Super Mario Galaxy has been one of the most anticipated titles since the Wii was announced, but with all the hype, is the latest installment of a seemingly (and hopefully!) endless series of games from the Mushroom Kingdom really as "out of this world" we hoped for?

This episode finds Mario far from the Mushroom Kingdom in a universe that feels like a cross between Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) and the works of M.C. Escher (or, for the younger set, imagine Mario traveling to Bing and Bong's Tiny Planets.). Mario moves from galaxy to galaxy, but these galaxies are smaller than most neighborhoods, and oh so surreal. While the universe is still populated with goombas, pipes, and lots of platforming, that's about where the similarities end. The planets Mario visits consist of platforms that float freely in space and have their own gravity, so he can walk on the top or bottom of the platform or up the side of a wall. Some worlds require walking half of the level on the floor and half on the ceiling--alternating. Others require sling-shot actions to hurl Mario from space to space, including a "rubber sticky hand"-style toss. Add in boss battles that bring in unique characters that still look like they belong in the Mario universe, and you have the picture. Really, the levels have such variety that it's difficult to go into more detail without getting lost in the details.

Old friends return, often in variations on their old incarnations, like the Piranha Plants that include a boss "Dino Piranha" and later a "Fiery Dino Piranha," and no Mario game would be complete without new friends like Guppy the Killer Whale and the star-like Lumas. Even Monty Mole's interstellar cousin makes a few appearances. Bowser, as usual, is pulling most of the strings. Mario also gets at his disposal a number of power-ups, some old (Fiery and Rainbow--just like the invincibility star in previous games), and some new, including Bee, Boo, Ice, and Spring.

This variety of settings and gameplay could be intimidating for players, especially the younger players, but the game introduces concepts slowly and with in-game tutorials that are so well designed that players don't realize it's a tutorial until reaching a boss that must be defeated using the new strategy. Brilliant. That said, some levels require solving some kind of puzzle challenge to determine a boss's weakness or other key to finishing a level.

The gameplay uses the Wiimote and nunchuck with unprecedented variety. Spin attack with a flick of the wrist. Tilt the Wiimote in a Super Monkey Ball-style maze level. Pick up "star bits" by pointing at them. Skate by shaking the wiimote.

Levels vary in difficulty. Some will end quickly and leave you saying, "That's it?! That was easy!" Others will leave you thankful that it's fairly easy to accumulate extra lives and give you a real sense of accomplishment (or just relief) after you finally beat them. Overall, anyone who can handle the original Super Mario Bros. series should be able to handle the difficulty of this game, especially with the liberal sprinkling of 1-Up mushrooms on particularly stressful levels. Hidden levels give the game plenty of replay value.

While the game is primarily a single-player game, a second player can grab a Wiimote to help freeze enemies, collect star bits, and otherwise aid the first player. Quite frankly, my assessment of the difficulty of this game is based on having the assisting player along for the ride, because certain levels, like the "disappearing path" worlds, would be impassable for all but the most seasoned platform veterans when flying solo.

Graphically, Super Mario Galaxy steps up from previous versions with beautiful planetscapes and little details like the scales on Bowser's skin, yet the same cartoony feel you've come to expect from the Mushroom Kingdom. Sound, likewise, uses new melodies while borrowing tunes from previous games, giving levels a sense of nostalgia and continuity in spite of the new game setting.

So is the game perfect? Well, not quite. Mario games have always been text-heavy, and while not as bookish as Super Paper Mario, this game requires quite a bit of reading. While I have nothing against reading, when you struggle with a level and have to "A-button" through a cutscene repeatedly, it gets tedious in a hurry. An option to skip past cutscenes would help. For that matter, text cutscenes are so ten years ago. It's about time Nintendo hires some voice actors besides the occasional roar or Italian-accented cheer.

If you've ever enjoyed a Mario platformer, buy this game. Today. Now. If you don't enjoy Mario games, go rent this one, but make sure you get the extended rental period, and clear your calendar, because you'll be spending some time with this one and probably buying it anyway.