Wii gets Super Mario Galaxy

By Tom Bramwell Published 9 May, 2006

Plus: Excite-Truck, Metroid, Wario, Fire Emblem, new titles.

Nintendo has finally shredded the wraps around Shigeru Miyamoto's new Mario game. It's called Super Mario Galaxy and it uses the Wii's freestyle controller to allow Mario to run, jump, catch hold of shooting stars using the pointer, and flick objects at enemies on rotating worlds.

As you may already have read, Nintendo's also planning to release Zelda: Twilight Princess in Wii and GameCube versions - the latter shorn of the gesture and pointer control options, and also devoid of widescreen - with both due out on the same day as the console during Q4 2006.

Also on show during Nintendo's pre-E3 conference were Excite-Truck, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Warioware: Smooth Moves, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Sonic Wild Fire (also referred to as Hyper Sonic at one point), and several original titles.

Those included Ubisoft's FPS game Red Steel, one called Necro-Nesia, Nintendo title Project HAMMER, which is what it sounds like, and Wii Sports, the focal point of several demonstrations. Sports includes tennis, baseball and golf games with stylised bobblehead-esque characters, all played using the freestyle controller. During a demo, Miyamoto was racing back and forward across the stage to return forehands and backhands, showing how you can serve, lob and apply top-spin.

Many of the games were shown as CG videos, or in some form of video - and there was also a crowd-pleasing introduction featuring Miyamoto in full conductor's get-up using the wand like a baton to control an orchestra, whose music soared and slowed to reflect the speed and character of his movement.

What's more, Nintendo said there would be 27 games playable on its stand tomorrow, as well as many more on video.

For more on Nintendo's conference, check out our walkthrough of the important points, including depthier looks at how some of the games work, or dive directly into our archive of live-text commentary, delivered line by gasp by line by rubbish joke during the conference this morning. We'll have video on Eurogamer TV as soon as humanly possible.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (30) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Bits #1 6 years ago

    You know I was fairly indifferent to the Wii/Revolution about a month ago, but after hearing about it these last couple of weeks I will have no hesistation in getting one. I mean I was getting one anyway but now I really want to get one as soon as.

  • andrewfromdoncaster #2 6 years ago

    Awesome

  • Blerk #3 6 years ago

    During a demo, Miyamoto was racing back and forward across the stage to return forehands and backhands, showing how you can serve, lob and apply top-spin.

    Let's get this straight... you don't have to do that, right? Right?

  • Toonster #4 6 years ago

    /imagines falling out a window

    Red Steel, Mario Galaxy, Corruption and Zelda are the ones I'm most excited for.

  • SirScratchalot #5 6 years ago

    "During a demo, Miyamoto was racing back and forward across the stage to return forehands and backhands, showing how you can serve, lob and apply top-spin.

    Let's get this straight... you don't have to do that, right? Right?"

    We are in agreement. But I´m glad the option excists.

  • Razz #6 6 years ago

    It looked like you can just use the dpad to move around the court.

  • brains #7 6 years ago

    How do i ask my wife to play wii sports with me?

  • richardiox #8 6 years ago

    "How do i ask my wife to play wii sports with me? "

    When she's drunk I reckon.

  • Carrybagma #9 6 years ago

    Let's get this straight... you don't have to do that, right? Right?

    Oh, but you do! And if you win, you have to jump over the net/telly to shake hands with.. err.. the wall.

    Oh, and you get penalised for any 'wand abuse'.

  • caligari #10 6 years ago

    Hey! But don't forget that 360 and PS3 will get GTA4!

    ... :/

    Yes, I'm buying a Wii too. :)

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #11 6 years ago

    @ Blerk

    From IGNs preview of Tennis:
    "One interesting thing we learned while playing is that you can choose to either do wide, arching movements that genuinely simulate the real game of tennis, or, alternatively, you can choose simple flicks of the wrist to do the same thing."

  • Chim_chimma_nee! #12 6 years ago

    Excite-truck looked weak, a bit like cruise'n U.S.A. or something.

  • nightsparkle #13 6 years ago

    i must say i've never been so excited about a console launch in my life. and i've lived through quite a lot. i'm even going to preorder mine for the first time (is this already possible? it'l be interesting to see if the new zelda will sell more on the cube or on the wii, in the first months. cube with it's installed userbase, but wii with it's tight controls. i've always respected nintendo the most of all gamecompany's and they've shown again that they're worth it

  • mystic_mick #14 6 years ago

    The gfx are the same as mario64.

  • smelly #15 6 years ago

    There had to be one person to come in with a troll comment like that didnt there?

  • Nikanoru #16 6 years ago

    Oh god, it's mystic meg. I thought I'd put that tard on ignore.

    Everyone together now: *click*

  • webcider #17 6 years ago

    This looks stunning ^^

    and i thought the last good mario game would be Mario 64.
    Mario to DS and Mario to Wii well those games really looks interesting soo yes Nintendo is glory in my eyes.

  • Tonka #18 6 years ago

    Sweetness. Sweet sweet sweetness. I hope that SMG is as challenging as the "obstacle courses" in SMS. I just love playing them over and over again. Refusing myself to even frown when Mario falls to his Nth death.

    I'm crap at plattformers but my pokerface is amazing.

  • Scimarad #19 6 years ago

    I'm officially getting old - I just don't get how all this waving your arms around makes a better gaming experience:-(

  • bloodflowers #20 6 years ago

    Actually some of the demos shown in their reel did have pretty piss poor graphics, and we didn't see anything that couldn't be done on the existing Gamecube platform. Tony Hawk in particular looked absolutely horrible. Hopefully it's an update-port and they simply haven't finished that yet. I'd hope the Revolution would be moving top tier GC style visuals at full frame rate. Still like their decision to ignore HD. Controller looks like anti-fun to me, that's going to induce arm ache pretty damn quickly. Great for party games, not so great for sitting down and having an extended gaming session. Maybe developers will find their feet with it after the first batch of games, and avoid over-use. Like the touch screen on the DS in fact..

    While I'm sceptical about their machine (and hey, European gamers have every right to be, given they've been repeatedly shunned by Nintendo for years), there was something positive in the presentation. They looked like they actually cared about making a good product people will like, and while it certainly was a self promotional show (that's what E3 is /for/), I didn't get the impression of being fed a load of marketing bullshit by people only paid to give a damn. I can respect that, it was hugely refreshing after some previous E3 footage. Yes Sony, I mean you.

  • Psi #21 6 years ago

    tennis looked like a right laugh, it seems you don't need to run around the room, playing it without the pad all the time would mean other more expensive next gen systems may be more to your liking. i like the idea of a artificial racket in my hand that makes a thwack nose when i swing at the ball.

    the first decent looking golf game that lets you swing will sell by the BUCKETloads to management types lol.

    oh and it's pangya golf.... which is fing amazing! (albatross18 for those that aint played this free online pc game, honestly install and try its great fun)

  • Liggur #22 6 years ago

    Your Side bar says "Wii", but your caption under the picture shows "Revolution" Still got some hold outs on the name? :)

  • Tonka #23 6 years ago

    I'm officially getting old - I just don't get how all this waving your arms around makes a better gaming experience:-(

    The way I see it is that it's different. Different does not equal better though but it opens up for a range of new ways to play. Some will be greart some will be pap. I'll do my best to only buy the great games.

  • Perry #24 6 years ago

    Wii is not for me

    Games line up does not get me excited unfortunately. I am not trolling or whatever you hard core guys call it, just telling you my thoughts.

    For me it is a bit gimicky, like the eye toy. Use it for a month or so then it starts gathering dust in the closet.

    I do hope a mate buys it so I can have a go first hand, but I wont be buying based on what I have seen. Never say never etc

    Why no price? Why no date? Seems very odd, is there a history of this being given out during E3 (i.e. over the next 3 days)? Or is this pre-conference where it all happens? Never cared about an E3 before, but this one has me interested because it will influence my purchase decision.

    The question for me at the moment, is Xbox or PS3. I was PS3 all the way until the price shocker. I'm thinking Xbox360 just before PS3 launch (you just know there will be a price cut in October....) and then PS3 when it has a similar price tag to the original Xbox360 price tag. Interesting thing is, if PS3 was the same price as the Xbox 360, there'd be no chance in me getting the Xbox. Think Sony might have stuffed this a little

  • mystic_mick #25 6 years ago

    Oh god, it's mystic meg. I thought I'd put that tard on ignore.

    Everyone together now: *click*     I bet it would take more than a click with the stupid wiimote.
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/06 @ 11:14

  • smelly #26 6 years ago

    During a demo, Miyamoto was racing back and forward across the stage to return forehands and backhands, showing how you can serve, lob and apply top-spin.

    Told ya they'd make a tennis game where you moved around yer room!

    After seeing it playing, it looked great fun, even if the gfx were crap.

    Not too sure about playing a game called "wii sports" though :-P

  • smelly #27 6 years ago

    Perry: For me it is a bit gimicky, like the eye toy. Use it for a month or so then it starts gathering dust in the closet.


    I can see what your saying, but unlike the eyetoy, this is the consoles main controller and will be supported in most games. So I dont see how it could be seen as a gimmick.

    And last nght they only showed a small handful of the 27 games on show. Cast your mind back to last years 360 showing (Which launched about the same amount of time afterwards as the ps3/wii are), and you can see quite plainly that 27 is a LOT!!

    The ps3 rotation pad which (To my knowledge) no-one is supporting yet, is a bit more of a gimmick for that same reason. But luckily this should mean more ports between the two, so that makes me happy.

    My only reservation on the whole thing is the gfx looked REALLY low tech. Im hoping this is because the hardware is unfinished (or only recently finished). The Wii is supposed to be double the power of the cube, nothing last night looked close.. which makes me sad. (But then, im a gfx whore who likes good games).

    Can see myself getting a wii plus one other console.

  • Rubzo #28 6 years ago

    I seriously doubt non-XBox360/PS3 graphics will disrupt the console's future as long as the games have a decent framerate, ie. Gamecube standard, not n64 standard.

  • smelly #29 6 years ago

    Thats my problem, some of the games look PRE cube!

    That excite truck looked especially bad.

  • SeesThroughAll #30 6 years ago

    Having watched the Nintendo E3 conference, I got the impression that Wiimote control actually becomes complex in many games. It still interests me, but apart from Wii sports and the like, the control scheme for many games will be complicated, even if the role of hands movement is very intuitive. It doesn't bother me, it would bother my grandmother though.

    Then again, there's also the traditional controller...
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/06 @ 14:11