Super Mario Galaxy
I beat Super Mario Galaxy last night. I won't say I finished the game as I have not found all 120 stars yet, and as a non-completest, probably never will. That said, this is a fantastic platformer with the right mix of easy, challenging, and infuriating levels. The galaxy theme is somewhat of a gimmick, especially since several levels take place on only one planetoid, but for the most part it serves as a fantastic way to break levels into sections which can be wildly different from one another without feeling forced.
Graphically Super Mario Galaxy gives me great hope for the Wii. It uses the strategy I believe every game for this system should use, keep it simple. By using smooth textures, bright colors and good art design it is much easier to mask the Wii's lower resolution graphics. Games that try for more realistic graphics only emphasize the difference between themselves and similar games on the Xbox 360 or PS3. This game is supposed to be one of the first games designed specifically to run on the Wii's hardware and it definitely shows. A lot of naysayers claim the Wii isn't much more powerful than the GameCube, but there is no way the GameCube could run Super Mario Galaxy. I also enjoyed the use of the Wii's motion controls. Initiating Mario's spin move and throwing shells are the most common uses, but I liked the ball rolling levels the most.
It took me about 15 hours to beat Super Mario Galaxy and I find that to be a perfect length. When you take into account the amount of gameplay remaining to complete the game I like the fact that you can accomplish a lot in a moderate amount of time and still have more goals left to finish at your leisure. From its awesome level design to its fun and challenging boss fights Super Mario Galaxy is a must own for the Wii.
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