I couldn't quite figure out why Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn't stick out as fondly or as solidly in my brain the way the first Galaxy does. On paper, it feels like it should be better. It's the first direct sequel Nintendo has ever done for a 3D Mario and it improves upon many things from the first Galaxy. Yet despite the improvements, it still doesn't have the same charm or joy that the first game has and ultimately ends up feeling more like DLC that they made into a standalone game.

That said, it's still a really solid 3D Mario that feels great to play and has some fun levels, fantastic visual design, another banging soundtrack, and of course the best feature of all - my beautiful boy, Yoshi.