Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a 2010 platform game created and released by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first introduced at E3 2009 and is the follow-up to the 2007 game Super Mario Galaxy. Similar to the first game, the story follows Mario as he travels to outer space to stop Bowser, who has captured Princess Peach and taken control of the universe using Power Stars and Grand Stars. Mario must collect Power Stars across different galaxies to reach the center of the universe and save Princess Peach.

The game was initially planned as an updated version of Super Mario Galaxy called Super Mario Galaxy More. However, developers decided to expand the game into a full sequel after adding many new ideas. This made the development time longer, lasting two and a half years. New features include changing environments, additional power-ups, and the introduction of Yoshi.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 received high praise from critics, who compared it favorably to its well-received predecessor. The game was praised for its creativity, level design, gameplay, music, and technological improvements. However, some critics noted that the story was less detailed and the game was more difficult than the original. It is often considered one of the greatest video games ever made and is among the best-selling Wii games, with over seven million copies sold worldwide.

An improved version of the game, along with Super Mario Galaxy, was released for the Nintendo Switch on October 2, 2025. Both games were also available separately on the Nintendo eShop. The enhanced version includes 1080p resolution, improved user interface, and added content like an assist mode and a new storybook. A free update for Nintendo Switch 2 allows the games to be played in 4K resolution. A movie based on both games, titled The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, was released in April 2026. It follows The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and is part of the franchise’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Super Mario Galaxy 2 is very similar to the first game, with a focus on jumping and moving around 3D planets grouped into levels called galaxies. Each planet and galaxy has different themes, sizes, landscapes, and climates. The player controls Mario (or later, his brother Luigi, though using Luigi is optional) and can use special abilities such as the "Spin" attack, long jumps, wall jumps, and somersaults. The goal is to travel through galaxies, complete levels, and collect Power Stars. These stars are needed to unlock later levels. The game keeps mechanics from the original, such as the blue Star Pointer for collecting Star Bits, 2D movement levels, balance ball levels, and gravity-reversing background arrows.

Players access galaxies through a map system similar to previous Mario games, such as Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This map is controlled from a mobile planet called Starship Mario, which acts as a central hub and expands as new abilities or levels are unlocked. The game includes 49 galaxies spread across seven regions in the universe, with difficulty increasing in each region. The first six regions end with boss levels where the player must defeat Bowser or Bowser Jr. (Bowser in even-numbered regions and Bowser Jr. in odd-numbered regions) to unlock the next region. Collecting all 120 Power Stars unlocks 120 Green Star missions, which are hidden levels requiring exploration and precision. These missions may result in instant death if the player fails. The game has 242 unique Power Stars to collect in total.

Most levels in Super Mario Galaxy 2 have unique tasks based on their themes, with environments that change or alternate between different states. For example, some levels change with the music, like sudden gravity shifts or disappearing platforms, while others have switches that slow time temporarily. Prankster Comets, which were in the original game, now appear only after collecting a Comet Medal in a galaxy. These comets offer more varied challenges, such as defeating all enemies, collecting 100 Purple Coins, completing levels quickly, or avoiding Cosmic Clones. These features create puzzle-like challenges that require careful planning and skill.

All original transformations from the first game return, except for Ice Mario and Flying Mario. Three new power-ups are added: the Spin Drill, which lets Mario burrow through planets; Rock Mario, which turns him into a rolling boulder; and Cloud Mario, which allows him to create temporary platforms.

Mario can ride Yoshi in certain levels. When riding Yoshi, the blue Star Pointer becomes a red dot that lets the player control Yoshi’s tongue to interact with objects, swing across gaps, pull levers, and swallow enemies. Yoshi can also flutter jump. Three power-up fruits—Dash Pepper, Blimp Fruit, and Bulb Berry—give Yoshi temporary abilities, such as running fast, floating, or revealing secret paths. If the player takes damage while riding Yoshi, they fall off, and Yoshi runs away until the player gets back on. If not, Yoshi retreats into his egg and moves to nests in specific areas.

The Cosmic Guide appears after failing a level multiple times and lets the computer control Mario to complete it. However, this earns a Bronze Star instead of a golden Power Star. Hint TVs also show how to perform moves or use power-ups effectively.

Multiplayer gameplay has expanded. In the original game, a second player could control a Star Pointer to help Mario. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, the second player controls an orange Luma who can attack enemies, collect items, and gather power-ups, making their role more active.

Plot

In the story, Princess Peach invites Mario to share a cake at the Star Festival, a 100-year celebration that happens when Star Bits fall from the sky over the Mushroom Kingdom. On his way to Peach's castle, Mario finds a lost Baby Luma, who becomes his friend and gives him the ability to spin. Soon after, Mario's enemy, Bowser, who has grown very large by using too much power from the Grand Stars, attacks the castle. He kidnaps Peach and escapes into space to build a new empire at the center of the universe. Mario meets two Lumas who help him, and one turns into a Launch Star that sends Mario into space. After exploring the first galaxy and collecting his first Power Star, Mario arrives on a small planet that acts as a spaceship and meets Lubba, a purple Luma who leads a group of Lumas. Lubba explains that Power Stars are needed to power the spaceship and that Bowser attacked the crew, causing some Lumas to be thrown off the ship. Lubba tells Mario that Bowser kidnapped Peach and offers to help find her. Lubba agrees to let Mario use the spaceship temporarily if he collects more Power Stars. After Mario agrees, Lubba orders the Lumas to rebuild the ship in Mario's likeness, and they do. Mario then takes control of Starship Mario and begins his journey to save Peach. As Mario travels through space, he explores new galaxies, collects more Power Stars, and meets new characters, including Yoshi, the Toad Brigade from the first game, and his brother Luigi, who join him on the ship.

During the journey, Mario faces Bowser's son, Bowser Jr., who helps his father and fights Mario twice, losing both times. Mario also battles Bowser in two of his own galaxies, defeating him each time but allowing him to escape. Along the way, Mario collects Grand Stars, which are stronger versions of Power Stars that create portals to other parts of the universe. After collecting many Power and Grand Stars, Mario and his allies reach Bowser's giant starship, which is taking energy from a comet. Mario enters the ship and fights Bowser for the third time, defeating him and making him return to his normal size before falling. Just as Bowser falls, a final Grand Star appears. Before Mario can take it, Bowser survives the fall, eats the Grand Star, and grows even stronger. A final battle occurs, and Mario defeats Bowser by hitting meteorites onto him, causing him to shrink and fall into space. Mario grabs the last Grand Star and saves Peach. They return to Starship Mario, where Rosalina and her Comet Observatory from the first game appear. Rosalina thanks Mario for caring for Baby Luma, who returns to the Comet Observatory with Mario's hat as a gift. Mario and his friends return to the Mushroom Kingdom to celebrate their victory, but Bowser is shown to have survived, though he is now very small. The game ends with Starship Mario flying above Peach's castle, and the Comet Observatory passing through the sky.

Development

After Nintendo finished making Super Mario Galaxy, Shigeru Miyamoto spoke with the development team and suggested creating a follow-up game. The game was first planned to use variations of the original game’s planets and was called “Super Mario Galaxy More.” During early development, it was also named “Super Mario Galaxy 1.5,” with a planned development time of about one year. The first parts of the game included ideas from the original that were removed, either to keep the game balanced or due to time limits, such as Yoshi and a planet shaped like Mario’s head. Over time, more new ideas were added, and the team decided to make the game a more complete sequel instead of a simple update. This made the development take two and a half years. Koichi Hayashida was the director, and Takeshi Hayakawa was the lead programmer. Hayakawa created a tool that let artists and designers create game levels without waiting for programmers, and many of these ideas were used in the final game.

To help players tell Super Mario Galaxy 2 apart from its predecessor, the team wanted the game to focus on “switching,” where environments would change dramatically under certain conditions. However, this idea was too hard to use throughout the game and was only included in some levels. Early on, the team also considered including other Nintendo characters, like Donkey Kong and Pikmin. Miyamoto decided against this, saying Pikmin characters wouldn’t fit in the Mario world and that other cameos were unnecessary. Tutorials were only included in an optional system called the “Tip Network” for players already familiar with the first game. Miyamoto compared Super Mario Galaxy 2 to The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, explaining both games used the same engines as their predecessors but added new features.

The game was shown at E3 2009 on June 2. During a private meeting, Miyamoto said the game was far along in development but was delayed until mid-2010 because of the release of New Super Mario Bros. Wii in late 2009. Miyamoto noted the game had 95–99% new features, with the rest from Super Mario Galaxy. Nintendo of America’s president, Reggie Fils-Aimé, said the sequel would be more challenging, and Miyamoto mentioned the game would focus less on story. Miyamoto first hinted the game might use the “Super Guide” feature from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and this was confirmed by Nintendo’s Bill Trinen, who said the feature was adapted differently. This version is called “Cosmic Guide,” where the Cosmic Spirit (Rosalina) controls Mario.

The game was playable at the Nintendo Media Summit 2010 on February 24, 2010, when a second trailer was released. Its North American release date was finally set for May 23, 2010. The Japanese, European, and Australian versions came with an instructional DVD manual explaining controls and showing advanced play. Voice actors from Super Mario Galaxy returned for the sequel, including Scott Burns (who voiced Bowser) and Dex Manley (who played Lubba and Lakitu).

In January 2015, late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced at a Nintendo Direct presentation that Super Mario Galaxy 2, along with other Wii games like Punch-Out!! and Metroid Prime: Trilogy, would be re-released for download on the Wii U’s Nintendo eShop. It was released on January 14, 2015.

Like the original Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has a musical score written and performed by a symphony orchestra (called the Mario Galaxy Orchestra in the credits). Early in development, when the idea of “Super Mario Galaxy 1.5” was considered, there were no plans to use new music. However, as the game changed, the sound team, led by Mahito Yokota, realized they needed new music that matched the new gameplay. Although they were hesitant to use an orchestra again because of recording challenges, Miyamoto approved, saying players would expect an orchestral soundtrack. Miyamoto also suggested including music from Super Mario Galaxy and earlier Mario games, such as Super Mario World and Super Mario 64. Ryo Nagamatsu, who worked on Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports Resort, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, contributed nine pieces to the soundtrack.

Koji Kondo recruited 60 musicians for the orchestra, 10 more than the original game. An additional 10 musicians played big band instruments like trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and drums, making a total of 70 players. The orchestra was conducted by Taizo Takemoto, known for his work on the Super Smash Bros. Concert in 2002. Kondo supervised the music and contributed five pieces to the soundtrack. The soundtrack was released as a 2-disc set for Japanese Club Nintendo members, featuring 70 songs from the game.

Reception

Super Mario Galaxy 2 was highly praised by major video game critics, who often compared it favorably to the original Super Mario Galaxy. Many reviewers said the game either matched or improved upon the first game. It has an average critic score of 97% on GameRankings and 97/100 on Metacritic, placing it among the top-rated games on those sites alongside its predecessor.

Tom McShea from GameSpot called it a "new standard for platformers" and gave it a perfect 10, making it the seventh game in the site's history to earn that score. Edge also gave it a perfect score, saying it "rolls up the genre and locks it away," while IGN's Craig Harris said it "perfectly captures classic video game charm." IGN later ranked Super Mario Galaxy 2 fourth on their "Top Modern Games" list and named it the greatest Wii game of all time. The Escapist's Susan Arendt said the game "didn't tinker with the established formula very much, but we didn't really want it to," and GameTrailers noted that "there's something tremendous for just about everyone." Ryan Scott from GameSpy said it was a better game than the first Super Mario Galaxy, stating, "For a series that has explored every angle of its genre, the Mario games keep finding new ways to challenge our ideas about what a platformer can be."

Ryan Davis from Giant Bomb praised the improved level designs, saying the creators were "bolder" and "more willing to take risks with the planetoids and abstract platforming." Chris Kohler from Wired said the level concepts "could be made into full games on their own." Justin Haywald from 1UP.com noted the expanded soundtrack as "sweeping." X-Play's Andrew Pfister gave the game a 5/5, calling it "the culmination of 20 years of Mario gaming into one fantastically-designed and creative platformer."

Some critics mentioned challenges, such as increased difficulty and similarities to the original game. Chris Scullion from Official Nintendo Magazine called it the "new best game on Wii" but said it lacked the original's impact. Matt Helgeson from Game Informer said some challenges might be "frustrating," especially near the end of the game. Ben PerLee from GamePro said the "increased difficulty and high skill requirements might turn new fans away." However, Chris DeAngelus from Worthplaying praised the difficulty, saying "very few sequences feel like bad design instead of player error, which keeps frustration low." McShea said the game is "more streamlined than its predecessor," and Kohler said the reduced focus on story was intentional to keep the focus on gameplay but noted that "Galaxy showed the Mario team has strong storytelling skills that were not used here."

In Japan, Super Mario Galaxy 2 sold 143,000 copies on its first day and 340,000 copies in its first week, about 90,000 more than the first game sold in the same time. In North America, it sold 650,000 copies in May 2010. In the United Kingdom, it was the third best-selling game among multiplatform releases and the best-selling single-platform release for the week ending June 26, 2010. By July 16, 2010, it had sold 1 million copies in the USA. As of April 2011, it had sold 6.36 million copies worldwide.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 received Game of the Year 2010 awards from Nintendo Power, GamesMaster, Official Nintendo Magazine, Edge, GamesTM, Destructoid, and Metacritic. It was named the best "Wii Game of the Year" by IGN, GameTrailers, GameSpot, 1UP.com, and other outlets. By December 2010, IGN ranked it the number one Wii game, surpassing its predecessor. In the March 2012 issue of Official Nintendo Magazine, it was named the "Greatest Nintendo Game Ever Made," ranking first out of 100. It was nominated for Best Wii Game at the Spike TV Video Game Awards 2010 and for "Favorite Video Game" at the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards, though it lost to Just Dance 2. It was also nominated for "Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering" at the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.