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In my youth, I didn't have the popular Wii. Admittedly, I played Wii Sports plus various premier games during visits to family and friends during the 2000s decade, but I never had owning the console myself, causing me to overlook numerous outstanding titles in Nintendo’s iconic franchises.

Among those titles featured Super Mario Galaxy, including its successor, got modernized recently then adapted for Switch consoles. The first one got incorporated in 2020’s limited-edition collection Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I appreciated the chance to try what many consider one of the best Mario adventures created. I became immediately engrossed, and can definitely say it fulfills nearly two decades of excitement. However, it helped me understand how glad I am motion-sensing features mostly stayed as historical features.

The Cosmic Adventure Begins

Following traditional Mario adventure, Super Mario Galaxy opens as Bowser nabbing Princess Peach including her home. His fleet of cosmic vessels carry her into outer space, launching Mario into the galaxy during the event. Mario meets charming cosmic creatures named Lumas plus Rosalina atop her Comet Observatory. She charges Mario with tracking down stellar objects to fuel her spacecraft so they can chase after the villain, and then we’re set free to start discovering.

Galaxy's navigation system offers pleasure, requiring only was playing through a few missions to recognize how it receives such praise. It seems recognizable for those who tried a 3D Mario, and the controls are approachable and intuitive in typical Nintendo fashion.

Gravity-Defying Gameplay

Being cosmic enthusiast, the setting perfectly matches my interests, enabling Super Mario Galaxy to have fun with planetary forces. Round structures enable Mario to literally run circles surrounding them similar to Goku pursuing Bubbles on King Kai’s planet. When they’re close together, Mario can leap across being pulled by the gravity of a nearby platform. Different stages feature flat circular shapes, and often feature goodies on the underside, easily overlooked spots.

Meeting Familiar Faces

The enjoyment from engaging with Galaxy 18 years later involves recognizing certain personalities. I had no idea Rosalina made her debut within this title, and that she became the caring guardian to stellar beings. Before playing Super Mario Galaxy, I only knew her as a frequent choice Mario Kart World roster option. Likewise for Penguins, next to whom I liked swimming through introductory ocean area.

Motion Control Challenges

The only real drag during this adventure in 2025 involves motion features, utilized during collecting, aiming, and shooting cosmic pieces, vibrant items scattered around levels. Playing on handheld mode involved moving and adjusting the Switch around to direct, proving slightly cumbersome. Movement features are prevalent in various navigation areas, requiring players to direct the stellar pointer at platforms to pull Mario toward them.

Missions entirely needing the motion controls are best played with independent remotes for better precision, like the manta ray surfing level at the start. I haven't typically been enthusiastic about movement inputs, and they remain especially well in Super Mario Galaxy. Fortunately, by collecting sufficient stars from other levels, these gyroscopic sections can be wholly skipped. I attempted the stage featuring Mario maneuvering a large sphere through a track dotted with holes, then quickly abandoned after initial effort.

Enduring Gaming Quality

Apart from the cumbersome older control schemes, there’s really nothing to complain about throughout Galaxy, and its space-set levels provide enjoyment to navigate. Although notable titles like Super Mario Odyssey launched later, Super Mario Galaxy remains one of the best and innovative Mario titles available.