Super Mario Galaxy review

Complaints? A few little 'uns. Certain stars only appear when a galaxy-altering comet is in orbit, and come the end of the game we'd like to tackle those last tricky stars in our own order without paying a shyster Luma to shift comets for us. And while much has been made of them, the costumes aren't the bee all and end all. Costumed Mario is as cute as a button, but you can't help but see them as restrictions on the freedom we have with Mario au naturel. Plus, later elemental powerups commit the heinous crime of interrupting a sublime soundtrack with annoying euro dance-hall techno. Bad ice Mario, bad!

You'll understand the outrage. Galaxy's is such a complete aesthetic experience that even the most minor design hiccup can be devastating. Floating inside a sphere of water staring out into distorted space, coasting around a light-refracting ice donut - these are visual concepts words simply can't describe. Short of trying to describe the noise that goose pimples make, we'll just have to ask you to take our word for it until you play it.

Of course, if anyone could capture the sound of goose pimples, it'd be Galaxy's sound designers. Every step carries the correct pitter-patter as filtered through dirt, puddles, wood or watermelon, and Martinet's helium yelps have never been as crisply entertaining. Smother it in a generous helping of some of the finest orchestral bombast ever heard in a game and you've got a soundscape that turns your earwax rainbow coloured. Landing in the Gusty Garden Galaxy to a blare of horns instantly makes our list of top five gaming moments of all time.