Mario: Even Better in Space

Everyone recognizes Nintendo's lovable mushrom-gobbling, turtle-stomping, mustached hero. Indeed, Mario has been on every one of Ninteno's gaming systems from the NES to the Wii, and his many virtual escapades have taken him through jungles, oceans, portraits, even. Now in a desperate bid to up the innovation, Nintendo has sent Mario into space. To me, creating a space sequal seems a final pump at a dying franchise. Honestly, when writers are out of ideas, space seems to be a safety net. But cliches aside, Super Mario Galaxy is a superb game. Its control is flawless; jumping, attacking, and running never seem difficult despite my clumsy wiimote/nunchuck grip. And the psudeo-physics engine works quite well. You always kind of know where you'll end up when you leap off a planet, but being wrong once in a while only increases the fun. The only downside in the game play is the camera angle. Occasionaly the screen will focus on something completely irrelevant, sparking irritation. Also, the game is a bit short, even collecting all the stars is hardly a challenge. But still, the adventure is worth the fifty bucks.