It's cute. The music is really good and the level design is simple, but effective in giving you a goal and having you succeed in it. I prefer the Stars in the other 3D games I've played (haven't played Sunshine yet), as I think they flow better and encourage more exploration, but the streamlining here isn't bad. Makes it easier to pick and choose whichever worlds you like or don't like. Rosalina is a great character and the Lumas are very sweet. There's a certain... elegance? to this game that really gives it a boost, I think without the setting, music, art direction, it wouldn't have gone as far. Not saying that as an insult to the game or the fans, more so focusing on how much the non-gameplay aspects of this elevate the game compared to the other Marios. Probably not going to rate it any higher due to frustration with the controls and camera, as well as the galaxies themselves being mostly coin tosses in terms of enjoyment for me, but I'm glad I played it.

Reviewed on Mar 11, 2024


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