A game that is a masterpiece and tries to stray succesfully from the norm for console games this generation.
Well, the story is kinda like the first one,but there's few changes to it that I don't want to spoil. The story never tries to be annoying or complex,it's just there to get you into the heart of this game. There's also some comedy put into this game whenever you see Bowser he tries to make the game funny at times which not that many games seem to do this gen.
Gameplay 9.5
Well the gameplay makes up the whole game. There are new items adding to this game like Yoshi,the blimp fruit, Dash Pepper,Glow bulb,cloud flower and the rock mushroom. Nintendo has also removed/kept some power-ups from the first game,but I'm not going to get into the details at all. There are two modes in this game single player and co-op. Both these modes are the same,but co-op is improved drastically from the first game. Nintendo has made co-op so the inexperienced person can actually have fun while helping the experienced person complete stages by grabbing 1up's with the pointer,and star bits and also freezing/killing enemies. This result's in a fun and rewarding experience for both players. Single player is also drastically improved in the power-up department. The power-ups I mentioned above have been integrated into this game well . With the cloud flower you can use clouds to get past huge gaps in stages , with the rock mushroom you can kill enemies easily and break down things that are impossible to break. Yoshi can be used to eat things you normal can't kill,but there's a few exceptions. Yoshi also has the blimp fruit which can help you get to really high places, the dash pepper to run over water really quickly and inclines and the glow bulb to get past dark places. Nintendo has also included time switches and the drill to help you through your quest. The time switches slow down time for the objects around you and the drill can be used to dig through the ground. With all these items you would think this game would be easy. I'm sorry to say this,but it's not. Nintendo has created some stages in this game to test your platforming with or without these power-ups to the extreme. Some stages require you to jump to the beat,shake your wii remote to move platforms,cross giant gaps with the cloud flower,mastering the movement of the rock mushroom,mastering Yoshi's basic moves or getting past a stage with enemies that move easily and can kill you quickly. There's also two items you will also be riding on throughout the game. There's a bird and the rolling ball from the first game which you will also have to master. The only thing that may be a problem with the gameplay for this game is the green stars. Most of the green stars are placed in the air and you can get them easily by triple jumping or by using a backflip/side flip. Some of the green stars are also well placed. These stars involve using stage mechanisms to get them or they are usually hiding in a certain part of the stage. These are the best type of green stars. Unlike the first game the hub is reduced to a small spaceship that is shaped like mario's head and you are giving a NSMB Wii type world map instead. I like this new type of system because you are able to get to stages quickly without getting confused over the stage locations. This was a huge problem with the first game.
Graphics 10
While this game may not be a HD game it's artistic style can sometimes help it look sharp and clear for Wii graphics. The artstyle for this game look outright beautiful and is one of the best type of artsyle that a game can have this gen. There are barely no issues with the framerate in the game at all and it locked at a constant 60 fps which helps to keep the action constant in this game.
Sound 10
While some of the music in this game may be reused from the first game and all the other Mario platforming games it is great to hear the music remixed to a new tune. There's also lot's of new music in this game and some of the music in this game sounds epic and scary at times like on the Bowser stages. Good job on the music Nintendo.
Control 9.5
The controls are also close to perfection like the gameplay,but there's a few problems with the controls. Mario and his brother Luigi(You get access to him later in the game) control perfectly with no control issues and most of the deaths that occur are usually the players fault. The only problem for the controls is the camera. You have limited control over the camera in most places and it sometimes doesn't move in the direction that you want to look in.
Overall 10
This game overall is one of top games in the history of gaming. With it's nice and epic soundtrack,it's crazy and challenging gameplay. great graphics, great story that never annoys you with cutscenes or a shallow story it would be hard to find a flaw in this game other than the camera and the green stars.Nintendo has shown us that a game never has to follow this gens standards for gaming to be a great game,but it's possible to create great games that break out of this standard during any generation.