Super Mario Galaxy 2turns 15 years old on July 31, 2025, and I still remember exactly where I was when it came out. I was fishing that day, and afterward, I went to my local GameStop to get my copy. Despite being annoyed that the game was released on a Sunday, giving me only a day to play it before going back to school, I had an absolute blast. Thankfully, Nintendo doesn’t release games on Sundays anymore.
I have many great nostalgic memories of this title, and I still hold it in high regard as the best 3DMariogame ever created, as well asone of the bestMariogames, period. It makes plenty of interesting improvements on its predecessor, and the experiencestill holds up compared to games likeSuper Mario OdysseyandAstro Bot. All these years later, it’s a real shame thatSuper Mario Galaxy 2remains stuck on the Wii.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Is Bigger And Better
The Perfect Sequel
It was a complete shock to Nintendo fans whenSuper Mario Galaxy 2was announced at E3 2009. Normally,only one 3DMariogame comes every generation, and this holds true both before and afterSuper Mario Galaxy 2. However, Nintendo made a direct sequel, and it makes plenty of strides from the firstMario Galaxy. The levels inSuper Mario Galaxy 1were great, but it didn’t always feel like Nintendo was firing on all cylinders. Repetitive galaxies could be disappointing—Gold Leaf Galaxy was essentially the same as Honeyhive Galaxy, for example.
The way skilled players use Cloud Mario to reach unbelievable lengths is wild.
Super Mario Galaxy 2delivered levels that were far ahead of the first game with incredible stage gimmicks, new power-ups, and, of course, Yoshi. Several of the gimmicks here were later reused in futureMariogames. For example,Beat Block Galaxy’s concept reappeared in a section in Champion’s Road from3D World. Cloud Mario might bemy favorite power-up in any 3DMariotitle, adding significant depth to the platforming gameplay, and the way skilled players use Cloud Mario to reach unbelievable lengths is wild.
Super Mario Galaxy 2also brings a nice dose of fan service, with certain elements from the first game coming back in the Special World, plus a returningSuperMario 64area. Throwback Galaxy takes a trip back toSuper Mario 64’s Whomp’s Fortress. I remember playing this game for the first time back in 2010,and this surprise blew me away. It was awesome playing this classic stage withSuper Mario Galaxy 2controls, even if the new movement leads to a ridiculous number of skips.
There are a handful of things the firstSuperMario Galaxydoes better. The story is much more fleshed out inGalaxy 1, the hub area is leagues better, and I think the soundtrack of the original is superior. However,I preferSuper Mario Galaxy 2in all other regardsas an ideal sequel that builds on a strong blueprint.
How Mario Galaxy 2 Compares To Other 3D Marios
A Game That Still Feels Fresh
Super Mario Galaxy 2is quite an old game at this point, but even with tons of new platformers out now, includingAstro Bot,Super Mario 3D World, andSuper Mario Odyssey,Galaxy 2still bests them all.Super Mario 3D Worldhas excellent level design, but the movement isn’t as good asSuper Mario Galaxy 2, and the collectible system is quite lackluster. There’s a reason why you can only collect Green Stars after you get all 120 regular ones inGalaxy 2, and trying to find them all while playing3D Worldis a bit of a hassle.
Going back toMario Galaxy 2afterAstro Bothighlights why I consider this title the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
Super Mario Odyssey’s biggest issueis that there are simply way too many Power Moons. With 880 in total, the levels are so jam-packed with Moons that, after a while,I just got exhausted and quit the 100% journey.Mario Galaxy 2has 242 stars total, and while even that’s a little overboard, it’s not too bad. It also doesn’t help that the Switch lacks an achievement system, whereas, at least in theMario Galaxytitles, you were rewarded with a sweet message in the Wii Message Board after 100% completion.
My appreciation forSuper Mario Galaxy 2grew significantly after playing themost critically acclaimed platformer of 2024,Astro Bot. This game won dozens of GOTY awards, but it’s debatable if it’s even in the same league asSuper Mario Galaxy 1and2. While the power-ups inAstro Botare fantastic, I’d argue that the core platforming gameplay feels overly simplistic. It’s a surprisingly easy title, presumably because this is thatthe core movement of Astro was designed around VR.
The PSVR1 titleAstro Bot: Rescue Missionwas the first true game in the series. Astro’s moveset was made for VR play, with hisSuper Mario Sunshine-style laser hover meant to tell the player where exactly Astro is in a full 3D space. Without that extra dimension, the hover move doesn’t fitAstro Bot.It makes the newer game way too easy compared to its VR counterpart, andSuper Mario Galaxy 2still plays much better.
For the sake of comparison,Astro Botultimately feels likeSuperMario Galaxy 2might ifthe movement tech fromSuper Mario Sunshine’s Fludd were included.It would break the game, and going back toMario Galaxy 2afterAstro Bothighlights why I consider this title the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
Mario Galaxy 2 Needs To Release On Switch 2
The Best 3D Mario Game Isn’t On Modern Platforms
WhenSuper Mario 3D All-Starswas revealed, the largest criticism, besides the limited release, had to be the absence ofSuper Mario Galaxy 2. This was back in September 2020, during the first year of the pandemic, which heavily affected game development. At the time, I thoughtSuper Mario Galaxy 2was cut due to the pandemic and that it would be added sometime later. My theory proved to be dead wrong, andGalaxy 2never arrived on the Switch.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword,Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, and evenDonkey Kong Country Returnsmade their way to the Switch, but noGalaxy 2. To this day,Super Mario Galaxy 2istheonly home console 3DMariogame unavailable on the Switch, and it just feels wrong.
PortingSuper Mario Galaxy 2to the Switch 2 could have its problems due to the various motion control sections, but it can certainly be done, and it’s certainly worth doing.Super Mario Galaxy 2turns 15 on May 23, and it’s about time Nintendo brought back this all-time great 3D platformer for a whole new generation on Switch 2.
