Super Mario Galaxy Review (Wii)

I wanted to love Super Mario Sunshine. I really did. Coming off the groundbreaking Super Mario 64, expectations were high for the GameCube’s first 3D Mario title. But despite its sun-drenched aesthetic and ambitious water-powered mechanics, Sunshine often felt more frustrating than fun. The punishing platforming, awkward controls, and tedious blue coin hunts left a lingering sense of wasted potential. Even Nintendo seemed to acknowledge its shortcomings, as they pivoted sharply for Mario’s next adventure.

Enter Super Mario Galaxy—a game that not only course-corrected from Sunshine’s missteps but also took 3D Mario platforming to new heights. Released for the Wii in 2007, Galaxy built upon Super Mario 64’s foundation while introducing revolutionary gravity-based mechanics, a breathtaking orchestral score, and some of the most imaginative level design in the series’ history.

In this review, I’ll be analyzing its visuals, gameplay, and lasting impact to answer one key question: is Super Mario Galaxy still worth playing today?

Visuals and Technical Ambition

The Wii wasn’t a powerhouse. Compared to its contemporaries—the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3—it lagged behind in raw graphical capabilities, lacking HD output and relying on standard-definition visuals. Yet, Super Mario Galaxy made those limitations feel irrelevant. Rather than chasing realism, Nintendo embraced a stylized, painterly aesthetic, crafting a game that still looks stunning today.

One of the best examples of this is the game’s opening cinematic. As Bowser descends upon the Mushroom Kingdom’s Star Festival, the sky erupts with fire, illuminating the kingdom with dynamic lighting effects. The reflections in the water, the crisp particle effects, and the sheer scale of the invasion set the tone for a cosmic adventure unlike anything Mario had seen before.

The art direction is equally impressive across its many galaxies.

• Good Egg Galaxy bursts with deep blues and warm oranges, feeling like a dreamscape come to life.
• Gusty Garden Galaxy blends sweeping green meadows with kinetic wind-based mechanics.
• Space Junk Galaxy proves that minimalism can be just as striking, using floating debris and eerie emptiness to create a sense of weightlessness.

But the real technical marvel is Galaxy’s seamless gravity system. Mario moves across spherical planets with fluid animation, and despite the sheer variety of gravity-defying mechanics, there’s no noticeable loading between planetary transitions. Instead of feeling like separate levels, the game flows like an intergalactic playground, where every leap into the unknown feels exhilarating.

Unlike Super Mario 64’s Peach’s Castle or Sunshine’s Delfino Plaza, Super Mario Galaxy introduces the Comet Observatory—a celestial space station that serves as both the game’s hub and a narrative focal point.

Unlike past hub worlds, the Observatory isn’t just a static location—it evolves as you progress. Initially dim and desolate, it gradually comes to life with vibrant colors and twinkling starfields as you restore power to its domes. Each newly unlocked dome grants access to fresh galaxies, reinforcing a tangible sense of progress.

Visually, the stained-glass windows, soft ambient glow, and floating star bridges give the Observatory an ethereal, dreamlike quality. It perfectly matches the game’s whimsical, almost fairy-tale-like tone.

Of course, the Comet Observatory isn’t just a visual setpiece—it’s also home to Rosalina, one of the most intriguing characters introduced in the Mario universe. Through her storybook cutscenes, we learn about her tragic backstory, which adds an unexpected layer of emotional depth to a Mario game.

However, not everyone loved these cutscenes. While some players appreciated the melancholic storytelling, others felt that the storybook presentation was somewhat underdeveloped compared to the game’s otherwise ambitious scope. Still, the Observatory remains one of the most atmospheric and immersive hub worlds in Mario history.

With its breathtaking art direction, technically impressive gravity system, and memorable hub world, Super Mario Galaxy proved that a game didn’t need HD visuals to feel truly next-gen. It’s a testament to Nintendo’s philosophy—creativity over raw power—and an early sign that Galaxy was something truly special.

Gameplay Mechanics

If Super Mario 64 established the blueprint for 3D platforming and Super Mario Sunshine experimented with water-powered traversal, Super Mario Galaxy rewrote the rules of movement entirely. Its defining innovation? Spherical level design and gravity-based traversal.

Unlike traditional platformers that rely on flat surfaces and linear pathways, Galaxy introduces tiny planetoids, curved landscapes, and shifting gravity fields. This fundamental shift in design means Mario can:

• Run in full circles around small planets, clinging to surfaces no matter the angle.
• Traverse upside-down sections, challenging players to rethink platforming in 3D space.
• Launch between celestial bodies using Launch Stars, creating a thrilling sense of movement and momentum.

Nintendo ensures these mechanics never grow stale by introducing new ways to interact with gravity in each galaxy.

• Gusty Garden Galaxy: Features midair tornadoes that send Mario soaring across planets, requiring precise aerial control.
• Battlerock Galaxy: Uses rotating asteroid fields as moving platforms, forcing players to time jumps while adapting to shifting gravitational pulls.

The result is a platforming experience that feels fresh, fluid, and fundamentally different from anything before it. Rather than just moving from point A to B, Super Mario Galaxy makes movement itself a joyful, dynamic puzzle.

Unlike many Wii-era games that shoehorned in gimmicky motion controls, Super Mario Galaxy strikes a near-perfect balance between motion-based mechanics and traditional button inputs.

• Star Bit Collection: Players use the Wii Remote’s pointer to collect Star Bits from the environment, adding an interactive element even when Mario isn’t moving.
• Nunchuk + Spin Attack: The Nunchuk’s analog stick handles movement, while a simple shake of the Wii Remote triggers Mario’s spin attack, used for breaking obstacles, attacking enemies, and extending jumps.
• Environmental Interaction: Some levels incorporate motion-based mechanics in clever ways, such as pulling slingshot-like Star Pulls or tilting floating platforms.

For the most part, Super Mario Galaxy uses motion controls effectively—but there are exceptions.

The Rolling Ball levels, where players tilt the Wii Remote to steer Mario atop a precarious sphere, are infamously frustrating due to overly sensitive controls. These segments feel less like skill-based challenges and more like motion-control endurance tests.

That said, Galaxy also introduced Co-Star Mode, a unique co-op experience. A second player can control a cursor on-screen, stunning enemies, collecting Star Bits, and even making Mario jump. While limited, it’s a charming addition—especially for younger or less experienced players who want to participate without the challenge of full platforming controls.

Overall, Super Mario Galaxy avoids the motion-control pitfalls of many Wii games, ensuring that motion enhances gameplay rather than hindering it.

Musical Composition

With Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo didn’t just revolutionize gameplay—it also redefined Mario’s musical identity. For the first time in the series’ history, the soundtrack was fully orchestrated, replacing the franchise’s signature MIDI tunes with a sweeping, cinematic score.

Composed by Koji Kondo and Mahito Yokota, the music enhances the grandeur and emotional depth of Mario’s cosmic journey.

• Gusty Garden Galaxy: The game’s most iconic track, featuring soaring strings and triumphant brass, perfectly capturing the exhilaration of soaring through space.
• Rosalina’s Theme (Sad Girl): A melancholic piano melody intertwined with a delicate music box, adding an unexpected layer of emotional storytelling to the game’s narrative.

Unlike past Mario soundtracks, which primarily served as background accompaniment, Super Mario Galaxy’s score actively shapes the tone and atmosphere of each level, making the experience feel cinematic and grand.

Beyond the orchestrated music, Super Mario Galaxy excels in interactive sound design, ensuring that every action feels tangible and rewarding.

• Collecting Star Bits triggers sparkling chimes, creating instant feedback for players.
• Battlerock Galaxy’s soundtrack incorporates militaristic snare drums and commanding trumpet melodies, making its rotating platforming challenges feel even more perilous.

Even subtle audio cues—such as the hum of the Comet Observatory’s celestial energy or the gentle twinkle of distant stars—contribute to the game’s immersive, otherworldly atmosphere.

By embracing orchestral storytelling and thoughtful sound design, Super Mario Galaxy elevated its sense of adventure, making every moment feel larger-than-life. It wasn’t just a platformer—it was a cosmic symphony, reinforcing why Galaxy remains one of the most memorable Mario experiences to this day.

Level Design

Super Mario Galaxy follows the classic Mario formula of collecting multiple Power Stars across different stages, but with a fresh twist—instead of a handful of massive worlds, the game features 42 distinct galaxies, each offering its own mechanics, themes, and surprises. While some galaxies contain only a single star, others feature up to seven, ensuring a sense of constant discovery.

What truly sets Super Mario Galaxy apart is its incredible variety. Each galaxy introduces unique gameplay elements that keep the experience fresh. In Honeyhive Galaxy, Mario transforms into Bee Mario, gaining the ability to fly short distances and cling to honeycomb walls. Meanwhile, Toy Time Galaxy shrinks Mario down to miniature size, turning everyday objects like building blocks and springs into massive obstacles.

The game’s level structure is also diverse—some galaxies consist of small planetoids connected by Launch Stars, creating a sense of seamless interstellar travel, while others feature expansive environments reminiscent of traditional Mario levels. Unlike previous entries, the majority of the game’s 120+ stars require completing unique, handcrafted challenges, preventing repetition and ensuring every mission feels fresh.

Boss battles also take center stage, featuring a mix of classic Mario foes and inventive new threats. From Dino Piranhas and mechanical behemoths to giant sea monsters and angry moles, each encounter presents a different challenge—sometimes requiring direct attacks, while other battles demand creative strategies to make enemies defeat themselves. And of course, the Bowser stages remain some of the most thrilling and cinematic moments in the entire game, blending gravity-based platforming with intense showdowns that feel epic in scale.

Final Verdict

Few games manage to redefine an entire genre while standing the test of time, but Super Mario Galaxy remains one of the most innovative and enchanting platformers ever created. By combining gravity-defying gameplay, breathtaking visuals, and a fully orchestrated soundtrack, Nintendo didn’t just build upon the foundation of Super Mario 64—they pushed 3D platforming to new creative heights.

Of course, Super Mario Galaxy isn’t entirely without flaws. The storybook cutscenes, while charming, feel underdeveloped compared to the game’s overall narrative presentation. Additionally, some motion-controlled segments—particularly the Rolling Ball levels—can be frustratingly imprecise. But these are minor blemishes in an otherwise stellar experience.

Even today, Super Mario Galaxy is a joy to play, proving that great design transcends hardware limitations. Whether you’re revisiting the original Wii version or experiencing it through Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Super Mario Galaxy remains an essential journey for any Nintendo fan—one that continues to shine as brightly as the stars it lets you explore.