My son reviews "Super Mario Galaxy"

[Updated 2:21pm, 11/20/2007] As Mario's dad, it was fitting (and probably inevitable) that I got my son a copy of Nintendo's newest plumber-jumping opus, Super Mario Galaxy, for his birthday.

Here, then, is my son's review of the game, taken verbatim and without his permission (or awareness):

"Whoa..."

"Whoa."

"WHOA!"

"Oh my gosh!"

"WOW!"

"Cool!"

"Whoa!"

"Dad, check this out!"

"WHOA!"

...you get the idea. Granted, this is just from the first 20 minutes of playing, so I imagine there are a lot more "whoas" and "wows" ahead for him.

Dad's review:

While Wii Sports may be the signature title for Nintendo's super-popular motion-sensing Wii video-game console, Super Mario Galaxy is the first must-have Grade-AAA title for the system.

Its innocently optimistic comic tone and uncomplicated controls make it the very definition of a family-friendly game, and the relatively forgiving difficulty makes it easy for even the most casual players to soon master Mario's gravity-defying antics. More "hardcore" players, however, shouldn't pass this up, as grabbing all 120 stars (needed to unlock the game's final secrets) will make even grizzled platforming gamers break out in sweats.

As if that's not enough, the game throws in a fully-orchestrated score, eye-popping panoramic graphics, a parent-friendly two-player "co-star" mode, and countless little gags, subtle details, and extra challenges to keep you pleasantly surprised the whole time.

Quite simply, this game is pure, unadulterated, infectious digital fun, the kind of game that grabs your sense of joy and cranks it up to eleven.

Summary:
If you own a Nintendo Wii, go buy a copy of Super Mario Galaxy.
If you don't own a Nintendo Wii, go buy a copy of Super Mario Galaxy anyway, and get a Wii so you can play this awesome game.

Or in other words, "WHOA!"

[Updated 2:17pm, 11/20/2007] For you die-hard gaming geeks out there, the two-disc platinum edition of the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack can be imported from National Console Support. Click here to place your pre-order (like I did).