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Nintendo Wii
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Thirdperson
Singleplayer
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Other GamePeople columnists have reviewed this from their perspective - huh?:
Family Guide Gamer (Wii)
Soulful Gamer (Wii)
Teen Gamer (Wii)
Haiku Gamer (Wii)
Scripted Gamer (Wii)
Frugal Gamer (Wii)
Tech Gamer (Wii)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is an addictive masterpiece which takes me back to a time when completion was not an option but a mandate.
Hello, my name's Sinan and I'm addicted to little gold and green stars. These stars are everywhere. When I go for a walk, I see them hiding round corners, teasing me with their happy smiles and faint glimmer. I barely sleep, and even when I do I'm thinking about the next star. They are my ever-present passion, my torment.
Just as Sisyphus was made to push the rock up the hill for eternity, I wondered if there would be an end to my ordeal - or if I would forever be collecting small shiny stars. For every one I collected, it seemed the next tried harder to elude. What had started as a harmless sojourn around a familiar galaxy transformed into a quest. Not to save some princess - she was just a sidetrack - my magpie eyes had soon forgotten her.
It started when I proudly found my first green star, plucked high from the sky. It was then that the nagging took hold, whispering mischief into my mind, reviving memories of a world with 96 oscillating bars, of a mansion filled with its own 120 sparklers, of an ancient terrain with warp pipes luring me away from the true path of the hero.
Super Mario Galaxy 2's quest for stars took me back to the early years of Mario.
Super Mario Galaxy 2's quest for stars took me back to a simple time, and to that unquenchable desire to complete a game whole. Something about Mario brings this feeling to life more than other games. Maybe it's the familiarity. Maybe it's the charm. As the years have dwindled, the portly Italian has become so many things. He has grown in a variety of directions, sometimes swept in the tide but more often than not at the head of it. Sometimes attending to us enthusiast players, and sometimes courting the more casual crowd. But in his platforming domain, he is still king.
Even though my visit this time is more than reminiscent of my last, I am still enraptured by Super Mario Galaxy 2. Each planet presents its own wonder, each galaxy a new surprise. So I stare into the abyss, and beyond it and its exactitude lies the final star. 241 stars have come before it. The faint light of a summer morning coming to life reflects upon its spinning edges. I can almost hear that last victory fanfare. To end my eternal struggle, I must achieve perfection. There can be no mistakes.
For me the price of this masterpiece is my submission to it.
This is my Super Mario Galaxy 2 experience. For me the price of this masterpiece is my submission to it. It held my gaze for all 241 stars thus far. I can only hope it chooses to release me with its last.
Sinan Kubba writes the Returning Gamer column.
"As an 80s kid I was obsessed with gaming. But university, stress and life relegated my hobby to the backseat. After years in the wilderness, I'm back into video games. I don't just want to play games that remind of a happy youth though. I'm just as excited about games that take things forward, experiences that re-ignite that curiosity and fascination I had years ago."
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