IGN UK: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Review

IGN - Super Mario Galaxy 2 is simply the ultimate refinement of Nintendo's already masterful control of the genre; it's lovingly crafted, sumptuously presented and an absolute, unmitigated joy to play. It's dazzling in its breadth of ideas and wealth of distractions, and it all comes together into an unmissable package - and incontestable classic - that's practically the embodiment of pure, unadulterated fun.

Presentation: 10
Graphics: 10
Sound: 10
Gameplay: 10
Lasting Appeal: 10

[ForzaGT]

nice to see that the Wii now has a exclusive of a 10/10 calibre

[justpassinggas]

you're last at everything else.

I gotta get this game.

EDIT: Stealth edits FTL.

[BannedForNineYears]

Wow, good one Justpassing.
That's probably the first intelligent counter to a "First" post.
All I can think of is "GTFOO!!!!!!!!", or "You're a nub".
I'll keep "you're last at everything else." in mind. xD

[Sunny_D]

Actually, the 360 is the only console to have no exclusive get a perfect 10 from IGN.

[Acquiescence]

There must be something wrong with me.

[dizzleK]

straight 10s? bullshit. i'm sure it's good but that's ridiculous.

[hamoor]

why?
from the gameplay videos that i watched it looks very promising

[Oner]

I have to agree dizzleK. I actually LOVED part 1 as it was more "revolutionary" (as usual/par for the course from Nintendo being their first big game on a new system. While part 2 is (so far as I have been playing it) more "evolutionary" and IMO quite a bit disappointing compared to part 1...but I'll see as the game progresses.

Is it a "must buy" ~ yes. Is it fun ~ yeah...kinda...to an extent. Is it on the caliber of UC2? Hhmmm I personally wouldn't say so. But I would definitely suggest SMG 2 to a new Wii gamer just as I had for SMG 1.

[yoshiroaka]

Yea i mean the game looks good but how can this game get 10's for presentation and games like uncharted 2, god of war and mass effect dont?

The US review says the story is crap but when have you ever played a mario game for story.
What kind of justification is that?

Give gameplay 10, fine. Lasting appeal 10, fine. But presentation and graphics 10? That's stretching. Its a good game but giving it all 10's is unfair to other developers who really push hard to bring videogame tech to a new level.

[Seferoth75]

If you do not understand why I feel bad for you. Honestly there is a very simple reason why and it is the same reason that has been around since gaming started.

Games WILL ALWAYS BE COMPARED TO THE OTHER GAMES ON THE SYSTEM IT IS ON.

How would you feel if Uncharted couldnt get a 10 because it isnt on the PC so it doesnt have the best graphics so they cannot ever get a 10?

You are looking at things in too simple minded a way. You need to stop and think about what you are asking for and seriously understand it will never work

If the Devs of Uncharted were robbed of anything it was sales for such an awesome game.

Review scores do not pay the bills and instead of trying to change something you know nothing about you should be out getting all your friends to support those "better" PS3 exclusive you are raving about.

[yoshiroaka]

I understand that what you are saying. My main gripe is reviewer inconsistency.

What you are saying is fair and should be the way games are scored, i cannot argue that. And using that methods i can understand why it can get all 10's

But by those same standards uncharted 2, god of war 3, gears of war, mass effect...etc should all have gotten 10's as well because on each respective platform the are no other games that look better or have better presentation. Maybe i am just being a baby about this but it seems kind of unjust. I wasnt trying to be raving, i was just pointing that out.

[superman]

Cannot wait to pick this up tomorrow.

[callahan09]

Why are the critics going so easy on this game? I bought, and it's definitely one of the best Wii games out there, but it's not even the best Mario game I've ever played, and it's certainly not worthy of a perfect 10 from sources that work on a decimal (rather than integer) scoring basis and so rarely give out 10's like IGN.

The one, main, objectively-present flaw that I think needs to be addressed is the stupid "shake the remote to spin" control scheme. It's not nearly responsive enough for the kind of precision required by this game. There are other control and camera issues that get in the way of my enjoyment of the game and cause unnecessary frustrations as well. It's got some charming and unique, and very interesting level designs, and the graphics and music are great, but I don't see how this game is deserving of perfect scores more so than plenty of other games out there that are in my opinion even more expertly-produced with fewer flaws and little or no control & camera issues.

[Oner]

If you played SMG 1 then I would have to agree that there is something definitely up with the control scheme in part 2 vs part 1. SMG 1 seemed much more polished, refined and accurate (for whatever that is worth on the Wii) compared to what I have experienced so far with SMG 2...

The only other thing I can add (as to why it possibly gets the review scores it does) is maybe they score it knowing the console it's on and ONLY to that; instead of being held to a standard comparatively to other systems and titles?

[JonnyBigBoss]

Agreed. Super Mario 64 was better imo.

[callahan09]

Really? I am surprised with the disagrees. The game has control issues that are so obvious... I mean, yeah, it's a great game. But the game isn't so special and flawless that it deserves a 10 from IGN and I am surprised that so many people agree with this score. High score sure... but when so many other games always fail to be scored like this I don't see why this deserves it, I really don't.

[Seferoth75]

I never had any control issues. What are these control issues you speak of and I wonder if they would still exist if this was a Sony game?

I never see you guys questioning those. If its a 10 for Sony it is instantly a AAA must own game and THE current reason to own a PS3.

However when it happens with a good Wii game suddenly we cant take their word for it and something must be wrong.

Kinda pathetic really.

[callahan09]

What the hell are you talking about? I'm criticizing this game. I don't understand how Sony got brought up or why you're accusing me of being a Sony fanboy. I never mentioned Sony, for God's sake.

The control issue I'm speaking of is clearly outlined in my comments above. The fact that the ONLY WAY to do the spin move is to shake the controller. It's an absurd mechanic, it's imprecise and unresponsive, and it leads to death and mistakes in this game that could have been prevented if they just attributed one of the buttons on the controller to doing the spin move instead of forcing me to shake my damn wrist in order to do it. Implementing a motion control feature just for the sake of it is stupid. I should be able to play a Mario game using nothing but buttons. The fact that I can't is a FLAW. Period. I can't tell you how many times I've died because the game decided that my flick of the wrist wasn't good enough to initiate the spin move, or because my unintentional wrist movement WAS registered as a spin move.

And the camera sucks. In this day and age, not having complete free control over the camera in a platform game is inexcusable.

No other game gets a free ride from the flaws present the way this particular Mario game does.

And since you brought it up, the only PS3 exclusive to get a 10 from IGN is Metal Gear Solid 4, and that game isn't perfect either. The way the control flaws make me unwilling to accept a 10 from IGN for Mario Galaxy 2, I feel the same way about the loading times and the multiple installations in MGS4. Does either flaw in either game make them bad? No. But they're not perfect. In both cases, those flaws are more severe and game-effecting in my opinion than the majority of "flaws" that are used as fodder to detract from the scores of other games that DIDN'T get a 10 out of 10 from IGN that I think probably deserved it more so than either of the two games I've just discussed.

Your accusations against me are unfounded.

[Vicophine]

Lol a 10 for graphics.. If a game is a Mario game, it gets a pass on every front.

[Imperator]

The thing is, you can't compare the Wii's capabilities with that of the 360... let alone the Ps3. It has to be graded on it's own scale and on that scale SMG2 is clearly the best looking Wii game. Certainly deserves a 10 in graphics...for a Wii game.

[Michael-Jackson]

Obviously it's score is based on the capability and specifically for the Wii... can you please name a game that looks better than SMG2? I can't and I bet that you can't too.

You should actually play it. When I played the 1st one, I was blown away on how good it looked and played.

[eagle21]

Yet another 10 for the brother Mario. :)

[barakiu]

like Fox News is for the Republicans, it is for all things Sony.

[ZoidsRaven]

If I could make a law, I would charge them with society genocide for their f'ing stupidity. 7_7

[WildArmed]

Well, here's a thought.
Stay away from Fox news.
Or in this case, N4G?

I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes it's the simplest solutions that you miss ^^
Sometimes things aren't worth 'fixing'.

I'm just saying lol

[jalen247]

Mario can't be beat...

[Mini Mario]

Go Mario!

[WildArmed]

Flower Mario ftw XD
He eats superhero's like Superman for dinner!