Can’t Beat Super Mario Galaxy 2

Just finished more Super Mario Galaxy 2, and I get the feeling that I’m not finishing it in its entirety. As usual.

I don’t want to be one of those “3D Mario/2D Mario” types, and I’m not, really: I love me some 3D Mario, and I also love 2D. Hell, there’s very little in the way of Mario that I haven’t or wouldn’t play.

Anyway, for the most part, I’m fairly capable at playing the game. Maybe even a small step above, since I do occasionally manage to pull out a “nice save.”

But when it comes to… how do I put this? “Stunt playing?” I suck. I’m terrible. I seem absolutely incapable of pulling off anything resembling a win.

(From here, there be arguable spoilers. Nothing particularly mind-blowing or surprising, but just in case.)

Some stuff, I’ve managed. Burning up crates with fireballs, skating around and hitting… er, green things… even beating Digga-leg without taking any damage, that stuff I can do. Other things, such as racking up points within a short time limit by stomping on multiple creatures without hitting the ground (which they really trick you into thinking how easy it will be by doing a flyby over the galaxy with everything standing in perfectly straight formations), wiping out an entire colony of Spinies with Rainbow Stars (also with a short time limit), or doing a “speed run” of the first galaxy, where you start with about 15 seconds on the clock and have to pick up more sporadically-placed clocks which add ten more seconds.

I’d have to go back and check, but I don’t remember the speed runs being like that in the first Super Mario Galaxy. That is, assuming they were there; perhaps they were called something different.

I really have no idea what it is that makes me so terrible at some of these things. I’ve hopped from enemy to enemy before with little problem, though I do notice that the 2D Mario “hold down the A button to jump higher” trick doesn’t really apply here.

On my last try, I did notice that even though it looked like I was lined up to start stomping, I completely missed the enemies. I was about a Mario length or two behind them. I wonder if this is something that new 3D technology would be a help with; I usually don’t have any problems with depth perception.

Maybe it’s time limits, though I managed to beat some challenges that had them, as noted above with the box burning and skating. The stuff they want you to do is difficult enough as it is, but it’s really heightened by having to do it within a brief time. Worse still, the Rainbow Star is supposed to speed you up, but Rainbow Mario seemed more sluggish than usual. I even had a Spiny outrun me during one attempt, just chugging along with dust coming off his heels (you have to at least appreciate the detail).

I’d suggest that maybe it’s a Prankster Comet thing, but the multi-jump challenge came from… well, that would be telling.

Anyway, I find it a touch disappointing, maybe even slightly infuriating. I’m only on World 3 right now, taking my time admittedly as my wife and I play through together, but a week ago– within days of the release– people have boasted that they had not only beaten the game, but even gotten all *** (spoilers) stars. How does this happen?

So, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that while I may beat the main game, I’m probably never going to learn firsthand what this awesome secret is when you collect all the stars (please don’t spoil it, I’ll find out when the time is right, likely by looking it up on YouTube or something).

This isn’t anything new to me; I’ve never managed to 100% a 3D Mario. Not Super Mario 64, not Super Mario Sunshine (never even beat that one), not Super Mario 64 DS, and not Super Mario Galaxy (I had to get a friend’s save file so I could enjoy the simple pleasure I get from running around the Grand Finale Galaxy). Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be just one more added to the list, most likely.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m losing my touch. But then, I don’t have this problem with 2D Mario games. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Land, Super Mario Land 2, and even Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, World 9 Challenge included– I’ve pretty much dominated them all, and their remakes, and their remakes of remakes, where applicable.

Hell, I even beat Yoshi’s Island from pillar to post, secret worlds included, though I didn’t fare as well in the GBA version. Also omitted is New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which I’m confident I can finish in its entirety (already beaten the main game), but have been waiting for my wife to play again.

So, I honestly have no clue where things begin to fall apart for me. My only hope of breaking the pattern, it seems, is if the Cosmic Guide might work on some of these challenges I’m having difficulty with. I don’t even know if that would work, and I certainly don’t want to do it, but I’d at least rather see what the buzz is about on my TV screen than a YouTube one.

(As an aside, I kindly ask that you refrain from telling me in the comments.)

I don’t know. Has anyone else found this kind of difficulty in the transition from 2D to 3D?

Oh well, I’ll be back at it soon enough. I still love the game, I just can’t love all of the game, apparently. And I want to make it clear that I’m not blaming the game here. It seems like everyone and their brother is 100 percent-ing the game, so clearly it’s not the game, it’s me.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

David Oxford

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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