Super Mario Galaxy And Galaxy 2 Are Still Peak 3D Platforming

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The Super Mario Galaxy games are often hailed as the best 3D Mario platformers ever made. While fans debate whether one Galaxy game is better than the other, or if Odyssey is now the peak of the genre, their continued relevance proves they’re among Nintendo’s finest games from the past twenty years. This makes it particularly surprising how hard they’ve been to play. Originally available on Wii or Wii U, the only recent way to experience Galaxy on newer systems was through the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection-a strange, temporary release that didn’t even include Galaxy 2. Therefore, the remastered Galaxy and Galaxy 2 on Switch and Switch 2 are a welcome addition, simply for making these fantastic games readily available-but a few enhancements actually make them even better than before.

So, I already had the All-Stars version, and honestly, this remastered Galaxy is pretty similar, but it *does* look a lot nicer. Everything’s much sharper, and they’ve tweaked the UI just a bit – moved things closer to the edges of the screen, which gives you more room to play. They’ve also added a new Assist Mode, which is awesome if you’re struggling. It gives you more lives and even lets you recover if you fall off the edge – and trust me, falling happens a *lot* in these Galaxy games because you’re jumping between tiny planetoids! The menus have been updated too, so now you can navigate with buttons instead of having to point at the screen to select stages or respond to dialogue. It’s a nice quality-of-life improvement, for sure. Check it out!

The cursor still works as it did before, but collecting star bits – those colorful pieces that appear in Galaxy games and act like coins (which are now harder to find) – still requires you to move it around the screen. You can also have a second player collect them for you. Honestly, this part of the Galaxy games feels the most outdated. I really wish there was an option to automatically collect star bits, even if it meant missing a few, just to avoid having to use the cursor all the time.

The Joy-Cons function similarly to the Wii Remote. The Pro Controller offers a way to recenter the cursor by pressing the R button, and then uses motion controls for calibration, regardless of whether it’s pointed at the screen. When playing in handheld mode, the system utilizes the touch screen to control the cursor. As you’d probably guess, the Joy-Cons perform the best, but all the controller options work adequately. Plus, you can now press a button to perform the spin move, just like in the original game and the All-Stars version, instead of relying on a quick wrist flick.

It’s the small details that make a difference-remember, these are remastered versions, not completely rebuilt games-and together, they really make the games stand out. Both Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 were fantastic, constantly introducing new concepts at a rapid pace. The central idea-Mario journeying to small planets each with its own gravity-creates a style of platforming that feels spontaneous and inventive. Levels are designed to throw ideas at you quickly, so you’re rarely doing the same thing for long. One minute you might be figuring out how to tunnel through a planet, and the next you’re floating between stars, wall-jumping through a tough section, or fighting a space dragon. These games have a unique, fast-paced creativity that hasn’t been seen in a 3D Mario game before or since.

However, this new way of playing does change how you look at the game, and it can take some getting used to. Unlike the classic 2D Mario games where you see Mario from the side, or games like Mario 64, Sunshine, or Odyssey where you see him from behind, the two Galaxy games (particularly the first one) often show Mario from above, or at a slightly angled view. This can sometimes feel strange, and might cause you to accidentally run in the wrong direction. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s a key thing that makes these games stand out. Galaxy 2 improved on this by focusing more on bigger, more substantial planet designs. While still unique, the second game has more levels built like traditional stages, and fewer of those small, pill-shaped planets.

Galaxy 2 often feels like a refined and improved version of the original idea. The first game spent a lot of time introducing Rosalina and her story, which revolved around her Comet Observatory, but Galaxy 2 is much more direct. It has a simpler map layout, and your hub ship isn’t as large. It seems like Nintendo wanted to focus all its effort on the level design itself, making it generally stronger than the first game, even if the story isn’t quite as compelling. It also features better power-ups-Cloud Mario, who can create a few temporary platforms, is a fantastic Mario addition, and it’s a shame we haven’t seen it again. However, it also relies on the cursor more, not just for collecting star bits, but for important platforming actions like grabbing enemies and objects with Yoshi’s tongue. If you prefer to play without using the cursor, you won’t be able to for a significant portion of Galaxy 2.

The Super Mario Galaxy games are considered by many to be among the greatest Mario games ever made. The two games work well together: Super Mario Galaxy introduced a lot of fresh ideas and characters like Rosalina and the Lumas, while Galaxy 2 perfected those ideas and delivered a consistently excellent experience. Together, they are a significant part of Mario’s legacy and remain some of the very best entries in the series.

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2025-09-30 16:41