An amazing platformer as well as a memorable experience
Instead of focusing on the long list of praise that has already been sung in countless other reviews, I'm going to focus instead on what the game has improved on for those who (like myself) are more fond of the old mario games. From a presentation standpoint, the game is incredible. Menu's are simple and easy to navigate and the controls are all explained expertly so theres virtually no learning curve whatsoever. Also, the camera has finally been pulled back which gives a greater view of the levels. As a result, you can focus more on navigating mario as opposed to finding the best viewpoint. In fact, for virtually all of the main missions you will never have to adjust the camera at all aside from going to first person occassionally. As far as the grapics go, they are simply stunning in every aspect. Sending Mario through a launch star never got old as constellations danced in the background and star bits (the game's currency) floated around waiting to be collected. There are a couple effects which are a bit lacking compared to other Nintendo games such as the fire and water, but it is a very small nitpick against what is otherwise an amazing package.
The key to any Mario game is the gameplay and this title truly "shines" compared to any previous installment (get it heh heh....eh). The controls transition beautifully to the Wii using just the right amount of motion control. The objectives for each star are clearly stated before the level and getting there is always a joy because the objectives are quite varied. For the 60 stars needed to complete the game, you will never encounter any annoying red coin levels or timed quests but the water levels still need some polish for future installments. There are harder challenges availible should you choose to go for all 120 stars but they're never as daunting as they were before. One of my favorite additions is the return of actual 2D sections (that resemble the DS's New Super Mario Bros.) taken to a new level thanks to the changing gravity elements. The difficulty might seem easy to those who braved the annoyances of the previous installments, and the game is definitely easier than all of the 2d installments. However, this is far from a negative thing because not only does it make the game more accessible for newcomers, it gives you a better appreciation for the stellar art direction and level design. Ever play an amazing level that loses its luster because you're forced to repeat it a dozen times? You won't experience that here.
In spite of all the praise, no game is perfect and there are a couple of gripes I have overall. For one thing, I know Mario games aren't known for their story lines, but it's about time for Nintendo to do SOMETHING different. Not saying they should put a gun in Mario's hand and make him fight aliens, but we've been rescuing princess peach for well over 20 years now. Zelda still maintains the triforce and Ganon but at least there are some changes here and there such as Zant, the Twilight Realm, and a different villain in the Minish Cap. The story element involving Rosalina is a nice addition, but its nothing deep or major. My other complaint relates to trying to collect 120 stars. At 104 stars, you have to finish the last level then go back and do 15 Purple coin levels. Not only would I rather do all my collecting before the final show down, but the purple coin levels become quite a drag when theres 15 of them in a row. The levels aren't bad by any means, they would have just been alot more enjoyable if Nintendo found a way to sprinkle them throughout the main quest instead of lumping it in one stretch of time (It actually gave me flashbacks to the pace-killing triforce/rupee hunt in The Wind Waker). Even more baffling is you have to do the last level over again after you finally collect all 120 stars which really takes the impact away from the final confrontation.
Overall, the game is truly a work of art and definitely belongs in every Wii owners library. It takes standard platforming to a whole new level and sets an almost insurmontable bar for not only future Mario titles, but future platformers in general. I invested 29 hours in the game total and enjoyed every minute of it; and this is from a guy who never cared too much for previous 3d mario games. In the end, not only did this game take its place as my favorite platformer of all time (usurping the first Jak and Daxter), it truly is one of the best games I've played in a decade.