Kinda Funny Gamescast: Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 Switch 2 Review

Date: September 30, 2025

Overview

This episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast is a special review and live play session focused on the new releases of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Nintendo Switch 2. Host Tim Gettys gives his in-depth critical impressions after playing both games on the new hardware, while the panel—Greg Miller and Andy Cortez—ask probing questions, read fan superchats, and mess around in a live gameplay segment. The discussion explores the enhancements of these definitive editions, the value proposition for 2025, the games’ legacy, and their place in Mario history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Definitive Editions: Technical and Artistic Upgrades

• Native Resolution Improvements
  • Switch 1: 1080p on TV.
  • Switch 2: 4K on TV, 1080p in handheld.
  • “It’s freaking gorgeous. This game is gorgeous.” (Tim, 09:17)
• UI and Presentation
  • Fully new, high-res UI; no more “low-res as hell” interface like on 3D All Stars.
  • Unique icons and visual polish to suit a new generation.
• Soundtrack
  • Expanded and now fully orchestrated, with markedly improved instrument textures.
  • Tim demonstrates the difference between the MIDI versions in early trailers and the lush orchestrations in the release.
  • “That better might not have any one moment of Impact of like, holy crap, this is...whatever. It’s the chip damage throughout ...that I’m like, God damn. This game used to be the most special thing ever. And it remains the most special thing ever.” (Tim, 31:59)
• Art Design
  • Tim notes the “timeless” quality of the art style. Visual upgrades let the original vibe and ambition finally “sing.”

2. Controls, Motion, and Modernization

• Motion Controls Modernized
  • Galaxy’s pointer and spin controls mapped for both Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers; optional button mapping for spin.
  • “I love it. I think that the motion controls in Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 are some of the best implemented we've ever had in video games.” (Tim, 10:07)
  • Some camera/motion control quirks persist but they’re less intrusive.
  • "You can just...it's mapped to a button so you don't have to do the motion controls...I like the spin." (Tim, 09:50)
• Yoshi and Pinpoint Precision
  • Yoshi’s tongue mapped to motion; more precise but still fun. Still, some platforming is challenging.

3. Content & Value Proposition

• Package and Pricing
  • Each game: $40 on eShop; both for $70 bundle (physical only as a bundle).
  • Tim’s take: “$40 for each of these games and it’s 70 for both of them. I think that if this, the package between the two of them was $60, this wouldn’t even be a conversation.” (Tim, 16:06)
  • Defends $40 per title: “These games’ legacy are so important...these versions...worth it.” (Tim, 24:30)
  • Compared to 3D All Stars: massive step up (UI, controls, visual polish).

4. Review Scores & Critical Thoughts

• Tim’s Verdict
  • “This is the definitive way to play both of those games... I’m giving it a 9.5.” (Tim, 12:27)
  • “As close to a masterpiece as you can get.” (Tim, 12:28)
  • Not a perfect 10 due to: some holdover “un-fun” gimmick levels (e.g., ball-balancing, motion-specific stages), camera quirks, and price hesitancy.
• Legacy & Comparisons
  • Illustrates how Galaxy is the “nexus point of what Mario games were and are currently” (Wonder, 3D World, Odyssey, even Astro Bot).
  • “There’s something timeless about these games, and I also feel that they are ahead of their time.” (Tim, 13:02)
  • Points out that not all levels are stellar, and Nintendo kept the same “just not fun” Wiimote gimmick stages.

5. Galaxy 1 vs. Galaxy 2

• Tim’s Preference: Galaxy 2
  • "I've always been a two over one guy and I remain that...two is harder...the greatest hits...all killer, no filler...Galaxy 1's ‘fat’ is part of the adventure..." (Tim, 22:25)
  • Galaxy 1: broader “epic scale” with hub world and more exploratory structure.
  • Galaxy 2: streamlined, level-based, “much more similar to Mario 3D World.”

6. Quality of Life

• Assists and Accessibility
  • New assist mode for easier gameplay (not demo’d in-depth).
  • In-Game Tutorials: “It does have really nice kind of little infographics pop up...They make sure that you get it into the right position.” (Tim, 14:28)
  • “The HD rumble adds so much. Just dumb little texture to the whole experience. It just adds the presentation value.” (Tim, 63:01)

7. Legacy, Influence, and the Future

• Galaxy Influence
  • "Seed" for Mario Wonder, 3D World, Odyssey, and even Astro Bot.
  • Discussion about possibility/desire for Galaxy 3.
• Movie Tie-In
  • Joking about hype for the Mario Galaxy movie and speculation on characters.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (With Timestamps)

• On Presentation and Craft:

  • “The right amount of love and care was put into them to make these games that can hang with any game coming out today, period.” (Tim, 17:05)
  • “Old games, old. And if you make old game look new, it’s new game.” (Tim, 25:30)

• On Pricing:

  • “If this was 60, it wouldn’t even be a conversation... There is something though. It being 70, I’m like, lot of money, man." (Tim, 16:06)

• On Controls:

  • “I think that the motion controls in Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 are some of the best implemented we’ve ever had in video games.” (Tim, 10:07)

• On Art Direction:

  • “The limitations are what force the creativity and make the art style so incredibly timeless.” (Tim, 27:49)

• On “Un-fun” Levels:

  • “That was the Wiimote, you go like this and the bird flies differently. That shit’s not fun. You’re on a ball, you have to hold the remote like, it’s not fun.” (Tim, 13:02)

• On the Joy of Playing:

  • “That whole thing jumping off of a planetoid and getting that momentum to go, like, I put that up there with the swinging in Spider-Man and the, you know, Kratos getting the ax back. Like it’s just something about it that you feel it in your soul.” (Tim, 49:36)

• On Legacy and Remastering:

  • “This new version is the visual difference. This new version is...beautiful. It’s great. Like, but it could be better. And that better might not have any one moment of impact…but it’s the chip damage throughout…that I’m like, God damn. This game used to be the most special thing ever. And it remains the most special thing ever.” (Tim, 31:59)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [05:16] Review Introduction & Context - What’s new, value proposition, why this port matters.
• [07:03] Tim’s Approach to Review & Pricing Overview.
• [08:54] Technical Upgrades, Switch 1 v. Switch 2 differences & visuals.
• [10:07] In-depth: motion controls and how the games were modernized for Switch 2.
• [12:27] Tim gives his review score: 9.5/10; justifies not calling it perfect.
• [15:05] Pricing and value debate, including comparisons to other recent remasters.
• [17:05] What’s new compared to 3D All Stars, small but meaningful polish and care.
• [22:25] Galaxy 1 vs. Galaxy 2: Tim defends preference for 2, describes key structural differences.
• [28:33] Special segment: Tim’s demonstration of the soundtrack orchestration difference.
• [36:19] Mario’s feel and movement—differences from other 3D Marios; nostalgia stories.
• [43:44] How these games rank in the wider Mario pantheon; music and memory discussion.
• [49:36] Discussion of iconic mechanical moments—gravity, momentum, and immersion.
• [61:19] Q: Are the controls "weird"—panelists advise new players. Accessibility features.
• [65:02] Varied locations and levels in Galaxy 2 and their impact.
• [77:13] Discussion of what the movie might borrow from these games.

Fan Questions & Rapidfire

• Do saves from 3D All Stars transfer? – No, separate save data. (24:05)
• Do the games have new assist modes or accessibility updates? – Yes, there is a new assist mode not demoed in detail. (88:21)
• Thoughts on ranking Galaxy 2 among 3D Marios? – Tim finds it increasingly hard to rank but still replays 64 most; Galaxy 2 holds as the “greatest hits” version. (43:10)
• Does the motion/gyro control work as well as the Wii? – Some quirks, but Tim calls Switch 2’s motion and button mapping “the best way” to play now. (20:29)

Panel Chemistry & Banter Highlights

• Plenty of trademark Kinda Funny banter, including running bits about Nick never listening to their shows, Greg joking about parenting, and Andy/Cortez doing offbeat voice-acting and New York accents during gameplay.
• Greg plays through the opening of Galaxy 2 for the very first time, reacting in real time to modernized controls and visuals.
• Andy’s live reactions and attempts at levels provide an accessible entry point for new and returning Mario fans.

Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 on Switch 2 are now the definitive versions: stellar visual and sound upgrades, modernized controls, and small but meaningful quality-of-life improvements make these games feel new for 2025, not just ports.
• Price is high but justified for the quality and legacy—especially given the love and polish evident in these releases.
• While a couple of minor 2000s design quirks linger, these are “as close to masterpieces as you can get” (Tim, 12:28), essential to both Mario fans and newcomers brought in by the forthcoming Galaxy movie.

Notable Quotes Recap

• “I full 10 toes down stand on. These games are worth $40 each in 2025. These versions of these games are worth it.” – Tim Gettys (24:30)
• “There’s nothing more I could have asked for from one and two coming back.” – Tim Gettys (24:45)
• “When you play these games, you are playing in a lot of ways, the nexus point of what Mario games were and are currently.” – Tim Gettys (12:28)

Score:
9.5/10 (Tim Gettys, 12:27)

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