LTTP: Super Mario Galaxy

Ignorance. Arrogance. Elitism. It doesn’t matter which one of them you prefer, they all describe my mindset when it came to the Nintendo Wii. From the moment that it was unveiled, I had this unfair resentment towards the system that made no sense. Instead of appreciating Nintendo’s strategy of going off and doing their own thing in their battle with Sony and Microsoft, I chose to view the Wii as a step backward for the gaming medium. I was so dumb. To be fair, that version of me also quoted Fight Club religiously, listened to Brand New nonstop, and had a Boondock Saints poster hanging up in my room. That should tell you just about everything that you need to know about that version of Joshua. 

My obliviousness when it came to the Wii led to me missing out on some highly praised titles. Among those that I never got around to experiencing was Mario Galaxy. Even as it was gobbling up all the Game of the Year awards back in 2007, I never had a desire to play it. It didn’t look like any Mario game that I had ever played, and the motion controls made it look childish. Even now—13 years later—I still hadn’t played the Mario Galaxy games. Then, just last month, Nintendo released Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch. In this collection, Nintendo included Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, and Mario Galaxy. I have a nostalgic boner for Mario 64. It’s one of the only gaming experiences that I have ever had that led to me being blown away by its visuals. It’s also a game that I can’t seem to get working on an emulator. So, when the chance came along to own Mario 64 on the Switch, I was all over it. After spending more time than I would like to admit trying to catch a baby penguin, I quit out of Mario 64 and figured that since I have a few minutes that I might as well try Mario Galaxy real right quick.

(Many hours later)

So, that game is pretty great, huh?

Immediately, that game sinks these charming hooks into you and refuses to let go. Some claim that this is the best Mario game that Nintendo has ever made, and I get it. I don’t know that I could (or would want to) argue against it. Going from Mario 64 to Galaxy is an unfair comparison, but time has been kinder to one a bit more than the other. Without hesitation, I can also say that I’m enjoying Mario Galaxy more than I did the recent Mario Odyssey. For all those concerns that I had about motion controls, I’ve been playing with a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, and, for the most part, I have been having a very traditional experience. There are still times that I’ll have to flail the controller around to climb up something or launch myself to another area, but it’s not as tedious as I imagined it being. There’s so much to love about this game that I don’t even know where to start. I love the innovation of it. Whenever I unlock a new galaxy, I get excited because I know that the game is about to introduce me to a new world or mechanic that is going to make me love it even more.

None of it comes off as gimmicky. Oh, and that music! I’m not even one of those people that fetishizes game music, but Mario Galaxy has a soundtrack that requires praise. Not only is it a great tune, but I also love how it’s implemented into the gameplay. The further that you progress into the game, the more stars that you collect, the more majestic that score becomes. It’s genius. 

Simply put: I finally understand why Super Mario Galaxy is held in such high regard. I was dumb to have missed out on it because of my stupid prejudices for the Wii, but I’m glad that I got around to finally playing it. I love it. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is not included in this Super Mario All-Stars 3D bundle and I’m already thinking of ways to get my hands on it. It might be just the thing to push me into finding a Wii after all these years.

LTTP: Super Mario Galaxy is really good.