It's no secret that the setting of Super Mario galaxy was a stroke of genius. Not only did it give the imagination of Nintendo's master game designer room to dream, it also allowed Shigeru Miyamoto the chance to upended the table like never before giving us surprise after surprise of pure gaming brilliance. Super Mario Galaxy not only consumed our gaming time, it wholly consumed our imaginations, leaving us, as ever, wanting more.

Few of us ever expected however we would be lucky enough to experience a continuation of such grandeur in only three years. We've had three years to explore the first Galaxy, three years to spin from planet to planet and three years to play nothing that came close. Until now.

Whereas Galaxy laid down the formula for Mario's intergalactic platforming adventures, Galaxy 2 takes the template and literally runs with it. And not only does Galaxy 2 start quicker than you can say "It's a me..." the title almost expects you to have defeated enemies and navigated entire planets before. We knew this when the first few planets proved to be just as clever and just as tricky as some of the original titles later levels.

It is in this fact though where Galaxy 2's strengths lie. It proves a more assured and streamlined title, one which oozes confidence from knowing where its strengths lie. And as the core mechanics are robust, tactile and ultimately, second nature - it is the ingenuity, creativeness and devilish charm that the designers spit out at you with ever growing frequency that really comes to the fore. It is in fact that rarest of Nintendo moments: a true sequel which takes all that was good about the original and dials it up by 100.

The game's opening is presented as a storybook, with Mario playable in 2D

Make no mistake, 'dialling it up' is not all about similarity. Galaxy 2 is at times calm, content to lull you into exploring whimsically orchestrated worlds but it also asks you to complete puzzles, to navigate worlds that can change at a moments notice and just as you'll be scratching your head wondering how to reach 'that' star, you'll be reaching for those 1-UP mushrooms like never before. The brutality of some sections of the title could have been a bane but every death is a lightbulb moment, every slip is your fault and every hit is because of one thing: you failed. But this blame game only makes success taste sweeter.

Importantly though, the difficulty is almost optional. Galaxy 2 represents the coming together of Nintendo's philosophy of what Wii is about: accessibility. The harder stars are somewhat optional, while the super-guide first seen in NSMB Wii returns. Throw in the streamlined interface (akin to traditional 2D Mario titles) and the return of fan favourite characters (including Yoshi) and what you have is that rarest thing: a title that is familiar and accessible yet offers a new challenge around every corner. With the appearance of classic characters and happily returning Galaxy foes, Galaxy 2 feels nostalgic yet timeless - just like the Mario titles of yesteryear.

It almost goes without saying that Galaxy 2 looks and sounds stellar. With an engine that had already turned heads three years ago, Galaxy proved that the Wii could indeed have beautiful graphics. This time around the title looks a lot sharper and coupled with production values that blow the roof off, Galaxy 2 easily becomes the game to ogle at on Wii.

Having trouble? Cosmic Rosalina is on hand to show you the way

So do we need to say any more? Probably not. We could talk all day about the variety and wonder Galaxy 2 houses yet want to keep this review spoiler-free - Galaxy 2 is a revelation, a shock to the system and a title that makes its predecessor look like a mere starter to this full course. We didn't expect Galaxy 2 to be the defining moment on Wii. We didn't expect Nintendo to oust Galaxy so soon and we didn't expect everything to come together perfectly. Camera work is exemplary, the title offers 40+ hours with hidden coins and galaxies, controlling Mario makes you feel like a master puppeteer, and the orchestrated soundtrack is simply wondrous.

Negatives? We struggled to even stop smiling long enough to think critically. Sure there are re-used assets, but the manner in which they are re-used is like recycling a plastic bottle to make a jumbo jet. Make no mistake, this is the greatest platformer of our time, the greatest Wii title ever created and the greatest journey through space since NASA decided to put man on the moon. It is perhaps in this definition then that, ultimately, SMG2 proves to be one small step for gaming yet one giant leap for platformers. Astounding.

Click onwards for Tom's opinions and our final scores...

- Mark Lee
N-Europe Staff Writer

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How do you make the best game on Wii better? The first Galaxy excelled in bringing something completely new to the table - not just a handful of worlds, but hundreds. From tiny spherical planetoids to hulking great space stations, the game seemingly had no limits to its brilliance. And yet over those three years, Galaxy 2 has been honed to build-upon, improve and generally expand the experience.

The game effortlessly pulls off a fine balancing act of paying homage to previous Mario games while at the same time introducing new concepts and gameplay mechanics that truly mark this apart.

Much has been made of the game being more difficult than the first. Indeed, if you want to merely rush through the game to get to the final boss as quick as possible you will find things getting tougher, but doing so is almost an insult to the game. Each area is so peppered with mini challenges, warp-pipe secrets and hidden stars that you simply cannot find or realistically complete everything on your first run. Nintendo have served up a game to be savoured for every grin-inducing quirk and hidden bonus. Some courses are literally so good you find yourself immediately going back to them upon completion.

Cloud Mario levels are some of the game's highlights

Beating every level will unlock something else to do: another path on the world map, a new feature on Starship Mario, or a Prankster Comet level that remixes a previously visited area. Despite all the call-backs, repetition is kept to a minimum, balanced out by the fact that there are now only two or three stars to each world, and seemingly more worlds than before.

Almost every aspect of Galaxy is present here but in a improved form, and those that loved the original, beat it, then beat it again as Luigi will still find themselves tested and surprised all the way through. Several times this reviewer found himself chuckling out loud at some of the brilliantly inventive and wildly clever ideas this game will throw at you. Level after level after level.

That is not to say the game doesn't have some minor issues. The game presents a fair number of new enemies, some of which are memorable, some of which... not so much. We took a fairly strong disliking to "The Chimp", an electric blue monkey with purple shades who looked like he should have belonged in the 80's. There's also some flying stages controlled by tilting the Wii Remote (think the Air Sports games in Wii Sports Resort but without the extra control brought by Motion Plus) which felt a little out of place. And the completists that we are, we mourned the loss of Ice Mario, shamefully nowhere to be found.

The World Map system, one of Galaxy 2's countless improvements

Compared to the vast majority of Galaxy 2 though these points are incredibly minor, and more than made up for by the consistent take-your-breath-away feel of the rest of the title. The inclusion of Cloud Mario feels the most natural step in the world and is surely one of game's highlights, alongside Mario's happy reunion with Yoshi. Unlike New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the balance of levels where you are paired with your trusty green dino is just right, while his new power-ups add welcome variety to his abilities.

We were at first unsure of the World Map system for navigating levels, akin to classic Mario titles and the New Super Mario Bros. series, but its inclusion turned out to be a well-gambled risk. Being able to access any of Galaxy 2's levels from one place allows you to dive straight into the action as fast as possible, while Starship Mario proves a worthy hub which grows increasingly personalised as you progress.

Graphically, the game manages to look even more polished than its predecessor, while the masterfully orchestrated soundtrack will once again have players returning to levels simply to listen to their score. Cast any doubts aside, we simply cannot say enough good things about this game - it is the closest to gaming perfection we have ever played, and a shining gem in the Wii's catalogue of titles.

How do you make the best game on Wii better? Nintendo's finest have had three years to ponder that question. How it shows.

Our final scores lie just below.

- Tom Phillips
N-Europe Editor-in-Chief