I presume the one score of 90% that is mentioned is from GAMES tm magazine.
They do not give out fractions of a whole so it was either 9 or 10 from them for SMG.
I previously incorrectly stated the magazine gave HALO 3 10/10, when actually it was 9/10
This is what they say about the way they score reviews:
"Three of the numbers in a ten-point scale are of greater importance than the others: five, seven and of course ten. Some publications would fool you into believing that a 7/10 game is average, but that just not make sense to us.
GAMES tm reviews videogames on their entertainment value, and so any title that simply performs to an edaquate standard will recieve a 5/10.
The elusive 10 is reserved for games of incredible irrefutable qualit, but please be aware that a score of 10 no way professes to mean perfection.
Perfection is an unattainable goal, and on a 10 point scale nothing should be unattainable."
After reading the GAMES tm review I present you with their pros and cons, although unlike other publications and review sites they don't seem to enforce their opinion with exclamated statements when something is good or bad:
How do you top the best game ever made?
Easy, you just make one that's even better in every conceivable way.
While not as technoligically pioneering as its grandfather, is , level for level more fun to play than MARIO 64.
It's a genuinly new sensation to a traditionally stale genre.
The size of the levels, on the whole is significantly smaller than those in MARIO 64.
There may not be as much freedom to roam (on the levels) but they are certainly more action packed
The most polished visuals the Wii has to offer.
Super mario galaxy has been moulded around a console that was clearly not invented with platform games in mind. The result is a game that, initially at least, feels far from removed from the traditional mario platformer.
Sure it takes a few hours to accept the (control) idea, but then, it took some people an equal amount of time to adjust to MARIO 64's 3D movement. Now nobody is looking back.
The motion control never feels tacked on or gimmicky - as they can in other Wii action games.
Each level and everything within is so special that we'd rather you first experience them through your own eyes. (refering to secret galaxies and levels)
The soundtrack deserves special mention.
Mostly the action is accompanied by grandiose orchestral tunes that captue the majesty of galaxy's outer space setting and add a much-needed sense of drama that was missing from Mario's previoius 3D outing.
Nintendo can't define the 3D platformer again but it can make the greatest three-dimentional Mario title yet, and it has.
It's a game you'll play through as quickly as possible just to see what jaw-dropping moment is lined up for you next and it's one you'll play instantly once finished. It's also a game you will be returning to in several years time.
