Nintendo announced today that Super Mario Galaxy 2 has shipped to stores nationwide exclusively for the Wii.

Like the original Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 lets players take control of Mario as he travels to a host of imaginative planets, collecting Power Stars and striving to rescue Princess Peach from the malevolent Bowser. This new installment enhances the action with an array of new power-ups, gravity-defying levels and inventive game options. For the first time in this series, players can hop on the back of Mario’s pal Yoshi, who aids him on his quest in select stages. Also, players now can choose to play as Mario or later in the game in select stages as his brother, Luigi.

New power-ups in Super Mario Galaxy 2 include Cloud Mario and Rock Mario, which enable Mario to create temporary cloud platforms or smash through obstacles as a boulder. With the Spin Drill, he can tunnel from one side of a planet to another. Items such as the new Dash Pepper and Blimp Fruit give Yoshi the power to move around in unusual ways, like running up vertical walls or floating to new heights. Yoshi can also use his tongue to grab enemies and items, or to swing across dangerous chasms. In addition to Power Stars, players can collect Comet Medals that unlock even more challenging levels.

For friends who enjoy gaming together and have an additional Wii Remote controller, Super Mario Galaxy 2 offers the Co-Star mode that was introduced in the original Super Mario Galaxy, but with even more ways to interact. This mode allows two players to team up and cooperate as they zoom from planet to planet, where the second player controls a Luma that can defeat enemies, grab coins and pick up Starbits. Super Mario Galaxy 2 also features in-game guides that illustrate how to perform certain moves and clear tricky levels, lending players of any experience level a helping hand as they progress through the game.