Others say...

"i think I've played this before...but better"
Super Mario Galaxy is simply a re-imagining of Super Mario 64. The graphics are virtually the same (not that graphics are important on my list, but in a dozen years, I'd expect some improvement, especially with the media format shift), and Nintendo, whether because of format restrictions or cheapness, is still the only major video game company that can't provide a voice track. Before borrowing my roommates Wii to play this game I swear I hadn't heard chipper guttural noises in place of actual recorded voices in at least 5 years.

is the game fun? Well sort of. if you like Super Mario 64, then you might like this game. You can do basically all of the jumps from that game, but instead of the good ole punch you can now spin. The environment is even more 3D (Marion can walk upside down and on all walls!........) and yes, the option of changing camera angles is even more worthless than it was in the N64 game. In only about 8 hours of gameplay I've had to choose between ignoring a ledge I can barely see and leaping toward it and possibly dying because the camera pretty much refuses to actually ever move. Again, in a dozen years, you think that could be improved on.

The story is corny. Very corny. I would say at least it's a little more complex than previous Mario Games, but I'm not sure that the Mario creators should struggle with that. The 3-D environment just doesn't work for me. I can play a dozen different games on my XBOX 360 and experience none of the awkward perspective problems with Mario Galaxy. If I'm playing something like Halo 3, Gears of War or Oblivion on the 360, I never have to cross my fingers when I jump, because the system ACTUALLY HAS A PHYSICS ENGINE. It honestly seems like a crapshoot in Mario Galaxy when I make a jump.

And of course the game has to use the point ability of the wii-mote. The wii controller is pretty cool if you want to bowl or play tennis, but in M Galaxy it's just a hassle. So not only do I have to deal with horribly responsive controls, but I'm also supposed to be holding my right arm up the entire time I play and point and "star bits" nearly constantly?

Even the sound track of this game is unoriginal. In many ways, the producers have taken Mario 64 and combined it with elements from Super Mario 3. If you like Mario and already own a Wii, then I suppose you should get this game. But I don't understand how a glorified remake gets all of these game of the year honors.

"Excellent buy for the Wii"
This was one of the first additional games I purchased for my Wii and I couldn't be more pleased. I came at this game with a slightly different perspective than many other reviewers. I grew up with Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega, and Game Boy, but in recent years have not been so into video games. I've been known to play the occasional game of Rock Band at a party or to play The Sims 2 on my own, but overall have been out of the video gaming world for awhile. This was the perfect reinterduction. It's challenging enough that it holds my attention, but still intuitive and lighthearted enough that I find it fun and not stressful. This is a perfect game if you have avid gamers and newbies in the house because both will find something to enjoy. My boyfriend, who is a much more avid gamer than I am, appreciates the graphics and the challenges. While we do not find the co-op mode to be ideal, we have lots of fun switching off.
I also love how much variety there is among the planets. Each feels truly distinctive and challenging in its own way. I never get the sense that a planet feels like a repeat of a previous and am always amazed by the fun things the game allows you to do, such as flying around like a bee, surfing, etc. Additionally, I appreciate that often I am able to go back and forth between playing different planets rather than a more linear sequence of beating one level and then proceeding onto the next. This makes the game so much more fun for me because I know if I get stuck on a particular planet I do not have to beat it before I can try something new.
Overall I have been thrilled with this game and highly recommend it for someone who does not have a lot of video game experience, but wants a game that is both fun and challenging.

"Not Quite a Stellar Experience"
To paraphrase Alfred North Whitehead, all 3D platformers are but footnotes to Super Mario 64. With Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo tries to reinvent the genre it defined.

"Galaxy" looks great; fantastic graphics leave future developers no room to blame sloppy visuals on hardware limitations. The game's structure involves multiple hubs from which players go to different worlds ("galaxies") where they complete missions to earn stars. The missions are brief (rarely longer than 15 minutes or so), but this conciseness is achieved through a sharp focus on objectives. Many of the tasks play out in a linear fashion as the mission keeps Mario on a particular path from one planetoid to the next until he reaches his goal. This may feel constraining to those who wish they could explore a given galaxy at will.

Besides the new gameplay, Mario now finds himself right-side up, upside-down, and sideways relative to your television screen. Though an interesting concept, sometimes-counterintuitive joystick controls make the experience more cumbersome than it should be. In addition, the computer-controlled camera restricts the field of view such that looking around an area for something particular (switches, coins, even oncoming enemies) can be next to impossible--perhaps the game's one genuine design flaw.

Super Mario Galaxy somewhat lacks the pick-up-and-play simplicity that characterized Mario 64, but there is still much to appeal to players who appreciate the gameplay style and are willing to master the niceties of controlling Mario in his new intergalactic environment. "Galaxy" is a deft demonstration of the Wii's potential and worth a look for system owners.

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"different"
I haven't played it yet, but i watched my son.. it seems to be more difficult and i am not a fan of how its all done on circular planets.. makes for a harder view on things.. i prefer super mario 64..

"Super Mario Galaxy Delivers!!!!!!"
It is no wonder that Super Mario Galaxy was the #1 game on Wii for some time! The game is great, with a new touch on an old classic.

The ultimate goal still hasn't changed: Mario has to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. But the similarity to other Mario games ends there. This time, Mario has to take to outer space, exploring dozens of galaxies in search of power stars. The power stars are used to power the Comet Observatory, a "space station" that Mario uses to get to other galaxies. After collecting enough power stars, Mario can go to the center of the universe to rescue Peach.

This game kept me coming back for more, and sometimes it was hard to put down. It is a must-have for Wii owners!

PS: One might see a similarity between Mario Galaxy and a previous Mario game on Gamecube: Super Mario Sunshine. If you disliked Sunshine (I have heard that many did), don't worry about Galaxy; Nintendo seems to have worked out the problems that were in Sunshine.