Well, this is perfection

Whenever I feel stressed, I usually either boot up the Wii, or turn in the switch to play this game, it just calms me down, it’s an absolute blast from start to finish, everything is perfect, especially the soundtrack.

This game gives me the biggest nostalgia boner of all time, and I think it’s still a masterpiece

During E3 2006, Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo called this game "The first worthy successor of Super Mario 64" and he was right on the money with that one. This game takes everything done in previous 3D Mario titles and just makes it the best it can be. More levels, more characters, more story, more platforming, more exploration; everything in this game is dialed to an 11 which culminates in the ultimate Mario experience. The story in the game is the same Mario tale seen again and again but this time Nintendo added some flair to everything which makes the story feel incredibly dramatic. Rosalina brings some much needed lore to the world in small dialogue bits that flesh out the world without making you feel like you have to know everything and it is perfect. One thing that I harshly disagree on with most criticisms of this game is that it lacks the exploration of Mario 64. Most Mario 64 levels are not nearly as big, nor nearly as open as Galaxy and nothing highlights this more than the Purple Coin comets which replace the 100 Coin stars of Super Mario 64 and Sunshine. These stars allow you to explore everything these worlds have without hiding too many collectibles in tucked away areas that the player would never visit otherwise. Speaking of those stars, how are they in this game? Fantastic. Every challenge in this game is incredibly fun to play and nothing ever feels like you're going to the same place to grab basically the same star twice like in 64. The progression is set up perfectly so that you have plenty of time to fully understand the environment and challenges, making the beginning stars an absolute breeze (in a good way). Some challenges are a little more tedious than others but none so incredibly hard that it makes you want to throw your controller. Finally, we come to easily the grandest point in this game's favor, the soundtrack. If you have heard anything of Galaxy, automatically people will say "the soundtrack is the best in Mario history" and they are always right. Every song in this soundtrack is nothing less than a beautiful orchestrated piece that fits the tone of the game just right. Some repeat here and there but with how beautiful this game's soundtrack is, you would not mind hearing it another go around. If I had to criticize this game for anything, it would be the overreliance on motion controls and the camera going a little wonky every now and then but it's nothing too crazy distracting to where it can really bog the game down. All in all, Super Mario Galaxy is an absolute blast of a good time and even if you just want to play it through to the 60 star finish, I would give it a go, but if you really enjoy it, get all 120. This game was amazing to play and astronautical to complete.

I wish I could love this game, but sadly I didn't play it early enough to have nostalgia goggles for it. Sure, the OST level themes, and graphics are a spectacle, and the story pushes the bar a little further than your average Mario, but for a platformer there's just... well... there's a distinct lack of platforming. The game controls super sluggishly, and many of the levels don't involve much jumping in favour of a lot of running and spinning instead: chase the rabbit, chase the mole, spin the switch. Compared to something like 64, where exploration was encouraged, the design of Galaxy either actively dissuades it or just never thought that someone would explore. Sometimes it looks like you can go on the other side of a planet, but you die. Sometimes you jump too high and you hit a death plain. Sometimes you say "hey what's this" and end up glitch-breakdancing into space. Again, this game is all about spectacle, but if you like Mario platforming it's... lacklustre at best.

I feel like if there's any single game that best utilized what was possible with the Wii's motion controls (which were always very hit-or-miss, depending on the games), then Super Mario Galaxy would be that title. From all the 3D Mario games, this was also the one that I remember having sunken the most time into when I was a kid, but seeing how well it still holds up on the recent Switch port only reaffirms my belief that it it's also the best 3D Mario game in general.

It feels a little bit weird seeing this game again without the motion controls that made it feel so special from playing it on the Wii, but whenever I had the chance to play it just like I remembered it, there's something about seeing it in that way that just makes it feel special. But no matter the direction where Nintendo went with these Mario games, this also might be the most beautiful that any of them have ever been too - which made pointing at the screen at all the star bits feel so wondrous back in 2007.

As far as the 3D Mario games could ever go, this is arguably the most polished on every end - the controls run smoothly and the camera system (probably the biggest downside to both Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine) is the most reliable it's ever been in any Mario game too. Yet this also might just be every bit as gorgeous a Mario game has ever looked, given how Nintendo peaks in this department with the Zelda series, and it's also got what may be the best soundtrack that you'd find in any Mario game too.

An all encompassing fun experience.

The orchestral soundtrack elevates the game right from the start. The game oozes charm. It’s a visual treat. And the gameplay and mechanics are oh so satisfying.

It’s not a full 5-star game because of the unnecessary motion controls even for /the freaking menus/. It’s not enough that the actual gameplay should not require motion controls, but that even for selecting your save file you need motion stuff with no options for better accessibility is frankly horrendous. The only taint on this otherwise fantastic game.