Video Game Review: 'Super Mario Galaxy 2'

I think it goes without saying that Mario is probably one of the most recognizable and defining characters in all of video game history.  And it shouldn't surprise anyone when we see another Mario game roll out on the market.  And out of all of the Mario titles, the only ones that I personally didn't care for were 'Mario's Time Machine' and the Paper Mario titles (I never played 'Super Mario Sunshine' though).  After falling in love with Mario's first 3D romp way back on the Nintendo 64 (the highly original titled 'Super Mario 64'); I knew at that time that Mario in 3D was the way to.

Fast forward to the release of Nintendo's Wii.  The first game I ever owned for the Wii was 'Super Mario Galaxy'.  I immediately fell in love with the franchise all over again.  Nintendo took risks and did things with that wonderful title that no other game had really tried yet.  It was wonderful.

Now fast forward a couple years to May of 2010.  Nintendo has released 'Super Mario Galaxy 2'.  Is it worth the hype? Is it as good as it's precursor?  My answers: Yes and Certainly Yes!  Initally when starting up 'Super Mario Galaxy 2' there isn't that much difference in the menu layouts and the save game system.  The player simply picks a planetoid to represent their save game file.  The off we go.

The opening level was a clever side scrolling type romp through part of the Mushroom Kingdom.  Bowser is back and he is bigger than ever.  No really, he is huge.  He has started trashing the Mushroom Kingdom and had kidnapped the Princess once again.  Meanwhile, stars and star pieces are falling from the sky.  The player is treated to a nice cut scene, and is then rocketed off to space once again for another adventure.

The level design is more of the same from the previous 'Super Mario Galaxy'.  Which is great, the use of a 'multidimensional' camera is wonderful.  You even meet up with old school favorite: Yoshi, pretty early on in the game.  Using Yoshi is as great as it was when he debuted back on 'Super Mario World' for the SNES.  Yoshi can swallow baddies and turn them into much needed star bits.

New power-ups have been gifted to us by the game's developers including the Cloud Flower and Rock Mushroom.  We also see the return of the Bee Mushroom and Boo Mushroom.  Old school baddies return in forms of the Goombas and Flying Goombas, Turtles and Spineys to name a few.  And my personal favorite the 'Cosmic Clones' which look like an evil persona of Mario who will spawn behind him and chase him through certain levels.  Very cool.

The soundtrack is pretty much the same from Mario's previous intergalactic romp.  Once again we are catching star bits, collecting coins and getting the star at the end of each stage to help power a spaceship which will eventually lead us to rescue the Princess.

Thank you Nintendo for giving players another Mario treat!