Many will know that the Super Mario Galaxy games are well-loved classics. But if you are anything like me, you will know it, but not feel it. That’s because they were both released on the Wii, and I never had one of those. Well, now they have been brought to Switch 2, meaning numpties like me can fill the galaxy-sized holes in our hearts.
Taking these games on for the first time!
That’s always the weirdest thing going into a game like this. Fans of the old games will know what to expect and appreciate their upgrades. For me, on the other hand, the game has to impress as if it was a brand-spanking new game. And after many hours in both of these games now, I can say it totally does impress.
The Galaxy games are excellent Mario 3D platformers. Heaps of the game has you moving around small sphere levels, regularly linking these together. There are plenty of other shapes to make your way around, and some other short classic-looking 3D platforming levels. But for the most part, you are running around lots of small areas. And that is far from a bad thing. A level can involve linking multiple areas together, and the process of running around these little areas has a strange and unique vibe to them. It’s super easy to accidentally fall off an edge as you charge around a circular globe if you aren’t paying attention, and levels can flip from light areas to dark versions that ooze creativity.
The boss fights are especially excellent. They get super creative, and are always so damn much fun. Levels themselves vary a lot too. I mentioned the excellent circular ones, but there are creative and fun mechanics spattered throughout. Cloud making, pulling back plants to slam into enemies, it’s all platformer level design glory!
So why is Mario flying through the Galaxy?
In Super Mario Galaxy 1, Bowser has stolen Princess Peach and her castle. I know, shock horror. This is done by his spaceship, and as he leaves the planet, Mario winds up floating off into space. Here he meets Rosalina, who we know from all the Mario games since, and he helps her save the little star fellas and, as such, save Peach. Well, in Super Mario Galaxy 2, Bowser kidnapped Peach again, and traveled through space with her, again.
It’s a Super Mario game. If you’re here for the plot, well, this may not be the game for you. If you’re here for platforming, then it has heaps to offer.
So how does it play?
These games play silky smooth. Re-releases can be a mixed bag, some offering much better controls, and some being held back. When it comes to the platforming it feels damn good. I don’t know how it played before, but in every way I felt like I was playing a game that had been released in at least the last few years. Jumping around, spinning into enemies, and everything else feels great. It takes a moment to adjust, as there can be a slight knack to timing, but it stopped being noticeable in the first hour.
Since the game came out on the Wii there were obviously gimmicks using motion control. This includes a cursor you move around to collect star pieces, and some levels may have you pulling Mario or pointing him in a direction to move around in space. One strong noticeable use of this is bouncing your way through a spider web at a fantastic level. This I found, for the most part, inconvenient. You can use the joycons, touch screen, or the controller’s movement sensors for all of these, but I generally find them an inconvenience at best. Camera angles can be a pain in the ass as well, as sometimes you can’t move the camera and suddenly you fall off an edge when you thought you might walk around the edge of something, or you start walking in the wrong direction.
Outside this though, it’s a super fun platforming experience.
Should you check out Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 on Switch 2?
If these classic platformers aren’t a part of your repertoire yet, you owe it to yourself to add them to it. It may be because they have been tidied up together, but they do feel like they are one long game, and that is one super sweet game. It looks and plays like they came out way more recently than they did, and they are pure Super Mario platforming fun.
Now can I please have Super Mario Odyssey 2?
It may be old, but Super Mario Galaxy is still damn good!
