Flying Mario

Flying Mario is a form taken by Mario in Super Mario Galaxy. It is first used when Mario returns to the Gateway Galaxy to collect 100 Purple Coins.

Mario can only obtain this form when he grabs a red star. In this form, Mario's hat and overalls become black, while his overall buttons and shoes turn red (Luigi undergoes the same changes, except with green instead of red). While in this form, spinning while jumping allows Mario to fly. This is similar to the Wing Cap ability from Super Mario 64, except that the Player has much more control, and Mario can fly the whole time, rather than having to gain momentum first. This form also allows Mario to attract nearby coins by spinning. After a limited amount of time, Flying Mario will revert back to normal Mario.

This power-up's uses were quite minimal, since without hacking, it can only be used at the Comet Observatory and the Gateway Galaxy. Also, the power-up does not return in Super Mario Galaxy 2.

Trivia

 * Strangely, Flying Mario cannot access the planet containing the Trial Galaxies on his own. Mario will hit an invisible wall and fall back down to the Comet Observatory.