Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 Review (Nintendo Switch 2)
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Switch 2)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
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PEGI:
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I’ve always loved the Super Mario franchise although my ranking of the franchises 3D releases is far different than the average Nintendo fan. Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are two of the most beloved Mario games ever released by Nintendo, yet I have continued to rank them below my other favorites, namely Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Odyssey. After playing both games for the last 10 days or so, my ranking of my favorite titles hasn’t changed at all; what has changed, however, is my new found appreciation for these two galactic adventures.
3D Mario titles all fall within the same framework: work your way through a 3D environment collecting coins and earning stars. The games are broken down into worlds, with a number of stars to collect within each world. Both Galaxy titles follow this framework, but in a much more streamlined and direct way. While games like Super Mario Odyssey provided unfathomed freedom within worlds to collect any number of Moons, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are a much more focused experience, with specific stars only being obtainable by selecting that star from the mission list. This is similar to how stars were earned in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine as well, but those two games still provided large open worlds to explore. Galaxy is more of a linear 3D experience as you move from small planet to small planet until the star is reached. This could be why they rank lowest on my list of 3D Mario games to play, but the ability to pick this up and play for 15 minutes is unrivaled in the 3D Mario space, and this is what I’ve come to appreciate.
As I get older, and with competing priorities, my time to sit in front of a TV or lay in bed with my Switch in handheld mode is incredibly limited. I had to force myself to set aside other duties to work through our review of Donkey Kong Banaza, and will have to do it again when Pokémon launches this fall. Super Mario Galaxy was a much easier experience; yes, I’ve played through both games multiple times in the past, but I also could easily pick it up for 10 minutes while cooking dinner, or while one of my kids took a bath. With that in mind, Super Mario Galaxy is one of my most played games over the past little while, and will continue to be that for me heading into the holiday season. I enjoy now more than ever the streamlined nature of the levels; without a ton of things to get you sidetracked, it’s a pretty straightforward sprint to the star as each level comes into view.
Super Mario Galaxy has been available on the Nintendo Switch before as part of Mario’s 35th anniversary celebration, but it is nice to see Nintendo adding a little bit more to the experience; upgrades have been add to Super Mario Galaxy 2 as well. On the Nintendo Switch 2, you’ll get 4K visual when docked, and 1080p in handheld. Nintendo has also redone many of the games textures. Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 were always really good looking games, even when they launched back on the Wii; they look even better now.
The experience Nintendo gave us with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk is mimicked in the Joy-Con controllers. This makes playing Super Mario Galaxy very familiar, in the best way possible. In fact, even thought they are not my favourite Super Mario titles, there was a lot of fun and excitement for me, revisiting levels I remember so fondly. Even though I’ve played these games many times before, I seemed to enjoy each and every world as much as I ever have. Roaming across small planets, solving little puzzles, enjoying some unique Mario power ups, and interacting with fun and interesting characters was a blast, and I wasn’t entirely expecting that in my third or fourth time back to this experience.
Apart from visual upgrades, Nintendo has added more to these experience. Perhaps the biggest is Assist Mode, which provides 3 extra health for Mario, and will put Mario back on planets should he fall off for any given reason. This will cut down on frustrations, and make the game much more kid friendly, which I can attest to. Even my seven year old is having a blast with Mario, and these types of games are generally a bit to hard for him. A music player has been added so you can enjoy your favourite tunes. I once found Music Players within games really enjoyable, although that excitement has dwindled a bit since the Nintendo Music app dropped on iOS and Android. The music player is still a great addition, thought, and perhaps all the tracks won’t be made available through Nintendo Music. Additional story content has also been added to the story Rosalina tells you, which is a nice touch albeit one that a lot of people are going to skip past without a thought.
There is a ton to like about these releases. For those that have never played Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Galaxy 2, the beauty of the worlds, and the amazing outer space physics will have you hopping across worlds and enjoying one of the most unique Mario adventures ever created. For longtime fans, this is a nice way to have one of your favourite games available on modern consoles. There is one downside, however, that I don’t think can be overlooked here, but one that likely isn’t going to impact the popularity of these games: the price. At 54.99 CAD individually, or 99.99 CAD as a package, this is a big premium to pay for what are still essentially Nintendo Wii games. Yes, a lot has been done to bring them into 2025, including touch controls, and button and motion controls with the Joy-Con and Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. The addition of mouse controls appears tacked on, but will be a nice additional feature. But is that enough to warrant a price that is obviously a bit high? In my opinion, no – since Super Mario Galaxy was never my favourite of the Mario 3D experiences, this is probably a price I wouldn’t be willing to pay in 2025. But I do believe that if Super Mario Galaxy was my favourite in the franchise, or if I had never played these games before, there is a lot of content here, even for 99.99 CAD. I think situations and personal preferences matter.
At this price it’s not for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s not for you. And I can see many reasons why someone should purchase this for the current asking price.
A copy of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 were provided by Nintendo of Canada for the purpose of this review.
Article By Adam Roffel
