Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii: Yoshi, Co-op and Reviews
Playable today Yes The disc plays on the Wii and in Wii Mode on the Wii U; the Sensor Bar requirement applies because the game is pointer-driven.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the 2010 sequel to Super Mario Galaxy, built by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and published by Nintendo for the Wii. Metacritic prints a score of 98 out of 100, based on 87 critic reviews.
Overview
The story is a lighter retelling of the first game. Princess Peach invites Mario to a Star Festival, Bowser carries her off into space, and Mario chases him through galaxies, collecting Power Stars on the way. Wikipedia describes the plot as secondary, and a few critics counted that against it.
Development began as a quick follow-up under the working name Super Mario Galaxy More, with a projected length of about a year. Ideas piled up, and the project turned into a full sequel that took two and a half years. Shigeru Miyamoto had approached the team after the first game and suggested more.
How it plays
Mechanically the game stays close to its predecessor: spherical planets, a Spin attack, Star Bits shot with the on-screen Star Pointer, flat 2D sections and balance-ball levels. The hub is a travelling ship shaped like Mario’s head, and the map is divided into seven worlds holding 49 galaxies. Collecting all 120 stars opens 120 harder Green Star missions, and the total comes to 242 Power Stars.
New tools set it apart. The Spin Drill burrows through a planet, Rock Mario rolls through obstacles, and Cloud Mario lays down up to three platforms in the air. Yoshi joins in certain levels, and Wikipedia lists three fruits that give him short bursts of speed, flight or light. Ice Mario and Flying Mario from the first game do not return.
Two aids arrive for stuck players. The Cosmic Guide lets the computer finish a level after repeated failures, though it pays out a Bronze Star that does not count toward the total, and Hint TVs demonstrate specific moves. In co-op, the second person controls an orange Luma that can attack and gather items, a bigger role than the pointer in the earlier game.
Release and credits
North America received it on 23 May 2010, Japan on 27 May, Europe on 11 June and Australia on 1 July. Koichi Hayashida directed and Takeshi Hayakawa led programming, with a tool that let designers build stages without waiting on programmers. Mahito Yokota’s sound team returned to an orchestra, this time of sixty musicians with a further ten for big-band pieces, and Ryo Nagamatsu wrote nine tracks. Metacritic gives the rating as E.
Reception
Tom McShea of GameSpot gave it a 10 and called it a new standard for platformers, while Edge and IGN’s Craig Harris also scored it perfectly. Chris Scullion of Official Nintendo Magazine named it the new best game on Wii yet felt it lacked the first game’s impact.
Not everyone agreed on difficulty. Game Informer’s Matt Helgeson worried about frustration late on, GamePro’s Ben PerLee said the demands could turn newcomers away, and WorthPlaying’s Chris DeAngelus argued that deaths usually feel like player error. Wikipedia reports 6.36 million copies sold worldwide as of April 2011.
Can you still play it?
A Wii disc runs on a Wii or, through Wii Mode, on a Wii U, which asks for a Sensor Bar with most software and therefore with this pointer-based game. Check the disc’s region against the console, as Wii discs are coded to NTSC-U, NTSC-J or PAL.
The title was a disc release, so the 2019 end of Wii Shop sales has no effect on it. Wikipedia adds that an enhanced Switch collection with the first game appeared on 2 October 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is Super Mario Galaxy 2's Metacritic score?
Metacritic prints 98 out of 100 for the Wii version, from 87 critic reviews. Wikipedia reports a 97 percent average at GameRankings and notes that both Galaxy games rank among the highest-rated titles on those two sites.
Can two people play Super Mario Galaxy 2 together?
Yes. The second player uses a second Wii Remote to steer an orange Luma. Unlike the first game's co-op pointer, this Luma can attack enemies and collect items, power-ups and extra lives as well as star bits.
Does Super Mario Galaxy 2 have Yoshi?
Yes. Yoshi can be ridden in some levels, replacing the blue pointer with a red dot used for his tongue. He eats berries and enemies, flutter-jumps, and gains temporary abilities from the Dash Pepper, Blimp Fruit and Bulb Berry.
Who developed Super Mario Galaxy 2?
Wikipedia credits Nintendo EAD Tokyo as developer and Nintendo as publisher. Koichi Hayashida directed, Takeshi Hayakawa led programming, and Mahito Yokota headed the sound team with a sixty-piece orchestra recorded under Koji Kondo.