Super Mario Galaxy 2 Reader Review

How do you take one of the finest platformers ever created for a Nintendo console and make it into something even greater and even more stunning? Slap a 2 onto the title, add some new worlds and powerups and you've got yourself a sequel that's better than the original.

was possibly the best game you could buy for the Wii at release and is still one of the best titles available for Nintendo's little white box so making a sequel that can stand out from it's predecessor is no mean feat, but doesn't disappoint. Once again you play as the portly plumber as he hops across planets in an attempt to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser's clutches (I know, how original!). On top of the power-ups returning from the original , a number of new powerups make an appearance including a cloud mushroom which makes you floaty and able to make mini-platforms, a boulder mushroom which lets Mario roll across the worlds, crushing or smashing anything in his way and a drill item, which allows you to dig straight down to the opposite side of your current planet. Oh and that green dinosaur thing returns. Oh you know, Yoshi I think it is?

Gameplay remains the same as the first bar the new powerups obviously with you exploring various worlds and gathering Power Stars. Unlike the first game which saw you in a hub world courtesy of Rosalina's observatory, sees the use of a spaceship shaped like Mario's noggin in conjunction with a world map akin to what was used in or . It's actually more welcome than the observatory as it saves you traipsing over the same area of land over and over just to click a button to open a level and let's you keep track of your progress with minimal fuss.

The worlds themselves are the usual assortment of levels with a healthy variation of the usual colourful suspects including lava levels, snow levels, boss levels and more all filled with stars, items and enemies, but where Mario Galaxy really outdoes it's predecessor is it's longevity. Once you've obtained all 120 stars, 120 stars appear for collection. Unlike the first 120 stars which require the completion of tasks to obtain, these special green stars are simply placed in the level in often hard to reach locations or locations you wouldn't normally look. They're not the most challenging of stars to collect but they add many more hours to an already packed game making maybe the longest game yet.

Visually, is identical to the first but it's not a bad thing. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", right? It's still very easily one the best (if not best) looking Wii games available now with the usual charm oozing from all of it's pores. There's even a level which is a recreation of a classic level and without wishing to spoil it, the first time you see it and hear it's accompanying music, you'll get shivers done your spine. The audio in Mario Galaxy is also amazing with grand orchestral tracks accompanied by remixes of classic tunes making for a ear feast. Special mention must go to Ryo Nagamatsu who although only composed a small percentage of the game's score, composed possibly the best songs in the game in the form of the Melty Monster Galaxy and Fleet Glide Galaxy themes.

is a phenomenal game which easily matches and possibly betters it's predecessor. The impact of the first game's originality is somewhat lost in the second outing but the amazing level design and longevity of the game more than make up for it. If you own a Wii, this is definitely one game you need to have on your shelf. If you don't own a Wii, you're missing out massively and you should go and invest in one as soon as you can if only to play this masterpiece. And believe me, it a masterpiece.