Recommended Extra - Super mario Galaxy 2, Nintendo, 28/05/10

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PIES OF FIVE COIO GALAXY 2 MAR SUPER

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aunched in 2007, Super Mario Galaxy was a phenomenal, critically acclaimed hit and marked the birth of a fantastic new franchise. The sequel, due on June 11th, is already being hailed as one of the games of the year – and has been awarded a rare and coveted 10/10 by Edge.

Capturing all the charm and fun of the original, Super Mario Galaxy 2 adds new levels and delivers two new Mario suits, a new power up, an easy to use navigation hub, an enhanced 2-player mode as well as a feature and tip network for beginners.

Perhaps most excitingly of all, Mario’s teamed up with his dinosaur buddy, Yoshi, creating a whole new way to play and explore this gravity-defying game. And this time round he literally lights up the screen. When he eats a bulb-shaped berry he emits a bright light that illuminates hidden areas.

The game starts with the Star Festival once again in full flow.

Princess Peach invites Mario to watch it at her castle, but on his way he bumps into a Luma who takes a shine to him and hides in his hat, giving him Spin Move Powers.

Then, as he approaches the castle, he sees a super-sized Bowser kidnapping the Princess and escaping to the stars. Mario’s mission is to follow him through outer space, rescue the Princess and restore peace to the Mushroom Kingdom.

When the first level is completed, players unlock a spaceship which turns out to actually be an entire planet, transformed to look exactly like Mario. This enables him to navigate the World Map on tracks between galaxies. And, as galaxies are completed, Planet Mario becomes populated with new characters and features to enjoy.

Super Mario Galaxy 2’s co-operative mode has also been enhanced. A second player can now take the role of a Luma who can not only hold enemies, but also perform the famous Mario Spin to immobilise and even knock them out. They can even collect coins on Mario’s behalf.

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SUITS YOU There are two new suits that are integral to the gameplay in Super Mario Galaxy 2: Rock Mario Protected by a rock, Mario can roll into new galaxies and discover new features.

Cloud Mario This enables him to create three cloud platforms, allowing him to climb high into the sky.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Format: Wii Release date: June 11th

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Star power Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of the biggest Wii games of the year, of any year, in fact. It’s already being hailed by critics as an all-time classic, and retail is relishing it as a stellar sales prospect.

Nintendo’s Roger Langford helps lay out the red carpet…

Can you recap the success story of the original Super Mario Galaxy?

When Super Mario Galaxy was released in 2007 it garnered unprecedented critical acclaim and we were pleased with its subsequent performance. At the time Wii was less than a year old and the unique and charming gameplay of Super Mario Galaxy, combined with the revolutionary control of the Wii remote and Nunchuk, gave anyone who played it an unforgettable experience.

The title was hailed as an instant classic in the gaming and national press. Metacritic shows the game got an average rating of 97, and this was backed up when the title was awarded a BAFTA for game of the year.

Has it continued to sell over a long period?

As with all Mario titles there is massive excitement at launch and we expect this title to be one of the biggest Mario launches to date.

Once the title is out there and people are playing the game, word of mouth will pick up that this is a very special title that everyone must own and we expect this, like all Mario titles, to have a very long sales curve. The original Mario Galaxy has sold consistently since launch and we aim to improve on this with Galaxy 2.

There’s been quite a long wait for the second game – is that an indication of how importantly it was viewed internally?

Actually, this is the first time since the days of the original NES that we have had two core Mario games on one format – so the wait is a short one. The game is huge and will stretch even the most ardent Mario players. It offers all the classic Mario gameplay that we’re all used to, as well as many new twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

Talk us through the main differences and improvements in the new game.

There are many new aspects and additions to Super Mario Galaxy 2. The gameplay has come

What has the critical reaction been like and how excited were you guys to get a 10/10 from Edge?

To get a 10/10 from Edge is fantastic and is a true reflection on how good Super Mario Galaxy 2 is.

It’s not only Edge that have given this title a great review – GamesTM awarded the game 10/10; NGamer and Gamesmaster awarded it 98 per cent. So across the board everyone is embracing Super Mario Galaxy 2.

LANGFORD: “Whether you are a Mario fan or a newcomer, this is the perfect title”

on leaps and bounds from the first Galaxy title, with some of the most fiendish and complex level designs ever seen in a Mario game.

The addition of being able to pair up with Yoshi adds a new layer of gameplay over the first Galaxy.

When you find a Yoshi you can use the remote to target enemies and get Yoshi to eat them, as well as use his tongue to reach hard to get to places.

There are also a variety of new suits and items to use throughout the game. The Rock suit lets Mario roll through walls, the Cloud suit lets Mario create his own clouds to jump onto to get to new areas and the Spin Drill item, once collected, lets Mario drill through planets.

Is the buzz about the sequel even greater than for the original, and if so do you expect it to be even more successful?

Certainly amongst gaming communities there is a huge excitement for the title. Also, with the Wii install base now at over seven million we are in a fantastic position to attract many people who have perhaps never played a Mario title before.

The title helps you to get to grips with the control system and is even bundled with an instructional DVD. So whether you are a Mario fan or a newcomer this is the perfect title.

Is this the biggest Wii game of the year for you?

Super Mario Galaxy 2 will definitely be one of the biggest releases on Wii this year and to date, and will continue to be a major focus moving forward through 2010.

What level of marketing support are you putting behind the release and will that be sustained through the year?

You seldom get the opportunity to be able to work on such a prestigious title such as this and we have made every effort to ensure that the marketing for Super Mario Galaxy 2 goes some of the way to matching the quality of the title. We will be ramping up activity weeks before launch with an epic cinema trailer as well as online takeovers on all major gaming sites.

From the launch week we shift our focus to TV with an advert that focuses on all the core elements of Galaxy 2. We also have a separate strand of advertising for kids with a separate TV creative and a range of advertorials to ‘take over’ kids’ press .

The marketing for Galaxy 2 will not stop there; there will be a second burst of TV a month after launch to make sure that everyone is aware this is the must-have title of the year on Wii. Going into peak season, we will continue to re-promote Super Mario Galaxy 2 to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience one of the greatest games ever produced.

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We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience one of the greatest games ever produced.

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MARKETING TV • CINEMA • ONLINE • POS One of the biggest Wii games of the year is getting the stellar marketing treatment it deserves, including a dual-strand, three-week TV campaign...

98% NGamer Galaxy 2 is Nintendo's finest work

98% Gamesmaster As near flawless as any single video game can get

G TV CAMPAIGN TV will be integral to all phases of Super Mario Galaxy 2, with advertising running pre and post-launch making it the biggest Mario campaign ever. Pre-launch there will be a 60second trailer that showcases all the features of Super Mario Galaxy 2. This will be in key event programming including the final episode of Lost.

From the week of launch Super Mario Galaxy 2 will take over TV with a massive three-week ad campaign covering terrestrial and multichannel. Accompanying this will be a separate ad for kids’ TV, making sure that Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be the must-have game for the summer holidays.

There will then be a second burst of TV for two weeks in July to keep Super Mario Galaxy 2 at the forefront of people’s minds.

G PRE-AWARENESS CINEMA A 60-second trailer will be running in Silver Spots across major cinema releases pre-launch to drive awareness. This trailer will also be shown on key event programming as well as on Sky Box Office.

G PRE-AWARENESS ONLINE Pre-launch, Mario will be taking over all major gaming sites, spreading the word about the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2. The creative will be a treat for all gamers and Mario fans alike.

G INSTORE A huge POS campaign featuring all the greatest moments from the game.

97% ONM Undoubtedly the new best game on the Wii

10/10 Edge This is the game that refuses to bore you

Super Mario Galaxy 2 can star in your store with Nintendo’s bespoke POS

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SU

PE FI R VE M C A OP RI I O ES GA O LA F XY

COMPETITION To be in with a chance of winning yourself five copies of Super Mario Galaxy 2, simply answer the following question:

What’s the name of Mario’s faithful dinosaur companion who plays a starring role in Galaxy 2?

A) Yoshi B) Toshi C) Squashi Send your answer to galaxy@intentmedia.co.uk

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