Undoubtedly an interesting game, especially for the time, but not exactly what I was expecting going through. The surreal and more outwardly superstitious aspects were really intriguing and made me keep going, but the rest didn't grab me as much; it felt more like an abstract history lesson. Not that that's a bad thing, mind, but it didn't compel me to push through the dated playstyle and bugs that my copy had. If a die-hard fan of this game sees this, if there's any way to play this without game-ruining bugs (that of the blank text boxes), please let me know. I want to like this more, but from what I can find, it's just pretty good.

What made 7 great with some added stuff from Wii that makes this feel like the definitive Mario Kart, which is obvious, but still. There's a reason it's been the standard for 10 years now, there's not much else you can do that this game hasn't done. Great roster of maps both base game and DLC, remakes are consistently good to great (Coconut Mall is a rare exception), character lineup is good but definitely some weird choices (zero people wanted 5 Babies and also WHERE IS CAPTAIN FALCON), but the obvious winner here is the gameplay. Every bit as smooth as you'd expect from a 7 follow-up, plus anti-grav allowing for much more dynamic map layouts and the return of ramps just make this so much fun to play. I went through the entire roster of non-remakes with my friend and it was some of the most fun we've had in a while. A+ game, even if there are a couple aspects from the older games I prefer. Only slightly.

It's cute. The music is really good and the level design is simple, but effective in giving you a goal and having you succeed in it. I prefer the Stars in the other 3D games I've played (haven't played Sunshine yet), as I think they flow better and encourage more exploration, but the streamlining here isn't bad. Makes it easier to pick and choose whichever worlds you like or don't like. Rosalina is a great character and the Lumas are very sweet. There's a certain... elegance? to this game that really gives it a boost, I think without the setting, music, art direction, it wouldn't have gone as far. Not saying that as an insult to the game or the fans, more so focusing on how much the non-gameplay aspects of this elevate the game compared to the other Marios. Probably not going to rate it any higher due to frustration with the controls and camera, as well as the galaxies themselves being mostly coin tosses in terms of enjoyment for me, but I'm glad I played it.