Starship Mario

Starship Mario is a Mario-head-shaped planet and space craft in Super Mario Galaxy 2 used to travel across the universe. Although notably smaller than the previous games' hub areas, it serves as the hub of the game and has, more or less, replaced the Comet Observatory from the first game. Other than its smaller size, another difference from the Observatory is that it also has changing backgrounds, the appearance of which depend on the world that it is currently in.

While on the Starship, Mario is able to explore and interact with various non-playable characters, including Lubba and the Co-Star Luma. Some other characters in the game appear after certain Stars are collected or a specific goal is met. Much like Delfino Plaza from Super Mario Sunshine, Mario can ride Yoshi here. The egg which contains him is located on the "nose" of the starship, after rescuing Yoshi in Yoshi Star Galaxy. Various power-ups, such as the Fire Flower and Rock Mushroom, begin to appear on display after they are used to obtain certain Power Stars. The Cloud Flower, one of the appearing power-ups, is the only power-up that can be used on the ship. The Toad Brigade's ship also stays close to the starship.

The starship's main purpose, though, is to allow Mario to travel between and select galaxies to visit. To leave the starship and go to the world map, one must step up to a ship's wheel near the top, in front of which is a small weight-activated button. When pressed, the button sends the player to the world map, from where he/she can select galaxies.

Character List
Below is a full list of the characters that make an appearance on the Starship Mario.