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In Defense of Super Mario Galaxy 2

54K views · Jun 2, 2023 · Gaming

AurumAlex

14K subscribers

Comments · 326

@MCJorgePlacer.official · 2 years ago
I also had the exact same weekend rule growing up, the way I'd cheat it was Professor Layton, I used to tell my parents that it was a puzzle game which was good for my brain
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@rocketrifter · 2 years ago
Something I appreciate about Galaxy 2 over Galaxy 1 is the White Luma that provides you the spin ability is actually a character. He pretty much fades into the background in the first game, but he's more prominent in cutscenes and feels more involved in Galaxy 2. He even talks! In retrospect it's odd that he wasn't that prominent in the first game, considering the ending scene has a moment of him leaving Mario's hat and flying into the black hole with the other lumas. If he had more screentime like in Galaxy 2, that moment would've have way more weight.
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@AYTM1200 · 2 years ago
Re-using part of the galaxy 1 vid whilst changing it up a little all while talking about how re-use can be used effectively is so meta and very clever.
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@maegnificant · 2 years ago
The fact this is not on switch is a crime.
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@esf1934 · 2 years ago
Galaxy 2 has always had some of my favorite locations in any game and the fact that some of them are barely talked about at all always confused me. From some of the exciting highs like Melty Monster Galaxy, to the quiet atmosphere of Slimy Spring Galaxy ending off with that beautiful sunset, this games world deserves way more recognition.
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@Sabagegah · 2 years ago (edited)
They already told the story they wanted but they had more ideas, so they didn’t let them go to waste. That’s pretty cool. The visual and musical storytelling show how far you’ve come.
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@kasig2013 · 2 years ago
This is easily one of the most brilliant reviews/essays I've seen on Super Mario Galaxy 2, hell, any game, period. It's always been kind of frustrating how this game has gotten the short end of the stick from fans, all because it lacks the more emotional, grandly atmospheric tone of the first game. But, it's not trying to do that. It's venturing off in a new direction. The analogy of comparing the journey to a big road trip is so brilliantly inciteful. That's what it is. Just a big, fun road trip, checking out the sites and meeting fun new people along the way. Sure, Peach still needs to be rescued from Bowser, but it's honestly kind of smart that the game doesn't have a more dark, serious tone. It lets the rest of the game breathe more. Bowser serves more as a bully you have to flick on the nose, rather than a demonic conqueror you have to vanquish. Your discussion on storytelling in games was also fantastic. I feel people get all to caught up in seeing the story in games as just being the dialogue and text spoken by characters during cutscenes. But, there's so many ways in which games can communicate their stories and Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a great example of that. Sure, I wish it was something more original than "Save Peach from Bowser, again" and it's certainly not very deep, but it doesn't have to be. This game is a joyous, fun ride, bursting with creativity and charm. Your video does a fantastic job celebrating that. Thank you.
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@blarneystone38 · 11 months ago
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRWeMpUp-W4&t=1770">29:30</a> well it’s 2025 and Lubba now has a storybook recounting her tragic backstory
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@undergalaxy775 · 2 years ago
I've spent all my life thinking of reasons to explain why Galaxy 2 is my favorite game, even more so than 1, but you've laid out in a way that I don't think I ever could have. Absolutely hit the nail on the head. Besides Galaxy 2's excellent levels and game mechanics, there are a lot ways to take emotional value out of it that differ from its predecessor. When I was a kid, I really felt this aura of adventure around it. Games took me a while to complete, and time was way slower when I was 8 years old, so the feeling of approaching the final world as the backgrounds of the world maps became more menacing and the music more tense and the levels more difficult, felt really tangible, all while the game barely said a thing. 12 years later, I find someone who's able to properly put that into words. This video deserves a billion views
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@ShyGuy094 · 2 years ago (edited)
It's weird. When Galaxy 2 was first released back in 2010, I saw nothing but unanimous love for the game all over the Internet, with people praising it for its solid gameplay, amazing level design, and fantastic music. Some even went as far as to call it the greatest Mario game ever made. However, when certain influencers on YouTube at the time came out saying they didn't like it, calling it an "overrated, overglorified expansion pack", everyone just kind of latched onto their opinions and started trashing the game all of a sudden, and just like that, all the love and praise I kept seeing for the game went away. Of course, I'm not saying that people don't have legitimate reasons for not liking this game or preferring Galaxy 1 over it, but during this time, it really did feel like people were hating on this game because it was the "cool" thing to do now apparently, and as a big fan of Galaxy 2, it was honestly pretty sad to see. That said, it really does make me happy to see that Galaxy 2 is finally starting to get the respect and recognition it genuinely deserves all these years later. I especially appreciate the new perspectives you offered on the so-called "flaws" of this game and why they might not actually be flaws at all. It shows that you actually understand this game and look into it a little deeper rather than just taking it at face value like so many people do, and I've got nothing but respect for that. Also, as a side note, I find it funny how people always laud Rosalina's Storybook for being this super crucial piece to Galaxy 1's story that gives the game so much more emotional weight, yet at the same time... it's completely optional and can be easily missed. Heck, I know I missed it on my first playthrough and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the game at all, so while it is most definitely a welcome addition to the game, perhaps it's not as important and necessary as people make it out to be, and why Galaxy 2 not having anything like it isn't really a huge deal in the long run.
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@RefinedbyLight · 2 years ago
The point you made about the story telling in Mario Galaxy 2 is so accurate. It’s still my favorite Mario game to this day. It does so much right
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@السراقالمجهول · 2 years ago
the fact that mario galaxy 2, widely considered to be the best 3d mario game at one point needs defending now is just sad
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