Master of Galaxies and What That Means

It is finished. After 42 hours of gameplay, 622 deaths, 242 stars and a lot of fun, I'm 100% complete with Super Mario Galaxy 2. The final star consisted of completing an incredibly difficult and diverse final obstacle course without taking any damage. The final start required about an hour of my time(even though it was only a 5 minute course) and right around 50 lives.(thank goodness for an infinite life loop in the Supermassive Galaxy) Upon completion, the game awarded me the title of "Master of Galaxies".

The game ended up being one of the most fulfilling games I've ever played. I've written to how much I enjoyed it and I don't want to retread, however I will say, if there were more levels with the same levels of creativity, design, and fun, I would continue playing.

I would be lying if I said that I didn't wish that there had been some extra quest about which I didn't know. If Rosalina had revealed that there was a third tale to be told about the 120 bright pink stars I would have been on board. In light of that, however, I think there is something to games not overstaying their welcome. This game was obviously paced well and was intriguing all the way through. In light of its brilliant design and gripping gameplay, maybe it is best to leave me wanting more. If there really were another 120 stars, I might grow tired of the game's everlasting fetch quest and overly cheerful demeanor. There's no way of knowing as the third portion of the game doesn't exist, but it does shed light upon one of the most difficult decisions in game design: how long do we take it?

For me, 42 hours into the quest, I want more, but that has more to do with the intelligent design of the game. Had Super Mario Galaxy 2 been a mere shadow of the previous title, I would not desire for more. I would have ended the "story" portion and probably been done with the game. It all comes down to gameplay. If the game makes me want to continue playing, it is doing its job. If it is struggling to keep me involved, maybe it's a good thing that developers cut it short. I could site hundreds of examples of games, movies, songs, and books that just go on too long; the knowledge of when to stop is as important as a skill in design as story, music, control, and level design.

241 and Trying

As of this writing, I have not completed the 242nd star in Super Mario Galaxy 2. It is the last of a very long and arduous road of completion-minded quests. The best part of this trek has been the fact that I do not want to stop. I'm actually stuck right now collecting the stupid little star bits that are, at best, a distraction from gameplay, but I do not want to stop. My good friends call me and come over to my house to hang out with me; I regret putting the controller down long enough to get into a great conversation. Then, at every lull of dialog, I long to wave my Wii-mote around the screen and collect the odd colorful polygons.

How Nintendo has held me captive for this long is irrelevant. The quality of the game has no meaning. Someone could tell me that the game is complete crap and I'm wasting my life on it; it would not matter. I'm unrepentantly in love with this game.

The game itself in the scope of the history of games, is not groundbreaking. Is it brilliant in its simplicity? Is it designed as well as any game ever made? Does it control to perfection? Yes, yes, and yes. It has little to no story. It breaks no precedence in writing or directing. However, the graphics, the gameplay, the level design, the music are all benchmarks for their time. The age old rule is that the game is good if the game is engaging; this game is as engaging as catnip for felines. I never, ever, ever want to stop, I will soon get this 242nd star and will love this game forever.