Mario makes a triumphant return in Super Mario Galaxy 2

Mario makes a triumphant return in this new game, in which he has to—sigh—rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. It’s quite similar to the first Galaxy because much of the content was created for that game. It wasn’t used there, so Nintendo developers had a solid starting point for this sequel.

Where Galaxy 2 differs is in the layers of difficulty. You can get through the levels quickly, but you’ll be missing out on the hidden secrets, which are abundant. You’ll use the Wii remote and Nunchuk to guide Mario; a “co-star” can help out using a second remote to collect Star Bits.

Collecting is, as usual, essential. You power Starship Mario—a planetoid that has been transformed to look like the character’s head—by collecting stars, and collecting Comet Medals unlocks secret galaxies.

Also new are the drill, a power-up that allows Mario to tunnel through planets, and the Rock Mario and Cloud Mario suits. Yoshi’s here too, providing even more ways to get around.

A creative and visual treat, Super Mario Galaxy 2 manages to walk the line between appealing to the hard-core gamer and being accessible to all.

In an early play session at Nintendo Canada’s offices in Vancouver, I stepped into a pool of water and lost my Cloud Mario suit. I was reassured by company representative Matt Ryan, “Don’t worry, we’re Nintendo. We’ll always give you another one when you need it.”