Star Ball

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{{merge from}} symbol, compressed with SVGCrush It has been suggested that Purple Coin Ball be merged with this page. (discuss)
Not to be confused with Star Sphere.
Star Ball
Mario balancing on a Rolling Ball
Artwork from Super Mario Galaxy
First appearance Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Latest appearance Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)
“Hey, now! If you're thinking about just rolling that ball away, you'd better listen to old Bill Board here. If anything gets in your way, smoosh it! Anyway, you'll learn more by doing it yourself. Good luck!”
Bill Board, Super Mario Galaxy
Mario breaking open the Star Ball in Super Mario Galaxy 2

The Star Ball,[1] originally known as the Rolling Ball,[2] is a large rideable ball with a Power Star in it that appears in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. It is used in the Rolling Green Galaxy, the Rolling Gizmo Galaxy, and the last part of the second mission in the Melty Molten Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, it is found in the Rolling Masterpiece Galaxy and the Rolling Coaster Galaxy. The Star Ball's visual appearance is similar to that of a Super Ball, complete with shards of glitter suspended around the Star. In the Purple Coin mission of the Rolling Coaster Galaxy, there is a purple variant with a Purple Coin inside.

The player can control the Star Ball by first jumping on top of it, pointing Wii Remote straight up, and then tilting it in a direction while trying to move at a steady pace. Once Mario (or Luigi) is on the Star Ball, he cannot dismount it. Mario's objective is to ride the Star Ball into a divot marked by a yellow flag, which is similar to a golf hole. To get to the flag, Mario must bypass numerous obstacles, including narrow ledges and moving platforms. Any enemies in the path of the Star Ball are crushed. Additionally, the speed at which Mario rolls affects the speed and the pitch of the background music being played.

Once Mario rolls the Star Ball into the divot, the ball explodes, and the Power Star within is released. The Power Star moves itself to a flagpole found at the end of the course, where Mario must climb up in order to collect it.

Gallery[edit]

Additional names[edit]

Internal names[edit]

Game File Name Meaning

Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
ObjectData/Tamakoro.arc Tamakoro Portmanteau of「玉」(tama, ball) and「コロコロ」(korokoro, onomatopoeia for rolling)
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
StageData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl たまころ (Tamakoro) Portmanteau of「玉」(tama, ball) and「コロコロ」(korokoro, onomatopoeia for rolling)

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese タマコロ[3][4]
Tamakoro
Portmanteau of「玉」(tama, ball) and「コロコロ」(korokoro, onomatopoeia for rolling)

Chinese 星星球
Xīngxīng Qiú
Star Ball

German Sternenball
Star Ball
Italian Astrosfera
Astro Ball
Spanish Bola
Ball

Trivia[edit]

  • Bandai produced Super Ball toys for Super Mario Galaxy, each one containing an item from the game. The one containing a Power Star incidentally makes the whole toy resemble a Star Ball. it is viewable here in the upper left.
  • There are three themes used for riding on the Star Ball. The first one is used in the Rolling Green Galaxy, Rolling Gizmo Galaxy, and Rolling Masterpiece Galaxy; the second one is used in the second mission of the Melty Molten Galaxy; and the third one is an arranged version of the song "Slider," which plays in The Princess's Secret Slide, Tick Tock Clock, and Rainbow Ride in Super Mario 64, used in the Rolling Coaster Galaxy.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Super Mario Galaxy 2 English instruction booklet, page 20.
  2. ^ Super Mario Galaxy English instruction booklet, page 19.
  3. ^ Super Mario Galaxy Japanese instruction booklet, page 23.
  4. ^ Super Mario Galaxy 2 Japanese instruction booklet, page 26.