Where Nintendo ventured into new areas during the 7th Generation, we would thankfully still get entries into some of their most revered series. Among them the 3D Mario platforming adventures and what we got with 'Super Mario Galaxy' was one of the prime examples in the genre as a whole.
Like any Mario game, Mario needs to rescue Princess Peach. Bowser has taken her and the castle into space however and each level is a different "galaxy". The levels mostly revolve around a collection of planetoids around which Mario can move in a spherical motion. The concept was actually tested briefly in 'The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'. This gameplay idea gives the game a very fresh premise, which is instantly interesting in the way it opens up new gameplay and surprising level-design. There are however also classic-styled 'flat' levels and slides, plus additional collectable Stars for which special objectives need to completed, which means the game offers plenty of platforming variety.
Besides that, the small confined spaces made for the Wii to even be able to unexpectedly shine in a graphical way, and the game doesn't look out of place next to games from the much more powerful competitor systems. The second game looked even better, but I feel the hub-world and the hidden story in this game, makes it come out on top. In any case, 'Super Mario Galaxy' made a strong case to me in favor of console gaming.
