Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy (スーパーマリオギャラクシー, Sūpā Mario Gyarakushī ?) is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in most regions in November 2007, and is the third 3D original platformer in the Super Mario series after Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The game follows the protagonist, Mario, on a quest to rescue Princess Peach from the game's primary antagonist, Bowser. Levels are galaxies filled with minor planets and worlds, while gameplay is updated with gravity effects and new power-ups.

Super Mario Galaxy was first shown at E3 2006 and enjoyed a high level of pre-release awareness. The game has been hailed by several gaming websites as one of the best video games of all time[3 ] [4 ] and has won a BAFTA. GameRankings lists the game as the best reviewed Wii game and the second best reviewed game of all time. The game is the ninth best selling Wii game worldwide with sales of 10.68 million.[5 ] The sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, was announced at E3 2009,[6 ] and was first released in May 2010.[7 ] It was re-released as a Nintendo Selects title in 2011.

Gameplay
Premise and setting

Super Mario Galaxy is set in outer space,[8 ] where Mario travels from galaxy to galaxy in order to collect Power Stars, which are earned by completing galaxies or defeating enemies.[8 ] Each galaxy contains a number of planets and other space matter for the player to explore.[8 ] The game uses a new physics system that allows for a unique feature: each celestial object has its own gravitational force, allowing the player to completely circumnavigate rounded or irregular planetoids, walking sideways or upside down. The player can usually jump from one independent object and fall towards another one nearby. Though the main gameplay and physics are in 3D, there are several areas in the game in which the player's movements are restricted to a 2-dimensional plane, an element reminiscent of 2D Mario games

The game's main hub is the Comet Observatory, a spaceship which contains six themed domes that provide access to the forty-two galaxies available in the game.[10 ] When the player first begins the game, access is available to only a few galaxies. However, as more Power Stars are collected, more galaxies become available to the player. Some galaxies are accessed through special means; for example, the star-shaped creatures called "Hungry Lumas" will transform into new galaxies once they are fed enough Star Bits (small, collectible objects that serve as weapons and currency in the game). The Hungry Lumas may also appear within the galaxy, and when they are fed enough Star Bits, they will transform into other planetary bodies which will contain some form of puzzle or challenge that rewards Mario with a Power Star when completed. When 120 Power Stars are collected, the player gains the ability to play through the game again as Mario's twin brother Luigi.[11 ] Gameplay is slightly different while playing as Luigi, as some obstacles can be harder or easier to overcome due to Luigi's higher running speed and lower traction. Once 120 Power Stars are collected with both characters, the player is rewarded one additional challenge for Mario and Luigi to complete, as well as two commemorative pictures that can be sent to the Wii Message Board upon each brother completing the challenge.

There are five "Prankster Comets" that appear periodically ("Speedy", "Daredevil", "Cosmic", "Fast Foe" and "Purple"). When one of them comes into orbit with a galaxy, a special challenge is initiated that leads to an extra Power Star. The Speedy Comet challenges the player to replay an episode within a varying time limit. The Daredevil Comet has the player replay a section of a level with Mario's maximum health reduced to one unit, meaning that the player must complete the objective without being damaged once. The Cosmic Comet pits the player in a race against a doppelgänger of Mario (or Luigi) to a Power Star. The Fast Foe Comet makes a galaxy's enemies twice as fast and thus harder to avoid. The Purple Comet, accessible only after completing the main story, allots 100 purple coins (or 150, though only 100 have to be collected) across an area of each of the 15 six-star galaxies for the player to collect, sometimes within a time limit.[12 ]

Controls
The player's character is controlled via the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. While most of Mario's abilities are taken directly from Super Mario 64, such as the long jump, wall jumps, and a variety of somersaults, Mario is given new moves that take advantage of the Wii Remote's pointer and motion sensing. The most basic feature is the Star Pointer, which appears on-screen (as long as the remote is pointed at the screen) for the entire game and both marks the position of, and is controlled by, the Wii Remote. First and foremost, the Star Pointer is used to pick up special konpeito-shaped objects called "Star Bits", which are then shot to stun enemies, manipulate obstacles, or feed Hungry Lumas. Secondly, the pointer can latch onto small blue objects called "Pull Stars" that gradually pull Mario through space. Thirdly, if the player becomes encased in a floating bubble, the Star Pointer is used to blow air at it in order to influence the direction and speed it moves. At one point, the pointer can be used to clear snow. Luigi controls identically to Mario, but he has both better jumping abilities and less traction, making some areas either less or more challenging when playing through the game the second time.

The player gains a new ability early in the game, known as the "Spin" technique, which has previously appeared in varying forms since Super Mario Bros. 3. In Super Mario Galaxy, the Spin is primarily used for melee attacks, as it can stun enemies and shatter objects, and is used to trigger special propellers called "Sling Stars" or "Launch Stars" that launch Mario across large distances through space. The Spin is also used for climbing vines, ice-skating, unscrewing bolts, and for activating several power-ups. Other Wii Remote functions are available for smaller quests, such as surfing aboard a manta ray or balancing atop a large ball and rolling it through an obstacle course