His special, fruit-bestowed abilities are really played up, too. There are timed platforms that can only be pulled out with a hefty tug from his tongue. His tongue-grab mechanic works flawlessly, making it possible to snatch projectiles out of mid-air and fling them back at the enemies who launched them.
Then there's Mario's old dinosaur pal Yoshi, who introduces a whole other layer of gameplay, adding to the unique level designs dreamed up by EAD Tokyo. Rock Mario as a bowling ball? It happens - complete with bowling pin enemies. The Bee Suit from SMG1 is back, but there are also new abilities, such as Cloud Mario and Rock Mario, that are not only a joy to mess around with but are put to great use within some really clever levels. Mario can then skate across it, the sea life below completely unfazed, and wall-jump between two frozen waterfalls to grab a star. You could be exploring an aquatic world, and, by jumping on a switch, flash-freeze its surface. And more so than in any other Mario game, there are a number of interesting gimmicks that only come into play a few times. The galaxies in SMG2 couldn't be more imaginative, introducing new items and objects to aid Mario in his adventure.
The trade-off is you won't be able to earn a full Power Star until you can beat these areas yourself - not like any of you proud players would ever stoop to using such a device, right? Wii returns as the "Cosmic Guide ," which will play through that section (or the rest of the level) for you. Beyond this, for the player who just can't seem to get past a particularly tough section, the Super Guide from New Super Mario Bros.
First, "Hint TV" signs appear in levels to explain through videos how to perform certain potentially tricky moves. The more casual player has been addressed in a couple of different ways, however. In general, I found that SMG2 is a considerably more challenging game than the original - as Nintendo promised - but never did I want to hurl my Wiimote and walk away. The map also does a good job of clearly differentiating between the "main" galaxies and those designed for more skilled players, placing them on separate branches along its path.
The map offers a much more concise way of seeing the challenges available in the various galaxies than did the first game's sprawling HQ and other to-dos, such as keeping track of the 240-plus Power Stars to collect, have been further simplified into a sort of "checklist." Starship Mario serves as a training ground, an opportunity to pick up extra lives and other items, and the means by which players progress along the game's revamped world map - or, should I say, galaxy map. Gone is the unnecessarily complex hub level, replaced by "Starship Mario," a small planetoid in the likeness of Mario's head. The improvement upon the original SMG starts with doing away with part of it. Even more, it features enough challenges to keep the most hardcore Mario player engaged for weeks. It shares the basic mechanics of its predecessor yet brings so many new experiences to the playing field that it stands alone. Since the sequel was first announced and up until, well, now, there's been a lingering question: Is it just Super Mario Galaxy 1.5? Despite what the original plans for the sequel may have entailed, one thing is clear: SMG2 is its own game. Like expert craftsmen, they've improved upon an already excellent product and delivered a seemingly endless volley of fresh ideas - be they in level design or game mechanics - that are every bit as polished as those in the first game and, most importantly, just pure fun. What Nintendo's EAD Tokyo team has managed to pull off in this game is astounding, especially when you consider just how good the original Super Mario Galaxy was. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the best Mario game ever.