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In my youth, I didn't have Nintendo's Wii system. Sure, I tried Wii Sports along with several flagship titles while staying with loved ones and acquaintances during the 2000s decade, but I never had my personal Wii system, causing me to overlook several excellent installments in Nintendo’s iconic franchises.

A prime example included Super Mario Galaxy, which, along with its sequel, was recently remastered then adapted for Switch consoles. The original game was also included within the 2020 special compilation Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I embraced the chance to experience viewed by fans as among the finest Mario games ever made. I was quickly sucked in, and can definitely say it fulfills almost twenty years of hype. Nevertheless, it’s also made me realize how pleased I feel motion and gyroscope controls mostly stayed from previous eras.

The Cosmic Adventure Begins

Following traditional Mario adventure, Super Mario Galaxy begins with Bowser kidnapping Mario's royal friend including her home. His fleet of spacecraft resembling pirates carry her among the stars, throwing Mario out amongst the stars as this happens. The hero discovers star-like cuties known as Lumas plus Rosalina atop her Comet Observatory. She charges Mario with finding stellar objects to fuel her spacecraft to follow Bowser, and then we’re set free to begin adventuring.

The game's jumping mechanics is a joy, needing just experiencing a few missions to recognize how it maintains excellent reputation. Players will notice similarities among veterans of a 3D Mario, while the gameplay remain accessible and straightforward following Nintendo's style.

Unique Movement Systems

As a space nerd, the environment perfectly matches my interests, and it allows for Super Mario Galaxy to have fun with planetary forces. Orbital stages let Mario to circle repeatedly around them like he’s Goku pursuing Bubbles in popular series. When they’re close together, players can transfer and get snatched via planetary attraction of a nearby platform. Different stages are flat discs, typically including rewards underneath, in unexpected locations.

Rediscovering Classic Characters

The enjoyment from experiencing this game 18 years later is having already met some of its characters. I was unaware Rosalina made her debut within this title, and that she became the adoptive mother to stellar beings. Prior to this experience, to me she was just a frequent choice Mario Kart World roster option. Likewise for Penguins, alongside whom I liked swimming during an early beach level.

Motion Control Challenges

The main inconvenience during this adventure in 2025 concerns movement inputs, employed for acquiring, directing, and launching stellar fragments, colorful objects scattered around levels. Using portable mode involved moving and adjusting the device for targeting, proving slightly cumbersome. Gyroscopic elements are prevalent in certain jumping segments, needing users to point the star-shaped cursor toward structures to attract Mario toward them.

Levels that wholly require gyroscopic features are best played with the Joy-Cons detached improving control, such as the ray-riding stage during early game. I’ve never been a fan of motion controls, while they didn't improve especially well within this title. Fortunately, if you get enough stars through different stages, these motion control ones might be entirely bypassed. I tested the mission where Mario has to navigate a large sphere through a track filled with gaps, then quickly abandoned after one attempt.

Enduring Gaming Quality

Apart from the awkward motion-based motion controls, there’s really nothing to complain about in Super Mario Galaxy, while its cosmic stages offer pleasure to discover. Although notable titles like Super Mario Odyssey have come after it, Super Mario Galaxy remains one of the best and innovative Mario games around.