The Cosmic Mario Adventure Lives Up To All Expectations

As a child, I never owned Nintendo's Wii system. Certainly, I played Wii Sports and other major releases when visiting loved ones and acquaintances in the mid-to-late 2000s, however I missed a Wii of my own, causing me to overlook several excellent installments within classic Nintendo game lines.

A prime example featured Super Mario Galaxy, together with its follow-up, was recently remastered and ported to the Nintendo Switch. The initial release got incorporated within the 2020 special compilation Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I embraced the possibility to play what many consider a top-tier Mario titles in history. The game rapidly captivated me, and can definitely say it lives up to nearly two decades of excitement. However, it’s also made me realize how pleased I feel movement-based inputs mostly stayed from previous eras.

Starting the Space Journey

Like any other Mario adventure, Super Mario Galaxy opens as Bowser nabbing Princess Peach along with her castle. His fleet of spacecraft resembling pirates take her among the stars, throwing Mario into the galaxy as this happens. Mario encounters star-like cuties called Luma and meets Rosalina on her cosmic observatory. She tasks Mario with collecting power stars to power her spacecraft so they can chase after Bowser, then players gain freedom to begin adventuring.

Galaxy's navigation system is a joy, needing just was playing through several stages to recognize how it receives such praise. Players will notice similarities for those who tried Mario's 3D adventures, while the gameplay prove user-friendly and straightforward following Nintendo's style.

Innovative Physics Mechanics

As astronomy fan, the environment aligns with my preferences, and it allows for Super Mario Galaxy to have fun with physics. Spherical platforms enable Mario to circle repeatedly about them similar to Goku chasing after Bubbles in popular series. With nearby platforms, players can transfer and get snatched through gravitational force of a nearby platform. Other platforms feature flat circular shapes, frequently containing rewards underneath, where you may not think to look.

Revisiting Beloved Personalities

What’s fun about experiencing this game following long gap involves recognizing some of its characters. I had no idea Rosalina originated through this adventure, nor that she served as the adoptive mother for Luma creatures. Before playing Super Mario Galaxy, to me she was just part of my regular Mario Kart World roster option. Likewise for Penguins, next to whom I liked swimming through introductory ocean area.

Motion Control Challenges

The main inconvenience during this adventure in 2025 are the motion controls, which are used for gathering, targeting, and firing stellar fragments, colorful objects found across galaxies. Operating in mobile format required angling and turning the console for targeting, proving slightly cumbersome. Movement features are prevalent in various navigation areas, where you have to aim the stellar pointer toward structures to pull Mario to them.

Levels that wholly require the motion controls perform optimally with independent remotes for better precision, like the manta ray surfing level during early game. I rarely become a fan of motion controls, and they haven’t aged particularly smoothly within this title. Luckily, if you get enough stars from other levels, these movement-based stages may be completely avoided. I tested the mission featuring Mario maneuvering a large sphere through a track dotted with holes, then quickly abandoned after initial effort.

Classic Nintendo Magic

Except for the clunky Wii-era input methods, there's hardly anything to complain about within this adventure, and its space-set levels provide enjoyment to discover. Although notable titles including later releases appeared subsequently, Super Mario Galaxy stays among the finest and most inventive Mario adventures existing.