Keepers is a weekly segment in which I discuss games I’ve played that I’ve seen fit to keep after playing. I generally sell a game that I’ve finished, so the only reason I keep one is because I plan to replay the game some day. Classifying a game as a “keeper” is generally a badge of merit.

I was never a huge fan of the earlier Mario games. I played Super Mario Brothers on the NES and the black and white gameboy, but never got past world 3 or so. I played a few of the later sequels, but probably spent even less time on them. Super Mario Galaxy is the first Mario game that I’ve really gotten into, and the first one I’ve completed. I only got 96 stars, so I didn’t really fully complete the game, but I did see the “ending”. I think the last 20 or 30 stars are really only for hardcore completionists anyway.

Mario Galaxy does some very cool things. Even aside from the wacky powerups, the underwater and flying levels, the ray-surfing levels, and the crazy monkeyball level, there are absolutely tons of really creative and fun aspects to the game. Every so often, I’ll go back and try to get an extra coin or two. It’s pretty hard, especially when you’ve put the game aside for as long as I have.