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How strong are the reviews?
Nintendo Life awarded the collection 9/10 in its review of the European version, published September 30, 2025. Its review describes both games as enduring highlights of 3D Mario and praises their imaginative scenarios, updated presentation, and additional storybook pages. Read Nintendo Life’s review.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (European version ) | $55.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![Super Mario Galaxy Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512wQ+fsf6L._SL160_.jpg)
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Super Mario Galaxy Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code] | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Super Mario Galaxy 2 Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41hw5cZ37FL._SL160_.jpg)
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Super Mario Galaxy 2 Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code] | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Nintendo Life’s same-day review roundup reported high scores from several other outlets: VGC gave it 5/5, GAMINGbible 10/10, Destructoid 9/10, TechRadar 4.5/5, and TheGamer 4/5. The sampled reviews praised the games’ creativity and continued quality, while some raised price or limited new content as qualifications. These are individual outlets’ judgments, not a single universal verdict on value. See Nintendo Life’s review roundup.
Metacritic’s indexed listing for the combined collection showed 87/100 from 80 critic reviews and a separate user rating of 7.6 from 416 ratings. Those figures were displayed in a search result rather than confirmed on the collection page, which did not load; treat them as a dated snapshot, not a live or permanent total. Critic and user scores measure different groups and should not be conflated. Check the collection’s Metacritic listing.
#1 Best Overall
- Explore the galaxy in two classic games Travel the stars with Mario in enhanced versions of these beloved adventures—coming soon to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2!
- Super Mario Galaxy Mario meets Rosalina in this star-studded adventure. In Super Mario Galaxy, Mario must rescue Princess Peach and recover the stolen Power Stars from Bowser.
- Super MarioGalaxy 2 Mario teams up with an old friend and travels to different worlds on Starship Mario! In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario is once again called upon to rescue his friend, Princess Peach. This time, he teams up with Yoshi and travels across the universe in Starship Mario, a flying vessel shaped like Mario’s head!
- A free update will be available for the Nintendo Switch 2! Enjoy the game at 4K resolution in TV mode or 1080p in Handheld and Tabletop mode.* *4K resolution and 120 fps are available in supported games and require a compatible display. Frame rates capped at 60 fps for 4K output.
What do critics praise most?
Inventive platforming that still feels distinctive
The clearest through-line in the positive coverage is the games’ creative design. Nintendo Life’s Ollie Reynolds wrote: “With gameplay that subverts expectations and scenarios that wouldn’t be possible if not for the creative freedom of the cosmos, they represent the Mario series at its absolute best.” In Nintendo Life’s roundup, VGC’s review was quoted as saying: “Both games remain the high point of creativity in the platform game genre”.
That praise is directed at the two underlying games, not just at the technical work of bringing them to Switch. The collection gives critics a reason to revisit adventures they regard as unusually imaginative, while giving newcomers both games together.
A more polished presentation and small additions
Nintendo Life noted visual and texture improvements, as well as additional storybook content. These updates add to the package’s appeal, but they do not turn it into a substantially different set of games; TechRadar’s excerpt in the roundup, for example, qualified its praise by pointing to the limited amount of new content.
What are the main criticisms?
Gyro pointer controls are a compromise
Nintendo Life found gyro aiming serviceable but less satisfying than the Wii Sensor Bar experience, and reported frequent pointer recentering. The issue matters most in sections that rely on pointing: the new control method can make those moments feel less direct than they did on Wii. Metacritic’s displayed individual-game review excerpts also described the gyro controls as less satisfying than the originals’ approach. See Metacritic’s Nintendo Switch reviews for Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Rank #2
- Enhance your adventure even further with a free update to take advantage of the processing power of Nintendo Switch 2!
Camera changes can interrupt movement
Nintendo Life also noted that sudden camera shifts can disrupt directional inputs, with some camera quirks standing out more to modern players. This is a friction point rather than a rejection of the platforming: it can make particular movements feel less predictable even when the underlying level design is still inventive.
Price and the amount of new material affect value
Price appeared as a concern in the selected Destructoid and TheGamer judgments cited by Nintendo Life’s roundup; TechRadar’s excerpt noted limited new content. The roundup does not establish a single price verdict shared by every reviewer. Whether the package feels worthwhile depends on how much you want both games and how much weight you place on presentation updates and added storybook pages.
What changed in the 2025 Switch collection?
Nintendo Life’s review identifies visual and texture improvements, additional storybook content, and Assist Mode. It also notes mouse controls for Player Two in Co-Star Mode on Switch 2. Keep that last feature separate from the general Switch release: it is specifically a Switch 2 enhancement, not a standard feature of playing the collection on every Switch system.
The combined collection was released for Nintendo Switch on October 2, 2025, in North America and Europe. Nintendo Life’s review was published September 30 and covered the European version, so its assessment is tied to that reviewed edition. The review discusses Mario & Luma and Rosalina amiibo and their in-game effects; these are optional collectibles, not required accessories.
Rank #3
- Enhance your adventure even further with a free update to take advantage of the processing power of Nintendo Switch 2!
Are the reviews about the collection or each game separately?
Most of the reception figures above evaluate the combined Switch collection. Metacritic also lists reviews for the individual games on Switch, and those should not be mistaken for a score for the bundle. The listings opened for Super Mario Galaxy showed Nintendo Life at 90 and CGMagazine at 85; for Super Mario Galaxy 2, Nintendo Life, Screen Rant, and CGMagazine each showed 90. Those are individual-game listing scores dated September 30, 2025, not the combined collection’s aggregate. Individual Galaxy reviews · Individual Galaxy 2 reviews.
Who is most likely to value the collection?
The reviews make the strongest case for newcomers who want both games, or returning players who particularly value the improved presentation and added storybook material. Nintendo Life reviewer Ollie Reynolds concluded: “There’s no question about it: Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 are two of the most sublime games ever created.”
For people who already own both games on Wii, Nintendo Life called the collection inessential. That is one reviewer’s buying judgment, not a rule for every returning player: someone who wants a more convenient Switch version or cares about the updates may assess it differently. Before buying, weigh four things:
- Your interest in both games: the package’s appeal is strongest if you expect to play both, rather than buying mainly for one.
- What you already own: prior access to both Wii games can reduce the value of another version.
- Your interest in the updates: decide how much improved presentation, storybook additions, and Assist Mode matter to you.
- Your tolerance for control friction: consider whether gyro pointer aiming and occasional camera changes will bother you.
Critic coverage is favorable overall, but it does not settle the price question for every player. The collection is easiest to recommend to people who want both adventures and are comfortable with the control trade-offs; returning owners should judge the updates against what they already have.
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