[Regulus Tera]

If you love 2D Mario games, DEFINITELY play SMG2 first. It's by far the better game. And if you like it enough that you really want more, then I would go for SMG1. But before either of those make sure you play NSMBW first. It's better than both.

@____@

[Regulus Tera]

I was doing alright in Grand Master Galaxy til I got to the part with the octopi and the rings of death. An hour later, I finally get to the Hammer Bros. and I'm all like HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THIS. Grand Master Galaxy after a marathonic run of a hundred green stars != good idea.

I'm quite dissatisfied with this game as it is. However, I have to say it is much better than the first Galaxy; it's just that it's very stubborn with some of its most basic of interface choices. More on that after the rage.

[Snuggler]

I love the giant worm that made train noises.

[Oblivion]

Eh, R&C did it way earlier than SMG or A Crack in Time.

No they didn't, because Miyamoto didn't know about it.

[AniHawk]

No they didn't, because Miyamoto didn't know about it.

Oh right. This conversation.

[Poyunch]

Hey now Sonic Adventure 2 was obviously the one that started it all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQYvp5XDM3s

[DonMigs85]

I love the giant worm that made train noises.

Wasn't he a dragon?

[Regulus Tera]

Uh why is The Perfect Run not appearing? I already grabbed the coin.

Don't tell me I have to beat Bowser again. Goddammit.

[one_kill]

Uh why is The Perfect Run not appearing? I already grabbed the coin. Don't tell me I have to beat Bowser again. Goddammit.

You've got to get 9999 starbits in the toad bank.

[Regulus Tera]

You've got to get 9999 starbits in the toad bank.

....yeah I think I can put down this game. That's fucking bullshit.

[reggieandTFE]

You've got to get 9999 starbits in the toad bank.

Does the game tell you this anywhere? Cuz if not, that's annoying. And secondly, what's the best level to farm starbits. I'm only at 7,000.

[Freezie KO]

....yeah I think I can put down this game. That's fucking bullshit.

But The Perfect Run is AWESOME.

Oh, and I think that fat purple guy tells you about that requirement.

[Regulus Tera]

But The Perfect Run is AWESOME.

So? I'm not gonna spend another half an hour of my life on the Melty Monster Galaxy level bouncing between rubbers just to unlock what's essentially a romhack of an existing level.

It's telling of many of the design choices that bothered me from the first game, even: tons of menus and requirements that only hog down the experience. I hate to be a proponent of instant gratification, but this is a fucking video game. I already "earned" that last level by finishing the one immediately before, which was admittedly amazing.

Why do I have to take a few steps on the Faceship before going into the World Map?

Why does the game show me an animation of Mario/Luigi flying to the Galaxy before letting me select a level?

Why does it not let me select the level from the World Map?

Why do I have to watch the level introduction again for the green stars?

Why do I have to beat Bowser twice to unlock the green stars? It's not a particularly fun battle.

Both games are full of stupid design choices like this that make playing a chore. It's one of the reasons I say 2D Mario is vastly superior to 3D Mario: You choose a level and you start playing one or two seconds after that. I don't have the time any more to finish a game in one sitting; I had to wait for a holiday before finishing this one.

Both Galaxies are some of the most tightly designed, funnest, and astounding video games ever. They have a perfect combination of audiovisual and structural artistry, eliciting wows from the player quite often. But that does not mean the filler is any less pointless. It's just pretty pointless filler.

5/5, still.

[Smiles and Cries]

what does new hat mean?

[Freezie KO]

I don't have the time any more to finish a game in one sitting; I had to wait for a holiday before finishing this one.

I'm with you on most of that. Although I do like dicking around on the Faceship in between levels if I want to.

But... are you saying that you waited for a holiday to finish this in one sitting? Because that would explain if you don't want to immediately go back and play some levels again. I mean, are you ethically opposed to game saves or something?

Come back in a week and replay some levels for starbits. The levels will still be fun, and you'll unlock The Perfect Run. I agree you shouldn't have to. I don't really like unlockable things when it comes to gameplay content. But it is what it is, and I think it's worth getting the last level.

[Regulus Tera]

What I'm saying is that I don't have the time to play video games unless it is in short spans. Having to wait three minutes or so (once you factor in having to swap discs if I have another game in, loading the disc, loading the title screen, choosing the save file and everything previously mentioned) to even choose a level makes me not want to play the game. I only ever finished SMG2 because I had one day off from all my responsibilities.

I don't feel compelled to do The Perfect Run. It's basically a one-hit run with some different enemy placement. My backlog is already huge, and I could be playing something more immediate on my DS or PSP.

[AniHawk]

what does new hat mean?

Simpsons reference, where Malibu Stacy is marketed with a new hat, and all the girls go crazy over it versus the politically correct Lisa Lionheart.

So, basically, SMG2 is just SMG with a new hat.

[one_kill]

Does the game tell you this anywhere? Cuz if not, that's annoying. And secondly, what's the best level to farm starbits. I'm only at 7,000.

You can check by talking to the Toad banker.

As for starbits, just do stages you like. Some of the ones that has Yoshi are good for farming starbits (e.g., Yoshi Star Galaxy).

[OMG Aero]

I was only a couple of hundred star bits short when I was unlocking the last star but I found the floating assault course you do with rock Mario in the lava galaxy to be a good place to grind for it. The only thing to keep in mind is that you have to complete the level to get the star bits you earn during it, you can't just return to the hub.

[BowieZ]

I was only a couple of hundred star bits short when I was unlocking the last star but I found the floating assault course you do with rock Mario in the lava galaxy to be a good place to grind for it. The only thing to keep in mind is that you have to complete the level to get the star bits you earn during it, you can't just return to the hub.

Yeah this was hugely frustrating when I figured out this after like half an hour.

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

G4 didn't nominate this game or a single Nintendo game for any award for their GotY awards. They didn't even have a best platformer category and didn't put SMG2 in the best action adventure game category (Which they consider it to be) :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

[Penguin]

G4 didn't nominate this game or a single Nintendo game for any award for their GotY awards. They didn't even have a best platformer category and didn't put SMG2 in the best action adventure game category (Which they consider it to be) :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

It pains me more that God of War 3 got nominated over Epic Yarn for Best Art Direction.

[swerve]

No real shooting, and not HD. Doesn't that mean it's not even a videogame nowadays in most media outlets' eyes? :)

I need no validation from others, especially not game journalists, regarding my appreciation and love of certain games.

Galaxy 2 is a marvel. An enormous toybox of gaming creativity and finely tuned challenges. It's one of the finest games of all time, let alone this year. I still need 242nd star.... one for the holiday break, I guess!

[schennmu]

Funny to see this thread bumped, I've finally finished this game yesterday. I'm hunting for more stars though, current count is around 80. Overall I was not very impressed with it. It suffers from the usual 3d platformer problems (camera, controls) and a lot of areas were actually not much fun. I'll start Galaxy 1 at some point, hope it's better.

DKCR is by far my Wii GOTY.

[Cyan]

Funny to see this thread bumped, I've finally finished this game yesterday. I'm hunting for more stars though, current count is around 80. Overall I was not very impressed with it. It suffers from the usual 3d platformer problems (camera, controls) and a lot of areas were actually not much fun. I'll start Galaxy 1 at some point, hope it's better.

Don't bother. If you didn't like Galaxy 2, the odds of you liking the first one are very low.

[schennmu]

Don't bother. If you didn't like Galaxy 2, the odds of you liking the first one are very low.

Well, I expect it to focus more on the core instead of stuff like bowling, bees and gyros. Also I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy the game, it certainly had some memorable parts. Art direction, music and graphics alone make it worth a try. I guess my expectations were too high after the universal GAF praise.

[Snuggler]

I'm about 25 stars in and the game is incredible. Just like SMG1, it's nails pretty much every aspect of a game but it's even better with more challenge straight out of the gates and the removable of the big hub area. I'm liking all the new stuff like cloud Mario and especially Yoshi.

so good. They somehow took platforming perfection to the next level.

[Ledsen]

Well, I expect it to focus more on the core instead of stuff like bowling, bees and gyros. Also I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy the game, it certainly had some memorable parts. Art direction, music and graphics alone make it worth a try. I guess my expectations were too high after the universal GAF praise.

The variation in gameplay is a big part of what makes both games great. If you didn't like them in 2, you won't like them in 1.

[swerve]

Well, I expect it to focus more on the core instead of stuff like bowling, bees and gyros. Also I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy the game, it certainly had some memorable parts. Art direction, music and graphics alone make it worth a try. I guess my expectations were too high after the universal GAF praise.

The first one is more gimmicky I reckon. SMG2 has more inventive secondary stars, too. In terms of memorable moments, nothing in the first game comes close to Melty Monster Galaxy, and nothing comes close to the platforming challenges of the 9th world in SMG2.

[[Nintex]]

The variation in gameplay is a big part of what makes both games great. If you didn't like them in 2, you won't like them in 1.

Super Mario Galaxy was more majestic in it's presentation and had more story. Both games are amazing but it seems that Super Mario Galaxy was somehow 'self aware' of how awesome it was, while Super Mario Galaxy 2 was like: "Yeah, I'm this awesome but not an attention whore".

[Shiggy]

Simpsons reference, where Malibu Stacy is marketed with a new hat, and all the girls go crazy over it versus the politically correct Lisa Lionheart. So, basically, SMG2 is just SMG with a new hat.

It's a castrated SMG.
SMG2 = SMG - large worlds - story - challenge - novelty

[schennmu]

The first one is more gimmicky I reckon. SMG2 has more inventive secondary stars, too. In terms of memorable moments, nothing in the first game comes close to Melty Monster Galaxy, and nothing comes close to the platforming challenges of the 9th world in SMG2.

Ok, this would be quite the turn off for me. Also wasn't Melty Monster Galaxy the one where you need to hover around by holding the a button? I hated that...

[WillyFive]

Ok, this would be quite the turn off for me. Also wasn't Melty Monster Galaxy the one where you need to hover around by holding the a button? I hated that...

The hovering by star gameplay is around more in Mario Galaxy 1.

I noticed how little of it was used in Mario Galaxy 2.

[Rash]

It's a castrated SMG. SMG2 = SMG - large worlds - story - challenge - novelty

The first two? For the most part, sure. The last two? Joking?

[Muffdraul]

The first two? For the most part, sure. The last two? Joking?

I know what you mean about challenge, but would you really argue that SMG2 is the more "novel" of the two games?

[Allan Holdsworth]

It's a castrated SMG. SMG2 = SMG - large worlds - story - challenge - novelty

Challenge? You must be kidding.
And who cares about story and "novelty" (whatever that means)

[Lijik]

I know what you mean about challenge, but would you really argue that SMG2 is the more "novel" of the two games?

Its a joke because who the fuck gives a shit.

[Muffdraul]

Its a joke because who the fuck gives a shit.

Yeah real knee slapper there dude.

[Rash]

The game carries over its themes from SMG, obviously, but it also includes numerous unique challenges and gameplay mechanics.

Basically, SMG2 suffers from sequelitis at times, but that doesn't mean it lacks novelty.

[swerve]

Ok, this would be quite the turn off for me. Also wasn't Melty Monster Galaxy the one where you need to hover around by holding the a button? I hated that...

Yeah, the grab-star stuff is much more common in SMG than in SMG2. Seriously, SMG2 is like the refined, streamlined, injected-straight-into-your-brain version of SMG. No fat, no fluff, no story, just jumping and spinning and smashing meteors into bowser.

[Muffdraul]

Basically, SMG2 suffers from sequelitis at times, but that doesn't mean it lacks novelty.

"lol who give a fuck man rofl"

"novlety lol wut"

[Shiggy]

The game carries over its themes from SMG, obviously, but it also includes numerous unique challenges and gameplay mechanics. Basically, SMG2 suffers from sequelitis at times, but that doesn't mean it lacks novelty.

That's what I meant with "novelty". SMG2 is just more of the same and not fundamentally different. I would have hoped for some more surprises - Yoshi and the "change platforms through shaking" were some of them - but then again I am one of the few people who just didn't see any real challenge in the game (apart from the camera at times). That might be because I played SMG1 excessively though, thus I was already accustomed to how to solve problems in part 2.

[Rash]

Yeah, it depends on what your idea of novelty is in this case.

As for challenge, I found it challenging on a certain level, but not so much that I couldn't get all 242 stars in the game. That's because I'm genuinely good at platformers and because getting 242 in the first SMG made me more adept to the playstyle.

But, hell, there are people like my brother who got 120 in Galaxy and couldn't bother with trying to do the same for the sequel. And I remember in the official thread that some folks were having trouble just getting to Bowser.

If we took a survey, I'm damn sure that, in terms of challenge, SMG2 would come out on top. There will be people like you and me who conquered the game without much issue, and to us the game won't seem overly difficult, but we're few and far between.

It's the same case for NSMB Wii. The game was quite divisive. Some thought it was way too easy. Some thought it was too hard. I enjoyed it but beat it 100% without issue. That's the just the way things are sometimes. I'm not going to deny that the game might be challenging to others, though, and I will note that NSMB Wii's difficulty over NSMB DS's is clear.

[Anasui Kishibe]

If you love 2D Mario games, DEFINITELY play SMG2 first. It's by far the better game. And if you like it enough that you really want more, then I would go for SMG1. But before either of those make sure you play NSMBW first. It's better than both.

[Yagharek]

I "finished" this today - got all the stars and comet coins up to the final boss. Final boss was pretty easy I must say, but it was a good level of variety in that entire level.

One beautiful level I found was the Slimy Spring one, when you come out of the underwater cavern to a quiet sunrise in a grassy field. - I think thats spoiler worthy, its a really nice moment in the game, kind of like walking into the garden set of galaxies right up the top in SMG1.

Now Ive got 113 stars. Done a few of the post-game challenges. This game keeps getting better and better. :lol

[donny2112]

At the start of this game, it was very chorelike. "More stars to get just by getting through these levels. Ugh." By the last level and especially the Bonus Galaxy, it was getting much better and even a little frustrating. ("Little" frustrating is a good thing. i.e. You can get it; it'll just take time. When games cross over to the "ridiculously" frustrating is the problem.) Then the Green stars came. "Ugh. I have to go through all these again?!? No thanks." So I put it down and let someone else try it for a bit. It was totally different than what I was expecting, though. Just finding the green stars is half the challenge. Really makes you explore the worlds, which is a good thing! Then you have to push yourself to try preternatural jump combos to get to heights you might've never thought you could reach or bothered trying with in the main game. Oh my goodness! This is a classic platformer.

[clemenx]

Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinally bought this, SMG is my game of the forever, I hate myself for not buying this at launch but surprisingly enough, I managed to not see or read ANYTHING about the game :D. Love it as expected, just pure joy, the 1st Bowser encounter is too epic for being the 1st :D Giant-ass Bowser ftw.

Also, what's the opinion about the OST? I'm only on world 3 but while the soundtrack is excellent again, I don't really find it memorable like the 1st SMG, I hope there are some epic tunes more into the game.

[Squall5042]

Just got the last star, wtf, that was ridiculous....but I immediately went and beat the lost levels on Super Mario All Stars because I felt up to the challenge -

What a difference in controls :lol

[clemenx]

Just got to Throwback Galaxy. Biggest smile ever in my face thanks to Bob-omb Battlefield. Then I get into the tree and there's no owl. Fuck this game.

[Socreges]

I've got around 40 stars now and this game is really beginning to turn into something special. I don't think I'll bother trying for 242 - or even 121 - but it's certainly a terrific game.

Question: Are stars 122-242 just the same but you have to use Luigi? And is the bonus for getting all 242 really all that worthwhile?