Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 review – a universe of fun

Two of the best video games of all-time are remastered for the Nintendo Switch, but which is the best one and how do they stand up nearly two decades later?

Calling the next Super Mario Bros. film The Super Mario Galaxy Movie seems a very strange choice, even for a company famous for leftfield decisions. Super Mario Bros. 2 would seem a perfectly reasonable choice, if not Super Mario World, but Nintendo have chosen to skip ahead to the 3D games of the Wii era. It’s a bit odd but they are two of the best video games ever made, so we’re not going to complain.

We’re definitely not going to get upset if it leads to a new entry, but so far there’s been no indication whatsoever from Nintendo, as to what the next 3D Mario game will be or when they might reveal or release it. All they’ve done is announce these two remasters of the original games, but that’s very welcome given that Super Mario Galaxy 2 was inexplicably missing from 2020’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars compilation.

Since that was only a limited time release it means that, until now, neither game was available on a modern format. These are Switch 1 releases – they’re only playable on Switch 2 via backwards compatibility – but they have been given a light remastering and can now be considered the definitive versions of both games.

Super Mario Galaxy Nintendo Switch review

We were sent a single download code for the two games but they’re still individual downloads, with no single app connecting the two. If you own Super Mario 3D All-Stars that means you can just buy the sequel on its own, although this new version of the first Galaxy game is slightly enhanced.

The original Super Mario Galaxy was the first new 3D Mario game since the disappointing Super Mario Sunshine on GameCube. Although it’s important to remember that while the 2D New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold 30 million copies, Super Mario Galaxy only managed 12.8 million and its sequel barely more than half that.

At the time it seemed as if 3D games were just too conceptually complex for mainstream Nintendo fans, but Super Mario Odyssey went on to sell almost 30 million, thereby disproving that theory. If anything, Galaxy is mechanically simpler than Odyssey, although with its sci-fi theme it does play around with gravity a lot, often flipping which way is up and having you walking upside down or around planetoids – in an extension of ideas from Yoshi’s Island on the SNES.

Both Galaxy games are exemplars of the unspoken Nintendo rule of having a new idea every level, to the point where some are only used once or twice, despite being ideas that could easily be separate games in their own right. Astro Bot borrows a lot from Super Mario Galaxy but where that game’s big new ideas are spread quite thinly, here it’s a constant bombardment of creativity, as if Nintendo’s designers are desperate to get the new ideas out before their heads explode.

The one flaw of both games is the motion controls, which nobody liked at the time and seem especially unnecessary nowadays. Waggling to do a spin attack is now achieved simply by pressing the ‘Y’ button but a lot of the game is built around aiming a cursor and firing Star Bits to temporarily stun enemies or activate objects.

This works fine on the Switch, but it means there’s an on-screen cursor getting in the way all the time. This can be made to disappear if you angle the right Joy-Con to the side but it’s very difficult to get rid of when using a Pro Controller, which otherwise works perfectly well, when aiming the cursor with motion controls.

It would be much preferable if the cursor just disappeared when not in use but the only time it does so automatically is in handheld mode, where you just press on the touchscreen. Alternatively, you can play the game in co-op (where mouse mode becomes an option on Switch 2) and convince your partner to just keep it out of your way.

In terms of visuals, it’s clear this is not a modern game but the resolution upscales to 4K on the Switch 2 (or 1080p in handheld mode) and there does seem to have been some minor texture work. Some of the character models are very basic, particularly the Toads, but conversely many of the bosses still look great and the simple, colourful designs help make it look better than you’d ever imagine for an 18-year-old game.

Score: 10/10

Super Mario Galaxy 2 Nintendo Switch review

There is a great deal of disagreement over which Galaxy game is the best, which is a nice argument to have as it’s like arguing over which is the most delicious slice of chocolate cake. Galaxy 2 was originally intended to be a sort of standalone expansion pack, described internally as Super Mario Galaxy 1.5 and given a development schedule of just one year. But, in a manner reminiscent of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, it soon expanded well beyond those modest ambitions.

Originally released in 2010, the original version removed Rosalina’s storybook elements from the first game, which we always took as a positive but others did not. For some reason it’s a focus here though, with a new chapter for Galaxy 1 and a whole new book for Galaxy 2. We couldn’t care less about that, but the game itself is just as marvellous as ever.

One of the most obvious additions to the game is Yoshi, who has his best co-starring role since Super Mario World. He uses all the same moves as in that game, but this time his tongue can be aimed with the cursor, which is used to eat and spit out enemies, as well as to grab and pull objects like moveable platforms or to act like a grapple hook on special flowers. He also has his own power-ups, and yet oddly he’s barely in more than a third of the levels.

There are also a lot more 2D sections than before, although none are straightforward, as the game goes much further than the original in terms of how it plays with gravity, while also introducing all manner of new ideas, like platforms that flip every time you do a spin attack, giant buzzsaws that cut away the scenery in front of you, or panels that appear and disappear in time with the music.

The power-ups are better than the first game too, with a drill one that works in both 2D and 3D levels, a rock suit that is used for Super Monkey Ball style races, and a cloud suit that allows you an impressive amount of freedom to explore, as you make your own platforms.

Galaxy 2 does everything that the original does but just that little bit better, with more variety and more interesting abilities. The original could be accused of being a bit too easy, with very few levels to test veteran fans. And that’s especially true of these remasters, as both games include an assist mode option that doubles the amount of health you have and lets you regain it just by standing still.

Nevertheless, the post-game for Galaxy 2 suddenly turns into the Dark Souls of 3D Mario titles, which is great because none of it is needed to see the end credits, but it does offer that extra challenge for those that want it.

Who knows what Nintendo might be planning for a potential Super Mario Galaxy 3 but playing both games again they feel like they’ve barely aged a day. The only issue is the irritating cursor, which is largely negated if you use Joy-Cons instead of a Pro Controller.

Both games are not only Nintendo at their peak (as good as Odyssey is, we consider both Galaxy games to be superior) but the whole art of video games. The creativity, the craft, and the bond between your simple control inputs and the magic happening on-screen has never been bettered. A decade and a half ago, Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 stood as two of the best video games ever made and that is absolutely still the case now.

Score: 10/10

Formats: Nintendo Switch
Price: £33.99*
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Release Date: 2nd October 2025
Age Rating: 7

*Both games are £33.99 separately or there’s a double pack for £58.99, for a saving of £9.

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