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Starry-eyed surprise.
A series with as many epoch-defining entries as Mario is bound to mark a few special spots in your gaming history. My first videogame was Super Mario World. Super Mario 64 inspired me so much that I wrote my very first review about it, aged 8. But after that, as with any favourite series, it settled into a comfortable rhythm; you know what to expect, and you're delighted every time you get it, but it doesn't change your world any more. I didn't think that a Mario game could have that kind of impact on me again. But this year, it did.
In the year of Mario's 25th anniversary, Super Mario Galaxy 2 asks: where can we go? And it answers: anywhere we like. We can fly through the universe, landing briefly on bright planetoids populated by fantastical creatures. We can dive into abstract realms of primary-coloured, wood-textured objects, slowly rotating in nothingness. We can swim through shimmering orbs of water, suspended in space. We can climb the clouds. We can go to the future. And we can go to the past.
The Throwback Galaxy was the moment that cemented Mario's place in my personal history. After five worlds of indescribable, wild loopiness, levels that scramble your definition not only of a Mario game but of platform games themselves, Mario Galaxy 2 plops you down without warning on a perfect recreation of Super Mario 64's Whomp Fortress. Upon landing, upon hearing those first few notes of jazzily rearranged music, there was a moment of confusion where my heart soared and I didn't quite know why. Then I recognised my surroundings, bubbled up with glee, and suddenly realised that Super Mario Galaxy 2 was my favourite videogame of all time.
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A series with as many epoch-defining entries as Mario is bound to mark a few special spots in your gaming history. My first videogame was Super Mario World. Super Mario 64 inspired me so much that I wrote my very first review about it, aged 8. But after that, as with any favourite series, it settled into a comfortable rhythm; you know what to expect, and you're delighted every time you get it, but it doesn't change your world any more. I didn't think that a Mario game could have that kind of impact on me again. But this year, it did.
In the year of Mario's 25th anniversary, Super Mario Galaxy 2 asks: where can we go? And it answers: anywhere we like. We can fly through the universe, landing briefly on bright planetoids populated by fantastical creatures. We can dive into abstract realms of primary-coloured, wood-textured objects, slowly rotating in nothingness. We can swim through shimmering orbs of water, suspended in space. We can climb the clouds. We can go to the future. And we can go to the past.
The Throwback Galaxy was the moment that cemented Mario's place in my personal history. After five worlds of indescribable, wild loopiness, levels that scramble your definition not only of a Mario game but of platform games themselves, Mario Galaxy 2 plops you down without warning on a perfect recreation of Super Mario 64's Whomp Fortress. Upon landing, upon hearing those first few notes of jazzily rearranged music, there was a moment of confusion where my heart soared and I didn't quite know why. Then I recognised my surroundings, bubbled up with glee, and suddenly realised that Super Mario Galaxy 2 was my favourite videogame of all time.
Read more...
More...