Super Mario Galaxy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Super Mario Galaxy

Official cover art

Developer(s) Nintendo EAD Tokyo

Publisher(s) Nintendo

Yoshiaki Koizumi
Director(s)

Producer(s) Shigeru Miyamoto

Takao Shimizu

Designer(s) Yoshiaki Koizumi

Shigeru Miyamoto

Artist(s) Kenta Motokura

Writer(s) Takayuki Ikkaku

Composer(s) Mahito Yokota

Koji Kondo

Series Super Mario

 Platform(s) Wii

Release JP: 1 November 2007[1]

NA: 12 November 2007
EU: 16 November 2007
AU: 29 November 2007

Genre(s) Platformer, action-adventure

Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Super Mario Galaxy[a] is a 2007 platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for
the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the Super Mario series. The game was re-released as a Nintendo
Selects title in 2011, and as a download via the Wii U's eShop in 2015. The story revolves around
the protagonist, Mario, who is on a quest to rescue Princess Peach whilst simultaneously saving the
universe from Bowser.
The levels in the game consist of galaxies filled with minor planets and worlds, with different
variations of gravity, the central element of gameplay. The concept for the game's use of spherical
platforms was first conceptualised from ideas used in Super Mario 128, a technology
demonstration shown at Nintendo Space World in 2000. Development of Super Mario Galaxy began
after the release of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat in late 2004, after Shigeru Miyamoto suggested that
Nintendo should commission a large-scale Mario game. The game's soundtrack was composed
by Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo, using a symphony orchestra for the first time in the series.
Super Mario Galaxy was a critical and commercial success, hailed as one of the greatest video
games of all time. Critics praised the game's graphics, gravity mechanics, soundtrack, and setting.
Upon release it won several awards from gaming publications, including multiple "Game of the Year"
titles, and became the first Nintendo title to win the British Academy Games Award for Best
Game.[2] It is listed among the top-rated games on various aggregate sites. The game is the
ninth best-selling Wii game worldwide with sales of 12.75 million, as well as the best-selling 3D entry
in the Super Mario series. A direct sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, was released for the Wii in 2010.

Contents
[hide]

1Gameplay
o 1.1Premise and setting
o 1.2Controls
o 1.3Power-ups and lives
o 1.4Multiplayer
2Plot
3Development
o 3.1Music
4Reception
o 4.1Awards
o 4.2Sequel
5Notes
6References
o 6.1Citations
o 6.2Bibliography
 7External links

Gameplay[edit]
Premise and setting[edit]

Mario running across a planetoid. The game's gravity mechanics allow Mario to fully circumnavigate round or
irregular objects.

Super Mario Galaxy is set in outer space,[3][4] where Mario travels through different galaxies to collect
Power Stars, earned by completing missions, defeating a boss, or reaching a particular
area.[3][5] Each galaxy contains planetoids and orbiting structures for the player to
explore.[3] Each astronomical object has its own gravitational force, allowing the player to completely
circumnavigate the planetoids, walking sideways or upside down.[6][7] The player can usually jump
from one independent object and fall towards another one nearby. Although the main gameplay is
in 3D, there are several areas in the game in which the player's movements are restricted to a 2-
dimensional plane.[8]
The game's main hub is the Comet Observatory, a spaceship which contains six themed domes that
provide access to the 42 galaxies available in the game.[5] Five of the domes end with a boss level in
which the objective is to defeat Bowser or Bowser Jr., which then gives the player access to the next
dome via acquiring a collectable called a Grand Star.[5] The player only has access to a few galaxies
when they begin the game; as more Power Stars are collected, more galaxies become available.
The player is awarded the ability to play as Luigi after collecting 120 Power Stars as Mario. Once
120 Power Stars are collected with both characters, the player is rewarded one further challenge for
Mario and Luigi to complete, which upon completion, awards the player with two commemorative
pictures that can be sent to the Wii Message Board.[9]
Controls[edit]
The player-character is controlled via the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.[10] While most of Mario's abilities
are taken directly from Super Mario 64, such as the long jump, wall jumps, and a variety
of somersaults, a new feature called the Star Pointer, which is a cursor that appears when the Wii
Remote pointer is pointed at the screen.[11] Essentially, the Star Pointer is used to pick up
special konpeito-shaped objects called "Star Bits", which are then shot to stun enemies, manipulate
obstacles, or feed Hungry Lumas (star-shaped sentient beings which act as companions throughout
the game).[3][12] Secondly, the pointer can latch onto small blue objects called "Pull Stars", which can
be utilised to pull Mario through space.[13]If the player becomes encased in a floating bubble, the Star
Pointer is used to manoeuvre the bubble.[14]
Early into the game, the player learns a new ability known as the "Spin" technique, which has had
appearances in varying forms throughout the Super Mario franchise.[15] In Super Mario Galaxy, the
"spin" is primarily used for melee attacks, as it can stun enemies and shatter objects,[12] and is used
to trigger special propellers called "Sling Stars" or "Launch Stars" that launch Mario across large
distances through space.[12][16] The "spin" utility is also used for climbing vines, ice skating,
unscrewing bolts, and for activating several power-ups. Other Wii Remote functions are available for
smaller quests, such as surfing aboard a manta ray or balancing atop a large ball and rolling it
through an obstacle course.[17][18]