here. It's a game where Nintendo has pulled out all the stops – graphically, modes of play, use of the Wii controls, and will be remembered as a high point for Nintendo.


Fun Factor: One of the best
Female Factor: The game rationale is that Peach needs saving
Player Friendly: Controls are almost intuitive in spite of all the different actions.

Reviewed by: Editor - 12/07

  • Super Mario Galaxy
  • © Nintendo
  • Platform(s): Wii
  • To Order: Win http://www.amazon.com/ $49.99