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Super Mario Galaxy is finally here. Does it live up to the astronomical hype or does it crash land in a crater of disappointment?

Remember nearly two years ago when it was dubbed Mario 128 and Miyamoto refused to divulge any details out of fear that other companies would steal its revolutionary concept? Well now Super Mario Galaxy is here and we get to find out just exactly how revolutionary it is. The first question most critics ask is how does it compare with Mario 64 and Mario Sunshine? Is it as cutting edge as Mario 64 was? Does it stay true to the Mario theme after Sunshine seemed to take a somewhat disappointing turn from traditional Mario outings? And most importantly, does it reinvent the platforming genre like other Mario games have? The answer to these questions, as you'll find, is a resounding Yes, Yes and YES!!

IGN's Matt Casamassina, who gave Galaxy a 9.5 out of 10, describes how Galaxy manages to stay true to the Mario Universe while also taking the series to entirely new heights:

"Although Mario does indeed soar over planets and floats between stars, he also visits locales seemingly ripped directly from previous outings. You will see recognizable characters, levels, upgrades and challenges, yes, but you will also jump, swing, glide, and fly your way through an overwhelming amount of completely new scenarios and objectives. It is a marriage of old and new - a theme that extends beyond presentation and into the gameplay mechanics."

So then, how is it that Mario Galaxy reinvents platforming? The answer lies in the unique level design. Mario's adventure takes him to places no platformer has ever gone. With nearly 40 different galaxies to romp in, you're guaranteed some degree of variety. 1up's Jeremy Parish, who gave Galaxy a 9.5 out of 10, describes the incredibly diverse and original level design.

"How many times have you been able to take a running leap that sends you flying so far that you circle a planet's circumference a few times before landing? How often has a game let you jump into the air only to land on the surface of a different world altogether? How many times have you found yourself scurrying about a platform and dodging half a dozen hazards while ducking for power-ups and negotiating rapidly fluctuating gravity? Galaxy constantly tosses you into these situations, and it does so in a completely casual manner that makes them feel like a natural extension of its Mario 64-derived gameplay."

But what about the controls? Too many Wii games see their demise in the mis-implementation of the Wii remote. A game can either have convoluted controls that hinder the progression of a game or make it feel clumsy, or it can have overly simple controls that detract from its depth and ability to engage the player. Galaxy succeeds and employs the perfect balance of straightforward controls with a minimal reliance on difficult motion control. Gamespot's Alex Navarro, who gave Galaxy yet another 9.5 out of 10, discusses the overall feel of the control scheme.

"At its core, it controls much as Mario 64 did, but with a couple of Wii-centric twists. For one, Mario's primary attack is a basic spin move (the same spin move you use to activate launch stars). Simply shaking the Wii Remote engages the spin, and it's an extremely responsive mechanic. [...] The other key change is the addition of the Wii Remote as a pointer. Simply by pointing at them on the screen you'll collect star bits, which can be found just about everywhere and serve as both Super Mario Galaxy's currency and as a weapon. Firing star bits is as simple as aiming the Wii Remote at an enemy and pressing B to launch. [...] Only in a few specific cases does the game really dabble in true motion control, such as sections where you're surfing on a manta ray or walking on a boulder. But even these few divergences from the standard gameplay formula are largely successful and quite fun."

There seemed to be only two major complaints across the net. The first was the seemingly "tacked-on" cooperative element. The second was the apparent lack of depth in the storyline. Gamepro's Patrick Shaw, who gave Galaxy a perfect 5 out of 5, talks about Galaxy's cooperative feature:

"The one thing that I didn't like about Galaxy is the so-called two-player mode which felt gimmicky and tacked on. The only thing the second player can do is collect Star Bits with their Wii Remote, which is pretty much useless. Of course, the Mario franchise has never really had a true multiplayer component, so this isn't a huge deal but it is a little perplexing that they'd even bother to implement it in the first place."

As for storyline, it seems Miyamoto and friends decided to stick with the tried and true formula of saving the princess, and some other characters, from the evil clutches of Bowser. Gamespy's Bryn Williams, who gave Galaxy another perfect score, reminds us that, "You don't really play Mario games for the story."

I think the verdict is quite clear by now. Mario Galaxy accomplishes everything we hoped it would. It's the Wii's top title and maybe even a contender for game of the year. In other words, buy it.

Hey, Thanks: IGN, Gamespy, Gamespot, 1up and Gamepro

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