Friday, July 14, 2000

Super Mario Galaxy | 10

When it comes to anticapated games for the Nintendo Wii, many of them have wanted one thing, Mario. It has been nearly a year though since the Wii was launched with The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess as the main attraction, but many die hard fans have been anxious for a game that has delivered the appeal of Super Mario 64 from Mario's hay day. Although Super Mario Sunshine was also a fun game for the Nintendo Gamecube, it just didn't deliver as well as the Nintendo 64 classic had proven. But, Mario has proven his strength earlier this year on the Wii with gems like Super Paper Mario & Mario Party 8 which both worked well as great buys for the Nintendo system, but this is the one that reaches to the stratosphere.

Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii, brings in the big guns, as Mario does whatever it takes to save Princess Toadstool a.k.a. Peach from the clutches of Bowser. This time around, Mario takes to the sky to help him in his quest. Along the way, Mario has to collect star bits, which can help him beat enemies and bosses of all kinds, from the classics like Thwomps and goombas, to bigger than life boss battles like a vulgar spider who shoots venom at you, and even a mecha robot that fires bullet bills at you from all different angles.

There are also a few new features here that Mario shines through as well in the game, like specialty suits like the bee suit, which transforms Mario into a bumble bee, that can make mario fly through the Honeycomb stage, where he can collect coins and stars from each of the levels. There is also the boo suit, where Mario can actually become the ghostly menace, Boo in the haunted house level to help him enter ghostly portals that Mario couldn't normally enter, but it also can make the other Boo ghosts quickly fall in love with Mario in the blink of an eye. There are also some returns of classic items to use as well like the Fire Flower, and a new ice flower that Mario could use to freeze his foes on ice.

The graphics in the game are absolutely breathtaking and appeal well to the Wii's eyes, while the music is simplistic and elequent to the ears of Mario fans, especially as he surfs the galaxy. The control is also very simple to manuver, and stays mainly relevant to the palms of the Wii remote and nunchucks' hands. You can also use the Wii remote to help you grapple onto trees and meteors that can help you launch from one platform to another, and you can also use to help you collect star bits, and perform new attacks like the spin move. There is also a new co-op mode where for the first time, two people can play, as you can use another player to help you collect star bits, to help you along your quest, and defeat tougher foes like a giant octopus in the lava, and even giant goombas that are beyond the heights of the world.

All in all, what I love about Super Mario Galaxy is that it is everything Wii owners have wanted in a great game, and more. It is a definite must buy for the Wii that is sure to bring a lot of excitement into die hard Mario fans. This is one game that really brings out the heart at being the best of what the Nintendo Wii has delivered, and that has still shown to die hard Mario fans of all ages. I absolutely recommend it as a great buy on a star-spectacular scale.

Graphics: A

Sound: A+

Control: A-

Fun & Enjoyment: A

Overall: A

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