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Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

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EGTV: Mario takes flight

Galactic tactics and treats.

So, how many Stars have you got? It's not like there's a shortage of other good games to play; we just can't put the plumber down. (Well, except for Kristan - he blames an excessive workload, but we all know it's because there's no Gamerpoints in it for him, the whore).

Super Mario Galaxy is thrilling, charming, inspiring the first time through. But its true genius is only revealed in the replaying, where near-flawless mechanics, masterful design and precision play can conspire to create the occasional moment of gaming perfection.

If, on the other hand, you continue to plunge shamefully into gaping holes with the regularity of a drunken Premiership footballer, Eurogamer TV has a trio of videos today providing both the stick of useful tactics and the carrot of glories in store to drive you onwards.

Spoiler-avoiders look away now... Eurogamer.fr takes off with a look at a pivotal moment in the game, where Mario gains a power he's been growing accustomed to since all the way back in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Eurogamer.de, meanwhile, focuses on the mind-bending Matter Splatter Galaxy, found deep into the game, where buttock-clenching precision and terrifying leaps of faith are the norm.

Finally, Eurogamer.net offers a televisual ode to the joys of Z-jumping (pulling Z and jumping while running). This long jump-style technique is an enormous help during head-to-heads against Cosmic Mario (accessed when a specific comet is orbiting a galaxy), as you'll see. And, when the floor is literally dissolving under your feet, as in the hunt for the Mario meets Mario Star, it'll leave you with just enough ground for the journey back.

For an in-depth guide to gathering every last Star in the game, keep a lookout for our Mario Galaxy Strategy guide, the first part of which, is already available.

And do let us know your own favourite Stars and stages, as we'll be compiling an EGTV rundown of the Galaxy's greatest moments soon.

Many Marios died to bring you this information.