Coming: 2010
From IGN's Interview: "Reggie Fils-Aime on the Record"
IGN: You have a bit more insight on the development of Galaxy 2. What's the direction for the game? Do they really want to blow it out or will it be more of the same?
Reggie: What Mr. Miyamoto has shared is that if the first Galaxy was maybe more inviting in terms of all the audiences, what Galaxy 2 is going to be is maybe a little more Nintendo fan / harder gamer focused. A little tougher. The use of Yoshi makes it a little more challenging. We showed some of the snippets of some of the activities -- it's a bit more challenging. It's going to be, if you will, for more of that passionate Mario fan who grew up getting challenged with Super Mario World. It's going to be much more in that area.
From "Shigeru Miyamoto Roundtable LiveBlog"
"With Super Mario Galaxy, it's the first time we really worked with spherical worlds and we had a lot of ideas about how to use gravity. However, when we finished the game, we realized there were a ton of ideas we just couldn't fit in," he says.
More than 90 percent of what you will see in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is all brand new. Maybe even 95 percent . . . Galaxy 2 contains roughly the same amount of content as the original.
Galaxy 2 is very, very far along, but since Nintendo has New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it's going to hold off and keep Galaxy 2 for next year. :(
Woo hoo! Just finished the game. Ended with 72 stars so I have plenty left to go back and get. Absolutely fantastic game. I love the new powerups and the game had great boss fights. I didn't really care much for the Fluzzard levels but everything else was great.
Or my taste and memory are great and I actually like what I like, you sarcastic prick.
Wow, just when I think you have grown a pair, you hide behind a smiley.
For shame
You sarcastic prick.
I'm currently at 110 stars now. Almost there.
You reach the halfway point.
I am also at 110 star level, this game is kicking me in the balls repeatably. Totally completed world 1 - 5. I really like the Fluzzard levels, kinda controls like Wing cap of Mario 64 fame.
Vader and I guess Archie too, epic bitching inside: (watch out spoilers)
About world S, I am actually disappointed. Most levels are old levels. Only the second rainbow level is unique. The first one, is the 8-bit Mario level from Galaxy, the second one is new, the third one is the Sunshine platform void level, but they gave us a easy one. Not one of the more epic ones. And to make matter worse they don't give us the Do-do-do Mario theme, but the crappier Galaxy Mario theme. The fourth one is again a copy of Galaxy level, the stone cyclone from beach bowl galaxy, but only fast forwarded.
Which brings me to the controls. When running of an edge you lose all momentum. Which would not be bad, if a giant block was not moving in fast forward towards you. The end result is a flat Mario. That level was a bit frustrating, the blocks moved too fast, and every time you lose momentum, you get squashed like a bug. I did get it eventually, but so far the worst level of the game. The level after that was a boss rush level, okay it was all Galaxy 1 bosses, but it was pretty epic. The last level I opened was pretty epic. Looked basic, but pure platforming bliss. The rest of the levels should have been like this!
Shame really, the pacing, the levels were awesome. World S levels are a step back. Galaxy 1 final levels were the best, so far the same is not true for Galaxy 2. Really should have ended, with original awesome levels, like Melty Monster Galaxy. NSMBWii secret levels are much better in this regard, world 9-7 was Nintendo at their most evil. The S world kinda looks mini-game-ish, the levels are very short challenges and because everything is recycled from previous games it is a bit lazy. Sure the comets challenges will be really hard, but they always are.
I am now 110 stars in BTW, so far Galaxy has better pacing, less filler, better level design, better graphics, more variety and depth. I am not blown away by the music as some of you are. I think Galaxy 1 might have a better soundtrack, not sure will have to listen to both to be sure. But really in the grand scheme of things both soundtracks are pretty awesome. Also I miss the cosmic races from Galaxy 1, really liked racing a cosmic counterpart. Also miss levels like Dreadnought galaxy and Battlerock Galaxy, where you are on a moving platform and everything is fired at you.
Galaxy 2 is better, but not by much and Galaxy 1 still has levels that Galaxy 2 lacks. So Galaxy 2 is a bit better, but it does not make Galaxy 1 obsolete, not even close.