Castle Gardens

The Castle Gardens is an area featured in Super Mario Galaxy. The Castle Gardens is a large plaza located directly outside Princess Peach's Castle in the Mushroom Kingdom, and was the site of the kingdom's centennial Star Festival depicted in the game. The entrance to the Gardens features a gate guarded by two Toads. The area contains stone pathways lined with star-shaped lampposts, as well as sections of green grass filled with flowers of various colors. The central plaza of the Castle Gardens is lined with various buildings, presumably inhabited by at least some of the Toads that celebrated the centennial Star Festival in the game. The Castle Gardens also features a fountain with a statue of a Star in the middle, located next to a small body of water. During the Star Festival of Super Mario Galaxy, the Castle Gardens were decorated with blue flags depicting stars, which were hung from lampposts, and multicolor banners featuring pictures of Mushrooms, stringed from the top of buildings to lampposts to treetops. Based on the location of the Gardens, and the numerous buildings and Toads located in the plaza, the Castle Gardens may also be located in Toad Town.

During the events of Super Mario Galaxy, Toads from around the Mushroom Kingdom gathered in the Castle Gardens to celebrate the centennial Star Festival. During the celebration, Toads collected Star Bits that had fallen from the sky, and generally enjoyed the festive atmosphere of the night. Mario, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, was the last guest to arrive at the Castle Gardens for the Star Festival. Shortly after arriving, the Koopa King Bowser attacked the Castle Gardens with a fleet of Airships. The Airships indiscriminately fired their cannons on the plaza, demolishing several buildings and even destroying the Star sculpture in the center of the plaza's fountain. The attack also started fires throughout the Gardens. Many Toads panicked during the assault, while several others were trapped inside strange crystals launched by the Airships. Bowser's attack was part of his overall plan to kidnap Princess Peach in order to rule a galactic empire with Peach by his side. As Peach cried for help, Mario rushed to her castle, but was ultimately separated from the Princess, ending up in the Gateway Galaxy in orbit around the Mushroom World. Peach, and her castle, were captured by the Koopa Troop and warped to the center of the universe, Bowser's new base of operations. The Castle Gardens remained in ruins.

Due to unforeseen events, the Castle Gardens, along with the rest of the universe, was completely destroyed by Bowser's supermassive black hole located in the center of the universe. However, the universe was quickly reconstituted, due to the sacrifice of the Lumas. At the end of the game, Mario awakens to daylight in the Castle Gardens, alongside Princess Peach and Bowser. Everything had returned to normal, and the Castle Gardens were restored to as they were before the destructive assault by Bowser's Airships. Various characters Mario encountered in his adventures across the universe, including friends like Queen Bee and foes like Dino Piranha, gathered in the Castle Gardens to celebrate the rebirth of the universe.

After Mario and Luigi collected all 120 Power Stars independently of each other, the two could visit the reconstituted Castle Gardens by visiting the Grand Finale Galaxy, the location of their homeworld and the Mushroom Kingdom. The Toads, along with the friendly races Mario and Luigi befriended on their journeys, (such as the Bees, the Penguins, and the Gearmos,) were once again celebrating the nighttime Star Festival. The Toad Brigade and their spaceship the Starshroom also made an appearance at the celebration. Mario or Luigi could collect the one hundred Purple Coins scattered across the Castle Gardens to make the final Power Star appear.