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 form lasts very long (over a minute).

This form has many different controls. While flying, Mario can hold the button to hover in midair. He can then change his direction by tilting around, and the light streaks he leaves behind goes in front of him as a guide to where he will go. Pressing once while flying causes Mario to stop flying, do a somersault in the air, and fall to the ground slowly. Mario can then press again to do a ground-pound.

This power-up's uses are 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, though the form is in the programming.

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. This was most likely done to prevent the player from using Flying Mario to get to the Trial Galaxies before getting the 3 Green Power Stars.
 * In the Comet Observatory, if Mario talks to the pink Luma besides the Terrace, the Launch Star to Sweet Sweet Galaxy will appear. This makes the warp closer to Mario. If Mario transforms into Flying Mario, he can reach the warp to the galaxy without using the Launch Star. This also works with the pink Luma near the Engine Room and the Sand Spiral Galaxy.
 * Flying Mario, Boo Mario, and Spring Mario are the only power-ups in Super Mario Galaxy that can be worn off and deactivated by a Launch Star. Flying Mario, however, can only be deactivated by a Green Launch Star.