I’m sure I wasn’t alone in 2007 when I thought “where the heck can Mario go next?” Really, once you open up galaxies to the famed plumber, going back to explore a single castle or a resort town seems a tad bit underwhelming. Nintendo seems to have felt the same way; rather than trying to outdo themselves yet again, they offered up a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. This is momentous in a way; Nintendo has never created a direct sequel to a 3D Mario game, and it was also the first time two 3D Mario games had appeared on the same console. Some may have scoffed and cried “cash-in,” but that claim is proven to hold no weight even after only a minuscule amount of time with the game.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is, without a doubt, the best Wii game to be released this year, and probably holds the title of best Wii game overall. It would be criminal to discuss the best games of 2010 without mentioning Mario’s latest adventure. What makes Galaxy 2 a worthy contender for Game of the Year? Read on for our thoughts.

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Sage: I don’t care if your Wii is in storage, damaged, or just plain missing — if you don’t play Galaxy 2 before you die, your life will be a dark, miserable place. Even Kirby’s Epic Yarn couldn’t grab me with the “cute and colorful” factor as much as Galaxy 2 did. If they’d just take out that damn Spring Mario level, Nintendo’s got themselves a timeless masterpiece on the scale of Super Mario World.

Scott: I spoke highly of Mario Galaxy 2 in my review, but to reiterate: Mario Galaxy 2 is simply the best 3D platformer ever. Nintendo took the underpinnings of the first game and pushed themselves to create mesmerizing levels and challenges that far surpassed what was available in the original. Though disorienting at first, traversing the planetoids and playing with gravity becomes second nature quickly, a feat few other developers would be able to manage. Add in the addictive “just one more star” mentality, and you have a game that is a wholly unique experience. This is a must play game.

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Mario’s second romp through space is an experience that all should behold, but how does it stand against the fierce competition released this year? Can Mario beat out three other space-based games and a western to claim the Game of the Year Award? You’ll have to wait a few more days to find out, but in the meantime chime in and let us know how you felt about Super Mario Galaxy 2. Or, how much you loathed the Spring Mario level.