This article is about theWii game. For other uses, seeSuper Mario Galaxy (disambiguation).

"Super Mario Wii" redirects here. For the game released in 2009, seeNew Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Super Mario Galaxy
For alternate box art, see therelated gallery.
Developer	Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Publisher	Nintendo
Platforms	Wii,Wii U,Nvidia Shield TV[1]
Release dates	Original release: November 1, 2007[2] November 12, 2007[3] November 12, 2007[4] November 16, 2007[5] November 29, 2007[6] July 12, 2008[7] July 12, 2008[8] September 4, 2008[9] Nintendo Selects: August 28, 2011[10] September 16, 2011[11] November 7, 2013[12] April 30, 2014[13] April 23, 2015[14] Wii U (digital download): May 31, 2015[15] December 24, 2015[16] February 4, 2016[17] February 5, 2016[18] Nvidia Shield TV: March 22, 2018[19]
Languages	English (United States) English (United Kingdom) Japanese Chinese (Simplified)[A] French (Canada) French (Europe) German Italian Korean Spanish (Latin America) Spanish (Europe)
Genres	Platformer, action-adventure
Ratings	Original release: ESRB: - Everyone[?] CERO: - All ages[?] PEGI: - Three years and older[?] USK: - Six years and older[?] RARS: - All ages[?] GRAC: - All ages[?] ACB: - General[?] Nintendo Selects: ClassInd: - General audience[?] Wii U (digital download): ACB: - Parental guidance[?]
Modes	Single player, two-player co-op
Format	Wii: Optical disc Wii U: Digital download Nvidia Shield TV: Digital download
Input	Wii: Wii Remote Wii Remote andNunchuk Wii U: Wii U GamePad Wii Remote Wii Remote andNunchuk Nvidia Shield TV: Nvidia Shield Controller
Serial code	RVL-RMGJ-JPN

Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D action-adventureplatform game for theWii, first released in Japan on November 1,2007. It is the eleventh entry in theSuper Mario series,^{[20]:11–13[21]} the third 3D platformer, and the first of what would be recognized in retrospect as the "course clear-style" games of the series.^[22][23] In this game, the player controlsMario in outer space, moving across spherical planetoids with their own centers ofgravity. Thelevels are more linear than those found in its 3D predecessorsSuper Mario 64 (1996) andSuper Mario Sunshine (2002). Similar to prior games, Mario collectsPower Stars to rescuePrincess Peach fromBowser, who is trying to establish his owngalaxy at the center of the universe. Mario is aided byLuigi, abrigade of Toads, star-shaped creatures calledLumas, and a mysterious woman namedRosalina. The save data description for the title is "Launch into a cosmic adventure!"

Upon its release,Super Mario Galaxy received critical acclaim and commercial success. It received various awards and accolades, including from theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, theComputer Entertainment Supplier's Association, and theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts, and has gone on to be considered one of thegreatest video games of all time and a masterpiece.^{[24][25][26][27]} It has sold 12.8 million copies, making it the ninth-best-selling Wii game.^[28] A dedicated sequel,Super Mario Galaxy 2, was developed and released for the Wii on May 23,2010.

Super Mario Galaxy was rereleased in 2011 under theNintendo Selects branding after having sold well, and is one the few Wii titles to have beenrereleased on theNvidia Shield TV console in 2018. Another rerelease with upscaled graphics was included in theNintendo Switch compilationSuper Mario 3D All-Stars alongsideSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Sunshine on September 18,2020, to correspond with the35th anniversary ofSuper Mario Bros. (1985).^[29] Asecond reissue ofSuper Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Switch, based on theSuper Mario 3D All-Stars version, was released on October 2, 2025, as part of theSuper Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 bundle and as a standalone digital-only release, to coincide with the40th anniversary ofSuper Mario Bros. A film inspired by the game, titledThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is set to be released on April 3, 2026.

Story[edit]

From the instruction booklet

Every hundred years, a huge comet flies by in the skies above the Mushroom Kingdom. One year, that comet filled the entire sky, and from it fell a stream of shooting stars. The Toads scooped up the Star Bits and brought them to the castle, where they were reborn as a great Power Star. It was a happy time in the Mushroom Kingdom. Then one night Mario received a letter...

Dear Mario, I'll be waiting for you at the castle on the night of the Star Festival. There's something I'd like to give you. From Peach

With invitation in hand, Mario headed off to the castle just as the Star Festival was getting into full swing. Surrounded by Toads gleefully trying to catch falling Star Bits, Mario was looking forward to the night's festivities.

But then, something happened...

Castle Gardens, the beginning area.

Every century, on the eve of theStar Festival, a comet passes over theMushroom Kingdom and causes stars to fall to theplanet below.Princess Peach invitesMario to hercastle to join in the festivities and receive a special gift. As Mario arrives in theCastle Gardens,Bowser suddenly attacks theToads with hisairships and encases them incrystals. He "invites" Peach to the creation of his brand new galaxy and uses aUFO to lift the castle off the ground and carry it to the center of the universe, taking her and two Toads with it. Mario manages to reach the castle just before it is taken into outer space, but before he can get to Peach,Kamek suddenly appears and casts a spell at him, knocking him off the castle and deep into space. Anapricot-colored Luma, whom Peach was carrying before her abduction, flees to look for Mario before Kamek uses another spell to warp the castle away.

Peach's castle being lifted into space by Bowser.

Mario is awoken by the apricot-colored Luma on asmall, grassy planet. Here, he meets otherLumas andRosalina, a mysterious woman who acts as the protector of thegalaxies and the mother of the Lumas. She tells Mario that her ship, theComet Observatory, had itsPower Stars stolen by Bowser. Without them, the Comet Observatory is unable to move through space. Rosalina asks him to reclaim her Power Stars and offers to help rescue Peach and defeat Bowser in exchange. To help him on his quest, Rosalina gives Mario the apricot Luma, who grants Mario the ability tospin and travel through space. Together, they travel to various galaxies in openeddomes to obtain Power Stars. Once a mission is completed in one galaxy, Mario collects a Power Star and unlocks the next mission. Most domes contain five galaxies. Once Mario has collected enough Power Stars, the next galaxy in the current dome is one of Bowser's Strongholds^[30], where theGrand Stars, which are larger and more powerful versions of Power Stars, would be in the possession of either Bowser orBowser Jr. Rescuing a Grand Star unlocks the next dome, and when enough Power Stars are collected, the Comet Observatory is able to take Mario to the center of the universe.

Mario flying with Peach after rescuing her.

After arriving at and traversing through Bowser'sbrand new galaxy, Mario defeats him, retrieves the last Grand Star, and rescues Peach. Just as they are about to leave, however, a large sun in Bowser's near-complete galaxy undergoes a supernova and becomes a supermassiveblack hole, which begins pulling in everything in sight. The Lumas from the Comet Observatory, including the apricot Luma, throw themselves into the black hole in order to neutralize it, and it soon evaporates in a massive explosion. Mario appears in front of Rosalina, who saves him from the cataclysm and tells him that this is not the end, but a new beginning for the universe, which repeats its cycle indefinitely and slightly different across each repetition.

Mario later awakens in the Mushroom Kingdom near Peach's Castle, where he witnesses the various friends and foes he met throughout his adventure celebrating together. He then notices Bowser and Peach lying next to him as they begin to stir. When he looks into the sky, he notices a newborn galaxy and hears Rosalina's words echoing in his mind. Mario stands up and exclaims, "Welcome! Welcome new galaxy!" as the camera pans out into space, revealing the reconstructed universe. After 120 Power Stars have been collected, a special cutscene plays after the staff roll: Rosalinathanks the player and says, "I will watch over you from beyond the stars", before flying off with the Comet Observatory. Alone in the rubble left by the supermassive black hole, an apricot Luma appears behind a decrepitstarship. This alludes to the idea of how the universe repeats itself. The events of thepast will carry out anew, with the lost apricot Luma searching for its mother.

Gameplay[edit]

Mario navigating a level withPull Stars, environmental objects controlled with the Star Pointer.

The player controlsMario,^[B] who mainly traverses across spherical planetoids and helevels by collectingPower Stars. Hisjumping actions allow him to hop betweenplatforms andstomp enemies. Most enemies that cannot be stomped on can be taken out or dazed with aspin, a move new to the series. Rather than performed with button inputs, shaking theWii Remote makes Mario spin. In addition to taking out enemies, spinning makes Mario engage switches, parry certain attacks,skate on ice, throw held items, and perform an extrasmall jump in the air. Several actions inSuper Mario Galaxy are not strictly tied to button inputs and are instead performed by shaking, tilting, or rotating the remote. The game's camera organically pans across levels, but the player can manually angle it with. Pressing centers the camera behind Mario and pressing enters a first-person perspective.

There are scenarios in the game that change what button inputs do. In some missions, Mario rides on top of aRolling Ball, surfs on the back of amanta ray, or travels through the air in a giantbubble.Power-ups change his appearance and give him a unique set of abilities in place of his usual ones (seebelow). While in water, Mario canswim. Pressing makes him dive. Pressing makes Mario perform a breaststroke, propelling him forward.

Artwork of Mario spinning.

Pointing the Wii Remote at the screen makes an on-screen reticle appear called theStar Pointer. It gives the player a way to engage with the game that is not tied to Mario. Passively moving the Star Pointer overStar Bits, small colorful items, automatically collects them. Pressing fires a Star Bit from the pointer. There are non-playable characters calledHungry Lumas that transform into new levels when shot at with Star Bits - their source of food. Most enemies become dazed when shot by a Star Bit. Mariokicks a stunned enemy just by making contact with it, defeating it and releasing collectible Star Bits.

Mario's health is represented by a three-segmentedlife meter. Receiving damage removes one section, and losing all makes him lose a life. Collecting aLife Mushroom replenishes any lost health and adds a second health meter, giving Mario a total of six bars. If Mario is reduced to three bars again, the second meter permanently disappears and the effect of the Life Mushroom is lost. He does not take damage by falling from high areas, a departure from proceeding 3D games. While underwater, he gains an air meter that decreases and starts to deplete Mario's normal life meter when it hits zero.

Most levels are clusters of small planetary bodies with their own centers ofgravity, causing Mario to organically bend around them as he moves or jumps. Not all planetary bodies are spherical, but they at least have rounded edges to compliment the concept.^[31]:12 Planets with sharp edges only have one gravitational plane, like the courses inSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Sunshine. Mario will fall and lose a life if he jumps off the edges of these planets. Some planetoids are so close to each other that Mario can simply jump between them, but others are very distant. In most cases, he can reach them by usingLaunch Stars, yellow objects that fire Mario through the sky. The levels in the game can be accessed bydomes scattered across theComet Observatory, the game's hub world. For more detail on level structure, galaxies, and the hub, see "Locations" below.

Co-Star Mode[edit]

The game has a multiplayer mode called Co-Star Mode. Connecting a second Wii Remote allows another player (P2) to join in and assist the first one (P1) by controlling a second Star Pointer. There are a number of actions that are available only to the second player. When Co-Star Mode is active, "" appears below Player 1's Star Pointer, and "" appears below Player 2's Star Pointer to help differentiate between them. Like the first player, P2 can collect Star Bits and fire them at enemies to briefly stun them. When P2 directs their Star Pointer at Mario and presses, he performs a unique action called theCo-Star Super Jump. Combining both jump techniques can make Mario jump higher than when controlled with only one controller. This works in midair, but it can be done only once before the player touches a horizontal surface.^[32]

Luigi[edit]

Luigi about to race against Cosmic Luigi in Freezeflame Galaxy.

Completing "The Fate of the Universe" after 120 Power Stars have been collected allows the player to replay the entire game as Mario's brother,Luigi, who otherwise appears as a non-playable character that assists Mario. Luigi can jump higher than him but has worse traction, making him skid. He also runs slightly faster than Mario but takes longer to reach top speed. Luigi loses air faster while underwater and loses a chunk of air every time he spins underwater.Cosmic Luigi, one of the rival characters, is more challenging than Cosmic Mario, and Luigi receives twenty1-Up Mushrooms from Princess Peach instead of Mario's usual five (although if Luigi's life counter is too high, he only receives five). Outside of these changes, the storyline is almost completely unchanged and even includes the original NPC Luigi, who will now react with confusion at seeing a copy of himself (although his height is marginally different). When the player collects 120 Power Stars and replays "The Fate of the Universe",Grand Finale Galaxy becomes available for both Mario and Luigi, allowing the 121st Power Star to be collected by each of them.

This mode is referred to byRosalina as "another world". In the Japanese version, she describes it as the world where Mario may come across his alternate self who is not him.^[33]

Controls[edit]

When playing on aWii orWii U console by oneself (P1), the game requires one to use theWii Remote attached to theNunchuk. If the player attempts to access the game without the Nunchuk attached, it will prompt the player to do so before proceeding. One will not be able to access the rest of the game unless they do so. In Co-Star Mode, the second player (P2) is not required to have the Nunchuk attached to their Wii Remote but it still must be held vertically.

The controller for theNvidia Shield TV has a more conventional layout, cannot display a pointer on screen, and lacks the same motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii Remote. To compensate, actions that originally involved shaking the Wii Remote are performed by pressing the X button. Actions involving theStar Pointer are instead performed with the right analog stick. In Co-Star Mode, both analog sticks can be used to control the Star Pointer.^[34] The original tilt controls in the game is also replaced by the regular left analog stick control.^[35][36]

For the control scheme of the iteration included inSuper Mario 3D All-Stars forNintendo Switch systems, shared with the 2025 Nintendo Switch remaster, seeSuper Mario 3D All-Stars §Super Mario Galaxy.

Action(s)	Input(s)
	Wii Remote + Nunchuk	Nvidia Shield controller
Mario and Luigi controls
Move
Spin, engage object, throw item,skate, climbSproutle Vine	Shake
Kick	Make contact with stunned enemy
Jump, speak, read,swim
Double jump	when making contact with the ground while moving (repeat twice)	when making contact with the ground while moving (repeat twice)
Triple jump	when making contact with the ground while moving (repeat thrice)	when making contact with the ground while moving (repeat thrice)
Backward somersault	+	+
Wall jump	against a wall	against a wall
Side somersault	(in reverse direction) +	(in reverse direction) +
Long jump	+ while running	+ while running
Spin jump	Shake in midair	in midair
Ground pound	in midair	in midair
Homing ground pound	Shake + in midair	+ in midair
Grab or releasepole	alongside a pole	alongside a pole
Crouch, dive underwater
Crawl	+	+
Sweep kick	+ shake	+
Move camera
Enter first-person view
Reset camera
Rolling ball	Tilt	Tilt
Ray surfing	+ tilt	+ tilt
Power-up controls
Hover inBee form	Hold	Hold
Float inBoo form
Phase throughwalls in Boo form	Shake
Tossfireball inFire form	Shake
Bounce inSpring form	when colliding with the ground	when colliding with the ground
Takeoff or ground inFlying form	Shake
Change direction in Flying form	while in flight	while in flight
Star Pointer controls
Collect aStar Bit	Move over a Star Bit	Move over a Star Bit
Shoot a Star Bit	+	+
Rapidly shoot Star Bits	+ hold	+ hold
Enter aPull Star, blow air to directbubble (P1 only)	+ hold	+ hold
Firecannon (P1 only)	+	+
Fire fromSling Pod (P1 only)	Hold + pull back with → release	Hold + pull back with → release
Stop an enemy (P2 only)	Move over an enemy + hold	Move over an enemy + hold
Make Mario jump (P2 only)	Move over Mario +	Move over Mario +
Make Mario spin (P2 only)	Move over Mario while he is midair +	Move over Mario while he is midair +
Make Mario do apowerful jump (P2 only)	Move over Mario + while P1 presses	Move over Mario + while P1 presses
Menu controls
Navigate menu
Confirm command
Cancel command
Selectgalaxy
Display HOME menu
Display pause menu	/	/

Locations[edit]

Setting[edit]

Key artwork of outer space as presented on the game's boxart.

Rosalina netting Star Bits as she rides in a starship.

Super Mario Galaxy is set in outer space. With the exception ofGrand Finale Galaxy, which isPrincess Peach'sCastle Gardens in theMushroom Kingdom, all levels, which are referred to in the game as "galaxies", are staged on worlds far removed fromMario'shome planet. This is the first entry in theseries to explicitly include an outer space setting since theSpace Zone inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) and the first time it has been realized byNintendo EAD, the studio responsible for most of the precedingSuper Mario games.^[3]

A galaxy is an isolated cluster of small planets and other planetary bodies. Some planets are shaped like spheres, but many are not. Most have their owngravitational pull, which lets Mario return to his starting position by continuing to move forward and prevents him from falling off the edge. Mario's movement, physics, and trajectory bend organically around a planet's shape.^[37][38] Because they have their own pull, Mario can directly travel between sufficiently close planets just byjumping. More distant planets are reached by using objects such asLaunch Stars andPull Stars. Not all planets pull Mario inwards. When inside a planet, gravity may be inverted so that Mario walks on the underside of the ground. Many other planets are shaped like the more traditional courses ofSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Sunshine, and thus have only one gravitational plane, which is communicated by sharp edges and steep drops along their sides. In contrast, planets that have their own gravity, even if they are not spheres, have rounded edges.^[38] Some planets are on 2D planes and Mario's movement options are restricted accordingly (i.e. the player cannot tilt down to make him walk toward the camera and fall off the side).Gravity fields occur in the 2D sections of five galaxies that shift the direction of gravity from the floor to another plane.

The theme of space is communicated in various ways throughoutSuper Mario Galaxy. Many galaxies include distant asteroid belts or views of massive, unreachable planets orbiting suns that peek over their horizons. Depending on the distance from the game's camera, the light from a visible sun retracts, mimicking the behavior of real sunlight. The skyboxes of the galaxies feature nebulas, auroras, and starry skies. Three-dimensional objects, including Mario himself, exhibit a softFresnel-like glow in certain positions as if struck by the light from distant stars. In many galaxies,black holes are present in place ofbottomless pits.Super Mario Galaxy includes some motifs associated with science fiction, such ashumanoid robots, fortified battle facilities,UFOs, starships, anorchestrated soundtrack, andtheremin-like synthesizers. Much of the game's setting includes whimsical, tranquil, and surreal elements comparable to those found in children's books.^[39][40][41] Locations are reached via a palace-like starship called theComet Observatory, the game'shub world. It is overseen by a princess namedRosalina and is a nursery for spacefaring star children calledLumas. In lieu of aliens, the people found living in the galaxies includeStar Bunnies,Honeybees, andpenguins.Star Bits, small collectibles that fall from the sky like shooting stars, resemblekonpeitō candies and can be fed to the Lumas. There areplanets andentire galaxies that look like desserts.

According to directorYoshiaki Koizumi, the primary goal behindSuper Mario Galaxy was to create aSuper Mario game with spherical worlds. It was thought that these worlds would make it less likely for players to get disoriented or have to reposition the camera. These were issues he observed during the development ofSuper Mario 64,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), andSuper Mario Sunshine that prevented complete immersion and intimidated inexperienced players.^[37][38] The decision to stage the game in outer space was made because the development team thought that the spherical worlds would most intuitively make sense as planets.^[3] In 2017, afigure was released by Nintendo that conveys thatSuper Mario Galaxy is structurally viewed as a different type of 3DSuper Mario game from its immediate predecessors – the "sandbox-style" gamesSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Sunshine. Nintendo aligns it with the succeeding gamesSuper Mario Galaxy 2 (2010),Super Mario 3D Land (2011), andSuper Mario 3D World (2013) as a more linear, "course clear-style" game.^[22] However, many of the levels inSuper Mario Galaxy are structured similarly to the ones in its predecessors, particularly in the robust six-mission galaxies and the large planets that do not have their own centers of gravity.^[38] The principles of the sandbox-style games derive from hakoniwa, or "box gardens", and Koizumi directly cites them as an influence behind the worlds inSuper Mario Galaxy as well.^[37][39][23]

Galaxies[edit]

Overview[edit]

Main article:Galaxy

Top row: the exterior of the Terrace dome on the Comet Observatory (left) and a display of the galaxy-selection screen within it (right).
Bottom row: a figure of the Terrace's galaxies conveying their positioning from the Pull Star; how they are accessed; the correlations involving their distance from the Pull Star; and the three different types of galaxies within domes. These attributes generally are representative of all domes in the game.

Galaxies are accessed inside ofdomes on theComet Observatory. They are spatially distributed across the hub, similar to the access points for levels inSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Sunshine. However, with the exception of theGarden, each dome contains a set of five different galaxies instead of just one dedicated course. Domes are unlocked unilaterally as the player completes certain criteria. These make the domes analogous to the worlds of the 2DSuper Mario games likeSuper Mario Bros. 3 (1988). However, as in its 3D predecessors, the player is not restricted to linear course progression inSuper Mario Galaxy.

Each galaxy contains objectives referred to asmissions. Completing a mission hasMario acquire one of the galaxy'sPower Stars, the same tokens used inSuper Mario 64 for unlocking levels. One mission correlates with one Power Star. The start of each mission has a brief cinematic preview of the galaxy that hints at the location of the Power Star, as was similarly done inSuper Mario Sunshine. Once a specified number of Power Stars has been accumulated, a new galaxy becomes unlockable at the player's discretion. Only half of the Power Stars in the game are required for progression. The minimum number of Power Stars needed to access the game's final level is 60 out of the game's total of 120. Consequently, completing as many missions as possible within one dome can result in all of the galaxies within the next dome being immediately unlockable upon entry.

At the center of every dome is aPull Star that, upon being entered, brings Mario to an interactive selection screen of all the dome's galaxies, which all orbit around the Pull Star (theorigin; see right). The display is directly comparable to models of solar systems, with each galaxy following a circular trajectory around the Pull Star. The distance of these orbital lines from the Pull Star has a positive correlation with the number of Power Stars required to unlock the galaxies and a negative correlation with the number of missions available within them. As such, the galaxies closest to the origin typically have the greatest number of missions and require the lowest number of Power Stars to unlock, while the galaxies furthest from the origin contain the fewest missions and require the highest number of Power Stars to unlock. Using theTerrace as an example, a dome contains three different types of galaxies:

• "Robust galaxies" that contain at least six missions. They either feature a high number of visitable planets or a small selection of large ones to explore. The missions build off of each other environmentally or narratively, meaning that the events that occur in one mission foreshadow the events of the subsequent mission. Two or more of the six missions typically involve a boss battle. Most domes contain two or three of these galaxies, and they are all listed together on the first page of the in-gameStar List. They are the only galaxies orbited byPrankster Comets. The robust galaxies of the Terrace areGood Egg Galaxy andHoneyhive Galaxy.
• "Mystery galaxies" that each contain one mission. Before being unlocked, they are represented by course preview models shaped like? Blocks. These galaxies are highly distinctive in theme and mission. Some of them entail minigames likeray surfing orball rolling. Others are athletic obstacle courses. Mystery galaxies usually require completing a certain mission in another galaxy in addition to accumulating a specific number of Power Stars to unlock. Each dome contains one or two mystery galaxies. In the Terrace, they areLoopdeeloop Galaxy andFlipswitch Galaxy.
• Bowser's Strongholds^[30] that each contain one mission. They have tilted orbits and feature linear obstacle courses that lead to a boss battle. Half of them involveBowser Jr., either directly or as the inciter for another boss (such asMegaleg orKing Kaliente). The other half of them featureBowser himself. With the exception of the Garden, each dome contains one stronghold and it is always on the dome's outermost ring. These galaxies have the highest or second-highest Power Star threshold, and completing the mission in these galaxies is a criterion needed to unlock a subsequent dome and is required for game progression. The preview model in orbit resembles a bust of Bowser's head with glowing eyes. Bowser's Stronghold in the Terrace isBowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor.

A Hungry Luma outside the Terrace, almost completely stuffed with Star Bits. Feeding it the requested number of Star Bits makes the Luma transform into a wholly new galaxy.

Certain galaxies can be accessed outside of the domes. With the exception ofGateway Galaxy, these ones can also be categorized as mystery galaxies or Bowser's Strongholds. Most of them are unlocked by feedingHungry Lumas a requested number ofStar Bits. These Lumas appear on the Comet Observatory once certain criteria are met within the dome galaxies (as seen in the chart below). There is a Hungry Luma associated with every dome, essentially functioning as an extra level for each one. A tiny house called theGate rests on a grassy platform orbiting the observatory. It grants Mario access to Gateway Galaxy. This galaxy is the first level of the game, but it can only be revisited via the Gate once "King Kaliente's Spicy Return" is completed. Though it is not a dome, there is a Hungry Luma associated with it as well. A planetoid called thePlanet of Trials orbits the observatory and has three galaxies of its own. It becomes reachable once all three of the secretGreen Power Stars have been collected. A Launch Star leading toGrand Finale Galaxy appears here after the player has collected 120 Power Stars as bothMario andLuigi.Bowser's Galaxy Reactor is only reachable by speaking toRosalina after 60 Power Stars have been collected.

Mario encounters his brother in four galaxies: Good Egg Galaxy, Honeyhive Galaxy,Battlerock Galaxy, andGhostly Galaxy. In Ghostly Galaxy, Luigi is at the end of the mission "Luigi and the Haunted Mansion" and gives Mario a Power Star when reached. After Luigi is rescued, he appears in the observatory and offers to help Mario collect Power Stars. Whenever Luigi visits a galaxy, he gets stuck and sends a letter to Mario asking for help, with each letter including a picture that hints at his location. Finding him within a galaxy awards Mario with a secret Power Star.

Table[edit]

There are 42 dedicated galaxies in the game. Of this total, 15 are robust galaxies, 20 are mystery galaxies, and 6 are Bowser's Strongholds. If the Comet Observatory, itslibrary, and its domes are considered individual levels, then the true total number is 50. Some galaxies have tiny otherworldly subareas reached viapipes that contain an interactive side objective. If each of these areas were to be considered levels as well, then the true number is even higher. The table below lists the galaxies of the game roughly as they are listed on the Star List. Each galaxy is given a brief description, an in-game screenshot, and a list of their missions. There is a legend at the bottom of the table detailing what the symbols used in it represent.

Galaxies
The Terrace
01.Good Egg Galaxy ×6×19×3	Missions
	Dino Piranha	A Snack of Cosmic Proportions
	King Kaliente's Battle Fleet	Dino Piranha Speed Run
	Purple Coin Omelet	Luigi on the Roof
A galaxy in low orbit of anearth-like planet. Each planet is highly distinctive, but most of them have grassy knolls and are shaped like food. It introduces the reoccurringElectrogoombas,Dino Piranha, andKing Kaliente. Unlock criterion: complete "Grand Star Rescue"
02.Honeyhive Galaxy ×6×7×2	Missions
	Bee Mario Takes Flight	Trouble on the Tower
	Big Bad Bugaboom	Honeyhive Cosmic Mario Race
	The Honeyhive's Purple Coins	Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom
The Honeyhive Kingdom – a forested galaxy inhabited byHoneybees. Its planets have large trees and clear bodies of water. Some areas are covered inhoney. The kingdom is invaded byMandibugs. Unlock criterion: collect 3 Power Stars
03.Loopdeeloop Galaxy ×1×3	Mission
	Surfing 101
A looping stretch of water.Penguins surf on the backs ofrays here.Coach explains the basics toMario. Unlock criterion: collect 5 Power Stars
04.Flipswitch Galaxy ×1×1	Mission
	Painting the Planet Yellow
Flipswitch Panels arranged like a cube around ablack hole.Spikes move along suspended tracks over the panels. Unlock criterion: collect 7 Power Stars
05.Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor ×1×2×1	Mission
	Megaleg's Moon
A metal sphere withBill Blasters and an artificial moon orbiting an earth-like planet.Bowser Jr.'s robot,Megaleg, is on the moon. Unlock criterion: collect 8 Power Stars
Sweet Sweet Galaxy ×1×3	Mission
	Rocky Road
An athletic course made of cakes, cookies, and other sweets. It has long stretches of continuously moving platforms with shapes cut out of them. Unlock criteria: complete "Trouble on the Tower" and feed the Hungry Luma 400 Star Bits
The Fountain
06.Space Junk Galaxy ×6×16×2	Missions
	Pull Star Path	Kamella's Airship Attack
	Tarantox's Tangled Web	Pull Star Path Speed Run
	Purple Coin Spacewalk	Yoshi's Unexpected Appearance
A stretch of rocks and space debris. Large portions of the galaxy are navigated viaPull Stars andSling Pods. Agiant spider lives here and traps members of theToad Brigade in its web. Unlock criteria: collect 9 Power Stars and complete "Megaleg's Moon"
07.Rolling Green Galaxy ×1×4	Mission
	Rolling in the Clouds
Flat, grassy planets arranged like a golf course. They can only be navigated by riding theRolling Ball. Most planets have flowerbeds and groups ofGoombas. Unlock criterion: collect 11 Power Stars
08.Battlerock Galaxy ×7×11×2	Missions
	Battlerock Barrage	Breaking into the Battlerock
	Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe	Topmaniac's Daredevil Run
	Purple Coins on the Battlerock	Battlerock's Garbage Dump
	Luigi under the Saucer
A battle facility equipped with electric traps and artilleries.Cannons and Bill Blasters line the Battlerock and start firing when Mario is in close proximity. The galaxy introduces theTopman Tribe. Unlock criterion: collect 12 Power Stars
09.Hurry-Scurry Galaxy ×1×2	Mission
	Shrinking Satellite
Shrinking platforms arranged into arhombicuboctahedron. A black hole is at the center of the planet.Notes cover the tiles. Collecting each one causes the black hole to disappear. Unlock criterion: collect 18 Power Stars
10.Bowser's Star Reactor ×1×4×1	Mission
	The Fiery Stronghold
A stone fortress orbiting a giant sun. It features a twisting path andgravity fields.Fire Bars andThwomps obstruct the path. It feeds into a big staircase leading toBowser. Unlock criterion: collect 15 Power Stars
Sling Pod Galaxy ×1×2	Mission
	A Very Sticky Situation
A cluster of Fire Bars,Space Mines, and cannons above a black hole. The galaxy is only traversable with Sling Pods. Unlock criteria: complete "Tarantox's Tangled Web" and feed the Hungry Luma 400 Star Bits
The Kitchen
11.Beach Bowl Galaxy ×6×3	Missions
	Sunken Treasure	Passing the Swim Test
	The Secret Undersea Cavern	Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone
	Beachcombing for Purple Coins	Wall Jumping up Waterfalls
A beach galaxy inhabited by penguins. Its largest planet is a hemisphere filled withwater. The second is an obstacle course with Thwomps andTox Boxes. A third, secret planet has waterfalls andCataquacks. Unlock criteria: collect 16 Power Stars and complete "The Fiery Stronghold"
12.Bubble Breeze Galaxy ×1×2	Mission
	Through the Poison Swamp
One giant planet covered in toxic sludge. Areas are separated by stone columns. It can only be navigated in abubble. Space Mines and rotating objects within the areas can pop the bubble. Unlock criterion: collect 19 Power Stars
13.Ghostly Galaxy ×6×12×2	Missions
	Luigi and the Haunted Mansion	A Very Spooky Sprint
	Beware of Bouldergeist	Bouldergeist's Daredevil Run
	Purple Coins in the Bone Pen	Matter Splatter Mansion
Haunted planets orbiting a dimly-lit sun.Luigi is held captive in the largest planet, ahaunted mansion. Theghost that captured him lives in this galaxy.[42] Unlock criterion: collect 20 Power Stars
14.Buoy Base Galaxy ×2×2	Missions
	The Floating Fortress	The Secret of Buoy Base
Two planets filled with water. Its largest planet is a hemisphere with a fortress at its center. It is equipped with rotating platforms,Water Shooters, and other hazards. The second is a sphere equipped withBall Beamers. Unlock criteria: collect 30 Power Stars and complete "Sunken Treasure"
15.Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada ×1×4×1	Mission
	Sinking the Airships
Bowser'sairship fleet. Airships must be boarded to navigate the fleet, each one carrying enemies. Alift brings Mario to Bowser Jr. A tiny planetoid can be visited that has a bouncy surface. Unlock criterion: collect 23 Power Stars
Drip Drop Galaxy ×1×1	Mission
	Giant Eel Outbreak
An ocean planet where penguins swim. The birds are troubled byGringills. A sunken ship and damagedStarshroom rest at the bottom of the ocean. Unlock criteria: complete "Sunken Treasure" and feed the Hungry Luma 600 Star Bits
The Bedroom
16.Gusty Garden Galaxy ×6×20×2	Missions
	Bunnies in the Wind	The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows
	Gusty Garden's Gravity Scramble	Major Burrows's Daredevil Run
	Purple Coins on the Puzzle Cube	The Golden Chomp
Flowery planets above a sea of clouds.Floaty Fluffs grow here: they can be used to travel on gusts of wind to reach other planets.Star Bunnies live in this galaxy and grow flowers. They are chased byUndergrunts. Unlock criteria: collect 24 Power Stars and complete "Sinking the Airships"
17.Freezeflame Galaxy ×6×5×1	Missions
	The Frozen Peak of Baron Brrr	Freezeflame's Blistering Core
	Hot and Cold Collide	Frosty Cosmic Mario Race
	Purple Coins on the Summit	Conquering the Summit
A galaxy with cold and hot planets. The cold planet features Freezy Peak, a snowy mountain withfreezing water at its base. The hot planet is a molten sphere split in half. Stone platforms enable traversal between the two halves. Unlock criterion: collect 26 Power Stars
18.Dusty Dune Galaxy ×7×14	Missions
	Soaring on the Desert Winds	Blasting through the Sand
	Sunbaked Sand Castle	Sandblast Speed Run
	Purple Coins in the Desert	Bullet Bill on Your Back
	Treasure of the Pyramid
Sandy planets under a desert sun. Shifting and rising sand makes platforms move rapidly or sink underground. One planet is a floating pyramid that can be entered, and some are covered inquicksand. Unlock criterion: collect 29 Power Stars
19.Honeyclimb Galaxy ×1×3	Mission
	Scaling the Sticky Wall
Giant slabs ofhoneycombs. TheBee Mushroom appears here.Meteors and Mandibugs appear as hazards. Unlock criterion: collect 42 Power Stars
20.Bowser's Dark Matter Plant ×1×5×1	Mission
	Darkness on the Horizon
A dark world containing a trap-filled obstacle course. It features gravity fields and concentrations ofdark matter. Most of the course is on a two-dimensional plane. The course leads to Bowser. Unlock criterion: collect 33 Power Stars
Bigmouth Galaxy ×1×1	Mission
	Bigmouth's Gold Bait
A giant stone fish orbiting a massive ocean planet. The belly of the fish contains two lakes,whirlpools, beds of seaweed, andBoos.Penguru comes here when he wants to be alone. Unlock criteria: complete "Soaring on the Desert Winds" and feed the Hungry Luma 800 Star Bits
The Engine Room
21.Gold Leaf Galaxy ×6×6×1	Missions
	Star Bunnies on the Hunt	Cataquack to the Skies
	When It Rains, It Pours	Cosmic Mario Forest Race
	Purple Coins in the Woods	The Bell on the Big Tree
Wooded planets inhabited by Honeybees. Its largest planet mirrors the Honeyhive Kingdom. Cataquacks live on the surrounding wooden planets. Unlock criteria: collect 34 Power Stars and complete "Darkness on the Horizon"
22.Sea Slide Galaxy ×6×3	Missions
	Going after Guppy	Faster Than a Speeding Penguin
	The Silver Stars of Sea Slide	Underwater Cosmic Mario Race
	Purple Coins by the Seaside	Hurry, He's Hungry
An ocean galaxy with penguins. Its largest planet is a cavernous sphere with a looping stretch of water feeding through it. There is a teardrop-shaped planet with tidal pools at the galaxy's center. Unlock criterion: collect 36 Power Stars
23.Toy Time Galaxy ×6×14×1	Missions
	Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser	Mario Meets Mario
	Bouncing Down Cake Lane	Fast Foes of Toy Time
	Luigi's Purple Coins	The Flipswitch Chain
A playroom galaxy. Its planets are shaped like wooden blocks, puzzle pieces, colored pencils, and model trains. Some areas resemble cakes and other sweets. The galaxy is maintained byGearmos, some of which are trapped within agiant robot. Unlock criterion: collect 40 Power Stars
24.Bonefin Galaxy ×1×2×1	Mission
	Kingfin's Fearsome Waters
A cavernous planet with conical mountains. Beneath its surface is an ocean with hydrothermal vents. The sharkKingfin swims here. Unlock criteria: collect 55 Power Stars and complete "Giant Eel Outbreak"
25.Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor ×1×3×1	Mission
	King Kaliente's Spicy Return
Alava planet that looks like ared giant. Metal platforms dot the planet's surface. They sink into the lava when stepped on. King Kaliente is in the northern pole of the planet. A rocky planetoid orbits the lava planet. Unlock criterion: collect 45 Power Stars
Sand Spiral Galaxy ×1×4	Mission
	Choosing a Favorite Snack
A galaxy with severalpower-ups. Its biggest planet is a giantbarrel filled with Boos and quicksand. A glowing moon orbited by rocky paths lies at the back of the barrel. Its starting planet is a damaged airship. Unlock criteria: complete "Luigi and the Haunted Mansion", "Faster Than a Speeding Penguin", and feed the Hungry Luma 1000 Star Bits
The Garden
26.Deep Dark Galaxy ×6×6×3	Missions
	The Underground Ghost Ship	Bubble Blastoff
	Guppy and the Underground Lake	Ghost Ship Daredevil Run
	Plunder the Purple Coins	Boo in a Box
A galaxy of strange planets. Its largest has a rocky beach with an underwater lake and a wrecked airship. Other planets include a replica of Gateway Galaxy and a hollow sphere containing awatermelon. Unlock criteria: collect 46 Power Stars and complete "King Kaliente's Spicy Return"
27.Dreadnought Galaxy ×6×15×2	Missions
	Infiltrating the Dreadnought	Dreadnought's Colossal Cannons
	Revenge of the Topman Tribe	Topman Tribe Speed Run
	Battlestation's Purple Coins	Dreadnought's Garbage Dump
Topman facilities. Its largest planet is a dreadnought equipped with cannons. Its interior contains gravity fields. A large landing strip mounted withPulse Beams and smaller planetoids surround the dreadnought. Unlock criterion: collect 48 Power Stars
28.Matter Splatter Galaxy ×1×4	Mission
	Watch Your Step
Stone ruins within a dark void. The ruins materialize and become tangible when struck by bouncing droplets of matter. Contact is accompanied by a flash of green light. Unlock criteria: collect 50 Power Stars and complete "Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser"
29.Melty Molten Galaxy ×6×14×1	Missions
	The Sinking Lava Spire	Through the Meteor Storm
	Fiery Dino Piranha	Lava Spire Daredevil Run
	Red-Hot Purple Coins	Burning Tide
Several sun-like planets covered in lava.Plumes of lava travels between pools and suns at various sites. One planet has a sinking mountain called the Lava Spire, and another has a path for the Rolling Ball. Unlock criterion: collect 52 Power Stars
Snow Cap Galaxy ×1×2	Mission
	Star Bunnies in the Snow
A capsule-shaped planet covered in lightsnow. The snow can be removed with theStar Pointer. Star Bunnies live here. The starting area is a planetoid resembling a glass orb. Unlock criterion: complete "The Sinking Lava Spire" and feed the Hungry Luma 1600 Star Bits
The Comet Observatory andthe Gate
30.Gateway Galaxy ×2×4	Missions
	Grand Star Rescue	Gateway's Purple Coins
The first course of the game. Its starting planet is an ethereal sphere covered in flowers and small cottages. This sphere orbitsMario's homeworld and is frequented byRosalina. A hollow planetoid and artificial planets covered with Goombas appear in "Grand Star Rescue". Unlock criteria: complete the prologue (first visit); complete "King Kaliente's Spicy Return" (revisit)
31.Bowser's Galaxy Reactor ×1×10×1	Mission
	The Fate of the Universe
Bowser's galaxy generator at the center of the universe. It contains a series ofgravity-bending traps and a system of environmental planets: one covered in lava; one in ice; and one in quicksand. It orbits a large sun. Unlock criteria: collect 60 Power Stars and complete "Darkness on the Horizon"
Boo's Boneyard Galaxy ×1×2	Mission
	Racing the Spooky Speedster
A skull-shaped planet in a starless sky. Its interior is a network of interconnected caverns navigated by theSpooky Speedster. Unlock criteria: complete "Luigi and the Haunted Mansion", "Gateway's Purple Coins", and feed the Hungry Luma 1200 Star Bits
Planet of Trials
Rolling Gizmo Galaxy ×1×4	Mission
	Gizmos, Gears, and Gadgets
One of theTrial Galaxies. It is a Rolling Ball course similar to Rolling Green Galaxy, but it resembles aRube Goldberg machine with many shifting platforms. Unlock criterion: collect all 3 Green Power Stars
Bubble Blast Galaxy ×1×2	Mission
	The Electric Labyrinth
Another Trial Galaxy, this one navigated via bubble. It is similar to Bubble Breeze Galaxy, but involves navigating a maze bordered by electric fields that destroy the bubble on impact. Unlock criterion: collect all 3 Green Power Stars
Loopdeeswoop Galaxy ×1×6	Mission
	The Galaxy's Greatest Wave
A Trial Galaxy similar to Loopdeeloop Galaxy, where Ray is surfed along a watery course. This course has sharper turns, spikes, and twists that makes it more challenging than its predecessor in the Terrace. Unlock criterion: collect all 3 Green Power Stars
Grand Finale Galaxy ×1×1	Mission
	The Star Festival
Princess Peach'sCastle Gardens in theMushroom Kingdom. A small village ofToads and a large lake flank the road to the castle. The locals are in the midst of celebrating theStar Festival. Unlock criteria: begin a new save file (first visit); collect 120 Power Stars as Luigi (revisit)
Table information and legend: Galaxies accessed from inside a dome are designated with a number that correlates with the galaxy's distance from its dome's origin. It roughly correlates with their order on theStar List. Galaxies accessed by feedingHungry Lumas are not located within domes and are denoted with. Trial Galaxies lack numerical designation because they are unlocked concurrently and can be accessed in any order. Three symbols convey attributes about each galaxy: denotes the total number of obtainablePower Stars; denotes the total number of reachable planets and/or areas; and denotes the number of boss battles. The name of each mission is accompanied by a star symbol indicating the type of mission it is and the type of Power Star obtained.

Prankster Comets[edit]

Main article:Prankster Comet

Prankster Comets are objects that interfere with a galaxy by either altering its attributes or giving it a new one. All 30 of theComet Stars are obtained by completing special missions in the robust galaxies, namely speed runs, in which the Power Star must be reached within a given time limit; "daredevil" runs, in which Mario is defeated if he takes a single hit; races againstCosmic Mario; and missions in which the speed of enemies and obstacles is doubled. These only appear after the corresponding normal mission (e.g. Ghostly Galaxy's "Beware of Bouldergeist") is completed, either immediately or at a later point in the game. In some cases, such as in Space Junk Galaxy, all normal missions within a galaxy must first be completed before a comet can appear. Prankster Comets appear and disappear every other time a mission is completed, meaning that if a mission is completed while a Prankster Comet is active, all Prankster Comets disappear until a second mission is beaten. There are two Prankster Comets in each of the 15 robust galaxies: one of the comet types just described, plus aPurple Comet whereMario must collect 100Purple Coins. These comets only begin to appear after "The Fate of the Universe" is completed at least once. The location and selection of Prankster Comets that appear can be manipulated by feedingComet Luma 20Star Bits.

The Comet Observatory[edit]

Main article:Comet Observatory

The Comet Observatory as viewed from a circular platform by the Bedroom.

The Comet Observatory is the hub world of the game. It is a bridge betweendomes and serves as a place for the player to rest in between missions.^[40] It is a sprawling structure similar to a palace, with a tall central spire and ornamental architecture. These attributes visually make it reminiscent ofPeach's Castle, the hub ofSuper Mario 64. The core of the observatory is a comet called thebeacon that is fueled byPower Stars. The beacon is what allows the Comet Observatory to travel through space, but it remains in orbit aroundMario's home planet throughout most of the game. The observatory has two extraplanetary satellites: thePlanet of Trials and a grassy platform that holds theGate. The platform is directly anchored to the observatory viaWarp Pads, unlike the Planet of Trials.

Including Gateway Galaxy, there are nine galaxies that can be directly accessed from the Comet Observatory, six of which come from theHungry Lumas affiliated with each dome. Unlike the hub worlds ofSuper Mario Galaxy's predecessors, there are no hidden Power Stars directly found on the observatory, though accessing the Planet of Trials, entering the Gate, and the arrival of Hungry Lumas are framed similarly. Five1-Up Mushrooms are hidden in the observatory. Most of the observatory is obscured by darkness when Mario first arrives due to the abduction of its Power Stars, leaving theTerrace as the only accessible room. As Mario collects Power Stars, energy is restored to the observatory and new areas become lit to convey that they are now accessible. Throughout the Comet Observatory are several Warp Pads, which can be used to quickly reach adjacent locations on the hub. ARed Star appears above theBedroom once Mario completes "Gateway's Purple Coins". Touching it transforms him intoFlying Mario and allows him to freely soar through the skies of the observatory. Mario cannot take damage while on the observatory and is safely returned to solid ground if he falls off its edge.

Frame from the introductory cutscene that plays when Mario enters the library after a new chapter has been unlocked.

The Comet Observatory is a nursery ground forLumas, who are cared for byRosalina as if they were her children. As light is restored to the observatory, more and more Lumas appear. The Comet Observatory was built by Rosalina during her childhood with anapricot-colored Luma. Over time, as more Lumas arrived and needed care, she expanded its size. The Comet Observatory visits Mario's home world once every hundred years, which is celebrated in theMushroom Kingdom as theStar Festival. When the beacon is at its maximum size, Rosalina can make the observatory fold into the shape of a rocket ship and soar through space like a comet. The domes are framed as an extension of the observatory that provide a view of the cosmos. Each one is themed around rooms in a house, such as a bedroom, kitchen, and so on. There are two locations similar in concept that are not domes on the observatory: thegarage and thelibrary. The garage is framed as an intergalactic repair shop thatstarships can dock to. This is where theToad Brigade andLuigi establish themselves once "Bee Mario Takes Flight" and "Luigi and the Haunted Mansion", respectively, are completed.

The library is a closed off space behind the beacon that becomes accessible once "The Fiery Stronghold" is completed. Although it is entered like a dome, the library does not contain any galaxies or tangible incentives for visiting it, and as such, the player is never required to enter it. This is where Rosalina reads astorybook to the Lumas. New chapters become available as Mario^[B] collects more Power Stars. The book details her personal backstory, the history of the Comet Observatory, and provides insight into the past of the apricot Luma that travels with Mario. This part of the game was created byYoshiaki Koizumi and included at the discretion ofShigeru Miyamoto.^[39] While Miyamoto considers complex narrative elements to be extraneous for aSuper Mario game, Koizumi believes they help the player foster an emotional resonance with the game that keeps them motivated.^[43] In his view, the optional storybook chapters do this without burdening disinterested players, as well ascontextualize the game's premise.^[39] Rosalina's Story is noted for its heartfelt and melancholy elements.^[40] The illustrations on the pages^[41] and narrative themes of the story have been likened toThe Little Prince.^[40][44]

Characters[edit]

Playable characters[edit]

Name	Description
Mario	The game's protagonist.Princess Peach invites him toher castle to celebrate theStar Festival, but the celebration is cut short whenBowser arrives and kidnaps her. After a failed rescue attempt, Mario winds up on atiny planet far fromhome. It is here that he meets anapricot-colored Luma and his caretaker - the mysteriousRosalina. With the Luma giving him the power to travel through space, Mario sets off to collectPower Stars, rescue Princess Peach, and stop Bowser from creating his galaxy at thecenter of the universe.
Luigi	Mario's younger twin brother. The player can replay the game as Luigi after they have collected 120 Power Stars and completed "The Fate of the Universe" as Mario. He can jump higher and run faster than Mario, but at the cost of poorer acceleration and traction. This causes Luigi to skid as he moves, thus increasing the risk of him falling off of a platform or colliding with an obstacle. In addition, theSpin Jump's height difference between shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuk is switched. He otherwise appears as a supporting character who goes on quests to locate Power Stars for his brother. He still fulfills this supporting role during Luigi's playthrough, leading to a situation wherethere are two of them. Luigi can be quite cowardly and is afraid of ghosts.

Non-playable characters[edit]

With the exception of Princess Peach, Toads, and penguins, all of the characters encountered by the player are completely new to theSuper Mario franchise. Most characters are met within galaxies, although Rosalina, the Toad Brigade, and the Lumas are found on theComet Observatory. In addition to the characters listed below,Yoshi has acameo inSpace Junk Galaxy and can be set as thefile select icon for the player's saved file.Miis can also be set as the file select icon, marking their first appearance in aSuper Mario game.

Some non-playable characters can be spoken to by pressing while in close proximity, but many will share a brief line of dialogue when Mario is near without prompting. These lines appear as text boxes above their heads and do not inhibit the player's movements. Almost all characters can bejumped on orspun, and will react accordingly. However, this does not harm them or change how they interact with Mario. Some characters, such as Toads, seem to enjoy being spun.

Name	Description	Locations
Apricot Luma	Mario's traveling companion – a young Luma who resides underhis cap. He grants Mario[B] the ability tospin and travel through space. Before being kidnapped, Princess Peach intended to give this Luma to Mario as a gift during the Star Festival. It isimplied that he is a reincarnation of the first Luma that Rosalina ever encountered.	All galaxies
Princess Peach	The ruler of theMushroom Kingdom. She is kidnapped byBowser on the night of theStar Festival and taken to the center of the universe, leading to Mario's quest to save her. She periodically sends letters of encouragement to Mario that contain five1-Up Mushrooms. She sends letters containing twenty 1-Up Mushrooms during Luigi's playthrough, but they specifically remain addressed to Mario. Rosalina refers to Peach as Mario's "special one".	Castle Gardens,Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Rosalina	A mysterious woman who serves as the guardian of the cosmos. She travels through space in theComet Observatory, a vessel she built for the Lumas. It is abruptly stopped and stripped of its power source, thePower Stars, by Bowser, leaving it stranded in space. When she meets Mario, they make an arrangement where he will collect Power Stars to restore power to the observatory. In exchange, Rosalina will help him stop Bowser and rescue Princess Peach. Her past is revealed to the player viaRosalina's Storybook as they accumulate Power Stars. The Lumas recognize Rosalina as their mother, who in turn sees them as her family.	Comet Observatory,Gateway Galaxy
Lumas	Star children that make their home in the Comet Observatory. Lumas appear in some galaxies to aid Mario, typically by transforming intoLaunch Stars,Sling Stars, andPull Stars. Lumas becomecelestial bodies when they grow up, and which ones they become is dependent on theircolor. Lumas eatStar Bits and squeal with delight when fed via theStar Pointer.	Comet Observatory,Good Egg Galaxy,Battlerock Galaxy,Bowser's Star Reactor,Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada,Bowser's Dark Matter Plant,Gateway Galaxy,Dreadnought Galaxy,Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Polari	An elderly Luma who serves as Rosalina's butler. He appears within each dome of the observatory and grants access to the map when prompted. He teaches the player how to use the Star Pointer.	Comet Observatory
Hungry Lumas	Big Lumas. The ones on the Comet Observatory transform into galaxies when fed a specified number ofStar Bits. When encountered indome galaxies, they transform into planets. Visiting them triggers a hidden mission.	Comet Observatory,Good Egg Galaxy,Space Junk Galaxy,Battlerock Galaxy,Dusty Dune Galaxy,Sea Slide Galaxy,Toy Time Galaxy,Melty Molten Galaxy
Lumalees	Big Lumas that run Luma Shops. One typically proceeds a boss encounter and transforms into amushroom of choice in exchange for thirty Star Bits.	Battlerock Galaxy,Ghostly Galaxy,Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada,Melty Molten Galaxy,Dreadnought Galaxy
Comet Luma [derived]	A Hungry Luma that is knowledgeable aboutPrankster Comets. It provides details on these comets to the player when prompted. Alternatively, it can shift where a Prankster Comet appears in exchange for twenty Star Bits.	Comet Observatory
Toads	Denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. They are mushroom people that come in a variety of colors. Toads are celebrating theStar Festival when Peach is abducted.Pink-capped Toads in red dresses appear in the prologue that look likeToadette.	Castle Gardens,Grand Finale Galaxy
The Toad Brigade	A five-member team of Toads looking for Princess Peach. They travel through space in search of Power Stars aboard theirStarshrooms, mushroom-shaped starships built for them by the Lumas. Outside of the red-capped leader and purple-capped mail carrier, the brigade contains three other Toads:a knowledgeable blue Toad who typically provides information on an area of interest;a green Toad who carries a pickaxe and constructscannons for Mario; anda sleepy yellow Toad.	Comet Observatory,Honeyhive Galaxy,Sweet Sweet Galaxy,Space Junk Galaxy,Hurry-Scurry Galaxy,Bubble Breeze Galaxy,Ghostly Galaxy,Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada,Freezeflame Galaxy,Dusty Dune Galaxy,Bigmouth Galaxy,Sea Slide Galaxy,Toy Time Galaxy,Sand Spiral Galaxy,Deep Dark Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Toad Brigade captain	The captain of the Toad Brigade. This red Toad self-designated himself as the brigade captain and typically sends his teammates into dangerous situations without his direct involvement. According to the blue Toad, the captain is the most cowardly member of the team.	All galaxies that feature the Toad Brigade
Mailtoad	A member of the Toad Brigade who runs a postal service for Mario on the Comet Observatory, delivering mail from Princess Peach or Luigi. He also periodically sends his own letters to the player through theWii Message Board. When out on missions with the brigade, the Mailtoad is not carrying his satchel and sometimes wears a snorkel.	All galaxies that feature the Toad Brigade
Star Bunnies	Spacefaringrabbits that like to play and typically award Mario a Power Star for catching them. The Star Bunnies ofGusty Garden Galaxy like to garden and are hunted byUndergrunts. Some Star Bunnies are Lumas in disguise. Unlike them, the real rabbits often end their sentences with "boiyoing" or wear vests.	Gateway Galaxy,Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada,Gusty Garden Galaxy,Gold Leaf Galaxy,Snow Cap Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Honeybees	Bee people that collecthoney and teach Mario how to use hisBee form. Most Honeybees are members of theHoneyhive Kingdom and are in the midst of a dispute withMandibugs. The bees ofGold Leaf Galaxy keepCataquacks as pets.	Honeyhive Galaxy,Sea Slide Galaxy,Gold Leaf Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Queen Bee	The ruler of the Honeyhive Kingdom. She has a large body that can be clung to by the player while in their Bee form. When she meets Mario for the first time, she mistakes him for a physician and asks him to take care of an "itchiness" for her.	Honeyhive Galaxy
Boards	Talking boards that explain unique mechanics to Mario, with each board covering a different topic: Gil Board teaches Mario how toWall Jump; Bill Board teaches him how to use theRolling Ball; Phil Board teaches him how to use theBubble; and Jill Board reminds him how to use hisBoo form.	Honeyhive Galaxy,Rolling Green Galaxy,Bubble Breeze Galaxy,Gusty Garden Galaxy,Melty Molten Galaxy,Boo's Boneyard Galaxy,Rolling Gizmo Galaxy,Bubble Blast Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Ray	Themanta ray that Mario surfs on duringray surfing. Safely reaching the finish line within a specified time limit awards Mario with a Power Star.	Loopdeeloop Galaxy,Loopdeeswoop Galaxy
Penguins	Flightless birds who love to swim. Some penguins share swimming techniques with Mario when prompted, while others try to play with him. Most penguins are young and slightly shorter than Mario, while the two adult penguins, Coach and Penguru, tower over him. The penguin inFreezeflame Galaxy calls Mario an "old man" and challenges him to a race.	Loopdeeloop Galaxy,Beach Bowl Galaxy,Buoy Base Galaxy,Drip Drop Galaxy,Freezeflame Galaxy,Sea Slide Galaxy,Loopdeeswoop Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Coach	A big penguin who has a paternal disposition and teaches the young penguins how to swim. Coach is the host of the ray surfing minigame and gives Mario a tutorial on how to move Ray.	Loopdeeloop Galaxy,Beach Bowl Galaxy,Loopdeeswoop Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Penguru	An elderly penguin who likes to fish. While he oversees young penguins, he prefers spending time by himself.	Drip Drop Galaxy,Bigmouth Galaxy,Sea Slide Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Penguin Racers	A four-member swimming team. While most penguins are blue, each member of this team is a different color. Mario can compete with them when he talks to the red-colored leader. This penguin awards Mario a Power Star for outswimming them.	Sea Slide Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Gearmos	Maintenance robots. Gearmos can be found upkeeping battle stations affiliated with theTopman Tribe, but they themselves are not enemies. The Gearmos ofToy Time Galaxy teach the player how to use theirSpring form. An overworked Gearmo hostsBob-omb Blasting, while another helps maintain the Comet Observatory'sEngine Room. One Gearmo inBattlerock Galaxy refers to herself as an "iron old lady".	Comet Observatory,Battlerock Galaxy,Buoy Base Galaxy,Toy Time Galaxy,Dreadnought Galaxy,Grand Finale Galaxy
Worm	A giant caterpillar with its owngravitational pull that enables Mario to walk along its body. It lives inside one of theapple-shaped planets in Gusty Garden Galaxy, whereGround Pounding astump forces the worm to the surface and tunnel into the next nearest planet. This creates a permanent bridge between them.	Gusty Garden Galaxy
Spooky Speedster	AnAtomic Boo who challenges Mario to a race when prompted. He begrudgingly gives Mario a Power Star if he reaches the finish line before him. When Mario races him in "A Very Spooky Sprint", he must usePull Stars to reach the goal. In "Racing the Spooky Speedster", he is in hisBoo form.	Ghostly Galaxy,Boo's Boneyard Galaxy
Guppy	Anorca who bullies the Penguin Racers. He only relents if Mario can complete hiseight-ring swim challenge, as well as award him a Power Star. Unlike most other characters, Guppy cannot be jumped on and knocks Mario back if touched, although this does not cause damage.	Sea Slide Galaxy,Deep Dark Galaxy
Cosmic Mario	An entity that resembles Mario and mirrors his abilities. He challenges him to a footrace to a Power Star when aCosmic Comet is in orbit during Mario's playthrough. Making contact with Cosmic Mario during the race makes him release Star Bits.	Honeyhive Galaxy,Freezeflame Galaxy,Gold Leaf Galaxy,Sea Slide Galaxy
Cosmic Luigi	An entity that resembles Luigi. Like Cosmic Mario, he only appears when a Cosmic Comet is in orbit during Luigi's playthrough. Unlike Cosmic Mario, Cosmic Luigi makes more frequent use of shortcuts andLong Jumps, making him a more challenging opponent.	Honeyhive Galaxy,Freezeflame Galaxy,Gold Leaf Galaxy,Sea Slide Galaxy

Enemies and obstacles[edit]

Enemies[edit]

Roughly ninety enemies are inSuper Mario Galaxy. Most enemies dropcoins ifstomped on orStar Bits if spun into. If an enemy actively tracksMario,^[B] it will usually stop moving for a moment after successfully causing damage, allowing the player time to recover before responding. Some enemies, such as Piranha Plants, laugh at Mario when they successfully land a hit.

About fifty of the enemies and varieties inSuper Mario Galaxy are wholly new to the series. Some of them are incorporated into subsequentSuper Mario games or have inspired staple elements. Notable groups include: octopus enemies that spit rocks; spinning top-like enemies; and stationary beamers that discharge rings of electricity. Some of the new enemies are derivative of creatures that appeared in earlierSuper Mario games in both design and behavior, such as Goombeetles and Pumpkinhead Goombas being Goombas with respectiveBuzzy Beetle-like helmets and jack-o'-lantern helmets, Bomb Boos being explosive Boos unbothered by being stared at, and Spiny Piranha Plants being hefty, thorned versions of the normal Piranha Plants. Many new enemies also appear as extraterrestrial counterparts to previously established enemies, such as Electrogoombas resembling alien versions of Goombas, Monty and Undergrunt being similar toRocky Wrench andMonty Mole, respectively, and Gringill being similar toUnagi. Some of them even resemble recurring enemies inThe Legend of Zelda series, such as bats (which resembleKeese) and the octopus enemies (which resembleOctoroks). The Japanese name for Rocto directly derives from "Octorok". In addition, most of the new "alien" enemies are highly incorporated into certain settings and environments; for example, Topmen and Beamers are mainly found in highly militarized locations like theBattlerock Galaxy and theDreadnought Galaxy, Slurples andFlipbugs are found almost exclusively in grassy, natural locations like theHoneyhive Galaxy andGusty Garden Galaxy galaxies, while the Jammyfish and Jam-o'-War are only found in dark, abyssal waters.

Super Mario Galaxy makes use of theSuper Mario series' back catalog of enemies. This game represents the first instance that some of these enemies were ever integrated into a 3D platformer. There are enemies inSuper Mario Galaxy that, with the exception of rereleases or remakes, never appeared outside of their debut titles. The enemies that are incorporated contrast greatly with the ones in theprevious 3DSuper Mario game, a title that made a conservative use of past enemies and introduced ones that largely never appeared again. Some of the returning enemies from previous games are different from before in minor or major ways, such as Micro-Goombas being almost as big as normalGoombas with a more rounded body shape, chainless Chomps that act likeboulders, Urchins rolling along the seafloor rather than swimming freely, and Spiny Cheep Cheeps as balloon-like porcupinefish.

Sorting the "galaxy" columns organizes levels by their occurrence in-game, not alphabetically. The "spoils" column denotes items and objects that can potentially be dropped by the enemies when defeated and are represented by icons. If multiple different items are listed in a spoils cell for an enemy, it means which ones appear is dependent on how it is defeated (such as whether a stomp or a spin) and to a lesser extent the mission (as is the case with keys). If an enemy is defeatable but drops nothing, the cell reads "none". If an enemy is undefeatable, its cell has a cross symbol (). Sorting the "new" column sorts enemies by whether they are wholly new to theSuper Mario franchise, which are denoted by the star icon (☆).

Name	Description	Galaxies		Spoils	New
		First	Last
Micro Goomba	Little Goombas. Like normal-sized ones, they charge towards Mario. They are defeated when spun.	Gateway Galaxy	Rolling Gizmo Galaxy	×1	—
Goomba	Squat mushroom creatures that chase Mario when he is in their line of sight. A Goomba is defeated when stomped. Spinning or shooting one with a Star Bit knocks it over and makes it spin like a top, leaving it vulnerable to being kicked. The first Goomba encountered during "Grand Star Rescue" drops akey regardless of the means of defeat.	Gateway Galaxy	Rolling Gizmo Galaxy	×1 ×3 ×1	—
Grand Goomba	A giant Goomba. It is defeated only when spun and kicked. Only one Grand Goomba appears in the whole game.	Gateway Galaxy		×1	—
Pumpkinhead Goomba	Slow-moving Goombas withjack-o'-lanterns covering their heads. A Pumpkinhead Goomba sometimes drops a blue flame behind it that burns Mario on contact.Ground Pounding one defeats it. Spinning one breaks the pumpkin and reverts it into a normal Goomba.	Ghostly Galaxy		×1
Goombeetle	Helmeted Goombas that cannot be stomped. Spinning one flips it upside down, exposing its vulnerable underside.	Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor	Dreadnought Galaxy	×1
Electrogoomba	Goomba-like octopus enemies. An Electrogoomba shuffles side to side along a set path and keeps its eyes locked onto Mario when he is near. When in close proximity, it attempts to strike him with the hair-like appendage on its head. Electrogoombas are defeated when stomped or spun.	Good Egg Galaxy	Toy Time Galaxy	×1 ×3
Octoguy	Red octopuses that spit rocks. Octoguys shuffle backward from Mario when approached and only stop to attack Mario. One is defeated when stomped or spun. They usually occur in groups.	Honeyhive Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy	×1 ×3
Slurple	Leech-like octopuses. They latch onto Mario and gradually deplete his life meter. Spinning defeats them.	Good Egg Galaxy	Sea Slide Galaxy	×1
Rocto	Big octopuses that sit inbarrels. Roctos spitcoconuts[C] and flaming rocks at Mario. The coconuts can be ricocheted back with a well-timed spin. This is the only way to defeat a Rocto.	Good Egg Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy	None
Ruby Rock	Rocks with red gems in their center. Ruby Rocks roll around in circles or off the sides of platforms, damaging Mario on contact. Spinning into the gem of one breaks it. There are caves that indefinitely release Ruby Rocks in several galaxies.	Good Egg Galaxy	Melty Molten Galaxy	×7
Big Ruby Rock	Large Ruby Rocks. They act as their small counterparts, with their only difference being that they fall from above.	Dusty Dune Galaxy		×7
Piranha Plant	Carnivorous plants that try to bite Mario when near and laugh if they land a hit. They idly hold their heads skyward like normal flowers until they are approached. Piranha Plants are defeated when stomped or spun, and stunned when struck by a Star Bit. Defeating a Piranha Plant sometimes causes aSproutle Vine to erupt from the ground.	Good Egg Galaxy	Gold Leaf Galaxy	×1 ×3	—
Spiny Piranha Plant	Large Piranha Plants that slam their heads into the ground. Spinning one stuns it and leaves it vulnerable to being stomped. As with their smaller counterparts, Sproutle Vines erupt from the ground when Spiny Piranha Plants in certain missions.	Good Egg Galaxy	Gusty Garden Galaxy	×7
Tracks	Invisible purse-like creatures. Tracks are only visible when the stop moving. They are otherwise only perceptible by tracking their footsteps. Defeating one awards Mario with a large number of Star Bits.	Good Egg Galaxy	Gateway Galaxy	×20
Pokeynut	GiantPokeys. A Pokeynut slam its body forward to strike Mario. It falls apart when struck by a coconut[C], causing its head to fall and become embedded in the surrounding sand. Stomping the head defeats it.	Good Egg Galaxy	Dusty Dune Galaxy	×1
Pokeyplant	A red Pokey. It shimmies away from Mario while attempting to slam him. The Pokeyplant can be defeated by destroying each of its body segments, or by stomping on its head from above. If reduced to just a head, it attempts to flee the area.	Dusty Dune Galaxy		×7
Pokey Head	Green Pokeys. They are buried with only their flowers visible. When approached by Mario, they burst out of the ground and start hopping towards him. A Pokey Head bounces in place if it successfully strikes Mario. They are defeated when stomped or spun.	Gusty Garden Galaxy	Dusty Dune Galaxy	×1 ×3	—
Chomp	Rolling metal enemies. They bark when in close proximity. Chomps are defeated only when struck byRainbow Mario.	Good Egg Galaxy	Ghostly Galaxy	×7	—
Golden Chomp	A Chomp made of gold. It is destroyed by Mario only if he collides with it in his Rainbow form.	Gusty Garden Galaxy		×1
Mini Chomp	Little Chomps that roll out ofdoghouses. Mini Chomps are destroyed only when all nearbyFlipswitch Panels are activated.	Dreadnought Galaxy		×3
Bullet Bill	Missiles fired fromBill Blasters. Bullet Bills directly target Mario when he is within their proximity. Mario can lure Bullet Bills towards cages and fences to break them. Their eyes flash red and their bodies twirl when they lock onto Mario.	Good Egg Galaxy	Bubble Blast Galaxy	None	—
Banzai Bill	Slow-moving missiles. Their line of trajectory is fixed in one direction, and they slowly rotate as they move.	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor		None	—
Torpedo Ted	Underwater missiles. Their eyes flash red and they home in on Mario when he is in close proximity. They can be lured towards cages to break them.	Buoy Base Galaxy	Drip Drop Galaxy	None	—
Lava Bubble	Floating drops of lava. Lava Bubbles appear during the battle withKing Kaliente. Shooting one with a Star Bit defeats it. They otherwise burnout and disappear on their own.	Good Egg Galaxy	Melty Molten Galaxy	×1	—
Flipbug	Insect enemies that dislike bees. Flipbugs attempt to flee from Mario when he is near, ultimately tiring out and collapsing upside-down on the ground. If spotted in hisBee form, they chase him.	Honeyhive Galaxy	Gold Leaf Galaxy	×1 ×3
Mandibug	Bigstag beetle enemies. Mandibugs charge at Mario after making visual contact, snapping their jaws. They are defeated when Ground Pounded. One trembles if Mario stands on its back, but eventually shakes him off.	Honeyhive Galaxy	Gold Leaf Galaxy	×3
Wiggler	Caterpillars that walk around in circles. Performing a Ground Pound on nearby earth or directly spinning a Wiggler flips it onto its back. If it is not defeated within five seconds, it becomes angry and uprights itself. An enraged Wiggler is faster and cannot be harmed. It calms down after a few seconds. Ground Pounding a Wiggler defeats it in a single blow.	Honeyhive Galaxy	Gold Leaf Galaxy	×7	—
Water Shooter	Mounted nozzles that shootWater Balls over great distances. A ball traps Mario if he is within its trajectory and carries him with it. He is freed if he spins.	Honeyhive Galaxy	Sand Spiral Galaxy
Fire Shooter	Mounted flamethrowers that shoot streams of fire. The flames recede in set intervals that can be timed.	Bowser's Star Reactor	Bubble Blast Galaxy
Spring Vault	Topman-like beamers. Jumping on one's head launches Mario high into the air.	Flipswitch Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy	None
Sentry Garage	A Spring Vault that expels Topminis. Its head bounces Mario into the air.	Buoy Base Galaxy		None
Spoing	Spiders that hop up and down. A Spoing is stunned when shot by a Star Bit. It is defeated when stomped. Spoings stop to laugh if they strike Mario.	Space Junk Galaxy	Ghostly Galaxy	×1 ×3
Spangler	Spiders hanging from silk. Spanglers sway back and forth to strike Mario. Spinning one stuns it. It otherwise can be stomped.	Ghostly Galaxy	Sea Slide Galaxy	×1 ×3
Zap Ball	Large, faceless Amps that travel in circles and damage Mario on contact. Zap Balls typically occur in pairs.	Space Junk Galaxy	Toy Time Galaxy
Amp	Smiling, electrical orbs. They typically travel in circular patterns.	Buoy Base Galaxy	Bubble Blast Galaxy		—
Magikoopa	RobedKoopas that teleport. Magikoopas toss magical fireballs at Mario with their wand, which they also use to block shot Star Bits. The Magikoopa in one of the opening cutscenes is localized into English as "Kamek".	Space Junk Galaxy	Sand Spiral Galaxy	×1	—
Green Koopa Troopa	Green-shelled turtles. Koopa Troopas walk back and forth in straight lines. One retreats into its shell when stomped, allowing Mario to pick it up.	Space Junk Galaxy	Bigmouth Galaxy	×1	—
Red Koopa Troopa	A red-shelled Koopa Troopa that walks around in a circle. Jumping on it gives Mario access to a Red Shell.	Sea Slide Galaxy		×1	—
Dry Bones	Undead Koopa Troopas. Dry Bones chase down and tackle Mario on sight. If one is stomped, spun, or hit with a shell, it crumbles into a pile of bones, but reassembles after a few seconds. There are three ways to truly defeat a Dry Bones: by luring a Bullet Bill into it, by running into it as Rainbow Mario; or by luring it intoquicksand.	Dusty Dune Galaxy	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor	×3	—
Topmini	Little Topmen. Topminis cannot damage Mario and are immediately defeated when spun.	Battlerock Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy	×1
Spiky Topman	Top enemies. Spiky Topmen do not directly harm Mario, but they can knock him into hazards or off platforms. The spike on one's head protects it from being stomped and damages Mario on contact. Spiky Topmen are defeated if knocked into anelectric rail or off the side of a platform.	Battlerock Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy	×1
Spring Topman	Green Topmen that continuously produced by small portals. Stomping a Spring Topman stuns it and allows Mario to use it like aspringboard. Some Spring Topmen produce Topminis.	Buoy Base Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy	None
Space Mine	Faceless Mikey Mines that occur floating in space. Most are inert, but some move along purple streaks of light. Space Mines explode when touched, causing damage. Shooting one with a Star Bit destroys it.	Battlerock Galaxy	Bubble Blast Galaxy	None
Mikey Mine	Naval mines that bob up and down on chains. Mikey Mines keep their eyes shut unless Mario is in close proximity. They regenerate after detonating.	Deep Dark Galaxy		None
Bob-omb	Walking bombs. Bob-ombs actively pursue Mario until they explode. Stomping one disengages it, turning it into a grabbablebomb.	Battlerock Galaxy	Rolling Gizmo Galaxy	None	—
Monty	Moles that sit in hatches and throw wrenches at Mario. One retreats into the hatch when approaches. Ground Pounding nearby earth stuns Montys, leaving them open to attack. They are also stunned when struck by Star Bits.	Battlerock Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy	×1 ×3
Undergrunt	Burrowing Montys. Undergrunts leave trails of disturbed dirt as they dig. Ground Pounding nearby earth forces them to the surface, dazed and vulnerable. Their spiked helmets protects them from stomps. The helmets protrude from the ground as the Undergrunts burrow, allowing one to track their movements.	Gusty Garden Galaxy	Gold Leaf Galaxy	×3
Sentry Beam	Hovering beamers that fire lasers at Mario when he is close. Standing on top of a Sentry Beam temporarily prevents it from firing.	Battlerock Galaxy	Toy Time Galaxy
Thwomp	Grimacing stones. Thwomps suspend themselves above ground and periodically slam into the earth below. Crushing Mario fully depletes hislife meter. The tops and sides of a Thwomp can be used as platforms and walls. Slightly smaller ones appear in the 2D sections of several galaxies.	Bowser's Star Reactor	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor		—
Gringill	Conger eel enemies. Gringills lunge at Mario if he approaches the mouth of their caves. They can only be defeated by projectile shells. In some galaxies, Gringills occur swimming in open water.	Beach Bowl Galaxy	Bigmouth Galaxy	×7
Giant Gringill	Large Gringills restricted to underwater caves. They snap at Mario when approached. Giant Gringills react slower than the normal-sized ones.	Beach Bowl Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy	×1
Urchin	Sea creatures with protractible spines. Urchins roll towards Mario when in close proximity. They are damaged only by shells and fireballs.	Beach Bowl Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy	×5	—
Ground Urchin	Red Urchins found in warm areas. When Mario draws near, they protract their spines and roll towards him. Ground Urchins can only be defeated by fire andlava. There is a box-like stone sculpture in Freezeflame Galaxy that continuously expels Ground Urchins.	Freezeflame Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy	×5
Clampy	A giant oyster that opens and closes its mouth.Star Chips or coins can be found inside it. Snapping shut with Mario inside damages him.	Beach Bowl Galaxy
Bat	Hog-nosed bats that roost in caves. They swoop down to attack Mario. A bat stops to laugh when it lands a hit. Stomping or spinning one defeats it.	Beach Bowl Galaxy	Toy Time Galaxy	×1 ×3
Ice bat	White bats. Making direct contact freezes Mario. They are defeated only by fire.	Freezeflame Galaxy		×3
Cataquack	Duck-like creatures that toss Mario high into the air. Cataquacks immediately charge towards Mario after making visual contact. They otherwise idly walk in circles or sleep on the ground. Spinning one or performing a Ground Pound dazes it. They drown if led into water.	Beach Bowl Galaxy	Gold Leaf Galaxy	None	—
Tox Box	Stone boxes that roll around in set trajectories. Tox Boxes are the same width of the paths they travel, making them difficult to avoid. One of their sides is open and can be safely stood under.	Beach Bowl Galaxy	Toy Time Galaxy		—
Boo	Ghost enemies. Boos pursue Mario when his back is turned towards them. If Mario looks directly at one, it stops moving and shields its eyes. Spinning one shifts its position and forces it through nearby walls, but it is undamaged. Boos are weak only to light – including the headlamp of theToad Brigade captain. Some Boos are found underwater. Mario can transform into one via theBoo Mushroom, which causes nearby Boos to become enamored and give chase.	Ghostly Galaxy	Sand Spiral Galaxy	×1 ×1	—
Bomb Boo	Explosive Boos that pursue Mario on sight. Unlike normal Boos, Bomb Boos do not cower when Mario looks at them. When spun, Mario grabs onto a Bomb Boo's tongue and swings it like alasso. It detonates if it is swung into an object or wall. If Mario does not release the Bomb Boo, it is pulled in closer and damages him. Bomb Boos are conjured byBouldergeist and can destroy the boss's stone armor.	Ghostly Galaxy		None
Atomic Boo	A large Boo. It is defeated only with a light source. TheSpooky Speedster is an Atomic Boo.	Deep Dark Galaxy		×1	—
Bomp	Stones that shift in and out of walls. They cannot damage Mario directly, but they are positioned to push him off of platforms and solid ground. The tops of their bodies can be stood on.	Buoy Base Galaxy	Freezeflame Galaxy		—
Ball Beamer	Yellow beamers that discharge wide-range shockwaves on the surface of spherical planets. The shockwaves damage Mario on contact and are discharged in consistent, three-part intervals that can be timed. Most Ball Beamers lack interactive components, but there is one in Buoy Base Galaxy with agold screw on its top. Spinning it disengages the Ball Beamer and opens up the metal planet it is fastened to.	Buoy Base Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy
Pulse Beam	Spiked beamers that discharge shockwaves. One damages Mario when touched.	Toy Time Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy
Blooper	Underwater squids. Bloopers swim erratically when approached by Mario to strike him. Spinning one or striking it with a shell defeats it. They release a cloud of ink when defeated.	Buoy Base Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy	×3	—
Spiny Cheep-Cheep	Porcupinefish enemies that protract their spines and charge towards Mario on sight. They are only found within sunkentreasure chests.	Drip Drop Galaxy		×7	—
Cheep Cheep	Pudgy red fish. Underwater, they passively swim in circles. On land or shallow water, they bounce around in a set trajectory. They are defeated when stomped or spun.	Deep Dark Galaxy		×1 ×3	—
Ice Bubble	Floating ice enemies that freeze Mario on contact. Spinning an Ice Bubble neutralizes its icy cloud and grounds it, leaving it vulnerable to being kicked. Neutralized Ice Bubbles propel themselves towards the nearest pools offreezing water to restore their clouds.	Freezeflame Galaxy	Toy Time Galaxy	×1
Li'l Cinder	Floating fire enemies that burn Mario on contact. Li'l Cinders otherwise behave like Ice Bubbles. Grounded Li'l Cinders hop towards the nearest lava to reignite.	Freezeflame Galaxy	Melty Molten Galaxy	×1
Cluckboom	Plurp-like enemies that lay explosive eggs. Cluckbooms fly in set paths, fluttering back and forth. One falls to the ground when shot be a Star Bit, leaving it open to attack.	Dusty Dune Galaxy		×1 ×3
Bone Twister	Whirlwinds that move along set paths. Bone Twisters trap Mario on contact, but this does not damage him. Mario is propelled high into the air like abamboo-copter if he spins while inside. Some Bone Twisters carry jagged rocks that damage Mario if he makes contact.	Dusty Dune Galaxy
Red Crabber	Sidesteppingcrabs that scuttle away from Mario. Crabbers have hard shells that protect them from stomps and spins head-on, but their fleshy rears are exposed and can be struck. Red Crabbers actively pursue Mario but move slowly.	Dusty Dune Galaxy	Bigmouth Galaxy	×3
Blue Crabber	Blue Crabbers appear in smaller amounts than the red ones and bury themselves underground in an attempt to escape and resurface shortly after.	Dusty Dune Galaxy	Bigmouth Galaxy	×1
Jammyfish	Jellyfish that swim in schools along set paths. They damage Mario on contact but do not actively pursue him.	Bigmouth Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy	×1
Jam-o'-War	Large Jammyfish that idly float in place and electrocute Mario when touched. Striking a Jam-o'-War with a shell twice defeats it. The first strike turns it green.	Bigmouth Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy	×1
Mecha-Bowser	Mechanical Koopas that breathe fire. Spinning Mecha-Bowsers swing their heads back and delay their fire attack. They are defeated when Ground Pounded.	Toy Time Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy	×1
Bonefin	Undead sharks. They appear alongsideKingfin, who summons them from a hydrothermal vent as he accumulates damage. Bonefins lock onto Mario when he is near. Striking one with a shell defeats it, as does leading it to the water's surface defeats it. All Bonefins disappear when Kingfin is defeated.	Bonefin Galaxy		×7

Obstacles[edit]

Name	Description	Galaxies
		First	Last
Banzai Bill Cannon	Giant cannons that shootBanzai Bills.	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Bars / crystal	Thin barriers that can only be phased through byBoo Mario while he is invisible.	Ghostly Galaxy	Boo's Boneyard Galaxy
Bill Blaster	Cannons that shootBullet Bills. Bill Blasters are mounted onto the surface of planets, integrated into the walls of terrain, and attached to the sides ofairships. Many Bill Blasters are built into the body ofMegaleg. The cannons do not shoot more than one Bullet Bill at a time.	Good Egg Galaxy	Bubble Blast Galaxy
Black hole	Bottomless voids with their owngravity.Mario is pulled into black holes if he gets too close and lose a life. They exist in the center of several spherical planets and function similarly tobottomless pits.	Good Egg Galaxy	Bubble Blast Galaxy
Bone[31]:145	Floating barriers in courses where Mario races theSpooky Speedster. They can obstruct Mario's path. Most bones have simple designs and are purely obstructive, but some are ribs that shift up and down. Few are cackling skulls.	Ghostly Galaxy	Boo's Boneyard Galaxy
Bramble	Thick, thorn-covered vines that damage Mario on contact.	Gusty Garden Galaxy
Burner	Cannons that create small explosions. It takes a few seconds for them to charge up.	Good Egg Galaxy
Cannon	Enemy cannons that shootcannonballs. They are built into the sides of terrain. Cannons fire continuously in set intervals that can be timed. Shooting a cannonball with a Star Bit destroys it and releases a coin.	Battlerock Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy
Chomp box	Giant turrets that releaseChomps. Little doghouse-like Chomp boxes releaseMini Chomps.	Good Egg Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy
Crushing pillar	Walls that shift up and down. Mario loses a life if crushed.	Battlerock Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy
Dark matter	Dark matter disintegrates Mario on contact, costing him a life.	Bowser's Dark Matter Plant
Deadly quicksand	Shifting sands. It functions identically to poison in that it rapidly causes Mario to sink and lose a life.	Dusty Dune Galaxy	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Electric Ball	Metal orbs that spin around the sides of disc-shaped planetoids. They are similar toAmps and electrocute Mario on contact.	Battlerock Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy
Electric rail	Electric barriers. They emit either green or red electricity and move horizontally in some galaxies.Spiky Topmen are defeated when spun into electric rails. This is also the only way to damageTopmaniac.	Good Egg Galaxy	Bubble Blast Galaxy
Eye Beamer	Beamers with flat backs that are suspended above ground. Eye Beamers fire electric beams that damage Mario on contact. Some move while others are stationary. Their backs are nondamaging and can be used as platforms.	Dusty Dune Galaxy	Dreadnought Galaxy
Fire Bar	Rotating bars of fireballs that burn Mario on contact.	Battlerock Galaxy	Sling Pod Galaxy
Fire geyser	Hot steam forced from the ground. Making contact burns Mario.	Space Junk Galaxy	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Freezing water	Water so frigid that it gradually depletes Mario'slife meter if he tries to swim through it. When Mario enters freezing water, the screen is briefly disrupted by a static-like visual effect, readily differentiating it from normal bodies of water. During "Hot and Cold Collide", this waterrises and falls on one of the planets.	Freezeflame Galaxy
Honey	A sweet substance collected byHoneybees. Honey reduces Mario's movement the same way mud does.	Honeyhive Galaxy
Ice sphere	An ice planet. The surface is so cold that direct contact makes Mario leap as if he was burned and reduces his life meter.	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Lava	Direct contact with lava burns Mario and makes him bounce into the air with his hands on his rear. Some small planets are completely covered in it. On others, the lava rises and falls like thetide.	Good Egg Galaxy	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Lava burst	Trailing balls of lava. They move slowly and burn Mario on contact. They typically move in arcs.	Freezeflame Galaxy	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Lava Geyser	Lava Geysers rise and fall in set intervals that can be timed. A rise is always proceeded by rapid bubbling on the lava's surface.	Freezeflame Galaxy	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Meat	Giant lumps of meat pierced with bone appear as obstacles in Mario's race against theSpooky Speedster. They bounce Mario away on contact.	Ghostly Galaxy
Meteor	Fiery space rocks.Bowser shoots them from his mouth to destroy the big staircase in Bowser's Star Reactor, and Bowser Jr. fires them from the cannons in hisairship. They otherwise occur raining from the sky.	Gateway Galaxy	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Moving sand	Rapidly flowing sand. Mario can stand on it but is brought down his intended trajectory and potentially into hazards. During "Treasure of the Pyramid", thesand rises inside of a pyramid.	Dusty Dune Galaxy
Mud	Mario's movement speed and jump height is reduced while he is in mud. This puts him at potential risk if dangerous enemies are nearby.	Good Egg Galaxy
Poisonous swamp	Toxic sludge. If Mario falls into a poisonous swamp, he sinks and loses a life.	Bubble Breeze Galaxy	Toy Time Galaxy
Prickly plant	Plants with damaging, needle-like flowers. One is destroyed only through the use of projectiles, likerubbery bulbs. Destroying a prickly plant can reward Mario with three Star Bits, a coin, or aSling Star. Some plants aregiant and drop seven Star Bits when destroyed. Airborne ones appear in Gusty Garden Galaxy.	Good Egg Galaxy	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Snow	Powdery snow that reduces Mario's speed when walked through. The snow is cleared when theStar Pointer is waved over it or withfireballs.	Snow Cap Galaxy
Spikes	Spikes damage Mario on contact, and generally appear attached to terrain and shifting objects.Lifts with spikes embedded into their sides appear in a few galaxies, andbergy bits in "Wall Jumping up Waterfalls" are covered in ones made of ice.	Good Egg Galaxy	Toy Time Galaxy
Spotlight	The light defeats enemyBoos, but it also forces Boo Mario back into hisnormal form.	Ghostly Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy
Spring	Floating springs in narrow caverns. They knockback Boo Mario on contact but do not cause damage.	Boo's Boneyard Galaxy
Torpedo tube	Underwater cannons that shootTorpedo Teds.	Buoy Base Galaxy
Whirlpool	Swirling vortices of water. Contact pushes Mario and temporarily stuns him, but it does not cause damage.	Sea Slide Galaxy	Deep Dark Galaxy

Bosses[edit]

Wallpaper of Mario before most of the game's bosses

Similar to previous titles, most of the bosses inSuper Mario Galaxy are stronger counterparts to normal enemies, and all except theMandibug Stack have the background music change when encountered. Most tactics to defeat bosses are subtly conveyed in the level design before they are reached, giving the player an understanding of what to do to defeat them. For instance, prior to facing Dino Piranha in the Good Egg Galaxy, a player taking the galaxy's main path will encounter aSpiny Piranha Plant surrounded byrubbery bulbs that can be used to damage and defeat it, which is echoed with how Dino Piranha's clubbed tail must be swung against to damage the boss. Some of these examples are even done between multiple missions and in different galaxies. Kingfin's "tutorial", for example, is in theDrip Drop Galaxy rather than theBonefin Galaxy where he is encountered, and to ensure the player has completed said instructional mission, the Bonefin Galaxy does not become available until it is completed.

Most bosses take three hits to their weak point to defeat, like in most previous games. The Mandibug Stack only takes two, however, and both Megaleg and Mecha-Bowser instead must be climbed and destroyed with a certain attack at the top. Most bosses become faster and more offensive the more hits they have taken, which is often reflected with them becoming visibly enraged and sometimes even glowing red. Some even switch tactics completely midway through the fight, such as Bugaboom taking flight or Bouldergeist spawning a massive pair of hands. Some will also spawn minions the further their battle goes.

Some bosses are fought more than once, and if fought again in a later galaxy will have additional tactics and mechanics to make the battle harder. Ones with especially apparent differences to their fights even get a color change and are listed as separate bosses in official paratext, despite sharing a name and a base model. Otherwise, most rematches are done with the added rules from aPrankster Comet, specifically aSpeedy Comet or aDaredevil Comet.

For each hit, bosses will always let out a flurry ofStar Bits. When defeated, they normally give some form ofPower Star to end the mission; the exception is the Water Bazooka in "Bubble Blastoff", which is fought at the beginning of the mission and instead grants access to a usablecannon.

Bosses are listed in the order that they are first encountered.

Name	Description	Missions
Dino Piranha	APiranha Plant boss with a clubbed tail. It charges afterMario when he is in its line of sight.Spinning into its club knocks it at its head, damaging it. It charges faster after the first strike.	Dino Piranha,Dino Piranha Speed Run
King Kaliente	A giantRocto that sits inlava. He shootscoconuts[C] and flaming rocks at Mario. Spinning into a coconut sends it back and damages him. He starts to parry these attacks as the fight progresses.	King Kaliente's Battle Fleet
Mandibug Stack	AMandibug that carries its child on its back. Both can be defeated by performing aGround Pound. Defeating the child angers the parent and makes it harder to strike.	Trouble on the Tower
Bugaboom	A giant, winged Mandibug that tries to bite Mario with its jaws and can be damaged with a Ground Pound. Bugaboom takes flight after being struck once and starts releasing explosive droppings as it flies.	Big Bad Bugaboom
Megaleg	A giant robot. Its legs are covered with gravitational panels that enable Mario to walk up its body.Bill Blasters are built into its body. AGrand Star is caged on its head that can be freed with a lured Bullet Bill.	Megaleg's Moon
Kamella	AMagikoopa boss. She launches magical fireballs andGreen Shells from her wand. Striking her with shells is the only way to damage her. She starts to erratically teleport as the fight progresses.	Kamella's Airship Attack,The Underground Ghost Ship,Ghost Ship Daredevil Run
Tarantox	A giant spider cocooned in silk. The green orbs covering its body are its weak points, which Mario can damage by launching himself at them withSling Pods. It spits acid after being hit once.	Tarantox's Tangled Web
Topmaniac	A largeTopman with serrated edges. Jumping on its head makes the blades retract, allowing Mario to safely spin it into anelectric rail.	Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe,Topmaniac's Daredevil Run,Revenge of the Topman Tribe,Topman Tribe Speed Run
Bowser	The fire-breathing king ofKoopas. He launches himself to the sky and back to generate shockwaves. Luring him above a glass panel causes him to crash through and burn his tail on lava. This leaves him vulnerable to a spin attack. He can conjure stone armor and roll like aRuby Rock. He refers to Mario as his "archenemy".[45]	The Fiery Stronghold,Darkness on the Horizon,The Fate of the Universe
Bouldergeist	A ghost covered in rocks. It launches rocks and erects stone spikes from the ground to damage Mario. Attacking it withBomb Boos destroys its armor and leaves it vulnerable to attack. During the second phase, it constructs giant hands to attack Mario and protect its body. It is the one who kidnapsLuigi.[42]	Beware of Bouldergeist,Bouldergeist's Daredevil Run
Bowser Jr.	Bowser's son. He rides a miniatureairship that fires Bullet Bills andcannonballs at Mario. Magikoopas aide Bowser Jr. during the fight. Throwing shells at the airship damages it and eventually makes it sink. Bowser Jr. otherwise has a recurring story presence throughout the game.	Sinking the Airships
Major Burrows	A giantUndergrunt chasing aStar Bunny. He burrows towards Mario before bursting from the ground with swiping claws. Performing aGround Pound on the earth when his head is exposed forces him to the surface and leaves him vulnerable to a spin attack.	The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows,Major Burrows's Daredevil Run
Baron Brrr	A bigIce Bubble. He fires ice balls that freeze Mario on contact. If close, he thrusts himself downward and generates a freezing shockwave. Being close to the ground leaves him vulnerable to being spun, which extinguishes his icy aura.	The Frozen Peak of Baron Brrr
Water Bazooka	Blue rotatingcannons operated byUndergrunt Gunners. They fire drops of water that trap Mario on contact. The glass-encased cockpit is the weak point.	When It Rains, It Pours,Bubble Blastoff
Mecha-Bowser	An enormous robot modeled after Bowser.Gearmos are trapped inside of its mouth. To free them and destroy the robot, the stack ofstone wheels on top of its head must be Ground Pounded.	Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser
Electric Bazooka	A yellow cannon operated by an Undergrunt Gunner. This one shoots balls of electricity that home-in on Mario.	Bouncing Down Cake Lane
Kingfin	A massive shark that is guarded by a school ofBonefins. It is vulnerable to shells. As it swims, it destroys underwater pillars. It does not actively pursue Mario, but it summons more Bonefins as the battle progresses.	Kingfin's Fearsome Waters
Black King Kaliente	King Kaliente but powered up. He launches more projectiles and can immediately parry attacks. He causesmeteors to rain from the sky during the battle.	King Kaliente's Spicy Return
Black Dino Piranha	A speedy Dino Piranha. Its clubbed tail periodically catches fire. The flames burn Mario and prevent him from spinning the club. After making a successful strike, the Dino Piranha becomes faster, leaving walls of flames in its wake as it spews giant fiery balls. Defeating this boss without being damaged requires well-timed precision.	Fiery Dino Piranha

Items and objects[edit]

Items[edit]

These are collectibles, pickups, and health-restoring objects.

Name	Description
Power Stars	Objects that power theComet Observatory. They are stolen byBowser to create a galaxy of his own at thecenter of the universe. Collecting them completes missions and unlocks new levels. It is inferred that yellowLumas can become Power Stars at the end of their lifespans.
Green Power Stars	Hidden Power Stars. Collecting one attracts a green-colored Luma to the observatory. Collecting all three grantsMario[B] access to thePlanet of Trials and itsTrial Galaxies. The green Lumas become these Power Stars at the end of their lifespans.
Red Power Star	A Power Star affiliated with theRed Star power-up. Only one mission involves this Power Star, and collecting it makes the Red Star available in the Comet Observatory. Red Lumas can become these at the end of their lifespans.
Silver Stars	Small Stars that represent one-fifth of a Power Star and are contained in bubbles. Silver Stars squeal like Lumas and trail after Mario when he pops their bubbles. When five are collected, they merge to form a full Power Star.
Grand Stars	Giant Power Stars of considerable energy. They are usually in the possession of bosses. Collecting them makes the beacon expand in size, restores light to the observatory, and unlocks new domes.
Star Bits	Colorful objects that are eaten by Lumas. They are found floating in space and raining from the sky. They are collected when Mario makes physical contact or when they are touched with theStar Pointer. The Star Pointer works like areticle: pressing shoots a Star Bit at its on-screen positioning, and holding the button shoots them rapidly. Most enemies are stunned when struck by Star Bits. Fired Star Bits can be recovered by spinning, but only while using a Red Star or swimming underwater.Hungry Lumas transform into planets and galaxies when fed a requested number of Star Bits. Mario does not lose accumulated Star Bits if he loses a life during a mission, and they are added to total when he returns to the observatory. Collecting fifty Star Bits gives Mario an extra life.
Coins	Collecting a coin restores one bar to Mario's life meter. Collecting fifty during a mission gives Mario an extra life. If Mario loses a life during a mission, he loses all of the coins he collected within that specific mission.
Purple Coins	Coins that only appear in a galaxy whenPurple Comets are in orbit. Collecting 100 awards Mario with a Power Star.
? Coins	Big coins with inconsistent properties. Making contact with one has different results depending on the level. Touching one can make a power-up, mushroom, note, or another ? Coin appear. They do not contribute to Mario's coin count.
Notes	Music notes which can appear when Mario touches a ? Coin. They appear in trails in the immediate vicinity and disappear after a few seconds. Collecting every note before they can disappear awards Mario with a power-up, a mushroom, or a Power Star.
Green Shells	Shells of greenKoopa Troopas. Mario grabs one when he makes contact orspins near it. Shaking makes Mario throw it. Green Shells travel in a continuous forward trajectory and defeats enemies on contact. Holding a Shell while underwater makes Mario automatically propel forward at a faster speed than if he were to swim on his own. It also emits a light from the front of the shell that helps orient the player and can defeatBoos.
Red Shells	Shells of red Koopa Troopas. They home-in on nearby targets when thrown. They give Mario a greater speed boost underwater than Green Shells.
Gold Shells	Golden Koopa Shells. Of all the shells, these ones give Mario the greatest speed boost. They function identically to a Green Shell when thrown.
Bombs	DisengagedBob-ombs that can be picked up and tossed. They explode on impact. Bombs are used duringBob-omb Blasting to cleartrash.
1-Up Mushrooms	Green mushrooms that give Mario anextra life when obtained. They are sold atLuma Shops.
Life Mushrooms	Red mushrooms that doubles the amount of bars in Mario's health meter from three to six. If Mario loses three bars, they cannot be restored. The life meter returns to just three bars when Mario completes the mission, even if at full health. This mushroom is sold at Luma Shops.
Bubbles	Air bubbles appear underwater, often released bybubblers on the seafloor. Making contact with one refills Mario's air meter.
Keys	Collecting a key opens a corresponding case or Key Door, granting Mario access to a new area.
YellowStar Chips	Star fragments that each represent one-fifth of aLaunch Star orSling Star. Collecting five causes them to merge into either depending on the level context.
Blue Star Chips	Collecting five Blue Star Chips turns them into aPull Star.

Power-ups[edit]

Items that transform Mario's appearance and give him unique abilities.

Power-up	Form		Description
Bee Mushroom	Bee Mario	Bee Luigi	Touching the Bee Mushroom transformsMario[B] into Bee Mario. Holding makes Mario hover, and his movement is controlled by tilting. TheFlying Meter depletes as Mario hovers. He falls when the Meter is empty, but it is refilled when he makes contact with the ground or wall. Bee Mario can cling tohoney walls and stand onclouds. The radius of thespin move is reduced in this form. Receiving damage or making contact with water makes Mario lose the power-up.
Rainbow Star	Rainbow Mario	Rainbow Luigi	Making contact with the Rainbow Star transforms Mario into Rainbow Mario for thirty seconds. He is invincible and can defeat enemies on contact.Running in this form makes Mario build speed and shortens the height of hisjump. Attempting to collect a different power-up in this form will instead launch it up without collecting it.
Boo Mushroom	Boo Mario	Boo Luigi	Mario is transformed into aBoo when he touches the Boo Mushroom. Shaking makes Boo Mario become intangible for five seconds, enabling him to phase throughwalls. Continuously pressing makes Boo Mario hover, and he can read boards written in "Booish". Enemy Boos become infatuated with Boo Mario and pursue him. Receiving damage or making contact with a light source makes Mario lose the power-up.
Ice Flower	Ice Mario	Ice Luigi	Contact with the Ice Flower transforms Mario into Ice Mario for thirty seconds. In this form, Mario creates hexagonal ice platforms when he makes contact with water orlava, enabling him towall jump between waterfalls. Because he produces ice under his feet, Ice Mario can continuouslyskate over water and lava.
Fire Flower	Fire Mario	Fire Luigi	The Fire Flower transforms Mario into Fire Mario for thirty seconds. Shaking makes Mario toss afireball. The fire lightstorches and defeats enemies on contact. This is the only power-up to have appeared in priorSuper Mario games.
Spring Mushroom	Spring Mario	Spring Luigi	Making contact with the Spring Mushroom transforms Mario into Spring Mario. Mario continuously jumps in this form. Pressing when he strikes the ground makes Spring Mario jump to a great height. His horizontal movement is slowed in this state. Receiving damage or making contact with water strips Mario of the power-up.
Red Star	Flying Mario	Flying Luigi	The Red Star transforms Mario into Flying Mario for sixty seconds. Shaking makes Mariosoar without any corresponding meter or limitation. Holding makes Flying Mario stop in midair and change directions.Purple Coins are drawn to Flying Mario while he is airborne. Shaking while flying makes Mario fall back to the ground.

Objects[edit]

Objects are interactable elements of the environment that cannot be picked up or collected byMario. For objects that primarily function as obstructions or hazards, seeabove.

Name	Description
Transportation objects
Bubble	Big bubbles that are moved by theStar Pointer. Mario becomes stuck inside one when he touches it. The Star Pointer turns into an air-blowing nozzle () that pushes the bubble with. Pressing releases Mario.
Cannon	Cannons that launch Mario to distant areas. They are accessed like pipes. Entering one shifts the screen perspective to inside the cannon and turns the Star Pointer into a reticle symbol (). Aiming the reticle on screen and pressing launches Mario.
Floaty Fluff	Dandelion seeds that are carried on gusts ofwind. Mario grabs onto one by spinning. It slowly descends as it floats. It ascends briefly by shaking, but only up to four times. Pressing makes Mario let go of the Floaty Fluff.
Gravity spotlight	Blue beams of light that have their owngravity. When Mario walks into one, he is pulled towards the direction that the light is being beamed. It enables him to walk on walls and ceilings, but only where the light is being directly struck.
Hole	Indentations in the ground for the Rolling Ball. Yellow-rimmed holes launch the Rolling Ball from one planetoid to another. The blue-rimmed ones are the finalgoals of their courses. They break the Rolling Ball and allow Mario to collect its Power Star.
Key Door	Doors that open when Mario makes contact with akey.
Launch Star	Floating stars near the surface of planets. They launch Mario to distant areas whenspun near. Some yellowLumas transform into Launch Stars when freed by Mario.
Pipe	Entering a pipe brings Mario to a new area. He enters one when is pressed while on top of one. Some pipes lead Mario to otherworldly subareas.
Pull Star	Floating stars that are interacted with the Star Pointer. Moving the cursor over a Pull Star and holding pulls Mario to it. Gently pressing again, pressing, or spinning releases Mario from the Pull Star. A Pull Star is at the center of every dome on theComet Observatory. Blue Lumas can transform into them.
Rolling Ball	Mario takes control of a Rolling Ball when he jumps on top of it. It is steered by shifting the. It is carried between platforms on metaltracks. Reaching the goal causes the Rolling Ball to break and release its Power Star.
Sling Pod	Clumps of spider silk. Mario becomes stuck to one when he makes contact with it. Pointing on the Sling Pod with the Star Pointer and holding pulls the Spring Pod back. Releasing slings Mario a great distance.
Sling Star	Small Launch Stars that sling Mario towards a neighboring planet when spun near.
Tornado	Tornados moves back and forth along set paths. Making contact traps Mario within its gusts. He is propelled high into the air like abamboo-copter if he tries to spin, enabling him to reach distant platforms and avoid hazards. Tornados function similarly toBone Twisters, but have no means of harming Mario.
Underwater ring	Dash rings found suspended in water. Swimming through one gives Mario a burst of speed.
Warp Pad	Transport panels that move Mario along a curved beacon of light from one part of theComet Observatory to another. More Warp Pads become available as energy is restored to the observatory.
Blocks and containers
? Block	Floating blocks that contain items. They release their contents when Mario jumps underneath them. ? Blocks that containcoins and some that haveStar Bits can be jumped under in rapid succession to release more than one. Most ? Blocks become empty blocks when their contents are exhausted. There are ? Blocks containing Star Bits that burst immediately when jumped under. Some are invisible and only become viewable once interacted with.
Block	Blocks that contain nothing and cannot be broken. Coin Blocks and some ? Blocks become these when their contents are exhausted.
Brick Block	Some areCoin Blocks that contain multiple coins like ? Blocks. Others are empty and fall apart when jumped under.
Case	Cloche domes that trap Lumas, Power Stars, and other objects of interest. Most open when Mario acquires a nearby key, but some require the completion of a more cryptic task.
Crate	Crates contain items orGoombas. They release their contents when spun near or ground-pounded. Crates are only found on the ground and break completely when struck.
Gold Treasure Box	A treasure chest that only opens when struck by aGold Shell. It contains a Power Star and theToad Brigade captain.
Sliding block	Flat blocks only found on a planet inGold Leaf Galaxy. They slide across the surface likehockey pucks and can damage Mario on impact. Striking one with aGround Pound releases threeStar Bits.
Snow sculpture	Blocks inSnow Cap Galaxy that melt when struck byfireballs. Each snow sculpture contains a coin.
Stone block	Big blocks inRolling Gizmo Galaxy. They are destroyed when struck by the Rolling Ball.
Treasure chest	Wooden treasure chests that contain items. One opens when aKoopa Shell is thrown at it.
Strikable and spinnable objects
Bolt	Mario pushes bolts into the ground when he spins on top of them. Doing so grants him access to new areas or triggers nearby events.
Bowser Statue	Stone statues ofBowser that contain items. They are destroyed when struck byBomb Boos orBullet Bills.
Cage	Glass spheres. They contain objects of interest such as pipes, Star Bits, or Power Stars. In one mission,Luigi is trapped in a cage. They shatter when hit by Bullet Bills.
Coconut /Watermelon	Green fruits that can be launched when spun. Some enemies and bosses fire coconuts. Watermelons permanently replace them once Mario accumulates 9999 Star Bits on one save file. One otherwise appears in the center of a transparent planet in Deep Dark Galaxy.
Crystal	Gemstones that break when spun into. Most crystals are small, contain Star Bits, and are broken with a single spin. Others are large, contain Power Stars, and require three spins to be broken.
Giant Star Bit	Giant Star Bits that float in the set trajectory of Launch Stars. Colliding with one breaks it into seven collectible Star Bits.
Leaf pile	Leaf piles release Star Bits or coins when spun in.
Rock spire	Stalagmites. They fall apart when spun into. Some contain items.
Rubbery bulb	Bulbous plants. Spinning into one flings it forward and return with the same force exerted. Mario receives knockback if hit by the rebound. The plants rebound is halted if it collides with an enemy or object. They can be used to break objects and defeat enemies.
Shock Wave Generator	Spires that release waves of electricity when struck, stunning nearby enemies.
Snowman	Snowmen are destroyed with fireballs. They obstruct narrow paths in some instances.
Stone circle / Shell circle	A circle of eight objects embedded in the ground. Spinning inside the circle transforms the objects into Star Bits.
Tiny lamp	A shimmering protrusion in the ground. Firing a Star Bit at a tiny lamp turns it into a coin.
Torch	Lighting torches with fireballs solves puzzles and sometimes provides access to new areas.
Trash	Piles of garbage fromBob-omb Blasting. They are cleared withbombs.
Valve	Most valves release Star Bits when spun into the ground. One prevents the flow of water inSea Slide Galaxy.
Ground-poundable objects
Stone wheel	Stone discs. Ground Pounding one breaks it and usually releases an item. Breaking a stone wheel sometimes changes an element of the area it is in. In some galaxies, there are multiple stone wheels stacked on top of each other.
Stump	Ground Pounding a stump either produces a coin or triggers an event that enables level progression, similar to Ground-Pound Switches.
Tennis ball	Yellow balls within a clear planet inDeep Dark Galaxy. Ground Pounding one launches it at a watermelon in the planet's center and makes it expand.
Trampoline	Trampolines bounce Mario into the air. Ground Pounding the surface of a trampoline launches Mario higher.
Climbable objects
Banandelion	Big dandelions. Mario grabs onto one by spinning. Continuing to spin makes Mario ascend up the flower and flings him.
Bar	Metal rods embedded into the caverns ofDeep Dark Galaxy. Mario can swing from them to reach higher areas.
Hanging vine	A rope swing that Mario grabs onto when he jumps towards it. Moving the causes him to swing.
Honey wall	Hexagonal panels attached to the side of walls within levels. Mario can cling and crawl on them while in his Bee form.
Pole	Mario clings to a pole by jumping onto it. He can ascend, descend, and change which face of the pole he is on by moving. Pressing makes Mario jump from whichever face he is on.
Sproutle Vine	Twisting vines that sprout from the base of defeatedPiranha Plants. Mario grabs and swings up one by spinning. Sproutle Vines enable Mario to travel from one area to another.
Swing	Trapezes made out of vines and flowers. Mario grabs onto one automatically when he makes contact with it. Moving back and forth makes him swing. A swing bar can be used to bring Mario over gaps between platforms.
Switches
Blue switch	Blue! Switches. Ground Pounding one usually triggers a timed event or changes an element in the area it is encountered.
Flipswitch Panel	Blue panels that turn yellow when Mario steps on them. Stepping on all of the panels in a confined area turns the switches green and triggers access to a new area or the appearance of a Power Star.
Gravity switch	Switches that shift thegravitational pull from the floor to the ceiling. They only occur in areas on 2D planes.
Ground-Pound Switch	Buttons that trigger a change in the surrounding environment when Mario Ground Pounds them. A Ground-Pound Switch is only useable once. There are wooden and stone variants that are destroyed when activated.
Lever Switch	Levers that physically change the surrounding area, usually by granting Mario access to a new area by making a door or bridge appear. Mario uses one by spinning near it.
Platforms
Airship	Bowser's flying ships. Enemies patrol the decks. Some are equipped with cannons that fire hazardous projectiles. There are hatches on the floors of some airships. Ground-pounding one brings Mario inside the cargo hold.
Bolt Lift	Three giant bolts on a metal rod. The rod connects two distant areas. Walking perpendicular to the rod on the bolts makes them rotate, allowing Mario to travel between the areas.
Cloud	Floating platforms that Mario is normally too heavy to stand on. He can only do so in his Bee form. There are raining gray variants that move along set paths.
Conveyor Belt	Platforms with moving surfaces. A blue Conveyor Belt has giant chocolate bars built into it.
Cosmic block	Multi-shapedplatforms. They initially float in space far away from Mario, but will immediately assemble into an established configuration if he approaches the intended space. They fall away if Mario moves away from the intended space, meaning the player does not have a permanent visual as to where the platforms are going to appear.
Float[31]:159	Floats sink in water when stepped on, then rise back up.
Flower	Floating flowers that recede if Mario makes contact with them. He can only stand on them while in his Bee form.
Ice	Ice reduces Mario's traction and causes him to slide, but spinning causes Mario to startskating.
Lift	Moving platforms. Their designs and environmental context for moving depends on where they are encountered. Four wooden lifts attached to a pivot point appear inHoneyhive Galaxy that spin continuously, and there are similar lifts that look like lollipops inToy Time Galaxy.
Ramp[31]:42	Wooden ramps that enable traversal between two gravitational planes.
Robot turtle	BuoyantKoopa-like platforms that moves across the surface of water.
Rock platform[31]:298	Rock platforms that sink into lava once stood on.
Shrinking platform	Checkerboard platforms that disappear once stood on.
Starshroom	Mushroom-shaped starships with their own centers of gravity. They were created by the Lumas for theToad Brigade.
Steel platform[31]:251	Platforms that sink in lava when stepped on, then rise back up.
Waterfall	Water overflowing the sides of elevated drops. InBeach Bowl Galaxy, a series of waterfalls can be ascended when Mariowall jumps between them in hisIce form.
Yellow square	Checkerboard tiles that flip downwards and turn indefinitely when stepped on.
Other objects
Arrow Sign	Signs that direct players towards the intended focus of the mission they enter.
Beacon	The comet at the center of theComet Observatory that gives it its energy. Collected Power Stars are fed to it.Grand Stars make it grow larger and unlocks new areas of the observatory to explore.
Bob-omb dispenser	Bob-omb dispensaries. A single Bob-omb dispenser only releases one Bob-omb at a time: the current one out must explode before it releases another one. The Bob-ombs are usually active, but the Bob-omb dispensers inBob-omb Blasting only releaselegless variants that can be picked up by Mario.
Bubbler	Creates air bubbles.
Butterfly	Butterflies are sometimes found near flowers. In galaxies, trailing a butterfly with the Star Pointer causes it to release a Star Bit. Mario will automatically direct his gaze towards a butterfly if it is in his vicinity. One may land on his head if he falls asleep near it.
Flower / Grass	Flora that rustles when walked through. Some release Star Bits or coins when disturbed.
Matter	Matter can take two forms: bouncing droplets that reveal circular parts of the planet's terrain, and spotlights that move in a set path revealing parts of the planet in their range.
Portrait	A painting of a1-Up Mushroom. Touching a nearby? Coin makes a 1-Up Mushroom emerge from it. Portraits ofBoos andBomb Boos also occur, and continuously release the enemies in the areas they are found.
Sign	Posted signs that contain information on actions. Most signs are inanimate objects that give Mario insight on his surroundings or actions when read. However, a few signs arespeaking characters that give specific instructions on how to use objects or power-ups that change how Mario is controlled.
Water spout	Mario is briefly carried into the air when he enters a water spout. When in his Ice form, Mario can freeze the surface of the water to form temporaryice platforms.
Wind	Wind is usually generated by fans triggered by switches. Riding the currents in a bubble or with a Floating Fluff brings Mario to distant areas.

Music[edit]

Main article:Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack

Album and disc forSuper Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack.

The majority of the music inSuper Mario Galaxy was composed and arranged byMahito Yokota, who penned the entirety of the soundtrack forNintendo EAD Tokyo's first title,Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004). Longtime series composerKoji Kondo contributed four tracks himself and mentored Yokota in developing a sound appropriate for the title. It is the firstSuper Mario game to feature a fully orchestrated soundtrack.^[3] The game'sorchestra performed at the Sound Inn Studios inTokyo and consisted of roughly fifty members dubbed theMario Galaxy Orchestra. Koji Haishima, who had conducted pieces fromSquare Enix'sFinal Fantasy series andCapcom'sMonster Hunter series, served as conductor.^[30] Some of the pieces are orchestral arrangements of Kondo's compositions fromSuper Mario Bros.,Super Mario Bros. 3, andSuper Mario 64.

Yokota was professionally trained in orchestral composition and championed the use of an orchestra to producerShigeru Miyamoto during the game's development. He was met with reluctance due to the anticipated expenses and the thought that it would detract from the player's immersion, which is why live instrumentation had seen only occasional use in prior Nintendo games.^[3] It was ultimately decided that a live orchestra would be appropriate forSuper Mario Galaxy after Yokota spent three months trying to develop the best sound with little success. Based on the music of prior titles in the series, Yokota's first attempts derived fromLatin andpop music. Though approved by directorYoshiaki Koizumi, Kondo was displeased. When Yokota presented his work to him, he said, "Yokota-san, if somewhere in your mind you have an image that Mario is cute, please get rid of it... Mario is cool." This experience and the strenuous three months of work briefly made Yokota consider leaving the project.^[3] A musical direction was definitively established when Yokota presented Miyamoto with three pieces – one orchestral, one a mix of orchestral and pop, and one entirely pop – and asked which he felt was the best style forSuper Mario Galaxy. Miyamoto chose the fully orchestrated one, remarking that it sounded "the most space-like". This piece, titled "Egg Planet", was penned by Koji Kondo. It accompanied the game's debut trailer during E3 2006 and is incorporated as the level theme forGood Egg Galaxy in the final product.^[3][30] Miyamoto's preference for it is what allowed Yokota to find his sound.

Mahito Yokota oversaw the recording of his compositions at Sound Inn. Unlike most orchestras, a metronome was used during recording sessions that was set to a tempo adjacent toMario's running speed. He did this because he did not want the music to sound like a passive background element – he wanted it to sound like an organic part of the game.^[3] Another major way this was accomplished was with the music itself being an influenceable element.^[46] For example, there are three variations of "Rosalina in the Observatory", thewaltz that plays on the Comet Observatory. Thefirst variation is what plays in the earliest portion of the game, when many areas are inaccessible and the observatory is largely cast in shadow. This variation is simplistic in orchestration. As the player accumulates morePower Stars and more areas on the Comet Observatory become accessible to the player, the variation that plays is progressively more richly orchestrated.^[47] Within the levels themselves, unique sound effects and musical queues correlate with the actions performed by the player in real-time. Sound director Masafumi Kawamura established this by building on what he had integrated inThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003) andJungle Beat, which comparably included instances where the player's actions would influence the music in limited, context-specific instances. InSuper Mario Galaxy, the player can influence sound throughout the majority of the game. It was accomplished by synchronizing a stream of the raw recording data from the orchestra withMusical Instruments Digital Interface (MIDI) data. This effect enhances the player's sense of rhythm and immersion within the game world.^[3][47][46]

On January 31, 2008, two soundtracks were made available in Japan throughClub Nintendo. One is a standard edition with 28 tracks on a single disc. The other is a "platinum edition" that has 81 tracks across two discs. The platinum edition was released in Europe on the same date.^[30] The standard edition eventually saw a localized release in the United States on October 23, 2011 through its inclusion in aWii console bundle.^[48] The platinum edition would not become available in the US until the release ofSuper Mario 3D All-Stars on September 18, 2020. Select pieces fromSuper Mario Galaxy are included inSuper Mario History 1985-2010 Sound Track CD,Nintendo Sound Selection: Endings & Credits, andThe 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music. Music fromSuper Mario Galaxy has been rearranged and incorporated into succeeding video games by Nintendo, includingSuper Mario Galaxy 2,Super Mario 3D Land,Super Mario 3D World,Mario Kart 8 (2014),Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (2014),Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014),Super Mario Odyssey (2017), andSuper Mario Maker 2 (2019). Film composerBrian Tyler incorporated select compositions into melodies he penned forThe Super Mario Bros. Movie. Music fromSuper Mario Galaxy has been performed live in concert by theKanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, theWDR Rundfunkorchester Köln, and theLondon Philharmonic Orchestra.^[49][50][51]Super Mario Galaxy was one of sevenSuper Mario games included on theNintendo Music app when it launched on October 30, 2024.

Multimedia[edit]

For the complete list of media files for this subject, seeMultimedia:Super Mario Galaxy.

Super Mario Galaxy - Trailer

File info 3:12

Overture - The song that is played on the game's title screen.

File info 0:30

Prologue - The song from the prologue.

File info 0:30

Help:Media file •Having trouble playing?

Staff[edit]

Main article:List of Super Mario Galaxy staff

Super Mario Galaxy was developed byNintendo EAD Tokyo, a development team established in 2003 that previously developedDonkey Kong Jungle Beat.^[3] It is smaller than the Kyoto branch of the same name that developed the majority of the previousSuper Mario games and consists of younger, less experienced staff.

Series creatorShigeru Miyamoto conceived of the game and served as one of its producers.Yoshiaki Koizumi, a friend and protégé of Miyamoto who has been involved with the series sinceSuper Mario 64, served as director. This represents the first time he would serve as the sole director of aSuper Mario game, after having co-directedSuper Mario Sunshine withKenta Usui. He previously directedJungle Beat and believed that that game's development allowed the staff of Nintendo EAD Tokyo to get familiar enough with each other to confidently pursue a game as complex asSuper Mario Galaxy.^[3]

This is the firstSuper Mario game to featureSamantha Kelly,Kenny James, andCatey Sagoian as the voice actors for Princess Peach, Bowser, and Bowser Jr., respectively.

The staff credits in the Nvidia Shield TV version shows three people in charge of Chinese localization as well as an "iQue testing group". It is possible that the game was fully translated for theiQue Wii release before the console was canceled.^[52]

Development[edit]

1997–2004:Super Mario 128 andDonkey Kong Jungle Beat[edit]

Screenshot of theSuper Mario 128 tech demo from SpaceWorld 2000.

Super Mario Galaxy was developed to address the problems with 3D game design established bySuper Mario 64.^[37] That game was one of the first 3D titles ever published and has had a significant foundational influence on how 3D games are made, not just atNintendo but throughout the entire industry.^{[53][41][25][54][55]} Despite its influence, some members of Nintendo's staff observed that the game caused a divide between potential players that did not exist during the 2D era of video games, with some people feeling that 3D games are too difficult for them to play.Yoshiaki Koizumi, one of the assistant directors onSuper Mario 64, believed that this perceived difficulty came from their attempts to keep the player from experiencing depth misperception, getting lost, and feeling motion sickness. The solutions created to mitigate these problems, most significantly camera controls, resulted in systems that were too cumbersome or at least intimidating for players.^[37][3]

AfterSuper Mario 64 was released,Shigeru Miyamoto assembled a team withinNintendo EAD to develop a successor tentatively titledSuper Mario 128 to address this problem.^[56][57] AtSpaceWorld 2000, it was presented to the public as atechnology demonstration for theNintendo GameCube. Directed by Koizumi, the player controlled 128Marios on a saucer-shaped platform that dynamically changed its shape over the course of the demo. This iteration ofMario 128 was never released as a full game, but Miyamoto did extrapolate the idea of having Mario run around "spherical worlds" from the demo.^[58][59][57] It was believed that this concept would resolve many of the problems with previous 3D games in deemphasizing the need to control the camera and decreasing the likelihood of the player getting lost. When shared with Koizumi, he agreed this had the potential to become a full game, but was technically near-impossible.^[3]

WhileSuper Mario 128 continued development, Nintendo publishedSuper Mario Sunshine for the GameCube in 2002. It was the first entry in theSuper Mario series released sinceSuper Mario 64 and shared many elements with it. However, Miyamoto asserted thatSuper Mario Sunshine was unrelated toSuper Mario 128 and was best viewed as a continuation ofSuper Mario 64, not a proper successor that built on the concepts it introduced.^[60][61]Super Mario Sunshine was the last 3D-related project Koizumi helped develop for several years, having served as one of its co-directors. He regretfully oversaw the integration of a camera system inSuper Mario Sunshine that he felt was even more cumbersome thanSuper Mario 64's and came to the perspective that it was too difficult to produce the "perfect 3D control environment", where the game was both fun to play and not needlessly stressful for the player.^[37][3]

Koizumi's next project was at the newly-formed branch Nintendo EAD Tokyo where he directedDonkey Kong Jungle Beat, a 2D action-adventure platformer released in 2004 for the GameCube. The player controlledDonkey Kong with theDK Bongos, a controller with fewer input options than the conventional GameCube controller. The experience of directingJungle Beat made Koizumi realize that one could create a robust action game with only a few button inputs required of the player. They had established what Koizumi called "contextual binding", where available player actions change depending on the context, resulting in more diverse ways of play without increasing the number of buttons. Koizumi also observed that an exaggerated presentation delighted bystanders that were not directly playing the game, allowing more people to gain from the experience than just the player. These were concepts he brought to Miyamoto, who was still working onSuper Mario 128 as its sole director.^[57] In 2003, before they had started development onJungle Beat, a staff member expressed interest in making the nextSuper Mario game. The experience of working together as a team forJungle Beat made Koizumi realize that this was something they could do. They had the technical skill needed to succeed the strugglingSuper Mario 128 project and bring Miyamoto's spherical world concept to fruition.^[37][3]

2005–2007: Super Mario Revolution[edit]

Yoshiaki Koizumi's proposal documents for "Super Mario Revolution", circa 2005.

In 2005, Koizumi prepared an outline for "Super Mario Revolution" for the GameCube's successor, theWii. Adapted from theSuper Mario 128 demo and building on what EAD Tokyo had accomplished withJungle Beat, the core concept of "Super Mario Revolution" was for it to be a 3D action platformer with Mario running around spherical worlds. These worlds would have their own centers ofgravity that prevent Mario from falling off the edge.^[38][37] There would be few walls or ceilings on the worlds to obstruct Mario's path. If he kept moving forward in one direction, he would return to his starting position. This would mitigate the chances of the player becoming lost. After the project was greenlit by Nintendo's executives, Koizumi spent three months creating a small prototype with several other EAD Tokyo employees to present to Miyamoto for his feedback. The prototype was set in space because it was believed that most players would interpret the spherical worlds as small planets. This set a precedent where Miyamoto would be the first one toplaytest all of the game's builds. A system was eventually set up that allowed the staff to send him a build from the Tokyo studio to his office in Kyoto as soon as it was finished. In the last few months of development, Miyamoto made frequent in-person visits to EAD Tokyo.^[3]

Development progressed with the involvement of more staff. It succeeded the indefinitely-stalledSuper Mario 128 project and was recognized as the "true" successor toSuper Mario 64 by Miyamoto during development.^[39][58] At some point it was renamedSuper Mario Galaxy to reflect the game's outer space setting. An important tenet that informed development was to prioritize what Koizumi refers to as "ease of play" - to make the control system as unobtrusive to the player as possible. The number of button inputs required by the player was kept to a minimum. Thespin move was added to supplementjumping actions, which Koizumi believes can be imprecise in a 3D environment.^[37] Originally they made it so that Mario could spin indefinitely by shaking theWii Remote, but Miyamoto had them integrate a delay after the spin to make the game more challenging.^[3] Employing contextual binding resulted in the development of scenarios within the game that change what button inputs do, such as in therolling ball levels,ray surfing, and controllingpower-ups.Pointer controls were thoroughly integrated intoSuper Mario Galaxy to supplement or even replace traditional button inputs, as the team felt they were more intuitive.^[3][37] To keep the player from "thinking about the camera", another tenet of development, EAD Tokyo developed a new camera system called the "planet camera". It gently follows Mario as he runs across a spherical world without sudden jerks or obscuring his positioning. It requires no input from the player.^[37] This element of the game was very important to the staff because they did not want any players to experience motion sickness. To ensure the game was comfortable to play, they heavily relied on the feedback of playtesters, something that was also employed extensively duringJungle Beat's development.^[3]

In concert with Nintendo's goal of making the Wii appeal to demographics beyond their core consumers, the team wantedSuper Mario Galaxy to appeal to people who do not play video games.^[3][58] One of the ways they did this was by integrating a cooperative multiplayer mode calledCo-Star Mode. One player controls Mario and a pointer (P1) while a second player only has a pointer (P2). It was seen as a good way for family and friends to play together even if one of them was inexperienced with games.^[37] Co-producerTakao Shimizu originally envisioned pointer controls being the same for both players, but Miyamoto had them restrict some actions to P2. This completely changed the balance of the game. For example, they originally allowed P1 to hold moving obstacles in place with the pointer. Staff felt that restricting this action to P2 improved the game's flow.^[3] The desire to engage non-players also informed Super Mario Galaxy's theatrical cutscenes and lively character animations. This made the game fun for bystanders to watch.^[37]

There were concentrated efforts to make the game easily accessible for beginners, such as with the integration ofBee Mario. Believing that one of the joys of aSuper Mario game was simply moving around, Koizumi oversaw the integration of areas without enemies or objectives. The earliest builds of the game were too easy, however. Miyamoto reminded staff that it was important for a game to feel challenging to play, otherwise the player might feel disengaged. Measures were subsequently taken to ensure the game was still healthily challenging, such as by reducing thelife meter from eight bars (as was done inSuper Mario 64 andSunshine) to three.Coins were made rarer, health-restoring items.^[3]

EAD Tokyo was pressured to finish the game close to the Wii's launch, as several executives were disappointed bySuper Mario Sunshine not being a GameCube launch title and thought that an earlier release could have helped the console's commercial performance. WhenSuper Mario Galaxy was first shown off to the public duringE3 2006, Miyamoto stated it would release within six months of the Wii's launch. However, EAD Tokyo felt it was more important to make a game they were really happy with, resulting in it launching eleven months after the Wii.^[3]

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

Main article:List of Super Mario Galaxy pre-release and unused content

When first showcased atE3 2006, Toads with star-shaped spots appeared in the game that provided the player hints and could transform into rabbits. Lumas serve this role in the final game. Rosalina was originally conceived as "related" to Princess Peach and had asimilar designMedia:Rosalina Preliminary Design.jpg 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 first envisioned as a friendly character and had a design comparable to theDolphins fromSuper Mario World (1990). Artwork of Sea Slide Galaxy and Beach Bowl Galaxy suggests that they were conceived as a single galaxy, with Beach Bowl's main planet in the center of Sea Slide's ring. The staff were sentimental fora piece of concept artMedia:SMG Concept Art 41.jpg titledFortress because it was one of the first drawings made during development.^[31]:350 The planet shown in the art is not in the final game, but it has some similarities to Good Egg Galaxy, Beach Bowl Galaxy, and Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor. The development team wanted to incorporateYoshi and he appears in the 2005 "Super Mario Revolution" proposal documents, but he is relegated to cameos in the final release.^[62]

Glitches[edit]

Main article:List of Super Mario Galaxy glitches

Floating Toad[edit]

The floating green Toad.

To perform this glitch, the player should go to the mission "Tarantox's Tangled Web". Mario should go to the final planet whereTarantox is fought and launch the green Toad onto the platform. Then, the player should jump into the sling pod and launch Mario onto the same platform so it breaks. If the player looks at Toad closely, he can be seen floating.

Freezeflame Galaxy out of bounds[edit]

To perform this glitch the player should go to the Freezeflame Galaxy's mission "Hot and Cold Collide". Mario should reach the second planet and triple-jump in the walkway between the sides of the planet. The player should use the slope-climbing glitch to reach the top of the planet. When the player walks on the planet, random textures of ice water will appear. The planet surface will also appear in the wrong spot or be invisible.

Notable promotions[edit]

Trading cards[edit]

Main article:List of Super Mario Galaxy trading cards

Trading cards were developed by EnterPlay to correspond with the release ofSuper Mario Galaxy. Each pack (called Fun Paks) contained two regular cards, a trivia card, a standee, and a temporary tattoo.^[63]

Buzz Aldrin promotional events[edit]

To correspond with its release in the United States,Nintendo of America hosted an event withMTV in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 3, 2007 where someone dressed as Mario entered thereduced-gravity aircraft G-Force One with former astronautBuzz Aldrin.^[64][65] It was coordinated with theZero Gravity Corporation, who owns the aircraft.^[66] Patches labeled "Super Mario Galaxy Flight Team" were created for the suits worn by Aldrin and the assisting crew.^[67]

On November 13, 2007, Aldrin attended a press event held byNintendo Ibérica in Madrid, Spain alongside marketing director Nicolás Wegnez andWii brand manager Ernesto Fernández, during which they demonstrated Co-Star Mode. Aldrin shared his impression ofSuper Mario Galaxy, noting that while he found it "quite the challenge" for someone who did not play video games, he felt it encouraged him to problem solve from new perspectives.^[68] He also felt that the game invoked one's imagination about space travel, similar to the science fiction comics of his youth.^[69]

Press Start 2008 concert[edit]

On September 14, 2008,Famitsu hosted the concertPress Start 2008 -Symphony of Games- at Bunkamura Orchard Hall. It was an intercompany celebration of video game music. One of Nintendo's contributions to the setlist was "Super Mario Galaxy 2008", a medley of the game's music arranged byMahito Yokota and conducted byTaizo Takemoto.Koji Kondo and Yokota attended the event as guests.^[49] A recording of this piece is featured on acompact disc included with theSuper Mario 25th Anniversary Commemorative Book published in 2010.

Super Mario-kun adaptation[edit]

The events of the game are adapted in three volumes of the mangaSuper Mario-kun. The first volume, 38, was published October 28, 2008 and follows the conclusion of a story arc based onSuper Paper Mario (2007). It sees Mario becoming demoralized after failing to rescue Princess Peach during the Star Festival, but his confidence is restored by Rosalina and the Lumas. He travels across various galaxies alongside them and other characters fromSuper Mario Galaxy. In vol. 39, published March 27, 2009, Mario plays with most of the game's power-ups and rescues Luigi. The arc concludes in vol. 40, published November 27, 2009, and is followed by a storyline adapted fromMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (2009).

Reception[edit]

Reviews[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy is universally acclaimed. It has an aggregated score of 97.64% from 78 reviews onGameRankings. By the time of its closure in 2019,Super Mario Galaxy was the highest rated game on the site to have at least 20 different reviews.^[70] Similarly,Super Mario Galaxy has a Metascore of 97/100 onMetacritic from 73 accredited outlets and 91% from 3,434 site users as of January 7, 2024, reaching the threshold for "Universal Acclaim" on both accounts.^[71] As of January 9, 2024, it has the fourth highest Metascore on the site, followingThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,SoulCalibur (1999), andGrand Theft Auto IV (2008).^[72]

Reviewers have consistently praised the game's artistic fidelity, complimenting the character animations, lush vistas, environmental effects, enemy designs, audio design, and orchestrated soundtrack.^{[73][74][75][76][77]} Aaron Linde ofDestructoid describedSuper Mario Galaxy as "one of the most beautiful games [he]'s seen in years",^[78] while Penki Yamamoto ofFamitsu remarked that the game looked so nice that it was enjoyable to just watch other people play.^[79] ControllingMario was notably intuitive and comfortable, being instantly understandable for people who do not have a lot of experience with platform games while alsofeeling excellent for seasoned players.^{[74][75][78][79]} The level design ofSuper Mario Galaxy was widely praised as some of the best of any 3D platformer at the time, and regularly subverted the player's expectations.^[78][75] Several reviewers felt that there was no certainty on the scope or unique gameplay mechanic that would be introduced in agalaxy. "You just follow the fun, chasing star trails and distant glimmers across oceans of empty sky. Levels form and dissolve under your feet, rotating and revolving", as put by Margaret Robertson forEurogamer.^[76] This unpredictability and variety was widely acclaimed.^[73][74][79] The game was often likened toSuper Mario 64, succeeding the game in many respects and building upon the foundation of what it had established in the 3D platform genre.^[73][79] It was asserted to be a superior game toSuper Mario Sunshine, which had a more tepid response from critics.^{[74][75][76][77]}

The controls that come directly from the unique capabilities of theWii Remote, namelyspinning and moving theStar Pointer, were viewed as some of the best integrations of the console's features at the time, and starkly contrasted with Wii games from other developers.^[79][77]Edge elaborated that the Pointer allowed the player to engage with the game in two different ways simultaneously, all without making it feel cumbersome.^[80]Ball rolling andray surfing were praised as some of the best examples of motion controls on the console.^[76][74][81] The game's camera, and the ease with which it automatically followed the player, was viewed positively.Edge even described it as flawless.^[80] However, most reviewers noted that it would struggle in areas that would benefit from more manual control,^[78][73] such as in the sprawlingHoneyhive Galaxy.^[77] ForMatt Casamassina ofIGN, the camera was one of the few issues he had with an otherwise near-flawless experience. In the decade following his review, he anticipated thatSuper Mario Galaxy would be celebrated as a classic, much like some of its predecessors.^[74]

Famitsu gaveSuper Mario Galaxy a score of 38/40, with critics highlighting the variability of mechanics and accessibility of the controls.^[79][82] Chris Scullion ofOfficial Nintendo Magazine gave the game a 97%, referring to it the best game of the decade while praising its visuals, sound, and gameplay elements.^[83][84] In 2011,Super Mario Galaxy was ranked number fifty-first inGame Informer's "Top 200 Games of All Time".^[85][86]Nintendo Power ranked it as best mainlineSuper Mario game in its May 2012 issue and deemedRosalina the "Best Supporting Character", stating "there are a lot of things in the Super Mario series that are fun, but very few are emotionally powerful; Rosalina is one of them."^[87][88] In their final issue, they rankedSuper Mario Galaxy as the third greatest game of all time.^[89] In Japan, a 2021 poll conducted byTV Asahi with over 50,000 participants foundSuper Mario Galaxy amongst the top 100 video games of all time, ranked number 56.^[26][27] The game has been praised byGregg Mayles,Warren Spector, andTim Schafer.^{[90][91][92][93]}

In terms of criticism, the opening cutscenes ofSuper Mario Galaxy were viewed as superfluous and overdrawn by some.^[76][75] The lack of scripted voice acting for dialogue was more consistently criticized, especially during these cutscenes.^[81][74] Writing forVideoGamer, Tory Orry believed thatSuper Mario Galaxy would have benefited from having a more centralized, character-driven story like other games of itsgeneration.^[77] Others believed narrative elements, such asRosalina's Storybook, felt forced^[81][94] and needlessly dark in an otherwise joyful experience.^[74]Tim Rogers had a negative assessment of the game, feeling it spent too much time explaining actions to the player rather than building courses that intuitively convey them, as was done inSuper Mario Bros. 3 andSuper Mario 64.^[81] He also feltSuper Mario Galaxy was easy to a disengaging degree,^[81] a sentiment partially shared by some positive outlets as well.^[74][80] That being said, most critics felt the game struck an ideal, comfortable balance between being needlessly difficult and easy.^[76][79] In a 2018 review on hisYouTube channel Nitro Rad, James Lewell noted that the levels inSuper Mario Galaxy tend to funnel players down specific paths and do not encourage exploration in the same way its 3D predecessors do. Even if it was a more refined experience, he felt the open sandbox-styled design ofSuper Mario Sunshine was a superior direction for 3DSuper Mario games.^[94] Scores and comments from some of the review outlets discussed above are provided below.

Sales[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy was a commercial success, selling 350,000 units in Japan within its first few weeks of sale.^[95] In the United States, the game sold over 500,000 units within its first week of release, earning it the highest first-week sales for aSuper Mario game in the country at the time.^[96] Within its first two days on sale in the United Kingdom, the game was the fifth best selling piece of software.^[97] In 2008,Nintendo reported that the game was one of the titles that significantly contributed to a rise of console sales for the proceeding fiscal year.^[98]Super Mario Galaxy has the ninth best lifetime sales of allWii software and the third best of software to have never been bundled with the console, having sold 12.8 million copies worldwide as of September 30, 2023.^[99]

Accolades[edit]

Among game media outlets,Super Mario Galaxy was regarded as 2007's "Game of the Year" by the editing staff ofIGN,^[100]GameSpot,^[101]Kotaku,^[102]Yahoo! Games,^[103]GameTrailers,^[104] andEdge. It received the award for "Best Audio Design" fromEdge as well in their annually published Edge Awards.^[105]

Within a month of the game's release,Super Mario Galaxy won two awards atSpike TV's2007 Video Game Awards in the United States.^[106] The game subsequently received thirteen nominations from six different organizations throughout 2008. On February 8th, the game won the award for "Adventure Game of the Year" from theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences at the11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.^[107] It was nominated in five other categories, including "Overall Game of the Year" for which it was a finalist.^[108] At the8th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards on February 22,Super Mario Galaxy received nominations in two categories, one of which was another "Game of the Year" award.^[109] In March, the game was nominated for five awards and won two at the 7th Annual NAVGTR Awards from the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers.^[110] In Japan,Super Mario Galaxy won "Game of the Year" alongsideCapcom'sMonster Hunter Freedom 2 at the2007 Famitsu Awards. It was graciously accepted byYoshiaki Koizumi.^[111] At theJapan Game Awards 2008, the game received the "award for excellence" in the Game of the Year Division from theComputer Entertainment Supplier's Association.^[112] The game was nominated for three awards at theGolden Joystick Awards 2008 later that year.^[113]

During 2009, in what was characterized as a "surprise" by theBBC,^{[114][115][116]}Super Mario Galaxy won "Best Game" at the5th British Academy Games Awards and was the first Nintendo game to ever receive the award.^[117] It was accepted on behalf of the development team by senior product manager Rob Lowe, who took the opportunity to defend the title against claims that it is not a "gamer's game".^[114]Super Mario Galaxy was nominated for the "Gameplay" and "Use of Audio" awards as well, but lost toActivision'sCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare andElectronic Arts'sDead Space, respectively.^[118] At the2012 Kids' Choice Awards,Super Mario Galaxy was nominated for "Favorite Video Game" a year after itssequel was.^[119] It lost toJust Dance 3.^[120] Each organization to recognizeSuper Mario Galaxy and its respective award nominations are listed below.

Controversy[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy was the firstSuper Mario game to be officially localized to French forQuebec. This region had previously received games in English. This followed a deal between theOffice québécois de la langue française and the video game industry to have every game available for that region in French by 2009. In the Quebec localization, non-playable characters (particularly theLumas and theToad Brigade) make heavy use ofJoual, asocial dialect ofQuebec French. This localization choice sparked a minor controversy, with representatives of the Office québécois de la langue française and theUnion des artistes criticizing it for promoting poor literacy to children.^[121]Nintendo of Canada marketing director Farjad Iravani stated that Joual was integrated to "localize the game for the market" in mind, with Quebec making up 25% of Canadian sales for Nintendo at the time.^[121]

Following the negative press surroundingSuper Mario Galaxy and the similarly localizedThe Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007), nearly all subsequent Québécois releases have been inStandard French, with mostly separate translations winding down over time in favor of using the European French translations as the base and only making a couple changes from there (such as with names or other terms). As of 2024, the only exception has beenPaper Mario: Sticker Star (2012), which also features the Joual dialect.

Themes[edit]

Mario after being stirred by the apricot Luma towards the beginning of the game, with his home world far in the distance and unreachable.

Super Mario Galaxy has been noted for itsnarrative themes, the very presence of which has been described as exceptional when compared to other titles in theSuper Mario series.^[39][94] The game explores themes of isolation,grief,found family,acceptance, andrebirth.^{[40][122][123][124]}

The game invokes feelings of isolation and sadness through itsouter space setting. Mostgalaxies are enveloped by vast, dark skies pierced by stars and distant suns. There are story scenarios,missions, locations, and musical cues interlaced in the game that intentionally draw attention away from its more vigorous, joyful elements to focus on the dispassionate coldness of space, amplifyingMario's relative insignificance to a vast, endless universe. Video essayist Jacob Geller notes that these conditions give the player a moment to decompress after action-orientated gameplay and foster contemplativeness. Such conditions are interpreted as existentialistic and sad,^[94] but not despairing.^{[40][123][124]} Grace Benfell ofGameSpot describes the evoked feeling as an "existential, joyful melancholy".^[122]

Benfell also comments on the integration ofLumas in the game.^[122] The childlike creatures are predestined to become celestial bodies at the end of their life cycles. The objects Mario directly interacts with are implied (and sometimes even directly demonstrated) to have once been Lumas themselves, withLaunch Stars having once been yellow Lumas,Pull Stars once blue ones, and so on. As a gameplay mechanic,Hungry Lumas permanently transform into wholly new planets andgalaxies once fed a requested number ofStar Bits. These planets are instantaneously lush with flora and sometimes already bear communities ofpeople andcreatures living on them. As Benfell argues, this mechanic implieseverything in the game, from whole worlds to animals to small objects, are "made" out of Lumas.^[122] This interpretation is confirmed directly in the game.^[125] The cycle of rebirth in Lumas likely derives from thelife cycle of real stars and the knowledge that the majority ofelements, including all the ones that make up living things, were created and distributed across the universe by dying stars.^[126] Benfell equates transformation with death, an often negative theme in art. However, she elaborates that it is in dying that new life comes to be, including newborn Lumas, so it is an essential component to how the universe functions in anentropic cycle of continuous rebirth.^[122]

The game's themes are most deeply and explicitly channeled through the characterization ofRosalina.^{[94][40][122][124]} As overseer of the domesticComet Observatory and caretaker of the Lumas, she is interpreted as a maternal figure that supports a warm, securing environment only amplified by the contrasting, cold backdrop of space.^[40] She is also presented as a figure of reliable support with otherworldly and magical abilities.^[122][124] In an opinion piece forRedbrick, Sophie Webb describes her as omnipotent and goddess-like as well, in a nature comparable toGlinda fromThe Wizard of Oz.^[124] Mario cannot be harmed on the Comet Observatory, and it is implied that she is the one who brings him back to safety if he falls off the side. No harm can come to the player as long as they are with her.^[40]

However, despite providing the player with security and warmth, she is simultaneously presented as reserved, longing, and melancholic. The context for this is not explained to the player unless they enter the library on the observatory, an optional element of the game not tied to anycompletion criteria.^[40] It is here that she reads astorybook detailing her past. Long ago, Rosalina lived onMario's home world. Her mother died while she was a child, and she was still grieving that loss when she encountered one of theapricot Luma's predecessors. He too had lost his mother before crash-landing on her world, and he was waiting for her to return to him. Rosalina befriended and chose to wait for her with him. After several years of waiting, they traveled into space to directly look for her. It is while in space that Rosalina takes on the role of "mama" for the Luma, when he comes to tearfully accept that his mother is really gone. Over time, more lost Lumas come to Rosalina and recognize her as their mother. Towards the story's emotional climax, with Rosalina overwhelmed with memories of her mother, the apricot Luma transforms into a comet so that she may be able to travel the stars and visit her home world again. It is through this selfless act that Rosalina realized that she was not truly alone. She realized her own purpose in life,^[122][124] embracing the role of mother for the Lumas, her family,^[123] as her own mother did for her.

Sociologist Ciara Cremin adaptedGilles Deleuze's analysis of cinema toSuper Mario Galaxy, providing a foundation for how video games can be studied as a discrete artform. She understood it to be a masterpiece of the form.^[24]

Legacy[edit]

Shigeru Miyamoto considersSuper Mario Galaxy to be the "true" sequel toSuper Mario 64, notSuper Mario Sunshine.^[39] Though originally not characterized as such,^{[39][127][128][129][130]} the game has been internally recognized as a different type of 3D game from its predecessors and for having directly informed the structure of the subsequent three 3DSuper Mario games, collectively called the course clear-style games.^[22] One of these games,Super Mario Galaxy 2, is a direct sequel and the first one to have been released on the same console as its predecessor sinceSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.^[D] Building upon the first game's design principals, its courses are more linear and reliant on 2D sections. The outer space theming is subdued. Gameplay components like the world map andPrankster Comets are less complex. Thehub world is smaller than the Comet Observatory, and the unique narrative elements ofSuper Mario Galaxy are muted. These changes were made to further foster accessibility to a wider audience and reduce dependency on camera controls.

The design of 3DSuper Mario was further streamlined inSuper Mario 3D Land andSuper Mario 3D World, the other two course clear-style games. They were perceived to have adopted more design principals from the concurrentNew Super Mario Bros. games than the hakoniwa ones of their 3D predecessors.^{[128][129][23]}Super Mario Odyssey was the first 3D game to not be explicitly tied toSuper Mario Galaxy in fifteen years, but it still incorporated elements derived from the game. TheMoon Kingdom was created to contrast withSuper Mario Galaxy specifically, with more realistic topography.^[131]Gravity is generally weaker in the lunar kingdoms, makingjumps floatier, and a few 2D areas include spherical worlds.Kenta Motokura cites the game as the inspiration behindSnapshot Mode.^[132]Multi Moons are analogous toGrand Stars, as are theRoyal Seeds ofSuper Mario Bros. Wonder (2023).

Iconography fromSuper Mario Galaxy has been incorporated into nearly all space-themed settings in subsequent spinoff games.Rosalina has become a recurring character in the mainline games and spinoffs, often appearing as a playable character starting withMario Kart Wii. She often appears alongside olderSuper Mario characters in physical Nintendo advertisements, such as atNarita International Airport.^[133]Lumas,Star Bits, and theToad Brigade have also become recurring elements in the franchise. TheToad Brigade captain has appeared in five subsequent mainline games and even starred in adedicated title. The starting planet ofGateway Galaxy appears on theYoshi's Adventure ride atSuper Nintendo World, andRay appears in theMario Kart: Bowser's Challenge ride. In conjunction with the40th anniversary ofSuper Mario Bros., a character balloon modeled afterMario's appearance on the boxart ofSuper Mario Galaxy is scheduled to appear in the 99thMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on November 27, 2025.^[134] For more specific callbacks toSuper Mario Galaxy, seebelow.

Super Mario Galaxy was the last game directed byYoshiaki Koizumi, who has taken on producorial roles for subsequentSuper Mario projects. From 2013 to 2023, he was the representative director at1-UP Studio, a sister studio toNintendo EAD largely dedicated to developing 3DSuper Mario games. The level-design director forSuper Mario Galaxy,Koichi Hayashida, inherited the role of director for all subsequent course clear-style 3D titles.Super Mario Galaxy was the lastSuper Mario title to see "serious" involvement from Miyamoto untilSuper Mario Run (2016).^[135]

Super Mario Galaxy was not the first video game to integrate spherical worlds that pan under the player character's feet. However, it is oftende facto example of spherical world design, with games that touch upon similar concepts often likened toSuper Mario Galaxy even if they were published before it. That being said, few games have even attempted to integrate the 3D spherical world design ofSuper Mario Galaxy. FromNintendo themselves,Super Mario Galaxy 2 was the last game to incorporate those types of levels.^[130] In 2008,Fantawild published a knockoff for the Chinese market titledDuludubi Star that includes spherical worlds.^[136]Rosalina was proposed as a new playable character in the earliest phases ofSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, explicitly with the desire to replicate thefeel ofSuper Mario Galaxy in her aerial movements.^[137] The game has been cited as a source of inspiration forArmillo (2014),^[138]Gravity Ghost (2015),^[139][140]Gears 5 (2019),^[141]Solar Ash (2021),^[142] andMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (2022).^[143]

Rereleases and ports[edit]

North American box art forSuper Mario 3D All-Stars.

Wii U eShop[edit]

The game was added to theWii UeShop in late 2015 and early 2016, five months afterits sequel was released on the console.^[15][16][17] It remained available for purchase on the eShop until its closure on March 27, 2023. It was the seventh Wii game distributed on the eShop and one of the 35 overall to ever be released. The eShop version runs off the Wii U’s backwards compatibility with nearly all Wii software as if the game disc was physically inserted, loads it through the Wii Menu, and accesses any save data already present on the console. TheWii U GamePad can be used to pause the game and return to the Wii U Menu, but it otherwise can only be controlled with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

Nvidia Shield TV[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy was rereleased to theNvidia Shield TV microconsole and digitally distributed on March 22, 2018, exclusively in China.^[19] It was the first of six Wii games to be made available on the Nvidia Shield TV. It remained available for download until late 2021, when all Wii games were removed from the Shield. The game was emulated on the console, enabling it to run at1080p. Sprites and textures were upscaled to match the higher-definition display. Inputs have been modified for the more conventional Shield controller, which cannot track motion like the Wii Remote can (seeabove). Unused assets present in the data of the Wii release were removed. The game was officially localized into Chinese (Simplified Chinese) byiQue. As the Shield does not supportMiis, they are not available for save file icons in this version ofSuper Mario Galaxy despite the fact that the Wii version ofPunch-Out!! still supports them on the Nvidia Shield TV release.^[144] The copyright information displays "© 2007-2008 Nintendo". It is unclear what 2008 means in this context, but it potentially refers to the yearSuper Mario Galaxy was planned for release on the iQue Wii before the console failed to make its way into the Chinese market.^[144]

Super Mario 3D All-Stars[edit]

Main article:Super Mario 3D All-Stars

In correspondence with the35th anniversary ofSuper Mario Bros., Nintendo releasedSuper Mario 3D All-Stars for theNintendo Switch on September 18, 2020 worldwide.^[29] It is a compilation that includes upscaled versions ofSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario Sunshine in addition toSuper Mario Galaxy. This version of the game is comparable to the Nvidia Shield TV release and they share similar revisions, though it does not include the Chinese localization. It only offers menu translation for the Chinese-speaking audience. This is reportedly due to the translation not being fully owned by Nintendo.^[145] Like the Shield version, Miis cannot be chosen as save icons even though the Switch has an integrated Mii creation tool. The compilation had a limited physical release at retail outlets and was available to download on the Switch's eShop until March 31, 2021.^[29] The official description ofSuper Mario Galaxy in the compilation is as follows:

It's the night of theStar Festival, andStar Bits are falling from the sky! As everyone celebrates, Bowser suddenly appears and lifts the castle—and Princess Peach—into space, leaving Mario stranded in orbit! It's here that Mario meets a curious star child,Luma, and amysterious woman in blue...This game introduced new ways to control Mario, like pointing and shaking the Wii Remote, as he explores miniature planets with fun forms of gravity.

Nintendo Switch 2025 enhanced port[edit]

Main article:Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Switch)