Now, let me tell you a story that ALSO begins with stardust...
If I had a nickel for every time a Nintendo developed game that originally was planned as a mere expansion or remix of a past game but ended up becoming a complete sequel, I'd had two nickels... which it isn't a lot, but this joke is tired and I lack originality and humor.
The discussion around Super Mario Galaxy 2 has always centered around one simple and obvious question: How does it compare to its predecessor? And I mean, it’s pretty clear why that is; never mind the fact that it’s a constant in any given series, including 3D Mario as a whole, but this is the only game to be a direct follow-up to a past game and setting, one of Super Mario Galaxy at that! Tho it’s worth saying that, even back then, a lot of people saw the more simplistic level design of Galaxy as a huge drawback for it, and the more in depth level-design of Galaxy 2 is seen as a blessing, and is the favorite of many out of the two on that reason alone. Still, there’s a great amount of people that keep seeing the first one as the superior game, and the main reason most we will give when explaining why tends to be the same, that being that Galaxy 2 lacks… THE SOUL.
The important thing I wanted to get out of this clusterfuck of ideas is that, personally, rather than asking the aforementioned question regarding Galaxy 2, I have my own question: … what even is this game? That is the query I had stuck in the back on my mind while playing, and to be honest, I don’t think I have a very fulfilling answer. You probably are thinking ‘’Deemon, you absolute mindless ameba, what are you even on about this time, this is a sequel to Galaxy, it has a two on the fucking box and it shares the same gameplay basis, you brain-dead donkey’’ and you’d be technically correct (tho it would be a really mean way to say it :( ), but… is it tho? Galaxy 2 was conceived more as an expansion than anything more, just a bunch of new levels using the pre-existing foundation established by Mario’s first space adventure, and it just so happened that it ended up getting so big that it justified turning into a full-blown game. And yes, Galaxy 2 does very much expect you to have played the previous game, a clear example is how the first boss of the game is both a call back to the first boss in Galaxy 1 and has a ton of parallel to the Bowser fights in those games, and the challenge is considerably higher in certain levels and bosses (even if the overall game is still pretty easy), but at the same time, this game very much seems like a different take on this same idea rather than a continuation. I think the story is a perfect reflection of what I mean by this: it acts as if the first voyage never really happened, the opening is leagues more light-hearted and even a little goofy, and until the very ending, the whole adventure lacks a sense of continuity, and in fact I’m pretty confident saying that this game references directly Super Mario 64 almost as much as it does for the previous game. This might seem unimportant or even petty to complain about, but I really think that is this contradiction what makes this game fail where Galaxy 1 went above and beyond; by wanting to craft an experience that any new player can pick up and enjoy without having even touched the previous adventure, but also wanting to make an experience that expands upon what said game proposed mechanically and making it more focused on gameplay for the older players, you get a pretty confused game that never seems to ever reach the same levels of wonder that it once did.
I mentioned before that some players argue that it lacks THE SOUL, but I don’t really agree with that notion. This game still has a ton of THE SOUL, it has an almost palpable personality, and each of the environments still feels distinct and full of life; the same passion on crafting a beautifully grandiose and silent and fun experience was put into this game, but it seems muffled: the soundtrack, while still fantastic, is a bit weaker and, dare I say it, more repetitive than the original, and I would have preferred it if it had more calm and quiet pieces; the main hub just doesn’t work for me, it’s interesting and pretty goofy, but you don’t get the same feeling of progression you got with the Comet Observatory, things and characters pop up without affecting the ship itself that much, and makes it so that I feel less invested on a space-ship that has the face of the main character plastered onto it; I also found hard to get really invested in some levels, especially when beginning the game, I just felt as if I was going by the motions, and the galaxies just felt like obstacle courses with random sky backgrounds rather than real places, like galaxies like Honeyhive Galaxy felt…
This things that made the original so special just aren’t like they once were anymore, there are attempts to re-capture that same magic, but most fall pretty flat; it’s clear that the game had its priorities and that plus the predicament it put itself in stopped it from re-capturing that magic this world once evoked. So… I’ve been actually surprisingly negative so far, so much in fact I have yet to say one single fully positive thing about Galaxy 2. Nothing of this of course destroys the game or anything like that, but it does move it into the realm of the more average platformer, kinda like the New series or 3D Land do… So like, what thing I have to say about this game that’s completely and utterly positive, if there even is?...
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING FUCKING ELSE!
When I said that Galaxy 2 tumbled on what Galaxy did the best, I kinda forgot to say that sequel just kinda puts to shame its past iteration where this one kind of didn’t hit the mark; as I said, Galaxy 2 does not hit the same levels of wonder, but it does surpass every sense of fun and excitement in the moment to moment gameplay in a way Galaxy just couldn’t consistently do. Every galaxy, every star, every side challenge it’s just so well designed, so fun to play and go through, the more limited move-set of Mario (at least compared to previous 3D games) thrives in these levels and it’s just so fun to beat them both by normal methods or discovering its secrets and thing outside the box. The power-ups, OH DON’T GET ME STARTED IN THE POWER-UPS. Some, like the Fire Flower and the Bee Mushroom, return from the first game, but the new ones like the Drill, the Rock Mushroom and specially the Cloud Flower are probably the best additions Mario has ever seen to its arsenal; they all used to their fullest potential and every chance you get at using them is a treat; the drill complements the sphere shape of the planets like butter, the rock power-up adds a ton of fun destructive chaos that is highly appreciated, and cloud flower opens up the space of possibilities like never before; even if this may be the most linear out of the full-blown 3D Marios, it sure doesn’t feel like it while you play it. There’s also the side secret moons and the speedy comets, and while they are nothing that will blow your mind, the former are always a fun little distraction to discover while you discover the seemingly never ending waves of creative level-design, and the latter have seen a huge upgrade compared to their last appearance; they are now much more stream-lined and faster to complete, and I actually really wanted to beat as many of them as I could, and plus, the Comet Medals, while mostly easy to get, are a nice thing to grab and a fantastic way to incentivize 100% competition. The bosses are all just bangers; they defy the simplistic nature of the bosses from Galaxy, where they never really strayed off the simple routine of shaking the wii-mote at the right time or pointing at the right stuff, and here begin to introduce power-ups, more complex patterns and really aggressive movement; all of the Bowser Jr. fights are pure gold and a ton of fun, every time the little guy was involved in something, you can be certain a fantastic fight is coming up. Oh, I forgot, we also see Yoshi coming back to 3D and OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM. The funny dino is super fun to play around with, mastering its movement and the brand-new power-ups he can use it’s the most fun I’ve ever had controlling him, and it kinda makes me wish for a fully focused Yoshi 3D platformer, because if it were to be good as this, HOLLY FUCKING HELL.
Every single addition to the gameplay, every single new mechanic, every new idea, it all feels like it could be divided in at least another 2 sequels, but no, it’s all here, and it’s so, so fun. This is still Galaxy, and while I don’t still necessarily consider Galaxy 2 better than its pre-quel, it is a fantastic game on its own merits, ‘cause yes, this game it’s its own thing as much as it is a sequel. It’s impossible to only look it through only one of those lenses, and even tho it’s important to now where thos one faults where Galaxy shined so brightly, is equally as essential to know and remember that what this game has an objective: to be a joy to play, to be surprising, to be constantly a treat.
This is the first 3D platformer I ever played, even before the first game of the series, and even if I never finished, I had an indescribable amount of fun with it, and now, coming back to it so many years later and having experienced almost all of Mario’s 3D catalogue, the fact I felt the same fun and enthusiasm speaks volumes. It’s a tale that also begins with stardust, but the journey it’s so wonderfully different…
If I had a nickel for every time a Nintendo developed game that originally was planned as a mere expansion or remix of a past game but ended up becoming a complete sequel, I'd had two nickels... which it isn't a lot, but this joke is tired and I lack originality and humor.
The discussion around Super Mario Galaxy 2 has always centered around one simple and obvious question: How does it compare to its predecessor? And I mean, it’s pretty clear why that is; never mind the fact that it’s a constant in any given series, including 3D Mario as a whole, but this is the only game to be a direct follow-up to a past game and setting, one of Super Mario Galaxy at that! Tho it’s worth saying that, even back then, a lot of people saw the more simplistic level design of Galaxy as a huge drawback for it, and the more in depth level-design of Galaxy 2 is seen as a blessing, and is the favorite of many out of the two on that reason alone. Still, there’s a great amount of people that keep seeing the first one as the superior game, and the main reason most we will give when explaining why tends to be the same, that being that Galaxy 2 lacks… THE SOUL.
The important thing I wanted to get out of this clusterfuck of ideas is that, personally, rather than asking the aforementioned question regarding Galaxy 2, I have my own question: … what even is this game? That is the query I had stuck in the back on my mind while playing, and to be honest, I don’t think I have a very fulfilling answer. You probably are thinking ‘’Deemon, you absolute mindless ameba, what are you even on about this time, this is a sequel to Galaxy, it has a two on the fucking box and it shares the same gameplay basis, you brain-dead donkey’’ and you’d be technically correct (tho it would be a really mean way to say it :( ), but… is it tho? Galaxy 2 was conceived more as an expansion than anything more, just a bunch of new levels using the pre-existing foundation established by Mario’s first space adventure, and it just so happened that it ended up getting so big that it justified turning into a full-blown game. And yes, Galaxy 2 does very much expect you to have played the previous game, a clear example is how the first boss of the game is both a call back to the first boss in Galaxy 1 and has a ton of parallel to the Bowser fights in those games, and the challenge is considerably higher in certain levels and bosses (even if the overall game is still pretty easy), but at the same time, this game very much seems like a different take on this same idea rather than a continuation. I think the story is a perfect reflection of what I mean by this: it acts as if the first voyage never really happened, the opening is leagues more light-hearted and even a little goofy, and until the very ending, the whole adventure lacks a sense of continuity, and in fact I’m pretty confident saying that this game references directly Super Mario 64 almost as much as it does for the previous game. This might seem unimportant or even petty to complain about, but I really think that is this contradiction what makes this game fail where Galaxy 1 went above and beyond; by wanting to craft an experience that any new player can pick up and enjoy without having even touched the previous adventure, but also wanting to make an experience that expands upon what said game proposed mechanically and making it more focused on gameplay for the older players, you get a pretty confused game that never seems to ever reach the same levels of wonder that it once did.
I mentioned before that some players argue that it lacks THE SOUL, but I don’t really agree with that notion. This game still has a ton of THE SOUL, it has an almost palpable personality, and each of the environments still feels distinct and full of life; the same passion on crafting a beautifully grandiose and silent and fun experience was put into this game, but it seems muffled: the soundtrack, while still fantastic, is a bit weaker and, dare I say it, more repetitive than the original, and I would have preferred it if it had more calm and quiet pieces; the main hub just doesn’t work for me, it’s interesting and pretty goofy, but you don’t get the same feeling of progression you got with the Comet Observatory, things and characters pop up without affecting the ship itself that much, and makes it so that I feel less invested on a space-ship that has the face of the main character plastered onto it; I also found hard to get really invested in some levels, especially when beginning the game, I just felt as if I was going by the motions, and the galaxies just felt like obstacle courses with random sky backgrounds rather than real places, like galaxies like Honeyhive Galaxy felt…
This things that made the original so special just aren’t like they once were anymore, there are attempts to re-capture that same magic, but most fall pretty flat; it’s clear that the game had its priorities and that plus the predicament it put itself in stopped it from re-capturing that magic this world once evoked. So… I’ve been actually surprisingly negative so far, so much in fact I have yet to say one single fully positive thing about Galaxy 2. Nothing of this of course destroys the game or anything like that, but it does move it into the realm of the more average platformer, kinda like the New series or 3D Land do… So like, what thing I have to say about this game that’s completely and utterly positive, if there even is?...
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING FUCKING ELSE!
When I said that Galaxy 2 tumbled on what Galaxy did the best, I kinda forgot to say that sequel just kinda puts to shame its past iteration where this one kind of didn’t hit the mark; as I said, Galaxy 2 does not hit the same levels of wonder, but it does surpass every sense of fun and excitement in the moment to moment gameplay in a way Galaxy just couldn’t consistently do. Every galaxy, every star, every side challenge it’s just so well designed, so fun to play and go through, the more limited move-set of Mario (at least compared to previous 3D games) thrives in these levels and it’s just so fun to beat them both by normal methods or discovering its secrets and thing outside the box. The power-ups, OH DON’T GET ME STARTED IN THE POWER-UPS. Some, like the Fire Flower and the Bee Mushroom, return from the first game, but the new ones like the Drill, the Rock Mushroom and specially the Cloud Flower are probably the best additions Mario has ever seen to its arsenal; they all used to their fullest potential and every chance you get at using them is a treat; the drill complements the sphere shape of the planets like butter, the rock power-up adds a ton of fun destructive chaos that is highly appreciated, and cloud flower opens up the space of possibilities like never before; even if this may be the most linear out of the full-blown 3D Marios, it sure doesn’t feel like it while you play it. There’s also the side secret moons and the speedy comets, and while they are nothing that will blow your mind, the former are always a fun little distraction to discover while you discover the seemingly never ending waves of creative level-design, and the latter have seen a huge upgrade compared to their last appearance; they are now much more stream-lined and faster to complete, and I actually really wanted to beat as many of them as I could, and plus, the Comet Medals, while mostly easy to get, are a nice thing to grab and a fantastic way to incentivize 100% competition. The bosses are all just bangers; they defy the simplistic nature of the bosses from Galaxy, where they never really strayed off the simple routine of shaking the wii-mote at the right time or pointing at the right stuff, and here begin to introduce power-ups, more complex patterns and really aggressive movement; all of the Bowser Jr. fights are pure gold and a ton of fun, every time the little guy was involved in something, you can be certain a fantastic fight is coming up. Oh, I forgot, we also see Yoshi coming back to 3D and OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM. The funny dino is super fun to play around with, mastering its movement and the brand-new power-ups he can use it’s the most fun I’ve ever had controlling him, and it kinda makes me wish for a fully focused Yoshi 3D platformer, because if it were to be good as this, HOLLY FUCKING HELL.
Every single addition to the gameplay, every single new mechanic, every new idea, it all feels like it could be divided in at least another 2 sequels, but no, it’s all here, and it’s so, so fun. This is still Galaxy, and while I don’t still necessarily consider Galaxy 2 better than its pre-quel, it is a fantastic game on its own merits, ‘cause yes, this game it’s its own thing as much as it is a sequel. It’s impossible to only look it through only one of those lenses, and even tho it’s important to now where thos one faults where Galaxy shined so brightly, is equally as essential to know and remember that what this game has an objective: to be a joy to play, to be surprising, to be constantly a treat.
This is the first 3D platformer I ever played, even before the first game of the series, and even if I never finished, I had an indescribable amount of fun with it, and now, coming back to it so many years later and having experienced almost all of Mario’s 3D catalogue, the fact I felt the same fun and enthusiasm speaks volumes. It’s a tale that also begins with stardust, but the journey it’s so wonderfully different…
7 Comments
I seriously need to get to replaying these two at some point but I do recall them being the earliest of developing my mindset of "more general gamified design can sometimes lose to specifically designed narrative and atmosphere", though I do still quite like SMG2 since much like a majority of of Nintendo's other main hitters there's still enough going on to make it very enticing to play through... aside from the motion control minigames. I recall the ones brought back from G1 being pretty good still, but they included one or two new diversions that bog it down big time. Blech.
I will indeed kneel to how G2 handles most of the powerups though. Both of these are structured in more situational manners compared to other Mario titles, but I do think G2 very much lean into how these can function within a level set much more than G1, which very obviously had its favorites (Flying Mario doesn't really count though... I figure that was more so a personified visual and spectacle view than an actual gameplay utility). That said, kind of bummed how Yoshi is treated here; when I got older, I realized Mario titles that feature him after SMW mainly used him as a standalone powerup instead of an extension of Mario's kit, which I very much get, but it still bums me out that he's more of a, for lack of a better phrase, "gimmick vehicle" than a meaningful contribution. Again though, that's very much a Me thing.
I will indeed kneel to how G2 handles most of the powerups though. Both of these are structured in more situational manners compared to other Mario titles, but I do think G2 very much lean into how these can function within a level set much more than G1, which very obviously had its favorites (Flying Mario doesn't really count though... I figure that was more so a personified visual and spectacle view than an actual gameplay utility). That said, kind of bummed how Yoshi is treated here; when I got older, I realized Mario titles that feature him after SMW mainly used him as a standalone powerup instead of an extension of Mario's kit, which I very much get, but it still bums me out that he's more of a, for lack of a better phrase, "gimmick vehicle" than a meaningful contribution. Again though, that's very much a Me thing.
tbh, all of the motion control sections are solid except for the manta rays in galaxy 1, that definitely isn't the best
@NOWITSREYNTIME17 I have quite a ton to say about the first Galaxy and I'll get to it in the future, but it's indeed VERY goated. Such a good pair of games...
@BlazingWaters I think that there's nothing wrong with being, as some people call it, a ''toy videogame'', I don't like the word itself since it can be interpreted as derogatory, but it refers to games that just seek to be fun without taking much into consideration narrative or environmental aspects, which Galaxy 2 very much does, but in a way that justifies it since it's so damn fun and well executed.
Even if I'm not the biggest fan of the motion control sections of these games, I never had many problems with them, and I actually kinda like how the bird sections control in this, and it wasn't frustrating in the slightest for me, tho I can totally see why it would be for others. And actually, while I was starting the game, I thought I would dislike the power-ups simply because, as you said, they are more of a response to a question than an expansion to Mario's movement you can use whenever, but I ended up loving how they are implemented and how they work, so hey, that's that. That's the same reason I adore Yoshi; his sections are so well designed and defined that, even if it acts more as a vehicle than an expansion, it offers so many options and has so many fun moments that I just find it genius, but then again, your philosophy on it makes a ton of sense, so I believe it's more of a matter of personal opinion.
@BlazingWaters I think that there's nothing wrong with being, as some people call it, a ''toy videogame'', I don't like the word itself since it can be interpreted as derogatory, but it refers to games that just seek to be fun without taking much into consideration narrative or environmental aspects, which Galaxy 2 very much does, but in a way that justifies it since it's so damn fun and well executed.
Even if I'm not the biggest fan of the motion control sections of these games, I never had many problems with them, and I actually kinda like how the bird sections control in this, and it wasn't frustrating in the slightest for me, tho I can totally see why it would be for others. And actually, while I was starting the game, I thought I would dislike the power-ups simply because, as you said, they are more of a response to a question than an expansion to Mario's movement you can use whenever, but I ended up loving how they are implemented and how they work, so hey, that's that. That's the same reason I adore Yoshi; his sections are so well designed and defined that, even if it acts more as a vehicle than an expansion, it offers so many options and has so many fun moments that I just find it genius, but then again, your philosophy on it makes a ton of sense, so I believe it's more of a matter of personal opinion.
honestly, the cloud flower is my favorite powerup from any of the games its so good
I generally like the 2nd game's hub and levels much more but i agree that it feels like it has less spirit. Taking away the point with rosalina for me really dampered things because it felt more nuanced than how normal mario games are without turning it into a big story or anything like that. It still has a lot of soul but there was a kind of quiet sadness that existed in 1 that i feel was taken away somewhat, something definitley felt emptier without rosalina. The perfect game i think would have the visuals of 2 but the expanded, larger levels like 1... and also more yoshi.
@moschidae I fully agree with everything you've said, Galaxy 1 really hit the right notes on what a platformer can achieve through its environments and just the feeling it evokes, even if it still has a simple story. I 100% agree that Rosalina was a fantastic character, and her story was in a way a mirror to the sensations the game evokes, and yeah, Galaxy 2 not having that made it feel really different, and sometimes in not of the best ways. Still, I adored the game and on its own is an amazing platformer, and glad to see that people demand more Yoshi, the happy dino deserved even more playable time...
NOWITSREYNTIME17
7 months ago