7) Battlerock Galaxy – Battlerock Barrage (Super Mario Galaxy)
There might be arguments about Battlerock Barrage being included over other stages, but here’s my rationale; the full brunt of what Super Mario Galaxy was capable of didn’t hit me until I played this stage. I was impressed up until Battlerock Galaxy, but during Battlerock Barrage, my mind went into overdrive when it realized what I was actually doing. Circumnavigating 360 degrees around a moving flying saucer, all while making Mario avoid incoming explosives being shot at him while also jumping over and getting around arcs of electricity. All. At. Once! To this day, I am blown away by how forcefully SMG broke the rules of 3D platformers, and this stage is one of the best that the game had to offer. Frantic, challenging, fun– what more could a player want?
Having only recently started Super Mario Galaxy 2, I don’t know how you can choose. Every level in this game feels so brilliant and original and purely entertaining… it’s literally a joy to play.
:)