The original Super Mario Galaxy broke new ground for the Mario franchise with innovative controls, beautiful graphics, and by bringing a whole new dimension to Mario. After earning every star in that game, I was left with a pleasant aftertaste because of its variety of levels and the ability to choose my own path throughout the game. Was I dying for a whole bunch of new levels to play? Not really, but I sure as heck wasn't going to say no to a Super Mario Galaxy 2. And here it is. Only a day old, and already one of the most highest-rated games of all time, does it live up to the hype?

Story - 7/10: I won't reveal any spoilers, but the actual plot itself is nothing that we haven't seen before. But who plays Mario for the plot anyway? I'm happy to say that the characters (both playable and non-playable) are very likable. You've got your usual assortment of NPCs that give you tips along the way, while attempting (and succeeding, in my case) to get a few laughs out if you with their humor. There are also a couple of new playable characters here (you probably know who). The story doesn't drive the game, nor is it memorable, but it will entertain you along the way.

Graphics/Sound: 10/10: The visuals are only a slight step-up from Super Mario Galaxy, but I'd have to say that this is the best looking game I've seen on the Wii so far. The art style is identical to the original, but some colors and textures without a doubt look better. If you liked how the original looked, you won't be disappointed here. The audio is also top-notch. Sound effects are the same as in the original, and there are some new music tracks, which sound great (a few seem to have been recycled).

Controls: 9/10: Aside from a few new commands, the controls are identical to its predecessor's. As was with Super Mario Galaxy, it might feel awkward at first to control both Mario and your star pointer, but you'll get used to it very quickly. Nothing more to complain about here.

Gameplay: 7/10: I'm sorry to say that I'm disappointed by the lack of new features. The game progresses very much like Super Mario Galaxy: you earn stars and unlock new galaxies. This is the same formula used since Super Mario World, so I'm not going to complain about that. What irks me is the fact that the actual levels bring nothing new to the table. Super Mario Galaxy amazed me because the whole concept of platforming in outer space was new. The game felt different from anything else I had played before. I'm not saying that innovation is necessary to make a good sequel, but considering that Super Mario Galaxy 2 a) does not expand on a full-fledged story b) has very little technical upgrades and c) brings no new features to the series, it would have been nice to see Nintendo expand on the gameplay. There are many potential directions I see that the game could have gone in (controlling the spaceship would have been nice), but there is nothing new here. Don't get me wrong, the new levels are brilliantly designed and the gameplay elements are flawlessly executed, but the whole game felt like a deja vu trip, as if I paid $50 for I game I had played before. Nintendo has cut a few corners before, but this was a first time I decided that this deserved to be a $15 add-on rather than a full release. Everything I said could also be considered in a more positive light, but I'm a greedy gamer. I want more.

Final words: If you haven't played Super Mario Galaxy, this game will amaze you. If you have played it, chances are you will still love this sequel. If you are a cynic like me, you might feel like you got scammed. Rent it if you can; a seasoned Mario veteran should have little trouble completing this game within a time limit.

My overall rating: 7.5/10

Comment! (A non-review post)

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COMMENT!

Rockband 2 (Wii+XBOX 360)

Rockband 2 is coming out quite soon for the Wii and XBOX 360. There will not be much change from the original Rockband, however, what I love about this change, is that the instruments for Rockband 1, are fully compatible for Rockband 2. The changes from Rockband 1 to Rockband 2 are as follows: Rock Band returns featuring a new set list, improved instruments, and online modes. The online modes are disigned in a very unique way. You can create a Rockband with your friends over the net, and can all play the same instrument at the same time. There are a few new modern songs added. My Rating (from reviews) - 9/10

Halo 3 (XBOX 360)

I think that Halo 3 was the MAIN reason why a lot of people bought the XBOX 360. Halo 1 and Halo 2 were great hits, almost sellouts. I bought the XBOX 360 to play all of the games that Microsoft has to offer. Halo 3 is, a pretty decent game, but, no comparison for Halo 1 and Halo 2. I would pay 3 times as much as Halo 3 costed to get Halo 1. They simply over-did the game. They put in too many edits. They changed it too much. The guns are the same, but that map views, are completely different. I was completely lost for the first hour when i started to play it. The thing that I love about Halo 3 is the XBOX Live of it. For some reason, XBOX Live is ALOT of fun for Halo 3. My rating - 7.5/10.

Bioshock (XBOX 360)

Bioshock is my favorite game for PC. I have beat the game numerous times, but I still just don't see to get bored of it. For XBOX 360, its not as fabulous as for PC. The controls are VERY unique, and, in my opinion, weird. The game storyline is the same as in PC, and is fantastic, the game storyline is the BEST ever made. For those who haven't played this game yet, here's a quick explanation of the storyline. You start off in a plane, then, the plane crashes in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and you are the only survivor. You see a large white tower sticking out of the water in the middle of the Ocean beside the plane crash, and swim to it. It is an elevator, that leads to an underwater world. You take that elevator, but, the elevator breaks, and water starts to leak into the underwater "village". You meet new creatures, and learn about the different things you need to survive, and the people's lifestyle that live Underwater. My PC rating - 10/10*! My XBOX rating - 9.5/10

Grand Theft Auto IV

Wow, what to say? Good game, I would say, a few glitches here and there, but overall its pretty good. Rockstar games increased the gore a bit more in this one, and they also added many new weapons and features. In GTA IV, it I realized that for me, it is a lot easier to fly a helicopter than in the previous GTA's. For example, in GTA San Andreas, when you tried to run away from cops, it was almost impossible if you had 3+ stars unless you went to to pay N Spray. You can outrun 6 stars in GTA IV, but, its tough. A little thing that disappoints me is that they didn't release this game for PC, at the same time that they released it for XBOX 360, hopefully they will soon. More scenery was also added, bigger game, and more places to go. My rating - 8.0/10.

Madden 09 (XBOX 360)

Madden 09 is by far the best Madden made. The graphics are extremely amazing. The grass is absolutely amazing. The players, the jersey's everything. Also, every single thing about each player is up-to-date. EA Games did a great job with Madden 09. They found out all the true information about players, coaches, teams, offense, defense, skill etc etc and applied it ALL to the game fantastically. I have one con, that bothers me, which is, - Whenever you run a play on offense, no matter what team, and you include Play Action in the play that you are running, the defense (computer) ALWAYS reads it. Overall, great game. My rating - 9.0/10