Super Mario Galaxy

One of the greatest games of all time!

Super Mario Galaxy is quite a bit different from its predecessors, but by no means worse. The game is set in space, and the galaxies are the worlds, most of which are pretty cool. The stars are also creative, and there are a few that I don't like. The game relies heavily on gravity, which is why the controls can be weird at times, but it's definitely the best of the 3D Mario games (64, Sunshine, 64 DS, and Galaxy). There are also small challenge galaxies; one or two are in each room (kitchen, bedroom, etc.), and a few are in the hub that you unlock with Gourmet Lumas. I haven't even mentioned the wonderful soundtrack that every Mario game has, but Galaxy really does have some masterpieces. I like all of them except for one power-up; the only one I hate is the feather power-up. The Risk Comets are also really fun, but a few can be frustrating. At the end, you get 15 Purple Coin Stars, which are also a lot of fun. If you complete the game with Luigi, you can get a 121st Star at the end, which I'll do later.

The age old question when it comes to the minds of fans of the Super Mario series: which 3D Mario is the best? Well, I can now upon completing all of the mainline games in the series, provide my opinion much more confidently. In my past experience, Super Mario Galaxy found itself contending for the title, but I think as amazing as this game is, it doesn’t usurp the throne. In fairness, I completed this run while playing as Luigi, something I have always wanted to do, and I admittedly think it may have hindered the experience somewhat. The controls are less tight, and more fiddly, and though I went in with this knowledge and didn’t expect it to be something to bother me all too much, in which I can’t say 100% confidently that it has done so, I fear what could have been if I stuck to the traditional experience. I’ve also just played through the lot of them - 64, Sunshine, 64 DS, Galaxy, 3D World and Odyssey, all from November to now, and there’s well and truly a chance that I’ve hit my quota. Though. with all of that being the case, I can’t take away from the fact that this game is still an absolute beauty. The graphics have aged spectacularly for a game of its time, the music is some of, if not the best orchestrated performance in any videogame to date, the galaxies are well designed, the gameplay loop is fun and engrossing, so why doesn’t it stand above Odyssey and 64 to me? I think I’ve finally come to appreciate the non linear structure of those games more. Yes, the streamlined level design here is done spectacularly, it’s well thought out and feels rewarding for the mostpart. I just think my personal preference has shifted now experiencing the rest of what the series has to offer, and I think that’s okay. That doesn’t take away from my feelings towards Galaxy - my previous run roughly 4 years ago had me leaving a 120 star completion thinking this game might just be the best, and I think it will take me another traditional run playing as Mario to well and truly figure that out - but that being the case, I’m just left with a slightly weaker impression upon completing this one compared to its brothers. In my eyes, it stands well above Sunshine, a touch above 3D World, and just slightly below the greatness of 64 and Odyssey. But does all of this really matter when overall, we are truly spoiled to be able to have this masterclass of game design at our fingertips. I leave Galaxy proud and accomplished to have finished my 3D Mario series catalogue, and have a much finer appreciation for how phenomenal these games truly are. Personal lists and preferences don’t matter when we are blessed with these brilliant videogames. I think my opinion will change as time goes on regardless of what I say now - and i’m happy for it to do so. This game, this series, is truly up there with the best, and I get to walk into the next addition with a whole new level of excitement, appreciation and love for it all, so best and worst truly means nothing with this series, because they’re all winners in my books.
9.5/10

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If I were a kid when Super Mario Galaxy came out, I would have absolutely loved it. Right now seeing that shot of Mario looking up at space left me in awe. That probably blew people’s minds in 2007. I didn’t grow up playing Mario Galaxy 1, I grew up with Galaxy 2. I did love that game, but as a kid, everything you don’t have looks ten times better. I saw Galaxy 1’s bosses being huge spectacle fights, the levels being more open, and power-ups like the Ice Flower and Red Star that Galaxy 2 didn’t have. I even had Galaxy 1 merchandise instead of Galaxy 2. It always felt like I had the “wrong” game. I almost played it when I was in 6th grade because I borrowed it from a friend while I gave him Pikmin 2. Sadly the game disk was all scratched up and I couldn't get far. Now, I’ve finally done my kid self justice and played Super Mario Galaxy 1 to see if it’s truly a fantastic game.

Super Mario Galaxy is a linear game, but it’s more open than Galaxy 2. The levels are designed for you to explore small planets more freely. You’ll often find secret pipes, Sling Pods that shoot you to new areas, Hungry Lumas that unlock entirely new sections of a level and more. It feels great finding these side paths. Jumping around planets is also incredibly fun, you can do a long jump from one side of a planet and slingshot around it thanks to the game’s gravity system. The floaty physics makes traversal feel satisfying, and fun, you can reach areas in many silly ways. The game really nails the feeling of playing in outer space.

However, one major drawback of Mario Galaxy 1 is that it has no worthwhile collectibles. Coins only serve for the levels high score. Star Bits are basically a currency and can be easily farmed. Stars are the main goal of the game, essentially replacing the flagpole from 2D Mario games. Platformers should have collectibles that reward exploration, but Galaxy 1 doesn’t do that. The game is designed with slight non-linearity, yet when you go off the main path, all you find are Star Bits, coins, and 1-Ups. 1-Ups are even worthless when every time you open the game your 1-UPs get reset. So you can basically go straight from point A to point B and miss nothing of value.

The game does offer different types of Stars, some of which are great, while others are irritating. Prankster Comet challenges are a great addition. They introduce new twists like: Beating a level within a time limit, Completing a stage with only 1 HP, and Enemies moving at crazy speeds. However, there are WAY too many Purple Coin Comets. You get them by beating the main story. While a few of them are fun, most are just tedious scavenger hunts, forcing you to search every inch of a level for one missing Purple Coin. So many times I beat a level thinking it was done only for a Purple coin comet to appear immediately. They could have cut down on these significantly. There's also Luigi and Green Stars feeling completely pointless. Luigi seemed like he was going to have a bigger role in the story, but instead, he just finds a couple of stars, gets stuck, you help him, then gets tired and doesn't look for any more stars; pointless ass bitch. At least you can play the entire game as him if you 100% the game. Green Stars are even worse. I expected them to be like Galaxy 2’s hidden Green Stars scattered across levels. Instead, there are only three of them, and all they do is unlock a few extra challenges. What’s the point of making them their own separate thing if they barely matter? Also, why do I have to beat the game twice for 100%? To fully 100% the game, you have to play through the entire game again as Luigi on the same save file. I tried playing as Luigi on my second run, but since I didn’t 100% the game before, I couldn't play as him. This was my second playthrough and I wanted to experience the game again, so it was disappointing to find out that I couldn't do it as Luigi on my second playthrough.

Anyway, I forgot to mention the Power-ups. Is this the worst lineup in Mario's history? This game might have the worst power-ups in any Mario platformer.
Boo Mushroom – Boring and barely used.
Bee Mushroom – Awkward to control, and slowly flying and then falling isn’t fun.
Spring Mushroom – Funny, but a pain to use and barely utilized.
Fire Flower – Nerfed by having a timer and feels terrible to use, great music tho.
Red Star – Locked to the hub world, slow, and annoying to control.

The only good Power-Ups would be:
Ice Flower – Works completely different from the Fire Flower. You can ski on water, creating your own platforms, all with fantastic music.
Rainbow Star – Just the regular Invincibility Star but with a rainbow effect. Still fun like always.

How can Nintendo even mess up something as iconic as power-ups for Mario?

But let me stop being so negative and talk about various other aspects I enjoyed about this game. Nintendo absolutely cooked with the bosses. Mario games usually have stinky weak ass boss fights, but Galaxy 1 delivers some of the most spectacular encounters in the entire series: Fighting a giant bony shark on an ocean planet with underwater volcanoes, climbing up the legs of a massive machine reactor, facing a rock ghost that throws explosive Boos at you. And then there’s Bowser, possibly the best Bowser fight in Mario history. This version of Bowser is an actual threat, trying to conquer the universe... while still being cartoony and silly. I wish Smash Bros took inspiration from Galaxy 1 and Bowser’s Inside Story because those two games represent Bowser at his absolute best. Oh yeah, Nintendo also did a great job making the death animations for bosses. And by great I mean I hate it, they're too realistic :(. That Dino Piranha didn't deserve to die like that :(((

The Cosmic Observatory is top tier, one of the best hub worlds in Mario history, right up there with Peach’s Castle from Mario 64. You get to visit different rooms, talk to Lumas, and see the Observatory light up as you collect Grand Stars. It's a beautiful hub world. You can also read up on the lore of Rosalina with a very nice storybook art style. I should see all the chapters someday I just forget it's there and never caught up with it. I just wish the Red Star power-up which lets you fly around in the Observatory was available earlier. It would have made exploring it even more enjoyable instead of being locked to the post-game.

This game’s orchestrated soundtrack is absolutely stunning; truly a masterpiece. What can I even say to add that hasn't been said before about the music? Just listen to the OST on YouTube and see how stunning it is.

Now it's time to talk about my Pros & Cons

Cons
- No worthwhile collectibles.
- Has possibly the worst power-up selection in any Mario platformer.
- Green Stars and Luigi Stars feel pointless and Purple Prankster Comets are a grind.
- Having to beat the game twice for 100% completion.

Pros
+ Fantastic sense of gravity and movement.
+ Creative and varied-level design that makes the game feel so unique.
+ Breathtaking orchestrated music.
+ Some of the best boss fights in Mario's history.

This was my second playthrough. I didn’t enjoy the game the first time I played it. I beat it before, but the lack of meaningful collectibles really killed my enjoyment. At the time, I thought it was a 6/10 at best. However, on my second playthrough, I was able to appreciate the game way more. The bosses, the music, and the gravity mechanics. While the issues I had still stand, I now see the game more positively. Super Mario Galaxy has its flaws, mainly in its lack of collectibles and its weak power-ups, but it excels in many other areas. While I once thought this game was just a 6/10, I now have more appreciation for what it does.
This truly was A Super Mario Galaxy 1 little me, it truly was Galaxy 1.
Thanks for reading my personal opinion!

The soundtrack is amazing with each galaxy having its own music. Visually appealing for its time, and provides just the right amount of challenge with it various challenge modes to certain levels