Starship Mario

"Nice spaceship, yeah? More like a faceship! Har har!"

- Lubba

Starship Mario is a Mario-head-shaped planet and space craft in Super Mario Galaxy 2 used to travel across the universe. Although notably smaller than the previous games' hub areas, it serves as the hub of the game and has, more or less, replaced the Comet Observatory from the first game. Other than its smaller size, another difference from the Observatory is that it also has changing backgrounds, the appearance of which depend on the world that it is currently in. A flock of seagulls can be seen on and around Starship Mario in the first two worlds.

While on the ship, Mario is able to explore and interact with various non-playable characters, including Lubba and the Co-Star Luma. Some other characters in the game appear after certain Stars are collected or a specific goal is met.

Much like Delfino Plaza from Super Mario Sunshine, Mario can ride Yoshi here. The egg which contains him is located on the 'nose' of the ship, after rescuing Yoshi in Yoshi Star Galaxy. If the player eats all the fruits on the ship, they will get a 1-Up. There is also a room under the area with the pressure switch which can only be accessed by jumping into a large chimney which leads into the room, or by going through a secret door in the bill of the ship's 'cap'. The room contains a large ball of light similar to the beacon in the Comet Observatory, a telescope and some books. There are also several platforms at the edge of the room which can become display cases. Various power-ups, such as the Fire Flower and Rock Mushroom, begin to appear on display after they are used to obtain certain Power Stars. However, the display cases cannot be penetrated and thus the power-ups inside cannot be used. The Cloud Flower, one of the appearing power-ups, is the only power-up that can be used on the ship. The Toad Brigade's ship also stays close to the ship. Transfer between the two ships is possible via a Warp Pad.

After Mario collects his first Power Star, he finds himself on a rocky planetoid. It is captained by Lubba, who commands a crew of Lumas. After seeing the Power Star, and Baby Luma, he hands the ship over to Mario, reshaping it to look like Mario's head.

The ship's main purpose, though, is to allow Mario to travel between and select galaxies to visit. To leave the ship and go to the world map, one must step up to a ship's wheel near the top, in front of which is a small weight-activated button. When pressed, the button sends the player to the world map, from where he/she can select galaxies.

Engine Room
The ship's engine room can be entered either by entering a small door in "Mario's" cap, or by using the small chimney on the head of the Starship as a Warp Pipe (standing on top of it). Inside is a single Luma, whose purpose is to convert the energy from each Power Star into fuel for the spaceship. A small ball resembling the Beacon can also be found on the ceiling. In addition, as Mario completes certain missions with power-ups, they appear in the engine room under small glass domes (all except for the Rainbow Star, which does not appear here for unknown reasons). However, they cannot be used by the player, so their purpose is thought to be more for viewing purposes as souvenirs. Below are listed the seven power-ups that appear here, as well as the conditions that must be met before they will appear here:


 * Cloud Flower - Complete Search for the Toad Brigade Captain in the Fluffy Bluff Galaxy.
 * Rock Mushroom - Complete Rock and Rollodillo in the Boulder Bowl Galaxy.
 * Spring Mushroom
 * Spin Drill - Complete Silver Stars Down Deep in the Spin-Dig Galaxy.
 * Bee Mushroom
 * Boo Mushroom
 * Fire Flower

Passengers
As Mario continues to explore the universe, he meets various creatures and friends. After certain missions have been completed, they appear on the ship. All creatures stand on tree stumps on Starship Mario except for the Toad Brigade, who reside on the Starshroom, accessed via a Warp Pad in Starship Mario's right ear.

Below is a full list of every character that makes an appearance on Starship Mario, as well as the conditions that must be met before they will appear. All non-playable characters make an appearance on Starship Mario, with the exception of Piantas and The Chimp.


 * Mario - Complete Peewee Piranha's Temper Tantrum in the Sky Station Galaxy.
 * Baby Luma - At start of game
 * Lubba - At start of game
 * Lumas - At start of game
 * Co-Star Luma - Connect a second Wii Remote.
 * Hungry Luma - Call to Starship Mario.
 * Yoshi - Complete Saddle Up with Yoshi in the Yoshi Star Galaxy.
 * Luigi - Visit the Haunty Halls Galaxy
 * Signposts - Some at start of game, others as the game progresses.
 * Toad Brigade - Complete Digga-Leg's Planet in the Spin-Dig Galaxy.
 * Banktoad - Collect a total of 7 Power Stars.
 * Mailtoad - Collect a total of 13 Power Stars.
 * Bee - Complete The Secret Wall Jump in the Honeybloom Galaxy.
 * Star Bunny - Complete Think Before You Shake in the Flip-Swap Galaxy.
 * Jibberjay - Visit the Wild Glide Galaxy
 * Penguin - Complete Exploring the Cosmic Cavern in the Cosmic Cove Galaxy.
 * Whittle - Visit the Tall Trunk Galaxy
 * Gold Gearmo - Complete C'Mere, Goomba in the Boulder Bowl Galaxy.
 * Silver Gearmo - Complete C'Mere, Topman in the Space Storm Galaxy.
 * Bob-omb Buddy - Visit the Throwback Galaxy
 * Rosalina - Complete The Perfect Run in the Grandmaster Galaxy.

Trivia

 * Spaceship Mario resembles the first planet in Gateway Galaxy, as they both are covered in grass and have a similar structure at the top.
 * The Mailtoad from the Toad Brigade believes the ship looks more like Luigi because of its green coloring.