Off the Shelf Media

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) took to the big screen this April and is looking to build on the legacy of one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises. In a series spoiled with incredible titles (and the occasional flop), Super Mario Galaxy stands the test of time and is truly among the greatest games Nintendo has ever made. 

When Mario games first became popular, you had two options with Mario. You could run to the left or to the right in a 2D side-scroller. Then, with the introduction of Super Mario 64, they added in the third dimension and allowed for so many more interesting mechanics and ways to navigate the creative worlds Nintendo creates for Mario to explore. Fast forward even more to Super Mario Sunshine, and they built on this success with even new mechanics focused on a water jet backpack that allowed for so much more flexibility and interesting platforming. 

Nintendo didn’t stop there. Not too long after, Nintendo launched Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii in 2007. The use of physics, space, and travel between gravitational pulls is right up there with the jump from a 2D side-scroller to a 3D open world. They found a truly innovative way to iterate on an already successful game design and created an absolute gem of a game. 

Gameplay: 2

Super Mario Galaxy is one of the more innovative titles, especially at the time of its release back in 2007. The jump this game takes, allowing you to traverse from planet to planet, was groundbreaking in 2007 and is still incredibly fun to this day. The extra layer of complexity it adds to platforming and puzzles the game throws at you is amazing. 

All the designs for the planets themselves are world-class as well, ranging from full-on Earth-like planets to hollowed-out asteroids you can jump inside of and pop out the other side once gravity loses its pull on you. The way you can slingshot around from rock to rock is incredibly fun and one of the highlights of this game. 

Though the gameplay looks different in the Nintendo Switch version of the game, the use of the Wii remote and nunchuck combo was also a major part of this game’s success on release. 

Story: 1

The story of a Mario game usually has a similar theme, and this one does not differ. Princess Peach gets kidnapped by Bowser, and Mario goes on an epic journey to save her and defeat him. It’s not reinventing the wheel, and is truly the only area of this game that I would not consider giving a perfect score to. That is by no means to say this is a bad story, however. The characters in Mario titles are so iconic, and this installation introduced fans to a character who has become beloved on her own right,  Rosalina. The developers did a good job of creating new characters to flesh out the Mario universe, which hadn’t expanded much beforehand.

I think what the story of this game does well is that it is easy enough to comprehend and can be enjoyed alongside the incredible gameplay and world design. It does not get in the way of the best parts of the game and is easy enough to follow that everyone from kids to adults can enjoy the game and feel connected to the never-ending plight of Mario trying to save Princess Peach. 

Atmosphere: 2

Every single level in this game feels so full of energy and surprises as you travel from planet to planet. Mario games are not new to introducing exciting new worlds filled with unique enemies and innovative game mechanics. How this game really knocks it out of the park is getting between these areas and characters. 

The travel from planet to planet, to asteroids, and other floating gravitational pulls is incredibly satisfying. Instead of going through a pipe to go to the next level, you are leaping into the great beyond and getting pulled into a new world. You can be jumping on an enemy on one planet, spot another celestial body and jump through the atmospheres of both to land on an enemy on the other planet. It’s one of the most incredible mechanics that I have never seen duplicated with the level of success of this game. 

The music design is top-tier, as is to be expected for Mario. You can tell the amount of time they put in and attention to detail to really immerse you in each new planet or galaxy that you are travelling to, and it adds to the fantastic atmosphere this game creates. Overall, it’s one of the more immersive environments Nintendo has created, and the atmosphere is one of a kind. 

Value: 2

One of the main criticisms I have had for Nintendo over the years has been pricing. There are plenty of titles that they slap the iconic characters from Mario games in and sell at full price that are nowhere near worth that price point. Super Mario Galaxy is not one of those games. It is truly one of the best titles in their catalogue, and is certainly worth the full price point even if the time to play isn’t hundreds of hours. 

It’s currently selling for $40 on the Nintendo store, which I feel is a very fair price for how great this game is. Even better, you can get the bundle of this game and its fantastic sequel for just under $70. While I am not a fan of spending more than $60, both games are incredible, and if you love the first game, you will love the second too. 

Duration: 2

This game is relatively short compared to some modern titles, taking about 20-30 hours to complete most things. The thing that this game really nails is the pacing. Every minute of that gameplay is fun and feels like you are discovering new interesting mechanics and worlds to explore. Many games have hundreds of hours of gameplay that are a useless grind just to keep you playing. 

Super Mario Galaxy does a great job at providing quality gameplay from start to finish. There is no point in the game where I felt it lagged or hit a wall. The way it takes you through the beautiful worlds, asteroid belts and hidden areas is paced perfectly. 

Total Score: 9/10

While all of the attention lately has been on the movie and its star-studded cast, it’s good to remember what inspired that feature film. Super Mario Galaxy is one of the more innovative titles I have ever seen, and it shows why Nintendo has had so much success. 

They are not afraid to take a good formula and add an insane new wrinkle to it that turns it on its head. The world design, unique puzzles and robust soundtrack combine together to create one of the studio’s best games of all time. If you haven’t tried it yet, I’d suggest picking it up and jumping into this celestial adventure as quickly as you can.