Game reception and rating: Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy has received universal commercial and critical success. By May 2010, Nintendo had sold 8.84 million copies of Super Mario Galaxy worldwide.[55] It is the third best-selling non-bundled Wii game and the seventh best-selling Nintendo-published game for the Wii; the four best-selling Wii games, Wii Sports, Wii Play, Wii Fit, and Mario Kart Wii,[55] were bundled with the console or an accessory. As of July 9, 2008, the game has sold 912,746 copies in Japan, according to Famitsu.[56][57] According to the NPD Group, since the launch of the Wii, Super Mario Galaxy has become the third best-selling video game in Canada as of April 1, 2008.[58]

Super Mario Galaxy is the second highest-rated game of all time on the review aggregator website TopTenReviews,[3] as well as the second highest of all time on review aggregator website GameRankings.[59] Nintendo Power voted in its August 2008 issue that Super Mario Galaxy was the best game for the Wii; it was also the only Mario game to get a top spot on the list, as well as the only game to be unanimously voted for the top position. NTSC-uk said that Super Mario Galaxy "will influence gaming perceptions, sure to replenish any lost passion".[60] GamePro stated that the title "raises the bar in terms of what can be achieved on the Wii."[44] IGN called Super Mario Galaxy "Wii's best game, and an absolute must-own experience", and "one of the greatest platformers ever played."[7] GameSpot praised its gameplay and level design stating: "if ever there were a must-own Wii game, Super Mario Galaxy is it."[46] Game Revolution noted the variety of gameplay, reliable camera angles and easy to use controls.[45] As of May 2010, the game has sold over 8 million copies worldwide, ranking #8 on the best-selling Wii games list.

Reviewers have expressed minor complaints with certain aspects of the game. GameSpot editor Alex Navarro found one of the powerups, the spring suit, difficult to control at times.[46] Matt Casamassina of IGN noted that the auto-camera "works well most of the time", but occasionally "stumbles".

Towards the end of 2007, Super Mario Galaxy was named Game of the Year by IGN, GameSpot, Nintendo Power, GameTrailers, Edge and Yahoo! Games. On February 7, 2008, the game received the "Adventure Game of the Year" award from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences at the Interactive Achievement Awards.[61] The game placed third in Official Nintendo Magazine's "100 greatest Nintendo games of all time".[62] On March 10, 2009, the game won the "Game of the Year" award at the 5th British Academy Video Games Awards.[63] Guinness World Records ranked Super Mario Galaxy 29th in their list of top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.[64] On November 26, 2009, Super Mario Galaxy was named the number one Wii game by IGN.[65] Super Mario Galaxy was also named the Nintendo game of the decade (2000–2009) by both Nintendo Power [66] and Official Nintendo Magazine.