Technologies

15 Years Ago, Super Mario Galaxy Kicked Off a New Golden Age for the Series

Mario’s dazzling Wii adventure changed the course of the franchise.

Mario has been such an omnipresent figure that it’s difficult to imagine video games without him, but even the iconic plumber hit a rough patch in the early 2000s, during the turbulent days of the GameCube. His sole platforming adventure for the system, Super Mario Sunshine, would end up being a critical and commercial disappointment by series standards, ultimately failing to improve console sales. With even Mario unable to reverse the GameCube’s fortunes, it seemed as though the plumber’s best days were behind him – until he made a spectacular rebound on Nintendo’s next console.

Five years after Super Mario Sunshine, Mario returned in a cosmic new adventure: Super Mario Galaxy, a bold and imaginative platformer that would kickstart a new golden age for the storied mascot. Leaving behind the candy-colored hills and plains of the Mushroom Kingdom, Super Mario Galaxy flung the intrepid plumber across the very cosmos, breathing new life into the series with its wildly creative level designs and sheer playfulness.

From the outset, Galaxy pares back many of the excesses that marred its predecessor, resulting in a much more tightly orchestrated adventure. Gone are the sandbox stages that dominated Super Mario Sunshine; instead, Galaxy whisks players through a series of decidedly linear challenges, evoking the straightforward platforming of Mario’s earliest adventures. Though some stages offer a degree of exploration, Mario seldom has time to catch his breath in Galaxy; nearly every challenge is a relentless forward race to the goal, with myriad surprises, distractions and mini-objectives to overcome en route to that destination.

What gives Galaxy its enduring freshness is its variety. Each stage is packed with a dizzying array of ideas. Mario could scamper around a small planetoid chasing collectables, slingshot himself between floating chunks of rock using rubbery globs of web, and navigate platforms that assemble themselves out of space debris – all within the span of a single level. Moreover, the game world unfurls at a much brisker pace than other Mario titles. New stages open up after every few stars collected, keeping the adventure consistently engaging and surprising.

Players and critics responded positively to Galaxy’s hyperactive daringness. The game would go on to sell almost 13 million copies on Wii, making it the series’ best-selling 3D installment at the time. But its legacy is its playful approach to level design, which would serve as the template for all 3D Mario games moving forward.

Super Mario Galaxy 2, released three years later, further built on this foundation with a wealth of new gameplay ideas. Super Mario 3D Land and its sequel, Super Mario 3D World, married Galaxy’s freewheeling spirit with more traditional level designs, blurring the line between the series’ 2D and 3D lineages. Even Super Mario Odyssey, which embraced the open sandbox style that Mario 64 and Sunshine pioneered, interspersed its sprawling stages with a bevy of linear challenges that would feel right at home in either Galaxy game.

Each successive Mario adventure was a critical and commercial success, moving multiple millions of copies and earning near-universal praise from fans and reviewers – a far cry from the tepid reception Sunshine received back in 2002. Even now, 15 years on, Super Mario Galaxy holds up as one of the plumber’s most dazzling adventures. Though other Mario games may have since leapfrogged it, Galaxy will always be responsible for kicking off a veritable renaissance for the series.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.