Super Mario Galaxy

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Super Mario Galaxy

Developer(s)	Nintendo
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Takao Shimizu Yoshiaki Koizumi Shigeru Miyamoto
Release date(s)	TBA 2007 TBA 2007 TBA 2007 TBA 2007
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer(2)
Platform(s)	Wii
Media	Wii Optical Disc
Input	Wii Remote, Nunchuk

Super Mario Galaxy (スーパーマリオギャラクシー, Sūpā Mario Gyarakushī^?) is a video game for the Wii developed by Nintendo and will be released in 2007.^[1] It will be the 13th installment in the main Mario series, and the 3rd main 3D Mario game. The game was announced at Nintendo's press conference at E3 on May 9, 2006.

1 Gameplay
- 1.1 Multiplayer
- 1.2 Controls
2 Plot
3 History
4 Reception
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Gameplay

Mario is launched to a nearby planet.

The E3 demo exhibited a presentation reminiscent of NES-era games like Super Mario Bros. and Balloon Fight in which the game engine is already running at the title screen, and pressing START segues directly into the first level. Most of the game takes place in outer space along a vast chain of miniature planetoids and other space matter. Mario can jump from planet to planet to collect various items and defeat enemies. Each planet's gravitational force prevents Mario from drifting off into space. Different planets have different gravity which has various effects on Mario's jumping. The gravity could be used for example to change Mario's direction mid-flight as seen in the new GDC Super Mario Galaxy trailer. It was also recently announced that Luigi would have a main part in the game and that he will be one of the two playable charcters.^{[citation needed]}

The point of the game is to collect stars. Mario will face monstrous bosses, such as a fiery octopus in a pit of lava, a spider, and a towering, mechanical boss that resembles a Snifit, a bullet shooting monster, and a flower headed monster that resembles Petey Pirahna with a dinosaur like body, leaves for hands, and a long vinelike tail. For every boss Mario defeats, he gets a star. During the course of the game, Mario will make good use of his spin attack. It is certain that a star cursor will be featured in the game, allowing players to interact with the world, but how it fits into the storyline has not yet been revealed. A black hole was used inside a Swiss cheese-like planet to create a bottomless pit. Mario was also seen flying along the surface of a star, weaving in and out of sunflares.^[2] Mario has also been seen catching rabbits for stars, much like in Super Mario 64.^[3]

[edit] Multiplayer

During an interview with IGN,^[4] Takashi Tezuka, Nintendo's analysis and development's general manager, stated that multiplayer for Super Mario Galaxy is more likely to be co-operative. Two-player functionality was already confirmed for the game. The development team is already experimenting with new ways to use the Wii Remote so that one player can control Mario while the other aids him. Conversely, Miyamoto also suggested that the second player could have the ability to interfere with Mario's progress.

[edit] Controls

Mario's spin attack being used to collect coins

Although Super Mario Galaxy controls very similar to past Mario games, the controls have been partly redesigned to take advantage of the Wii Remote.

The control stick on the Nunchuk attachment is used to move Mario.
The A button on the Wii Remote is used for jumping. Timed presses will result in progressively higher jumps, similar to the triple-jump function in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.
The Z button on the Nunchuk is used for crouching. Most of the crouching/jumping combinations from the two past 3D Mario games are present such as the long jump and the backflip.
Pressing the B button causes a star-shaped cursor to appear on the screen. The cursor can be moved about to perform many functions, such as interacting with objects (the E3 demo showed it ringing bells and reflecting enemies' attacks back at them), picking up or moving objects, and grabbing onto special locations while in mid-flight.
Shaking either the Wii Remote or the nunchuck attachment causes Mario to spin. This spin has numerous uses, such as to stun or hurt enemies, cause items to spring up from the grass, or to launch Mario forward into space from special star-shaped points.
The camera view is mostly automatic, though the D-pad can also be used to adjust the view. The C button on the Nunchuk can be used to center the camera.

[edit] Plot

After Princess Peach is kidnapped, Mario follows the culprit into outer space.^[5] There Mario encounters enemies and bosses while traveling around and between spherical 'planets' and flat space platforms. Nothing else has been confirmed.

[edit] History

In an after-hours press event at E3 2006 in May, Shigeru Miyamoto said about Super Mario Galaxy, "I don't want to promise anything yet. But if it's not a launch title it will definitely be there within the first six months."^[6] Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aime later stated in a November 27 interview with MTV that the game is expected to release sometime between March and December of 2007.^[7] On January 4, 2007, Nintendo of Europe issued a press release indicating a 2007 European release.^[8] Near the end of Shigeru Miyamoto's keynote presentation at the 2007 Game Developers Conference in March, he stated, "You'll be able to play Super Mario Galaxy this year."^[9]^[10] A release date has yet to be set for Super Mario Galaxy.

[edit] Reception

Critics and fans have reacted extremely positively to the demo version.^[11] When the game was first revealed at E3 2006, it was one of the most played and enjoyed games of the show floor. Matt Casamassina, the editor of IGN Wii, loved it so much that he went on to say that game was practically perfect.^[12] Matt Wales agreed that it was everything Super Mario Sunshine was not.^[13] Giancarlo Varanini, of 1UP.com, wrote that it was the best example of how the controller can be used.^[14] Russ Fisher appreciated the game because it was "fresh", and compared it to Metroid Prime, saying Super Mario Galaxy is the new beginning for Mario.^[15]^[16]