Super Mario Galaxy
Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo
" it is especially the sense of a wide definition of limitless space, sensory remotes and the music that altogether create possibly the best gameplay experience in a game in this genre. "Written by Joep de Bruijn - Review of the regular release
Super Mario Galaxy is exemplary for the accessible but limited capabilities of the Nintendo Wii system through its controls and the limited hardware compared to other systems of the time. Despite the important role of the Wii in bringing things forward, making gaming casual for all ages, there is much default. In terms of the sensory approach of Wii remote controls, there are a few dozen good to perfect integrated games, but a majority feel unwarranted. Super Mario Galaxy is the most exemplary of all. In fact, this game still remains the mother of all Mario games due to the perfect integration of level design, gameplay, controls (with a small limitation and defect), its music (for the first time often orchestral and electronic), and much more. In basic summarisation, it is especially the sense of a wide definition of limitless space, sensory remotes and the music that altogether create possibly the best gameplay experience in a game in this genre.
Given the music as heard in the game, its factual quality is excellent, but the classic controls with integrated, poor-quality audio capacity, luckily preserved for a series of sound effects, such as collecting items, are wildly different but still acceptable.
In terms of original music, its progress was somewhat stalled compared to the endless creativity in the games throughout the systems. The first game on the NES showed a significant improvement over games on the SNES and N64, but less on the GameCube, with virtually nothing technically holding back a music presentation of modern times. Super Mario Sunshine, exceptional because of its tropical island holiday experience, mostly stuck to rather upbeat and less appealing old-fashioned but enjoyable music.
If even in connection to neglecting older issues with compression, the Wii first introduced a larger portion of orchestral delight. To me, entirely MIDI files, semi-modern electronic, fully orchestral, or a hybrid are no less or more impressive. However, given Super Mario Galaxy more free but still limited feel in the gameplay, alongside the controls, the vibrancy of orchestral and synthesiser music is very much more important than ever before. Upon hearing the opening music and further spacious semi-electronic music, it feels like an open space in many terms. It is a very accurate description of what is to come both musically and in playing the game. However, given the overall score, a few bits and pieces overshadow everything, despite overall brilliance and creativeness in symbiosis with the game.
Co-producer and spiritual father of Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto, as well as composer Kōji Kondō, another viceroy, was involved in the process as Mahito Yokota began developing and writing most of the entire original score. In the process, the views and influence of both governors on the output of the whole are, as Yokota took the role as lead composer, revealed some interesting changes. While Yokota consulted Kondō throughout the process, he first composed rhythmic Latin-inspired music that worked in some of the Mario games, which was approved by the game director, but felt out of place according to Kondō. Given all the different stories, the most likely course of events was that as Miyamoto also responded to the default music, he asked Kondō to write several original cues (four of them, ending up in the final score) that would give a sense of a readjusted blueprint for what the score needed to represent, instead of the request coming from Yokota originally. They include three cues for the vastness of space concept for the observatory music and the sense of endless freedom of the Egg Planet.
The spacious sound that corresponds with the overall gameplay was continued for Super Mario Galaxy 2 through the music by Mahito Yokota, Ryo Nagamatsu and Kōji Kondō, is perhaps less surprising.
Despite the overall orchestral-electronic hybrid, which is very vibrant, alive, and creative, few individual cues for designated moments become true highlights in the overall impressive score. In fact, given the usual hybrid, the orchestral components, even in full display, are less important, whereas all the electronics do a much greater service to the overall intent. In a stubborn point of view, not mine, some feel orchestral is everything, while I do not. Another, in fact, I strongly feel the orchestral components are supportive of the vastly more important electronics in this score.
It is especially the case for the fairytale-esque Luma scrapbook storytelling, the file select, observatory luminous music, a variety of mellow and yet luminous spacious music (Space Junk galaxy particularly), and wacky in-game moments that are mostly electronic fare the best. In falling back on Mario's musical legacy, the new themes, against many referential winks to the past, come out best in the Toy Galaxy levels, with distorted and wacky referential pieces coinciding with the gameplay, sensory controls, and level design.
Overall, the music is far from what I prefer, given the predictability and more, but it is entirely, and foremost, the gold standard for any platformer, given any system with a perfectly integrated feel in terms of controls, level design, and new ideas. In fact, in some portions, especially the grander-scale Browser stages, the music is very commonplace, but still relevant and perfect in its experience against the more personal Luma electronics music. Still, despite criticism, in a large majority of games, corresponding with my strong belief, music is generally still less important than gameplay.
The influence of the music of Super Mario Galaxy is around but in no terms comparable to the endless quotations of usually a single legacy theme. There are games, series, and films copying elements of the score, of which the most blatant is perhaps, considering the long-gone console wars between Nintendo and Sega, Sega's 2010 Sonic Colours, using many game elements and copying the main menu theme of Super Mario Galaxy. It is especially this spacious feel through electronics and orchestral and in-game short moments, such as the popular beat and sounds as Mario gains ice invincibility, that are included in various inspired scores, often very much resembling the in-context situations for which it was written in Super Mario Galaxy.
The many (un)official releases of the score as presented in the game are excellent, while live performances and many reinterpreted releases of the music are mostly less interesting, excluding the very fine conceptual piano albums. This was the first Mario game in which I could listen to the entire score as presented separately. Even in some of the newer ones, I failed to connect to them entirely.
Tracklist (platinum release)
01 Overture 1:24
02 The Star Festival 1:29
03 Attack of the Airships 1:19
04 Catastrophe 0:55
05 Peach's Castle Stolen 0:33
06 Enter the Galaxy 1:26
07 Egg Planet 2:41
08 Rosalina in the Observatory 1 2:27
09 The Honeyhive 2:38
10 Space Junk Road 3:22
11 Battlerock Galaxy 3:21
12 Beach Bowl Galaxy 2:22
13 Rosalina in the Observatory 2 2:24
14 Enter Bowser Jr.! 2:55
15 Waltz of the Boos 2:42
16 Buoy Base Galaxy 3:11
17 Gusty Garden Galaxy 3:44
18 Rosalina in the Observatory 3 2:44
19 King Bowser 3:14
20 Melty Molten Galaxy 4:09
21 The Galaxy Reactor 2:28
22 Final Battle with Bowser 2:25
23 Daybreak - A New Dawn 0:56
24 Birth 1:59
25 Super Mario Galaxy 4:04
26 Purple Comet 3:03
27 Blue Sky Athletic 1:10
28 Super Mario 2007 2:20
Disc length 67:25
Disc 2 [CN-R010-2]
01 File Select 0:53
02 Luma 0:57
03 Gateway Galaxy 2:03
04 Stolen Grand Star 0:35
05 To the Observatory Grounds 1 0:46
06 Observation Dome 1:58
07 Course Select 0:41
08 Dino Piranha 1:13
09 A Chance to Grab a Star! 0:55
10 A Tense Moment 0:41
11 Big Bad Bugaboom 1:58
12 King Kaliente 1:11
13 The Toad Brigade 0:41
14 Airship Armada 2:21
15 Aquatic Race 1:22
16 Space Fantasy 2:00
17 Megaleg 1:31
18 To the Observatory Grounds 2 0:31
19 Space Athletic 1:16
20 Speedy Comet 1:53
21 Beach Bowl Galaxy - Undersea 1:31
22 Interlude 0:38
23 Bowser's Stronghold Appears 0:52
24 The Fiery Stronghold 2:12
25 The Big Staircase 0:36
26 Bowser Appears 0:32
27 Star Ball 1:04
28 The Library 0:58
29 Buoy Base Galaxy - Undersea 1:55
30 Rainbow Mario 0:31
31 Chase the Bunnies! 1:08
32 Help! 0:29
33 Major Burrows 0:55
34 Pipe Interior 0:44
35 Cosmic Comet 0:58
36 Drip Drop Galaxy 1:19
37 Kingfin 1:48
38 Boo Race 1:29
39 Ice Mountain 1:31
40 Ice Mario 0:30
41 Lava Path 1:31
42 Fire Mario 0:29
43 Dusty Dune Galaxy 3:04
44 Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser 1:23
45 A-wa-wa-wa! 0:37
46 Deep Dark Galaxy 1:43
47 Kamella 1:25
48 Star Ball 2 0:42
49 Sad Girl 0:49
50 Flying Mario 1:12
51 Star Child 0:51
52 A Wish 0:43
53 Family 1:23
Disc length 62:58
Composed by Mahito Yokota (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9~12, 14~17, 19~26), Kōji Kondō, (7, 8, 13, 18)
Originally composed by Kōji Kondō, re-arranged by Mahito Yokota (3, 27, 28)
(12-04-2026)
Given the music as heard in the game, its factual quality is excellent, but the classic controls with integrated, poor-quality audio capacity, luckily preserved for a series of sound effects, such as collecting items, are wildly different but still acceptable.
In terms of original music, its progress was somewhat stalled compared to the endless creativity in the games throughout the systems. The first game on the NES showed a significant improvement over games on the SNES and N64, but less on the GameCube, with virtually nothing technically holding back a music presentation of modern times. Super Mario Sunshine, exceptional because of its tropical island holiday experience, mostly stuck to rather upbeat and less appealing old-fashioned but enjoyable music.
If even in connection to neglecting older issues with compression, the Wii first introduced a larger portion of orchestral delight. To me, entirely MIDI files, semi-modern electronic, fully orchestral, or a hybrid are no less or more impressive. However, given Super Mario Galaxy more free but still limited feel in the gameplay, alongside the controls, the vibrancy of orchestral and synthesiser music is very much more important than ever before. Upon hearing the opening music and further spacious semi-electronic music, it feels like an open space in many terms. It is a very accurate description of what is to come both musically and in playing the game. However, given the overall score, a few bits and pieces overshadow everything, despite overall brilliance and creativeness in symbiosis with the game.
Co-producer and spiritual father of Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto, as well as composer Kōji Kondō, another viceroy, was involved in the process as Mahito Yokota began developing and writing most of the entire original score. In the process, the views and influence of both governors on the output of the whole are, as Yokota took the role as lead composer, revealed some interesting changes. While Yokota consulted Kondō throughout the process, he first composed rhythmic Latin-inspired music that worked in some of the Mario games, which was approved by the game director, but felt out of place according to Kondō. Given all the different stories, the most likely course of events was that as Miyamoto also responded to the default music, he asked Kondō to write several original cues (four of them, ending up in the final score) that would give a sense of a readjusted blueprint for what the score needed to represent, instead of the request coming from Yokota originally. They include three cues for the vastness of space concept for the observatory music and the sense of endless freedom of the Egg Planet.
The spacious sound that corresponds with the overall gameplay was continued for Super Mario Galaxy 2 through the music by Mahito Yokota, Ryo Nagamatsu and Kōji Kondō, is perhaps less surprising.
Despite the overall orchestral-electronic hybrid, which is very vibrant, alive, and creative, few individual cues for designated moments become true highlights in the overall impressive score. In fact, given the usual hybrid, the orchestral components, even in full display, are less important, whereas all the electronics do a much greater service to the overall intent. In a stubborn point of view, not mine, some feel orchestral is everything, while I do not. Another, in fact, I strongly feel the orchestral components are supportive of the vastly more important electronics in this score.
It is especially the case for the fairytale-esque Luma scrapbook storytelling, the file select, observatory luminous music, a variety of mellow and yet luminous spacious music (Space Junk galaxy particularly), and wacky in-game moments that are mostly electronic fare the best. In falling back on Mario's musical legacy, the new themes, against many referential winks to the past, come out best in the Toy Galaxy levels, with distorted and wacky referential pieces coinciding with the gameplay, sensory controls, and level design.
Overall, the music is far from what I prefer, given the predictability and more, but it is entirely, and foremost, the gold standard for any platformer, given any system with a perfectly integrated feel in terms of controls, level design, and new ideas. In fact, in some portions, especially the grander-scale Browser stages, the music is very commonplace, but still relevant and perfect in its experience against the more personal Luma electronics music. Still, despite criticism, in a large majority of games, corresponding with my strong belief, music is generally still less important than gameplay.
The influence of the music of Super Mario Galaxy is around but in no terms comparable to the endless quotations of usually a single legacy theme. There are games, series, and films copying elements of the score, of which the most blatant is perhaps, considering the long-gone console wars between Nintendo and Sega, Sega's 2010 Sonic Colours, using many game elements and copying the main menu theme of Super Mario Galaxy. It is especially this spacious feel through electronics and orchestral and in-game short moments, such as the popular beat and sounds as Mario gains ice invincibility, that are included in various inspired scores, often very much resembling the in-context situations for which it was written in Super Mario Galaxy.
The many (un)official releases of the score as presented in the game are excellent, while live performances and many reinterpreted releases of the music are mostly less interesting, excluding the very fine conceptual piano albums. This was the first Mario game in which I could listen to the entire score as presented separately. Even in some of the newer ones, I failed to connect to them entirely.
Tracklist (platinum release)
01 Overture 1:24
02 The Star Festival 1:29
03 Attack of the Airships 1:19
04 Catastrophe 0:55
05 Peach's Castle Stolen 0:33
06 Enter the Galaxy 1:26
07 Egg Planet 2:41
08 Rosalina in the Observatory 1 2:27
09 The Honeyhive 2:38
10 Space Junk Road 3:22
11 Battlerock Galaxy 3:21
12 Beach Bowl Galaxy 2:22
13 Rosalina in the Observatory 2 2:24
14 Enter Bowser Jr.! 2:55
15 Waltz of the Boos 2:42
16 Buoy Base Galaxy 3:11
17 Gusty Garden Galaxy 3:44
18 Rosalina in the Observatory 3 2:44
19 King Bowser 3:14
20 Melty Molten Galaxy 4:09
21 The Galaxy Reactor 2:28
22 Final Battle with Bowser 2:25
23 Daybreak - A New Dawn 0:56
24 Birth 1:59
25 Super Mario Galaxy 4:04
26 Purple Comet 3:03
27 Blue Sky Athletic 1:10
28 Super Mario 2007 2:20
Disc length 67:25
Disc 2 [CN-R010-2]
01 File Select 0:53
02 Luma 0:57
03 Gateway Galaxy 2:03
04 Stolen Grand Star 0:35
05 To the Observatory Grounds 1 0:46
06 Observation Dome 1:58
07 Course Select 0:41
08 Dino Piranha 1:13
09 A Chance to Grab a Star! 0:55
10 A Tense Moment 0:41
11 Big Bad Bugaboom 1:58
12 King Kaliente 1:11
13 The Toad Brigade 0:41
14 Airship Armada 2:21
15 Aquatic Race 1:22
16 Space Fantasy 2:00
17 Megaleg 1:31
18 To the Observatory Grounds 2 0:31
19 Space Athletic 1:16
20 Speedy Comet 1:53
21 Beach Bowl Galaxy - Undersea 1:31
22 Interlude 0:38
23 Bowser's Stronghold Appears 0:52
24 The Fiery Stronghold 2:12
25 The Big Staircase 0:36
26 Bowser Appears 0:32
27 Star Ball 1:04
28 The Library 0:58
29 Buoy Base Galaxy - Undersea 1:55
30 Rainbow Mario 0:31
31 Chase the Bunnies! 1:08
32 Help! 0:29
33 Major Burrows 0:55
34 Pipe Interior 0:44
35 Cosmic Comet 0:58
36 Drip Drop Galaxy 1:19
37 Kingfin 1:48
38 Boo Race 1:29
39 Ice Mountain 1:31
40 Ice Mario 0:30
41 Lava Path 1:31
42 Fire Mario 0:29
43 Dusty Dune Galaxy 3:04
44 Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser 1:23
45 A-wa-wa-wa! 0:37
46 Deep Dark Galaxy 1:43
47 Kamella 1:25
48 Star Ball 2 0:42
49 Sad Girl 0:49
50 Flying Mario 1:12
51 Star Child 0:51
52 A Wish 0:43
53 Family 1:23
Disc length 62:58
Composed by Mahito Yokota (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9~12, 14~17, 19~26), Kōji Kondō, (7, 8, 13, 18)
Originally composed by Kōji Kondō, re-arranged by Mahito Yokota (3, 27, 28)
(12-04-2026)