I don't think that the same will happen to Galaxy.  Reviews for long series like Mario can normally be predicted with a simple rule: if a game was stated to be great, the next one wont, but then there will be another good game. this is because of expectations I think. Everybody wanted a game even greater than Mario 64 but the gameplay should be very close to it. Now the expectations are lower because Sunshine was not claimed to be one of the best games ever and because of that, Galaxy will have great reviews.

I hope it's understandable what I want to say...

Oh, and my personal opinion about Sunshine: It was a great game and a lot of fun, but it was not comparable to 64, it had lots more Adventure-elements and the tasks were longer.

I perfectly understand what you we're saying, well put it. About the second part I couldn't have said it any better as it's the same way I experience(d) Mario Sunshine. It's like you already said in your first part that people expected Sunshine to be the same like Mario 64 but as the game turned out to be completely different (...but it was not comparible to 64...), a lot of people mentioned the game as dissapointing, while I totally dissagree on that. Like Legend11 almost said the very same thing:"It might be just because the story was so different from other Mario games and the backpack might have been offputting to some Mario purists and casual fans".

 BLASHPHEMER!!!!

lol 

Sunshine was awful compared to 64, i mean the whole water gun contraption should have been used in like one part of the game or something, using it the whole time made it lame. Also, come on Mario 64 had some amazing worlds in it, it had better music and for the time it was a revolutionary game really (one of the first 3d games and the first 3d mario). I was just all around disappointed by Sunshine, but Galaxy from everything I've seen is a return to form and you are mostly Mario on his own jumping and hitting stuff without any of the overkill that Sunshine had. Also putting it in Space and how you go from planet to planet and how you walk around over the surgace of the planets makes me think this might be the Mario to best 64...

I liked 64 but didnt like sunshine, the camera angles I didnt care for

How come you didn't like Sunshine?