Star Bit

"Those are Star Bits. To Lumas, they are the tastiest, most delectable treats imaginable."

- Polari

Star Bits (known as star shards during development ) are common collectibles introduced in Super Mario Galaxy. They are modeled after, a traditional Japanese candy which is primarily made from sugar. In Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, they can be used as projectiles to stun enemies, feed Hungry Lumas to progress to new areas and gain extra lives by collecting a certain number of them. They can also be used to feed Lumalee, who uncommonly appears in some areas, in exchange for a 1-Up Mushroom or Life Mushroom. Star Bits come in many colors, including red, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white. According to Rosalina's Story, they are said to taste like honey.

Super Mario Galaxy
Star Bits debut in Super Mario Galaxy, and are first introduced in the form of small rocks from space, landing when Mario arrives at Peach's Castle at the beginning of the game. To collect them, the player can move the Star Cursor over them or simply run into them. For every 50 Mario collects, he receives an extra life. Mario keeps collected Star Bits after losing a life in a stage, but he loses his coins. The games' tally of Star Bits collected on the HUD can only count a maximum of 999 Star Bits, and any more collected after neither raises the counter to accommodate four digits nor counts towards any more extra lives. After completing a mission, Mario's Star Bits are added to his total number. If 9,999 Star Bits are collected, all coconuts in the games become watermelons permanently, even if the Star Bit total drops below 9,999 again.

The stored Star Bits are used to feed the Hungry Lumas found in the Comet Observatory and several galaxies to unlock galaxies and planets. The player can talk to Comet Tico, in which they can either receive information about Prankster Comets or use him to move the positions of Prankster Comets in exchange for 20 Star Bits. They can also be used to feed other Lumas, without any practical reward for doing so except for quick, charming dialogue in the excitement of being fed.

Pressing the button shoots a Star Bit at the location of the Star Cursor. This can be used to stun or defeat some enemies. If a player holds the button, Star Bits can be shot continuously. Fired Star Bits cannot be recovered.

The average enemy, such as a Goomba, releases three Star Bits when defeated. However, that only happens if the Star Spin is used, as simply jumping on one produces a single Coin. This holds true for most, but not all enemies. For example, Magikoopas only release coins no matter what method they are defeated by. Additionally, some bosses release a few Star Bits after being hit. Mario can also make Star Bits appear by Ground Pounding certain buttons or activating Flipswitch Panels in various galaxies. Note that this does not always happens, as each button or Flipswitch Panel performs a different function depending on its galaxy and location. If Mario is hit by a rubbery bulb, he falls over and loses some Star Bits.

There is a larger object related to Star Bits called the Star Piece Cluster, many of which are normally seen in Launch Star paths. They are broken upon impact and produce at least six Star Bits that Mario must collect quickly before they fly away.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Star Bits reappear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, where they function mostly the same as its predecessor. It now takes 100 Star Bits for Mario to gain an extra life. If Yoshi is shot by a Star Bit while stationary, he runs off.

On Starship Mario, Banktoad can hold up to 9,999 Star Bits along with Mario's Star Bit total, allowing for 19,998 Star Bits to be in the player's possession. Banktoad changes his outfit depending on the number of Star Bits in he has. The number of Star Bits Banktoad has is shared across the three save files. If Mario has 777 or 7,777 Star Bits on hand while on Starship Mario, Lubba remarks on how lucky that is, in reference to the number 7's cultural significance as a. He also has dialogue for having 9,999 and multiples of 1,000 of them on hand. Within Starship Mario are two Lumalees that allow Mario to spin Chance Cubes in exchange for Star Bits.

Star Piece Clusters appear on the World Map in World 1 and World 2. The player can collect them by maneuvering Starship Mario into them. In addition, Star Piece Cluster Rocks appear during A Stroll Down Rolling Lane.

Super Mario 3D World
Star Bits also appear in Super Mario 3D World. Here, they appear in the background of all special worlds (Star, Mushroom, Flower, and Crown), serving no real purpose.

Super Mario Odyssey
In Super Mario Odyssey, regional coins are in the shape of Star Bits in the Moon Kingdom.

Mario Kart series
Star Bits appear in Wii Rainbow Road in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart Tour, merely serving as decorations on various parts of the track. In Mario Kart Wii, they are absent in split-screen mode to conserve game performance.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Star Bits appear in the Individual and Team versions of Dream Ski Jumping in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, where the player can collect them to score points. The Star Bits come in three different colors, each with a different point value. Green Star Bits are worth 10 points, purple ones are worth 30 points and orange ones are worth 50 points.

Super Smash Bros. series
Star Bits are used as Rosalina's side special move in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which is called Star Bits. When used, Rosalina commands the Luma to shoot a small number of Star Bits. It is a long-ranged attack that cannot be absorbed or reflected, thus not making it a projectile attack. Nothing happens if a Luma is not present when Rosalina uses this move.

In the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U installments, the move has two variations that can be swapped out once the player unlocks them. Floaty Star Bit is a large Star Bit that is slow and gets in the way of fighters. Shooting Star Bit shoots only one Star Bit, but has longer range and more power. Unlike the default variation, these two variations are considered projectiles and can be reflected or absorbed.

Mario Party 10
In Mario Party 10, Star Bits are exclusive to the amiibo Party on the Rosalina Board. They appear in Crystal-like recipients. When the player lands on an Event Space, the Star Bits inside the recipient fly out and fall in the center of the board, where they have to be quickly collected with the cursor within five seconds. They can then be exchanged for an equal number of Coins.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
In Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Star Bits are collected when defeating an enemy and in various other locations throughout the game. They are used to level up Sparks.

Trivia

 * The minimum number of obtainable Star Bits for Super Mario Galaxy is 105, due to the objective of Good Egg Galaxy's second mission, and the Star Bit tutorial. For Super Mario Galaxy 2, the minimum is 8, due to the Star Piece Cluster on the Grand World Map blocking the second half of World 2.