Super Mario Galaxy starts off like a storybook, speaking of the origins of the Star Festival; a festival celebrated throughout The Mushroom Kingdom. Our first introduction to the controls of the game is in the games opening, where we take control of Mario as he makes his way towards Peach’s castle. The party is quickly thwarted when Bowser and his troop of Airships decide to crash the party. Bowser takes it upon himself to escort Princess Peach to the creation of his own Galaxy, and of course by escort I mean uproot her castle from its foundation and fly off into space. Mario, after trying to save Peach, meets up with Rosalina who gives him the task of retrieving the Power and Grand Stars.

Appointed with the mission of collecting the 7 Grand Stars and the 120 Power Stars from Bowser and his minions, Mario needs away to get to each area, right? In Super Mario 64 we had the paintings and in Super Mario Sunshine we had the graffiti on the walls of Isle Delfino. Super Mario Galaxy does something similar, we have these things called Domes and the domes are what Rosalina and her Star Children use to look at the Universe, and they are also a way for Mario to travel across the universe to these different Galaxies. Inside each of the domes are 5 Galaxies and they’re all so uniquely different, you can’t help but wonder what you’re going to see next and that’s what so awesome about this game. Nintendo pretty much threw all logic out the window when they were developing this game.

Let me talk quickly about the look of this game. It’s classic 3D Mario in the respect that I has pretty and vibrant colors, but thanks to the amped up power of the Wii, we can enjoy a game that will rival some Next-Gen Platform games out there, and that’s saying something. Another big step Nintendo has taken with Super Mario Galaxy is the insertion of live orchestral music. Yes, you heard me right! Nintendo hired an orchestra to record half of the game soundtrack, and what a wonderful soundtrack it is. What the music manages to do is enhance the sense of wonder that is already present in the game and makes you feel things that you probably would have never thought possible with a video game. There’s a certain galaxy that made me literally say “Wow!” It was the Gusty Garden Galaxy and that, in combination with the music, really captures the essence of Super Mario Galaxy. I really hope that Nintendo doesn’t ditch the orchestral music anytime soon, because it’s an instant winner!

The game play in Galaxy is quite similar to previous Mario 3D games, but with the varying gravity and physics in the different galaxies, it adds a whole new level of entertainment. The controls are very simple to pick up; you run with the control stick, jump with the A button, crouch with Z and use your spin-attack by simply waving your Wii Remote, and they in no way hinder the experiences, half the time you don’t even notice them. The same goes with the camera. Throughout most of the levels you’ll have no control over the camera, which might be worrisome to gamers, but it’s not because it’s never a problem.

Many fans were worried about the level of difficulty, thanks to Nintendo’s new “for everyone” gaming stance. At first, the levels and puzzles are simple, but once you start gaining more stars, the harder the levels are. In fact, at one point you’re warned “Things are going to be very tough from now on, but please try your best!” and that statement is terribly true. During many of the levels you’re not really told what to do, you’re just dropped into the level with only a prayer and hope that you’ll get passed it. This is especially true with the Bowser fights. They’re so incredibly hard, it’s not even funny. Let’s put it this way, the very first encounter with Bowser is much more epic than any of the final battles in previous Mario games, and they only get harder. It’s terrifying when Bowser is sending shockwaves at you, spitting fireballs that orbit the globe you fight on, using a spin-attack AND trying to jump on you and it only gets worse as you continue. The last battle with Bowser is epic, to say the least. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but be prepared to throw your Wii Remote across the room a couple of times; it’s that frustrating.

Bowser and Bowser Jr. aren’t the only people you’ll go up against, though. Each of the galaxies has a boss to take care of within them. A lot of them require skill and timing to defeat, especially the latter ones. One of my favorite boss fights took place in the Ghostly Galaxy. In this fight you’re put up against “Bouldergeist”, which is exactly what it sounds like, a ghost in the form of a rock. You’ll need to use the “Bomb Boo’s” to destroy it and it’s just a lot of fun to play. Other boss’ include a giant Mandibug, Monty Mole, a Spider, and another favorite, a prehistoric version of Petey Piranha!

My one complaint is that it had to end so soon. Super Mario Galaxy has so much nostalgia going on, that it’s a Nintendo fan boy’s dream come true. There are appearances by all the classic characters, including Luigi, Yoshi and Toad! In fact, when you’re finished with Mario’s quest and have collected all 120 stars, you’re given another reason to play the game, and that is Super Luigi Galaxy! Yes, you heard right. Super Luigi Galaxy is basically the same game, but at a harder difficulty. Luigi actually plays a big role in Mario’s quest, as well. Once you save him from the Haunted Mansion, he’ll go out and hunt down hidden Power Stars for you, but as always, he get’s himself lost and you’ll have to rescue him again.

Nintendo has also added a 2 player mode! So now, the whole family can play together! In 2 player mode, the second player will not control a player, but control a star cursor on screen. In turn, they’ll be able to shoot Star Bits at enemies, as well as stopping them directly in their tracks! It can become quite the valuable asset to any player!

In the end, there’s so much replay value in the game that it’d be very hard to not play this for years. I’d be inclined to say that Super Mario Galaxy is the best Mario game on the market and it could very well be the best game I’ve ever played. It’s a shoe in for Game of the Year and if it doesn’t win, I’d be surprised. Mario has gone back to what he does best and is setting the bar for future platforming games. This, my friends, is how it should be done! This is definitely a must buy for anyone who owns, or is thinking about owning a Wii!