Polished, varied and exciting gameplay, wonderful level designs and phenomenal presentation. Best 3D Platformer ever.
Gameplay -------------- (10)
Graphics --------------- (10)
Sound ------------------- ( 9 )
Value -------------------- ( 9 )
-------------------------------------
THE GOOD:
> The controls are smooth, extremely responsive and feel right once you get used to them;
> Plenty of gameplay variety with the right amount of very well implemented fresh ideas and the right amount of familiar platforming gameplay - all refined almost to perfection;
> Simple and intuitive use of the Wii remote that makes the experience more engrossing than it would have been with a regular controller;
> Some of the best and more diverse level designs of any 3D platformer, that are able to tap the inherent potential of almost all the gameplay ideas presented, especially those related to gravity, physics and pure platforming, and have many well thought-out, always enjoyable and never confusing puzzles;
> Beautiful, charming and vibrant art design, that's more then the sum of its parts: terrific use of saturated colors; great animations and character designs; outstanding, crazy and varied level designs with an incredible amount of details; and a camera that takes a cinematic perspective;
> The game is also technically impressive, with some neat especial effects and physics, an amazing draw distance and some stunning particle effects and running always at a smooth 60 frames-per-second - and all this makes the art design standout even more;
> Modernized and orchestrated classic Mario tunes and some even more amazing new musics, really help the game to be more engaging and provide the right amount of nostalgic flavor for those who have been following the plummer since the NES;
> It's a big platforming adventure, with lots of stages that are fun to explore and tons of stars to find and collect;
> It has an incredible pacing, especially for the more experienced gamers, because there's always some action happening on screen, it's always evident where you're supposed to go or what you're supposed to do, there are multiple mid-level check-points from where you restart after losing a life and the loading times are minimal and very well disguised;
> The combination of gameplay variety, accurate controls, incredible pacing, wonderful level designs and a phenomenal audio-visual presentation, gives the game a considerable amount of replay value, especially for those who love Mario-Platformers (and the game does a good job encouraging you to replay it).
THE BAD:
> The "just one more star" addictiveness could be hard to control for some gamers;
> A couple of gameplay mechanics are a bit overused: the bee suit and swimming or riding-a-shell underwater;
> The main story is too simple and predictable and the Rosalinda's story is told in a not very entertaining way (but the main story is also too minimal to be considered a main component of the game and the Rosalinda's story is optional);
> A couple of gameplay mechanics are a bit underused: the boo suit and the "unstable ground" (used in the awesome "Matter Splatter Galaxy");
> Half the levels are easy to beat (although still very fun), making this platforming adventure not as big as it could have been (probably won't take you more than 30-35 hours to collect all the 120 stars).
FINAL WORDS:
Super Mario Galaxy is not a "Revolutionary" game, because it doesn't creates a completely new way to play a Platformer, but almost does that by presenting a lot of cool new ideas. In my honest opinion, this is the best 3D Platformer ever created (yes, it's better than Super Mario 64, by a narrow margin), because it makes the best use ever of the platforming gameplay created in Mario 64, because of the awesome new gameplay ideas it brings to the genre and because it has some of the best level designs of any 3D Platformer. Galaxy was the third-person game I enjoyed more playing since "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time", although it wasn't the most challenging or the biggest one.
Galaxy is also the only 3D Platformer I decided to play a second time (I'm going to catch every star again!) - this alone could be an indicator of how much fun I had playing this incredible game. In the end, Galaxy might not be a "Perfect" game, but it's a remarkable package of polished and varied gameplay, wonderful and innovative level designs and a phenomenal audio-visual presentation - a true Masterpiece.
ESPECIAL NOTE:
Alex Navarro's review is so awesome to read and has so much clarity, that I couldn't end this review without posting some of his quotes:
"Here is the game that Wii owners have been pining for, a game that has tons of appeal for both the less experienced player and the longtime gamer. A game that deftly combines accessibility and challenge, all wrapped up in a package that's both deep and addictive. Super Mario Galaxy is all of this and more. It is simultaneously one of Mario's best adventures and a game that doesn't require fandom of the portly plumber's previous engagements to appreciate. The sheer quality of Mario Galaxy's wonderful level designs, tight controls, and brilliant presentation is the sort of thing that just about anyone who loves gaming should be able to appreciate, and that many will fall head-over-heels for.
( ... )
When all is said and done, the thing that really makes Super Mario Galaxy such a standout game isn't the fact that it's another Mario game, but the fact that it doesn't even need to be a Mario game to be successful. Sure, it's got all the nostalgic flavor Mario fans would want, with the updated soundtrack, familiar foes, and various other Mario-related bric-a-brac scattered throughout the adventure, but the game never leans on these nostalgic aspects as a crutch. It instead puts the whole of its focus on its gameplay design, and with good reason. You could probably swap in just about any other characters from practically any other franchise, and this would still be a phenomenally fun game. That it layers all these memorable characters and components on top of that phenomenal design just makes it all the sweeter. If ever there were a must-own Wii game, Super Mario Galaxy is it."