In his long and illustrious history, Mario has been just about everywhere, and in his latest game, he takes to the skies, and goes on an interstellar journey through space.

The plot of the game is a near carbon-copy of every other Mario game: Mario goes to visit Princess Peach in the castle to celebrate the coming of a comet, and, in time honoured tradition, Bowser is there to ruin the day and kidnap Peach. Cue Mario getting transported to a space observatory that's running low on power, so you have to visit different galaxies, collecting stars as you go to power up the observatory so you can finally go and save Peach. The observatory ran by the mysterious Rosalina, is the home to the Lumas, cute, star-shaped critters that found Rosalina when she was younger. They refer to her as Mama, and her history and that of the Lumas is unveiled as you progress through the game.

Sounds complicated? Don't worry about it; it's Mario, since when has the plot really bothered anyone, it's the actual gameplay that matters!

Thankfully, Super Mario Galaxy is everything you could possibly want from a platforming game. The game controls superbly well, the camera is perfect, and it's a joy to play. Whenever you unlock a new galaxy, you'll want to go there, not just because you want to complete the game, but because you want to see what the developers have in store for you next. The level design is quite simply out of this world (pun intended), each galaxy is different from the last, and there's enough variety to please anyone. There are tons of different enemies, elements, objects and environments, and twinned with the unique shape of each planet means every single level stands out.

Collecting different mushrooms allows Mario to change into different costumes. Mario now has the ability to hover thanks to the Bee Mushroom, or turn water into ice after collecting an Ice Mushroom. There are many other mushrooms in the game, some new to the series, so I won't spoil anything for you!

Graphically, the game is by a long way the best the Wii has to offer (thus far). Bodies of water glimmer, the lighting in the game is spot on, and not once has there been any slowdown, despite the sometimes huge draw distances. I've seen colours in this game I never knew existed: some levels are jaw-droppingly beautiful and an absolute pleasure to behold.

It is possible to complete the game quite quickly: only 60 out of the 120 stars are needed to go save Peach, but you'll only truly complete the game after collecting all 120, quite a challenge for gamers of all capabilities. Once all 120 stars have been collected, and Bowser is defeated, a new playable character is unlocked, and you can play through the game again as the new character. Should you collect all 120 stars with the new character, and defeated Bowser for the final time, star number 121 will be unveiled too you. Only then could you say you've truly completed the game.

The only negatives I could find with Super Mario Galaxy were the (very rarely) awkward camera, and that some of the bosses were a little repetitive, but please don't let these little niggles put you off. Super Mario Galaxy is, to put it simply, sublime, an experience every gamer should have, not just the Wii owners. From the moment you first load up the game, to collecting the very last star, you'll be playing with a smile on your face and a warmth in your belly, that I can guarantee you.