Bringing Wii games to the Nintendo Switch offers an interesting challenge, as a number of these games use motion and pointer controls. As the Wii Super Mario Galaxy game is part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, there are questions about how the waggle-happy title will be playable in portable mode on the Switch. And since handheld mode is the only option for Nintendo Switch Lite owners, they may run into a compatibility issue.
The fact that motion controls are optional has been buried in the Nintendo UK website, and it's safe to assume that actions performed with gestures can be accomplished with the push of a button instead. So, for the most part, expect Super Mario Galaxy to be playable on the Nintendo Switch Lite. However, there is the case of collecting Star Bits in Galaxy, which in the Wii version of the game involved pointing the Wii Remote's infrared pointer at the screen and placing a cursor over Star Bits. It remains to be seen whether this will be possible on the Lite with the touch screen or with an analog stick.
Super Mario Galaxy had “Co-Star Mode,” a co-op experience in which a second player can help by collecting Star Bits, activate Mario's Spin, or stop and distract enemies with the cursor. Nintendo's official website states that Co-Star mode will be in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars version of Galaxy. However, the website adds, "If you are playing on Nintendo Switch Lite, separate Joy-Con controllers are required and sold separately."
So if you really want to play co-op on a Nintendo Switch Lite, what you'll need to do is get your console upright and have both players huddled around a small screen while holding your Joy-Con controllers on it. Or you can play on your Lite in the usual handheld fashion and hover your friend over your shoulder by pointing a Joy-Con at the screen. Completely impractical, but totally possible.
