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Gravity plays a pivotal role in stages and it's the main element that pushes Mario Galaxy into a whole other league of platformer. Most levels in Galaxy consist of huge areas filled with tiny planetoids and other various space junk. Planets come in a variety of unique shapes and sizes, each containing its own set of landmarks, enemies and items. With a high enough jump, Mario can escape a planet's gravity and be tractored in by the gravity emanating from a nearby planet. It's only through this bizarre method of transportation that the vast majority of levels can be explored. It never gets old watching Mario slingshot across the stars and anticipating what kind of crazy space oddity he'll land on next.

Wii-mote functionality in Galaxy comes into play mainly when spinning and Star Bit collecting. Mario is still free to jump on enemies' heads to kill them, but it's generally easier to run up to them and execute a spin attack by giving the Wii-mote a quick shake. You can also collect multi-colored Star Bits throughout levels by simply aiming the star-shaped cursor at them with the Wii-mote, which pulls them to Mario no matter how far away. Star Bits serve as a sort of jack-of-all-trades item in Mario Galaxy. Collecting 50 in one level nets you an extra life, they can be fired at enemies by aiming and pressing the B button and feeding them to hungry Lumas will unveil a plethora of secrets. There's also a two-player mode which involves a partner doing the Star Bit collecting and shooting while player-one controls Mario, but it's pretty pointless.

Presentation-wise, to say Mario Galaxy is dressed to impress would be a cruel understatement. More like dressed to knock your socks off! Like Metroid Prime 3, the wizards at Nintendo have once again managed to craft a game that makes people say "Wait, my Wii is doing this?!" Not only are Galaxy's graphics crisp and smooth, but the audio is truly an artistic breakthrough for a Mario game. Some Mario fans will be floored after simply hearing the main theme, others are sure to remain in audio bliss throughout the entirety of Galaxy, gleefully taking in the delicious interweaving of grand orchestral pieces and fresh arrangements of timeless Mario tunes. Suffice it to say, the soundtrack for this game is going to sell like hotcakes. It's only puzzling why Nintendo gave water-logged Super Mario Sunshine voice acting while they left Galaxy's characters mostly mute.

It's been a long while since the gaming industry has produced a game that provides a level of wonder and excitement this incredible. Galaxy takes all of your expectations for a 3D platformer and throws them out the airlock. The sheer volume of activities, power-ups, obstacles, enemies and everything else that Galaxy throws at you ensures that you're never doing the same thing for long. Throw in bonus stages, unlockables and 120 stars to collect and you've got a game that can be thoroughly enjoyed by hardcore completists and casual Mario dabblers alike. It's games like Super Mario Galaxy that show why Mario always has, and will most likely always be gaming's ambassador.