If you have a Wii and aren’t planning on picking up Super Mario Galaxy, then I’m going to have to assume won the console in a raffle and really don’t know what to do with it. Mario games, even when they slip a bit (Super Mario Sunshine, in my opinion) are Nintendo’s flagship for a reason. And that reason is pure quality.

Never obscured by the strangely comforting but all-but-insufferable cuteness, gameplay is the real king of the Mushroom kingdom and just 20 minutes into Mario Galaxy shows that’s still the case. For some reason it feels familiar running along 3D spheres, jumping, waggle-attacking, and gathering coins and stars. Mario always offers new sights, sounds, and concepts but somehow always remains familiar. Whether 2D or 3D, in a world, or in space, Mario manages to be intuitive while wildly different than anything you’ve ever played before.

Again, if you can stand the all-but-insufferable cuteness, Mario is a “must-have” for the Wii. The only warning I can give is that this remains a Mario game and that means it’s deceptively challenging. I’m sure there are 6-year olds who will be able to play this but most parents will find junior baffled by the deep controls, high speed, and … lets call it: “ease of death” in the game.

Tags: Misc