Super Mario Galaxy is why I play video games.

I think the title says it all, but I want to share some spoiler-free thoughts about Mario Galaxy. I completed it with 120 stars earlier today, and I am still just as hyped about it as I was when I first started playing. Believe the overwhelmingly positive reviews out there, because this game really is one of Mario's best adventures and is the most consistently solid, enjoyable and accessable game to hit the Wii thus far. I really can't stress that enough; while playing through the game I've wondered if Mario Galaxy is the reason why, in the grand scheme of things, human beings have thumbs and the ablity to shake their wrists around. Well, there is that, and then there is the ability to open doorknobs. Both are equally important.

Super Mario 64 was a revolutionary game. Super Mario Sunshine was a Gamecube game. Super Mario Galaxy takes the intial design of Mario 64 and literally turns it up on its head and shakes out all the brilliant ideas while leaving all the clunky and outdated ones behind. Per usual, there are 120 stars to collect while exploring various themed levels that branch off of a central hub area (that has a few secrets of its own and some cleverly hid 1-up Mushrooms). What's so great about this new hub area is not just the design, but as you progress farther into the game, the hub makes all of its satellite levels more easily accessable. You may need to make a trek up to the top a couple of times, but then the game rewards your efforts and gives you an elevator of sorts so you can zoom up there in several seconds. There is a large map in the area that shows your progress and neatly checks off a diagram of each level with a little crown to tell you when you've completed a level 100%. It makes things very easy to keep track of when going for the gold.

The levels themselves are nothing short of inspired, fresh and totally awesome. You'll tread some familiar ground on occasion, but more often than not that familiar ground is spun 180-degrees and you're doing something completely new and exciting on that ground... er, ceiling. The level designs are so unorthodox and ridiculous at times that I couldn't help but giggle and grin like the four year old I was back in 1986 that would jump every time I hit the A-button to make Mario jump on the NES. This game is saturated with life, and while playing you'll question why you play most of the other games that you have played; I know I did. There are more "holy crap" moments than you can shake a Wiimote at within the first hour of playing, never mind the entire game. I really can't put how fresh and exciting this game is into words. Even when I had 110+ stars, there were new experiences and levels that I was just starting to explore. I remember anything past the 70 star mark in earlier 3D Mario games slipped from being fun directly into "I need to do this crap to beat the game 100%" territory. Not here, friends.

Technically, the game shines in all aspects. It controls wonderfully, there are no noticable load times, and the music is phenominal. Online stores have just started taking pre-orders for the OST - the discs are only available to these stores and to people in the Nintendo Club in Japan, so they'll be pretty hard to get once they're out of print. As of this writing, Play-Asia is preparing for preorders. There are some classic remixes on there, as well as a bunch of great new tunes that did not disappoint me in the least.

So, as I type this I'm debating on whether to give the game another go. I might save it for later on this year when I start craving some more Mario Galaxy, but I might just hop right back into it and enjoy the amazing adventure all over again. I can't recommend this enough to Wii owners in general, as well as platforming fans and people that don't have broken thumbs. Yeah, it's that good.