Why Do We Remember Super Mario Galaxy (So Well)?

[@TheCursedJudge]

Oh also I made a cat meme with super mario galaxy music a long while back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqHVg5mniZ5mp7s

[@jasperstuart5745]

You Should make a Video about why Nintendo must release a Super Mario Galaxy 2 Remake/Remaster Next year;Because it’s the Only Mainline 3D Mario Which still isn’t available on the Switch,& it were left out from the 3D All stars Collection 3 years ago

[@dick_nballs]

why does ur voice sounds depressed like r u alright? r u really fine? its like ur almost wanna cry but u hold it

[@OnlyforFydo]

Mans made an entire video essay just so people could see his meme (jkjk)

[@GregHuffman1987]

meow

[@traviscunningham7062]

3D Land: Your forgetting me?

[@Kronem725]

For some years, I thought that what made Super Mario Galaxy so unique was its highly creative gameplay and level design. However, after replaying it, I realizes that the most unique thing about this game, in my opinion, its the fact that this is the only mainline mario game which is melancolic. The obsevatory, specially in the beginning is so lonely and empty that makes you have a sense of lonelyness that you dont expect in a franchise that is generally so cheerful. Replaying the game reminded me of moments that younger me had a sense of sadness while staring at this void of stars in background, just thinking how we are just insanely small in comparison with the universe, and how it will be impossible to explore everything until the end of life. I didn't know much about the story on my first gameplay, but after reading it, it was nice to see that loneliness what always topic in the game.

[@LilXancheX]

Fuck dude, if that’s the case. Could you imagine god or maybe if the universe is sentient, must feel? What if whoever created us, wishes and wishes that it was dead but can’t because he exists as true reality?… 🤔 and so with all that unbearable loneliness, he decides to create us, out of pure loneliness? Cuz I as hell would be lonely and all alone in this infinite universe that makes no sense at all, yet it exists anyways

[@anselnova]

@@LilXancheXI LOVE YOUUU AND GOD LOVES US FOR WHO WE TRULY ARE AMEN🤍 God bless🤍🪞🫂

[@Skivv5]

This game IS my childhood. It didn't shape it, grow it, it DEFINES it.

[@coltonk.3086]

Me too.

[@traviscunningham7062]

Me three.

[@IntrestingYTObserver]

Me four lol

[@pinksywedarnoc8017]

Me five.

[@Equalizer2922]

Me six

[@sheridanmacon5303]

"That's to say that these Lumas, in some way, depict the unformed universe itself- and that what the universe is made of is not only inherently kind, but helpful and optimistic... every single thing in the universe is screaming out for goodness and happiness and light." This is NOT the quote I expected to get me to cry in this video. Absolutely incredible, I NEVER thought of the Lumas that way, but I'll never be able to see them any way else now. Thanks for reminding us that the universe was made to love.

[@letterlily]

literally burst into tears. so beautiful. completely changes the luma in the Mario movie too, it felt like they were trying to be edgy and nihilistic or pandering, but this makes complete sense. movie luma is at peace, already accepting whatever fate may come, grateful to be able to give back and be one with the universe. FUCK

[@rhettmitchell]

@@letterlily yeah each Luma is always ready to turn into any kind of celestial body, with love 🤲🏼

[@quintonconoly]

Fr

[@LilXancheX]

@@rhettmitchellI wish I was a luma 😢

[@cactusdude123]

I wonder what this means for the luma from the mario movie... Poor thing

[@jacklance2372]

“that what the universe is made of is not only inherently kind, but helpful and optimistic” really hit me

[@yellowstarproductions6743]

@@jacklance2372 agreed

[@sethschneider9764]

The reason i remember this game is because my mother played through all of the first and most of the second game while me and my sister cheered her on. She died when i was 8, so this being one of my last vivid memories of her (and it being such a good one at that) makes this game extremely special to me.

[@LilXancheX]

May she rest In peace. But how did she die?

[@sethschneider9764]

@@LilXancheX She was hit by a car one day while walking our dogs. Obviously it was very sudden and completely changed our lives. I don't know if it would've been better or not to see her slowly decline due to cancer or some other disease.

[@uhmhi4602]

I’m sorry for your loss, my dad used to play mario galaxy and zelda and me and my siblings would all watch. It’s interesting how this game was often played like a family game even though it’s one player. None of us have had the time to play games together in years, I do miss when we were a cohesive family just playing wii games together. That might be why I love the game so much.

[@traviscunningham7062]

What Zelda game did you play?

[@uhmhi4602]

@@traviscunningham7062 skyward sword and twighlight princess

[@miguelrios8622]

The ending of Galaxy always leaves me awestruck. With a deep feel of peaceful insignificance

[@pinkmell0w]

This. Even if I couldn't comprehend the massive scale of space as a child when playing for the first time, replaying this at an age when I could understand the massive size of it (and had a very negative view on our insignificance compared to the major scale of where we live) and completing the game at 100% just to get that special cutscene, it felt nice. It felt peaceful, it felt like being told "you're small and meaningless compared to the rest, but alone you're powerful enough to be okay. You're okay, and will always be reminded of it by everything"

[@_vanessajane]

​@@pinkmell0wExactly. We may be incredibly small compared to the sheer endlessness of the universe, but if you think about it, everything around us in this universe exists only for us to be and to have those kinds of feelings. Somehow it all comes full circle and it's just magical and beautiful 🌌

[@sapphirestarblazer6805]

Super Mario Galaxy is easily one of my personal favorite games, and you captured exactly why that is. Great video, good boy

[@emelidiez4789]

good boy lmao

[@moosesues8887]

@@emelidiez4789this is the funniest reply I’ve ever seen all week 😭

[@adridaplague-boi]

@@emelidiez4789 im not gonna say why but. if you know you know

[@yovis05]

The atmosphere was special

[@korbenjrae9250]

I'm just hoping for galaxy 3

[@0rnery0verwatch]

I still, to this day, tell people that the most fun I've ever had playing a video game was when I completed Super Mario Galaxy. And when I bought it, I wasn't dead set on completing it like "I'm going to get every single star!" but it turned out that the levels were so fun and imaginative, that the game damn near *demanded* that you get every star. It was difficult to not think you were missing on a lot of potential fun by skipping a level, any level, no matter how far into the game you were. Plus the soundtrack! The 'space junk galaxy' music was the first song I ever learned on piano

[@spanglish04]

The music in the game is unlike any other. Space Junk Galaxy is a great example of that, very beautiful piece. From what I understand, they made a lot of the music through an actual orchestra

[@rhettmitchell]

@@spanglish04 yeah it was the first time Nintendo had a fully live orchestrated soundtrack. And they did that again in Skyward Sword, and at this point, a lot of their bigger games use live music

[@LilXancheX]

@@rhettmitchellsonic unleashed did that too! Go figure

[@pixelsilzavon77]

Even today, Rosalina's story never ceases to make me tear up pretty hard. The whole station, the rooms, always had this melancholic yet happy feeling. As a kid, I'd spend hours just wandering the station, treating the station like my home and enjoying just going from observatory to observatory, taking in the atmosphere. I followed Rosalina's story tons, and always used to constantly check the library, not knowing how to tell when a new one would unlock. Galaxy is always gonna be my favorite 3D mario due to its feel.

[@mikejr7727]

This game was what got me into storytelling while being just so.. comforting yet outlandish.

[@hylianro]

"Mario got me into storytelling" Are you stupid or lying?

[@silvanag.w.7950]

Ok bud, I don’t think you need me to answer that question.

[@UnpleasantNasty]

ok bud 😢

[@juicytumor4196]

U R Mr gay 😉

[@silvanag.w.7950]

@@juicytumor4196 how do I send a gay pride flag emoji

[@jebebebebebeb]

@@silvanag.w.7950🏳️‍🌈

[@thephoenixsystem6765]

​@@silvanag.w.7950step 1: be gay step 2: be proud step 3: send any flag

[@cashmsc]

It’s simply absurd how fucking good you are at making these videos. You’re not just simply saying what makes the game good, you’re completely dissecting and analyzing the philosophy behind the game’s creative philosophies and finding parallels between every single level of the game, whether it be the literal gameplay, or the level design, or the plot, and it all just blows my mind how effortlessly you blend these things together and make it emotionally on top of it all, I was damn near crying by the end of this video. The fact this channel doesn’t have millions of subscribers is an insult to good content

[@FuryMaster]

His work is unlike any video essay I've ever seen. They don't just answer the question of the video, they leave you thinking deeper and changes by the conclusions and I love it. Cant wait to watch him grow

[@michaelhays]

Yeah his videos are special. He's only been making these for a couple of years, I bet he's over a million subs by the end of the next two

[@bryngriffiths5347]

they're so good, hes so convincing

[@TheCursedJudge]

Thank you so much.

[@bobfigget6690]

The last section about the storybook and bringing out your inner child was making grown adults sob. I should know, as a grown adult, writing this after sobbing heavily for about 5 minutes.

[@josuenaimzaratecordero4533]

I did effing cry at the ending of the storybook. My parents still laugh at me for that, but whenever i think back to it i can't help but shed a couple of tears. On the other hand, SMG was my first actual videogame on my first actual videogame console. I still play it whenever I'm feeling down, or looking to feel nostalgic.

[@LilXancheX]

Fuck man, I wish I still had my Wii U, I still have the game but no console.

[@TommyTom21]

Yeah the library genuinely made me bawl as a child, even to this day I can't get through the storybook without tearing up

[@ne12follow]

Same dude. Over the last couple of days I decided to play it again with the aim of actually completing the game, I was reading the story book chapters as they unlocked because they were a nice break from me perfecting every galaxy (I always did every star in every galaxy before moving onto the next. If a comet appeared I would do it straight away.) I got to the chapter where the girl (I had realised at this point who the girl was) said that her mother was sleeping under the tree, and for some reason that childlike innocence broke me. I eventually beat the final level after only just beating the bedroom dome bowser level due to me instantly having the required star count. Still haven’t finished it and I can’t wait to…

[@Stabbyhara]

I remember when I got around to revisiting my childhood wii library in 2020 as a form of escapism unexpectedly just breaking down at it. I never cried to it as a kid but something about “she’s sleeping under the tree on the hill” broke me lol It’s a very special part of this game. Absolutely mad it was very nearly cut.

[@Dragon_girl0531]

yea it was one of my first too, and trying to play it again now. cant wait (also nice homestuck pfp)

[@merouln700]

There's 2 things that always make me amazed about Super Mario Galaxy: The story of Rosalina, which makes me cry by the mere mention of it, and the backgrounds, that looks so massive and loves to crush the level you're in. The thing that made me resonate the most with Rosalina's story is the desire to go back, the desire to relive happy memories of loved ones. Thankfully, no one I was deeply emotionally attached to has left my life yet. My grandfather did die and I do miss some of him, but I saw the pain he had living and felt relief when he passed away. But events within my family fractured it a bit. And that story makes me realise how much do I miss the past. Why did the happiness of living together had to go away this badly? It gave a strong emotional connection to the story. It's a story of learning to accept the lost past, focusing on being someone new and living with the available present. It's no secret that Rosalina herself reads that story. She knows what it took to bring happiness and hope in a desperate situation. This sad part aside, let's mention the backgrounds or the numerous creative ideas that were born from the premise of this game (and Mario Galaxy 2). Want to have a garden in a space where it doesn't fit? They did it. Want to go through the ruins of an immense planet full of boos and sea creatures, ONLY TO FIND CAPTAIN TOAD AT THE END? You have that. A giant cake? Why not. To go back to the backgrounds, they help showing the true shape of the world you're in. There's something just... wide (idk how to describe it) about having a planetary system... Surrounded by massive waterfalls. Or the endlessly swirly ghosts in the skybox of ghost levels OR THE 2 LAVA PLANETS SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER THAT THEY SHARE THEIR IN MELTY MOLTEN GALAXY. I love those backgrounds, how small they make me feel. I'd recommend checking them in the noclip website.

[@Sabagegah]

The planets of Deep Dark are so extremely disconnected from each other and it’s the perfect mix of creepy and fascinating. It feels like the place where developers dumped all the ideas they didn’t get to use elsewhere and that really appeals to the part of me that loves the discontinued, removed, and incomplete in gaming and computers in general.

[@seanrrr]

Galaxy triggers the same sense of nostalgia and serenity for me that early Minecraft did. Both gave off this sense of wonder and adventure, while simultaneously feeling very peaceful, calm, and introspective. I would stop and stare off the spaceship and listen to the calming (almost sad) music the same way I'd stare at the sunset in Minecraft. They both felt very serene, yet somewhat lonely. It's the kind of feeling where you just stare at the world and want to cry, though you don't know whether it's due to beauty, contentment, or loneliness. It's very hard to describe the emotions these games gave me, but I know they had a profound impact on who I am; sometimes I feel like I relate more to that singular feeling than anything concrete in this world. I wonder if anyone else here feels a similar way.

[@leafstarivy]

I cried while watching this. The nostalgia hit really hard this time. And i absolutely lost it while watching the part about Rosalina's story. Thank you for making this video

[@EIZENSTEIN.]

all i gotta say is... the ending song: Family, i unlocked and played during christmas eve 10 years ago, 2013... and i consider that to be the best moment of my whole life. everything just fell into place perfectly, and i don't know how to describe it other than... magical.

[@TheFerdi265]

This is something that I find very interesting: This game somehow is very... Christmassy, despite not having any Christmas themes in it

[@EIZENSTEIN.]

ikr, thank you. finally someone who gets it :D@@TheFerdi265

[@LilXancheX]

@@TheFerdi265I’m so glad you mention that. Because I have some game recommendations that give off those winter Christmas vibes! - sonic colors - sonic after the sequel - Kirby’s epic yarn - sonic lost world - donkey Kong country returns! Those games just scream Christmas presents all over them ❤️

[@flufficornss]

@@TheFerdi265 i think its because we can all imagine us booting up our wii on christmas and putting in a game like super mario galaxy

[@ariature]

This is one of the few channels that I dont wait for KZbin to recommend a video to me, I check almost daily for a new video because I’m that excited. These are peak videos

[@mattyn94]

Bro there’s this thing called the subscribe button, it also has a notification bell right next to it. Click both of these things. You’re welcome

[@dick_nballs]

@@mattyn94 LOL xD

[@alfonsobiggers2452]

We remember _Super Mario Galaxy_ not merely for being a good game, but for being a defining experience of whimsy and wonder. It reminds us of the pure qualities of a child's mind and heart, and the adventurous spirit they hold. Every element of creative gameplay, sweeping and intimate music, and deeply moving story serves to create that sense of childlike joy. Perhaps you haven't felt it since being one yourself. In every man lies the heart of a child, and _Super Mario Galaxy_ resurrects that child back to life! This is my favorite game of all time...

[@Sunny_Haven]

The bit in 17:44 where you use noise to describe a space station is very neat, sometimes you just can't put something into words. And yes, I love Atlas, he's adorable :3

[@mikaroni_roo]

My favorite part of this game had to have been the library. My grandma would sit down infront of the TV next to me and read Rosalina’s Storybook to me, sometimes she’d even read it to me at night to get me to go to sleep. It was a truly special moment for us every time, and I’d cry every. Single. Time. She died 12 years ago and some of my most treasured memories are her reading to me. The music in that library is just.. idk it makes me melancholic to the point I cry. This game was my childhood and was what introduced me to video games, it was my first after all. Thank you for making this video, it was well done and explained everything I couldn’t put into words.

[@bronwyncurnow2960]

SMG IS the game that defines my childhood. Something you halfway mentioned was that most space games are about the future, and futuristic technology, and while smg has that, the game is still wholly based around this idea of the past. The most meaningful story of the game is Rosalina’s by far, which is entirely centered around longing and that sense of melancholy. Mario has a little bit of it sure, but like you said, that feeling of staring into the void of space, that sense of vastlessness and insignificance, really makes the theme of the past so significant. And I think there’s something deeply moving about a fun bright and beautiful Mario game with such longing themes. It’s an incredible balance and it makes it feel so real and memorable. Especially as a kid, having a game that was so fun to play tied with these childish stories of hope for the past felt so real to me, even when I was young. It was the first encounter I really had with a game that felt like the story meant something to me.

[@SomeBoiOnline]

25:46 "What the universe is made of is not only inherently kind, but helpful and optimistic" is a wonderful quote that sums up this game perfectly.

[@aspabr]

28:54 bro this never fails to make me sad, hearing the story after first playing the game when I was like 8-9 always gives me goosebumps. Good times…

[@Red_Rose_Cat]

28:54 your delivery of this line sent a shiver throughout my body, its such a simple sentence yet the impact it leaves is long lasting. its one thing for an adult to say a dead person is sleeping but for a child they probably don't understand it.

[@M3RK_Crash]

Before watching the video, I think this is why its so memorable. I imagine being 5-8 years old and playing the game, the fun and friendly music which sometimes is scary and mysterious makes it stand out among many other games. Another big thing would be the ability to explore the comet observatory and find all its secrets. Culminate these 2 things together and I remember all the times I just ran around the dark parts and listened to the music. It felt calming, and relaxing, kind of like a safe space and with the warm glow of things like the beacon. It felt like a warm safe haven between the emptiness of space. There was also the fact of it taking place in space and how mysterious it was for all of us at that age. All together though, its the sense of warmth and welcome the game has, being able to explore for hours, carefree and just being able to listen to the calming music and look at the stunning visuals. It made the game feel like no other I have ever played, just due to that mystery, and overall comforting and relaxing environment. Edit: Someone else also said the ending which is totally applies here. The mystery, fear, sadness of seeing all the characters and places you explored getting sucked up over the course of the game, and then the ultimate sacrifice. It made me think when I was younger "What was that? What did I watch?" the drilling sound affect and the tense quiet. Then everyone is reborn and you see every character across the whole adventure all partying during the event and place where the entire game started with uplifting cheery music. Super Mario Galaxy will always be my all time favorite because of the mystery it had to me as a small child, and now that I am older I can never experience anything like that ever again. My early critiques is you saying the movement sucks. I love the movement because its clunky and how it just feels is nice, and adds some difficulty while being simple to learn I think its near perfect for the type of game that it tries to be.

[@RealPhara]

The end part of the story almost brought me to tears... I've always been a massive fan of Space-related Stuff and Super Mario Galaxy to me has an insanely strong impact on my life. Literally everything in this game brings me back to when I was 8. I bough the game without knowing anything about it. I just found it and i thought it looked good. As soon I started playing it, however, things completely changed and saying I fell in love with the game is an understatement. What i believe is the main reason I still almost fully remember the game is its music. Almost every song is impeccable, from simple piano music, to orchestral masterpieces incorporated into one single game. So much variety in each galaxy yet the same base. Planets. Almost every single galaxy was fun, and I sometimes come back to the game to complete it multiple times. Super Mario Galaxy is the second most sold game in the Wii, only below Wii Fit Plus, but that doesn't matter. It's the best game I've ever played in my whole life, and although it's not as customizeable as a Minecraft World, I still think this game surely beats Minecraft in terms of Atmosphere, Music and Mechanics. What Nintendo made with this game, is the Childhood of Tens of Millions of Us that we will never forget. Thank you, Nintendo.

[@RedstoneAceTheSecond]

One of the biggest things for me were the dreams I had after having played the first Galaxy game. Different endings or hub worlds I would make up in my head making the game feel so much more real as I was directly thrusted into the experience as, well, myself. The ethereal, isolated vibe and atmosphere of Galaxy helping this become possible, a thing that wouldn't've happened in a game like Sunshine or Odyssey, and, while I do feel that the bustle of those games help them in particular, Galaxy, for me, is a game I feel so much nostalgia for.

[@CriticalMonkey623]

This video is great, and you made me realize something which I did subconsciously. As you point out around the middle of the video, Galaxy being a space game which isn't sci-fi is kind of a weird phenomenon, especially in western gaming, and definitely makes it stand out. So, it makes sense to me now why the music from Galaxy fit so perfectly into my space themed DND campaign. When trying to find background music for a set of space-faring, magically fuelled adventurers, nothing hit quite as hard as the OST for Galaxy 1 and 2. I don't even have that many strong memories associated with the game, as I was never really a nintendo kid, but the music just filled me with a sense of wonder and desire to explore, while giving off that mystical sense of the great unknown. So many pieces of space themed music focus on one of two things: The abject horror of the great unknown or the grand accomplishment of conquering the final frontier. These were both not the vibe I needed for my silly DND campaign. I wanted something which felt like an adventure, which inspired awe, which felt magical and sometimes nonsensical, and which made the players go "Wow, fuck yeah". The music from Galaxy fit that aesthetic perfectly, and it's because of the reasons you point out in this video.

[@lancedawe]

super mario galaxy holds a very special place in my heart. it was a big part of my video gaming childhood. every time i turned it on, it captivated me. the soundtrack, the story, the atmosphere. it was an opportunity to step outside the reality of this world i had built within my mind and immerse myself in something fun and at the same time charming. it was all so incredible. this video reminds me that it still is. easily my favorite video you’ve done, man. brought me to tears. you’re excellent at what you do.

[@TreeFiddy350]

I still remember walking all the way around a small planet for the first time, I immediately knew this game would be something special

[@KokonutOil]

The ending is the most significant insignificance you will ever feel. You feel whole in an empty space. Nothing can ever come close to it

[@SienAppelsien]

This is my most replayed game. I can barely finish one game, but I think I have finished galaxy 6 times now. And every single time, I still cry multiple times during my playthroughs. The storybook, the ending where all the lumas say goodbye, this whole game is just so incredible and touching

[@PEAKCENTURY]

After my wife and I separated in 2008, we kept finding an excuse to get together: to smoke a joint and play Super Mario Galaxy. We completed it to 100% and even then kept meeting up at hers to see if we could find more secrets. After it was over, so were we. I’ll always remember her and this game very fondly; it has a melancholic and spacious feeling that I will always love.

[@BobertBS]

I’m sorry 😔

[@dabdabthethird2410]

27:10 I think the sad part of her finding building matierals and dismantled buildings in various comets is that it implies that those comets hit somewhere with a society and life that could build and it took part of that with them- the observatory is built of other things which ties in nicely with the overall message of harmony

[@MeMelon]

Oh boy this is gonna be a good watch. The first game has always stuck with me the most out of the two. It had such a unique feel and atmosphere (haha). If we get a galaxy 3 a manly tear will be shed.

[@picklenator9633]

It’s enough to make a grown man cry, and that’s ok.

[@Nocturna.]

for me, it was first the music, that was made by the legend himself koji kondo. He insisted on having an orchestra for the themes, and really has an impressive talent to immerse the player. his music is really linked and well composed to what you perceive on screen. Secondly, this game was gradually getting harder, unlike mario odyssey for example, which a toddler could finish easily, from start to ending. It was also innovative to have it in space, which blew my mind as a kid

[@Rajada64]

Do not forget about Mahito Yokota, he also composed music for Galaxy. Gusty Garden Galaxy, one of the most memorable songs from the entire series, was composed by him, as well a large part of the Galaxy soundtrack.

[@Kalise1d]

Super Mario Galaxy got me into gaming. We had a Wii that I am the youngest of nine was not allowed to play on, unless no one was using it or the tv. Unlike my other siblings, I wanted to play so badly so I used to make myself player two in this game just to learn strategies and feel like I was playing. I also used to love watching my older sister, play twilight princess, and now I own her copy of both games! To this day, I’m convinced I’m only fairly good at the NSMB series because I used to volunteer my little self to *die* for my siblings to get further in levels when in reality I was just trying to learn the strats so I could play by myself. Then the day finally came, the day that I completed the entirety of Super Mario Galaxy as the coveted player 1! To this day, I’m the only one of my sisters who turned out to be a gamer. I have since played galaxy 5 times; twice on the Wii, twice on the WiiU and once on the switch. It will always be my favorite name of all time. Even playing it on the switch with enhance motion controls prove to me that I do not love this game because it is nostalgic, I love it because it is a damn good game with one of the best stories I’ve ever played. The music is fantastic and put you right in the game, I cry when the Lumas off themselves just to save you and create a new galaxy every time. And I read Rosalina’s storybook like it’s the 1st time, every time. god I love this game!!

[@ZReChannel]

Rosalina backstory is so well constructed it always breaks me, maybe it calls too close to home

[@UpperAquatics]

This was the first game i played when i pulled my wii out of storage. Its my favorite Mario game and has the ultimate "little brother" 2 player mode lol.

[@Loveyourhair25]

Another amazing video keep up the good work

[@TheCursedJudge]

thank you, this is incredibly generous.

[@silksong37]

He captured the lightning in the bottle again. As he did the time before. And the time before that. If anything, I'll miss this moment in my life, when I had your thoughtful essays in the background, making my menial tasks a lot more enjoyable. As it always does, time will wash away everything but I will always cherish these moments where you are able to totally immerse me into your wondrous chain of thought. Thank you dude, again and again and again. I'm sure by this point you've realized but your videos mean a lot to us, and we will happily await the next one. Stay safe dude and Merry Christmas 🎄

[@Waffletigercat]

I 100%ed both Galaxy games like 5 times each on Wii. They’re basically my favorite Mario games. The gravity mechanics were so inventive and created absolutely amazing level design. The general atmosphere of both games is stellar, too, with perfect music and visual design to support the locations we visit.

[@patrickporter4440]

The way you find stories hidden in games is awe inspiring. Your videos never fail to get me in me feelings in all the best ways.

[@djdeadbeat4380]

The strange thing is, I’m not entirely sure if my first experience with Super Mario Galaxy tapped into my personal psyche and awoke my love of melancholic sensations in media or if it formed them. I first played Galaxy when I was seven years old when my father brought a rented copy of the game from Blockbuster home to play. At that point in my life, the only videogames I had ever touched were Diddy Kong Racing and Zoo Tycoon for the Nintendo DS, and Wii Sports for the Wii. Galaxy was my first ever “major” videogame, and shaped all my expectations for games since then. Though for most of the initial rental time, I only watched my dad play the game, I soon asked to play myself, and together we played up until the final level. We tried and tried but neither of us were skilled enough it beat it. Nine years later, halfway through high school and with years of gaming across all genres of games under my belt, I beat the final level on my dad’s original profile many years after he gave up on the game and hadn’t even thought of it: To him, it was a silly game that we’d stopped playing years ago, but to me, it was a personal hurdle that I wanted to conquer for both our sakes. Though beating the final Bowser stage the first time was only the halfway point in the overall game, it felt like the finish line for me. I’ve gone on to beat the game with both Mario and Luigi about 34 times each. I’ve put thousands of hours into the game and it’s my favorite of all time. As stupid as it sounds, I barely consider it a game anymore since it’s shaped so much of my childhood/gaming experiences since. As as adult, I find myself preferring media that invokes heavy feelings of melancholy above all else. About a week before typing this comment, I watched Bladerunner 2049 for the first time, and I’m sure many people who’ve seen that film know what I’m talking about when I say it invokes similar emotions and feelings to Super Mario Galaxy the first time I played it. When you play the Gateway Galaxy about 3/4 of the way through the game and Rosalina explains her eternal mission to mother the Lumas as they become the future of all the stars and planets and galaxies of the universe, it gives your mission in the game new meaning. Forget beating Bowser and getting Princess Peaxh back, you’re restoring the Comet Observatory and giving Rosalina the agency to keep producing the living universe. It’s profound in a way I’ve not seen replicated in any other media. It’s simple and not much is said, but not much has to be said to get across the point. There’s a sadness but a certain amount of determination attached to the narrative of the game. Super Mario Galaxy doesn’t just refer to the galaxies you travel between, but to the galaxies that have yet to be born that you’re saving As Mario and Luigi, I traveled the universe and discovered the inherit sadness of the Space Princess (Rosalina) and her never-ending quest to protect the Lumas until they mature enough to become stars/planets/galaxies. It’s an endless job that requires a nearly endless reservoir of patience and grace. She had to become a mother to the future creation of the universe despite not asking for it. Her legacy is to foster the living future universe despite being a confused young girl that never understood her own life. Your legacy is to be the person that undoes an imbalance in that grand plan (Bowser), so that the entire universe can be made right once more. That has become your legacy. And what is legacy but a traveler’s story?

[@iitsmeromii]

Now change the fact that it was my absolute favorite game and I did several 100% completions of it. I could never forget this game

[@Zer0mega64]

I almost cried at the end. Super Mario Galaxy is my all time favorite game ever, and it's so close to my heart. It's a big part of my childhood. Good job on making such a well put together video.

[@Henrcr]

This was honestly one of the most heart tugging and soul inspiring video I have ever watched. I can't explain how but the way you explained this world I was already familiar with, spinning words and emotions that I could never begin to explain was phenomenal. Thank you for an amazing tribute to a phenomenal game.

[@lh9591]

This game is the actual prequel to Zelda TOTK. Each shrine in TOTK feels like a galaxy level

[@traviscunningham7062]

And BOTW?

[@lh9591]

@@traviscunningham7062 I meant gameplay wise, not story wise. Most TOTK shrines had small objectives or mechanics to learn to beat the shrine, just as each galaxy level did. And just like Galaxy, many in TOTK were pretty much copy paste.

[@siriusargus6766]

I only ever experienced that game for a few hours at my friends house and I was mindblown and really loved it. I never had a console or anything as a kid until i got my Laptop at like 13 years old. Though i have never properly played it, i still remember Super Mario Galaxy fondly for some reason.

[@LilXancheX]

That’s how good a game it was. Just a small gameplay made you feel like you’ve played the whole ass game 😂

[@TeganCantEven]

Galaxy is an absolute masterpiece. Thank you for expressing it in a way I never could. That Library became my favorite room of any game ever, Rosalina’s story brought me to tears.

[@crownetic]

had one of the best movements in a mario game jumping from planet to planet was awesome

[@lilfroctel6172]

When I had a Wii, we had a housekeeper which is basically my 2nd mother at this point, I remember teaching her how to play some games, mario kart Wii, mario 3d Land and mario galaxy was the hardest one for she to understand how to play, so she just sat with me while I played it, really good times

[@cybertris6911]

The way you approached this is beautifully done and makes me love Mario Galaxy even more now. Thank you!

[@peterkujawski1370]

This was one of the first console games I owned and I still cry at the storybook 16 years later

[@CloyMush]

Im so happy you mentioned the amazing work they did with the camera and how differently they use it!!!!! Ive watched hundreds of smg reviews and somehow no one ever mentioned that or didnt talk about all the ways they made it useful

[@play_hd3]

The galaxy games are my favorite games of all time. Thanks for covering it

[@dm45123]

Man, I totally agree, I don’t know why, but even years later after playing this game, I still remember all of it, even when playing it again recently I still know where everything is, it’s in my opinion the best game I’ve ever played

[@nickneuburg1388]

I love how content packed your videos are. I thought I had been watching for like 10 minutes but then I looked and only 4 had passed. Love your videos keep up the good work!

[@dontwaketheneighborsgaming6327]

One of my ice breakers is "did you cry at any point during Mario Galaxy?"

[@xystem4701]

such a wonderful breakdown! I need to bust out my wii and replay galaxy now because god damn you're hitting me with a lot of nostalgia here

[@Smokeblue]

14:18 me, an Astroneer dev, watching this random recommendation about Super Mario Galaxy, when it starts talking about other space games: 😮😊 (Great video, btw. I'll definitely be checking out your archive!)

[@TheCursedJudge]

Oh, wow! I have 300 hours in Astroneer and every achievement, I've been playing since beta (and very temporarily held the bytes per minute record). One of my oldest essays is about the game. It's great to meet you!

[@Smokeblue]

hah, that's awesome! I'll have to give that vid a watch, now. It's really gratifying to see someone who thinks about games so deeply get that much enjoyment out of something I've worked on

[@thebeber2546]

It would have been nice to see, how the soundtrack fits into the equation. For me at least it‘s one of the most memorable parts of the game. But overall, this video is an amazing analysis of what makes this game so special. Especially in respect to the gameplay elements and game design principles. Good job 👍🏻

[@spanglish04]

It definitely is; the music in this game is so beautiful, hard to even put into words. There’s nothing else like it.

[@mr.j3rs3y]

I’m honestly sobbing a bit rn. This game means so much to me and made me feel so much. Thanks for being in my life Super Mario Galaxy.

[@Baananna]

me too ):

[@theraevedoctor]

The story of Rosalina always made me feel a strong emotion as it just makes me break down and just lets me cry from just bottling them for so long. It amazes me that even though the story is told as a kids book it can still hit hard. Also I'm not crying you are.

[@NootalieWalf]

I stayed at my cousins house after Christmas and he has the All Stars collection on his Switch… I played. And I cried. And just kept doing that. My brother and I used to play on the Wii, I would be player 2 holding boulders and collecting star bits because I was ass at not falling into the black holes but I didn’t mind being the support for my little brother. Such strong memories of sitting on the blue couch on the blue carpet laugh in and yelling at each other… simpler times. Three nights after staying at my cousin’s place for Christmas this year (‘24) and playing Galaxy the whole time, that same little brother welcomed his first daughter into the world. Life is a crazy thing, but one thing I’m endlessly grateful for are those little ‘screenshot’ memories. I’m so proud of him and just had to write this down somewhere, KZbin picked the perfect time to recommend this! Happy new year everyone Also I am at LEAST as bad at it as when I was a kid… didn’t spoil my enjoyment one bit though!

[@purplehaze2358]

I wouldn't say that soft magick systems - IE, magick systems without much in the way of rules or limitations - are necessarily detrimental to any story that has them. It's simply a matter of execution, as are all aspects of storytelling when you get down to it.

[@weluvjstar]

I was really waiting for you to make a videos about this game, growing up I remember saw the trailer for the second game in like 2009 and that’s such a core memory even tho I was such a lil kid at the time. I think one of the things that sets this game apart is how much really went into creating this masterpiece of a game (this is my favorite Mario game of all time) the atmosphere created from the music and vibe of the game is something I don’t we’ll ever get again. It’s such a great game.

[@reidsneid2046]

We remember it because it was PEAK (and Rosalina)

[@thefroable]

It's a masterpiece. I grew up on the NES/SNES, so I was older when this came out for the Wii. The game exceeded all my expectations and had all the nostalgic magic of any game I played as a child.

[@chimitrash2966]

30:45 I have the exact same turtle (tortoise?) plush

[@propane3761]

I remember Mario Galaxy because my brain has a thing called a hippocampus

[@TheCursedJudge]

not for long!

[@i8dacookies890]

Wow yeah you're right, Galaxy is probably the most presentation focused Nintendo game ever!

[@19Szabolcs91]

Well, it's definitely one of, but not the only example. Some of the Metroid games, especially 2 also put aesthetics, storytelling and immersion before gameplay, and Eternal Darkness (not developed by, but published by Nintendo) is all about presentation with gameplay almost being an afterthought (unlike Super Mario Galaxy).

[@quentenburnett7296]

The production values on Galaxy are just insane. The orchestral score, the cut scenes. Even in 480p it looks good to this day. Though I admit the 1080p remaster is better, and 4K would be better still. But what really sets SMG apart is the Rosalina story in the library. Beautiful and heartbreaking in a way that no Mario game before or since has been.

[@ziintoth-tunes5406]

It's still crazy to me just how beautiful this game looks for a wii game

[@weisstofall2615]

As SMG was my first and only 3d mario game, I never noticed there were so many elements of Mario's movement missing, so I just really enjoyed the movement. Also, the spin jump is a god send to me, being able to recalibrate a jump is very good for inept people like me

[@NeThZOR]

This game defined childhoods.

[@bestskylander2890]

0:40 i wanna look at what makes this game special Everything just everything -crying from nostalgia me

[@traviscunningham7062]

It’s remembered because it’s the first 3D Mario game to: 1. Have a orchestra OST 2. Be a lot more linear than any of the previous 3D Mario’s 3. Have gravity mechanics that help with depth perception 4. Have a character with a backstory 5. Let you play as Luigi(Mario 64 DS doesn’t count because that’s a remake and not a new game)

[@LilXancheX]

IT’s remembered because I bought this shit on Christmas 😂 and it’s the best Christmas present I ever got in my whole life

[@traviscunningham7062]

I got this game along with my Wii.

[@NapaCat]

Unique aesthetic completely different from normal Mario, changes to gameplay that fundamentally set it apart w/o just being mobility differences, memorable mario characters, being on a console that did well, the story being one of the most unique in the franchise, replayability?

[@MapleMilk]

This is an incredible video I think there is a focus in critical spaces of a singular vision, a single director's ideas comprising the entirety of a work. From Kubrick to Kojima, critics love to look at media like Films, Games, and TV like Books or even Music where they can be made with one person's divinely creative input. While this is the case for many indie games, the reality of game production is that there are hundreds or even thousands of voices that work on a game to some extent. Games like Super Mario Galaxy can get lost in discussions sometimes because they can only be compared to other games rather than a director or team's other works like an author can This, however, can give actually ambitious bigger AAA games a sense of scope that smaller, more singularity personal games can't. If Super Mario Galaxy was made by even a smaller team at Nintendo, the scope that characterizes so much of the game would probably be cut. In a way, like the creator of the video said, the restriction of the camera can make the games devs have more control over the experience. In a way, it's truely a cinematic game. Like a big film, but not in the PlayStation game awards kinda way (not bad or anything) but in the Studio Ghibli sense of wonder kinda way. Super Mario Galaxy is so memorable because it achieved what Nintendo seemed to have been going for in a way since the first Donkey Kong. A truly cinematic experience.

[@KnightSky]

Bro said "night sky" 2 times AND made a really well-written and edited video. Instant sub!

[@zincpodzzz]

Didn’t expect to hear the Beastars soundtrack in a Mario Galaxy video, but it fits surprisingly well! Good video all around as well!

[@qinn1996]

short answer to the question that is the title of this vid: because I play it every other year.

[@SylvesterAshcroft88]

The second game was even better, it's just a shame it's stuck at such a low resolution, but the game was amazing, especially those mini games where you roll the ball to the end, so satisfying when you finally beat it, and the Wii waggle mechanics were extremely satisfying, compared to Sunshine's clunky controls, which felt extremely off in comparison.

[@haroeneissa790]

It is hd on the wii u and Nintendo switch if I am not mistaken. But yeah playing this game on a Wii after using a ps4 feels like I forgot to put on my glasses.

[@traviscunningham7062]

I still prefer Sunshine’s jankyness over 64’s slippery and dated controls.

[@CassiusStelar]

Whenever i hear the first few notes of Gateway to the Starry Skies, a cold wind blows over me, even indoors

[@philemonrichardson7281]

Honestly, this video might be the greatest video essay ever written...

[@maitiulynch]

Incredible video. You did an amazing job describing what makes this game so memorable and distinct to so many, and the section on movement was especially interesting to me. I’ve always struggled to explain why it feels just a bit off to me despite how well it works for the game itself, and you put your finger on it perfectly.

[@Babylisabell]

This was my favorite game of all time, you poetically answered why I loved it so much…thank you!

[@ohno5559]

I don't think it's fair to call the movement "worse" because it's less capable in a vacuum. Maybe I would have more fun with Odyssey's controls outside of the context of playing a level, but it's the levels that matter because these are platformers. The more limited controls of the Galaxy games are better suited to platforming because they make you actually engage with the level instead of basically skipping everything like Odyssey lets you. Maybe if the levels in Odyssey actually felt like they were designed with the full moveset in mind the more versatile controls would be a plus.

[@Darkclowd]

He discusses this exact point. In Galaxy, because the movement is so restrictive most of the emphasis falls onto the levels themselves.

[@ohno5559]

​@@DarkclowdRight, but it seemed like that point wasn't factored into the discussion of how good the movement is. I had a lot of fun just running around in odyssey but I feel the most important context in which to judge a movement system is in the context of the levels.

[@4467jhgeji]

The mother sleeping under the tree- I just realized that that means she is buried there.

[@dh5661]

Because it’s a phenomenal game. Next video.

[@christianmichalsky2826]

now that I'm done crying lol, I can layout my thoughts. This was very beautiful, and I enjoyed every second of it! You're underrated my guy!

[@mr.j3rs3y]

I really don’t know how to describe how super Mario Galaxy made me feel, other than it being a myriad of emotions: Astonishment at the scale and beauty of of space and all the different galaxies that inhabit it, the dread some bosses and the the timed comets made me feel, the sadness and excitement from a beautiful dramatic wistful musical score, the accomplishment at getting a star and unlocking a new galaxy, the annoyance some levels made me feel, getting immersed in the world and pretending to captain one of Bowser’s Airships, and always sobbing during the ending due to the death of the Luma’s to make a new universe along with the emotional score that plays. Super Mario Galaxy was and is still an incredible game. It helped define gaming for me.

[@VinzBlitz]

I always love watching these types of videos and seeing a community so connected by this game. I have such deep memories of playing it first with my dad and how we would hand off the controls to each other if the levels got too hard. So many levels we spent days on just getting so frustrated with the lives being in the negatives. The music and visuals of the game always give me peace and bring me back to when I was young with my biggest worry beating Sweet Sweet (Rocky Road) Galaxy. Great video and as usual I cried.

[@shadowN-88]

I think why we remember this game is because it’s just an amazing game . This is my second favorite Mario game for a lot of reasons. This was my second Mario game I ever played and I’m grateful for that

[@traviscunningham7062]

What’s your first Mario game?

[@shadowN-88]

@traiviscunningham7062 it was new super Mario Bros on the ds

[@Gloonie2910]

I remember pretending to fly around in my front yard with my hands behind my back and pretending to flip and land into a new galaxy 😢

[@BeyondCreator_]

i don't know why it hit me so hard, but the idea that the universe is purely good then the story of rosalina and the lumas combined into an idea and story that just made me sob