to-right scrolling in search of 1-ups for Mario, Luigi and the gang. In “Super Mario Galaxy 2” ($50), Nintendo's latest installment, Mario has a multidimensional universe of topsy-turvy worlds to explore. And somehow, in a gaming age replete with plasma rifles and buckets of blood, Mario's simple charm remains. The plot? Well, you should know the drill by now. Someone with paws the size of Buicks has captured Princess Peach, and Mario has nothing better to do than go jogging through a dizzying series of world levels to get her back. Far-off planets retain the familiar mushroom-themed landscapes of Mario titles past, but there are new twists in this sequel to 2007's “Super Mario Galaxy.” “Now, let me tell you a new story that also begins with stardust ...” the game begins, before launching Mario into the cosmos. My fuel for travel between galaxies was indeed stardust. Small stars, to be exact, that were released when I vanquished foes along my journey. As the so-called power stars sprang up from beaten enemies and the occasional odd flower, I collected them by running over them or pointing the Wii remote at them and guiding a small circle to them to snatch them up. The stars were used to power my spaceship, fashioned in the shape of Luigi's head. Go figure. When I didn't have enough star power to travel to the next level, I had to return to a previous point in the universe to collect a few more. Many of the Super Mario favorites are here, of course. Big bad Bowser makes an early appearance, swooping in to capture Peach in his clumsy clutches and steal her away for parts unknown. Even Bowser's growls are cute. To be certain, this is no “Silent Hill.” This is a Super Mario title, with rounded corners and danger that never gets that dangerous on-screen. I'm still not a fan of the virtual page-turning scenes that Nintendo continues to lean on, in what can only be some sort of misguided homage to DS Lite games and their storybook plot advancement. And in the cut scenes, instead of showing Bowser and Peach saying their lines, we're forced to read them as text. I don't get this. It is stifled and dated, and tremendously slows down the game. One fun move is the shake-and-twirl move Mario can do to stun an enemy or break open a crystal full of power stars to gather. A quick rattle of the Wii remote did the trick, and it came in handy as the scowling brown mushrooms approached on a tiny planet barely big enough to hold us all. Those planets, with their obstacles and challenges, have gravity, and some are positioned so close together you can jump from one to another, sucked from one gravitational pull to the next. Large spinning stars transported me from planets that were positioned farther away. I didn't have much control over where I was sent. I just went. Mario has come a long way since his pixelated debut in “Donkey Kong.” He is the thread of continuity for the Nintendo console gaming business. In this title, the graphics are solid, the story line is captivating, and there is something comforting about piloting an old friend to victory. “Super Mario Galaxy 2” is rated “E” for everyone. Three out of four stars.
