At last Friday night’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo officially announced that the critically‑acclaimed Wii classics Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 will arrive on Switch as a compilation. The news instantly stirred nostalgia among veteran players and filled new players who had never experienced the original games with anticipation.
As the great predecessor to Super Mario Odyssey, the Super Mario Galaxy series stands as a pinnacle of 3D Mario games. In this feature, we break down 10 essential things to know before you buy. Don’t forget to share this with your friends!
1. Release Date and Pricing
Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 will launch for Nintendo Switch on October 2, 2025. The digital compilation is priced at $49.6. Purchasing Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Galaxy 2 separately will cost $27.9 each. The game supports minor languages.
2. How Well‑Received Were the Original Releases?
Both Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 hold an impressive Metacritic average score of 97 from critics. Multiple outlets awarded full marks, stating that these two titles represent the absolute highest quality of the Mario franchise. With their grand cosmic scope, their level design, scale and innovation set an almost unsurpassable benchmark for their era.
3. What Are the Stories of the Two Games?
In Super Mario Galaxy 1, the adventure opens with the Star Festival in the Mushroom Kingdom. The festive night is shattered when Bowser strikes out of nowhere, abducting Princess Peach and lifting her entire castle into deep space. After being knocked away, Mario meets the mysterious Rosalina and the Lumas. He learns her Comet Observatory has lost its power and ground to a halt. Thus begins an adventure across fantastical galaxies. Mario must collect scattered Power Stars to restore the Observatory before facing Bowser in a final showdown to save Peach and the crumbling cosmos.
The plot of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is more straightforward. Having consumed Power Stars to grow massive, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach once again. To pursue his foe, Mario gains his unique Starship Mario and sets off through space alongside the Lumas. In the end, Mario defeats the colossal Bowser through courage and wit, safeguarding yet another star‑filled tale for himself and the Princess.
4. Ground‑Breaking Gameplay Features!
The original 2007 Wii release of Super Mario Galaxy revolutionized gameplay by defying gravity, letting players journey between celestial bodies across the cosmos. Mario travels from planet to planet via Star Slingers: some are tiny asteroids you can traverse in seconds, others are huge worlds you can explore deep inside. Certain planets host enemies or special objectives, which must be completed to unlock Star Slingers leading onward. Super Mario Galaxy features six galaxies with a total of 242 Stars to collect. Super Mario Galaxy 2 retains the free‑roaming cosmic exploration, adds Yoshi as a mount, and delivers diverse level designs to keep the adventure feeling fresh.
5. Enhanced Visuals on Switch
Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 features sharper, more detailed graphics compared to the Wii original for deeper immersion in its breathtaking cosmic environments. Owners can upgrade for free to the Nintendo Switch 2 version, which delivers 4K resolution when played on Switch 2 in TV Mode.
6. New Picture‑Book Stories on Switch
Unlockable picture‑book content has added narrative episodes: Super Mario Galaxy includes a follow‑up story “The Girl and the Luma”; Super Mario Galaxy 2 adds four exclusive chapters “The Twin Lumas”.
7. Complete Original Soundtrack Included
For the first time ever, Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 packages the full original game soundtrack. It contains 154 tracks from both titles, available for on‑demand listening. These were the first Mario games scored by a full symphony orchestra, and the collection also features brand‑new music composed for the new picture‑book chapters.
8. New Assist Mode for New Players
To lower the barrier to entry, Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 introduces Assist Mode: Mario’s health increases from 3 to 6 health points, and falling off will respawn you right where you fell, so less experienced action‑game players can enjoy the adventure comfortably.
9. Brand‑New amiibo for Super Mario Galaxy 1+2
Nintendo will release two new amiibo figures, “Mario & Luma” and “Rosalina & Luma”, on April 2, 2026. The stylized diorama‑style Mario soaring through space, and Rosalina reading to a Luma, come in larger‑than‑standard amiibo sizes.
10. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Is Coming After You Beat the Games!
Illumination and Universal Pictures have unveiled minor languages’ promotional art for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The film is set for a global theatrical release in 2026. It reunites the core creative team behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie: directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, screenwriter Matthew Fogel, plus returning cast members.
