Rollodillo, who you defeat by turning rock-hard and ramming yourself into its behind.
Megahammer, who you battle by sending Bullet Bills into two large spherical sections of its chest and into a hole on its backside.
Smeeches "kiss" Yoshi so he can't use his tongue. This wouldn't be so unusual, except that when you try to press the button, the Smeech visibly stretches. There's also a glitch where multiple Smeeches can try to kiss Yoshi, and one of them appears to be kissing a little lower on Yoshi's body than it's supposed to be.
Annoying Video Game Helper: Every time you get a game over, and sometimes at other points in the game, Lubba will suggest that you take a break. This was probably meant to be an Anti-Frustration Feature, but it's more irritating than anything.
Anticlimax Boss: Bowser's final form. Unless you go out of your way to try, you cannot lose.
Award Snub: Lost many, many GOTY awards to Mass Effect 2. Despite the same people giving those awards giving SMG2 10/10s, probably due to the first Galaxy racking up nearly unanimous GOTYs three years before, while the original Mass Effect was largely ignored in GOTY awards (also in 2007) despite being one of that year's best-rated games. Much like at the Oscars, critics simply decided it was Mass Effect's "turn".
Awesome Levels: A big part of what makes Galaxy 2 so memorable to fans is its abundance of fantastic galaxies.
Sky Station Galaxy works as both a platform-heavy introduction to the game's mechanics for new players and an engaging "welcome back" to returning fans.
Fluffy Bluff Galaxy introduces the Cloud Mushroom, the game's signature power-up that allows Mario make cloud platforms appear beneath him at the shake of the Wii remote. The level is designed with this power-up in mind, presenting multiple secrets that are only accessible with Cloud Mario and many opportunities for speedrun skips.
Puzzle Plank Galaxy is one of the most creative level ideas in the series. The level sees Mario running through a world composed entirely of wooden planks and puzzle pieces, while giant saw blades tear through the environment around him, causing the floor and walls to collapse as he desperately dashes his way to the end. The concept of Puzzle Plank was such a great concept that it was brought back and expanded upon in Super Mario 3D Land.
Hightail Falls Galaxy gives us the first of Yoshi's many power-ups: the Dash Pepper, which causes him sprint forwards and up walls at blindingly fast speeds, while Mario has to maneuver him around obstacles and enemies that litter their path.
Cosmic Cove Galaxy is a major highlight. On top of its beautiful Scenery Porn and music that harken back to the first game's atmosphere, the level's gimmick awesome as well: you have to freeze the entire cove and swim through pockets of water floating in the depths of space.
Honeybloom Galaxy is a showcase for the returning Bee Mushroom that not only uses the power-up to its fullest potential, but also acts as a fun 2D side-scrolling gauntlet that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Remember those beloved Slide Levels from Super Mario 64? Well, Tall Trunk Galaxy brings them back and better than ever thanks to its lush visuals and energetic orchestration.
Cloudy Court Galaxy uses the Cloud Mushroom in tandem with strong winds, giant drum platforms, and a sweeping music score to create a majestic, who musical experience that rivals Gusty Garden Galaxy in terms of sheer spectacle.
Sweet Mystery Galaxy sees Mario and a bioluminescent Yoshi hopping across platforms made of chocolate to collect Bulb Berries and make their way to Power Star. Yum!
Space Storm Galaxy is yet another awesome sequence where Mario breaks into one of Bowser's battle stations and destroys it from the inside. The second Star even has him slow down time itself to make his way through as the theme from Buoy Base Galaxy plays triumphantly in the background.
Shiverburn Galaxy continues where Freezeflame Galaxy left off, offering another fire-and-ice themed trek through unfamiliar territory as Mario uses power-ups to leave his way over dangerous terrain. Adding onto it is the unsettling atmosphere thanks to three shadowy figures that always lurk in the background…
Clockwork Ruins Galaxy is one of the game's longest and most challenging levels, yet those qualities, combined with strong art direction, are exactly what make it so memorable and satisfying to complete.
Slimy Spring Galaxy is a nice Breather Level before the finale that sees Mario using a Koopa shell to navigate the coves of a distant planet while being accosted by eels and Boos. When he finally reaches the end, he and the player get to witness a beautiful sunrise as Captain Toad hands him the Star.
The Whomp King, who has rather easy to dodge attacks and an easy enough to hit weak point. While he is harder than he was in 64, they didn't make him THAT much harder. And they made him a boss in the final world of the main game, so one would expect a more challenging fight.
Most Prankster Comets in the game are highly challenging. Bulb Berry's Purple Coin Glow, from the Sweet Mystery Galaxy, however, has no time limit, turning what would have been a fairly difficult trip across invisible platforms to collect purple coins into a leisurely stroll. The level also contains no enemies whatsoever.
More of a Breather Section: while still challenging, the fifth section of The Ultimate Test/The Perfect Run in Grandmaster Galaxy, with the electric fences and Pull Stars, is far more forgiving than the sections around it, as you can take it much more slowly.
Unlike Galaxy 1, this game has a world map instead of levels being accessible through the hub world. Fans of the world map argue that it's still relatively nonlinear and the Comet Observatory is too confusing and cumbersome, while others argue that the Comet Observatory had a better atmosphere and fit the space feeling more.
One of the most divisive aspects of the game is the decision by Miyamoto to forgo the more atmospheric and story-centric aspects of Galaxy for this game in favor of it being a more traditional Mario game (Excuse Plot and all) out of a desire to keep Mario completely fun and gameplay-centric. Some either agree with him or don't mind it and feel the variety and gameplay more than makes up for it, while others are disappointed that much of what made the original Galaxy special is lost here and that its storytelling elements were implemented in a way that didn't distract from the gameplay and feel Miyamoto's moves have only hurt the game and prevented it from being on par with the original game.
Contested Sequel: Players and critics are divided on whether this game is even better than the original game due to better level design and the inclusion of Yoshi; just as good; or inferior to the first game as a result of losing things like an explorable hub world and a solid and compelling (especially for Mario) story, and for having too many borrowed ideas. More and more does the general opinion shift towards the latter as the gaming sphere pushes a greater emphasis on narrative, including this game's 3D follow-up.
Demonic Spiders: The Cosmic Clones are either this or Goddamned Bats. Their main Demonic Spider qualities are invulnerability and great numbers.
Bowser's Galaxy Generator, when compared to Bowser's Galaxy Reactor. While it has some features that stand out as a final Bowser level (i.e., ominous icon in the World Map, epic music, fun build-up to the Final Battle), the stakes are lower and don't have much of a cinematic feel compared to the first game; and while Bowser's Galaxy Reactor is an All the Worlds Are a Stage level with unique planets reflecting back from previous galaxies, Bowser's Galaxy Generator has a more rudimentary design akin to other Bowser Castle levels. And the Final Boss battle is an Anti-ClimaticZero Effort bout that you cannot even lose without trying.
The Green Stars. Upon unlocking them, the focus of the game shifts from finding exciting and interesting new areas to scouring old maps for the hidden Green Stars (which thankfully chime when you are close to them). Some require interesting acrobatic feats, but many of them are just in some pit or, most egregiously, right next to the gold star, as if to taunt players who were looking carefully for it through the whole level. This is also the point where the game turns into a Wide-Open Sandbox as you explore and look for all of the stars. Plus, to keep their locations secret, all of them are named generically ("Green Star 1", etc).
There are the cases where there are multiple green stars in the same level. You can only get one at a time, meaning that there are some levels that by design you'll be doing over and over.
World S, the game's special world. Mario Squared, Boss Blitz, and Stone Cyclone are really short and ripped directly from the first game. Twisty Trials is a SunshineNostalgia Level that gives you power-ups, therefore ruining the point of the level and making it too easy. Rolling Coaster and Flip-Out are both based on earlier galaxies in the game (Rolling Masterpiece and Flip-Swap), and while they are harder, don't feel original enough. However, Grandmaster Galaxy is generally well-regarded for being very difficult.
Epileptic Trees: There's a ton of theories floating around about the nature of the "Hell Valley's sky trees" in Shiverburn Galaxy.
Ending Fatigue: Think you've beaten the game after getting every Power Star and defeating Bowser twice? Think again, because you still got 120 Green Stars to find as well as clearing the Grandmaster Galaxy after that.
Evil Is Cool: While he's a bit more comedic this time around, Bowser is still a Galactic Conquerer with a massive interplanetary army that is dangerously close to subjugating the universe… and this time, he's HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!
Fan Nickname: The giant Lakitu boss in Yoshi Star Galaxy is the only boss never named in-game. Though the Prima guide calls him King Lakitu, he's commonly referred to as Giga Lakitu. Also Fiery Gobblegut for the rematch with Gobblegut in Battle Belt, and Whimps for the miniature Whomps that assist the Whomp King in his battle in Throwback Galaxy (named Pattan in Japanese).
Game-Breaker: Spinning and ground-pounding gives you a homing ground pound. Fair enough, but then you learn that it works on Stars too. All those difficult suicide-jump Green Star missions are made easier as a result (at least sort of, the range is still limited, so you'll still have to be in the right area).
Genius Bonus: The blackhole in the background of World 6 noticeably has a big white spout of energy bursting out of it, indicating that it is no ordinary black hole. It is a quasar, the most powerful object in the known universe, capable of ripping apart entire galaxies like they're nothing. The fact that Bowser built his empire near it symbolizes just how much of a threat to the universe he is.
The Cosmic Clones. They hound you endlessly. They may also qualify as Demonic Spiders (see above). Or perhaps Demonic Bats or Goddamned Spiders. In large or small areas, you'll often try to pass a previously-walked area, only to run into some Clones repeating the path you made just a minute ago.
The Octoombas, a.k.a. the little blue alien dudes that spit rocks. They were virtually harmless in the first Galaxy, but this game just had to make them so annoying. While they had a close-range antenna whip in the first game, now they spit rocks at you from a distance. They're all over the place, and they live just to knock you off ledges and mess up Daredevil Comet runs. They're especially annoying during the games against the Chimp. It veers so close to fake difficulty, the Chimp even lampshades it by saying that he'll need to find some more games so he can continue to enjoy your frustration. Just reading that line makes it all worth the while, though.
Goddamned Boss: Digga-Leg. You're supposed to use the Drill to burrow through the planet and nail him in the glass underside, but the problem is he's constantly moving around after the first hit, which wouldn't be an issue at all if the hitbox wasn't so ridiculously small. The only surefire way to not bounce off his legs instead of dealing damage is to position yourself and start drilling right before he flips over, which the Diggas he releases make a hassle.
Hilarious in Hindsight: Gobblegut's battle involves you battling a giant Eastern dragon by popping the growths on its side as it circles around you. That's basically the same tactic used for Naydra in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Of course, the latter merely involves freeing the dragon from a curse, while the former involves defeating it entirely.
It's the Same, Now It Sucks!: Probably the most common complaint leveled toward the game, due to it using the same game engine as the first Galaxy and incorporating several Nostalgia Levels.
This game doesn't exist. Explanation The exclusion of this game from Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a Compilation Re-release of 3D Mario games for the Switch, as well as its exclusion from the ending montage of the Nintendo Direct meant to celebrate the series' 35th anniversary, all despite it being one of the series' most beloved entries, has led to jokes about how Nintendo is bent on denying the game's existence and systematically removing all mentions of it.
Nintendo couldn't get the rights to the Throwback Galaxy. Explanation A companion joke to the above, which serves as a double joke. Firstly, rights are a problem with games when they're rereleased, and secondly, the idea that Nintendo couldn't get the rights to a level from a game that's included in the compilation that they themselves made is comedically absurd.
Older Than They Think: This isn't the first game ever to have dark clones of yourself that mimic your actions and are lethal to the touch; by the time this game came out, Rayman already had it beat by fifteen years.
Replacement Scrappy: Lubba is widely disliked for replacing the fan-favorite Rosalina from the first game, as well as constantly spouting bad jokes/puns, generic encouragement, and reminders to take a break or change the Wii Remote's batteries. This is likely the reason why, in contrast to Rosalina, who would become a mainstay in the Mario series, Lubba's only appearance in the Mario series post-Galaxy 2 is a couple of brief cameos in Mario Golf World Tour and Mario Sports Superstars.
The spring power-up from the first game is back, and it's just as hard to control as it was before. However, it shows up in only one level, and the level can be completed easily enough without it.
The Waggle-controlled Star Ball is back as well. Even more annoying is Fluzzard, who exhibits the worst case of Waggle in the game in that he is very difficult to control, and acts as an inferior replacement to both the Red Star and Manta.
Cosmic Clones, which multiply and follow your every move, damage you on contact, and are frequently in spaces where there's limited room to move or lots of backtracking required.
The Chimp, whose challenges are annoying to beat, and cost the player a life every time they fail them.
Using Luigi for a mission whenever he appears randomly in a galaxy.
Beating mostnote Some are there to show off hidden features/secrets, not to complete the level of the Luigi Ghosts.
Playing the game with two players, but with one controlling the nunchuck and the other controlling the Wii Remote. Requires a lot of coordination.
Ignoring the time-slowing switches in the areas that have them and playing the level at its normal, hyperactive speed.
Completing Flip-Swap Galaxy without flipping between panels — either by having the blue side up for the entire level (the default) or by spinning once at the beginning to use the red side for the entire level.
The Cloud Flower in the Twisty Trials Galaxy is completely optional, and the level can be done without it.
Try and beat Stone Cyclone Galaxy without slowing down time. It's possible, but really difficult.
In the level "Where the Chomps Are Made of Gold" you get to watch a Gearmos get repeatedly smashed into by rolling Chain Chomps.
After completing the hidden level "C'mere, Goomba", a Gearmo comes back with Mario to Starship Mario, and Lubba is clearly displeased to have a Gearmo on board.
Gobblegut is annoying enough in his regular form unless you can figure out how to hit his bellyache bulges in midair. Just wait till you have to face a fire version of him. You can't touch his body without taking damage, making it very hard to take out his bellyache bulges during the short window you have open to you, and whenever he dive-bombs the planet, he leaves lava pools. Not to mention, the longer the fight goes on, the more his flying body gets in the way of the player's view, making it difficult to see where his head is and where the lava pools are.
Grandmaster Galaxy is something of a That One Level by itself, requiring you to complete several back-to-back challenges involving gameplay elements from all over the place. "The Ultimate Test" takes it up a notch to "faceclawingly difficult", as you have to complete several challenges with only 1 hit point and nocheckpoints. Heck, the Hammer Bros section alone is tough to do without dying.
While any level with Cosmic Clones can be frustrating, "Cosmic Clones in the Chompworks" takes the cake. You have to race around a course holding down platforms to guide a Golden Chomp to the end of the course where it will release the Star. Not only is it hard to stand and wait on the platforms the right amount of time while the clones are chasing you, but the layout of the level makes you retrace your route in several spots, thrusting you right back into the path of the pursuing clones.
For those who had horrible memories of it in the first game (particularly the fast foe comet star), the Cyclone Stone returns, and it's much more painful than before. As seen in this video, the Thwomps and Tox Boxes are even faster than they were in Galaxy 1 with the fast foe comet, requiring you to hit switches to briefly slow down time in order to collect five Silver Stars.
Flip-Out Galaxy features entire level geometry that is switched every time the player performs a Star Spin, meaning that any poorly-timed spin can result in Mario plummeting into the bottomless pit below, with no way to recover. And that's before the game throws Cosmic Clones into the mix for the second Star.
The Clockwork Ruins is one of the longest levels in the game and moves at a drudgingly slow pace compared to the rest of the game. Mainly due to it involving a lot of waiting and harsh consequence for not doing so. The 3rd planet in particular is an arduous climb (with no checkpoints) where a slight error can send you plummeting down to the bottom. This also houses the 3rd Green Star, which involves a very precarious jump that will kill you if missed.
Rolling Coaster Galaxy is a massive pain. The first Star is simple enough; all you have to do is get to the end. Then a Purple Coin comet shows up, and you're forced to go down a course with only 110 coins and no way to get back up. If you miss too many, you're dead. Add on the finicky motion controls and two Green Stars, and you've got one frustrating galaxy.
All of the Chimp's levels; it is extremely frustrating to die just 10 points away from the final total and have to do the whole challenge over again. The worst is by far Melty Monster Galaxy's Bowling Challenge: what would normally be the most enjoyable of the games is wrecked by the fact that you need to talk to him and pick up a Rock Mushroom every time you lose (and he has three lines of text, each of which takes about three seconds to display).
The already hard "Luigi's Purple Coins" is back, and they seem to have made it both easier (actual solid ground, P2 can help out, getting the star itself is not timed) and harder (The timer is reduced from 3:00 to 2:00, there are only 100 purple coins and you have to grab them all, and there are Cosmic Clones chasing you.)
The Speed Run on Boss Blitz Galaxy. Five minutes seems generous, but Bouldergeist is so luck-based that he can singlehandedly waste most of your time. This means that you have to do near perfect on the first three bosses, get really lucky on Bouldergeist, and quickly finish Fiery Dino Piranha (Which itself can be a pain as the window of attack is extremely narrow).
The story being more traditional and familiar compared to the surprisingly dark and epic tale of the original, and the cutscenes using a simpler pop-up book style instead of the grandiose FMV cinematics of the original.
Like with Mario's Luma in the first game, Young Master Luma never speaks to Mario throughout the adventure. It's never explained why he is held in such high regard by the other Lumas of Starship Mario to be called "Young Master", and his lack of establishing a real bond with Mario makes his emotional farewell to him feel forced.
Lubba isn't exactly hated by fans, but he's considered bland compared to Rosalina. It would have been even the slightest bit interesting to provide him with the same sort of backstory Rosalina had in the original game.
A common criticism of this game is that it feels more like a glorified expansion pack for the original Galaxy instead of a proper sequel.
Instead of exploring the implications of the universe's rebirth in the original game, the game is mostly content with using the same generic plot as most Mario games.
Lubba is implied to have met Rosalina at some point in the past. This is never explored.
A minor case, but Melty Monster Galaxy has been criticized for two of its three main Stars taking place in the Rock Mushroom bowling alley which feels disconnected and leaves the lava galaxy with only one lava-themed main mission. Some fans think the Rock Mushroom could have been incorporated with the Magmaarghs.
Similarly to the first game, in order to unlock the Green Star Comets, you'll have to travel to Bowser's Galaxy Generator for a second time after obtaining 120 Power Stars. One might assume higher difficulty, a bit of a twist, or something different, but instead — it's basically the exact same level, only difference is the added cutscene post-credits.
Like the similar Fast Foe Comet in the previous game, there were only two instances of the Double Time Comet. There could've been potential for more types of faster obstacles in other galaxies.
Rightside Down Galaxy utilizes two walls to flip gravity. One being the blue wall that points down, and the other being the red wall that points up. But most players may not remember that there were also third and fourth wall types. These were a purple wall pointing left and a green wall pointing right. Their only appearance was at the very end of Rightside Down Galaxy where the player was being thrown in between gravity fields and had to aim for the star. They don't return in Upside Dizzy Galaxy. Had these types been used more, it would've made for more complex platforming and puzzle solving.
Spring Mario and Boo Mario are each only utilized once in the entire game. Boo Mario doesn't even get to be used in a 3D space.
Cannons, which were a recurring mechanic in the first game, only appear once in Bowser Jr's Boom Bunker.
Zipper Gates are only found once in the game, being towards the end of Slimy Spring Galaxy, as opposed to the first game where they were prominent in two galaxies.
Warp Pads were common throughout the Comet Observatory in the first game. Starship Mario only has one, which is used to transport to the Starshroom and back.
Unintentionally Sympathetic: A big number of players considered Peewee Piranha less of a boss and more of an Ugly Cute newborn creature making its moves, thus making its battle more distressing than, well, a Boss Battle, and a terrible battle to start off the game. The fact that its weak point, which is its butt, somewhat resembles a birth defect doesn't help at all.
The Woobie: The Toads, when they're scared and shaking.
where multiple Smeeches can try to kiss Yoshi, and one of them appears to be kissing a little lower on Yoshi's body than it's supposed to be.