Super Mario Galaxy

Unless you've been hiding under a rock you'll already know that Super Mario Galaxy is "The second best game ever" according to CNET-owned gamerankings. People are saying that it's a flawless masterpiece and a testament to Shigeru Miyamoto's genius. Of course, people said the same hilarious sorts of things about Super Mario Sunshine, and that game was far from perfect.

That's not to say that Super Mario Galaxy is as bad as Super Mario Sunshine, but it ironically suffers from the same issue. What holds this game back the most is its camera, although not to the same magnitude as SMS. Due to the innovative way that SMG approaches gravity brand new challenges for the camera arise. Occasionally you'll be pushing the control stick in the correct direction when you flip onto the other side of the planet and your controls invert, seeing you run back to the other side. It's a little annoying and a bit disappointing to see it pop up again.

Fortunately, that's pretty much the only legitimate complaint about the game. There are a few other niggling things, like the plot. The story (see if you can guess this one before I tell it to you) is Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach and it's up the Mario to save her. The twist is Bowser uses a spaceship this time so Mario has to harness the power of stars to save her.

People won't play Super Mario Galaxy for its complex plot-lines and deep character development though. Instead, people will play Super Mario Galaxy because the gameplay is addictive and fun. The team at Nintendo have balanced the galaxies really well to make sure the game doesn't get tedious or repetitive, throwing in heaps of bonus planets in between the main story planets. Instead of being the normal platforming the game is centred around they keep you interested by being a little different.

SMG is a platform game, no question. It throws in the new gravity system, but planets are still fundamentally just platforms for you to jump across to get from A to B. There are enemies that are typically simple to dispatch - just distractions really - and obstacles to work your way around like in most platformers. This isn't a detraction from the game, I'm just putting in perspective the "revolutionary" gravity mechanics. It's not revolutionary by any stretch, as all it does is gives some platforms a traversable underside as well, but there's no question they're still fun and they still look cool.

The new suits for Mario are cool and well implemented into the levels they exist in. They provide yet another method of diversifying the puzzle-solving elements in the game - yet another successful effort by Nintendo to eliminate a feeling of repetition. I think they could have added another dimension to the gameplay if they allowed suits to cross galaxies, but the game doesn't suffer for its absence at all.

The graphics are superb. Super Mario Galaxy is definitely the best looking game on the Wii - it actually looks good on my HDTV - and the background music is a superb mix of updated old school tunes and brand new melodies all designed to complement whichever level you're on. It has set the bar high for other Wii games - probably too high. One thing about the entire game design - it's ultra-cute. This isn't always a bad thing, but sometimes it gets a bit much. That's a personal thing though.

Super Mario Galaxy is a fantastic game. It looks terrific, it's fun, it's rarely repetitive and it's a great way to bring platforming to the next generation. It's not revolutionary, story driven, flawless or infinitely replayable. Some people will like this more than me, there's no question, but it's not my typical style of game. I'd still buy this game though, which is a testament to its quality.

If you own a Wii there's no reason why you shouldn't own this. Apart from the obvious fact that there's barely anything worth playing on the Wii, it's also a great game. If you're into cute platformers or you have kids and you're stumped for Christmas presents this one is a system seller, but if the words "gory" and "violent" or even "gritty" and "realistic" are words you use to describe your favourite games I wouldn't drop $400 on a Wii for this game alone.