Which Rayman game(s) are you talking about here? Rayman 1 was so far away from being a rehash of anything it's not even funny. A lot of original and non repeating scenaries. Rayman 2 was the same to a lesser extent though, and was my second favourite N64 platformer (to Mario64). I agree with you about the others though, I always compared them to Mario64 as they played in a similar way, but Rayman just feels very different.

I've steered clear of the franchise since Rayman 2 since I don't like the direction they are going in.

My best game ever...nobody gonna care ,but,i give SMG a 9,9/10,we cannot put a 10/10 because the next Mario platformers will deserve this note.

...MY BEST GAME EVER...

I would agree that the original Rayman was somewhat original, clever, and did have a pretty decent art style.  I can't remember for certain, but I believe I played it on my Saturn and not my PSone since I was a rabid Saturn fan (panzer and original VF FTW!) around that time...  It was "cute" at first and graphically pleasing at the time, but it just got old for me after a handful of hours playing it.  Frankly, I enjoyed the Earthworm Jim platformer that came before it more than Rayman but, that too got old fast for me.  Rayman most certainly went downhill fast with later versions, but I did own the very first one.  It just isn't a game that stands out in my opinion from other platformers "in the day".  It has been far too long to nitpick as I just don't remember anything beyond swinging, jumping, running, etc., lol.

 Yeah. The reviewer starts out saying:

 "I prefer violent video games over all others. Over the years I've developed an almost inhuman taste for graphic, first-person shooters and horrifically brutal fighting games. For a long time, a good game to me meant that it was packed to the brim with bloody carnage and the ability to shoot a zombie in the face resulting in a shower of gore. Of course, play control was a factor (a little)."

The first paragraph set off so many red flags in my head. I mean, they really chose the WORST reviewer possible to rate SMG.

So I played SMG for 6 more hours today. The game just gets better and better!

I got to the fourth Grand Galaxy and I had a blast with the Gusty Garden Galaxy. I think it make just be my favorite galaxy. I'm currently trying to beat the Freezeflame Galaxy....I can unlock all except for one of the galaxies in this Grand Galaxy, but I'm going to wait.

I tried to do the Ball Galaxy and the Surfing Galaxy again and I beat them both on the first try! Weird...

I currently have 48 stars and I've played for 14 hours....amazing game!

This game should be called:

"How I learned to stop hating and love the Wii."

And for all those people that actually are gamers and have a Wii this is the must have game. For myself I'm sure I would be getting a Wii just for this game if I didn't already have one. Oddly enough this game isn't going to help sales of the Wii in NA right now (still supply constrained).

The major "real" criticism of this game is going to center around the comparisons with SM64, i.e.:

The hub in SMG isn't as great as the castle in SM64.
Well they couldn't use the castle because Bowser stole it!

The linear platforming in SMG pretty much gets rid of the slightly more open feeling and exploration of the worlds in SM64.
Wait a minute! The Galaxy is a lot bigger than a bunch of worlds in paintings!

Seriously though, while both of those are valid points I would counter with the assertion that both design choices are part of what make SMG a better pure platformer. I'm going back to play some more now.

META CRITIC CANCELLED THAT IDIOTIC 87/100 REVIEW! 

The wait has been very long and painful for me, but now I have it and enjoying everything about it. I think that Super Mario Galaxy is at least twice as good as Super Mario 64, and I loved that game! The galaxies in this game are even better than I thought they would be and the music is phenomenal. Although I only have 37 stars right now, I think it is the best wii game I have played so far. The Italian Plumber is back and better than ever.

So I got Galaxy today...

...Yeah, it's better than Mario 64 alright. And OoT. And pretty much everything else. But then again, what else would one expect from the lovechild of Mario 64 and SMB3? Frankly, so far I haven’t encountered a single issue – difficulty is... well, I die a lot... – but I have noticed the vast amounts of delightful fan service thrown in my direction. Seriously, even if you don’t count the first Bowser level, this game has stuff that hasn’t been used for years (let alone appeared in a 3D game) ranging from Magikoopas, Monty Moles, to even fuckin' Torpedo Teds*. That's old school lovin' right there. There’s a polish here that goes beyond Galaxy’s shiny, pastel-coulored graphics of wonderness, and that’s what makes this my favourite Mario game ever (at least, if it continues like this it will be).

* Bullet Bills too, obviously.

Edit: Oh yeah, and the music! Did you guys know how many awesome remixes there are in this game? The Intro (Mario Kart 64 title) and Battlerock Galaxy (SMB3 Sky World) are two of the less obvious ones. And the original compositions are, I would say, easily among the best in the series. Koji Kondo owns, yes?

SMG is up to 97.9 after 31 reviews. It's still going up?
http://www.gamerankings.com/itemrankings/simpleratings.asp?rankings=y

I think the later reviewers might be taking their time to go through the entire game. That would probably help raise the review score from most individuals.