What I can say is that Mario and his sidekick Yoshi are filled with more brand-new moves than we’ve previously heard about at E3 or the recent media summit. Mario can roll up into a rock and bash around the levels, and Yoshi can eat Glimmer Bulb Berries that cause him to phosphoresce
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Galaxy's approach to 3D sets it apart from any other game. We live in a 3D world, one that relies on rules of orientation: the concepts of "right-side-up" and "upside down" define our perception, and have defined how we have constructed 3D games. Galaxy's spherical design aesthetic often alters this concept of orientation; when Mario runs around one of the planetoids, his direction is dictated by how the camera is positioned. With a simple button press, what was once "left" instantly becomes "up." Suddenly, the player must learn how to negotiate a new universe of game design, bringing back echoes of the delirious sense of freedom inspired by Mario 64.
Chow down on a blue fruit and Yoshi debuts a new skill: his guts swell to airship proportions and Mario pilots him higher as the gas is expelled.
Why is Mario Galaxy so good and what can we learn from it? To borrow some terms from Nicole Lazzaro's four kinds of fun, Mario Galaxy has hard fun, easy fun, and social fun as well as the ability to evoke the emotions of surprise and wonder.
