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9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 3070 Ratings

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  1. Dec 24, 2016
    6
    The first game is one of the greatest masterpieces in the entire video game industry. This however, is an average sequel. It has none of the magic that made the first game great, straight up copies huge elements from the first game without adding anything that substantially changes the gameplay. This should have been released as an expansion, it doesn't deserve to be called a full sequel at all.
  2. Jan 30, 2020
    7
    Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of Mario's best console ventures in 3D. The plumber is once again in space, but this time, with numerous differences. Not in gameplay though.

    In terms of how the game plays, well, it's more or less just more Mario Galaxy, just more polished and with more varying level design throughout. The game also introduces Yoshi, which is a fine addition to gameplay,
    Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of Mario's best console ventures in 3D. The plumber is once again in space, but this time, with numerous differences. Not in gameplay though.

    In terms of how the game plays, well, it's more or less just more Mario Galaxy, just more polished and with more varying level design throughout. The game also introduces Yoshi, which is a fine addition to gameplay, though it is worth pointing out the broken nature of Yoshi's infinite flutter jump. Glitches aside, it's fun enough to use the dinosaur.

    The hub world is notably smaller than the Comet Observatory from the last game. While there is much more going on in the tiny frame of the Starship Mario, the Observatory was just a much bigger and funner hub world to explore and run around in to Galaxy 2's.

    Another thing worth noting is the lack of very much continuity between Galaxy 1 and Galaxy 2. While 1 has a deep narrative and real storytelling, 2 drops this entire theme for a more typical/linear Mario game. Seeing what Galaxy 1 did and how well it did it, 2's exclusion of any deeper narrative or themes seems rather unnecessary and served to dampen the experience, as with an actual narrative to the game there's a reward for playing through. Some might say gameplay is the reward, but when said gameplay is basically entirely the same as the original game's, I want a little more to the game than just the gameplay when 1 had both that and a driving narrative.

    And as I said there, the gameplay between both games isn't very different at all. It's more or less just Mario Galaxy 1 but labeled 2.

    Overall, Galaxy 2 manages to be a fun game, but lacks the narrative of the original Galaxy while still just being more of the same gameplay. (Not bad gameplay, just nothing new besides Yoshi)
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  3. May 12, 2015
    7
    So many people have argued Super Mario Galaxy 2 as a perfect game or the best game ever. It changes the Galaxy formula a bit, but it definitely doesn't perfect it.

    I gave it away as a gift and both of us felt like it was a slog to start. I loved Galaxy 1 and while it's story and hub were woefully underdeveloped I kind of liked that they were there. Galaxy 2 is mostly more of the same,
    So many people have argued Super Mario Galaxy 2 as a perfect game or the best game ever. It changes the Galaxy formula a bit, but it definitely doesn't perfect it.

    I gave it away as a gift and both of us felt like it was a slog to start. I loved Galaxy 1 and while it's story and hub were woefully underdeveloped I kind of liked that they were there. Galaxy 2 is mostly more of the same, but while people say it removes those elements and streamlines the experience more it doesn't. The hub is still there as an extra step to the level selection only now it's completely uninteresting.

    The story, while more straight forward, does take up quite a long time in the beginning before you get to the first level of gameplay. It's far to text-heavy and segmented for a story that only amounts to "Bowser took Peach". What ever happened to SM64's three sentence introductory letter and jump straight into gameplay? The addition of Yoshi just complicates things more and doesn't fit well with these small, planetoid worlds.

    While these aren't in any way crippling all of these misses make Galaxy 2 a game that seems like it went for streamlining things, but only went half-way there and has less personality than the original game.
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  4. Jun 3, 2013
    7
    When I give it a 7/10, that doesn't mean I think its bad. I just think its a little overrated. In fact, my official score is 7.3 if that makes anyone feel better.

    The Good: Super Mario Galaxy 2 is technically brilliant. The music is masterful, the water effects and lighting effects are nice, but the overall best part about this game is the animation. Its just unbelievably gorgeous. The
    When I give it a 7/10, that doesn't mean I think its bad. I just think its a little overrated. In fact, my official score is 7.3 if that makes anyone feel better.

    The Good:
    Super Mario Galaxy 2 is technically brilliant. The music is masterful, the water effects and lighting effects are nice, but the overall best part about this game is the animation. Its just unbelievably gorgeous. The colors the textures. If I was rating this game based on animation, It'd get an 11/10. As I said, the music is great. There are a lot of songs in here that are stellar, but my 2 favorites are the song from the Clockworks Galaxy and The Final Bowser Battle. Also, there is a lot more freedom to run around discovering things in levels, a huge flaw I have with the original. There are these things called Comet Coins to collect which unlock a whole new set of challenges to play. My second favorite new thing they added was Chimp, a side-villain who is always harassing Mario to play his games. (Ice Skating and Bowling to name a few) These games may sound simple, but really, they're addicting and creative. And even after he gives you the star, you may go back and play said game just for the fun of it. Even small things like hidden 1-Ups and gobs of star bits can keep you in a level twice as long as you intended to be. And not only is the game creative, its really hard. A few of these levels REALLY tried my patience. The hub has been improved, too. It's like your sandbox rather than your everyday empty, bland spacecraft. There are some fun things to complete and to obtain. So, what I have just mentioned here is all the GOOD things about the game. But you may ask, "What are the bad things that take away those 27 points???" That's why we're moving onto the BAD. Duh! Duh! Duhhh!!!

    The Bad:
    Well, to start, Its either you have Yoshi shown frequently in a Mario game, or I don't think its flawless. If I remember right, he only got 7 or 8 appearances. Yoshi is one of the most loveable and innocent characters in all of media. He's my favorite in the Mario series, and he really should have more appearances in this game. (12 at the very least) He's the coolest power-up in the game, too. You have his abilities to float, sprint, and my favorite, see invisible floors. And I've always loved his unique ability to eat everything. Also, I feel some of the special levels and power-ups (This is NOT counting Yoshi) are either mediocre or horrendous. The new Boo Mushroom was really goofy, and WHY would they bring back the Spring Ability?!!!!!!! Nintendo, are you deaf?! We all HATED that move. There are 2 levels in this game that I thought were just plain awful: Here's a hint: BOTH OF THEM HAD A ROLLING BALL WITH A STAR INSIDE INVOLVED. .THE ROLLING MASTERPIECE GALAXY, AND THE ROLLING COASTER GALAXY. Thank you for being abysmal. Not! Also, the Final Bowser Battle was the perfect. .way to end a game on a bad note. It was really easy and so disappointing. You would think, "Oh, crap! This is going to take forever!" 69 seconds later: "WHAT IN THE NAME OF----" Its not a nit-pick. Its a big flaw. Especially for an action adventure game. This is small, and Mario has never been about story and characters, but I think Lubba is a big step down from my 3rd favorite Mario character Rosalina, who was very complex and grand.

    The Ugly:
    Unfortunately, I don't think this game is as great as the original. It just didn't feel as grand and as influential as the original. I couldn't tell you why specifically, because I really don't know. However, I have 2 theories: Number One is Super Mario Galaxy 1 that it feels more space like with the music, the art, the gameplay and so forth, and Galaxy 2 just feels like the level designs put the clouds closer to the ground.
    Theory Number 2 says its just the Nostalgic Side of me speaking.

    All in all, Super Mario Galaxy 2 may not surpass its predecessor, (my opinion) but its a boatload of fun for anyone who picks it up.
    Super Mario Galaxy 1 rating: 9.6/10
    I was talking about who my favorite Mario characters were a little, so here's my top 10 favorites:
    10.Wario
    9.Waluigi
    8. Diddy Kong
    7.Nokis and Piantas
    6. Kamella (Super Mario Galaxy 1 Boss)
    5. Luigi
    4.Bowser
    3.Rosalina
    2.Bowser Jr.
    1.Yoshi!
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  5. Dec 13, 2011
    7
    this game is not what I was expecting. I thought there wold be more yoshi stages. but is was still kind of fun. so that is why I think it should be 7/10
  6. Aug 24, 2012
    5
    Great game in theory, with excellent controls, beautiful levels, and quite a bit to lengthen the experience. The thing is, this game is just a little too similar to the first Mario Galaxy. The few new power-ups don't add too much, and several level mechanics are re-used from the first Mario Galaxy. Also, Super Mario Galaxy 2 feels a little too easy until the very end, the space theme isn'tGreat game in theory, with excellent controls, beautiful levels, and quite a bit to lengthen the experience. The thing is, this game is just a little too similar to the first Mario Galaxy. The few new power-ups don't add too much, and several level mechanics are re-used from the first Mario Galaxy. Also, Super Mario Galaxy 2 feels a little too easy until the very end, the space theme isn't used nearly as well within the levels, the camera did not work very well at all for the Green Star missions, the gorgeous and expansive Comet Observatory has been replaced by a small and rather boring ship, and the great character Rosalina has lost her position as guide to an unfunny Luma with no backstory or anything. Basically, Super Mario Galaxy 2 tries to expand on the excellent formula of the first Mario Galaxy, but worsens it instead. Expand
  7. Aug 19, 2016
    5
    A sequel to the excellent "Super Mario Galaxy" is practically necessary. However I was ashamed on Nintendo for making it as if the first game never existed. That's right! Mario doesn't remember the Baby Luma or Rosalina! And as another disappointment, the game itself is actually quite short. Pretty much any level in the game is really easy, and you only need 70 stars to complete the game.A sequel to the excellent "Super Mario Galaxy" is practically necessary. However I was ashamed on Nintendo for making it as if the first game never existed. That's right! Mario doesn't remember the Baby Luma or Rosalina! And as another disappointment, the game itself is actually quite short. Pretty much any level in the game is really easy, and you only need 70 stars to complete the game. It also feels a lot more like a "New Super Mario Bros." because the story is basically the same, and there's aspects like World Maps and Giant Bowser Battles that make the once unique "Super Mario Galaxy" seem more like a NSMB with space.

    That's not to say that it has it's perks though. Levels that involve Yoshi are a lot of fun and can be challenging. And power-ups like the Rock Mushroom or the Cloud Flower are also fun to use. But other power-ups like the Boo Mushroom are scarce in the game. the Ice Flower and Red Star are not present here either. However if there's one thing SMG2 does better than it's predecessor, it's the multiplayer. Multiplayer allows the second player to be a Luma, and becomes a lot more useful.

    To sum it up, SMG2 has gotten the NSMB syndrome. But with it's multiplayer function and new levels to play, it's still a decent game. Hopefully Super Mario Galaxy 3 can do better
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  8. Jun 24, 2012
    6
    Lots of people gush over this game, but it is nothing special.

    Like its predecessor, the game, while ostensibly a 3D platformer, is missing what makes 3D platformers special - exploration. Instead, the levels are quite linear and very often, the fact that the game is 3D is rather irrelevant. Oh boy, there was a 90 degree turn in the linear path, which then continues on linearly! How
    Lots of people gush over this game, but it is nothing special.

    Like its predecessor, the game, while ostensibly a 3D platformer, is missing what makes 3D platformers special - exploration. Instead, the levels are quite linear and very often, the fact that the game is 3D is rather irrelevant. Oh boy, there was a 90 degree turn in the linear path, which then continues on linearly! How awesome! This is the "3D" of this game for much of its gameplay, and there are sections which don't even pretend to be 3D, limiting Mario to a 2D environment.

    As such, all we have are the levels, and the level design is not amazing. It isn't terrible - some of the levels are pretty fun - but it is often bland, the levels generally have a very unappealing appearance (looking quite boring), and there is usually only one path through any given level. The "secret stars" are never well hidden and are basically gimmes, resulting in many hours of bland gameplay with the occaisional really interesting bit.

    This game, like its predecessor, is a step back from Mario 64. While it is better than Super Mario Galaxy, having much more interesting levels from a gameplay standpoint, the overall ugliness of the game, the lack of cohesion, and the linear levels make it feel like just a random grab bag of ideas rather than any sort of exciting or interesting whole.

    This game is not terrible, but it is mediocre. There are many better games, and this game's high metacritic scores are soley due to the fact that it has the name Mario in it..
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  9. Jan 26, 2011
    7
    A bad game? No it isn't. Overhyped? Definitely. While the Mario gameplay is improved in some ways in this game, Mario has been repeating for years in terms of story and gameplay. It is far too repetitive. The game isn't amazing visually either. While this game is not bad, it is the most overhyped in 2010.
  10. Jun 24, 2013
    6
    People constantly get angry whenever a developer releases a game that is very similar to past titles. However, when a Mario game does it, no one seems to care. I'm not sure why.

    Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a great game, no doubt about it. The level designs are interesting, the graphics are great, and the music is outstanding. This would be a game worthy of a 10 out of 10 had we not already
    People constantly get angry whenever a developer releases a game that is very similar to past titles. However, when a Mario game does it, no one seems to care. I'm not sure why.

    Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a great game, no doubt about it. The level designs are interesting, the graphics are great, and the music is outstanding. This would be a game worthy of a 10 out of 10 had we not already seen a game exactly like it. The original Super Mario Galaxy was a masterful and original game full of interesting concepts and ideas. It was everything I could have hoped for in a Mario game. The sequel feels like more of the same. There were only two galaxies that really wowed me when playing the game. All of the other ones just seemed bland. I found myself saying, "Hey, that's just like that one level from Super Mario Galaxy" over and over again.

    It's not a bad game and it's definitely worth a purchase. It just isn't anything exceptional. In a way, it feels like DLC, for lack of a better word.
    I hope Nintendo never makes a Super Mario Galaxy 3. I'm hoping that they can find another original and compelling idea to work with.
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  11. Mar 8, 2018
    5
    I must confess: I didn't like this game. I understand that I'm a minority here, but I dropped the game at 50% cause it felt like non-stop grinding. I played this one after Odyssey and maybe because of that it gelt backward. I just wasn't having fun.

    Pros: - Cool concept of galaxies and start eating crystals to become planets. Astrophysics for kids. - Catchy tune at the cute Mario's
    I must confess: I didn't like this game. I understand that I'm a minority here, but I dropped the game at 50% cause it felt like non-stop grinding. I played this one after Odyssey and maybe because of that it gelt backward. I just wasn't having fun.

    Pros:
    - Cool concept of galaxies and start eating crystals to become planets. Astrophysics for kids.
    - Catchy tune at the cute Mario's head shaped starship
    - Creative levels (my favorite one is with giant Goombas & coins)

    Cons:
    - I played on Wii U and this console sucks. If I see this huge gamepad again I gonna vomit.
    - Difficulty spikes destroyed all the fun. At a running level with caterpillars I died like 30 times or more.
    - Motion controls suck. They are not accurate and make game so much harder than it needs to be. I hated levels with a flying bird for this reason (and swimming is also awful)
    - You can't move camera. And every fall is deadly (you got sucked in black holes). So the levels feel claustrophobic. You just don't see where you jump and you die and die and die.
    - Some levels and bosses are so random to beat. I needed like 50 tries for a comet with crabs and like 20 times for a huge snake-boss on an asteroid. Just boo.

    TLDR: I didn't enjoy the game at all. It is a pointless grind with awful controls.
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  12. Jun 29, 2018
    7
    I bought Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 at the same time, and I was really disappointed with the first game. It sees Mario on small planets, and the camera doesn't follow you around well, so you'll be at the bottom of a planet with your head facing down, and pressing forward on the control stick moves Mario toward the camera instead of away from it. It is very disorienting, and I am a seriousI bought Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 at the same time, and I was really disappointed with the first game. It sees Mario on small planets, and the camera doesn't follow you around well, so you'll be at the bottom of a planet with your head facing down, and pressing forward on the control stick moves Mario toward the camera instead of away from it. It is very disorienting, and I am a serious gamer, and I couldn't cope with the controls and quit after 5 hours. So I didn't have high hopes for Super Mario Galaxy 2. I'm happy to report that Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a much better game than the first one! The sections where you are on small planets are fewer in number and somehow easier to handle. The platforming is great and controls well. Mario gets special abilities from mushrooms like a cloud mushroom that allows him to create up to 3 cloud platforms whenever he double-jumps. There's also a bee mushroom that allows him to fly/float for a short period of time. There are many others, and they all contribute to excellent platforming puzzles. The bosses are fun challenges in figuring out their weaknesses.

    The only negatives I had about this game were the gates, repeated sections, and difficulty. At the end of each world, you collect a star. To progress in the game, you'll need to have a certain number of stars to pass the artificial star gate even though you've beaten all of the levels leading up to it. You are forced to go back to the previous levels and beat them again to find the alternative exits and their stars. This is unnecessary backtracking that's not as much fun as experiencing the levels for the first time, and beating a level only to find you have to go back and do 10 more levels to find stars is frustrating. I did go back because it was fun and I wanted to see what new levels were in store for Mario, but it is still an issue. When you finally do make it to the last level, the difficulty ramps up extremely, and I lost all of my lives many, many times in the last galaxies where I hadn't lost all of my lives at all leading up to it. The difficulty curve will be unfair to the little kids that had been enjoying the game up to that point.

    Overall, I would recommend Super Mario Galaxy 2 to anyone who likes platformers, as it is the best one on the Wii. 7/10
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  13. Dec 22, 2013
    7
    Honestly, this game is a copy-paste of the first SMG. It's a great game on it's own, but it's basically the first game, add Yoshi, and make it slightly less magical and fun in every other area. If you want a REALLY GOOD GAME, just get the first SMG. So, don't get me wrong, this game is good, but I suggest playing the first one first.
  14. May 29, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is NOT as amazing or phenomenal as the first game. It's not bad either. The thing about this game that is very similar to Super Mario Galaxy and surely, that's not a good thing. Everything about this game (except for the soundtrack) are less memorable when compared to the first game. The level designs (Mario Matrix Galaxy and Stone Cyclone Galaxy are just beyond crappy), the overworld (Starship Mario sucks), even the power-ups are weak compared to SMG's. It's also inconsistent. Why the heck Rosalina introduced at the end of the game?! Why can't Yoshi be used more frequently?! Why is the Pull Star introduced near the end of the main story mode?

    Besides all of that, this game is pretty good. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a joy to play. I had fun times playing this game on my Wii. But, I prefer Super Mario Galaxy over this game.

    My true final score for this game: 7.3
    Because the user review score can do such thing, I round it up and got a 7
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  15. Sep 27, 2015
    7
    All my complaints about Galaxy 1 apply here as well. 1 and 2 are very similar games. Some stuff was added, some removed, but none of it is particularly important. It's still a risk-free whitewashed Mario experience. I will say that if you're looking for co-op, Galaxy 2 offers better co-op than Galaxy 1.
  16. Nov 26, 2015
    6
    Super Mario Galaxy 2 is so much better than the first one,but it still dosen't wow me though.the controls are the only bad thing while everything else is really good.The levels are amazing,the graphic are great and YOSHI!!!!!This is still a pretty good game.
  17. Sep 12, 2021
    7
    Not bad, but far, far from perfect. Around halfway or 2/3 through, the game gets a lot grindier than the previous half.
  18. Dec 9, 2019
    7
    Okay, for those who think SMG2 is better than the original, I have my reasons for giving this game a mixed review. Basically my feelings on this game are pretty two-sided. The good things about this game include the varied levels, cool new power-ups, and------ the best part------ music that isn't as instantly classic and nostalgia-inducing as the first, but honestly some of the tracksOkay, for those who think SMG2 is better than the original, I have my reasons for giving this game a mixed review. Basically my feelings on this game are pretty two-sided. The good things about this game include the varied levels, cool new power-ups, and------ the best part------ music that isn't as instantly classic and nostalgia-inducing as the first, but honestly some of the tracks (Melty Molten, Space Storm, Cloudy Court, Slipsand) are just EPIC and go toe-to-toe with some of the original's tracks. And it's neat how they recreated music from the older Mario games (Haunty Halls, Yoshi Falls, Supermassive).
    Probably my lower opinion of this game is all because I played Galaxy 1 first as a young kid, and I just can't let go of the magic that game brought to my little mind. I was much older when I played 2. Overall, I guess the number one reason for my iffyness on this game is that it is quite forgettable in my opinion. Haters might be mad for me saying that, but for whatever reason I have almost no recollection of actually enjoying this game in even close to the way I enjoyed the first. Not a bad game by any standards though and you should definitely play it, because as a mario game it gives you pretty much everything you could ever want. Just don't expect to be blown away and intrigued by the story or atmosphere, or even really the gameplay, as much of it is in 2D and seems to just kind of pointlessly decorate what Galaxy 1 already did while incorporating some older mario game elements like getting to ride Yoshi, which was actually pretty cool. Basically this game is just Mario 64 in outer space if you ask me... except half the time you can't even tell you're in outer space.I would say that the galaxies in this game whose feel and texture came closest to the mysterious feel of the original were, for me, Slipsand Galaxy, Cosmic Cove Galaxy, Starshine Beach Galaxy, anddddd that's about it. The music still stands as this game's strongest point for me. I would definitely replay if and when I got the chance. From an objective standpoint I would say 2 is almost as good as 1 if viewed as just another 3D Mario game. However, compared to 1 and viewed as something that had the potential to top the first game, it fails completely. I'm pretty sure this game isn't even in the same league as Galaxy 1.
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  19. May 6, 2020
    7
    I love that this game feels so similar to the first one. Honestly in terms of 120 stars, I love them both equally. I don’t however, like the green stars. They feel tedious and boring. Maybe a few green stars are ok but 120 of them. Jeez. I wish they’d make the bonus 120 stars a bit more diverse. The red star power up is coded in the game, why couldn’t a chunk of the 120 bonus stars be redI love that this game feels so similar to the first one. Honestly in terms of 120 stars, I love them both equally. I don’t however, like the green stars. They feel tedious and boring. Maybe a few green stars are ok but 120 of them. Jeez. I wish they’d make the bonus 120 stars a bit more diverse. The red star power up is coded in the game, why couldn’t a chunk of the 120 bonus stars be red power stars. Having flying missions would be so much fun. Maybe introduce a blue star that gets obtained by challenges involving pull stars I don’t know. I just find the green stars very boring. They really should have mixed it up a bit. I did enjoy the final level though. The grandmaster galaxy required skill to beat and it was very satisfying to complete. Getting all 242 stars is just so exciting to see. You really feel accomplished. The star festival star from the first game was cute, but I would’ve preferred an actual challenge though. Great game Expand
  20. Dec 21, 2022
    7
    There's a lot that it improves from Galaxy 1, but overall this is basically just 'more super mario galaxy'. There are new ideas, new mechanics, new levels. Sometimes it exceeds the heights of its predecessor, but its not nearly as innovative as Galaxy 1 overall.

Awards & Rankings

1
1
#1 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2010
1
#1 Most Shared Wii Game of 2010
Metascore
98

Universal acclaim - based on 87 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 87 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 87
  3. Negative: 0 out of 87
  1. Jan 18, 2011
    100
    If you loved the first Super Mario Galaxy, you will adore the sequel.
  2. While Super Mario Galaxy 2 could easily have been a cheap cash-in with a few lackluster additional levels, it manages to be something more. It expands on the gameplay of Super Mario Galaxy and adds enough new twists and turns to feel like a full-fledged sequel.
  3. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is largely more of the same, and that helps make it a phenomenal experience. Nintendo didn't reinvent the formula. Instead, it took what fans loved about the prequel and then jazzed everything up with never before seen galaxies, planets and a more streamlined user interface.