Super Mario Galaxy 1+2! Let's Go Back to Jumping in Space!

We could sum it up like this, in a few verses inspired by our cantore par excellence, Dante: the sense of rediscovery that greets us every time the remastered version of a masterpiece from the past returns to be admired up there, in the firmament of titles that have entered the videoludic Olympus. And if the games in question are two, one the sequel to the other, and the Nintendo brand stands out alongside the mustache of the plumber we would all like to call at least once in our lives, then the stars mentioned above deserve much more than a fleeting glance.

Facciamo a small leap back (leap, because we’re talking about Mario Bros, got it? Haha): we’re in the thick of the Wii era, a never-too-praised console that combined the frantic search for classic home entertainment with the innovative use of the Wiimote, a wrist-straining tool that brought demanding gaming sessions. With the Wii, we learned to sweat in front of a screen, but above all genres like the platformer were infused with new life in terms of gameplay and stylistic approach. It is 2007 and Super Mario Galaxy steals the show from any title existing at the time, with a whole series of epoch-making innovations: the space setting, in every sense, the 3D graphics and the top-tier soundtrack composed by an orchestra that took care of every game world with evocative and unique themes. Another great feature was the cooperative mode, which allowed two players to tackle the campaign, both with the Wiimote and with the ability to interact not only with Mario himself, but also with the environment, its elements, and the antagonists of our hero.

The arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the world has been accompanied by a significant promotional campaign, effectively focusing on the graphical improvements brought by the substantial upgrade of the previous console: yet, initiatives such as the return of the Galaxy series on a new-generation machine, paradoxically, are all about the indelible connection of memory. Never before, especially in recent times, have concepts such as the memory of a game that entertained us, the awareness of the nostalgia that grips our souls when we return to play it, and the return itself to our origins, which are also ours as players, become material for study for industry companies and a true “hook” for (pseudo) new and old players. 

In light of these considerations, the rebirth in Remastered form of Super Mario Galaxy takes on a different value from a simple commercial operation, if you look at it closely: the 4K upscaling is certainly a noteworthy element, there is no doubt about that, however the emotion of reliving the Star Festival and Peach’s kidnapping, the cue that kicks off the first glorious adventure, is based on factors that go beyond the mere level-up due to the supporting machine: think of the absolute freedom of play on the asteroid spheres, that spine-tingling verticality due to the exploitation of gravity in a more than a little “imaginative” way and which had driven Shigeru Miyamoto so crazy when he conceived it.

Per conclude, beyond the improvements introduced and some tasty little extras, like a bonus chapter in Rosalina’s book in the first Galaxy and a brand-new book in the sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 represent the manifesto of how seminal the Wii was, so retracing those legendary shakes with next-generation Joy-Con and going back to jumping through outer space… Mamma mia!