Super Mario Galaxy celebrates its 15th anniversary today, November 12, 2022. Below, we take a look at how its unique setting has given it a special sense of wonder that sets it apart from other Mario games.
Mario Galaxy offers a melancholy take on the stars, a far cry from the Saturday morning surrealism of other games in the series. Of course, it’s not like its predecessors and follow-ups haven’t had their own unique charms – think Sunshine’s sunny stunner or Odyssey’s whirlwind tour. However, Galaxy offers an existential and joyful melancholy. This explodes Mario’s level scale beyond realms and story, into (meta)physics. Galaxy focuses on the cosmic interconnection of life and death, and the scattered, unconscious possibility of rebirth.