Speaking to press in a small private Q&A session this evening, Nintendo visionary Shigeru Miyamoto told us that 90% of the content found in the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be brand new.
After the development of the original Super Mario Galaxy, Miyamoto said the team realized there were plenty of great gameplay ideas they simply didn’t have time to use.
“Let’s make Super Mario Galaxy 1.5,” he says of the original idea. But once the ball got rolling, they couldn’t stop, taking the game in entirely new directions. In addition to new worlds, some new gameplay will include the use of Yoshi, as well as a drill that can be used to drill down through the game’s spherical stages.
The game will contain roughly the same amount of content as the original, and with 90% all original content, fans have plenty to look forward to. About that remaining 10 percent? Miyamoto says you’ll see some of the game’s original areas and layouts, this time with different item placement and all new goals.
With New Super Mario Bros Wii shipping later this year, Super Mario Galaxy 2 will have to wait for a 2010 release.
“As long as there’s none of my traditional over-turning the tea table,” he jokes, “we should be on schedule.”