Super Mario Galaxy 2

You’d think everyone would be sick and tired of the same thing happening for the last 20 odd years or so, but the latest installment of this Italian plumber’s escapades will leave you spellbound. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, you traverse entire solar systems and planets in search for Power Stars, in order to save the universe and rescue Princess Peach from the nefarious Bowser (who else?). If you were expecting a deep, meaningful story with emotionally involving characters stop reading this review right now because this is as complex as the plot gets.  Still sounding too familiar? Read on.

As with the first game, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has you jumping from one planet onto another and it’s a sheer joy to watch. Collecting star bits as you soar through the cosmos is seemingly addictive and within a few moments after the almost blah opening cut scene, everything is right with the world.

And what a world it is. Graphically, this is the best looking game on the Wii along with Metroid Prime 3 and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Bright, bold, colourful, Galaxy 2 sports a colour palette wide enough to rival Pixar’s finest. The art direction is refreshingly different from most “next-gen” titles that seem to be fixated on greys and browns. The level of detail, in spite of being capable of just 480p is commendable to say the least. It’s quite rare to find a title that’s looks so different and yet so immersive. The level of difficulty is just right and is well suited for pick up and play. You can just dive into it without any worries. Galaxy 2 manages to maintain its old-school Nintendo charm without being too retro, giving it a hint of freshness unheard of in Mario titles since the seminal Super Mario 64.

But what’s immersion without the right controls? Super Mario Galaxy 2 improves on the controls of the first game and adds a better camera making it near perfect. Mario has dinosaur Yoshi as his ride again, using Yoshi to swing across gaps and devour power fruit with his tongue. Add to that new fun powerups like Rock Mario and Cloud Mario and Goomba stomping has never been more fun. If you own a Wii or plan to get one, this game is a definite must purchase.