Soaring on the Desert Winds

Soaring on the Desert Winds is the first mission of the Dusty Dune Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy.

Layout
In this mission, there are lots of tornadoes the player has to use by spinning or avoid. The first area consists of platforms with Dry Bones and the player has to use a tornado to cross a gap to the other platform. The next platform has moving tornadoes, and the player needs to use the tornadoes moving in the sand to cross a large gap to a Warp Pipe. The Warp Pipe leads to the inside of a large stone structure that the player has to navigate in a 2D plain. The structure starts with a blockade of Brick Blocks the player can Ground Pound through, followed by a path with more blocks, Piranha Plants, and Thwomps, and the player has to use them as platforms to avoid getting pushed by the sand flowing below. Above the first Thwomp is a secret area with more Thwomps and a Life Mushroom. Part way through the area, the player will find large wheels that will affect the gravity if the player jumps at them. After the wheels is a ? Coin that will create a Fire Flower when touched, which will make defeating the Piranha Plants on the slope ahead easier. When the player moves down the large slope, a large boulder will drop and start rolling toward the player, though the player can destroy it like any other boulder by spinning into the red core. At the end of the slope is a Sling Star that will send the player to a Warp Pipe leading back outside.

On the other end of the Warp Pipe is a Launch Star that will send the player around to the opposite side of the planet where a large stone structure sits surrounded by quicksand. The player has to make use of tornadoes to ascend and moving blocks as platforms, while avoiding Cluckbooms and moving against sandstreams. Halfway up, the player has to jump up blocks to move up a sandfall, and the player has to use a tornado to reach a ? Coin that will cause Sling Stars to appear. The Sling Stars will send the player up to an area covered by glass and the player has to Wall Jump to navigate it. At the top is a group of blocks that rise and lower out of sand and the player has to use them to reach the Power Star trapped in a large crystal.