LogFAQs > #944935249

"Later" wasn't originally intended to mean "Tuesday," but life caught up with me a little I suppose.

Final Analysis: Super Mario Galaxy 2
What I thought of Galaxy 2: Every bit as fun as the first
Would I play it again? Yes, it's on my list of games to return to post-project
Did it deserve to make round 3? Yes, probably even further

George Orwell once wrote that "All art is propaganda." He was trying to highlight how almost any work of fiction has a set of morals or ideas it's trying to express, but when taken too literally the statement runs a little risk: eroding the use of the word propaganda as a pejorative. Propaganda is a subcategory of art that places conveyance of its ideas above artistic concerns. What exactly qualifies as an artistic concern is kind of complex, but things like subtlety, pacing, and complexity probably qualify. For simplicity's sake, I might propose that propaganda seeks to convey ideas while art is primarily concerned with conveying emotions.

If we do use that definition, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is undoubtedly an accomplished work of art, and the emotion it conveys is pure unadulterated joy. That feeling radiates from every aspect, from the excellent orchestrated soundtrack to the animations and expressions of the characters to the ultra-varied, shockingly well executed gameplay.

3D Mario games are really quite exemplary when it comes to game design. I think there are a few things in particular that should be noted: how many moves Mario has at his disposal from the very start, how much depth they add to the gameplay, and how elegant and precise his movement controls still are is one. I think this partially arises just because it was a huge point of emphasis for the dev team: there's a story thatsays Super Mario 64 was just an empty room for a full year, while Mario's controls and abilities were tweaked to perfection. How intuitive the games usually are is another big one. I've seen a lot of footage of people playing 3D Sonic games and becoming confused as to what they're supposed to do next, because the games sometimes just don't really illustrate it properly. Such moments are non-existent in Galaxy. The game's visuals are so clear and distinct and the level progression so natural that you can pick it up in a second. The challenge comes from precise execution and timing, which is a lot more fun. That it manages this when there are such a huge variety of different power-ups, mechanics, and control schemes is all the more impressive. None of the different elements feel tacked on or poorly executed: by and large, the game is just as fun on any given level, which is to say really fun.

But I wouldn't call it perfect. I can easily think of a few things to nitpick if I really want to. Most importantly, although I've become mostly comfortable with Wii controls, and Galaxy probably implements them better than any other game, I still don't really like them. I wish I could just press a button to make Mario spin or throw fireballs instead of having to shake the wii remote, and I don't really like the process of collecting star bits - it's more of an obligation for unlocking certain levels. There are times when I get a little tired of watching short unskippable cutscenes, especially during the boss fights (which are generally kind of lame.) Although the game is usually quite easy, when some of the harder levels made me rack up the deaths, the long death animations and jingles can drag down the pacing. I'll admit to becoming frustrated with the game in certain levels, which would make me feel resentful toward Mario for the long animations when he gets knocked down or runs around after burning his butt, though that isn't to say those are bad design.

The fact that I have to resort to such tiny quibbles to say anything negative, though, probably says enough about how good Galaxy is. If you have any fondness for the platforming genre, this game is an undeniable must-play.

---

I'm playing every game from GotD 2020! Games Completed: 7/129
Currently Playing: Super Mario Galaxy 2