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Super Mario Galaxy 2 (JP), also known as Super Mario Wii 2 in South Korea, is a Wii game developed by Nintendo. It is a sequel to the 2007 game Super Mario Galaxy[1]. It is the fifth 3D platformer entry in the Mario series; it is also the first, and thus far, the only 3D platformer in the Mario franchise to be released on the same console as its predecessor. The sequel retains many elements from its predecessor, such as the adventure being in outer space, the element of gravity, and recurring objects such as Launch Stars and Sling Stars. Returning items include the Bee Mushroom and the Fire Flower. However, the game introduces new elements as well, such as the utilization of Yoshi, new power-ups like the Cloud Flower and the Rock Mushroom, and the use of a guide within the game for beginner players. All the releases of the game except for the American version include a beginner's DVD to help players understand the controls and items if they haven't played Super Mario Galaxy. In North America, help for beginners is found on the official website as well as on the Nintendo Channel.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also the first Wii title to be digitally re-released on the Wii U's Nintendo eShop service.
Plot[]
Mario meeting the Silver Luma in the opening gameplay.
Princess Peach invites Mario for some cake, at a time when Star Bits was raining down from the skies over the Mushroom Kingdom. On his way, Mario finds a Luma, who immediately befriends him and grants him the ability to spin. Shortly there after, Mario's archnemesis, a planet-sized Bowser invades and attacks the Mushroom Kingdom.
Bowser takes Peach escapes into outer space to create his empire at the center of the universe again. After launching into outer space, Mario is given control of Starship Mario, a mobile planetoid in the shape of his head, made by a crafty Luma mechanic named Lubba, powered by Power Stars, and piloted by other Lumas; his mission is to fly across the universe in pursuit of Bowser and the Princess and to help Lubba find the lost Lumas that were part of Bowser's plot.
Along the way Mario meets new Lumas, and joins up with his companion Yoshi and many other aliens too. Upon collecting enough Power Stars, Starship Mario reaches Bowser's main fortification, draining energy from what appears to be a comet. Mario infiltrates Bowser's Castle and defeats Bowser, but is forced to retreat when Bowser reappears; Mario then ultimately defeats him and lands on a small flower-covered planetoid before Princess Peach, riding the Grand Star, comes down and thanks him. Together, they return to Starship Mario, where everyone is looking at the comet that Bowser was siphoning energy from.
Gameplay[]
Mario in Fluffy Bluff Galaxy.
The gameplay is much like the previous Super Mario Galaxy game where Mario must travel across many galaxies and planets and collect Power Stars.The stars can be found by defeating bosses, finding silver stars, going through a challenging obstacle course like stage, or completing some other type of objective. Early on, each galaxy contains very few stars in comparison to the previous Mario games. After the first 120 Stars are collected, the amount of Stars that are available in each galaxy doubles. The latter 120 Stars are green and can be found in tough to reach places. After collecting 240 Stars, the final galaxy, titled the Grandmaster Galaxy, becomes available. It is an extremely challenging stage that contains two Stars. The second Star, and the final Star in the entire game, can only be accessed after collecting the Comet Medal in the galaxy, and having 9,999 Star Bits in the bank. The game once again has a linear style of gameplay, but with a greater resemblance to the 2D games.
Starship Mario.
The game's hub world is a planetoid in the shape of Mario's face (the characters jokingly call it a faceship) called Starship Mario. The starship is used to gain access to the different galaxies and worlds. There are seven worlds in all, each one containing a certain amount of galaxies. New galaxies are made available upon completing missions and collecting stars. There are blockades placed in the various worlds that prevent further progression until the player can accumulate a set amount of stars. A blockade is always placed directly before the final galaxy of a world.
Controls[]
Mario is controlled by using the joystick on the Nunchuk controller. He can jump by pressing the A button, long jump by pressing the Z button and subsequently the A button, and can triple jump by jumping three consecutive times. After finding a Golden Luma in the beginning of the game, Mario can perform a spin attack. The spin attack is used to activate launch stars, defeat enemies, flip switches and more. By pressing the Z button, Mario will crouch. The controls are very similar to the original Galaxy.
Yoshi[]
Mario and Yoshi flying in Yoshi Star Galaxy.
Yoshi, new to the Galaxy series, is found in a variety of stages including Starship Mario. After a stage is completed with Yoshi, he is not able to be brought to other stages. Yoshi can easily run over rough terrain, eat numerous enemies, gobble up weapons and use them against foes, flutter jump, and grapple onto flowers. Instead of a spin attack Yoshi will perform a head shake when the player flicks the Wii Remote. Yoshi can extend his tongue out at some objects and pull back when the player pushes the joystick in the opposite direction. This is used to uproot fruit, pluck up Piranha Plants, and certain blocks stuck in the wall. This is the first time in a 3D entry where the player can ride on Yoshi.
Playable characters[]
List of power-ups/items[]
While power-ups from the previous game return, three new power-ups were introduced. This is the following list of power-ups and items:
- Cloud Flower (new)
- Rock Mushroom (new)
- Spin Drill (new)
- Bee Mushroom
- Spring Mushroom
- Boo Mushroom
- Fire Flower
- Ice Flower
- Starman
Fruits[]
Special types of fruit that litter some stages give Yoshi special powers. The Blimp Fruit turns Yoshi light blue and inflates him like a balloon, sending him and Mario upwards until he runs out of air. The spicy Dash Pepper turns Yoshi bright orange and sends him running at an extremely fast speed, allowing him to run on walls and over water. Finally, the Bulb Berry turns Yoshi yellow and makes the surrounding invisible objects visible. When the effect wears off, the invisible objects will disappear and, even if they're there or not, Yoshi and Mario will plummet to their death unless they find solid ground that doesn't require the light.
Bosses[]
Mario battling Gobblegut.
Here are the minor bosses (excluding Bowser and Bowser Jr.) that are encountered and fought during the game:
- Peewee Piranha
- Giga Lakitu
- Digga-Leg
- Gobblegut
- Rollodillo
- Sorbetti
- Glamdozer
- Bugaboom
- Megahammer
- Prince Pikante
- Squizzard
- Fiery Gobblegut
- Boomsday Machine
- Whomp King
- Dino Piranha
- King Kaliente
- Major Burrows
- Bouldergeist
- Fiery Dino Piranha
Enemies[]
List of Stars[]
| World 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Station Galaxy | Yoshi Star Galaxy | ||
 Peewee Piranha's Temper Tantrum
|
Storming the Sky Fleet
|
Saddle Up with Yoshi
|
Spiny Control
|
 Peewee Piranha's Speed Run
|
 Green Star 1
|
Spiny Rainbow Romp
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Spin-Dig Galaxy | Fluffy Bluff Galaxy | ||
| Digga-Leg's Planet
|
Silver Stars Down Deep
|
Search for the Toad Brigade Captain
|
The Chimp's Stomp Challenge
|
| Digga-Leg's Daredevil Run
|
Green Star 1
|
Every Planet Has Its Price
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Flip-Swap Galaxy | Rightside Down Galaxy | ||
| Think Before You Shake
|
Purple Coin Flip 'n' Sprint
|
Breaking the Laws of Gravity
|
The Great Creat Incinerator
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla | |||
 Gobblegut's Aching Belly
|
Fiery Flotilla Speed Run
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| World 2 | |||
| Puzzle Plank Galaxy | Hightail Falls Galaxy | ||
| The Puzzling Picture Block
|
Purple Coin Shadow Vault
|
Hot-Stepping Dash Pepper
|
Hightail Falls Speed Run
|
| Bugaboom's Back
|
Green Star 1
|
Silver Stars in Hightail Falls
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Boulder Bowl Galaxy | Cosmic Cove Galaxy | ||
| Rock and Rollodillo
|
Rolling Crabber Romp
|
Twin Falls Hideaway
|
Exploring the Cosmic Cavern
|
| C'mere, Goomba
|
Green Star 1
|
Catch That Star Bunny
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Wild Glide Galaxy | Honeybloom Galaxy | ||
| Fluzzard's First Flight
|
Jungle Fluzzard Race
|
Bumble Beginnings
|
The Secret Wall Jump
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Bowser's Lava Lair | |||
| Bowser's Big Lava Power Party
|
Lava Lair Speed Run
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| World 3 | |||
| Tall Trunk Galaxy | Cloudy Court Galaxy | ||
| The Flotacious Blimp Fruit
|
Tall Trunk's Big Slide
|
Head in the Clouds
|
The Shadow Lining
|
| Tall Trunk's Purple Coin Slide
|
Green Star 1
|
Silver Stars in the Purple Pond
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Haunty Halls Galaxy | Freezy Flake Galaxy | ||
| A Glimmer of Bulb Berry
|
Sneaking Down the Creepy Corridor
|
Bowser on Ice
|
Sorbetti's Chilly Reception
|
| Spooky Cosmic Clone Chase
|
Green Star 1
|
The Chimp's Skating Challenge
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Rolling Masterpiece Galaxy | Beat Block Galaxy | ||
| Silver Chomp Grudge Match
|
Masterpiece Speed Run
|
Step to the Beep
|
Silver Stars in Double Time
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet | |||
| Bowser Jr's Mighty Megahammer
|
Megahammer's Daredevil Bash
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| World 4 (Super Mario Galaxy 2) | |||
| Supermassive Galaxy | Flipsville Galaxy | ||
| Huge Trouble with Big Wigglers
|
Big Wigglers Speed Run
|
Flip-Flopping in Flipsville
|
Flipsville's New Digs
|
| In Full Bloom
|
Green Star 1
|
Purple Coin Spin Speed Run
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Starshine Beach Galaxy | Chompworks Galaxy | ||
| Surf, Sand, and Silver Stars
|
Climbing the Cloudy Tower
|
Where the Chomps Are Made of Gold
|
Spring into the Chompworks
|
| Purple Coin Speed Dash
|
Green Star 1
|
Cosmic Clones in the Chompworks
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Sweet Mystery Galaxy | Honeyhop Galaxy | ||
| Bulb Berry's Mysterious Glow
|
Bulb Berry's Purple Coin Glow
|
The Sweetest Silver Stars
|
The Chimp's Score Challenge
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet | |||
| Breaking into Bowser's Castle
|
Gravity Star Speed Run
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| World 5 | |||
| Space Storm Galaxy | Slipsand Galaxy | ||
| Follow Me, Bob-omb
|
To the Top of Topman's Tower
|
Squizzard's Sandy Sinkhole
|
Sailing the Sandy Seas
|
| C'mere, Topman
|
Green Star 1
|
Squizzard's Daredevil Run
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Shiverburn Galaxy | Boo Moon Galaxy | ||
| Prince Pikante's Peppery Mood
|
Octo-Army Icy Rainbow Romp
|
Silver Stars Pop-Up
|
Haunting the Howling Tower
|
| Chimp's Ultimate Skating Challenge
|
Green Star 1
|
The Star in the Sinking Swamp
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Upside Dizzy Galaxy | Fleet Glide Galaxy | ||
| A Walk on the Weird Side
|
Burning Upside Dizzy
|
Fluzzard's Wild Battlefield Glide
|
Fastest Feathers in the Galaxy
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker | |||
| Bowser Jr's Boomsday Machine
|
Boomsday Machine Daredevil Run
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| World 6 | |||
| Melty Monster Galaxy | Clockwork Ruins Galaxy | ||
| The Magnificent Magma Sea
|
A Stroll Down Rolling Lane
|
Time for Adventure
|
The Adventure of the Purple Coins
|
| The Chimp's Bowling Challenge
|
Green Star 1
|
The Ledge Hammer Trap
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Throwback Galaxy | Battle Belt Galaxy | ||
| Return of the Whomp King
|
Silver Stars in the Whomp Fortress
|
Mini-Planet Mega-Run
|
Mini-Planet Daredevil Run
|
| Whomp Silver Star Speed Run
|
Green Star 1
|
Snacktime for Gobblegut
|
Green Star 1
|
| Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 3
|
| Flash Black Galaxy | Slimy Spring Galaxy | ||
| Jumping Around in the Dark
|
Dark Octo-Army Romp
|
The Deep Shell Well
|
The Chimp's Coin Challenge
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Bowser's Galaxy Generator | |||
| Bowser's Fortified Fortress
|
Bowser's Big Bad Speed Run
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| World S | |||
| Mario Squared Galaxy | Rolling Coaster Galaxy | ||
| Make Mario a Star
|
Luigi's Purple Coin Chaos
|
The Rainbow Road Roll
|
Purple Coins on the Rainbow Road
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Twisty Trials Galaxy | Stone Cyclone Galaxy | ||
| Spinning and Spinning and Spinning
|
Turning Turning Double Time
|
Silver Stars on the Cyclone
|
Tox Box Speed Run
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Boss Blitz Galaxy | Flip-Out Galaxy | ||
| Throwback Throwdown
|
Throwback Throwdown Speed Run
|
Wicked Wall Jumps
|
Cosmic Clone Wall Jumpers
|
| Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
Green Star 1
|
Green Star 2
|
| Grandmaster Galaxy | |||
| The Ultimate Test
|
The Perfect Run
| ||
Development[]
The development of Super Mario Galaxy 2 started as soon as the first Super Mario Galaxy was released. Many of the ideas were based on those shown in the first game, which, for example, included moving or adding new stars in the levels. The project was initially called Super Mario Galaxy 1.5. The development of the new version of the game lasted a year; however, Miyamoto realized that the new game was beginning to overflow with new elements and ideas. Therefore, the team decided to create a real Super Mario Galaxy sequel rather than a new version of the original installment.[2] The development of the sequel then lasted two and half years.[3]
The game was revealed at E3 2009, along with New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Although the game was far along in development, it was held back to 2010 due to the release of New Super Mario Bros. Wii in November 2009. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, 90% of the features in the game would be new, whereas the remaining 10% were already introduced or featured in the original Super Mario Galaxy. Shigeru Miyamoto noted, "Really what we ended up with is more than 90% of what you'll see in Galaxy 2 is brand new. I'd say closer to 95, maybe even 99%. One of the new things was the inclusion of Yoshi, and also the use of the drill to open up and drill through stages."[4] On the other hand, Miyamoto stated in an interview that he wanted to go with as little story as possible for Super Mario Galaxy 2.[5]
Some of the developers wanted to include characters from other Nintendo franchises, such as Pikmin or Donkey Kong. However, Miyamoto shot down the idea. [6]
CEO of Nintendo America Reggie Fils-Aime stated that Super Mario Galaxy 2 would be more challenging regarding its predecessor. It was hinted that the new game would implement a tool-assisted guide, similar to the Super Guide from New Super Mario Bros Wii. It was eventually confirmed, although it worked differently. Beginner players could use the Cosmic Guide mode (activated when encountering the Cosmic Spirit) or the Tip Network to learn moves and hints during gameplay. Japanese, European, and Australian boxes came with a special DVD to help players to know basic and expert techniques of the game.
Music[]
Like the first game, Super Mario Galaxy 2 utilizes a live orchestrated music soundtrack, but now with more emphasis. Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo return for new music, while Ryo Nagamatsu, who worked on New Super Mario Bros. Wii beforehand, joined the music crew.
Reception[]
Upon its release, Super Mario Galaxy 2 was met with critical acclaim, and is one of the highest rated video games of all time on the aggregation sites Metacritic and GameRankings. EDGE magazine has given the game a perfect score of 10 out of 10, being the third Mario game so far to receive such rating (the others were Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy). Official Nintendo Magazine grants it a 97%, while Game Informer has given the game 9.25 out of 10. Nintendo Power gave it a 9.5 out of 10. IGN and Gamespot granted the game a perfect 10/10, as well as GamesRadar. Gamespot also gave the game the Best Platforming Award and the Best Wii Game Award of 2010. IGN named it the Best Wii Game of all time. Gametrailers has given a 9.7 from 10, while Famitsu a 37 out of 40. GamePro gave four and half stars, X-Play gave it a perfect five out of five stars, and 1UP.com an "A" rating. There has, however, been some criticism due to lack of story as in the original game.[7]
Sales[]
Super Mario Galaxy 2 sold 143,000 copies on its first day of release in Japan and 340,000 copies in its first week.[8] In North America, the game sold 650,000 copies during the month of May 2010. [9] In the United Kingdom, it was the third best-selling game among multiplatform releases and the best-selling single platform release for the week ending June 26, 2010.[10] As of July 16, 2010, the game has sold 1 million copies within the USA [11] and 6.36 million copies worldwide as of April 2011.[12]
Awards[]
Super Mario Galaxy 2 was awarded Game of the Year by Nintendo Power[13] and named "Wii Game of the Year" by IGN,[14]GameSpot,[15] and 1UP[16] in 2010. In the March 2012 issue of Official Nintendo Magazine, the publication named Super Mario Galaxy 2 the "Greatest Nintendo Game Ever Made" ranking at #1 out of 100.[17] It was awarded Game of the Year and Best Game on Wii by Guinness Book of World Records Gamer's Edition 2011.
Story introduction (from the instruction booklet)[]
Shining stardust falls on the Mushroom Kingdom once every hundred years. That time had come again...
"Dear Mario,
Would you like to share some cake while we watch the shooting stars? Meet me at the castle!"
-PeachMario ran through the field with stars falling around him. Suddenly, he noticed a strange light in the grass. As he peered cautiously through the reeds, he saw a small, lost Luma. With the baby Luma tucked safely under his cap, Mario rushed on to the castle. But when he got there, something unexpected was waiting for him...
Credits[]
Gallery[]
| Main article: Super Mario Galaxy 2/gallery |
Soundtrack[]
Trivia[]
- It is a retelling of the original game, appearing to have a more 'joyful' tone.[7]
- First Super Mario game:
- To be a sequel to a 3D game.
- It is also the only sequel to be released on the same console as its predecessor.
- First 3D title to feature elements from the traditional 2D games, such as the Hammer and Boomerang Bros., Big Piranha Plant, Checkpoint flags, etc.
- To be released in the 2010s.
- To be directed by Koichi Hayashida.
- To be produced by Yoshiaki Koizumi after his shift from directing.
- To be a sequel to a 3D game.
- As of now, this, Super Mario 64 DS, and Super Mario 3D Land are the only 3D Mario games that are yet to be re-released on the Nintendo Switch console.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/super-mario-galaxy-2-wii
- ↑ Nintendo Everything >> Blog Archive >> At one point, Super Mario Galaxy 2 was Super Mario Galaxy 1.5 "As soon as the project was over, we started making something that we might call version 1.5. We did things like moving or adding stars to levels that were already available. we realized that there were too many things to fit into a version 1.5. That made us realize we should start from scratch and make Super Mario Galaxy 2." - Miyamoto during Iwata Asks: Super Mario Galaxy 2 interview
- ↑ Iwata Asks: Super Mario Galaxy 2 details
- ↑ E3: Miyamoto: Galaxy 2 Is As Big As The Original
- ↑ Shigeru Miyamoto Interview at Wired.com
- ↑ Super Mario Galaxy 2 Could Have Featured Donkey Kong and Pikmin Cameos, But Miyamoto Said "No"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Super Mario Galaxy - Did You Know Gaming YouTube video (November 2020)
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100610070540/http://www.gamasutra.com:80/view/news/28821/Super_Mario_Galaxy_2_Dominates_Charts_In_Japanese_Debut.php]
- ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/may-sales-rebound-led-by-red-dead-redemption-analyst/1100-6267067/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100712221657/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29149/Lego_Harry_Potter_Years_14_Ends_Red_Deads_FiveWeek_Run_In_UK.php
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100730014304/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6269359.html
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2011/110426e.pdf#page=5
- ↑ https://www.retromags.com/magazines/usa/nintendo-power/nintendo-power-issue-265/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120314091306/http://uk.bestof.ign.com/2010/wii/best-wii-game-of-the-year.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20101228175310/http://uk.gamespot.com/best-of-2010/platform-awards/index.html?page=4
- ↑ https://archive.is/20130101174447/http://www.1up.com/features/1up-2010-game-year-awards
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120309185253/http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/36238/super-mario-galaxy-2-is-onms-best-nintendo-game-of-all-time/
External links[]
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 at GameFAQs
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 at MobyGames
- Mario Galaxy - Did You Know Gaming? - YouTube
- Official North American Website
- Official Japanese Website
- Official Oceanian Website
- Official European Website
- Wii's channel on Youtube - Super Mario Galaxy 2
- Official Chinese Website (Taiwan)
- Official Chinese Website (Hong Kong)
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 at Super Mario Wiki, the Super Mario wiki.
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 at TV Tropes