Overall = 98.45%
6793/69
100
EDGE
This isn’t a game that redefines the genre: this is one that rolls it up and locks it away.
1UP
Takes everything its predecessor did and maintains that urgent sense of wonder and discovery, creating a world that copies its past self, yet keeps the freshness that made it so exciting when the first game debuted two years ago.
IGN
Consider me “wowed.” Again. Yes, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is more of what made the original so amazingly good: brilliant gravity platfoming. Incredibly tight and responsive controls. Fantastic musical score. But it’s not a “me too” experience -- a significant majority of this sequel is brand new.
Games Radar (in-house)
Expanding on the original’s brilliance, this ingenious platformer only gets better by embracing the Wii’s limited capabilities and adds so many ideas, big and small, that we can’t help but love it. Even if you (mistakenly) believe it’s too similar to the first game, what’s wrong with more of an incredibly great thing?
The Escapist
Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn't tinker with the established formula very much, but we didn't really want it to. It's huge, brilliant, and gorgeous. It's why you started playing videogames in the first place.
Digital Chumps
Even the harshest critics will struggle to find fault in its symphony of imagination, execution, and polish, while fans will cherish its brilliance for years to come as one of the very best games in history. Quite simply put, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the reason I still play videogames.
Kombo
Super Mario Galaxy was a triumph, but the sequel manages to take things to a new level of excellence by adding new material as well as fixing elements that, in hindsight, did not appear to be broken.
Giant Bomb
For all the meaningful changes and additions that have been made, this is still more Super Mario Galaxy--which is to say that it looks and sounds about as good as a game for the Wii ever has, with consistently inventive level design, and exceptionally responsive gameplay.
100
Gamespot
100
Nintendo Life
It's abundantly clear that the team behind Super Mario Galaxy 2 weren't trying to re-invent the wheel when it came time to put this sequel together. Instead they basically took everything that was great about the original Super Mario Galaxy and made it even bigger and better. Truth be told, it's nearly impossible to find even one small thing to gripe about, and believe us, we tried. Every once in a while a video game comes along that's just so spectacular that it ends up defining the very system it's released on and raises the bar by which all other games in the series and genre will be judged. It's safe to say that game has now arrived on the Wii console. Consider the bar officially raised.
100
Gametactics
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is so addictive and unique, it has raised the bar very high for platform games on the current generation of video game consoles, it will be very hard to beat. Super Mario Galaxy is the must own game of the summer vacation, so head out there and save Princess peach!
100
Kikizo
A whiff of expansion packishness aside, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is another breath of fresh air in an oppressively and perhaps misguidedly ‘mature’ gaming climate, a chubby, blue-eyed God among chest-bumping, photorealism-brown, cover-seeking insects. Whether you own a Wii or not, there are, quite frankly, no excuses.
Destructoid
They poured in the same creativity and imagination that made me fall in love with games like Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World. To me it feels like they finally felt the freedom and comfort in 3D platforming to get back to that Nintendo magic that we all remember. The end result is a galaxy of surprise after surprise, all coming together in a game that tops even my past favorites, making this the best Mario game Nintendo has released.
100
G4
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the culmination of over 20 years of Mario gaming into one fantastically-designed and creative platformer. It's also one of 2010's absolutely best games.
100
The Onion (A.V. Club)
It’s confounding how this simple world can evoke feelings of curiosity, wonder, and dread all at once.
Eurogamer
A simple extension of the Galaxy concept, Super Mario Galaxy 2 can't possibly have the same impact. But it does have the same spirit, throwing new ideas at you with gleeful and impulsive abandon, leaving you breathless, scrambling happily to keep up.
100
JustPushStart
For a game that runs so wild with imagination, it’s remarkable to witness everything executed with such elegance. It could have been like a child with too many paint pots, splattering a mess across the canvas. Fun, sure, but chaos nonetheless. But here, Nintendo has drawn a giant, gleeful gallery of magnificent pictures and painted within the lines, all intoxicating detail and colour. It’s a toy box full of childlike wonder, but with a grown-up sensibility, where the pieces all fit. A universe that everyone and anyone, young or old, can lose themselves in. And all you have to do to get there?
“Press A to jump”.
100
Ars Technica
The game continually shifts and adjusts and introduces new challenges. Some are simple, such as beating a level with a time limit. Others are devilishly difficult, such as being followed by ghostly doubles who try to knock you down and keep you from your goals. A moderately talented player will be able to enjoy the challenge and beat the game, but only the best will be able to do everything. No matter what level you're playing at, you can sit down for 20 minutes and have a good time, or you can lose yourself for hours. The Mario haters will continue to bleat about the same ideas being rehashed once again, but the truth is that Nintendo is constantly trying to beat its own best, and it delivers exactly what gamers want—and in huge doses. This is, thus far, the peak of what platforming can offer. Will it be beaten? Is it all downhill from here? Who cares? Let's sit down and play. Verdict: Buy
100
GamesTM
Mario too has been blessed with a couple of new powers, such as the ability to transform into a rolling boulder or the power to create a series of clouds beneath his feet. And while these are undeniably fun power-ups in their own right, it’s the way the levels are designed to accommodate them that truly makes them exceptional. Clouds, for example, take on a whole new life when you factor in windy levels, blowing Mario directly into harm’s way unless the player thinks fast and acts faster.
100
EuroGamer Portugal
100
The Escapist
Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn't tinker with the established formula very much, but we didn't really want it to. It's huge, brilliant, and gorgeous. It's why you started playing videogames in the first place.
100
Game Hunters
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is yet another example of the Super Mario series' ability to remain fresh and relevant in video games, even after nearly 25 years. And Mario's latest escapade is arguably one of the year's best.
Gamer Limit
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is quite possibly the best overall game of this generation. It succeeds in topping it's predecessor in every way.
Thunderbolt
Despite all its similarities, it offers so much more in terms of content and creativity. The sheer variety and unique twists on ideas make for some of the greatest platforming you’ll ever see. You can go through whole stretches of this game and find something new and completely different in each passing level.
100
GamerVision
Unlike Super Mario Galaxy, SMG2 doesn’t push the platforming genre forward in new ways, but it does just enough to expand on the first game that it’s well worth the experience. After all, it is a sequel and not a new series, and the developers have clearly crafted this new universe with plenty of love and attention to detail. It’s a blast to play from beginning to end, with plenty to do long after the game is completed. There is so little to complain about, and the few flaws barely detract from the experience. Though it may not be too different from its predecessor, following up a fantastic game with a fantastic game is an immense achievement. Once again, the Super Mario series has managed to deliver some of the most fun, enjoyable, and unique gameplay of the year, and should not be missed.
Kombo
Super Mario Galaxy was a triumph, but the sequel manages to take things to a new level of excellence by adding new material as well as fixing elements that, in hindsight, did not appear to be broken.
GamerNode
There's just a ton of content that has been packed into SMG2, and almost every single minute of it feels fun, fresh, and true to its roots. Another check in the "win" column for Nintendo.
Meristation
Super Mario Galaxy was considered one of the best platform games ever and we couldn't expect the same for its sequel. However, what Super Mario Galaxy 2 has achieved is amazing: every level contains a different and really original quest. You will play a totally new game inspired by the first game, but without copying it at all. In addition to this, Nintendo has also fixed most of the minor failures of its predecessor, including the low difficulty level.
GameShark
Longtime Mario fans will gobble this up and love every nanosecond, while casual folks may find themselves letting the game play for them more often than not.
Eurogamer Spain
Let's say it like it is: Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the best 3D platformer of all time and the best game of the current generation.
Armchair Empire
In the end, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has done an excellent job of bringing back what players loved about the first Galaxy game, while steadily building upon the experience.
Wii Brasil
Some people will insist that it’s not worth playing, saying that it's more of the same, but you have the opportunity to play the pinnacle of what Nintendo has learned in the course of many decades, and I don't know what reasons someone would have to ignore it.
Teletext GameCentral
Nintendo beat their previous best yet again with a masterclass in imagination, game design and sheer fun.
Gamereactor Sweden
Improves on the first game and charms every bone of our game-loving bodies. With platforming and visual design of astronomical proportions, this is the best game for Wii so far.
N-Europe
Galaxy 2 is a genre defining piece of software and one that is, as the title suggests: out of this world.
VideoGamer
With so many new ideas, a control scheme that never lets you down, a huge amount to see and do, charming presentation and that certain Nintendo magic, the Wii finally has a game that's better than Mario Galaxy.
Everyeye.it
Too many times the word masterpiece has been used in an improper way, losing its real meaning. So, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is not a masterpiece. Is something words just can’t describe, standing tall above all those canons which normally define a videogame. Its incredible level design, its addictive fun, shining graphics and a wonderful score make it an extremely well crafted jewel, one that's destined to shine forever in the history of videogames.
IGN UK
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.
Gamer.nl
Simply put, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a better game than the original. Each galaxy looks unique and offers an unforgettable experience with a plethora of secrets waiting to be found. New gameplay elements are rapidly introduced and will keep you interested throughout the entire game. The game is challenging but never frustrating. Mario and his friends once again take you on a journey through space and provide so much entertainment, you’ll immediately start playing again after you finish it.
Eurogamer Italy
Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn't just a phenomenal videogame. It's a true paradigm of game design and originality, something that will be looked at for years and years.
Gamestyle
This is a rare occasion when the hype can actually be justified; Super Mario Galaxy 2 is, quite simply, a masterpiece.
Gameplanet
This is one sequel which bucks the trend by taking an already good concept and building on it, raising the bar in the process. Simply put, it’s better than the original because there’s a lot more to do, and everything meets or exceeds expectations.
GameFocus
This isn’t just the best Mario game on the Wii, it’s arguably the best Mario game on any platform. A ton of fan service, served up with multiple slices of newly minted Mario gameplay take Galaxy 2 beyond a level that I think anyone could have expected.
3DJuegos
This the best Mario game Nintendo has released. Pure addiction.
99
GoNintendo
98
Ngamer
98
Hooked Gamers
Cheat Code Central
One of the best qualities of SMG2 is the speedy gameplay and the multitude of levels spread out into several different worlds within an ever-expansive universe. Even when you think you're done, you'll realize there are plenty of unlockable galaxies you'll get to explore with time.
Gamer 2.0
The gameplay is just as great as its predecessor was, but the amount of new content and features make it the far superior game.
Games Master UK
Nintendo has, incredibly, made a gaming giant even grander. One of the all-time greats. [July 2010, p.84]
GamingTrend
If you have any interest in platform games at all, or were a platform gamer when you were young and gravitated away from them over time, I implore you to play Super Mario Galaxy 2.
GameTrailers
There is more creativity in some single stages in this game than in entire other games. It's a bit familiar, but all the fat has been cut away to expose a pure gaming core. There's something for just about everyone and games that we can truly recommend to almost everyone are rare.
97
Play.tm
Playing through the game you can't help but be aware of the minds behind this marvel. This is not just ingenious, but also well balanced, always fair and never inconsistent. You know where you are with Super Mario Galaxy 2 because you are spending time with some old friends. Not really the characters themselves - familiar and cute as they are - but the creative talents behind it all.
97
Official Nintendo Magazine
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SpazioGames
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is definitely the best platform game ever created in videogaming history. More than its predecessors the latest installment in Mario series has a perfect formula with news ideas and an excellent gameplay. Extraordinary.
ZTGameDomain
With so many degrees of gameplay, and so much fun packed into a single game, it's hard to not recommend this game to anyone who has ever picked up a controller.
96
NowGamer
Hardcore Gamer Magazine
Super Mario Galaxy 2, just like the first, is one of those magical games that nobody is going to want to miss.
NintendoWorldReport
It is the truest sequel Nintendo has produced in over a decade.
Worth Playing
While Super Mario Galaxy 2 could easily have been a cheap cash-in with a few lackluster additional levels, it manages to be something more. It expands on the gameplay of Super Mario Galaxy and adds enough new twists and turns to feel like a full-fledged sequel.
95
NintendoPower
Computer and Video Games
More imaginative, more challenging, more fun... more of the (brilliant) same.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 throws something new at you nearly every single level - and with over 240 stars to collect, that's no small feat.
93
Famitsu
90
Gamespy
I can't remember exactly where I left the first Super Mario Galaxy -- relatively early on, at any rate -- but I never felt compelled to go back to it. I have a feeling that SMG2, on the other hand, will keep me enthralled until I've collected every last one of those stars, tough or not. For the detractors out there: This amounts to way more than the Super Mario Galaxy 1.5 you expected.
Wired
Simultaneously more and less than its predecessor. It expands and elaborates on the gameplay in unpredictable ways, but the last one felt like a bigger, more complete adventure. That said, better core gameplay with less window dressing is infinitely preferable to the reverse.
GamePro
Galaxy 2 is a constant deluge of fresh ideas that are successful -- not because of its place in a franchise -- but because it is wholly willing to reinvent itself on the fly.
GameDaily
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is largely more of the same, and that helps make it a phenomenal experience. Nintendo didn't reinvent the formula. Instead, it took what fans loved about the prequel and then jazzed everything up with never before seen galaxies, planets and a more streamlined user interface.
Buying in 2015: Captain toad: treasure tracker,
mario maker
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Pixel Art can be fun.
