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As a child, I didn't have the popular Wii. Admittedly, I played Wii Sports plus various premier games while staying with loved ones and acquaintances in the mid-to-late 2000s, yet I lacked owning the console myself, causing me to overlook several excellent installments from Nintendo's beloved series.

One of those games included Super Mario Galaxy, which, along with its sequel, was recently remastered then adapted for Switch consoles. The first one got incorporated within the 2020 special compilation Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I welcomed the opportunity to experience what many consider a top-tier Mario games ever made. I became immediately engrossed, while affirming that it matches about 18 years of hype. That said, it helped me understand how happy I am motion-sensing features have largely remained as historical features.

The Cosmic Adventure Begins

Like any other Mario quest, Super Mario Galaxy opens as Bowser capturing Princess Peach and her castle. His fleet of cosmic vessels transport her into outer space, launching Mario out amongst the stars in the process. Mario encounters adorable stellar beings called Luma plus Rosalina aboard her comet ship. She charges Mario with tracking down power stars to fuel the cosmic base enabling pursuit of the antagonist, and then we’re set free to start discovering.

Super Mario Galaxy’s platforming provides delight, requiring only completing several stages to recognize how it’s held in such high regard. It’ll feel familiar among veterans of a 3D Mario, and the mechanics are approachable and intuitive in typical Nintendo fashion.

Gravity-Defying Gameplay

Being cosmic enthusiast, the environment aligns with my preferences, enabling Super Mario Galaxy to experiment with physics. Spherical platforms let Mario to run continuously surrounding them similar to Goku pursuing Bubbles in popular series. With nearby platforms, Mario can leap across getting captured via planetary attraction of a nearby platform. Additional areas appear as discs, and often feature rewards underneath, easily overlooked spots.

Rediscovering Classic Characters

The pleasure in engaging with Galaxy after nearly two decades is having already met familiar faces. I didn't realize Rosalina made her debut in this game, nor that she served as the adoptive mother for Luma creatures. Before playing Super Mario Galaxy, I only knew her as a frequent choice Mario Kart World driver rotation. Likewise for Penguins, next to whom I liked swimming in initial coastal stage.

Gyroscopic Limitations

The main inconvenience while experiencing Galaxy today involves motion features, employed for collecting, aiming, and shooting cosmic pieces, vibrant items distributed throughout stages. Operating in mobile format meant tilting and rotating the Switch around to aim, which feels a bit clunky. Motion controls are prevalent in various navigation areas, where you have to aim the star-shaped cursor at surfaces to attract Mario to them.

Levels that wholly require movement inputs are best played using separate controllers for better precision, such as the ray-riding stage in the beginning. I rarely become enthusiastic about movement inputs, and they haven’t aged particularly smoothly within this title. Fortunately, if you get enough stars from other levels, these movement-based stages can be wholly skipped. I tried the level featuring Mario maneuvering a massive orb through a track dotted with holes, then immediately quit after one attempt.

Enduring Gaming Quality

Except for the cumbersome older motion controls, there’s really nothing to dislike throughout Galaxy, and its space-set levels provide enjoyment to explore. Even as standouts like Super Mario Odyssey appeared subsequently, Super Mario Galaxy stays among the finest and most inventive Mario games around.