It's true. I got SMG2 for Christmas and have been playing it for a while. But I don't even know what I enjoy about it over SMG1 outside of the better soundtrack. For some reason I find this game a lot more fun than SMG1 which I found to be a little boring. And SMG1 made me hungry all the time too. That's some weird phenonmenon I can't even begin to explain. Maybe I'm more open as a gamer compared to when I bought SMG1 in 2007? I don't know but this is actually a really good game, and the best Mario game I've played since Paper Mario: TTYD.

Speaking of the soundtrack, I thought SMG1's soundtrack was rather boring overall too. The soundtrack in SMG2 is waaaaaaaaaaaay better...based on the strength of four new tracks (one is a SM64 remix track though) mainly, but I also think the Starship Mario theme is nice too. What four tracks though? These:

 

 

Slipsand Galaxy's/Clockwork Ruin's music really surprised me. Usually desert themes in games are crap and use generic "desert" or "Middle Eastern" instruments that sound terrible. SMG1's desert theme is an example of this. SMG2 does the same, BUT...get to 1:11 and it's epic. Though I think the build up does get good. My favorite track in the game is probably Melty Monster. That's just an awesome orchestrated piece. And you know what the funny thing is? SMG2 has a much better and more epic orchestrated soundtrack than Zelda: SS which had a rather mediocre soundtrack overall. A few decent tracks but that's it. A Mario game had better orchestration than a Zelda game. Lol. Also Throwback Galaxy is great, very catchy, and Puzzle Plank has great violin.

As for my progress...I have close to 120 stars. Still have the 120 Green Stars to get once I get the last few stars I'm missing for 120 as well as the final two stars in the Grandmaster Galaxy which opens up once I get all the Green Stars.

Btw this game is hard as hell. I vaguely remember having some trouble in SMG1 but this is one of the hardest Nintendo games I've ever played lol. Yeah I'm sure people will say "that doesn't mean much" but I'm factoring in Super Mario Bros. and Metroid. Taking those out this is probably the hardest.

I wonder what they'll do for a new 3D Mario for Wii U whenever that's out. I wouldn't even mind if it was a Mario Galaxy 3 but I think it'll be different.

tl;dr - After being a bit disappointed in SMG1, I find Nintendo did great work with SMG2 though not entirely for reasons I can describe.

ive only played 2 and i think its fantastic, my only complaint would be the spikes in the difficulty, going from ultraeasy to impossible in a matter of minutes

I found SMG 1 more magical, but I think it was mostly the awe of playing such a masterpiece. I admit, if I played SMG 2 before, it would've awed me more. You can't make a better sequel imo

It is the best rated game this generation for a reason =P. Super Mario Galaxy series is the only reason I regret not owning a Wii.

I found the hub world in SMG1 confusing, and didn't get all the stars. It was different with SMG2, the hub world was replaced with Starship Mario and I was able to get all but the last star. I prefer SMG2 over SMG1, but I know people who think the opposite.

SMG1 is fantastic
SMG2 perfected it imo
But i'll say SMG1!!!

I pretty much completely agree with what Kopstudent said. I think SMG2 fixed pretty much every complaint I had with the original Mario Galaxy. It's just the first game was such a beautiful revelation for me, that I think there was very little SMG2 could've done in the form that it was to capture that again.

I was a big fan of the proper overworld hub from SMG1 though, I was quite sad to see that go.

I think if I ever replayed them again it would just be as a pair anyway.

I seriously disagree about the soundtrack. SMG2 had more remixes, the tracks were more annoying and repetitive.

Good Egg, Gusty Garden, Buoy Base, Melty Molten, Battlerock vs Starship Mario, Puzzle Plank, Slipsand, ...?

Soleron said: I seriously disagree about the soundtrack. SMG2 had more remixes, the tracks were more annoying and repetitive. Good Egg, Gusty Garden, Buoy Base, Melty Molten, Battlerock vs Starship Mario, Puzzle Plank, Slipsand, ...?

Good Egg I find comparable in sound to to the first galaxy's theme (which sounds like We Are from.One Piece. Actually this isn't the first time I've heard We Are in VG music...) and the cloud galaxy themes in this game. 'Nice' but not amazing. Gusty Garden is good and I'll say SMG2 doesn't have a track quite like it but I'll take the tracks I listed over it. Buoy Base is in SMG2 so meh. Decent track too. And I don't remember Battlerock honestly and I'll have to listen to it again I mean I don't find the entire soundtrack or even most of it amazing but there are a couple great tracks that surprised me that SMG1 didn't have.

Soriku said: Soleron said: I seriously disagree about the soundtrack. SMG2 had more remixes, the tracks were more annoying and repetitive. Good Egg, Gusty Garden, Buoy Base, Melty Molten, Battlerock vs Starship Mario, Puzzle Plank, Slipsand, ...? Good Egg I find comparable in sound to to the first galaxy's theme (which sounds like We Are from.One Piece. Actually this isn't the first time I've heard We Are in VG music...) and the cloud galaxy themes in this game. 'Nice' but not amazing. Gusty Garden is good and I'll say SMG2 doesn't have a track quite like it but I'll take the tracks I listed over it. Buoy Base is in SMG2 so meh. Decent track too. And I don't remember Battlerock honestly and I'll have to listen to it again I mean I don't find the entire soundtrack or even most of it amazing but there are a couple great tracks that surprised me that SMG1 didn't have.

The first galaxy's theme is a remix of Good Egg.

I don't care if a track is 'in' SMG2, it doesn't get credit for recycling. If the whole Chrono Trigger soundtrack was embedded on the disc would that help?

Plz list the couple great tracks. You will find they are remixes.