Flying Mario

Flying Mario and Flying Luigi are forms taken by Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Galaxy. The form is first used when Mario returns to the Gateway Galaxy to collect 100 Purple Coins.

Mario can obtain this form only when he grabs a Red Star. In this form, Mario's cap and overalls become black, while his overall buttons and shoes turn red, but his shirt remains the same (Luigi undergoes the same changes except with dark green instead of black and with green instead of red). While Mario is in this form, spinning while jumping allows him to fly. This is similar to the Wing Cap ability from Super Mario 64, except the player has much more control and Mario can fly the whole time, rather than having to gain momentum first. This form also allows Mario to attract nearby coins and Star Bits by spinning. After a limited amount of time, Flying Mario will revert to normal Mario.

This form has many different controls. While Mario flies, the player can hold the button to hover in midair. The player can then change his direction by tilting around, and the light streaks he leaves behind go in front of him as a guide to where he will go. Pressing once while flying causes Mario to stop flying, do a somersault in the air, and fall to the ground slowly. The player can then press again to make Mario do a Ground Pound.

This power-up's uses are quite minimal since it can be used only at the Comet Observatory and the Gateway Galaxy. Within the Comet Observatory, if Mario talks to the Pink Lumas beside the Domes and causes the Launch Star to appear, Flying Mario can reach the warp to the galaxy without using the Launch Star. However, this works only with the Pink Lumas next to the Terrace and the Engine Room. Strangely, Flying Mario cannot access the planet containing the Trial Galaxies on his own. Mario will hit an invisible wall and fall back down to the Comet Observatory. This was most likely done to prevent the player from using Flying Mario to get to the Trial Galaxies before getting the three Green Stars.

On the Comet Observatory, the power-up can be used to get hidden 1-Up Mushrooms scattered around the area. One is at the very top of the spire, another one is under the Gate, and one is under the Library.

Flying Mario, Boo Mario, and Spring Mario are the only power-ups in Super Mario Galaxy that can be worn off and deactivated by a Launch Star. Flying Mario, however, can be deactivated only by the ones in the Comet Observatory, due to there being no Launch Stars in Gateway's Purple Coins.

While the power-up does not return in Super Mario Galaxy 2, it is still present in the game's data.