Blasting through the Sand

Blasting through the Sand is the second mission of the Dusty Dune Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy.

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The player starts back on the same platforms as in the last mission, though this time there are no Dry Bones or tornadoes. Collecting the single coin in the center of the larger platform will cause five Pokey Heads to appear, and defeating them all will cause a Pokey to appear. Defeating it by attacking its head will cause a Launch Star to appear, which will send Mario to the next group of planets. The next planets are a group of sand platforms and a wooden ring with boulders rolling along it. In the center is a Sling Star that will send Mario flying around to another Sling Star that will lead to long planets with flowing sand. The second of the planets is a large ring of flowing sand and the player has to collect five Blue Star Chips, one of which is in a Treasure Chest that can be opened with a Green Shell. Collecting all five will create Pull Stars near the chest, leading to a large planet.

The next planet splits in two directions, and the player has to decide which path to take, though both consist of moving and sinking platforms. The right path leads to a Launch Star, and the path on the left has two Eye Beamers above it that emit an electrical beam that will shock Mario if he comes into contact with it, with the Warp Pipe at the end leading to a room where the player can collect notes and earn three 1-Up Mushrooms. Both paths will ultimately lead to a planet with many stone platforms, though the path taken on the previous planet will determine what side on this planet the player will start on. The paths have many Bone Twisters the player can use to reach higher objects, though two Bone Twisters have spiked objects around them that will hurt Mario. Ground Pounding a switch on the side with the lighter-colored stones will create platforms on the side with the darker stones the player can use to reach the Power Star.

It is also possible to get the Power Star without using the switch. However, doing that requires an extremely precise triple jump followed by a perfectly timed spin.