Here's what I learned from my multiple hands-on sessions with Super Mario Galaxy 2...
1. I think this game may actually look better than the original Galaxy (visuals)
2. Having Yoshi in a Galaxy setting is so much fun that it seems criminal
3. The level designs for Galaxy 2 are way more outlandish than the original. It seems like these worlds were designed for ultimate fun, without a worry for landform designs that would make sense in real life.
4. Galaxy 2 is, from what I played, measurably harder than the original
5. I want the finished game now...VERY badly
I played Super Mario Galaxy 2 more than any other title at the summit. I actually went through all the levels that were up for demo, and there were quite a few. I was and still am shocked with just how far Nintendo has taken the level design from the first game. I'm telling you, these layouts were far superior in imagination and design than the ones in Galaxy. Keep in mind, I thought Galaxy was a near perfect game! I just simply couldn't get enough to traversing the worlds, and exploring every little nook and cranny. I think I can hear the demo calling for me right now...
Easily the best part of the whole demo was getting to take Yoshi along for the ride. I always love when Yoshi makes an appearance, and having his abilities upgraded for Galaxy 2 was just the icing on the cake. Using the Wiimote pointer to grab things with Yoshi's tongue is going to make it hard to go back to classic-style Yoshi. You can instantly snatch up any enemies that are remotely close to you. Sure, Yoshi's tongue seems to have grown a bit longer during this process, but that's just fine by me!
I really don't want to ruin the game for you, but I absolutely have to describe one of the Yoshi levels I played. It's basically set up as a massive rollercoaster for you to ride Yoshi through. Yoshi turns into a steam-powered racer when he eats one of the red peppers scatted throughout the level. I think that's what they were...but that's beside the point. When Yoshi eats one, he takes off running, and you have to guide him down a path. These ramps lead to portions of the path that run straight up walls, around enemies and all over the air. You'll also have to keep Yoshi on solid ground as you do all this, as you're often running on platforms that are surrounded by nothing but black holes. Along the way you're snatching enemies with your tongue, grabbing other goodies, and trying to find the right path to your star. Talking about how much fun this was does the game zero justice.
If you thought the above description made Super Mario Galaxy 2 sound a bit more difficult than the original, I'd have agree. I definitely found more of a challenge in this game than Galaxy. There were very few points in the original that gave me a challenge, but this demo time was filled with stages that really tested my skills. There was one stage in particular that had me collecting 100 purple coins in 4 minutes, which were scattered about on twist-flipping platforms. You spin in the air, and the platforms flip to another position. Grab all the coins in the time limit, spin to create a path, and do all this while chain chomps roll out of tunnels after you. I managed to beat the level with just 24 seconds left, and my hands were sweating/heart was pounding. This is EXACTLY the kind of challenge I want in my Galaxy!
When Miyamoto discussed how he and his developers didn't even scratch the surface with the ideas that Galaxy opened up, he was telling the truth. This demo really showed me just how far Nintendo could take the Galaxy idea. It's being pushed in new directions, stretched in ways that I could have never thought of. When its all boiled down, does it just equate to more Galaxy? I guess I'd have to say yes...but that's exactly what I wanted.
