It feels weird. You fire up your Nintendo Switch, scroll past the vibrant icons of Odyssey and Wonder, and maybe, if you were quick enough to grab it back in 2020, you settle into the orchestral swell of the original Super Mario Galaxy. It’s a masterpiece. Truly. But there is a massive, planet-sized hole right next to it. Where on earth—or in the Comet Observatory—is Super Mario Galaxy 2?
Nintendo did something both wonderful and deeply frustrating with the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection. They gave us the first game, upscaled and beautiful, then acted like the second one never existed.
It’s bizarre because Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn't some black sheep. It’s often cited as the superior game by hardcore fans. It has Yoshi. It has the Rock Mushroom. It has some of the most diabolical level design ever conceived by EAD Tokyo. Yet, as we sit here years after the 35th Anniversary celebration ended, the "Galaxy Duo" remains separated on Nintendo’s latest hardware. Let's get into why this happened, how you can actually play them right now, and what the technical hurdles really are.
The Super Mario 3D All-Stars Drama
When Nintendo announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Switch, the hype was astronomical. We were finally getting 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy in one package. But the excitement was immediately met with a "Wait, what?" moment. No Galaxy 2.
Theories flew everywhere. Some people thought it was going to be DLC. Others whispered that Nintendo was saving it for a rainy day. Honestly, the most likely reason is simpler and more boring: development time and "The Rule of Three." Nintendo wanted a trilogy for the anniversary. Including a fourth game would have messed with the marketing symmetry of 1996, 2002, and 2007.
But that doesn't make it hurt any less. The original Super Mario Galaxy on Switch is a technical marvel in its own right. It isn't just a straight port; it’s a hybrid of emulation and native code. The CPU code of the original Wii game was recompiled to run natively on the Switch's Nvidia Tegra X1, while the GPU and audio were emulated. This is why it looks so crisp at 1080p in docked mode. If they did it for the first one, the heavy lifting for the second one is basically already done. They share the same engine, after all.
Why Super Mario Galaxy 2 Matters So Much
If the first Galaxy was about the "wow" factor of gravity and space, the sequel was about the "how." It stripped away the hub world—replacing the sprawling Comet Observatory with the more streamlined Starship Mario—and focused entirely on creative density.
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You remember the Fluzzard gliding stages? Or the Cloud Flower that let you create your own platforms? These weren't just gimmicks. They were refinements.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is harder. Much harder. If you’ve ever tried to get all 242 Stars, including the Green Stars that appear after "beating" the game, you know the pain of The Perfect Run in the Grandmaster Galaxy. It is arguably the peak of 3D platforming challenge. Leaving that off the Switch feels like leaving the second half of a classic novel on the shelf. It’s incomplete.
The Control Conundrum
One major hurdle for bringing these games to Switch was the Wii Remote. The Wii was built around the pointer. Super Mario Galaxy used it for collecting Star Bits and shooting them at enemies.
On the Switch, Nintendo solved this in a few ways:
- Joy-Cons: They use the internal gyro to mimic the pointer. It works, though you have to "recenter" with the R button constantly.
- Handheld Mode: You actually have to use the touchscreen. It’s... okay. It’s not great. Imagine trying to dodge a black hole while poking at the screen to grab a Star Bit. It’s awkward.
- Pro Controller: Again, gyro-based.
Since Super Mario Galaxy 2 relies even more heavily on the pointer—specifically for Yoshi’s tongue—this might be why Nintendo is hesitant. Yoshi’s mechanics in the sequel require precision. In the first game, the pointer is secondary. In the second, it’s a core combat and movement tool. If the gyro lag on the Switch felt even slightly "off," the game would fall apart.
Hidden Details and Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed
Even if you played these games to death on the Wii, there are details that still spark debate. Take the "Hell Valley Sky Trees" in the Shiverburn Galaxy. If you look up at the cliffs in the background, there are three eerie, spindly figures watching you. They aren't enemies. You can't reach them. They are just... there.
The internet went wild with creepypastas about these figures for years. Are they aliens? Spirits? Nintendo has never officially explained them. This kind of atmospheric weirdness is what separates the Galaxy series from the more "grounded" (if you can call it that) Super Mario Odyssey.
Then there’s the music. Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo outdid themselves. The fact that we don't have the Galaxy 2 soundtrack readily available on a modern console is a crime. "Sky Station Galaxy" is an all-time banger that deserves to be heard through modern TV speakers without the compression of the Wii's hardware.
Is There a Way to Play Them Now?
If you're dying to play Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 on your Switch right now, your options are limited.
- The Physical Market: You have to hunt down a physical copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Nintendo, in one of their most controversial moves, pulled the game from the eShop in March 2021. You can still find used copies at places like GameStop or eBay, but prices are starting to creep up.
- The Wii U eShop (R.I.P.): You used to be able to buy them for $20 on the Wii U. That ship has sailed with the eShop closure.
- Original Hardware: Dusting off the Wii or Wii U is still the "best" way to play Galaxy 2. Using an actual Wii Remote and Sensor Bar provides a level of precision the Switch gyro just can't match.
Looking Ahead: A "Galaxy" Remaster?
Rumors are always swirling in the Nintendo camp. With the "Switch 2" or whatever the successor is called looming on the horizon, many analysts think Nintendo is holding back certain remasters to fill gaps in the next console's launch window.
It makes sense. Imagine a Super Mario Galaxy Deluxe pack that includes both games at 4K resolution (if the new hardware supports it) with refined controls. It would sell millions. Nintendo knows the value of their "evergreen" titles. They don't just throw them away. They wait for the moment of maximum profit.
Actionable Steps for the Ultimate Mario Experience
If you want to experience these games the right way today, don't just wait for a port that might never come.
Optimize your Switch setup for the first Galaxy:
If you're playing Super Mario Galaxy on Switch, go into the settings and make sure your Joy-Cons are calibrated. Use the "Split" Joy-Con setup rather than a Pro Controller. It feels much closer to the original Wii experience and allows for more natural "shaking" to spin.
Check local game stores for 3D All-Stars:
Don't pay $100 on eBay yet. Many local "mom and pop" game shops still have copies of Super Mario 3D All-Stars for around the original $60 MSRP. It’s worth the hunt.
Consider the Wii-to-HDMI route:
If you have an old Wii, don't just plug it into a modern 4K TV with the old yellow/red/white cables. It will look like blurry soup. Invest in a high-quality adapter like the ElectronWarp or the Retrotink. It makes Super Mario Galaxy 2 look surprisingly sharp on modern displays.
The Super Mario Galaxy series represents a time when Nintendo was at its most experimental. They took their biggest mascot and threw him into the literal unknown. Whether we get a proper sequel or a Switch port of the second game soon, the impact of these titles on game design is permanent.
Keep an eye on Nintendo Directs, but don't hold your breath for a shadow drop. In the meantime, there are stars out there that still need collecting. Get to it.