Super Mario Galaxy

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"Mario Galaxy" redirects here. For information about the stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, see Mario Galaxy (stage).
This article is about the game known as "Super Mario Wii" in South Korea. For information about the game commonly referred to as "Super Mario Wii" in other regions, see New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Not to be confused with Super Galaxy.
Super Mario Galaxy
Developer Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Wii, Wii U, Nvidia Shield
Release date Original release:
Japan November 1, 2007
USA November 12, 2007
Mexico November 12, 2007[1]
Europe November 16, 2007
Australia November 29, 2007
South Korea September 4, 2008
Nintendo Selects:
USA August 28, 2011
Europe September 16, 2011
Australia November 7, 2013
South Korea April 23, 2015
Wii U (digital download):
Japan May 31, 2015[2]
USA December 24, 2015[3]
Europe February 4, 2016[4]
Australia February 5, 2016
Nvidia Shield:
China March 22, 2018
Language(s) English (United States)
English (United Kingdom)
Spanish (Spain)
Spanish (Latin America)
French (France)
French (Canada)
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Chinese (Simplified)1
1 - Exclusive to the Nvidia Shield version.
Genre Platformer
Rating(s) Original release:
ESRB: - Everyone
PEGI: - Three years and older
CERO: - All ages
ACB: - General
USK: - Six years and older
RARS: - All ages
GRAC: - All ages
Nintendo Selects:
DEJUS: - General audience
Wii U (digital download):
ACB: - Parental Guidance
Mode(s) Single-player
Two-player co-op
Media
Wii:
Optical disc
Wii U:
Digital download
Input
Wii:
Wii U:

Super Mario Galaxy (known in South Korea as Super Mario Wii) is a 3D platforming title for Wii, first released in 2007. It is the third 3D platformer within the Super Mario series, or fourth if including Super Mario 64 DS. Super Mario Galaxy takes place in outer space and various other cosmic areas. Most of the levels consist of many small planets and planetoids, while others have bigger planets. The save data description for the game is "Launch into a cosmic adventure!"

Upon its release, Super Mario Galaxy received some of the highest review scores and appraisals of any Wii game to date. It has sold nearly 13 million copies, making it the ninth best-selling Wii game,[5] and was re-released as a Nintendo Selects title in 2011. In 2018, Super Mario Galaxy was released as a Nvidia Shield title, exclusively in China.[6][7]

In 2010, a sequel to the game was released, Super Mario Galaxy 2. In 2020, Super Mario Galaxy, along with Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, were ported to the Nintendo Switch as a part of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars compilation.

Story

Castle Gardens, the starting area

Every hundred years, a comet passes over the Mushroom Kingdom and causes magical stars and stardust to fall to the planet below. This century, Star Bits rain down from the sky and form a giant Power Star. The Toad Brigade finds it and delivers it to the castle. Baby Luma has also fallen, and Princess Peach decides to give him to Mario. She sends a letter to Mario, inviting him to her castle to join in the festivities and receive him as a gift. With invitation in hand, Mario runs to the Castle Gardens. As the citizens of the kingdom are celebrating the centennial event, Bowser suddenly attacks the Toads with his airships and freezes them in crystals. He "invites" Peach to the creation of his brand new galaxy, and when Peach (holding Luma tight) doesn't respond, he uses a UFO to carry the castle to the center of the universe. Before Mario can reach Peach, Kamek casts a spell at him, sending him into a small planetoid and knocking him out.

Peach's castle being lifted into space.

When Mario later wakes up on a small grassy planet he meets three Star Bunnies, who promise to tell him where he is if he can catch them. When he does so, they transform back into Lumas and take him to meet Rosalina, who tells Mario that he is at the "gateway to the starry sky" and that the universe is in great peril, Bowser having attacked her ship — the Comet Observatory — and stolen the Power Stars, including six Grand Stars (along with the final one at Peach's Castle). Without these, the Comet Observatory is doomed as they cannot move through space. Rosalina asks him to rescue the Grand Stars in order to defeat Bowser, who took Peach to the center of the universe. Mario then starts his journey across the galaxies, freeing Power Stars and Grand Stars. Once all of the five Grand Stars and Power Stars are collected, the Comet Observatory becomes a starship and takes Mario to the center of the universe.

Here, he defeats Bowser in his brand new galaxy, retrieves the last Grand Star, and rescues Princess Peach as she's falling from Bowser Jr.'s airship. The two share a carefree moment in the skies, but their reunion is cut short when the Sun of Bowser's near-complete galaxy undergoes a supernova and becomes a supermassive Black Hole. As Mario and Peach are seen walking together and holding hands, the bridge leading to the observatory then breaks apart, separating them both. After that, everything in the universe begins to be pulled into it. The Lumas from the Comet Observatory, including the Luma who had faithfully accompanied Mario through his journey, throw themselves into the Black Hole in order to neutralize it. The Lumas attack the Black Hole's singularity, and it soon disintegrates in a massive explosion. Mario appears in front of Rosalina, who had supposedly saved him from the cataclysm. She tells him that this is not the end, but a new beginning for the universe, and that the universe is an endless cycle, one that never repeats itself in exactly the same way.

Various characters celebrating after the universe's recreation.

Mario later awakens in the Mushroom Kingdom near Peach's Castle. He sees everyone he's met throughout his adventure (friend and foe alike) celebrating the Star Festival, while Bowser and Peach lie next to him confused. When he looks in the air, he notices the reconstructed galaxy, and exclaims "Welcome! Welcome new galaxy!" as the camera zooms out into space, revealing that the universe has been reconstituted. If the player continues, Mario will be at the point immediately prior to the final level, except Purple Comets will become available. Rosalina also states that if Mario collects all 120 Power Stars, he can travel to a new world, which turns out to be his homeland. If Mario collects 120 stars, a special cut scene plays after the credits. Rosalina and a group of Lumas appear on the planet Mario started on at the beginning of the game. Rosalina says "I will watch over you from beyond the stars." and flies off to the Comet Observatory. The Baby Luma is shown to be alive as if nothing happened, now residing on the small Gate planet, inside a derelict Starshroom that is covered in moss. (This also could be a possibility of where the Luma that started the second game fell from when it landed near Mario in the intro level of Super Mario Galaxy 2) In addition, "Super Luigi Galaxy" mode is unlocked, and collecting 120 Power Stars in Luigi's scenario will open a bonus episode containing the last Power Star in which the Star Festival appears to resume at the Grand Finale Galaxy, with Penguins, Gearmos, Star Bunnies, and Bees (along with the local Toads) all enjoying the festivities. The player can obtain a picture of Mario and Peach at Good Egg Galaxy, and a picture of Luigi and Rosalina in front of the castle's moat.

Gameplay

Controls

Pull Stars are used by pointing the Star Cursor at them and pressing A Button.

The game has several innovations and additions to the basic 3D Mario game concept. Mario is controlled with the analog stick and can jump with the A Button. The Nunchuk Z Button works just as the Z Button trigger did in Super Mario 64. The player uses it to make Mario crouch, do Somersaults and do Long Jumps. The Nunchuk C Button centers the camera behind Mario, while the +Control Pad can adjust the camera angle manually. By pressing +Control Pad up, the player can enter a first person perspective.

The game also uses the motion-sensors of the Wii Remote. The pointer of the Remote appears as the Star Cursor on the screen. The Star Cursor is used to perform a variety of actions, such as using Pull Stars, manipulating Sling Pods, and collecting Star Bits. Shaking the Wii Remote or Nunchuk will make Mario perform a Spin.

Mario's Spin move can defeat enemies or activate machines.

By pressing B Button, players can fire a Star Bit. When enemies are hit by a Star Bit, they are stunned and can be defeated with a touch, releasing Star Bits. Mario can also defeat most enemies by jumping on them, which will create a healing coin. Using the Spin to defeat enemies is also possible. Spinning may also stop an enemy from attacking; if Bowser and Mario both Star Spin at the same time, both moves get canceled. Also when Mario or Luigi Long Jumps then when they land on the ground and quickly do a star spin, they'll do a little pirouette like they're dancing. The player can use any of these tactics or only one of them during the entire game, as a specific tactic is never required to defeat a regular enemy. Only special enemies such as the Giant Goomba in the Gateway Galaxy might require a Spin. Several enemies are, however, much easier to defeat by shooting them than by jumping on them. As in Super Mario Sunshine, Mario can jump on NPCs to gain extra height or annoy them. Oddly, a move exists that is not explained in the instruction manual. If the player, while airborne, both shakes the controller and presses Z (to spin and ground pound at the same time), they will do a special ground pound that homes in on nearby enemies (much like Sonic the Hedgehog's Homing Attack). If there is no enemy nearby, Mario will do a fancier Ground Pound. This move returns in the game's sequel, also unexplained in the packaged materials.

Featured in Super Mario Galaxy is a multiplayer mode named Co-Star Mode. By simply connecting a second Wii Remote, another player can join in and assist the first player by controlling a second Star Cursor, and in doing so can accomplish a variety of different things, some of which the first player can do, but many of which the first player cannot do. When Co-Star Mode is active, "1P" will appear below Player 1's Star Cursor, and "2P" will appear below Player 2's Star Cursor to help differentiate between them. When Co-Star Mode is not in use, these indicators will no longer appear beneath either player's Star Cursors, until such time as Co-Star Mode becomes active again. The second player can collect Star Bits and fire them at enemies to briefly stun them. When the second Star Cursor is pointed at Mario and A Button is pressed, the second player can make Mario perform a Co-Star Super Jump. Combining both jump techniques can make Mario jump higher than when only controlled with one controller.

Mario's life meter has been decreased to three total. Originally, the creators of Super Mario Galaxy thought of giving Mario a 12- or 6-part health meter, but this idea was eventually considered far too easy. There is no longer a separate health bar for underwater levels which decreases slowly. Instead, Mario has an air meter which decreases and hurts Mario's health when it hits zero. The Life Mushroom replenishes any lost health and adds a second health meter, making Mario's max health six. When Mario's health drops down to three again, the effect of the Life Mushroom is lost.

Mario explores a 3D world with planets which have their own gravity. Several levels have arrows which Mario can turn around with a Spin, changing the direction of the gravity. The Launch Star allows Mario to launch off of a planet and go flying to the next. There is little or no warning that a boss might be located on the next planet, little indication that Mario may be facing something terrible or something peaceful on where he's headed next, and no loading times and screens. The game also contains side-scrolling levels reminiscent of New Super Mario Bros. with classic enemies such as Goombas and Piranha Plants. These side-scrolling levels may also contain directional gravity, allowing Mario to walk on the walls and ceiling.

Collecting all 120 stars and defeating Bowser once more unlocks "Super Luigi Galaxy" mode, which replaces Mario with a playable version of Luigi. The storyline is almost the same, even with the original NPC Luigi still being present. The only main difference is that the Cosmic Luigi reaches the Star earlier than the Cosmic Mario, and Luigi receives 20 1-Ups from Peach's letter. Luigi also jumps slightly higher, but has less traction than Mario. When the player has defeated Bowser again and continues with the Luigi story, Rosalina again says if Luigi collects all 120 stars, the player can travel to a new world. When the player collects 120 stars, the player can travel to Grand Finale Galaxy, which shows the celebration of the Star Festival. The 121st star can be found here.

Galaxies

The Egg Planet in the Good Egg Galaxy.

Power Stars make a comeback, last being seen in Super Mario 64 DS. The main goal of the game is to collect a minimum of sixty stars and defeat Bowser. Similar to Princess Peach's Castle in Super Mario 64 and Delfino Plaza in Super Mario Sunshine, the Comet Observatory acts as the game's hub area. There, Mario can access the galaxies from domes. New areas in the Comet Observatory become accessible as Mario gains Power Stars and Grand Stars. A minimum number of Power Stars is required to have enough power to go to each multi-star galaxy, single non-Grand Star galaxies with a ? Block icon when locked are bonuses for finishing certain star missions. The game has a level intro for each star, as in Super Mario Sunshine.

Mario getting a Green Power Star in the Buoy Base Galaxy.

Mario encounters Luigi in four levels (located in the Good Egg Galaxy, the Honeyhive Galaxy, the Battlerock Galaxy, and the Ghostly Galaxy). In Ghostly Galaxy, Luigi is at the end of Luigi and the Haunted Mansion holding a star. After Luigi is rescued, he can be seen in the observatory and helps Mario reach secret stars that he could not get alone. When Luigi is in other galaxies, Mario receives a letter from Luigi every time Luigi has found a Power Star, including a picture which helps Mario find Luigi. After the main game is finished, Mario can return and collect up to 120 stars. Super Mario Galaxy contains a few different types of stars, including red, green, and comet stars. The Green Power Stars are secret stars which are used to unlock the Trial Galaxies and one Red Power Star appears when Mario returns to the gate, which allows usage of the Red Star in the Comet Observatory.

After finishing a level, Mario's highest score of coins for the galaxy is recorded and the collected Star Bits are transferred to the Comet Observatory, where Mario can later use them to feed Hungry Lumas. The requirements for opening up each galaxy is listed below, with Star Bits if the galaxy is created by a Hungry Luma. Note, however, that some galaxies are not unlocked by simply obtaining a number of stars but by completing a specific star. This is true for all Hungry Lumas except the first, and all bonus galaxies from Buoy Base Galaxy onward.

There are a total of forty-two galaxies in the game.

The amount of Power Stars and Star Bits listed after a galaxy is the amount of the corresponding collectibles that is required to unlock the galaxy.

Galaxies with a * are galaxies unlocked via Hungry Luma.

Gate
Gateway Galaxy Boo's Boneyard Galaxy*
Grand Star Rescue Gateway's Purple Coins Racing the Spooky Speedster
Terrace
Good Egg Galaxy Honeyhive Galaxy
Dino Piranha A Snack of Cosmic Proportions Bee Mario/Luigi Takes Flight Trouble on the Tower
King Kaliente's Battle Fleet Dino Piranha Speed Run Big Bad Bugaboom Honeyhive Cosmic Mario/Luigi Race
Purple Coin Omelet Luigi on the Roof Honeyhive's Purple Coins Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom
Loopdeeloop Galaxy Flipswitch Galaxy
Surfing 101 Painting the Planet Yellow
Sweet Sweet Galaxy* Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor
Rocky Road Megaleg's Moon
Fountain
Space Junk Galaxy Battlerock Galaxy
Pull Star Path Kamella's Airship Attack Battlerock Barrage Breaking into the Battlerock
Tarantox's Tangled Web Pull Star Path Speed Run Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe Topmaniac's Daredevil Run
Purple Coin Spacewalk Yoshi's Unexpected Appearance Purple Coins on the Battlerock Battlerock's Garbage Dump
N/A Luigi under the Saucer
Rolling Green Galaxy Hurry-Scurry Galaxy
Rolling in the Clouds Shrinking Satellite
Sling Pod Galaxy* Bowser's Star Reactor
A Very Sticky Situation The Fiery Stronghold
Kitchen
Beach Bowl Galaxy Ghostly Galaxy
Sunken Treasure Passing the Swim Test Luigi and the Haunted Mansion A Very Spooky Sprint
The Secret Undersea Cavern Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone Beware of Bouldergeist Bouldergeist's Daredevil Run
Beachcombing for Purple Coins Wall Jumping Up Waterfalls
Wall Kicking Up Waterfalls
Purple Coins in the Bone Pen Matter Splatter Mansion
Bubble Breeze Galaxy Buoy Base Galaxy
Through the Poison Swamp The Floating Fortress The Secret of Buoy Base
Drip Drop Galaxy* Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada
Giant Eel Outbreak Sinking the Airships
Bedroom
Gusty Garden Galaxy Freezeflame Galaxy
Bunnies in the Wind The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows The Frozen Peak of Baron Brrr Freezeflame's Blistering Core
Gusty Garden's Gravity Scramble Major Burrows's Daredevil Run Hot and Cold Collide Frosty Cosmic Mario/Luigi Race
Purple Coins on the Puzzle Cube The Golden Chomp Purple Coins on the Summit Conquering the Summit
Dusty Dune Galaxy Honeyclimb Galaxy
Soaring on the Desert Winds Blasting Through the Sand Scaling the Sticky Wall
Sunbaked Sand Castle Sandblast Speed Run
Purple Coins in the Desert Bullet Bill on Your Back
Treasure of the Pyramid
Bigmouth Galaxy* Bowser's Dark Matter Plant
Bigmouth's Gold Bait Darkness on the Horizon
Engine Room
Gold Leaf Galaxy Sea Slide Galaxy
Star Bunnies on the Hunt Cataquack to the Skies Going After Guppy Faster Than a Speeding Penguin
When It Rains, It Pours Cosmic Mario/Luigi Forest Race The Silver Stars of Sea Slide Underwater Cosmic Mario/Luigi Race
Purple Coins in the Woods The Bell on the Big Tree Purple Coins by the Seaside Hurry, He's Hungry
Toy Time Galaxy Bonefin Galaxy
Heavy-Metal Mecha Bowser Mario/Luigi Meets Mario Kingfin's Fearsome Waters
Bouncing Down Cake Lane Fast Foes of Toy Time
Luigi's Purple Coins The Flipswitch Chain
Sand Spiral Galaxy* Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor
Choosing a Favorite Snack King Kaliente's Spicy Return
Garden
Deep Dark Galaxy Dreadnought Galaxy
The Underground Ghost Ship Bubble Blastoff Infiltrating the Dreadnought Dreadnought's Colossal Cannons
Guppy and the Underground Lake Ghost Ship Daredevil Run Revenge of the Topman Tribe Topman Tribe Speed Run
Plunder the Purple Coins Boo in a Box Battlestation's Purple Coins Dreadnought's Garbage Dump
Melty Molten Galaxy Matter Splatter Galaxy
The Sinking Lava Spire Through the Meteor Storm Watch Your Step
Fiery Dino Piranha Lava Spire Daredevil Run
Red-Hot Purple Coins Burning Tide
Snow Cap Galaxy*
Star Bunnies in the Snow
Planet of Trials
Rolling Gizmo Galaxy Bubble Blast Galaxy
Gizmos, Gears, and Gadgets The Electric Labyrinth
Loopdeeswoop Galaxy Grand Finale Galaxy
The Galaxy's Greatest Wave The Star Festival
Center of the Universe
Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
The Fate of the Universe

Green Power Star locations

Galaxies with a * are unlocked by feeding Hungry Lumas.

Prankster Comets

Main article: Prankster Comet

Prankster Comets are objects which interfere with a Galaxy, giving it an extra attribute. The 30 comet stars are obtained by completing special challenges in the larger galaxies, such as speed runs of certain missions, "daredevil" runs (in which Mario's max health is one with no coins in the level), racing cosmic clones of Mario or Luigi, and double the speed of enemies. They only appear after the corresponding regular level (e.g. Ghostly Galaxy's Bouldergeist battle) is completed, sometimes immediately and sometimes only after another galaxy's level is completed. In some cases (like the Space Junk Galaxy), the entire galaxy has to be beaten first. There are 2 prankster comets in each of the 15 multi-star galaxies: one of the types of comets just described, plus one purple prankster comet that appears after beating Bowser's Galaxy Reactor for the first time, forcing missions where the player must collect 100 Purple Coins.

Characters

Mario looking at Rosalina.

Mario encounters many new and old characters in his adventure. Most of these are met in one or more galaxies, though Rosalina, the Toad Brigade and the Lumas are found on the Comet Observatory.

Enemies

Mario collapsing a Dry Bones in the Dusty Dune Galaxy.

The game has old enemies such as Goombas from Super Mario Bros. and round Goombas from Super Mario World, enemies which make their 3D platformer debut such as Magikoopas and Dry Bones, as well as new enemies, which include the Electrogoombas and Mandibugs.

New enemies

Returning enemies

Bosses

The boss characters.

Fifteen bosses are in the game. Some of them are fought more than once. The numbers below include Prankster Comet encounters.

  1. Dino Piranha ×2
  2. King Kaliente ×2
  3. Mandibug x 1
  4. Bugaboom ×1
  5. Megaleg ×1
  6. Kamella ×3
  7. Tarantox ×1
  8. Topmaniac ×4
  9. Bouldergeist ×2
  10. Major Burrows ×2
  11. Baron Brrr ×1
  12. Undergrunt Gunner ×3
  13. Kingfin ×1
  14. Fiery Dino Piranha ×1
  15. Bowser Jr. ×1
  16. Bowser ×3

Items

Throughout the game, Mario can use many new and returning items that allow him to do things that he's never been able to do before.

Item Function Image
1-Up Mushroom Gives Mario an extra life.
Life Mushroom A mushroom that gives Mario's Health Meter an additional three sections, bringing the total to six.
Bob-omb Dispenser A machine that consistently dispenses Bob-ombs for use by the player.
Coin Restore lost wedges of Mario's Health Meter. If 50 coins are collected, Mario will earn an extra life.
Crate Often found in many different galaxies, these can be broken to release items.
Gold Shell A special, rare shell that is either given to the Coach (in the Beach Bowl Galaxy) or used to open a chest (in the Bigmouth Galaxy). It gives a large speed boost when used underwater.
Green Shell A green Koopa Shell that Mario can grab by touching it or spinning near it. The player can then throw it at enemies by shaking the Wii Remote. It gives a small speed boost underwater.
Ice Crystal A glassy crystal that can contain Star Bits, power-ups, or rarely, enemies and Toads.
Launch Star A powerful item that quickly launches Mario to another planet when the player shakes the Wii Remote near it.
Pull Star An item that will pull Mario towards it when the player positions the Star Cursor over it and presses the A Button button.
Purple Coin A special variety of coin that only appears in galaxies when a Purple Comet is in orbit around a galaxy.
? Coin A large coin that can make a multitude of things appear, including coins, Star Bits, Rainbow Notes, a power-up, or even another ? Coin.
Rainbow Note Colorful musical notes that only appear after Mario has touched a ? Coin, after which a short trail of them will line up in the immediate vicinity. When they are collected quickly, a short tune will be played in the background.
Red Shell A red Koopa Shell that Mario can grab by touching it or spinning near it. When Mario launches it, it will zero in on any nearby enemies. It gives a larger boost than the Green Shell when used underwater.
Sling Star A smaller version of a Launch Star that will fling Mario to another planet or area when the player shakes the Wii Remote near it.
Star Chip Small fragments of a Launch Star, Sling Star, or Pull Star. When all five have been found, they will reform into their respective star and allow the player to advance. Yellow Star Chips are much more common than blue ones.
Star Bits One of the most common items in the game, Star Bits can be found virtually anywhere and can be collected with the Star Cursor. Sometimes, Mario has to feed Star Bits to Hungry Lumas to advance. If 50 Star Bits are collected, Mario will earn an extra life.

Power-Ups

Mario regains his ability to attain different abilities via special mushrooms, flowers, and stars, similar to Super Mario 64, in which he could obtain the Wing Cap, the Vanish Cap, and the Metal Cap to gain new powers. In this game, Mario uses seven Power-Ups to gain new ablities.

Power-Up Function Image
Bee Mushroom Allows Mario to fly for a short time when the A Button button is held. Also allows Mario to stick to Honeycomb Walls, and gives him the ability to walk on flowers and clouds
Boo Mushroom A mushroom that gives Mario the power of intangibility, and also allows him to float in the air with A Button button taps. The Wii Remote can be shaken to go through certain things.
Fire Flower A power-up that allows Mario to throw fireballs at his enemies by shaking the Wii Remote.
Ice Flower A power-up that allows Mario to freeze water in small hexagonal ice platforms and skate across them freely.
Rainbow Star A power-up that turns Mario into Rainbow Mario, thereby making him completely invincible for a short time. After running for a while with this power-up active, Mario's top speed will increase.
Red Star A power-up that holds the power of Red Luma. It allows Mario to fly for a limited time by spinning while in the air. Hold A Button to stop and change the direction while flying. It resembles the Wing Cap from Super Mario 64.
Spring Mushroom A power-up that transforms Mario into Spring Mario, allowing him to bounce extremely high by pressing A Button with good timing.



Locations

Bee Mushroom

Boo Mushroom

Ice Flower

Fire Flower

Spring Mushroom

Rainbow Star

Red Star

Power Stars

Item Function Image
Grand Star A special type of Power Star that is needed to power the Comet Observatory.
Green Power Star A very rare Power Star that can only be found in three galaxies in the game.
Power Star A regular star that Mario must collect to power up the various parts of the Comet Observatory and ultimately reach Bowser at the center of the universe.
Red Power Star An extremely rare Power Star that is guarded by the Red Luma. There is only one found in the entire game.
Silver Star A special star always found in sets of five in some galaxies. When Mario collects all five of them, they will merge into a Power Star.

Minigames

The first surfing level, Surfing 101 in the Loopdeeloop Galaxy.

All except Bob-omb Blasting can be found in the Trial Galaxies (as well as other galaxies).

Unlockable secrets

Luigi encountering Bowser.

Once the player beats the game and gains 120 stars as Mario, they can fight Bowser again by talking to Rosalina. Once Bowser is re-defeated, the player unlocks the option to play as Luigi. He is slightly faster and jumps a bit higher than Mario, but he has less traction, and the Cosmic Luigi stars are more difficult to obtain, due to Cosmic Luigi using shortcuts and techniques not used by Cosmic Mario. Luigi's Spin also takes slightly longer to re-charge, and he has less air capacity than his brother. Luigi also loses air for every time he uses the Spin underwater. Once the player beats the game and collects 120 stars as Luigi, the 121st star becomes available.

(Left to right) Comparison of models for Mario, playable Luigi, and non-playable Luigi

When playing through the game as Luigi, the stars that required Mario to meet Luigi still feature a non-playable Luigi, bringing up the issue of two Luigis in the game. When the playable Luigi first saves the non-playable one from the Ghostly Galaxy, Luigi dismisses his rescuer merely as someone in the universe who happens to look like him. When Luigi rescues himself afterwards, the lost Luigi refers to him as "me" (for example, "I knew I could rely on... me!"). Rosalina dismisses the two as twins. At first, they appear to be exactly the same. However, if one looks closely at them, one will notice the playable Luigi is wearing lighter green clothes and is slightly shorter. When the Mailtoad has mail, the letter will say it is for Mario, and the Mailtoad feels bad for Luigi. Also, some letters may contain 20 1-Up Mushrooms, instead of 5.

If the player collects 9999 Star Bits, all the coconuts in the game turn into watermelons. They have the same use as coconuts, but have a different color scheme. They remain watermelons permanently, even if the Star Bit counter drops below 9999.

Letters

At various points in the game, the Mailtoad will give the player a letter and it will be sent to the Wii Message Board.

Whenever Luigi needs to be rescued after initially saving him from the Ghostly Galaxy, the letter will say the following:

Dear Mario,
Oh, no! It's horrible!
Luigi has gone missing!
What will we do!

Mailtoad

After rescuing Luigi each of these times, the letter will say the following:

Dear Mario,

Thank you for saving Luigi! Keep trying to rescue those Power Stars, and we'll do our best to help! ♪

Mailtoad

After getting the 121st and final Power Star from the Grand Finale Galaxy, the letter will say the following:

Dear (Mii's name),


Congratulations! We would like to send you a galaxy sized thanks for saving all the Power Stars and playing to the very end.

Until next time;

The Super Mario Galaxy staff

Super Mario Galaxy: Original Soundtrack

Main article: Super Mario Galaxy: Original Soundtrack

A soundtrack for the game has been released, called Super Mario Galaxy: Original Soundtrack. It is exclusive to Club Nintendo members in Japan and Europe. There is a one-disc edition and a two-disc Platinum edition. Both editions aren't available anymore at Club Nintendo Japan. In Club Nintendo Europe, both editions are still available, with the exception of The United Kingdom and Spain, which only have the regular edition.

Development

Super Mario Galaxy finds its roots in the Super Mario 128 demo. Yoshiaki Koizumi, the director of the demo, wanted the part where Mario moves freely around a saucer-shaped platform to be included in an actual game, but found that implementing the concept required an high-degree of technical expertise. Shigeru Miyamoto remained interested in the concept, and after Donkey Kong Jungle Beat's completion, he asked the newly formed EAD Tokyo if they wanted to make a high-profile game starring established Nintendo characters, which led to one of the staff member suggesting that they had the skills to make a Mario game. Yoshiaki Koizumi felt that the Jungle Beat team had the ability to make spherical platforms work and said he wanted to make the game for the Wii.

Koizumi then gathered several other members in order to create a prototype. The outer space theme was chosen due to him finding that spherical shapes would be best interpreted as planets, and gravity was added. The prototype was shown to Nintendo after three months of development, which approved it.

Although Miyamoto was not working full time at EAD Tokyo, he frequently visited the studio to share ideas and oversee development. One of his suggestion was to include a delay between spinning instead of having Mario spin continuously by shaking the Wii Remote, so that the game would be more challenging and interesting to play. A setup was eventually created so that both the Kyoto and Tokyo offices could playtest the game.

The development team made heavy use of play-testers due to the studio's experience while developing Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. One of Koizumi's main concern were the camera angles and the motion sickness they caused. He thought camera-induced motion sickness was a problem with 3D action games, and found neither Super Mario Sunshine nor Donkey Kong Jungle Beat's solutions satisfying. EAD Tokyo was pressured to finish the game close to the Wii's launch, as several people were disappointed by Super Mario Sunshine not being a GameCube launch title and thought that it could have improved the GameCube's fortune. However, they decided that making a polished Mario game was more important.

Reception

Famitsu Magazine has given Super Mario Galaxy a score of 19/20. To put that in perspective, Super Mario Sunshine was given 37/40 and Super Mario 64 39/40. The Official Nintendo Magazine UK gave the game 97%. It was called the best game of the decade and praised for having excellent graphics, sound and gameplay as well as a mixture of new features and classic features. Australia's longest-running unofficial multi-format gaming magazine, Hyper, scored the game 97 out of 100, tied for the highest score ever given in the history of the magazine, running since 1993. Also, it was voted by readers as the Game of the Year for 2007. The game placed 51st in the 200th Issue of GameInformer's "Top 200 Games of All Times". Nintendo Power ranked it as best Mario mainstream title in their May 2012 issue.

Super Mario Galaxy currently holds a GameRankings score of 97.64% from 78 reviews, making it the highest rated game of all time on the website, while its score of 97 on Metacritic makes it the third-highest rated game.


Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Super Mario Galaxy/gallery.

Quotes

Main article: List of quotes in Super Mario Galaxy

Bowser

  • "Princess Peach! You are formally invited... to the creation of my new galaxy! Gwahahaha! This festival's over!"
  • "BWAHAHAHA! You finally made it! Just in time for me to stomp you into space bits!"
  • "WHAA--?! IT'S YOU! That's it, Mario! I'm gonna stomp you into space bits!"
  • "Finally! You got here just in time to see the creation of my galaxy in the center of the universe! WATCH AND WEEP! From this galaxy, I'll rule a great galactic empire with Peach by my side. It will last forever! I will rule every pitiful corner of the universe. So, Mario, as you can see, I got big plans. And stomping you is at the top of my list!"
  • "NOOOOO! My Galaxy! My empire! This can't be happening..."

Queen Bee

  • "And who might you be? A physician, we presume? No matter. We are in the most vexing predicament and require assistance. The most furious itchiness plagues our entire being! It must be stopped! Please find the source at once!"
  • "Yes that's the ticket!"
  • "Ah...that feels goooood!"
  • "Ahoo hoo! That tickles!"
  • "My thanks! You have shown much bravery, New Bee. We trust that we may rely on you in the future!"
  • "The neighbors are causing trouble again. We would be most grateful for your assistance!"

Beta elements

Main article: List of Super Mario Galaxy beta elements
Indeed.

Rosalina was intended to be related to Princess Peach. They have very similar appearances, reflecting this. Bonefin Galaxy was intended to be much darker, as was Deep Dark Galaxy. These were changed in the interest of playability. Guppy was originally a dolphin, and a friendly character. Some art of the Sea Slide and Beach Bowl Galaxies suggests that they were conceived as a single galaxy, with beach bowl's main planet in the center of Sea Slide's ring. A piece of concept art labeled only "fortress" is captioned as a piece that is very memorable to the SMG development team, since it was one of the earliest drawings of Galaxy. Ironically, the planet shown in the art is nowhere in the final game. In the place of Lumas, there were Cosmic Toads.

Regional differences

Textual changes

Canadian French localization

Super Mario Galaxy received a in-game French translation (whereas previous Mario games were left untranslated) for Québec, following a deal between the Office québécois de la langue française and the video game industry to have every games available in French by 2009. This localization features NPCs (particularly the Lumas and the Toad Brigade members) speaking in a thick Joual accent. This translation choice sparked a minor controversy, with representatives of the OQLF and the Union des artistes criticizing it for promoting poor litteracy to children.

Following the negative reception to the localizations of Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (which featured a similarly Joual-heavy translation), later North American French translations (with the exception of Paper Mario: Sticker Star) would be written in a more standard "international" French.

Glitches

Main article: List of glitches in Super Mario Galaxy

The Disappearing Penguin

In any of two missions in Buoy Base Galaxy, Mario/Luigi should stand underwater, near the diving Penguin. If done correctly, when the Penguin dives, it will disappear.

The Floating Toad

Mario should go to the level "Tarantox's Tangled Web". Then, he should to the final planet where Tarantox is fought and launch the green Toad onto the platform. Then he should jump in the sling pod and launch onto the same platform, so it breaks. If the Mario looks at Toad closely, Toad will be floating.

Staff

Main article: List of Super Mario Galaxy staff

Game Design Concept

Director & Game Design

Level Design Director

  • Koichi Hayashida

Level Design

  • Futoshi Shirai
  • Daisuke Tsujimura
  • Haruka Kakinuma
  • Ryutaro Kanno
  • Toshihiro Kawabata

Trading Cards

Main article: Super Mario Galaxy Trading Cards

Super Mario Galaxy Trading Cards are trading cards that were released to celebrate the release of Super Mario Galaxy. These helped amplify the publicity of the game. Each booster pack would have two regular cards, one trivia card, one standee, and one FunTat.

References to other games

  • Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - In the Gold Leaf Galaxy, the secret star, "The Bell on the Big Tree", the featured bell is the same one from this game.
  • Super Mario Bros. - Several sprites from this game appear here, including a planet in the Toy Time Galaxy, Mario sprites being in the background of a particular Bowser galaxy, and the background of the Flipswitch Galaxy resembling the overworld and underworld levels. Also, the main theme of the Toy Time Galaxy is a remix of the main theme. Also, some of the musical notes are music from the game such as the underground theme and the underwater theme.
  • Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels - Luigi's higher jumping and lower traction returns.
  • Super Mario Bros. 3 - Several pieces of music from this game are remixed here. Airships also return.
  • Dr. Mario - A planet shaped like a giant Megavitamin cameos.
  • Super Mario Kart: Bowser's Galaxy Reactor's music is a remix of SNES Rainbow Road.
  • Super Mario 64 - The third and fourth star mission on the Beach Bowl Galaxy feature a similar bit to Shifting Sands painting in Super Mario 64. The Tox Boxes and Sliding Stones also return. The music of some Bowser galaxies are remixes of the original from Super Mario 64. Peach's Castle design is based on that of 64's, but with a few differences to it. Finally, in both games, after the credits and an ending screen is displayed, Mario would say "Thank you so much for playing my game!". Also, the music for the Rainbow Star is a remix of the Wing Cap theme from the game.
  • Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS - Both games begin with a letter being sent from Peach to Mario.
  • Paper Mario - Both games begin with a letter being sent from Peach to Mario, also Bowser's way of kidnapping Peach (by stealing the whole castle) is reused here. They also have stories of baby stars. Furthermore, Mario starts off in a realistic 3D version of Toad Town. Also, a portion of Tubba Blubba's battle theme can be heard in the music when Mario is Fire Mario.
  • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - The floor pattern where Rosalina stands is similar to the pedestal in front of the Thousand-Year Door. It features a circular pattern that lights up each time Mario gets a Grand Star, similar to the effect of bringing a Crystal Star to the pedestal in this game.
  • Luigi's Mansion - When the player first sees Luigi, he is trapped in a Ghost House. Mario freeing him is a direct spoof of Luigi's Mansion, as in Luigi's Mansion it was the direct opposite. Also the music that is being played when a boss tower is unlocked sounds suspiciously like the Luigi's Mansion Dark Room theme.
  • Super Mario Sunshine - Fire Shooters and Water Shooters, which appear in various galaxies, have a strong resemblance to F.L.U.D.D.'s nozzle. The goal in the Loopdeeloop Galaxy and the Loopdeeswoop Galaxy is also shaped in a Shine Sprite.
  • Donkey Kong Jungle Beat - The flowers that Donkey Kong flings off of were reused in Super Mario Galaxy.
  • Mario Party 8 - If a Dry Bones falls into quicksand in Dusty Dune Galaxy, the cry Dry Bones makes when it is "blown away" in this game can be heard.

References in later games

  • Mario Kart Wii - Rosalina can be unlocked by having save data from Super Mario Galaxy; the Rainbow Road stage is set in space and is full of star bits; its music is a remix of the Good Egg Galaxy theme. Spiky Topmen were bosses in multiple online tournaments.
  • Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - The Spike Ball move used in the last boss fight returns in this game.
  • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games - The Dream Ski Jumping Event takes place in Good Egg Galaxy, plus some music from Super Mario Galaxy can be bought. Also, Purple Coins can be collected in some Dream Events.
  • New Super Mario Bros. Wii - During the credits, Peach can be heard saying the letter she sends to Mario at the beginning of Super Mario Galaxy. In Airship levels a remixed version of the music in the intro where Bowser attacks is played.
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Many elements from Super Mario Galaxy return in the sequel such as the Star Festival story is reintroduced.
  • Super Mario 3D Land - The haunted house theme returns. The graphics resemble to the ones from this game. Cosmic Mario returns and the airship theme returns.
  • Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games: Dino Piranha appears as the enemy faced during the Dream Spacewalk event. Despite taking place in the Sky Station Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy 2, several planets from the Good Egg Galaxy and Gateway Galaxy are shown.
  • Mario Kart 7 - On the Rosalina's Ice World course, the Comet Observatory is visible in the background. A remix of part of Space Junk Galaxy's music can also be heard.
  • Mario Party 9 - The Ground Pound Switch icon appears on Wiggler's body segments and on Whomp's back. Also the music of some Bowser Jr. minigames is a remix of Bowser Jr.'s theme of this game.
  • Mario Tennis Open - The Comet Observatory appears as an unlockable court. The music played is a remix of the tune played there and the music for the special game Galaxy Rally is a remix of the Good Egg Galaxy. Also, in the title screen, you can see the Comet Observatory in the background.
  • Mario Party: Island Tour - One of the game boards will be based on the Comet Observatory. Also, Rosalina and the Lumas will appear on this board.

Names in Other Languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese スーパーマリオギャラクシー
Sūpā Mario Gyarakushī
Super Mario Galaxy
Korean 슈퍼 마리오 Wii: 갤럭시 어드벤처
Syupeo Mario Wii: Gaelleoksi Eodeubencheo
Super Mario Wii: Galaxy Adventure

Trivia

  • By coincidence, the title Super Mario Galaxy was first mentioned in a fan letter written to Nintendo Power by Jimmy Peterford of Glen Cove, New York. The letter in question, which was printed in the December 1991 issue, detailed a fantasy game system called the Raw Power System, which would come bundled with a game titled Super Mario Galaxy, but in Peterford's words, would be "better known as Super Mario Bros. 24!"
  • The Super Mario Galaxy Trading Cards were released featuring many characters, locations, and items from the game.
    • Super Mario Galaxy also spawned a sticker collection, which included stickers of characters, enemies, places, and items.
  • This is the only Mario game to get an M rating by the ESRB, albeit by accident.
  • Due to the popularity of this game, fans have constantly requested Nintendo to add characters and enemies from this game into newer Mario games.


External links

Promotional websites

Other

References