User:Nintendo101

Casual Nintendo historian. Otherwise an artist and a professional zoologist. Bio degree. I've had an account here since 2012.

I wrote the character sections for Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Super Mario Odyssey. I contributed much of the article for Super Mario Sunshine and am currently working on Super Mario Galaxy.

I have been a fan of Nintendo since a very young age. My first Mario games (and three of the first video games I ever owned) were Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, Super Mario 64 DS, and Mario Kart DS. These games were good company for a young kid who moved around a lot and had difficulty keeping long-lasting friends.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I sequentially played some of my favorite games in the Super Mario series to 100% completion. This includes, in order, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and Super Mario Odyssey. It's been really fun so far! These are great games, and I always wanted to marathon a series like this before but never had the time. It has been interesting to see where the series began and where it has ended up. The design philosophies, the characters, the art directions, world building, level design, narrative, etc. All good stuff. It might be fun to write something about it some day.

My favorite video game character is Yoshi.

Sandbox for current project

Comet Medals and Prankster Comets

No galaxy has more than one non-green Prankster Comet

Starship Mario

Main article: Starship Mario

Screenshot of the Starship Mario's Engine Room. Interior is one of the ways that progress is tracked.

Hub terraformed to look like Mario's head by Lubba

Rouge group of Lumas live on it, inc. Lubba and Baby Luma

As Mario progresses, power-ups are added to the engine room. Cloud Flower and Yoshi Egg become usable. Visual mark of progress.

Passengers

Another mark of progress - NPCs permently board the ship once specific criteria are met (what are they? Just finishing certain missions or are they tied to Power Stars?)

The NPCs share tricks on level progression and actions: some allude to late-game secrets, or are marks of progress for the player

As the Starship becomes more lively, the music becomes more flourished and complex

(include mini list for NPCs, unlock criteria, and their quotes - no pictures. The pictures for characters are in the following section)

No Piantas :<

No.	Name	Unlock criterion	Placement	Dialogue
01	Yoshi	Complete "Saddle Up with Yoshi".	tip of nose	none
02	Yellow Toad	Complete "Digga-Leg's Planet".	below right ear	"Hey--everyone's waiting for you on the Starshroom! We found a , so we're keeping it there for you."
03	Banktoad	Accumulate 7 Power Stars.	small patch of white flowers on the deck	"Hello from your friendly Banktoad! I can help share your stash of Star Bits with other adventurers!"
04	Mailtoad	Accumulate 13 Power Stars.	patch of red flowers on the deck	"Hello! I've held on to every I've recieved! Here--look…"
05	Star Bunny	Complete "Think Before You Shake".	under right ear lobe	"Shake when you're in midjump! Spinning will give you just a little more OOMPH! How do you think I jump so high, boiyoing? Try it with me!"
06	Honeybee	Complete "The Secret Wall Jump".	left of the middle engine	"Bet you'd like to know our secret… When we get coins in the air, we can fly farther!"
07	Penguin	Complete "Exploring the Cosmic Cavern".	back of the head, near the tea set	"Shake when you're in the water for a burst of speed! A lot of penguins don't know that…"
08	Jibberjay	Complete "Jungle Fluzzard Race".	near the path above the left sideburn	"Listen up! Listen up! There's a trick to going fast with Fluzzard! Point down to dive! Keep diving to go fast! Dive! Dive whenever you can! Fast! Fast!"
09	First Lumalee	Collect one Power Star in World 3.	Pipe Room in the left ear	"Lumalee! ♪ Lumalop! ♪ Welcome to the Luma Shop! Care to spin a Chance Cube for only 30 Star Bits?"
10	Whittle	Complete "Tall Trunk's Big Slide".	behind the left ear	"Collect many ? Comet arrive! First time in galaxy… Always one somewhere! Look hard."
11	Gold Gearmo	Complete "C'mere, Goomba".	at tea set	"I kinda dig those guys!"
12	Silver Gearmo	Complete "C'mere, Topman".	at tea set	"I just love the way those li'l red guys spin!"
13	Second Lumalee	Complete "The Magnificent Magma Sea".	Pipe Room in the left ear	"Care to spin 5 Chance Cubes for only 100 coins?"
14	Bob-omb Buddy	Complete "Return of the Whomp King".	near bridge, north of tea set	"Have you heard of this mythical, legendary world? It sounds like an amazing place, but I wonder how you get there…"
15	First Green Luma	Complete "Throwback Throwdown".	left of the stern, by the tree	"Seeking the cosmic jewels…it's been our lifelong pursuit… There is a saying that 'they can be found when all the stars have been collected…'"
16	Second Green Luma	Accumulate 120 Power Stars.	left of the stern, by the tree	"The universe is so full of joy… Have you ever seen a cosmic jewel? They have such a happy shine! And if you listen closely, you can hear the wonderful tinkling sound when one is nearby! Seriously!"
17	Rosalina	Complete "The Perfect Run".	big patch of white flowers on the deck	"I want to give you my thanks."

Items

Name	Description	Name	Description
Power Stars	Objects that are a source of energy for the Starship Mario. They are stolen by Bowser to create a galaxy of his own at the center of the universe. Collecting them completes missions and unlocks new levels.	+ Clocks	Clocks that only appear in galaxies when Speedy Comets are in orbit. Collecting one adds 10 seconds to the player's time limit.
Green Stars	Hidden, intermissionary Power Stars. Green Stars begin to appear in the galaxies after Mario has accumulated 120 yellow Power Stars. Rather than appear in dedicated missions, they are hidden in previously completed ones. One emits a celestial jingling sound when nearby, hinting at its location. Collecting one completes the mission. Grandmaster Galaxy is the only galaxy to lack any Green Stars. The final mission is unlocked once all 120 Green Stars have been collected.	Green Shells	Shells of green Koopa Troopas. Mario grabs one when he makes contact or spins near it. Shaking makes Mario throw it. Green Koopa Shells travel in a continuous forward trajectory and defeats enemies on contact. Holding a Shell while underwater makes Mario automatically propel forward at a faster speed than if he were to swim. A light emits from the front of the shell when underwater that helps orient the player. This light can defeat Snoodles.
Bronze Stars	Embronzed Power Stars and Grand Stars. These replace the normal yellow Power Stars if the Cosmic Spirit was used to complete a level. A Bronze Star contributes to the player's accumulated star total, but they are not able to unlock Grandmaster Galaxy. To do so requires completing every single level without the Cosmic Spirit's aide.	1-Up Mushrooms	Green mushrooms that give Mario an extra life when obtained. They also completely restore his life meter. It is sold at the Luma Shop.
Silver Stars	Small Stars that represent one-fifth of a Power Star and are contained in bubbles. Silver Stars squeal like Lumas and trail after Mario when he pops their bubbles. When five are collected, they merge to form a full Power Star.	Life Mushrooms	Red mushrooms that doubles the amount of bars in Mario's health meter from three to six. If Mario loses three bars, they cannot be restored. The life meter returns to just three bars when Mario completes the mission, even if at full health. This mushroom is sold at the Luma Shop.
Grand Stars	Giant Power Stars of considerable energy. They are usually in the possession of bosses. Collecting them creates a portal through "space and time" that enables the Starship Mario to travel to new worlds.	Chance Cubes	Die-like cubes that grant Mario access to different objects. Spinning into one causes it to launch and transform into an object based on which face of it is upward. Chance Cubes found in galaxies will either produce a 1-Up Mushroom, a Coin, a Star Bit, or a Goomba. The Lumalees on the Staship Mario will transform into a type of Chance Cube that instead grants Mario a Star Bit, one 1-Up Mushroom, three 1-Up Mushrooms, or five 1-Up Mushrooms. One Lumalee with transform into this Chance Cubes in exchange for 30 Star Bits. The other will transform into five in exchange for 100 coins.
Comet Medals	Large octagonal coins hidden in many galaxies. Collecting Comet Medals increases the odds of galaxies being orbited by Prankster Comets. Like Power Stars, Coins, and Star Bits, Comet Medals are a permanent collectible that do not respawn after being accumulated.	Yellow Star Chips	Star fragments that each represent one-fifth of a Launch Star. Collecting five causes them to merge into either depending on the environmental context.
Star Bits	Colorful celestial objects that are eaten by Lumas. They are found floating in space or raining from the sky. They are collected when Mario makes physical contact or when they are touched with the Star Cursor. The Star Cursor works like a reticle: pressing shoots a Star Bit at its on-screen positioning. Most enemies are stunned when struck by Star Bits. Shooting an idle Yoshi causes him to run off. Holding makes Star Bits fire continuously. Fired Star Bits cannot be recovered. Hungry Lumas encountered on the world map transform into galaxies when fed a requested number of Star Bits. Mario does not lose accumulated Star Bits if he loses a life during a mission, and they are added to his total when he returns to the Starship Mario. Collecting 100 Star Bits gives Mario an extra life. Larger concentrations of Star Bits called Star Piece Cluster Rocks are positioned in the path of Launch Stars and release seven Star Bits when broken.	Keys	Golden collectibles that grant access to new areas. Collecting one opens a corresponding glass domes.
Balloons	Colorful balloons suspended in midair. When struck by Mario, one breaks and releases five Star Bits that automatically home-in on him for immediate collection. A balloon can also be broken by shooting a Star Bit at it via the Star Cursor. Doing so causes the Star Bits it contains to fall to the ground.	Berries	Ground fruits eaten by Yoshi. Eating one releases a Star Bit. Eating ten gives Mario an extra life. When off of Yoshi, Mario can break a berry by ground-pounding it.
Rocks	Polygonal rocks. When Mario walks into a rock, he kicks it into the air. When it recollides with the ground, it breaks and releases a coin.	Giant fruits	Big berries fastened tightly to the ground. Pulling on one with Yoshi brings it into his mouth and releases six Star Bits. It also causes a Launch Star to appear where it sat.
Coins	Gold coins. Collecting one restores one bar to Mario's life meter. Collecting 100 during a mission and returning to Starship Mario gives Mario an extra life. If Mario loses a life during a mission, he loses all of the coins he collected within that specific mission. Hungry Lumas encountered in galaxies will transform into new planets and unlock a secret mission when fed a specified number of coins.	Coconuts	Green fruits. Spinning into one launches them forward like a projectile. Some enemies and bosses fire coconuts themselves.
Purple Coins	Coins that only appear in a galaxy when Purple Comets are in orbit. Missions involved Purple Coins are timed: collecting 100 Purple Coins pauses the timer and awards Mario with a Power Star.	Watermelons	Alternatives to coconuts that permanently replaces them once Mario accumulates 9999 Star Bits on one save file.
? Coins	Big coins with inconsistent properties. Making contact with one has different results depending on the level, but exactly what is not specified until it is touched. One can make a power-up, mushroom, note, or another ? Coin appear. They do not contribute to Mario's coin count.	Spin Drills	A drill that can be carried by Mario. Shaking causes Mario to tunnel through the earth and break through the other side if unobstructed. If Mario strikes a impenetrable obstacles launches him back the way he came. Some moves become unusable to Mario when he holds to Spin Drill, and he looses it when he is damaged by an enemy or uses a Launch Star. It is required to damage the boss Digga-Leg.
Notes	Music notes which can appear when Mario touches a ? Coin or uses a Ground-Pound Switch. They appear in trails in the immediate vicinity and disappear after a few seconds. Collecting every note before they can disappear awards Mario with a power-up, a mushroom, or a Power Star.	Yoshi's Eggs	The nested egg that holds Yoshi. Spinning into it releases Yoshi from the egg. Sometimes there are multiple Yoshi's Eggs in a galaxy, but they all disappear once Yoshi is released from one. If Mario is knocked-off of Yoshi, he will panic for a few seconds before being resealed into the egg and transported back to a nest.

Power-ups

The Ice Flower and Red Star are the only power-ups from the first Super Mario Galaxy to not return.

Power-up	Effect	Description
New power-ups
Cloud Flower		The Cloud Flower transforms Mario into Cloud Mario, which enables him to walk on clouds that he would otherwise be too heavy to stand on. Cloud Mario can also create up to three cloud platforms by shaking , but these platforms will disappear after a brief time. Mario's weight is reduced while Cloud Mario. Receiving damage or making contact with water makes Mario lose the power-up.
Rock Mushroom		Touching the Rock Mushroom transforms Mario into Rock Mario. Shaking causes him to morph into a boulder and roll, defeating most enemies on contact and breaking objects Mario would otherwise be unable to. Colliding with an object or wall causes Mario to stop rolling. The boss Rollodillo can only be damaged by Rock Mario. Receiving damage or using a Launch Star makes Mario lose the power-up.
Returning power-ups
Fire Flower		The Fire Flower transforms Mario into Fire Mario for thirty seconds. Shaking makes Mario toss a projectile fireball. The fire lights torches and defeats enemies on contact. The boss Squizzard can only be damaged by Fire Mario.
Bee Mushroom		Touching the Bee Mushroom transforms Mario into Bee Mario. Holding makes Mario hover and his movement is controlled by tilting . The Flying Meter depletes as Mario hovers. He falls when the Meter is empty, but it is refilled when he makes contact with the ground or wall. Bee Mario can cling to honey walls and stand on flower platforms. The radius of the spin move is reduced while Bee Mario. Receiving damage or making contact with water makes Mario lose the power-up.
Rainbow Star		Making contact with the Rainbow Star transforms Mario into Rainbow Mario for thirty seconds. He is invincible and can defeat enemies on contact. Running in this form makes Mario build speed and shortens the height of his jump. Attempting to collect a different power-up in this form will instead launch it up without collecting it.
Boo Mushroom		Mario is transformed into a Boo when he touches the Boo Mushroom. Shaking makes Boo Mario become intangible for five seconds, enabling him to phase through walls. Continuously pressing makes Boo Mario hover. The Boo Mushroom only appears in "Haunting the Howling Tower". Receiving damage makes Mario lose the power-up.
Spring Mushroom		Making contact with the Spring Mushroom transforms Mario into Spring Mario. Mario continuously jumps in this form. Pressing when he strikes the ground makes Spring Mario jump to a significantly great height. His horizontal movement is slowed in this state. The Spring Mushroom only appears in "Spring into the Chompworks". Receiving damage strips Mario of the power-up.

Yoshi's fruit

Power-up	Effect	Description
Dash Pepper		Eating the Dash Pepper transforms Yoshi into Dash Yoshi for eight seconds. He bursts with speed and will only stop if he collides with an obstacle or the power-up wears off, but his direction can be controlled by tilting . Dash Yoshi can ascend steep slopes and run across water.
Blimp Fruit		The Blimp Fruit transforms Yoshi into Blimp Yoshi. He inflated like a balloon and trickles out air from his mouth, causing Blimp Yoshi to slowly rise. His trajectory can be controlled by tilting . Yoshi returns to normal once the air meter is depleted, but its depletion can be slowed by holding . Doing so also keeps Blimp Yoshi from ascending. Yoshi also can return to normal by shaking .
Bulb Berry		The Bulb Berry causes Yoshi to illuminate light as Bulb Yoshi. The light exposes platforms that would otherwise be hidden and enables the player to use them. This form only lasts for only ten seconds, and the radius of Bulb Yoshi's light gradually depletes. The platforms disappear and can no longer be used once the ten seconds have passed. Eating another Bulb Berry before the time has ran out restores Bulb Yoshi's light and resets the timer.

Objects

Name	Description	Name	Description
Launch Stars	Floating Stars near the surface of planets that launch Mario to distant areas when spun near. Some yellow Lumas transform into Launch Stars when freed by Mario.	Flowers	description
Pull Stars	Floating Stars that are interacted with the Star Cursor. Moving the cursor over a Pull Stars and holding pulls Mario to it. Gently pressing again, pressing , or spinning releases Mario from the Pull Star. A Pull Star is at the center of every dome on the Comet Observatory. Blue Lumas can transform into them.	Sproutle Vines	Twisting vines that sprout from the base of defeated Piranha Plants. Mario grabs and swings up one by spinning. Sproutle Vines enable Mario to travel from one planetoid to another.
Sling Stars	Diminutive Launch Star-like objects that sling Mario towards a neighboring planet when spun near.	Cannons	Cannons that launch Mario to distant areas. They are accessed like pipes. Entering one shifts the screen perspective to inside the cannon and turns to Star Cursor into a reticle symbol. Aiming the cursor on screen and pressing fires Mario.
Pipes	Pipes going through the ground that transport Mario to new areas. He enters one when is pressed while on top of one. Some pipes lead Mario to otherworldly bonus areas.	Star Balls	Translucent orbs that contain Power Stars. Mario takes control of one when he jumps on top of it. The ball is steered by shifting . Reaching the goal causes the Star Ball to break and release its Power Star.
Teleporters	description	Banandelions	Tall dandelions. Mario grabs onto one by spinning. Continuing to spin makes Mario ascend up the flower like a Sproutle Vine and flings him.
Checkpoint Flags	description	Floaty Fluffs	Short dandelions that are carried on gusts of wind. Mario grabs onto one by spinning. It slowly descends as it floats. It ascends briefly by shaking , but only up to four times. Pressing makes Mario let go of the Floaty Fluff.
? Blocks	Floating blocks that contain a finite number of items (see above). One releases its content when Mario jumps underneath it. ? Blocks that contain coins and some that have Star Bits can be jumped under in rapid succession to release more than one. Most ? Blocks become empty blocks when there contents are exhausted. There are ? Blocks containing Star Bits that burst immediately when jumped under. Some are invisible and only become viewable once interacted with.	Leaf Rafts	description
Flying ? Blocks	description	Springboards	description
Brick Blocks	Blocks. Some are Coin Blocks that contain multiple coins like ? Blocks. Others are empty and fall apart when jumped under.	Trampolines	Springboards which bounce Mario high in the air. Ground-pounding the surface of a trampoline launches Mario higher.
Ice blocks	description	Drums	description
Blocks	Blocks that contain nothing and cannot be broken. Coin Blocks and some ? Blocks become these when their contents are exhausted.	Zipper gates	Underwater rings. Swimming through one gives Mario a burst of speed.
Crates	Wooden boxes which rest on the ground. They contain items or Goombas. They release their contents when spun near or ground-pounded, which breaks the Crate.	Poles	Climbable poles. Mario clings to one by jumping onto it. He can ascend, descend, and change which face of the pole he is one by moving . Pressing makes Mario jump from whichever face he is on.
Treasure Boxes	Wooden treasure chests that contain items. One opens when a Koopa Shells is thrown at it.	Trees	description
Crystals	Crystalline minerals which are broken when spun into. Most crystals are small, contain Star Bits, and are broken with a single spin. Others are large, contain Power Stars, and require three spins to be broken.	Honey walls	Hexagonal panels attached to the side of walls within levels. Mario can cling and crawl on them, but only while in his bee form.
Rubbery bulbs	Bulbous plants similar to roly-poly toys. They can be used to break objects and defeat enemies. Spinning into one flings it forward and return with the same force exerted. Mario receives knockback if hit by the rebound. The plants rebound is halted if it collides with an enemy or object. They are comparable to the prickly plant enemies.	Trapezes	Swings made out of vines and flowers. Mario grabs onto one automatically when he makes contact with it. Moving back-and-forth makes him swing. A swing bar can be used to bring Mario over gaps between platforms.
Rock circles / Shell Circles	description	Tornados	A vortex of desert winds that moves back-and-forth along a set path. Making contact will trap Mario within its gusts, but this does not damage him. Mario is propelled high into the air like a bamboo-copter if he tries to spin.
Snowballs	description	Beat Blocks	description
Ice sculptures	description	Pink bricks	description
Cages	description	Rotating lifts	description
Bull's-eyes	description	Lifts	description
Coin spots	description	Tiles of ice	description
Stumps	Tree stumps. Ground-pounding one either produces items or triggers events that enable level progression, like Ground-Pound Switches.	Clouds	description
Cymbal	description	Flowers	description
Puzzle blocks	description	Giant grapes	description
Picture blocks	description	Assembly Blocks	description
Meteorites	description	Teeter-totter moon	description
Grates	description	Gates	description
Flipswitch Panels	Blue ? panels that turn into yellow ! ones when Mario steps on them. Stepping on all of the panels in a confined area triggers access to a new area or the appearance of a Power Star.	Divots	description
Flipping panels	description	Ramps	description
Red and blue blocks	description	Ice	description
Blue Switches	description	Nails	description
Ground-Pound Switches	Buttons that trigger a change in the surrounding environment when Mario ground-pounds into them. A Ground-Pound Switch is only useable once. There are wooden and stone variants that are destroyed when activated. The symbol on their button's face also appears on the abdomen of Mandibugs and the backs of Whomps.	Windmills	description
Lever Switches	Levers that physically change the surrounding area, usually by granting Mario access to a new area by making a door or bridge appear. Mario uses one by spinning near it.	Boards	description
Arrow Switches	Mounted arrow-shaped levers that shifts the gravitational pull from the floor to the ceiling. They only occur in portions of levels on a two-dimensional plane.	Star Barriers	description
Handles	description	Beacon	description