Kasey

User Score
10

Presentation - 10
Gameplay - 10
Value - 10

Wow...just Wow.  Almost three years after the first game, Nintendo decides to surprise us with a sequel.  But one thing you'll notice instantly is that while it may be a sequel, you don't have to play the first one to enjoy the second.  In fact, the story this time around is far different than that of the first game. 

Once every hundred years, the Mushroom Kingdom gets sprinkled with stardust, and this happened to be one of those years.  Mario was taking a daily constitutional when suddenly a baby star fell from the sky and landed right in front of him.  When Mario arrives at Princess's castle to see what he can do about it, Bowser kidnaps her, and Mario must save the power stars in order to power a ship to get to the center of the Universe.

Overall, this game is easily tougher than the original SMG.  Even in the begiinning, where things are not usually tough in a video game, Nintendo does a masterful job of keeping things simple, yet interesting.  There is never a slow part of the game where you are thinking "Is this really necessary?" 

Graphically, this game is outstanding.  Easily the best looking game on the Wii, and probably one of the best looking games of this generation.  Colors are vivid, bright, cheery, and actually quite detailed, despite the obvious lack of HD.  

Audio: Infriggincredible!  The only time in video game history I have ever heard a soundtrack like this is in Super Smash Brothers Brawl (a Nintendo Fighter, also on the Wii, which I would highly recommend purchasing if you don't have it already). The soundtrack is full of orchestrated music.  Mixing with the graphics is one of the most important thing when looking at the aesthetics of a game, and SMG2 does this impeccably. 

Gameplay is the same, silky-smooth feeling is always has had in Mario games:  The controls are very easy to master, the game is not hard to just pick up and play, but at the same time, even the most devoted gamers may struggle with some of the challenges Mario must face during his adventure.

Replay Value:  This factor really depends on a couple different things.  If you are not a completionist, and just want to get through the game as quickly as possible, you should be able to get through the game in about 15-18 hours, which certainly isn't too short.  However, if you want to collect everything you can, it is going to take you much longer--about 50-60 hours. And, the game is entertaining enough that you will probably want to go back and take on the challenge of beating it again. 

Conclusion:  this game is a brilliant masterpiece of a game, both on the Wii and as a game as a whole.  I can't really pick out any flaws about this game.  I am absolutely stunned at how much work Nintendo did to give us an absolutely superb quality game.  It is pure genius.