Super Mario Galaxy 2: The Sequel That Surpasses the Original

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97 out of 100 on Metacritic: the sequel that outdid the master. Released on Wii on 11 June 2010 in Europe and developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo, Galaxy 2 finally makes Yoshi playable, complete with his three transformations. This guide covers the power-ups missing from the first game, Starship Mario replacing the Comet Observatory, the Baby Luma storyline and the 120 Green Stars of the post-game.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 landed on Wii in 2010, just three years after the first Super Mario Galaxy. Where most sequels settle for recycling their ideas, this one took the opposite gamble: Shigeru Miyamoto announced that nearly 90% of its content would be brand new. The result? A Metacritic score of 97, one of the highest in the entire history of video games.

But what really sets this sequel apart from its elder? Yoshi finally playable along with his transformations, new power-ups such as the Cloud Flower, a structure rebuilt around Starship Mario, and a legendary final challenge. Here is a tour of everything that makes Galaxy 2 far more than a simple rerun.

Contents

• Yoshi finally playable and his three transformations
• New power-ups missing from the first Galaxy
• Starship Mario, a rethought hub
• The story: a giant Bowser and Baby Luma
• The Green Stars: a colossal post-game
• "The Perfect Run": Nintendo's ultimate challenge
• Quick facts
• FAQ

Yoshi finally playable and his three transformations

This is THE headline addition of Super Mario Galaxy 2: Yoshi, who never served as a mount in the first game, becomes fully playable here. Mario frees him by cracking an egg, then climbs on his back to make the most of that grabbing tongue, able to snatch enemies, items and grip points from a distance.

But the dinosaur goes further still thanks to three fruits that transform him temporarily:

• The Dash Pepper turns Yoshi into Dash Yoshi: he charges along at full speed, scales vertical walls and even runs across water.
• The Blimp Fruit produces Blimp Yoshi: puffed full of air, he floats upward to clear the chasms.
• The Bulb Berry activates Bulb Yoshi: his body gives off a golden glow that reveals invisible platforms.

These abilities completely reinvent the level design compared with the first Galaxy, where Mario went it alone.

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New power-ups missing from the first Galaxy

Beyond Yoshi, the sequel brings in completely new power-ups that never existed in Super Mario Galaxy , the original:

• The Cloud Flower turns Mario into Cloud Mario: with a single spin, he creates up to three clouds to stand on, opening routes that would be impossible otherwise.
• The Rock Mushroom produces Rock Mario: sealed inside a boulder, he rolls at top speed to crush enemies and shatter the purple crystals.
• The Spin Drill (also known as the Drill) lets him bore straight into the ground and pop out on the other side of a planet, playing on the gravity so dear to the series.

The classics of the first game are still here (Bee Mushroom, Spring Mushroom), but these additions show just how determined the game was to reinvent itself.

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Starship Mario, a rethought hub

Gone is the Comet Observatory belonging to Rosalina from the first game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 adopts a brand-new command centre, the Starship Mario. It is an asteroid sculpted into the shape of Mario's head, captained by a pot-bellied Luma named Lubba.

Navigation changes radically too. Instead of freely exploring an observatory, you now make your way across a world map split into successive worlds, in the style of the New Super Mario Bros. Galaxies unlock in a more linear way at first, with branching paths multiplying as the adventure moves along. A clearer structure, built to string gameplay ideas together with no dead time.

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The story: a giant Bowser and Baby Luma

The plot stays deliberately simple, as Mario tradition demands. Bowser, having absorbed the power of the Power Stars, has grown to a gigantic size. He attacks Peach's Castle and carries the princess off into the heart of the cosmos.

Along the way, Mario takes in a lost Baby Luma who grants him his famous spin move. Helped by the Lumas that turn into Launch Stars, the plumber sets off to hunt Bowser from galaxy to galaxy, recover the stolen Stars and rescue Peach. The cosmic guardian Rosalina, central to the first Galaxy, keeps a far lower profile here.

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The Green Stars: a colossal post-game

Playtime is one of the areas where Super Mario Galaxy 2 literally crushes its predecessor. Once the 120 Power Stars are gathered, the game does not stop: it unveils a second set of 120 Green Stars, tucked away in the corners of galaxies you have already visited.

Unlike the standard Stars, these Green Stars are flagged by no objective at all: they turn every level into a genuine treasure hunt, often perched in spots that demand real acrobatics. Collecting them all unlocks the ultimate galaxy, the Grandmaster Galaxy, and its two final stars, bringing the total to 242 stars for completionists.

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"The Perfect Run": Nintendo's ultimate challenge

The Grandmaster Galaxy is home to one of the most feared challenges in the whole Mario series. Its second mission, nicknamed "The Perfect Run", plays out under the effect of a Daredevil Comet: Mario has a single hit point and nothing more.

Worse still, this gauntlet contains not one checkpoint flag. The slightest slip, the slightest brush with an enemy sends you right back to the very start of the level, which strings together the most demanding platforming stretches in the game. That wall of difficulty has become a cult moment for fans, a symbol of the standard Nintendo reserves for its most seasoned players. Worth noting, finally, that a co-op mode lets a second player take on the role of a helper Luma to pick up items and stun enemies.

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Quick facts

Platform	Nintendo Wii (2010)
Developer	Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Release (Europe)	11 June 2010
Metacritic score	97 / 100
Power Stars	120
Green Stars	120 (post-game)
Ultimate challenge	"The Perfect Run" (Grandmaster Galaxy)

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FAQ

• What is the difference between Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2?
  The sequel makes Yoshi playable, adds new power-ups (Cloud Flower, Rock Mushroom, Spin Drill), replaces the Comet Observatory with Starship Mario and a world map, and offers 120 Green Stars in the post-game. Miyamoto announced 90% brand-new content.
• How many stars does Super Mario Galaxy 2 have?
  There are 120 Power Stars to collect first, then 120 Green Stars unlocked afterwards. Counting the two final stars of the Grandmaster Galaxy, you reach 242 stars in total.
• What are Yoshi's transformations in the game?
  Three fruits transform Yoshi: the Dash Pepper (Dash Yoshi, ultra-fast), the Blimp Fruit (Blimp Yoshi, who floats away) and the Bulb Berry (Bulb Yoshi, who reveals hidden platforms).
• What is "The Perfect Run"?
  It is the final mission of the Grandmaster Galaxy, the last galaxy in the game. Mario has only one hit point there and no checkpoint flag: the slightest mistake sends you back to the start. It is one of the hardest challenges in the series.
• Which consoles can you play Super Mario Galaxy 2 on today?
  Originally released on Wii in 2010, the game was later ported to Wii U (via the Virtual Console), then re-released on Nintendo Switch.

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