Nintendo conjure up even more mind-twisting platform levels in Mario’s second celestial expedition
Format: Wii Dev: Nintendo Pub: Nintendo Out: 11/06/10 Players: 1-2
Twenty-five years ago, Nintendo released Super Mario Bros., which was in itself a genre-defining classic. In 2007, just as Super Mario 64 had done, Super Mario Galaxy redefined 3D platformers, and proved that they continue to innovate even after 20 years. With this prestigious history of sequels in mind, Nintendo has its hands pretty full with Mario Galaxy 2.
What you’re getting, on the face of it, is the same galactic experience: same stunning presentation, gravitational gameplay, even the same story. Denying that the previous adventure even existed is a pretty large shark to jump – even for a company that makes you save a princess over and over again. But every game has a focus, and this isn’t it.
Mario Galaxy 2 has been upgraded in several other areas. Let’s start with the levels themselves. Something has happened since the previous iteration. The first title was a masterpiece in polished level design, however, as many artists do, there is an element of the game returning to its roots. Side-scrolling levels are incorporated, along with gravitational gameplay to boot. It’s certainly an interesting twist on the type of game we’ve known and loved for twenty years. This along with the genre defining 3D level design of the previous game makes this a really unbeatable game in terms of creativity and complexity.
New additions to the gameplay recipe are a new world map view which harkens back to the Mario games of yesteryear, making it much more simple to find and have a crack at everything that’s on offer. Yoshi also makes his arrival, with limited success it must be said, but, hey. There’s always a part of a sequel that feels tacked on, and this one doesn’t destroy the game at all. Plus it’s fun to pull the fly trap enemies out the ground with his tongue.
Another sequel impact that you’ll feel is the difficulty. You’re given a real tough cookie of a game to tackle. Your play time will be filled with many trial and error sections, split up by the occasional character asking you to turn the console off because “you’ve been playing too long.” This, of course, has the opposite effect of the calming purpose Nintendo were intending. But, for what the game has, this kind of gruelling experience definitely feels like much more of an accessible commitment rather than a throwaway title.
The visuals have the same polish and sheen of the previous game, and it hasn’t lost any of its beauty in the years in between. Mario Galaxy 2 is a pinnacle example of why it’s not about high polygon counts, trilinear shaders, and other graphic jargon that people pretend to understand when they read about games in magazines, but what you do creatively with it that counts. The audio, too, has been significantly upgraded from the somewhat held back nature of the previous iteration into a fully utilised orchestral score, including some odd remixes of some classic Mario tracks.
So does this sequel introduce a whole new game? In truth, no, the gameplay is the same, and you feel a vague similarity to the original playing Mario Galaxy 2. But even this doesn’t stop it from setting a new bar for 3D platformers that many developers can only dream of. I found this to be one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences this year. Put simply, Nintendo have managed to trounce themselves with another magnificent title that defines this generation, and I can’t see any other game coming close to it by year’s end.
Jason England
Tags: mario, nintendo, platformer
