Super Mario Galaxy 2 Set For Summer

Last year Nintendo broke their age-old rule of one 3D Mario game per generation with the surprise announcement of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Hitting US stores on May 23 and Europe shortly after (June 11), Nintendo don’t seem to be messing around this year. Check out the game’s mouth-watering box art and a brand new trailer after the break.

Yoshi joins Mario on his second adventure through the galaxy – though I’m still baffled why he was absent from the first game. New power-ups are present, notably the Drill Bit which sees our favourite plumber burrowing through the back of planets as well as inside them, without a Warp Pipe in sight.

Nintendo have promised 95-99% of new content with the sequel, scrapping the complaint from fans that some old levels would return. If the game lives up to be as good as his first outing then we’re in for treat! The game’s fact sheet follows.

• Mario collects stars as he travels from galaxy to galaxy. Every level is new, but the game retains the charm, sense of wonder and beauty in line with Mario’s history.
• Mario works his way through the various levels, sometimes upside-down, sometimes floating from place to place.
• On some stages, Mario can find an egg, smash it open and hop onto the back of Yoshi. Yoshi can use his tongue to grab items and shoot them back at enemies, or to snag attach points and swing across chasms.
• Yoshi has an interesting diet. When he eats a Dash Pepper, he gets so hot and frenzied he can run up steep inclines and vertical walls. When he eats a Blimp Fruit, he inflates like a balloon and floats to new heights.
• New power-ups include a drill that Mario uses to tunnel through the planet’s surface all the way to the other side of a planet.
• Skilled players will want to collect new Comet Metals, which will unlock harder levels with even more challenges.

Mmm… Shexy Box Art!

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