Launch Star

A Launch Star is a major item in both Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Launch Stars are large (usually orange) stars that hover just above the ground of a planet, though occasionally they can also appear floating in the air above a planet, or just floating in space. They can only be activated by shaking the Wii Remote and causing Mario to spin when he is either in or next to a Launch Star, though any Launch Stars in the level will visibly spin when the Wii Remote is shaken, regardless of whether or not he is necessarily close to one. When activated, a Launch Star will catapult Mario to another planet or planets.

Launch Stars are not always readily available for Mario to use. In some cases, Mario must complete a certain task or objective before the Launch Star will appear, such as collecting five yellow Star Chips, eliminating all the enemies on a particular planet, or freeing a yellow Luma from an ice crystal. In addition, yellow Lumas are also able to transform into Launch Stars independently, though this is more common in Super Mario Galaxy 2 (the player will usually have to free the Luma from a cage before they will transform into a Launch Star, though this is not always the case). It is revealed in this game that these Lumas still retain the ability to talk to Mario while in Launch Star form.

Launch Stars often let Mario fly through space for a short time before landing on another planet, unlike their smaller sister items, Sling Stars, which often fling Mario directly to another planet, with very little space in between. While flying through space, Mario will occasionally hit a floating Star Crystal that has been placed directly in the path of the Launch Star, which will often release multiple Star Bits that will float around Mario until he lands on the planet. Mario can collect these Star Bits by touching them with the Star Cursor.

In Super Mario Galaxy, the first time Mario uses a Launch Star, the path of the Launch Star will originally be invisible, but will be traced out in space as Mario is flying to the next planet. However, if Mario later returns to a Launch Star that he has already used to travel to another planet, the path will be visible before he uses it. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, the path of each Launch Star that Mario uses appears before he uses it for the first time, as well as each time he uses it following the first time. One exception to this is in the Grandmaster Galaxy, where no path is projected.

After Mario feeds a Hungry Luma, it will transform into a new planet or galaxy and leave behind a pink Launch Star leading to that planet. The only Hungry Luma that will not leave behind a Launch Star after being fed is the one that transforms into the Hurry-Scurry Planet in the Sea Slide Galaxy (Mario must use a cannon to reach the planet instead). There is also a green Launch Star located onboard the Comet Observatory that will take Mario to the Planet of Trials when activated. This one, as well as the Launch Stars on the Planet of Trials, are the only green Launch Stars in the enitre game.

In Mario Kart Wii, a single large Launch Star appears in Rainbow Road, where it acts as a cannon and shoots racers into a rainbow tunnel and through another large Launch Star at the end (the second Launch Star does not launch racers however). The railing of this course also has multiple Launch Stars on it.

Mario Kart 7
A Launch Star appears on the Rainbow Road course. You find it when being launched in the air and the racer goes through the Launch Star and doesn't get launched but the Launch Star does spin.

Trivia

 * In Super Mario Galaxy, there are three distinct Launch Star colors that appear: the normal orange, pink (after feeding a Hungry Luma), and green (leading to the Planet of Trials and the Trial Galaxies). In Super Mario Galaxy 2 however, only orange and pink Launch Stars make an appearance.
 * Note that for orange Launch Stars, the path leading to the next planet will always be translucent blue, while pink Launch Stars will have translucent pink paths, and green launch stars will have translucent green paths.
 * The green Launch Star located on the Comet Observatory in Super Mario Galaxy is the only Launch Star between the two games that is actually inaccessible the first time it is encountered. It can only be restored after Mario has collected all three Green Power Stars hidden throughout the game.
 * When Mario stands directly under a Launch Star, the gravity of the Launch Star will pull Mario into the center of it automatically. If the player does not shake the Wii Remote after a few seconds, the Launch Star will release Mario and he will touch down on the ground again.
 * When activating a Launch Star, the player does not need to position Mario directly in the center before shaking the Wii Remote. In fact, almost every Launch Star will work as long as Mario is only relatively close to the Launch Star, though not exactly touching it.
 * After a Launch Star has been activated, a sound like a harp being played can be heard while Mario flies through space. This will only last for a few seconds, and will happen each time Mario uses a Launch Star.
 * When a Launch Star spins, it will not rotate perfectly on its axis, but will rather appear to wobble back and forth slightly while spinning around.
 * In Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, occasionally a Launch Star will be trapped in an Item Crystal or cage which prevents the player from using it immediately. When a Launch Star is trapped inside an obstacle, it will appear much smaller than it would normally be, and will actually be about the size of a Sling Star. It is only when the obstacle is removed that the Launch Star will return to its normal size.
 * Note that just as the player is able to shake the Wii Remote during a level to make every Launch Star in the level spin no matter how close Mario is to it, the player can also make every Launch Star spin by shaking the Wii Remote during the level overview after selecting a mission in a galaxy, even though Mario is not in the galaxy yet, and so cannot use them. The same thing will also happen with Sling Stars.