Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D action-adventure platformer game for the Wii, first released in Japan on November 1, 2007. It is the eleventh entry in the Super Mario series, the third 3D platformer, and the first of what would be recognized – in retrospect – as the "course clear-style" games of the series. It sees Mario traverse more linear levels than those found in its 3D predecessors – Super Mario 64 (1996) and Super Mario Sunshine (2002) – that largely consist of spherical platforms with their own centers of gravity. The plot has Mario exploring the cosmos and collecting Power Stars to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, who is aiming to establish his own galaxy at the center of the universe. Mario is aided by his brother Luigi, a brigade of colorful Toads, star-shaped creatures called Lumas, and a mysterious woman named Rosalina. The save data description for the game is "Launch into a cosmic adventure!"

Super Mario Galaxy was critically acclaimed and commercially successful upon its release. It received various awards and accolades, including from the, the , and the. It has sold 12.80 million copies, making it the ninth best-selling Wii game. It was re-released in 2011 under the Nintendo Selects branding for having sold so well. It is one of the few Wii titles to have been ported to the console in 2018. A port of the game with upscaled graphics was included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars alongside Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine on September 18, 2020 to correspond with the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. (1985). After its original release a dedicated sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, was developed and released for the Wii on May 22, 2010.

Super Mario Galaxy has gone on to be considered one of the and a masterpiece.

Story
From the instruction booklet Every hundred years, a huge comet flies by in the skies above the Mushroom Kingdom. One year, that comet filled the entire sky, and from it fell a stream of shooting stars. The Toads scooped up the Star Bits and brought them to the castle, where they were reborn as a great Power Star. It was a happy time in the Mushroom Kingdom. Then one night Mario received a letter...

Dear Mario, I'll be waiting for you at the castle on the night of the Star Festival. There's something I'd like to give you. From Peach

With invitation in hand, Mario headed off to the castle just as the Star Festival was getting into full swing. Surrounded by Toads gleefully trying to catch falling Star Bits, Mario was looking forward to the night's festivities.

But then, something happened... Every century, on the eve of the Star Festival, a comet passes over the Mushroom Kingdom and causes magical stars and stardust to fall to the planet below. Peach invites Mario to her castle to join in the festivities and receive a special gift. As Mario arrives in the Castle Gardens, Bowser suddenly attacks the Toads with his airships and encases them in crystals. He "invites" Peach to the creation of his brand new galaxy and lifts the castle off the ground with a UFO to carry it to the center of the universe, taking her, two Toads, and Mario with it. Before Mario can reach Peach, Kamek suddenly appears and casts a spell at him, sending him into space. An apricot-colored Luma, whom Peach was carrying before her abduction, flees to look for Mario before Kamek warps the castle away with another spell.

Mario is awoken by the apricot-colored Luma on a small grassy planet. Here, he meets other Lumas and Rosalina, a mysterious woman who acts as the protector of the galaxies and the mother of the Lumas. She tells Mario that her ship, the Comet Observatory, had its Power Stars stolen by Bowser. Without them, the Comet Observatory is unable to move through space. Rosalina asks him to reclaim her Power Stars. In exchange, she offers to help rescue Peach and defeat Bowser. Rosalina gives him the apricot-colored Luma to help him on his quest. He grants Mario the ability to spin and travel through space. Together, they travel to various galaxies in opened domes to obtain Power Stars. Once a mission is completed in one galaxy, Mario collects a Power Star and unlocks the next mission. Most domes contain five galaxies. Once Mario has collected enough Power Stars, the next galaxy in the current dome is an enemy base where either Bowser or Bowser Jr. would be using the power of one of the Grand Stars, large varieties of Power Stars. Rescuing the Grand Star unlocks the next dome. When enough Power Stars are collected, the Comet Observatory takes Mario to the center of the universe.

Once there, Mario defeats Bowser in his brand new galaxy, retrieves the last Grand Star, and rescues Peach. Just then, a large sun in Bowser's near-complete galaxy undergoes a supernova and becomes a supermassive black hole which begins pulling in everything. The Lumas from the Comet Observatory, including the apricot-colored Luma, throw themselves into the black hole in order to neutralize it, and it soon evaporates in a massive explosion. Mario appears in front of Rosalina, who saves him from the cataclysm and tells him that this is not the end, but a new beginning for the universe, which repeats its cycle indefinitely, each time a little differently.

Mario later awakens in the Mushroom Kingdom near Peach's Castle. He sees characters and enemies he met throughout his adventure celebrating together. Bowser and Peach lie next to him and begin to stir. When he looks into the air, he notices a newborn galaxy as Rosalina's words echo in his mind, and exclaims, "Welcome! Welcome new galaxy!" The camera pans out into space, revealing the reconstructed universe. After 120 Power Stars have been collected, a special cutscene plays after the staff roll: Rosalina thanks the player and says, "I will watch over you from beyond the stars." before flying off with the Comet Observatory. Alone in the rubble left by the supermassive black hole, an apricot-colored Luma appears behind a decrepit starship. This alludes to the idea of how the universe repeats itself. The events of the past will carry out anew, with the lost apricot Luma searching for its mother.

Basic gameplay
Gameplay is somewhat different from the previous Mario titles, as rather than being played strictly in 2D or 3D, the game occasionally shifts from 3D to 2D and vice versa (although the core gameplay is largely in 3D); the game also utilizes sphere walking. Even with these changes, however, the gameplay heavily resembles Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, with a similar camera system and similar gameplay mechanics.

Basic controls
The game has several innovations and additions to the basic 3D Mario game concept. Mario is controlled with the analog stick and can jump with the. The works just as the  trigger did in Super Mario 64. The player uses it to make Mario crouch, do Backwards Somersaults, Side Somersaults, and Long Jumps. Mario can also Triple Jump by jumping with precise timing three times, each time jumping higher than before. The centers the camera behind Mario, while the  can adjust the camera angle manually. By pressing, the player can enter a first-person perspective.

The game also uses the motion sensors of the Wii Remote. The pointer of the Remote appears as the Star Pointer on the screen. The Star Pointer is used to perform a variety of actions, such as using Pull Stars, manipulating Sling Pods, and collecting Star Bits. Shaking the Wii Remote or Nunchuk makes Mario perform a spin. By pressing, players can fire a Star Bit. When enemies are hit by a Star Bit, they are stunned and can be defeated with a touch, releasing Star Bits. Mario can also defeat most enemies by jumping on them, which creates a coin Mario can use to heal HP. Using the spin to defeat enemies is also possible. Spinning may also stop an enemy from attacking; if Bowser and Mario both spin at the same time, both moves get canceled. Also, if Mario or Luigi Long Jumps then lands on the ground and quickly does a spin, they will do a small pirouette. The player can use any of these tactics to defeat regular enemies, though special enemies such as the Grand Goomba in the Gateway Galaxy might require a spin. Several enemies are, however, much easier to defeat by shooting them than by jumping on them. As in Super Mario Sunshine, Mario can jump on NPCs to gain extra height or annoy them.

Swimming is fairly simple. Mario can change his direction by using the analog stick and can dive by pressing Z. Breaststrokes are possible by pressing repeatedly while swimming forward. Mario must return to the surface or collect air bubbles periodically in order to refill his air supply. Failure to do so could result in losing a life. Skating is a technique used when on ice. Mario merely needs to spin while walking, and he starts to skate.

There is also a move that is not explained in the instruction booklet. If the player, while airborne, both shakes the controller and presses (to spin and Ground Pound at the same time), they perform a special ground pound that homes in on nearby enemies. If there is no enemy nearby, Mario does a fancier ground pound. This move returns in the game's sequel, also unexplained in the packaged materials.

Co-Star Mode
Featured in Super Mario Galaxy is a multiplayer mode called Co-Star Mode. By simply connecting a second Wii Remote, another player can join in and assist the first player by controlling a second Star Pointer, and in doing so can accomplish a variety of different things, some of which the first player can do, but many of which the first player cannot do. When Co-Star Mode is active, "1P " appears below Player 1's Star Pointer, and "2P " appears below Player 2's Star Pointer to help differentiate between them. When Co-Star Mode is not in use, these indicators no longer appear beneath either player's Star Pointers, until such time as Co-Star Mode becomes active again. The second player can collect Star Bits and fire them at enemies to briefly stun them. When the second Star Pointer is pointed at Mario and is pressed, the second player can make Mario perform a Co-Star Super Jump. Combining both jump techniques can make Mario jump higher than when only controlled with one controller. This works in midair, but can only be done once before touching a horizontal surface.

Mario's life meter
Mario's life meter has been decreased to three total. Originally, Mario had a life meter with eight units, similar to Super Mario 64, its DS remake, and Super Mario Sunshine, but it was reduced to three in the final game, with the ability to extend it to a maximum of six via a Life Mushroom. There is no longer a separate, slowly-decreasing life meter for when Mario is underwater; instead, Mario has an air meter which decreases and starts to deplete Mario's main life meter when it hits zero. The Life Mushroom replenishes any lost health and adds a second health meter, making Mario's max health six. When Mario's health drops down to three again, the second health meter smashes and the effect of the Life Mushroom is lost. Unlike in previous 3D Mario games, Mario does not take damage by falling from high areas.

New elements
Mario explores a new 3D world with planets that have their own gravity. Several levels have arrows that Mario can turn around with a spin, changing the direction of the gravity. The Launch Star allows Mario to launch off of a planet and go flying to the next. There is little or no warning that a boss might be located on the next planet, and there is also little indication that Mario may be facing something terrible or something peaceful on where he is headed next, and there are also no loading times and screens. The game also contains side-scrolling levels reminiscent of New Super Mario Bros. with classic enemies such as Goombas and Piranha Plants. These side-scrolling levels may also contain directional gravity, allowing Mario to walk on the walls and ceiling.

"Super Luigi Galaxy"
Collecting all 120 Power Stars and defeating Bowser once more unlocks "Super Luigi Galaxy" mode, which replaces Mario with a playable version of Luigi and presents a few gameplay differences to reflect this change. Like in a number of previous Mario games, Luigi boasts higher jumps, but lower traction compared to Mario. Luigi is also faster than Mario but takes longer to reach top speed. Luigi loses air faster while underwater and loses a chunk of air every time he spins underwater. Cosmic Luigi is more challenging than Cosmic Mario, and Luigi receives 20 1-Up Mushrooms from Peach's letter (although if Luigi's 1-Up counter grows too high, he only receives five). Outside of these changes, the storyline is almost completely unchanged and even includes the original NPC Luigi. When players collect 120 Power Stars and defeat Bowser again in this mode, Grand Finale Galaxy becomes available for both Mario and Luigi, allowing the 121st Power Star to be collected.

This mode is referenced by Rosalina as "another world" players can access once they have defeated Bowser after collecting 120 Power Stars. In the Japanese version, she describes it as the world where Mario (or Luigi) may come across his alternate self who is not him.

Controls
Note: Since the Nvidia Shield controller does not have motion controls, the spin is performed by pressing the X button, while the right analog stick is used to move the Star Pointer. In the case of Player 2, both analog sticks can be used to control the Star Pointer. The original tilt controls in the game is also replaced by the regular left analog stick control.
 * Jump/swim
 * Fire Star Bit
 * (shake): Spin
 * Move
 * (grounded): Crouch
 * (midair): Ground Pound
 * Center camera
 * Move camera
 * First-person view
 * (shake midair) + : Homing Ground Pound

Setting
Super Mario Galaxy is set in outer space. With the exception of Grand Finale Galaxy, which is Princess Peach's Castle Gardens in the Mushroom Kingdom, all levels – referred to as "galaxies" in this game – are staged on worlds far removed from Mario's home planet. This is the first entry in the series to explicitly include an outer space setting since Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992), and the first time it has been realized by the core Super Mario team at Nintendo EAD Tokyo. A galaxy is an isolated cluster of small planets and other planetary bodies. Some are shaped like spheres, but many are not. Most planets have their own gravitational pull, which prevents Mario from falling down bottomless pits and enables him to return to his starting position if he just keeps moving forward. Mario's movement, physics, and trajectory bend organically around the planet's shape. Because they have their own pull, most planets can be directly traveled between just by jumping. Otherwise, they can be reached via objects called Launch Stars and Pull Stars. Not all planets have their own unique gravity: some are shaped like the more traditional courses of Super Mario 64 (1996) and Super Mario Sunshine (2002) and the gravitational pull is below their mass, but this is conveyed through context.

The theme of space is communicated in various ways throughout Super Mario Galaxy. Many galaxies include distant asteroid belts or views of massive, unreachable planets orbiting suns that peak over their horizons. Depending on the distance from the game's camera, the light from a visible sun retracts, mimicking the behavior of real sunlight. The skyboxes of the galaxies feature nebulas, auroras, and starry skies. Three-dimensional objects – including Mario himself – exhibit a soft glow in certain positions as if struck by the light from distant stars. Black holes occur in place of bottomless pits in many galaxies. Super Mario Galaxy includes some motifs derivative of science fiction, such as humanoid robots, fortified battle facilities, UFOs, and starships. Much of the game's setting includes whimsical, tranquil, and surreal elements comparable to those found in children's books. Locations are reached via a palace-like starship called the Comet Observatory, the game's hub world. It is overseen by a princess named Rosalina and is a nursery for spacefaring star children called Lumas. In lieu of aliens, the people found living in the galaxies include Star Bunnies, Honeybees, and penguins. Star Bits, small collectibles that fall from the sky like shooting stars, resemble and are eaten by the Lumas. There are planets and entire galaxies that look like dessert.

According to director Yoshiaki Koizumi, the inception for Super Mario Galaxy was to create a Super Mario game with spherical worlds. It was thought that these worlds would make it less likely for players to get disoriented or have to reposition the camera. These were issues he observed during the development of Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), and Super Mario Sunshine that prevented complete immersion and intimidated inexperienced players. The decision to stage the game in outer space was made because the development team thought that the spherical worlds would most intuitively make sense as planets. In 2017, a figure was released by Nintendo that conveys that Super Mario Galaxy is structurally viewed as a different type of 3D Mario game from its immediate predecessors – the "sandbox-style" games Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. Nintendo aligns it with the succeeding games Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010), Super Mario 3D Land (2011), and Super Mario 3D World (2013) as a linear "course clear-style" game. However, many of the levels in Super Mario Galaxy are structured similarly to the ones in its predecessors, particularly in the robust six-mission galaxies and the large planets that do not have their own centers of gravity. The principals of the "sandbox-style" games derive from, or "garden-in-box", and Koizumi cites it directly as an influence behind the worlds in Super Mario Galaxy as well.

Galaxies
In Super Mario Galaxy, levels are accessed inside of domes on the Comet Observatory. They are spatially distributed across the hub, similar to the access points for levels in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. However, with the exception of the Garden, each dome contains a set of five different galaxies instead of just one dedicated course. Domes are unlocked unilaterally as the player completes certain criteria. These make the domes analogous to the worlds of the 2D Super Mario games like Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988). However, as in its 3D predecessors, the player is not restricted to linear course progression in Super Mario Galaxy.

Each galaxy contains objectives referred to as missions. Completing a mission has Mario acquire one of the galaxy's Power Stars, the same tokens used in Super Mario 64 for unlocking levels. One mission correlates with one Power Star. The start of each mission has a brief cinematic preview of the galaxy that hints at the location of the Power Star, as was similarly done in Super Mario Sunshine. Once a specified number of Power Stars has been accumulated, a new galaxy becomes unlockable at the player's discretion. Only half of the Power Stars in the game are required for progression. The minimum number of Power Stars needed to access the game's final level is 60 in a game that contains 120 total. Consequently, a player who completes as many missions as possible within one dome may unlock all the galaxies within the next all at once when they enter it for the first time.

Every dome has a Pull Star at its center. Entering the Pull Star brings Mario to an interactive selection screen of all the dome's galaxies. The galaxies orbit around the Pull Star (the ; see right). The display is directly comparable to models of solar systems, with each galaxy following a circular trajectory around the Pull Star. The distance of these orbital lines from the Pull Star has a positive correlation with the number of Power Stars required to unlock the galaxies and a negative correlation with the number of missions available within them. (i.e. The galaxies closest to the origin typically have the greatest number of missions and require the lowest number of Power Stars to unlock. The farthest ones contain the fewest and require the highest number of Power Stars to unlock.) Using the Terrace as an example, a dome contains three different types of galaxies: There are galaxies accessible outside of the domes. With the exception of Gateway Galaxy, these ones can also be categorized as mystery or boss galaxies. Most of them are unlocked by feeding Hungry Lumas a requested number of Star Bits. These Lumas appear on the Comet Observatory once certain criteria are met within the dome galaxies (see chart below). There is a Hungry Luma associated with every dome, essentially functioning as an extra level for each one. A tiny house called the Gate rests on a grassy platform orbiting the observatory. It grants Mario access to Gateway Galaxy. This galaxy is the first level of the game, but it can only be revisited via the Gate once "King Kaliente's Spicy Return" is completed. Though it is not a dome, there is a Hungry Luma associated with it as well. A planetoid called the Planet of Trials orbits the observatory and has three galaxies of its own. It becomes reachable once all three of the secret Green Power Stars have been collected. A Launch Star leading to Grand Finale Galaxy appears here after the player has collected 120 Power Stars as Mario and Luigi. Bowser's Galaxy Reactor is only reachable by speaking to Rosalina after 60 Power Stars have been collected.
 * "Robust galaxies" that contain at least six missions. They either feature a high number of visitable planets or a small selection of large ones to explore. The missions build off of each other environmentally or narratively. (i.e. The events that occur in one mission foreshadow the events of the subsequent mission.) Two or more of the six missions typically involve a boss battle. Most domes contain two or three of these galaxies, and they are all listed together on the first page of the in-game Star List. They are the only galaxies orbited by Prankster Comets. The robust galaxies of the Terrace are Good Egg Galaxy and Honeyhive Galaxy.
 * "Mystery galaxies" that each contain one mission. Before being unlocked, they are represented by course preview models shaped like ? Blocks. These galaxies are highly distinctive in theme and mission. Some of them entail minigames like ray surfing or Star Ball. Others are athletic obstacle courses. Mystery galaxies usually require completing a certain mission in another galaxy in addition to accumulating a specific number of Power Stars to unlock. Each dome contains one or two mystery galaxies. In the Terrace, they are Loopdeeloop Galaxy and Flipswitch Galaxy.
 * "Boss galaxies" that each contain one mission. They feature linear obstacle courses that lead to a boss battle. Half of them involve Bowser Jr., either directly or as the inciter for another boss to go after Mario. The other half feature Bowser himself. With the exception of the Garden, each dome contains one boss galaxy and it is always on the outermost ring in the dome. Completing the mission in these galaxies is a criterion needed to unlock a subsequent dome and is required for game progression. They have the highest or second-highest Power Star threshold. The preview model in orbit resembles a bust of Bowser's head with glowing eyes. The boss galaxy in the Terrace is Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor.

Mario encounters his brother in four galaxies: Good Egg Galaxy, Honeyhive Galaxy, Battlerock Galaxy, and Ghostly Galaxy. In Ghostly Galaxy, Luigi is at the end of the "Luigi and the Haunted Mansion" mission and gives Mario a Power Star when reached. After Luigi is rescued, he appears in the observatory and offers to help Mario collect Power Stars. When Luigi visits a galaxy, he gets stuck and sends a letter to Mario asking for help. A picture that hints at his location is included with each letter. Finding him within a galaxy awards Mario with a secret Power Star.

There are 42 dedicated galaxies in the game. Of this total 15 are robust galaxies, 20 are mystery galaxies, and 6 are boss galaxies. If the Comet Observatory, its library, and its domes are considered individual levels, then the true total number is 50. Some galaxies have tiny otherworldly subareas reached via pipes that contain an interactive side objective. If each of these areas were to be considered levels as well, then the true number is even higher. The chart below lists the galaxies of the game roughly as they are listed on the Star List. Each galaxy is given a brief description, an in-game screenshot, and a list of their missions. There is a legend at the bottom of the chart detailing what the symbols used in it represent.

Prankster Comets
Prankster Comets are objects that interfere with a galaxy and give it an extra attribute. The 30 Comet Stars are obtained by completing special challenges in the robust galaxies, namely speed runs; "daredevil" runs (in which Mario is defeated if he takes a single hit); races against Cosmic Mario; and doubling the speed of enemies and obstacles. They only appear after the corresponding normal mission (e.g. Ghostly Galaxy's "Beware of Bouldergeist") is completed, sometimes immediately, and at other times, only after another galaxy's level is completed. Prankster Comets appear and disappear every other time a mission is completed. After a mission is completed while a Prankster Comet is active, all Prankster Comets disappear until a second mission is beaten. In some cases, such as in Space Junk Galaxy, all normal missions within a galaxy have to be beaten first before a comet can appear. There are two Prankster Comets in each of the 15 robust galaxies: one of the comet types just described, plus a Purple Comet where Mario must collect 100 Purple Coins. These comets only begin to appear after "The Fate of the Universe" is completed at least once. Which and where Prankster Comets appear can be manipulated by feeding Comet Tico 20 Star Bits.

The Comet Observatory
The Comet Observatory is the hub world in the game. It is a bridge between domes and serves as a place for the player to rest in between missions. It is a sprawling structure similar to a palace, with a tall central spire and ornamental architecture. These attributes visually make it reminiscent of Princess Peach's Castle, the hub of Super Mario 64. The core of the observatory is a comet called the beacon that is fueled by Power Stars. The beacon is what allows the Comet Observatory to travel through space, but it remains in orbit around Mario's home planet throughout most of the game. The observatory has two extraplanetary satellites: the Planet of Trials and a grassy platform that holds the Gate. The platform is directly anchored to the observatory via Warp Pads and can be considered a direct extension of it, unlike the Planet of Trials.

Including Gateway Galaxy, there are nine galaxies directly accessed from the Comet Observatory. Six of these galaxies come from the Hungry Lumas affiliated with each dome. Unlike the hub worlds of Super Mario Galaxy's predecessors, there are no hidden Power Stars directly found on the observatory, though accessing the Planet of Trials, entering the Gate, and the arrival of Hungry Lumas are framed similarly. Five 1-Up Mushrooms are hidden in the observatory. Most of the observatory is obscured by darkness when Mario first arrives due to the abduction of its Power Stars and only the Terrace can be accessed. As Mario collects Power Stars, energy is restored to the observatory and new areas become lit to convey that they are now accessible. Warp Pads dot the Comet Observatory. They can be used to quickly reach adjacent locations on the hub. A Red Star appears above the Bedroom once Mario completes "Gateway's Purple Coins". Touching it transforms him into Flying Mario and allows him to soar through the skies of the observatory. There is nothing on the observatory that can harm Mario, and he will safely be transported back to solid ground if he falls off its edge.

The Comet Observatory is a nursery ground for Lumas. They are cared for by Rosalina, who treats them as if they were her children. As light is restored to the observatory, more and more Lumas appear. It was built by Rosalina when she was a child with an apricot-colored Luma. Over time, as more Lumas arrived and needed care, she expanded its size. The Comet Observatory visits Mario's home world once every hundred years, which is celebrated in the Mushroom Kingdom as the Star Festival. When the beacon is at its maximum size, Rosalina can make the observatory fold into the shape of a rocket ship and soar through the sky like a comet. The domes are framed as an extension of the observatory that provide a view of the cosmos. Each one is themed around rooms in a house, such as the bedroom, kitchen, and so on. There are two locations similar in concept that are not domes on the observatory: the garage and the library. The garage is framed as an intergalactic repair shop that starships can dock to. This is where the Toad Brigade and Luigi establish themselves once "Bee Mario Takes Flight" and "Luigi and the Haunted Mansion", respectively, are completed.

The library is a closed off space behind the beacon that becomes accessible once "The Fiery Stronghold" is completed. Though entered like a dome, there are no galaxies here. It contains no collectibles or anything related to the rescue of Princess Peach. The are no tangible incentives for coming to the library, and the player is never forced to enter it. This is where Rosalina reads a storybook to the Lumas. New chapters become available as Mario accumulates Power Stars. The book details her personal backstory, the history of the Comet Observatory, Luma behavior, and provides insight into the past of the apricot-colored Luma that travels with Mario. This part of the game was created by Yoshiaki Koizumi and included at the discretion of Shigeru Miyamoto. Rosalina's Story is noted for its heartfelt and melancholy elements. The illustrations on the pages have been likened to .

Non-playable characters
With the exception of Princess Peach, Toads, and penguins, all of the characters encountered by the player are completely new to the Mario series. Most characters are met in various galaxies, though Rosalina, the Toad Brigade, and the Lumas are found on the Comet Observatory.

Enemies and obstacles
Roughly ninety enemies are in Super Mario Galaxy. Including bosses and obstacles, there are over one-hundred. Most enemies that can be defeated by Mario drop different spoils depending on how they are attacked: enemies drop coins if stomped on and Star Bits if spun into. Most enemies that actively attack Mario briefly stop after successfully causing damage. This gives the player a chance to get their bearings before responding. Some enemies, such as Piranha Plants, laugh at Mario when they successfully land a hit.

Roughly fifty of the enemies and varieties in Super Mario Galaxy are wholly new to the series. Some of them are incorporated into subsequent Mario games or inspired staple elements. Notable groups include: octopus creatures called Electrogoombas, of which several varieties fire rocks; a faction of mechanical, spinning enemies called Topmen; and stationary robots that discharge circular electrical waves called Beamers. Though some enemies look like robots, there are no enemies visually comparable to the typical alien designs found in. Some of the new enemies are derivative of creatures that appeared in earlier Super Mario games in both design and behavior, with a particular focus on Super Mario 64 (see right). Some of them resemble recurring enemies in The Legend of Zelda series. Specifically, the bats resemble Keeses and the Electrogoombas resemble Octoroks. The Japanese name for an Electrogoomba relative even directly derives from the name "Octorok".

Super Mario Galaxy makes use of the Super Mario series' back catalog of enemies. This game represents the first instance that some of these enemies were ever integrated into a 3D platformer. There are enemies in Super Mario Galaxy that, with the exception of re-releases or remakes, never appeared outside of their debut titles. Many of these enemies debuted in Super Mario 64, such as Amps, Bomps, and Tox Boxes. The enemies that were incorporated contrast greatly with the ones in the previous 3D Super Mario game, a title that made a conservative use of the series' back catalog and introduced enemies that largely never appeared again.

Nearly all of the enemies and bosses in Super Mario Galaxy are incorporated into its sequel.

Letters
At various points in the game, the Mailtoad gives the player a letter, which is sent to the Wii Message Board.

Whenever Luigi needs to be rescued after initially saving him from the Ghostly Galaxy, the letter says the following: Dear Mario, Oh, no! It's horrible! Luigi has gone missing! What will we do?! Mailtoad After rescuing Luigi each of these times, the letter says the following: Dear Mario, Thank you for saving Luigi! Keep trying to rescue those Power Stars, and we'll do our best to help! ♪ Mailtoad After getting the 121st and final Power Star from the Grand Finale Galaxy, the letter will say the following: Dear (Mii's name), Congratulations! We would like to send you a galaxy sized thanks for saving all the Power Stars and playing to the very end. Until next time; The Super Mario Galaxy staff

Bowser

 * "Princess Peach! You are formally invited...to the creation of my new galaxy! Gwahahaha! This festival's over!"
 * "BWAHAHAHA! You finally made it! Just in time for me to stomp you into space bits!"
 * "WHAA--?! IT'S YOU! That's it, Mario! I'm gonna stomp you into space bits!"
 * "Finally! You got here just in time to see the creation of my galaxy in the center of the universe! WATCH AND WEEP! From this galaxy, I'll rule a great galactic empire with Peach by my side. It will last forever! I will rule every pitiful corner of the universe. So, Mario, as you can see, I got big plans. And stomping you is at the top of my list!"
 * "NOOOOO! My galaxy! My empire! This can't be happening..."

Queen Bee

 * "And who might you be? A physician, we presume? No matter. We are in the most vexing predicament and require assistance. The most furious itchiness plagues our entire being! It must be stopped! Please find the source at once!"
 * "Yes that's the ticket!"
 * "Ah...that feels goooood!"
 * "Ahoo hoo! That tickles!"
 * "My thanks! You have shown much bravery, New Bee. We trust that we may rely on you in the future!"
 * "The neighbors are causing trouble again. We would be most grateful for your assistance!"

Music
The soundtrack of Super Mario Galaxy was the first soundtrack ever in the Mario franchise to use live orchestration in its music; all previous Mario game soundtracks (from the SNES and later home consoles, as well as the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS) had used artificial instrumentation taken from various keyboards, synthesizers, sound modules, and sample libraries.

A soundtrack for the game was released called the Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack. There is a one-disc edition and a two-disc Platinum edition. It was exclusive to Club Nintendo members in Japan and Europe. The one-disc version was also included in certain bundles of the Wii in 2010 that also contained Wii Sports and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Staff
A team of 100 individuals were involved in the development and publishing of Super Mario Galaxy, not counting those who merely localized the game for American and European audiences. The game's diverse staff ranged from Mario franchise veterans to newcomers.

Shigeru Miyamoto conceived the game and was its co-producer with Takao Shimizu. Yoshiaki Koizumi was the director and chief designer. The level design was directed by Koichi Hayashida, the programming by Naoki Koga, and the sound by Masafumi Kawamura. Characters original to the game were designed by a team of six people — Atsushi Mishima, Daisuke Watanabe, Rikuto Yoshida, Masanori Esaki, Kazuhiro Saito, and Takumi Ishii. Koji Kondo co-wrote the game's soundtrack with Mahito Yokota.

This is the first Super Mario game to feature Bowser's current voice actor, Kenny James.

The staff credits in the Nvidia Shield edition shows three people in charge of Chinese localization, as well as an "iQue testing group" for testing. It is possible that the game was fully translated for the iQue Wii release before the console was canceled.

Development
Super Mario Galaxy finds its roots in the Super Mario 128 demo. Yoshiaki Koizumi, the director of the demo, wanted the part where Mario moves freely around a saucer-shaped platform to be included in an actual game, but found that implementing the concept would be technically demanding. Shigeru Miyamoto remained interested in the concept, and after Donkey Kong Jungle Beat ' s completion, asked the newly formed EAD Tokyo if they wanted to make a high-profile game starring established Nintendo characters, which led to one of the staff member suggesting that they had the skillset to make a Mario game. Yoshiaki Koizumi felt that the Jungle Beat team had the ability to make spherical platforms work and said that he wanted to make the game for the Wii.

Koizumi then gathered several other members in order to create a prototype. The outer space theme was chosen due to him finding that most players would interpret spherical shapes as planets, and gravity was added. The prototype was shown to Nintendo after three months of development, which approved it. During the development, the team tried to follow loose guidance from Satoru Iwata to make the game playable for anyone between ages "5 and 95".

Although Miyamoto was not working full time at EAD Tokyo, he frequently visited the studio to share ideas and oversee development. One of his suggestions was to include a delay between spinning instead of having Mario spin continuously by shaking the Wii Remote, so that the game would be more challenging and interesting to play. A setup was eventually created so that both the Kyoto and Tokyo offices could playtest the game.

The development team made heavy use of play-testers due to the studio's experience while developing Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. One of Koizumi's main concern were the camera angles and the motion sickness that they caused. He thought camera-induced motion sickness was a problem with 3D action games, and found neither Super Mario Sunshine nor Donkey Kong Jungle Beat's solutions satisfying.

EAD Tokyo was pressured to finish the game close to the Wii's launch, as several executives were disappointed by Super Mario Sunshine not being a Nintendo GameCube launch title and thought that an earlier release could have helped the GameCube's commercial performance. However, EAD Tokyo decided that making a polished Mario game was more important. Shigeru Miyamoto described Super Mario Galaxy as "the true sequel to Super Mario 64" during the game's development.

Pre-release and unused content
Rosalina was intended to be related to Princess Peach, and Rosalina had a very similar appearance reflecting this. Bonefin Galaxy was intended to be much darker, as was Deep Dark Galaxy. These were changed in the interest of playability. Guppy was originally a dolphin, and a friendly character. Some art of the Sea Slide and Beach Bowl Galaxies suggests that they were conceived as a single galaxy, with beach bowl's main planet in the center of Sea Slide's ring. A piece of concept art labeled only "fortress" is captioned as a piece that is very memorable to the SMG development team, since it was one of the earliest drawings of Galaxy. Ironically, the planet shown in the art is nowhere in the final game.

Floating Toad
To perform this glitch, the player should go to the level Tarantox's Tangled Web. Mario should go to the final planet where Tarantox is fought and launch the green Toad onto the platform. Then, the player should jump into the sling pod and launch Mario onto the same platform so it breaks. If the player looks at Toad closely, he can be seen floating.

Out of bounds in Freezeflame Galaxy
To perform this glitch the player should go to the Freezeflame Galaxy's mission Hot and Cold Collide. Mario should reach the second planet and triple-jump in the walkway between the sides of the planet. The player should use the slope-climbing glitch to reach the top of the planet. When the player walks on the planet, random textures of ice water will appear. The planet surface will also appear in the wrong spot or be invisible.

Promotion
Trading cards were released to celebrate the release of Super Mario Galaxy. These helped amplify the publicity of the game. Each booster pack would have two regular cards, one trivia card, one standee, and one FunTat.

Reception
Super Mario Galaxy has been met with universal acclaim, receiving a score of 97.64% from 78 reviews, making it the highest rated game on the website, while scoring a 97/100 on, as of March 2019 the sixth-highest score on the latter website.

 has given Super Mario Galaxy a score of 38/40.  gave the game 97%. It was called the best game of the decade and praised for having excellent graphics, sound and gameplay as well as a mixture of new and classic features.

Awards and recognition
Super Mario Galaxy is considered regarded as 2007's "Game of the Year" by editing staff of ', ', , and ''Yahoo! Games''.

In 2007, the game won an award for "Best Audio Design" from . In February 2008, the game received the "Adventure Game of the Year" award from the at the.

In 2009, the game won "Best Game" at the. That same year, Guinness World Records ranked Super Mario Galaxy 29th in their list of top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.

The game placed 51st in the 200th Issue of GameInformer's "Top 200 Games of All Time". Nintendo Power ranked it as best Mario mainstream title in its May 2012 issue, as well as the third-best game ever released on a Nintendo console in its final issue.

Sales
Super Mario Galaxy has been a commercial success, selling 350,000 units in Japan within its first few weeks of sale. In the United States, the game sold 500,000 units within its first week of release, earning it the highest first-week sales for a Mario game in the country at the time. Super Mario Galaxy is the 8th best-selling game for the Wii, selling 12.72 million copies worldwide as of September 2017. As of September 30, 2021, it sold 12.80 million copies worldwide.

Controversy
Super Mario Galaxy was the first Mario game to be officially localized to French for Quebec; that market had previously received Mario titles in English rather than French. This followed a deal between the and the video game industry to have every game available for that region in French by 2009. In the Quebec localization, NPCs (particularly the Lumas and the Toad Brigade) make heavy use of accents and slang. This localization choice sparked a minor controversy, with representatives of the Office québécois de la langue française and the criticizing it for promoting poor literacy to children. A Nintendo representative responded that the localization was made with "localizing for the market" in mind, as the Quebec market made up 25% of sales for Nintendo of Canada at the time.

Following the negative reception to the localizations of Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (which featured a similarly Joual-heavy localization), later Canadian French localizations would be written in (with the exception of the similarly-localized Paper Mario: Sticker Star).

Nvidia Shield version
The game was released in March 22, 2018 for the video game service, exclusively in China. While the majority of the game is exactly the same as the Wii version, it comes with some differences:
 * The Nvidia Shield version received official Chinese (Simplified Chinese) localization by iQue. Despite this, the Super Mario 3D All-Stars does not include Chinese script in-game and only offers menu translation for the Chinese-speaking audience.
 * The Nvidia Shield version shows copyright information "© 2007-2008 Nintendo". It was unknown what 2008 means in this context, but it possibly refers to the year Super Mario Galaxy was planned for release on the iQue Wii before the console failed to make its way into the Chinese market.
 * The Nvidia Shield version lacks the option to use Miis as a save icon because the Nvidia Shield TV does not support Miis. This change is carried over to the Super Mario 3D All-Stars version even though the Nintendo Switch has an integrated Mii creation tool.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars description

 * It's the night of the Star Festival, and Star Bits are falling from the sky! As everyone celebrates, Bowser suddenly appears and lifts the castle—and Princess Peach—into space, leaving Mario stranded in orbit! It's here that Mario meets a curious star child, Luma, and a mysterious woman in blue...This game introduced new ways to control Mario, like pointing and shaking the Wii Remote, as he explores miniature planets with fun forms of gravity.

References to other games

 * Super Mario Bros.: Several sprites from this game appear here, including a planet in the Toy Time Galaxy, Mario sprites being in the background of a particular Bowser galaxy, and the background of the Flipswitch Galaxy which has scenery of the overworld and underground levels. Also, Toy Time Galaxy's music is a rearrangement of the overworld theme from this game. Several galaxies use a remix of a small portion of the underground theme from this game. Also, an arrangement of the underground theme is used for several galaxies, starting with Flipswitch Galaxy. Some of the musical notes are music from the game such as the underground theme and the underwater theme.
 * Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels: Luigi's higher jumping and lower traction returns.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: Several music tracks from this game are rearranged here. Airships also return.
 * Dr. Mario: A planet in Good Egg Galaxy is shaped like a giant Capsule from the aforementioned game.
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: Rainbow Mario's theme is an orchestral remix of Superstar Mario's theme from this game.
 * Pokémon series: A planet in Buoy Base Galaxy is shaped like a Poké Ball.
 * Super Mario 64: Tox Boxes and Bomps from this game return. The music of some Bowser galaxies are rearranged from Super Mario 64. In both games, after the credits and an ending screen is displayed, Mario would say "Thank you so much for playing my game!".
 * Paper Mario: Both games begin with a letter being sent from Peach to Mario. Also, Bowser's way of kidnapping Peach (by lifting the entire castle into the sky) is reused here. They also have stories of baby stars.
 * Luigi's Mansion: When the player first sees Luigi, he is trapped in a Ghost House. Mario freeing him is a direct spoof of Luigi's Mansion, as in Luigi's Mansion it was the direct opposite. Also, some of Luigi's voice clips are recycled.
 * Super Mario Sunshine: Fire Shooters and Water Shooters, which appear in various galaxies, have a strong resemblance to FLUDD's nozzle. The goal in the Loopdeeloop Galaxy and the Loopdeeswoop Galaxy is also shaped in a Shine Sprite. Blue Cataquacks are present in two galaxies. Also, while Mario or Luigi is asleep, they have Z's flashing over their head, just like in the game. The sparkling sound a Shine Sprite makes was reused for the same purpose for Power Stars in Super Mario Galaxy.
 * Super Mario 64 DS: The Silver Stars from this game return in Super Mario Galaxy.
 * Donkey Kong Jungle Beat: The Banandelions that Donkey Kong flings off of were reused in Super Mario Galaxy.
 * Mario Party 7: If a Dry Bones falls into quicksand in Dusty Dune Galaxy, the cry Dry Bones makes when it is "blown away" in these games can be heard.

References in later games

 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Super Mario Galaxy appears listed in the game's Chronicles.
 * Mario Kart Wii: Rosalina can be unlocked by having save data from Super Mario Galaxy. The Rainbow Road course is set in space and is full of Star Bits; a portion of its music is based on the Good Egg Galaxy's theme. Spiky Topmen were bosses in multiple online tournaments, and finally, the countdown sequence for starting a minigame returns as the official sequence for starting races and battles in this game.
 * Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: The Spike Ball move used by Bowser in the last boss fight returns in this game.
 * Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii): Both the Individual and Team versions of Dream Ski Jumping take place in the Good Egg Galaxy. A few music tracks from Super Mario Galaxy can be bought.
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii: During the credits, Peach can be heard reading the letter she sends to Mario at the beginning of Super Mario Galaxy.
 * Super Mario Galaxy 2: This is the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy with the engine reused, with many elements returning such as the reused voices, while others are new.
 * Super Mario 3D Land: The haunted house theme and the arrangement of the Airship Theme are reused. Several other music tracks and voice clips from Super Mario Galaxy were reused for this game.
 * Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games: Dream Spacewalk is heavily inspired by Super Mario Galaxy, featuring Dino Piranha as a boss in the Synchro Battle Galaxy, a location based on elements of the Good Egg Galaxy and Gateway Galaxy as well as the Sky Station Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy 2. The event also features sound effects from Super Mario Galaxy and uses the spin attack in combat. Dream Hurdles takes place in the Battlerock Galaxy. Rearrangements of several tracks appear in the game, including Dino Piranha's theme, the Battlerock Galaxy and the Purple Coins music. A Mii outfit based on Bee Mario can be unlocked in the game, and Mario's special dash has also been updated to resemble the spin attack.
 * Mario Kart 7: On the Rosalina's Ice World course, the Comet Observatory, the Gateway Galaxy's starting planet, the Starshroom, and some domes are visible in the background. Queen Bee can be unlocked as a playable character in this game.
 * Mario Party 9: The Ground-Pound Switch icon appears on Wiggler's body segments and on Whomp's back. Also, the music of some Bowser Jr. minigames is a rearrangement of Bowser Jr.'s theme of this game.
 * Mario Tennis Open: The Comet Observatory appears as an unlockable court. The music played is an arrangement of the original theme and the music for the special game Galaxy Rally is an arrangement of the Good Egg Galaxy theme. Also, in the title screen, the player can see the Comet Observatory in the background.
 * Paper Mario: Sticker Star: An arrangement of "Waltz of the Boos" plays in part of the Enigmansion's background music. Another, big-band-styled version plays when the Boos escape from the Book of Sealing.
 * Mario Party: Island Tour: Rocket Road is based on the Comet Observatory. Also, Rosalina and the Lumas appear on this board. The minigame Gyro for the Gold plays very similarly to the Rolling Ball.
 * Super Mario 3D World: There are secret underground rooms where the player can collect sequences of coins for a limited time and receive a prize if all coins are collected. In the promotional spread, a silhouette which appears to be the Comet Observatory can be seen in the stars behind Bowser's Highway. The Light Boxes' light can defeat ghosts like in this game. Rosalina's special ability is the spinning ability Mario uses. Super Galaxy, a stage based off of the Super Mario Galaxy games appears, and so do Octoombas and the Comet Observatory. The Comet Observatory theme (3rd version) plays in the World Crown map area, while an arrangement of Gusty Garden Galaxy's theme can be heard in Honeycomb Starway, Honeycomb Skyway, and Champion's Road. The overworld map of World Star has Star Bits in the background. Also, the Toad Brigade theme is reused on the Captain Toad levels. Also, sound effects from Super Mario Galaxy are reused.
 * Mario Golf: World Tour: Mario's Star uses elements from Super Mario Galaxy such as Star Bits. The music used in Wiggler Park uses a rearrangement of Honeyhive Galaxy's music.
 * Mario Kart 8: An image of a Luma can be seen from an airplane (from Galaxy Air airlines) at the Sunshine Airport course, as well as on the Star Cup trophy. Also, part of Cloudtop Cruise's music is an arrangement of Gusty Garden Galaxy's music.
 * Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: There is a stage based on this game and Super Mario Galaxy 2, with the Starship Mario and Airship appearing in the background of the main stage. Rosalina is playable in this game, and her moves use objects from Super Mario Galaxy, such as Star Bits and Launch Stars.
 * Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition: Mario's Bee and Boo forms appear in this game as Helpers for the player's team, as well as Rosalina. Gusty Garden Galaxy's music is used for this game's credits.
 * Super Mario Maker: The victory and death themes from Super Mario Galaxy are used when the Rosalina costume completes a level or loses a life, respectively.
 * Mario Party: Star Rush: Gusty Garden Galaxy's theme appears as one of the songs in the Rhythm Recital mode for this game.
 * Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Bee Mushrooms can be found on tubes of honey. Peach shouting for Mario from this game can be heard whenever she is defeated in battle.
 * Super Mario Odyssey: A sprite of Rosalina can be found in the Dark Side and Darker Side. The jingle that plays when Mario collects a new power-up is reused for when the Odyssey is restored. Peach's call to Mario from this game is heard during the opening sequence after Mario is knocked off of Bowser's airship, but in a higher pitch. The regional coins in the Moon Kingdom are based on the shape of Star Bits.
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The Mario Galaxy stage returns in this game. Boo Mario, Luma, Hungry Luma, and Queen Bee appears as spirits using their artwork from Super Mario Galaxy.
 * Super Mario Maker 2: A sound effect that plays Gusty Garden Galaxy's theme is available.
 * Mario Kart Tour: Super Mario Galaxy's version of Ice Mario appears as a playable driver, Wii Rainbow Road and 3DS Rosalina's Ice World return as classic courses.
 * Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: An arrangement of the Comet Observatory theme, "Rosalina in the Observatory", can be heard during Rabbid Rosalina's first appearance in the game's trailer.

Trivia

 * Coincidentally, the title "Super Mario Galaxy" was first mentioned in a fan letter written to Nintendo Power by Jimmy Peterford of Glen Cove, New York in December 1991. The letter detailed a fantasy game console called the "Raw Power System", which would come bundled with a game named "Super Mario Galaxy", or in Peterford's words, would be "better known as Super Mario Bros. 24!"
 * An automated phone message sent to people who preordered the game at stated Super Mario Galaxy is a Mature-rated game.
 * The galaxy image in the Super Mario Galaxy wordmark derives from this photograph of the.
 * Super Mario Galaxy is an established model in for studies investigating how consistent engagement with interactive stimuli affects  in elderly people.
 * This game does not have a Dutch localization. Despite this, one single message in the game was translated, being the prompt to insert the Nunchuk into the Wii Remote.