Tech: Super Mario Galaxy review

"Super Mario Galaxy," the latest entry in the famous video game series from Nintendo, is a return to form. 2002's "Super Mario Sunshine" was considered too watered-down and tedious for Mario purists, and while the sunny tropical environments were visually impressive, they sometimes lacked imagination. Galaxy fixes this problem by hurling Mario through dozens of different "galaxies" (that is, levels), all with unique themes:



The gameplay is a platforming fan's delight - if you liked the N64's "Super Mario 64" in the least, you'll have just as many "Wow!" moments during our mustachioed hero's journey through the cosmos. Whether it's surfing on top of a manta ray, catching a ride on a dandelion puff, or battling one of the many sub-bosses, "Super Mario Galaxy" is consistently entertaining. The game also plays with gravity on a regular basis; while most of the challenges are not difficult (caveat - I've played every Mario game ever made), they have enough variety that you're too busy to care.

The graphics here are the best you've seen on Wii, bar none. The Wii doesn't output in HD, and most of the textures don't look great when zoomed-in, but overall, the game is gorgeous and runs smoothly. The music is decadently orchestrated in most levels, with the final battle with Bowser featuring a full chorus for that apocalyptic feel.

If there's any criticism to be made, it's that "Super Mario Galaxy" is merely an evolution of Mario 64. And some people may genuinely prefer Mario 64's large sandbox style of level design instead of Galaxy's more linear course pathway system. This holiday season, though, it's pretty clear which game Wii owners will be snatching up.

Rating: 95/100