While maybe being beat by its sequel mechanically, it is certainly the game with more heart and character. The developers managed to sneak in more story than is usually expected for a Mario game, and it pays off immensely. The universe itself is both able to feel grand with large galaxies, but also small and personal with Roselina's library or the Garden observatory. Super Mario Galaxy 2 effectively scrapping the story and lore of the original is why it will always leave a sour taste in my mouth, and is why SMG1 is always my go-to for a replay.

A game that managed to strike a perfect balance between player freedom and tool restriction to allow for diverse game creation while keeping the creative mode non-intimidating. You're not going to get full game creation tools in this; use Unity or Godot for that. The game gives you just enough to make some crazy ideas, while the character and aesthetic of the game still shines through, no matter what a player throws together. This was where I began my programming journey with the game's friendly logic gate system, which laid the groundwork for the path to my current career. A literally life-changing game.