Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Nintendo Switch feels like a no-brainer when it comes to celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Super Mario series, as well as preparing moviegoers looking forward to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie next year, a chance to play the games that inspired the titles. It ticks a lot of boxes, but do these nearly 20-year-old Nintendo Wii games hold up to the test of time?
Both games are masterpieces in their own right from a golden era of Nintendo games, so a port was going to come out eventually. But do the changes made to the games enhance or detract from the experience, and how does everything ultimately hold up? And is the magic still there for modern-day gamers who may have never touched them on the Wii to enjoy for the first time?
I feel like everyone has talked about both games to death over the last several years, so instead, I wanted to focus on what is actually new in these games on the Switch.
First, the new stuff
Despite appearances, both games feature enhanced visual upgrades for the Switch and Switch 2. The visuals are significantly crisper and more noticeable than I thought they would be, especially after watching the trailer. It's a bit jarring. Both versions also have a new soundtrack mode, with newly added music tracks for the jukebox lovers out there.
It's hard at first to tell what is really different between the versions of the Wii ones outside of the noticeable graphical improvements and a new coat of paint, but that isn't exactly a bad thing either. In fact, in some areas it feels like they removed textures, making sure grounded areas feel more plain than their Wii counterparts. I'm not sure why Nintendo decided to do this, but as someone who played many of the Wii versions to prepare for this review, it's more evident in retrospect.
There is also a new addition for both games called Assist Mode. In it, you get six health at all times instead of three, and if you were to fall at any time, the game will instantly grab you and put you back where you dropped off instead of instantly killing you in a black hole.
The games also feature new motion controls where you tilt the Joy-Con to move the cursor on screen. If you are in handheld mode, you can use touch controls instead, which is arguably easier. I find the touch controls to be more precise, and the controller motion-controlled mouse to be a bit clunky at best.
Lastly, you can find additional chapters of Rosalina's picture book in both games. But we won't be talking about what is actually in them, and let you find out those secrets for yourselves!
But are the games any good?
I mean... It's Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2. Of course, these games are still fantastic and hold up. Minor clunky issues aside, the ports hold up super well, run smoothly, and the fact that you can play these games on the go is fantastic. Of course, we could already do that with Super Mario Galaxy as part of the 3D Mario Collection released on Switch years back, but finally having Mario Galaxy 2 feels like a bonus treat.
Both games are filled to the brim with hundreds of hours of content for those who want to collect and complete everything old and discover all the new stuff, too. The controls are still some of the tightest in history, and the worlds and locations, alongside the return of fan-favorite power-ups, are still standouts that haven't been repeated in any Mario game to this day. Both experiences are excellent, and for anyone who missed the chance to play these games in the past, the titles are not to be avoided, especially with the Switch-specific changes made. I'd call this the definitive way to play these games at this point.
There are even some surprises in store for series veterans, and of course, Luigi is back if you wish to switch up characters. Having both games overloaded with content also makes picking them up a no-brainer, even if you've played them before. Though, as mentioned before, the Wii-style gameplay does take some getting used to, especially when using a Pro Controller.
I can't stress enough how much I still enjoy replaying these games on the new system, and being able to play an updated version of Super Mario Galaxy 2 has been a delight and will definitely be my go-to for any future long journeys. I could 100% complete these games over and over again.
A galactic finisher
These games are a masterclass even nearly 20 years later. Both are massively enjoyable, and while some of the changes made to the original are questionable, they are amazing to play again and again.
You could argue that the price point is not worth it for the changes, but when it comes down to what it is—a video game. Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 are still massively enjoyable games that offer an insane amount of content and replayability, making them well worth picking up. Even if I had personally liked to see full-on remasters from the ground up, these games still hold up remarkably well and transition from Wii to Switch amazingly, despite some personal nitpicks.
And hey, if you want to catch a glimpse of nostalgia. Be sure to check out our full-blown legacy reviews for the original Wii releases of Super Mario Galaxy here, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 here.
The post Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 Switch review – The same masterpieces, enhanced appeared first on Destructoid.
