I think the arguments against Beuli are hilarious. Does anyone actually think SMG2 is innovative? It just takes things from SMG and makes it better. Improving upon idea with the same idea is not innovatiion.

It also adds new mechanics which in turn give it some new level designs and gameplay variety which Is innovation, it's even more funny that those saying it isn't innovative can only come up with it's just SMG only better and nothing else.

Well, Galaxy 2 is a great game, don't get me wrong. But for one, I felt like it was a lot like Galaxy 1, just bigger in scope. There were some neat additions like Yoshi, but overall it seemed a lot to me like Galaxy 1.5, which is not necessarilly a bad thing, just not GOTY worthy. Also, I felt the game was too structured. In order to beat a level, you HAD to beat it a certain way. Each level had its own weird gimmick to it in which you were forced to take part in, some of which were a lot of fun, but some were not so much. I still think Mario 64 is the superior 3D Mario game.

DKCR is more a straight up platformer, and I much prefer 2D siderscrollers as there is more freedom in the actual gameplay, and the game relies more on your raw gaming skills and fast reaction time. Just more my type of game. Also, the multiplayer is far superior, and is half the fun and charm of the game. There's just not many games like this these days, which I find odd, because they are one of the best genres. To each his own I guess..

I think people saying that Super Mario Galaxy 2 somehow isn't innovative just haven't played the game. Beuli, for example. Try to get over the "2," SMG2 has vastly new and original levels designs in it that are utterly deserving of being called innovative.

[1] That's what most would call variety - And I recall being impressed, amazed and enchanted by each new idea in every level. It was 100% awesome all the time XD

[2] As I recall, the game wouldn't force you to do anything, you only needed 70 stars to beat the game (out of 120), that's hardly forcing you to do levels you don't want to... unless you're talking about the game forcing you to perform certain tasks in order to progress, then all I can say is 'welcome to games'.

[3] How does a two dimentional game have more 'freedom' than a 3D one? What do you mean by 'freedom'??

[4] If it were any other 3D platformer i might have agreed but you CAN'T tell me SMG2 didn't require fast reflexes and skills to complete most levels - Tall Trunk's Big Slide instantly comes to mind - - - - also, i know it was meant to be a joke but this page by IGN had a lot of truth to it actually.

[5] Agreed. The game without multiplayer is absolutely amazing though, there's no need for it for the game to be considered superb, like Zelda for example, or the rest of the 3D mario games.

//long reply is long

To make it funnier, SMG actually isn't much more than SM64 with motion controls and some new features. The level design greatly sets them apart though, but I guess level design can't be innovative.

Don't wind them up.

I think your support is hilarious, you think all SMG2 is just a same-ish game but better?  That's very far from the truth. New powers, new mechanics like Yoshi, and a different level design philosophy, all that makes SMG2 a different beast than the original SMG.  Like others have said there wasn't much people complained about in reviews/previews and being the same wasn't among those.  

It's like people saying SMB3 is the same as SMB1/The Lost Levels, or Super Mario World being the same as SMB3. You not being that much of a platforming fan probably couldn't tell the drastic changes in those titles, but they run on the same premise, but each one does many things new and different from the last, you know... innovating and that's the case with SMG to SMG2.

If you can consider those minuscule changes worth merit, then I could go on about the "innovations" that Record of Agarest War brings to the SRPG genre. Or maybe the great strides that Super Robot Taisen: OG made on the DS. I'd be exagerrating minor details. >_>

Why are people getting hung up on "innovation" anyway?  That's a major component in EDGE reviews, not their GOTY awards.

Besides, I'd say Galaxy 2 is pretty innovative and smart for a direct sequel, it definitely changes up the formula just as much as something like Uncharted 2 (which was EDGE's GOTY last year btw).