Mario Galaxy 2 hitting North America on May 23!
Ladies and gentlement of the Wii-loving public, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! Mario Galaxy 2, the long-awaited sequel to Mario Galaxy, is hitting North America on May 23. Not soon enough, some might say, but it's pretty damn soon nonetheless!
Nick Chester is checking the game out later today. He has just seen a demo and he said it looks really, really great. He's impressed, and I'm sure the rest of you will be. Keep reading Dtoid for more Mario Galaxy 2 and Nintendo-themed news throughout the day. Fun times!
😱 May 23?!
So close...
Screenshots:
Mario Galaxy 2 screenshots are f*cking gorgeous
Trailer
New Super Mario Galaxy 2 trailer shows off drill power-up
Can not wait!
Hands On:
Back in the saddle with Yoshi in Super Mario Galaxy 2
For it being the first time it showed Super Mario Galaxy 2 to the press, Nintendo brought a surprising amount of the game to the company's media summit in San Francisco this week. Nearly 10 levels varying in style and difficulty were playable; they showed off a number of new items, features, and platforming challenges.
Make no mistake -- despite the fact that Nintendo claims Galaxy 2 is a full-on sequel to the 2007 Wii title, the game most certainly has the same vibe. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for one to mistake it for the original after a quick, passing glance. And even after getting my hands on the title, it's obvious that the basic mechanics have remained true to the original, including gravity-defying spherical worlds and platforming.
Galaxy 2's greatest strengths seem to lie in its new locales, power-ups, and -- perhaps most important -- the return of Mario's trusty dinosaur pal, Yoshi. I played a number of the new levels, with a focus on Yoshi, and came away impressed (and excited) by Nintendo's latest Mario offering.
Hit the jump for Yoshi-on details of Super Mario Galaxy 2.
In order to get my Yoshi on as quickly as possible, a Nintendo representative suggested we check out a level called "High Tree Falls." In this stage, Mario uses Yoshi -- found inside of eggs sitting in small nests scattered throughout the worlds -- to climb the winding trail on tree trunks and up steep inclines that required a little extra boost from a fruit power-up.
This power-up in question was the "Dash Pepper," a spicy fruit that sends Yoshi into a hot-steppin' tizzy. Once eaten, Yoshi "overheats." His entire little dinosaur body turns red and puts his wiggly dinosaur legs into overdrive. This power-up also gives Yoshi a super speed dash ability, a trail of smoke left in his dust as he uses his extra step to navigate steep hills previously unclimbable .
I had to navigate the over-spiced Yoshi (gone wild by the taste of the hot pepper) up a series of twisted paths, with any obstacle I hit sending me tumbling down to my start. The goal here to successfully navigate the path to another pepper (and another, and then another) continuing on until the final goal (a star, as in the previous game) was reached.
In another level, you'll make Yoshi eat another new type of fruit, the "Blimp Fruit." This does exactly what you'd expect, expanding Yoshi's belly with helium-like air that sends him floating like a hot air balloon. It's timed of course; the only control you have over Yoshi is left and right, as the "Blimp Fruit" will take you up, up, up. It's timed as well, so if you don't navigate the level properly using the fruit, you'll deflate and send Yoshi (and Mario) plummeting towards the ground.
A few notes about controlling Yoshi as things are both familiar and new in Galaxy 2: Yoshi's moves should feel familiar to Mario veterans, and include the butt stomp and the fluttering kick that will give your jumps a little extra air (by simply holding the jump button for a little longer).
It's how Yoshi's tongue is being used that's different. Instead of simply directing Yoshi toward a fruit or item and pressing a button, you'll have to hover the on-screen reticle to aim on the target and then press the "B" button on the Wii Remote to extend his tongue. A red circle lets you know you're good to go, and this applies to not only fruit, but also to an enemy or object (like a lever, for instance).
It takes a bit of getting used to. As a Yoshi veteran, I wasn't cognizant of noting where my reticle was, especially in the heat of the action. But after a few levels (and failures) it became second nature, and I was using my Yoshi's tongue like a pro. (That sounded naughtier than I had intended, please believe me when I say that.) This ability can be used in some clever ways as well. In one section, I had used the tongue to capture and hold some Bullet Bills in Yoshi's mouth. I then had to fire them off to shatter a glass sphere that had previously blocked my path.
While an easy focus, Yoshi's not the only new ally or power-up Nintendo was showing off. In some areas you'll encounter a small drill item which when held, allows you to drill through certain areas of the ground, right through to the other side of the planet. On the planets I had seen, certain areas on the ground were marked with a small crater, which usually indicated that drilling through would lead to a previously unobtainable platform or item. One boss, Digga Leg, even required the use of the drill. It was necessary to lure the stomping mechanical beast to a certain point on a small "planet," and then using the drill to dig through and nail an exposed belly area.
When Nintendo revealed Super Mario Galaxy 2 at E3, I had mixed emotions. At first, I was disappointed that Nintendo had decided to revisit the Galaxy formula so soon, presenting what appeared to be an expansion of the original. Even after playing it, I'm not entirely convinced I was playing a game so drastically different that it warrants a "2," as much as it could be called More Super Mario Galaxies.
But let's be realistic -- for anyone who was a fan of the original, More Super Mario Galaxies isn't the worst thing Nintendo could deliver to its fans. And despite feeling familiar, it's obvious there are enough new challenges and clever tricks should keep fans happy when Super Mario Galaxy 2 ships on May 23. I certainly can't wait to explore more galaxies, especially with a familiar green dino friend by my side.
I simply don't care it this feel as an expansion, I had so much fun with the first one, it'll feel like an over sized DLC
But you know what? That's not really a bad thing. Super Mario Galaxy is still the best damn game on the Nintendo Wii, so to get more of the best damn Wii game is still a wonderful thing indeed.
Indeed!
Now that I've played Galaxy all the way through on both Mario and Luigi modes I have pretty high expectations. Galaxy was the first game or any form of media in a looooong time that actually made me tear up (no spoilers but if you've played it, you know what I'm talking about). I just hope if there's another Luigi mode, that that green shit lays off the coffee and invests in some OSHA approved shoes that actually have traction.
This game just scored a 10/10 at IGN; http://wii.ign.com/articles/109/1091239p1.html
Seems like it is even better then SMG1.
From a gameplay standpoint Super Mario Galaxy was probably the greatest game that's ever been made so if SMG2 really does improve upon it it's set to be something truly special. That being said definitely not liking the shift from the Comet Observatory hub to the 2D Mario maps. I know it doesn't really impact the core gameplay, but something about it, for me anyway, added a lot to the overall experience. But yeah, this has got me seriously pumped.
Originally posted by Morridini
This game just scored a 10/10 at IGN; http://wii.ign.com/articles/109/1091239p1.htmlSeems like it is even better then SMG1.
What!!!
they did score GTA4 a 10 😬
anyways: CAN NOT WAIT TO PLAY THIS!
Originally posted by Morridini
This game just scored a 10/10 at IGN; http://wii.ign.com/articles/109/1091239p1.htmlSeems like it is even better then SMG1.
IGN isn't worth trusting when it comes to ratings.
MGS4 and GTA 4 get 10s but Uncharted 2 gets a 9.5?
Still, I'm gonna have to get Super Mario Galaxy someday because I don't like playing sequels without playing its prequel.
Given how badly MGS4 assrapes Uncharted 2 in literally every area of gaming that really wasn't a very good example. In fact I probably wouldn't give any game a straight out perfect score but if I had to for one game it would probably be MGS4 (unbelievably good story, gameplay, visuals and sound). It's the only game that truly excels in every department. Uncharted 2 on the other hand would at best score in the 7 regions.