33. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
What it’s about: Somehow, Mario returned… to space. In his second galactic escapade, Mario must once again explore the cosmos to defeat Bowser, but this time with the help of his trusty steed, Yoshi.
Why we like it: Do you ever play a game so good it makes you reevaluate the games that came before? Super Mario Galaxy did that for me. An astonishing achievement that raised the bar for platformers forever. Then, a couple of years later, Nintendo somehow made an even better game.
Sanding off a couple of the rough edges, Galaxy 2 is a “kitchen sink” game with a bewildering amount of mechanics thrown at the player, and each dangled at you just long enough to remain an absolute joy.
Yoshi adds some new moves that feel amazing to control; there are even some great new suits like the Cloud and Rock powers. Then, the hub world and level selection just feel like the perfect additions to this sort of game. Play both of them, but definitely play this one.
