By Phil Kollar
Game Informer Magazine
“As soon as (Super Mario Galaxy) was over, we started making something that we might call version 1.5.” This revelation from Nintendo’s mastermind designer Shigeru Miyamoto that “Super Mario Galaxy 2” began as a middle step, almost more of a level pack begs the question of what made them decide to turn it into a full-fledged sequel.
“… There were so many ideas we were not able to include in the first volume,” he said, “we thought we should make a sequel to that.” In our most recent hands-on with “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” we got to experience those new ideas firsthand.
The Drill Power-Up
Though it’s been shown previously, we were finally able to see Mario’s new drill power in action. This powerful ability allows Mario to drill straight through planets. Sometimes he’ll pop out on the other side of the world, while other times he’ll discover a hidden area in the hollowed-out core of a planet. Strategic drilling will also allow you to damage enemies and bosses. In one intense boss battle that we witnessed, Mario is constrained to a very small planet that turns his movement to 2D while a giant robot attempts to track him down. By carefully timing use of the drill, Mario can burrow through the planet and hit the boss’s weak spot on his underbelly, an area otherwise protected by his massive legs.
Yoshi
The most anticipated change to “Super Mario Galaxy 2” is the addition of Yoshi. Fan service though it may be, the inclusion of the lovable green dinosaur also heralds some major gameplay changes. Yoshi’s ability to float through the air for an extended period of time has allowed Nintendo to create even crazier jumps and more precarious platforming. Yoshi also gets his own specific power-ups in the form of food. Spicy foods, for example, make him run extremely fast for a short period of time. Another special fruit makes Yoshi gassy, essentially turning him into a balloon floating upward until he runs out of gas or can eat another fruit.
Yoshi’s sweetest move is his ability to swallow enemy projectiles such as Bullet Bills or hammers and spit them back out. This power will be utilized to find hidden secrets, open paths, and defeat bosses, and it’s all made possible by the third big addition.
More Pointer Functionality
Super Mario Galaxy featured a few segments where a free-floating Mario could grab onto objects in space by pointing at them with the Wii remote. Expect to be pointing while platforming a lot more often in the sequel. “Aiming the pointer at specific enemies makes Yoshi swallow that enemy,” Miyamoto explains.” Pointing at certain locations will also help Yoshi progress through a level: “You can actually identify and point at things that Yoshi can grab with his tongue and then grab that point in order to reach additional points.”
Sometimes the result is as simple as pulling yourself up to a ledge that you couldn’t normally reach, while other times Yoshi will need to use his athletic tongue to swing through whole sections of levels. The ability to quickly point at and grab things in the world while riding Yoshi adds an enjoyable layer onto “Galaxy’s” tight gameplay.
Increased Difficulty
Nintendo may be moving more and more toward greater accessibility lately, but Miyamoto says they’re not afraid to shy away from a challenge: “(‘Super Mario Galaxy 2’) has been developed and designed so that those who have conquered the prequel … can feel as if it’s a continuation from the ending of that first game. … It’s more difficult for the beginner, and especially more difficult for the beginner who has never played the first game.”
Miyamoto is quick to point out that Nintendo is still pouring lots of effort into making sure the controls are easy to pick up for gamers new to “Mario Galaxy,” but he adds, “It would be ideal if those players have already conquered ‘Super Mario Galaxy 1’ before playing ‘Super Mario Galaxy 2.”‘ As in the original “Galaxy,” players should be able to see the credits easily enough by collecting a mere 70 stars. However, finding special Comet Coins will unlock super-hard bonus levels on top of the numerous extra challenges already available in each world. All told, there will be over 240 stars to tackle for players hoping to see everything “Super Mario Galaxy 2” has to offer.
“Super Mario Galaxy 2”
Platform: Wii
Style: 1 or 2-player platforming
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: May 23