Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 Review: Gaming Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This

I don’t know if the perfect video game can ever truly be made. But if such a thing exists, it’s Super Mario Galaxy.

Mechanically excellent and bursting with heart, the Nintendo Wii platformer was - and still is - a slice of video game heaven: an explosion of colour at a time when other publishers were increasingly obsessed with muddy brown realism. And then in 2010, just to flex on the entire video game industry, Nintendo did it all over again with Super Mario Galaxy 2.

There’s a recurring debate here at GAMINGbible as to which of the Galaxy games is truly better. The original boasts a more engaging narrative, a delightful hub world to explore in the form of the comet observatory, and has that indefinable magical quality afforded to it by coming first.

Meanwhile, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a vibrant carousel of dizzying invention. A game originally conceived as an expansion, bursting with wonderful new ideas around every corner.

The beautiful thing about this debate is that there’s no clear right answer. Both games are inarguably sheer platforming perfection, the absolute cream of the crop. And now, at long last, they’re available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, complete with some minor visual touchups and tweaks.

Both games are, at their core, the same as they ever were. Mario explores a series of cosmic worlds in search of power stars so he can explore more of the universe and rescue his special one. I daren’t give away who that could possibly be.

Super Mario Galaxy’s levels are structured more similarly to that of Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine, in that they’re effectively mini sandboxes with various objectives to complete to earn stars.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a little more linear in its level design, but is no lesser for it. Both games are full of wit, charm, and a dizzying number of surprises. Taking flight for the first time in Super Mario Galaxy with the Red Star powerup is as special an experience today as it was nearly 20 years ago.

Nintendo

Items like the Bee and Ghost mushrooms also add fun new wrinkles to the action in both games, while the Ice Flower opens up some incredible possibilities. The Freezeflame Galaxy, for instance, which sees Ice Mario skate gracefully over pits of lava, remains a genius merging of the two of the oldest platform gaming tropes in the book.

Truly, this is a difficult review to write because I could just list all the moments that make these games so damn special. Hearing the beautiful orchestral score of Gusty Garden Galaxy, reuniting with Yoshi in Super Mario Galaxy 2, reading through the beautiful storybook at the comet observatory - these games are Nintendo at their absolute peak, expertly crafted experiences.

So what of the changes? If you played the Super Mario Galaxy re-release that was originally included in the 35th anniversary collection, you’ll know what to expect control-wise. The optimum way to play is still on a TV, using your Joycons as if they’re a Wii Remote and Nunchuck. A flick of the wrist is used to perform a spin attack, while your right Joycon can be pointed at the screen to hoover up starbits and interact with various objects in the world.

That’s not to say the new control schemes don’t work, however. Playing either game in handheld mode is a perfectly comfortable experience, with the touch screen working for the pointer. If you don’t want to put your clammy hands all over your nice new Nintendo Switch 2 screen, you can also use the device’s built-in gyro controls, which was my preferred option. A quick press of the R button allows the pointer to recenter at any moment, meaning you don’t have to wildly swing your device around on the train.

Both games have also been given a slight facelift, with the 4K/1080p resolution (on Nintendo Switch 2) and fairly subtle upscaled and reworked textures adding welcome pops of colour, detail, and life to two games that already looked gorgeous on their native hardware.

Nintendo

Beyond that, there’s the now-obligatory Amiibo integration (nothing to shout about), an assist mode, and a brand-new storybook in Super Mario Galaxy 2 which is a truly lovely surprise.

Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 are effectively the perfect package: two of the greatest video games of all time, just as you remember them, with only a few minor touchups here and there. This is, for my money, the best way to play two of the greatest video games ever made.

Pros: Perfect platforming action, full of ideas, some fun new additions

Cons: It’s not a trilogy

For fans of: Astro Bot, Super Mario Bros, Spyro The Dragon

10/10: Perfect

Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 launches on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 (version tested) on 2 October. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.