Super Mario Galaxy Review
Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 1:10am by Jake
Super Mario Galaxy, the title we’ve been waiting on for what seems like a lifetime has finally reached our greedy, little gamer hands. And boy was it worth it. Galaxy holds quality that both brings us back to why games are fun, and sets the bar for technical know-how. Though even through all that, Galaxy isn’t a completely perfect title (but what is?). That being said, the time for a review has come. We here at Infendo HQ have gathered and combined our infinite gaming knowledge to give you the low down on Nintendo’s AAA title. So come gather round and listen to the Infendo elders speak.
Blake Snow
What started as a slow and disorientating experience has quickly become one of my favorite games released in more than a decade. Some five hours in, I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve beheld such creativity in games.
The superlative level design immediately makes you want to double back and play it again. The colorful artwork and convincing lighting display a level of polish rarely seen on any platform. The cohesive powerups make Mario feel new even though he’s been saving the same princess for more than 20 years.
Galaxy is challenging without being inaccessible — the music on par with that of a John Williams score, and the gravity effect feels like a mini leap of faith every time you’re tasked with jumping to a neighboring planetoid.
I don’t know how influential this game will be 10 years from now, but I know I’m playing something special.
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Kyle Crane
My first impression of SMG was that this was going to be a very disorienting experience. The spherical stage structure looked vomit inducing at best even though the graphics looked stellar since the first screen shot was released. I was never the biggest supporter of Mario 64 and felt that if the game got some good reviews then I would pick it up. That was a promise I made to myself that I felt I wouldn’t end up keeping. Once the glowing reviews came pouring in I felt that I had to see what all the fuss was about.
Joy. Pure joy. That’s the best word I can come up with to describe this game. It is smile inducing, planetesimal jumping, fun across the gaming board. Better than Ocarina of Time? The coming weeks will prove if this game has the ability to unseat the 9 year champ. From the first few hours of play I’d have to say for the first time we have a legitimate contender.
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Jake Barber
Super Mario Galaxy. How could I describe it in a sentence? I can’t. The Graphics, while not 360 caliber absolutely blow me away. The colors are vivid, bold, and very distinct. Not only that, It has great lighting, to say the least. It is graphically, the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on a Nintendo system. The Story is definitely not why people play Mario Galaxy. The game was built on fun. It’s fun just to maneuver Mario around. Mario has such good control in this game, (Complements of the Wii-mote) so If you ever screw up, you blame yourself, and never think it’s the game’s fault.
Sound… Beautiful. Not just the music, but the sound design as well. When Mario is balancing on a ball, and you steer him through narrow paths, the music gets slower or faster to match Mario’s speed. Everything is orchestrated, with Violins, Strings, Trumpets, and Harps that produce clear, distinct, melodic music.
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Derek Buck
Let’s just get it out of the way. Super Mario Galaxy is the best game Nintendo has made in almost a decade.
There, I said it. And though I am only 70 stars into the game, it is likely that I will only be further convinced as I progress. We have been hearing glowing praise with stunning persistence over the last five days, but rather than echo what gamers have undoubtedly been hearing since Tuesday, I have a few nagging complaints about Super Mario Galaxy I need to get off my chest.
Actually, I’ll pose them in the form of questions, Alex. For $300.
What is an uninspired hub world?
The hub areas in the last two Mario games were spectacular: Princess Peach’s expansive castle in Super Mario 64 and the beautiful Delfino Plaza in Super Mario Sunshine. They were immense, offering players hours of rewarding exploration without entering a single level. In Galaxy, we run around on a comparatively tiny, boring spaceship that seems an easy-fix, an afterthought.
What is a lack of high platforming?
Think back to the sky-scraping seashells of Noki Bay and tight-ropes of Bianco Hills. Super Mario Sunshine was at its best when it offered towering platforming challenges that required precise jumping and relative skill. Though to a lesser extent, the same platforming challenges were utilized in Super Mario 64 in stages such as Tick Tock Clock. More than halfway through Galaxy, I have yet to experience any seriously skyward platforming, one aspect in which Sunshine unquestionably has Galaxy beat.
What is an abundance of lives with no use?
Throughout my extensive play sessions so far, I have collectively attained no less than 1,000 lives in Galaxy. Conversely, I have lost no more than five. I certainly do not expect a Mario game to be as difficult as, say, Contra 4. But remember Tick Tock Clock and Rainbow Ride? And the FLUDD-less stages in Sunshine? A little challenge goes a long way in a Mario game, and speaking of which, the Sweet Sweet Galaxy is criminally, shamefully short.
Here’s the truth: Galaxy oozes quality, and those who have yet to play it are missing out on one of the best Nintendo games of all time, and easily the best title to hit Wii. But for all its greatness, Galaxy has a few minor issues that, for some, may not even be worth mentioning.
I’ll take an “imperfect perfection,” Alex.
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Jake Brandon
These impressions have all been great, but there really isn’t a way to express how great Super Mario Galaxy really is. The main technical element that I’m quite impressed with would have be the physics engine. Crunching code for Galaxy must have been quite a chore. I’ve spent hours upon hours just trying to see how many orbits I can accomplish on a metal disk in the Battlerock galaxy (Three, beat that!). Of course on the other technical side of things there’s the graphics. The beautiful, color filled graphics. You’ve probably heard this about a thousand times already but graphically, Galaxy blows away all Wii games. I’d even go so far as to say Super Mario Galaxy matches some mid to low end Xbox 360 titles. All this is running at an amazing 60 fps which should always be played in 480p.
Now I’ve heard a lot of complaining about a poor storyline in Super Mario Galaxy, but compared to existing Mario games the story is quite nice. Not the most original, but it might just show a tiny hint of a dark side to a Mario game. I’ve also heard that Galaxy could be controlled just as good with a Gamecube controller. I really don’t think that I could play this game with out the Wii remote and nunchuk. Controlling Mario, both with analog and motion feels so…perfect.
And Finally I round of my impressions with my favorite game element, the music. Game music really doesn’t get any better than this. 70% of the game is fully orchestrated with the rest being high quality midis. Both Midi and Orchestra give Mario what he deserves. After the disappointed non-orchestrated Twilight Princess, Koji Kondo delivers his finest composition yet.
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Final
This is a Nintendo Game. This is a Miyamoto masterpiece. This is Mario.
November 19th, 2007 at 2:23 am
Kyle got it just right… if this isn’t the best game ever, it truly is a legitimate contender. This game is HUGE, and no game in 9 years has come this far to even touch OoT’s position; till now. Just about where it needs to be to knock Zelda off her throne!
November 19th, 2007 at 3:20 am
Man…I love…no…am addicted to this game. Gosh I love it. I hope it wins GOTY (as long as it is not HALO 3 is better because it’s Halo)
November 19th, 2007 at 11:24 am
” Galaxy isn’t a completely perfect title (but what is?). ”
I`m 55 stars in, and i can`t honestly find a flaw yet, but that`s just me. As i said at the forums, i just can`t erase that stupid smile from my face when i`m playing. So, here are my mini comments about this beautiful game:
Graphics: I get the other systems are more powerful, but when anyone complaints about the graphics on this game, i feel is like comparing Beowulf with some Disney movie, this is the way a Mario game should look, and i was totally surprised by the beautiful look.
Sound: Totally overwhelming, the score is simply the best game soundtrack i`ve ever heard, period.
Gameplay: I can do anything while being Mario, i can even feel the joy of that ***king plumber everytime he goes jumping and saying “wahooo!” all across the planetary, if there`s something i want Mario to do, he can do it, flawlessly, the controls are that good.
Story: Many complain about the story being too simplistic but i find it very charming and cute. Simply put, the Rosalina story is a beautiful kid`s tale(i`m no kid i know), and the Mario-Peach-Bowser love triangle holds an endless charm hehe.
Overall: The production values of this game blew me off, i never sae a game so polished, ever!. Nintendo is getting better every day, and i can say this is the pinaccle of the 3-d platformers, they just took the rules they invented with Mario 64, trash them, and invent new, better-wacky ones. This is the funniest game i`ve ever played.
To say is best that Ocarina is a little unfair, because they are way different games, but they both truly deserve the spots 1 and 2 of the best games of all time, in whick order i don`t care.
Score:10, *****(five stars), A+, 100%… in short. game of the forever.
(Sorry about my english, i`m no native speaker :p)
November 19th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Now that I think about it, I guess the Observatory/Hub world in Galaxy is a lot smaller than Peach’s Castle or Delfino Plaza, with no hidden stars to collect (unless you count the hungry Lumas who transform into smaller galaxies just outside each dome). But I still think it is awesome.
I was thinking about this over the weekend. I really enjoy the Observatory hub. Perhaps it is my inner child remembering the eternal dream of living on a spaceship since I first saw the grimy interior of the Millenium Falcon. But, as a functioning, habitable craft, the Comet Observatory is more than adequate. With neccesities like a kitchen and a bedroom and a garage (docking bay), plus the garden terrace and library, and a whimsical, asymentrical construction, I want to live there among the stars.
Really an odd direction for Nintendo to go. Kitchen and bedroom as observatories for sighting distant galaxies? But wth the toads and Lumas wandring around and the occassional storytime, the Comet Observatory is a cool place to hang out. Sure, there’s not too much to do there, but considering the sheer variety and volume of tasks in the rest of the game, that’s fine by me.
I can’t wait to see what’s on the upper level!
All around one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. I don’t mind the lesser challenge, as I’ve said before, I don’t want to spend the small amount of game time I can find each week trying (and failing) to complete one impossible task. I’ve got about 47 stars right now, and while some have proved difficult for me, I have managed to acquire every one I was attempting (so far). It is greatly satisfying to have attained every star I have uncovered so far. I don’t imagine I will be able to get all 120, though.
I prefer difficulty in figuring out the methods necessary to attain a goal rather than difficulty in execution. Missing the same jump over and over again is not fun. But figuring out how to get up to that star is much more rewarding.
I’m taking my time, trying to savor every moment. The creativity in this one game is staggering. How can Nintendo top this one?
November 19th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Here it is in a nutshell… I bought it for my kids to play, but they are having to fight me for the controls! Thank goodness for the well-designed coop play, or my kids would never get a turn! On top of that, they have dug me out of a few binds with star #2.
November 20th, 2007 at 8:37 am
Galaxy holds quality that both brings us back to why games are fun, and sets the bar for technical know-how.
November 21st, 2007 at 3:21 pm
In response to Darek Buck’s comments, have you unleashed the purple comment yet? I’ve forgotten exact the name and location of the galaxy, but getting all the purple coins in the ice galaxy of the fountain or the bedroom is very challenging. It has you do this insane long jump from a very high point in the level. I landed it the first time, but I was seriously sweating it. Also, the hidden star in the beach galaxy that looks like a donut still has me stumped. I spent about 20 lives before I finally gave up in frustration. These areas very much remind me of the watergun-less areas of Sunshine.
True it took me less than 13 hours to get 60 stars and see the ending of the game, but I imagine it will take me another 30 to get all 120 stars and make Luigi playable. I gotta do that! However, this is the first time getting all 120 stars actually seems attainable. I never succeeded in either 64 or Sunshine.
One other thing about the story. My three-year-old daughter was sitting with me as I first started playing. When Bowser took the castle away she started crying. Even the next day she asked me to save her. She and my five-year-old son enjoyed the story book too. I play for the sheer joy of playing and care nothing for the story, but Nintendo definitly connected with my children. I remember Dumbo and Bambi making me cry in the theater. Has Nintendo reached that level of excellence. Is Galaxy (and the Wii) a classic of Disney proportions? I think so.
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:45 pm
[...] Full review here [...]
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:33 pm
@ Derek Buck
.
I believe you will lose alot more lives later on with the harder levels.
The levels earlier are obviously easy. But to get all 120 stars you’lll lose more than 5 lives!
Perfect balance imo.
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Wow, reading these reviews and the comments, it seems like I just might decide to get into Mario. I’m a GBC/GBA players with handhelds and a PS2 player with comsoles, and mostly with RPGs and ATV racing.
Mario fends me off mostly because of its… doofiness. Still, I hear good things about SM64 (not so much anything about SMS), but reading all this makes me think that maybe Mario’s finally refined its presentation to appeal to me, and reveal its trend-setting controls and play.
Reading that a difficulty curve was lowered had me worried for the game’s sake, but then reading that there are still tough places gives me the feeling that many here have expressed: maybe I can get close without too much trouble, and actually get to the finish with effort.
As rdaneel said, “I prefer difficulty in figuring out the methods necessary to attain a goal rather than difficulty in execution,” and SMG sounds like a load of discovery with oasises of challenge, so anyone of any skill level would be able to get their fill.
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:59 pm
The hub level is awesome! If you think otherwise then you obviously have not unlocked the red star’s secret in the gate area, because the hub is the only other level you can use it on! And boy is it fun! And it lasts for ages!
May 1st, 2008 at 3:34 pm
This game is perfect excapt for two small things that pretty much makes this an outcast from all of the 3-D Mario/Luigi games and that is that there are no hidden stars in the hub level! that just kinda ruins the whole hub for me… for you un-knwing ones out there who have read this word a million times a hub level (in this case) is the place with all of the different rooms you can go to and its like the place where Roseilina stands in front of the glowing stars that your replenishing with the stars you collect (and again for you un-knowning ones, yes you are replenishing that light but your also at the same time giving the ship fuel so Roseilina can fly you to Princess Peach) but seriously in Super Mario Sunshine there were hidden stars all over Delfino Plaza and in Super Mario 64 there were hidden stars all over the castle in Luigi’s Mansion (which was not the best game by far) there were ghosts to catch all in the hallways. honestly nintendo couldn’t you just find some time to hide a few stars here and there?
P.S. who knew Luigi was such a coward first in Luigi’s Mansion he freaked out every time he turned a stupid door-knob and now the gets scared when he finds himself on a stupid small planet with no life so he takes a picture of himself in hopes that Mario will come and find him sheesh!