Super Mario Galaxy series (Nintendo Wii)

Best: The level design

Because Super Mario Galaxy takes place in space with Mario jumping and running around different tiny planets, Nintendo was able to play with level design in a way that felt truly special a decade removed from Super Mario 64. On top of some excellent Mario platforming, Galaxy brought new layers to getting around that gave both Nintendo and players new space to play in. Now, rather than just considering “can I make this jump,” there are scenarios in which the gravitational pull of a small planet creates some really clever design moments. It might not have had the same cultural impact as Super Mario 64, but Galaxy was still a pretty innovative spin on the formula.

Worst: The Wii Remote waggle

Super Mario Galaxy is a game I sometimes have trouble finding fault in, and even this point I don’t have too much of an issue with it because it’s such a small thing in an otherwise stellar game. The Wii’s motion controls can either feel baked into a game’s core, or bolted onto it out of obligation, and Super Mario Galaxy’s definite feels like the latter. The Wii Remote is used to gather items by pointing at them and is utilized in some levels to deal with obstacles. The motion controls do ultimately feel unnecessary, but that didn’t stop Nintendo from trying to emulate them in the Switch port.

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