Just last week I found a copy of Mario Galaxy in clearance at a local specialty store. The thing is, the first time I tried to play Mario Galaxy I was extremely disappointed. Maybe it was the timing of when I tried to play it; I had just purchased Super Smash Brothers Brawl and was preoccupied with learning the intricacies of the new characters and the changes to old ones. It could have been the fact that in Mario Galaxy you have to use the Wii remote pointer for almost every part of the game. Another factor which may have affected my perception was how much easier this Mario was compared to the ones I grew up playing. All of these factors blocked out how much I could have been enjoying the game, stopping my collecting over a year ago at 13 stars. Now that I can look back, I see flaws in my first impressions with the game, and as I am finding out now Mario Galaxy has much more to offer than what I had originally felt.

            I’ve been playing Smash Brothers since the original N64 game came out. The evolution of the game was in my opinion from a Nintendo themed arcade fighter to the more complex and competition worthy Melee. I was completely wrapped up in the hype train leading up to brawl’s release, being disappointed each time the game was delayed, but still hungering for more information as the U.S. release date came closer and closer. I was so focused on waiting for Brawl I neglected to pick up Mario Galaxy when it released, but eventually borrowed it from a relative. By the time I played Mario Galaxy, Smash Brothers Brawl had already been out for about 2 months here. The only way for me to play was to take a break from practicing Brawl while my friends were no doubt getting better and better at the game. As an Olimar and Lucas player, I needed all the practice I could get so Mario Galaxy just felt like an unneeded distraction. Now that I have time to slowly work my way through the game, I can take a minute to relax and look around me while I play the game, appreciating the care that went into developing the new worlds and characters in this game.

            When I first played Mario Galaxy, I was not happy about the inclusion of a pointer on screen. It just felt distracting to me, keeping track of where Mario was and also having a big blue star partially blocking my view. I knew I could move the pointer off screen, but then I would miss out on the star bits I couldn’t reach or collect before they disappeared. On my current playthrough, I’ve finally reached levels where the pointer feels useful, pulling Mario between stars during a race or attaching to sticky orbs as sling shots. Where the controls felt gimmicky to me at first, they are now necessary to play and I am grateful for it.

            Nintendo games have been getting progressively easier through the years. While something from the start of the company’s games like Kid Icarus made me unable to complete more than 2 levels, I was able to play through Twilight Princess on the Gamecube without losing to any dungeon bosses, save for Ganon at the end. I grew up playing Mario Land on the original Game Boy, along with Mario 64 and the classics repackaged in Super Mario All Stars. The levels I first played in Mario Galaxy were really easy; I thought the rest of the game would follow this pattern and I stopped playing. During my current playthrough, I’ve played several of the speed run levels and liked what I’ve gotten so far. Even though I might not like it, levels in games today will be easier, but having the option of playing through hard sections makes it worth it for me.

            I have no doubt that Mario Galaxy is a great game. I’ve changed my opinion about the game after taking a 1 year break from playing, after friend would ask why I hated the Wii Mario game so much. The reason would have to be I didn’t give the game enough of a chance to see what was really being offered and dismissed it as a gimmicky platformer. It certainly is not, and the game’s new price @ $23.99 was a steal. Also, if anyone wants the Club Nintendo code from my new copy, whoever asks for it first in the comments can use it for points since I already have my cousin’s copy registered to my Club Nintendo account.