Nintendo: "You warp everywhere."

Journalist: "What does that mean?"

Nintendo: "Try it!"

It seems that some Nintendo reps love pranking the press -- and this didn't even happen today.

During recent Super Mario Galaxy 2 demos, Nintendo of America Product Marketing Manager Daniel Orihuela walked journalists through a few stages for preview purposes. In one particular level, players had to navigate narrow, continually moving catwalks that would disappear into the two massive walls of dark matter surrounding them, taking anyone standing still too long with them.

Now, you may remember from the first Super Mario Galaxy that the deadly, shimmering purple stuff is to be avoided. But Orihuela was banking on some people forgetting....

According to Orihuela, one member of the press (who we're assuming never played the first game or is forgetful) asked him what would happen if he would jump into the dark-matter walls, and...well, you saw how he responded. To that I say, bravo -- it's exactly what I would've said if I were running demo.

This stage, though, did remind me of why Mario Galaxy is one of my favorite games of all time...probably soon to be one of my favorite series of all time after its sequel comes out next month. Sure, Galaxy 2 has new enemies, power-ups/suits, Yoshi, and blah blah blah. But what I want more of is just the perfectly designed, perfectly controlled, revolutionary gameplay that no other platformer can match.

Disappearing act

In the first game, the designers reinvented the idea of "platforms" with areas that would dissolve away thanks to Bowser's dark matter. These didn't look like platformer-standard pre-determined disappearing floor sections (even though they technically were), because the liquid nature of the dark matter made it look more like someone was just randomly spilling solid-ground-erasing acid everywhere. From a gameplay perspective, it was good stuff...exciting to play but never too frustrating.

In Galaxy 2, dark matter and the concept of that sort of perceived fluidity return, only with a tad more intensity. In the example from above, picture two huge, long walls of energy, forming a floating hallway in space. Narrow walkways come out of nothingness from one side, before sliding and disappearing into the other, as if they were sitting on a giant, invisible record player. This maze of paths doesn't stop moving so neither can you, because contrary to what Orihuela wants you to think, running into those walls won't warp you "everywhere."

Yoshi also adds a twist to those areas that are all consumed by dark matter, except for what you're standing on at the moment. If he eats a Bulb Berry, he lights up to reveal more of the floor surrounding him, but as that wears off, the safe area slowly shrinks.

Nothing like a time limit to make players sweat -- or possibly curse at the developers. (See the 1:18 mark on the video below.)

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is scheduled to be released for the Wii on May 23. For more screenshots and artwork, flip the page.