Super Mario Galaxy 2 is simply the pinnacle of 3D platforming and one of the greatest games in video game history.
What you have got with this sequel isn't only "more of the same". The game is based on the same idea like Super Mario Galaxy, you know, classic Mario gameplay mixed with the space theme and all these other new, crazy ideas, but it improves on this formula above it's predecessor in almost every way. From the variety to the creativity and the incredible amount of objectives, right to the amazing, amazing soundtrack, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is an even more enjoyable and breathtaking adventure than its predecessor.
Super Mario Galaxy was amazing, simply outstanding. It added a whole new twist to the 3D platforming formula. The same incredible feeling doesn't overcome you once you start this incredible sequel. First of, it does feel similar to Mario Galaxy 1, with its looks and sounds and so on. The story is also kept simple this time, actually, a lot more simple than in number 1. Mario wants to visit Peach for the star festival and then, when he arrives, Bowser comes and kidnaps Princess Peach. But this time Bowser is planet sized. He takes her and flies out into the sky and then disappears, with his plan being to destroy the whole universe and then create a huge galaxy out of cake.(Yes, Nintendo logic). And that is when the game starts off: Mario meets two Lumas who then blast him into the first galaxy and in his first level of this game. And right off from the start, the learning curve is good and easy to follow, so new comers won't have any problems getting into this game quickly.
The story is kept really simple, but who cares, this just allows the developers to concentrate more on the levels, and this opportunity was used from the developers more than expected. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is simply one of the most enjoyable and celestial games ever made.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 has some of the most creative level design in a video game to ever be found. The obstacles and objectives are both so varied and unpredictable with some amazing, incredibly imaginative ideas, and almost every level offers something completely new. A lot of levels always have a different way to beat, some others throw in new powerups, and others just come up with some completely insane obstacles or objectives. It's amazing how every single level feels fresh and different again, and how every new level, every new idea is polished in an unbelievable way. The levels are mostly pretty linear, but that doesn't hold them back to boast creativity like you've never seen before. The game uses its ideas in an amazing way, and the levels them self have tons of neat twists and outstanding designs.
The challenge is, luckily, also increased. Super Mario Galaxy 2 gets a lot earlier tough. The main adventure also now takes 70 stars instead of 60. I'll be honest, I still think that the goal could have been 80 stars, but 70 is better than 60 and it is more challenging to get to Bowser as well. The levels are more challenging already in the main game. Also, unlike in Mario Galaxy, there are more levels that have to be beaten mandatory to progress, because this time the game has a world map similar to New Super Mario Bros Wii. That means a more simpler world selection than in number 1. Sure, the Comet Observatory may have looked better than these world maps, but now it's way easier, comfortable and faster to choose between the galaxies. Plus the backgrounds of these world maps do have a neat look to them.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 shines especially because of its amazing level design, huge creativity and immense variety. This is also because of the new powerups and other additions that appear in the game. One powerup, the cloud suit, lets Mario create 3 clouds per suit out of thin air. Another suit lets Mario become a boulder so that he can roll around like a Goron from the Legend of Zelda. And then there is a drill powerup that lets Mario drill through soft ground so that he appears on the other side of a planet or in a hidden room in the planet. Of course, old favorites from Super Mario Galaxy also return, like the bee suit or boo suit. And of course the fire flower also makes an appearance once again.
Other additions are for example Luigi, now he is playable in some levels after you've selected the first few stars in world 3. He is fully playable after you beat Bowser, but during the second half of the main adventure he is playable whenever he appears in the beginning of a level.
However, the obviously biggest addition is Yoshi, who is playable already almost in the first levels. Whenever you find an egg, brake it open so that Yoshi appears out of it. Yoshi plays a much bigger role than in previous Mario games (New Super Mario Bros Wii), and he never played that well. You can use the cursor to point at things that he should swallow, it works really good. Swallowing up enemies or other specific objects is incredibly satisfying. The levels that contain Yoshi are made extra for him, and that means even more variety. Yoshi can use floating flowers to swing him from one place to the other, pretty similar to the grab stars which Mario uses, just that Yoshi can't float. There is a lot in the environments which Yoshi can swallow or use with his tongue, which makes for some really enjoyable exploration. Yoshi also has gotten 3 new powerups all for himself. The dash pepper lets Yoshi run incredibly fast, but he isn't that easy to control. The blimp fruit lets Yoshi turn into a balloon so that he can fly up in a short amount of time, and the bulb berry lets Yoshi glow for a little bit to reveal hidden path ways. All of these powerups include another level of variety and are used in clever ways throughout the game.
Of course, the gravity twist is used once again. And it is used a lot, of course in some really amusing and creative ways. Hopping from one little planet to the other still remains a lot in this game, and it is as fun as ever, and that's just the beginning.
There are also 2D levels again, there are more than in number 1. They aren't as fast paced and quite as fun as those like say in a Mario Bros game, but they have some really amazing ideas too. At times you are walking on the ceiling and at other times gravity is changing constantly.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 has some of the most amazing ideas and designs for its levels, and this incredible inspiration doesn't stop by the bosses. These boss battles are exceptional well designed and are better than most of the bosses you have encountered in a Mario game. Sure, they still aren't that challenging, though more challenging than in Mario Galaxy 1, but they are very creative, huge and have some really epic battles for you in place, and the last hit on such a boss, though you probably didn't lose any life on it, is immensely satisfying. Mid bosses are really fun, but the end bosses at the end of each world are what take the cake. The 3 Bowser Jr. battles are absolutely awesome, those are especially satisfying. The Bowser battles are even more amazing. He is huge, and I mean huge, and he never has been that threatening like in this game. The final battle, though maybe a bit to easy and short, is absolutely breathtaking, and proves that Bowser can be more dangerous than any other Nintendo villain out there.
The gameplay in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is unrivaled, tied up in an amazing presentation.
The visuals are strongly the same like in the first game, and since that game still has the best graphics of any Wii game, you know what you can expect here, a visual stunner. What did change however is that the game is a lot brighter than its predecessor. It's much more rare to find galaxies that are dark and gloomy. Most of them have bright, colorful backgrounds and environments. Some might prefer it a bit darker in a Mario game, because that is more rare for a Mario game, but the brighter and happier colors just fit to a Mario game. And you still really get the feeling that you are exploring epic, huge galaxies. The visuals also have an amazing amount of details in the backgrounds (such lovely skies) and environments of the galaxies. Visual effects, like other lighting effects, are also all there. The game runs smoothly, with nice animations. The character models also look incredible. Mario himself looks great, just like Luigi, Yoshi and the other Lumas. They are detailed and don't have any rough edges at all. Old enemies like the Goombas, Bob-ombs, Piranha plants and more all return, and look better than ever, along with a lot of new enemies and huge, awesome looking bosses. There are some really cool enemies with personality, but the bosses look even better. Every boss looks a lot different than the other bosses, and all of them look really cool and really threatening. Bowser Jr. looks great too, with his goofiness and nastiness all there. Bowser however takes the cake. He is gigantic, and he looks more threatening than he ever did. Bowsers powers are also even more threatening than we are used to. And he is presented to be more evil than usually.
One new character, who plays a big role in Super Mario Galaxy 2, is called Lubba, a big, purple version of the normal Lumas. He is the boss of the Star ship which Mario then uses to reach Bowser. He is the replacement for Rosalina, and though Rosalina is a more interesting character than Lubba, Lubba also does a great job being your hostess.
The soundtrack in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also once again orchestrated, and it actually sounds even better than the soundtrack of Mario Galaxy 1. And that says something, young friends. Actually, I am just listening to one of the soundtracks music pieces right now while I am writing this review. And it is beautiful. Every music peace fits to the levels and the mood of the levels perfectly.
The game combines amazing gameplay and beautiful presentation perfectly, so whats also good is that the game offers so much of this. The content in Mario Galaxy 2 is incredible. There is a total of 120 stars to be collected, which you mostly get at the end of each level. There are of course also some hidden stars to be found, and a few stars are also missions where you might have to beat a high score in something.
Each galaxy also contains one comet coin, which have to be collected. These coins then unlock comet levels that appear in a lot of galaxies. These levels prove to be especially challenging.
And after collecting all 120 stars, don't expect yourself to be finished with the game. There is still a lot more to do after these 120 stars.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is everything a sequel needs to be. It uses the same main theme of its predecessor, but improves on it in almost every imaginable way. There is more variety, creativity, polish and entertainment in this game than in almost any other video game ever created. Every level is an absolute delight and almost every next level you encounter throws in something absolutely new that makes you go "wow" in a very amusing way. Super Mario Galaxy 2 deserves as much praise nowadays as only a few games have. Mario Galaxy 2 might not be nearly as revolutionary as say Ocarina of Time, but it's just as amazing and entertaining in every single way. The musical score is incredible, such as the graphics, but the real fixation of this game is the gameplay. It doesn't tell any unnecessary story, neither does it come up with some really amazing cinematics, it just cares about the core gameplay and about you being entertained and having fun, and that's where Super Mario Galaxy 2 succeeds like almost no other game, and that's what makes this game stand out among all the other games of this generation.
THE GOOD
+ unbelievable creative and imaginative level design
+ huge, epic, satisfying bosses and a breathtaking, though short final showdown with Bowser
+ an incredible amount of variety in the different objectives
+ lots of new additions, like Yoshi, Luigi and new powerups
+ gigantic content with incredibly lots of powerstars to find
+ same visuals like in the first one, which mean they are beautiful
+ orchestrated soundtrack that sounds even better than that in number 1
Review Score: 10/10