CONTENTS / POWER STAR CHECKLIST
THE TERRACE
Gateway Galaxy
Grand Star Rescue ❒
GatewayÂ’s Purple Coins ❒
Good Egg Galaxy
Dino Piranha ❒
A Snack of Cosmic Proportions ❒
King KalienteÂ’s Battle Fleet ❒
Purple Coin Omelet ❒
Dino Piranha Speed Run ❒
Luigi on the Roof ❒
Honeyhive Galaxy
Bee Mario Takes Flight ❒
Trouble on the Tower ❒
Big Bad Bugaboom ❒
Honeyhive Cosmic Mario Race ❒
Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom ❒
The HoneyhiveÂ’s Purple Coins ❒
Loopdeloop Galaxy
Surfing 101 ❒
Flipswitch Galaxy
Painting The Planet Yellow ❒
Sweet Sweet Galaxy
Rocky Road ❒
Bowser JrÂ’s Robot Reactor
MegalegÂ’s Moon ❒
THE FOUNTAIN
Space Junk Galaxy
Pull Star Path ❒
KamellaÂ’s Airship Attack ❒
TarantoxÂ’s Tangled Web ❒
Pull Star Path Speed Run ❒
YoshiÂ’s Unexpected Appearance ❒
Purple Coin Spacewalk ❒
Battlerock Galaxy
Battlerock Barrage ❒
Breaking into the Battlerock ❒
Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe ❒
BattlerockÂ’s Garbage Dump ❒
TopmaniacÂ’s Daredevil Run ❒
Luigi under the Saucer ❒
Purple Coins on Battlerock ❒
Rolling Green Galaxy
Rolling in the Clouds ❒
Hurry-Scurry Galaxy
Shrinking Satellite ❒
BowserÂ’s Star Reactor
The Fiery Stronghold ❒
Sling Pod Galaxy
A Very Sticky Situation ❒
THE KITCHEN
Beach Bowl Galaxy
Sunken Treasure ❒
Passing the Swim Test ❒
The Secret Undersea Cavern ❒
Wall Jumping Up Waterfalls ❒
Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone ❒
Beachcombing for Purple Coins ❒
Ghostly Galaxy
Luigi and the Haunted Mansion ❒
A Very Spooky Spirit ❒
Beware of Bouldergeist ❒
Matter Splatter Mansion ❒
BouldergeistÂ’s Daredevil Run ❒
Purple Coins in the Bone Pen ❒
Drip Drop Galaxy
Giant Eel Outbreak ❒
Buoy Base Galaxy
The Floating Fortress ❒
The Secret of Buoy Base ❒
Bubble Breeze Galaxy
Through the Poison Swamp ❒
Bowser JrÂ’s Airship Armada
Sinking the Airships ❒
THE BEDROOM
Gusty Garden Galaxy
Bunnies in the Wind ❒
The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows ❒
Gusty GardenÂ’s Gravity Scramble ❒
Major BurrowÂ’s Daredevil Run ❒
The Golden Chomp ❒
Purple Coins on the Puzzle Cube ❒
Freezeflame Galaxy
The Freezy Peak of Baron Brrr ❒
Conquering the Summit ❒
FreezeflameÂ’s Blistering Core ❒
Hot and Cold Collide ❒
Frosty Cosmic Mario Race ❒
Purple Coins on the Summit ❒
Dusty Dune Galaxy
Soaring on the Desert Winds ❒
Blasting through the Sand ❒
Treasure of the Pyramid ❒
Sunbaked Sand Castle ❒
Bullet Bill on Your Back ❒
Sand Blast Speed Run ❒
Purple Coins in the Desert ❒
Honeyclimb Galaxy
Scaling the Sticky Wall ❒
Bigmouth Galaxy
BigmouthÂ’s Gold Bait ❒
BowserÂ’s Dark Matter Reactor
Darkness on the Horizon ❒
THE ENGINE ROOM
Gold Leaf Galaxy
Star Bunnies on the Hunt ❒
Cataquack to the Skies ❒
When It Rains, It Pours ❒
The Bell on the Big Tree ❒
Cosmic Mario Forest Race ❒
Purple Coins in the Woods ❒
Sea Slide Galaxy
Going After Guppy ❒
Faster than a Speeding Penguin ❒
The Silver Stars of Sea Slide ❒
Hurry, HeÂ’s Hungry ❒
Underwater Cosmic Mario Race ❒
Purple Coins by the Seaside ❒
Toy Time Galaxy
Heavy-Metal Mecha Bowser ❒
Mario Meets Mario ❒
Bouncing Down Cake Lake ❒
The Flipswitch Chain ❒
Fast Foes of Toy Time ❒
MarioÂ’s Purple Coins ❒
Bonefin Galaxy
KingfinÂ’s Fearsome Waters ❒
Sand Spiral Galaxy
Choosing a Favourite Snack ❒
Bowser JrÂ’s Lava Reactor
King KalienteÂ’s Spicy Return ❒
THE GARDEN
Deep Dark Galaxy
The Underground Ghost Ship ❒
Boo in a Box ❒
Bubble Blastoff ❒
Ghost Ship Daredevil Run ❒
Guppy and the Underground Lake ❒
Plunder the Purple Coins ❒
Dreadnought Galaxy
Infiltrating the Dreadnought ❒
DreadnoughtÂ’s Colossal Cannons ❒
Revenge of the Topman Tribe ❒
DreadnoughtÂ’s Garbage Dump ❒
Topman Tribe Speed Run ❒
BattlestationÂ’s Purple Coins ❒
Melty Molten Galaxy
The Sinking Lava Spire ❒
Through the Meteor Storm ❒
Fiery Dino Piranha ❒
Burning Tide ❒
Lava Spire Daredevil Run ❒
Red Hot Purple Coins ❒
Matter Splatter Galaxy
Watch Your Step ❒
Snow Cap Galaxy
Star Bunnies in the Snow ❒
BowserÂ’s Star Reactor
The Fate of the Universe ❒
Loopdeswoop Galaxy
The GalaxyÂ’s Greatest Wave ❒
Bubble Blast Galaxy
The Electric Labyrinth ❒
Rolling Gizmo Galaxy
Gizmos, Gears and Gadgets ❒
BooÂ’s Boneyard Galaxy
Racing the Spooky Speedster ❒
Grand Finale Galaxy
The Star Festival ❒
GENERAL ADVICE YOU SHOULDNÂ’T LEAVE THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM WITHOUT
Game structure
The game is arranged into groups of galaxies – each group is housed within one room in
the main Comet Observatory, and there are six groups in all. Hop into a galaxy to collect
Power Stars: these in turn will unlock new galaxies. But the only way to unlock new groups
of galaxies is to complete the big boss battles. Clear?
There are 120 Stars in all (plus one super-secret Star). YouÂ’ll need to re-enter
galaxies to collect them all: most of the main galaxies have six or seven Power Stars;
secret bonus galaxies have one or two. BUT, just to confuse thingsÂ…
A word about Comets
Â… youÂ’ll need to watch out for Comets. There are five types in all, and when they
settle over a galaxy theyÂ’ll activate a special Power Star thatÂ’s related to their
type. Comets appear after every other Power Star you collect – so if you can’t see
any on the map, just bag a Power Star (it can be one youÂ’ve already collected) and
theyÂ’ll reappear. The five types areÂ…
Speedy Comet: This comet challenges you to complete a level against the clock.
Daredevil Comet: This one challenges you to defeat a boss with just one health segment
– and you won’t find any coins or Mushrooms to bump your health back up. Tricky.
Cosmic Comet: The mysterious Cosmic Mario will challenge you to a race across a level.
Fast Foe Comet: Pretty rare, this – but when it appears, you’ll be asked to
complete a section of a level with everything speeded up like mad.
Purple Coin Comet: The Purple Coin Comet only appears after youÂ’ve collected 60 Stars
and defeated the final boss. And it appears a lot. It distributes 100 Purple Coins across
a level, and challenges you to find and collect them all – sometimes against the
clock.
Handy moves
Long Jump
As youÂ’re running forward, duck by pressing Z, then quickly press A. This can fling
Mario across some very wide gaps – and you can waggle the remote to spin at any time,
which a) provides a bit of extra lift/height at the end of the jump or b) stops you
mid-jump to prevent you overshooting. Note too that MarioÂ’s very responsive to mid-air
twists and turns: wiggle the analogue and experiment.
Back Flip
Stand still. Hold Z to duck. Press A. You’ll jump backwards – high. This is the
tallest of Mario’s jumps. Again, you can spin at the top for extra height –
crucial for collecting some of the gameÂ’s highest coins, power-ups and items.
Side Flip
This takes a bit of practice if youÂ’re not a Mario 64 veteran. Run in one direction,
then quickly flick the stick in the opposite direction and press A. Get it right and Mario
will execute a high backwards leap. ItÂ’s not as high as the Back Flip, mind. Again,
spin for extra height at the top.
Wall Jump
Jump against a wall and press A as you hit it: Mario will bounce off in the opposite
direction. Spin at the top for extra height – and, if you push back against the wall,
another opportunity to wall jump. Dead handy for clawing your way back onto a platform if
you fall off.
THE BEGINNING
GATEWAY GALAXY
Star 1: Grand Star Rescue ❒
A big NGamer welcome to Super Mario Galaxy. This is going to be fun. But before we can get
properly started on our Star-collecting quest, thereÂ’s some rabbit huntinÂ’ to be
done.
So: chase the rabbit. HeÂ’ll actually slow down after a bit, so donÂ’t think
you’re rubbish if it takes a while. You’ll then need to chase three rabbits –
oneÂ’s down the green pipe nearby; the otherÂ’s found by jumping down the big hole
with the coin atop it. Hop up the little tower that appears and have a chat with your new
friend and possible Peach love-rival Rosalina. She’ll bestow Luma power on you –
which means you can now waggle the remote to spin like a top. Try it on that big block of
ice in front of you, then jump into the golden Launch Star and – whoosh –
youÂ’ll be blasted off to another planet. YouÂ’ll be doing a lot of that in Super
Mario Galaxy.
New planetoid, then. The idea here is to find the five Star Chips thatÂ’ll create the
Launch Star out of here. One of them’s trapped in ice – smash with your spin
attack as before. Then hop into the Launch Star.
Chat with the Luma trapped in the cage next, then see off all the Goombas to get the key
that unlocks him. HeÂ’ll transform into another Launch Star. This sucks you over to
another Goomba-infested planet: spin-attack the large spike to knock the big fella over,
then kick him to bag the key. Now pop down the pipe.
This bitÂ’s easy: just run all around this area, activating every panel you see,
dodging the Goombas and electric barriers. ThisÂ’ll unlock the Grand Star at the
centre. Now the adventure proper can start.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• Goombas give out Star Bits if you spin-attack them; a coin if you stomp them.
• Grey Goombas are slower and less aggressive than their brown counterparts.
• A Backflip (crouch with Z, then press A) can get you to the 1Up on the Star Chip
planetoid.
• Revisit Grand Star Rescue later to see the fancy-schmancy transparent version of the
Grand Star.
Star 2: GatewayÂ’s Purple Coins ❒
You won’t be able to access this star until much later in the game – so skip
forward to the Good Egg Galaxy if you donÂ’t want to spoil one of the gameÂ’s best
secrets.
So. Once you’ve unlocked the fifth area of the Comet Observatory – the Engine Room
– you’ll find a little house has been unlocked on the way up (drop off the top of
the steps to the Bedroom and run into the little transport device at the end of the brown
platform). This provides access back to Grand Star Rescue – but there’s also a new
star. Which is what weÂ’re about to describe.
Run up the tower and chat with the Red Luma. He’ll create a Red Star, which –
hurrah – lets you fly. Grab it – now jump, then spin, and you’re off. There
are 100 coins to collect in all (the Red Star reappears once flight power runs out;
thereÂ’s another on the ground, too). Nabbing them all unlocks the Power Star at the
peak of the tower.
BOOÂ’S BONEYARD GALAXY
Access: Luma outside Gateway entrance – feed with 1200 Star Bits.
Star 1: Racing the Spooky Speedster ❒
As above: once the entrance back to the Gateway has appeared (after youÂ’ve unlocked
the Engine Room), you can ‘pay’ the hungry Luma outside to open up this Galaxy.
Jump in the golden pipe on the skull to reach the racing Boo, grabbing the Boo Mario
powerup on the way and waggling to get through the solid walls. The race is nice and easy
if you learn to waggle just before each solid platform, and always take the lower routes
heading straight down. Beat Boo and thatÂ’s a Power Star for you.
THE TERRACE
GOOD EGG GALAXY
Access: 1 Star
Star 1: Dino Piranha ❒
You’ll land on a central ‘hub’ that you’ll be returning to several teams
in this Galaxy. But for now there’s only one real ‘route’ open – and
thatÂ’s the bridge off to the left. Follow it around, up, and to a little Luma. Talk to
him and heÂ’ll turn into a Launch Star, letting you reach the one above. It leads to
what we at NGamer call ‘Peanut Planet’. BECAUSE WE CAN.
Collect the five Star Chips here – avoiding the rolling lava-rocks – then shoot
off to the little green bean-shaped planetoid. Spin-attack the Piranha Plant to create a
Sproutle Vine that you can climb (waggle the Wii remote like an idiot). Then hop onto the
square chequered platform on the next planetoid to reach a Piranha Plant in a pipe, who
doesnÂ’t respond well to a spin attack. Drop down his pipe.
This bitÂ’s simple enough: just colour all the blue tiles yellow by stepping on them.
The Launch Star thatÂ’s created shoots you to another small bean-shaped island: hop up
the tiny block mountain, and use the Launch Star at the top to reach Mr Dino Piranha.
HeÂ’s his own worst enemy, this fella. Spin-attack the rock on the end of his tail and
heÂ’ll emerge from his egg. Then repeat. Three times. And he dies. Grab the Power Star,
and weÂ’re on our way.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• The little Star Bit meteor showers continue indefinitely as long as you hang around
the Luma on the lower, darker side of the starting island
• The orange pipe on the underside leads to a little room where you can grab a 1-Up:
more on this later.
• You can smash the lava-rocks – just spin-attack when their lava side is facing
you.
• There’s a 1-Up round the back of the grey staircase on the way to Dino.
• That big rectangular cannon that’s pumping out lava rocks? You can leap on top
with a Back Flip, then jump straight up to the next island. Saves needlessly killing a
Piranha Plant, eh?
• When you see the mysterious footprints in the sand, spin-attack as close as possible
to them to uncover a monster. Kill him for a metric tonne of Star Bits.
Star 2: A Snack of Cosmic Proportions ❒
Back to the initial ‘hub’ then, but this time you’re going to run down the
righthand path rather than the lefthand one. Hop up the steps – bashing the blue
bouncing fella on the way – then continue up the twisting path to meet a blue Luma.
He’ll transform into a series of Pull Stars – by pointing at these with the Wii
remote and pressing A, you can drag Mario from star to star, and up to the Launch Star.
On the next pear-shaped planetoid, smash open the icy stalacmites to find the next Launch
Star. You’ll fly through another Launch Star as you soar – wiggle as you pass
through to land on a giant Yoshi egg.
There’s a hungry Luma here. You’ll be needing to feed him 100 Star Bits – run
around the egg collecting more if you havenÂ’t got enough. Once heÂ’s had his fill
heÂ’ll transform into a new planetoid, and leave a Launch Star behind that you can use
to reach it.
Climb to the top of this little ‘mountain’ – the Side Flip (run, then press Z
while quickly doubling back on yourself) should come in handy here. If those red spiky
plants are blocking your path, waggle near the green balls to fling them their way,
smashing them to bits. YouÂ’ll reach a Launch Star at the top, which gets you over to
that enticing-looking transparent capsule youÂ’ve glimpsed already.
The entrance is on the side, near the opposite end. Inside, itÂ’s a brain-befuddling
upside-downey nightmare: just keep running to the right, letting gravity take you where it
wants. The important thing is to not let the rising blocks push you back down at any
point.
Another Launch Star at the top, which catapults you over to a star-shaped platform. This
bitÂ’s easy: just scamper around and upside-down until youÂ’ve found all five blue
Star Chips, then stand opposite a blue star in a way that means, when you grab onto it,
youÂ’re dragged straight to the Star.
Star 3: King KalienteÂ’s Battle Fleet ❒
Back to the hub, then: thereÂ’s a Launch Star on the roof of the house ahead. The
entrance is actually down below on the dark side of the hub: enter the gold pipe, then
scamper around the walls to reach the exit in the ceiling. But if youÂ’re feeling
acrobatic, stand in front of the house, do a Back Flip up to the roof (youÂ’ll need an
extra spin), then jump and spin again to reach the top.
The small beach you land on is home to a spiky red plant. Kick a melon at it with a
spin-attack, then jet out of there. The next little planet is the same deal, except with a
Pokey where the spiky red plant should be. Ignore the Chomps on the next globe and go
straight for the next Launch Star.
The large Torpedo Ted-infested island isn’t too scary – just climb the steps and
smash the icy stalacmite to access the Launch Star. YouÂ’ll land on a pirate ship, with
two big basts blasting melons at you. You get the idea: spin-attack at the right moment to
pelt them back in their faces. This drops the bridge to a small staircase and another
ice-encased Launch Star.
ThatÂ’s about it for the lead-up to King Kaliente: heÂ’ll burst from the lava on the
very next planetoid. Dodge his fireballs, then spin-attack the melon he blasts at you
– it’ll shoot straight for at his bonce. You’ll need to repeat this a few
times – but he’ll start batting the melons right back at you, so be ready to
spin-attack twice or three times.
Grab that Star!
Star 4: Dino Piranha Speed Run (Speedy Comet) ❒
Simply, four minutes to complete everything you did in Star 1 – which shouldn’t
tax you too much. Run!
Star 5: Purple Coin Omelet (Purple Coin Comet) ❒
This is the first of the 100-coin challenges, where the game plonks Purple Coins all over
an existing galaxy, and tasks you with grabbing them all.
This oneÂ’s pretty simple, but hereÂ’s a quick guide.
• You should be up to 15 coins on the first planetoid before Launch Starring out of
there and activating the second Launch Star – taking your total to 30.
• Get up to 45 on the Yoshi Egg, then Launch away – you’ll be up to 65 when
you land.
• Take your total to 80 on the planet of rolling rocks, then smash open the Launch
Star. Take the next launch star, too, and thatÂ’s 100.
Star 6: Luigi on the Roof ❒
You can only go for this Star after youÂ’ve a) rescued Luigi in Ghostly Galaxy and b)
received your first “I’m lost!” postcard from the little mailman near Rosalina
at the Comet Observatory.
Done that? Then youÂ’re around 10 seconds away from the Star. Get on top of the roof on
the initial Good Egg Galaxy ‘hub’ (instructions in Star 3). There’s Luigi, and
thereÂ’s your Star.
HONEYHIVE GALAXY
Access: 3 Stars
Star 1: Bee Mario Takes Flight ❒
Yay – it’s Bee Mario time! Head straight forward and scamper over to the big gold
coin in the fountain. ThisÂ’ll activate the Bee Mario powerup down below. Grab it and
float up to the top of the waterfall – avoiding enemies and water, as they’ll both
frazzle your suit.
Through the tunnel, hop into the hole and down the slide. ItÂ’s then a short journey
around the cliffside to a Launch Star, which drags you over to a mini watery paradise.
ItÂ’s important not to touch water or enemies here, as youÂ’ll need the Bee Costume
to stand on the floating flowers. Look for the flower at the back to float up high –
thereÂ’s a Bee Costume powerup nearby if you do lose it. Up top, jump around the purple
flowers to the largest one – the Launch Star’s up high.
You’re now in Queen Bee territory. Jump up to the honeycomb – you’ll stick
onto it – and climb to the top of the island, dispensing with the Piranha Plant in the
pipe in order to create a handy vine up. Then simply buzz over to the Queen Bee and attach
yourself to your back, crawling around to find the four Star Chips (oneÂ’s at the
front). The Star’s yours – you’ll just need to hop into the Launch Star at the
back of the area to reach it.
Star 2: Trouble on the Tower ❒
Run straight forward and look for a bit of rock that looks like a completed Trivial
Pursuit playing piece. Butt-slam it to make a Sproutle Vine appear from the ground, and
ride it up to the area by the big tree. Use the Launch Star on the other side of the
stream to reach a little platform with a Wiggler running around on it, with a switch you
can slam to create a new bridge.
Smash the little cylindrical platform on the other side of the bridge to create a set of
platforms leading to the top of the waterfall. YouÂ’ll need some wall-jumping skills on
the left to reach the top – then some more wall-jumping skills to bounce off the
wooden barriers above the waterfall and reach the next Launch Star.
This flings you up to a very unusual-looking island in the sky, and another Launch Star.
On the next island, you really do need to fall down that hole – take the plunge, and
Mario will tumble all the way back down to the main area, and a series of wooden
platforms.
All you need to do here – using running, jumping and, if you’re in a playful mood,
swinging – is reach the big red switch over the other side. This activates the
windmill nearby, which you can use to reach the tip-top of the tower – and a cute pair
of purple bugs. Use your butt-stomp to deal with them both (daddy gets really mad when you
kill his son), and unlock this areaÂ’s Star.
Star 3: Big Bad Bugaboom ❒
Sounds like a boss battle, right? It is a boss battle.
It’s initially the same route as the first star – up the waterfall and straight
through the tunnel. YouÂ’ll bump into the Queen Bee, whoÂ’ll create a Launch Star
for you, leading up to a new island. Grab the Bee Suit and waggle your way up the flowers
to float over to the big tree.
So hereÂ’s Bugaboom. All you have to do is stomp on his shell three times. There are
flowers nearby thatÂ’ll help you get up high enough to hover over him and come crashing
down. And that’s about all the help you’ll need – even when he starts
fluttering around and turning red, his vulnerable back proves his undoing.
Once heÂ’s toast, grab the Star and laugh menacingly.
Star 4: Honeyhive Cosmic Mario Race (Cosmic Comet) ❒
Oh, blimey, is that Water Mario from Super Mario Sunshine? Well, no. It’s ‘Cosmic
MarioÂ’. But he likes to run just as much as his liquidy forebear.
The routeÂ’s pretty simple and clearly marked with blue arrows. To make it up the
waterfall, use backwards somersaults (face away from where you want to go, then hold Z and
jump, waggling at the top if you need extra height). Avoid the honey on the approach to
the finish. And thatÂ’s it.
Star 5: The HoneyhiveÂ’s Purple Coins (Purple Coin Comet) ❒
This takes some doing – Purple Coins are hidden in the sneakiest of places. What
weÂ’ll do for 100-coin challenges like this is just direct you to the coins youÂ’ll
probably miss – the ones we don’t mention are in plain sight, or easily found just
by looking around.
HereÂ’s HoneyhiveÂ’s sneaksiest Purple Coins. Make sure you smash the rock ahead of
where you land to create Sproutle Vines to the upper areas.
• 1 over the little fence behind where you came in
• 1 up high along the path – use a Back Flip topped off with a spin
• 8 in the back area, to the right of the swing. Use a wall jump once you’re round
there.
• 3 by sliding down the slope after the Sproutle Vines
• 1 on spring in upper area: butt-slam bounce off the corner and spin to get high
enough.
• 5 for climbing the wall behind the big tree, then...
• 36 for... smashing the red switch, crossing the bridge and butt-slamming the rock
switch to climb to the peak for several more, including up on the sides and wall-jumping
the two wooden walls. And, grab that one on the back wall, right at the top, to see the
camera swing round, showing your route down to even more. Downstairs, Back Flip and spin
off the wall after the slide to reach the honey-drenched platforms.
• 10 on the platform to the right of the waterfall, and the little path leading behind
the waterfall from it – drop off the peak to reach it.
• 1 behind the little tree near the big red switch.
Star 6: Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom ❒
Another of those stars youÂ’ll need a postcard from Luigi to access. HeÂ’s trapped
on the big tree: simply grab the Bee Mario costume, float up to the tunnel behind the
waterfall, then double-back up to the tree. Jump and spin-attack Luigi to knock him down
and bag the Star.
LOOPDELOOP GALAXY
Secret Galaxy
Star 1: Surfing 101 ❒
We donÂ’t like this bit much. But itÂ’s pretty much the only tilty-control race in
the entire game, so weÂ’ll live with it. And it ainÂ’t half pretty.
Run forward and have a chat with the penguin to start the race. WeÂ’d err on the side
of caution when it comes to speed – it’s all too easy to topple off the side if
you push forward, especially in the later stages of the race. Slow down for those corners,
kids. Slow down hard.
Right, grab that Power Star and letÂ’s get out of here.
FLIPSWITCH GALAXY
Secret Galaxy
Star 1: Painting the Planet Yellow ❒
Another short, sweet Power Star for you. Just switch all the ‘?’ blocks so
theyÂ’re yellow rather than blue. BackgroundÂ’s good, eh? You might want to leave
the corner with that laser-spitting device until last, as thatÂ’s where the Star will
appear. Hop on its metal bonce to reach it.
SWEET SWEET GALAXY
Access: Luma outside entrance, feed 400 Star Bits
Star 1: Rocky Road ❒
Well, you donÂ’t need our help here. ItÂ’s a straight run to the finish. Just keep
pressing forward – your Z+A jump will come in very handy. Just pick a spot and jump
for it and you’ll – usually – land safely past the numerous holes. Don’t
forget you can waggle to spin at the end of a jump if you need that bit of extra height to
avoid a frazzly lazer.
BOWSER JRÂ’S ROBOT REACTOR
Access: 8 Stars
Star 1: MegalegÂ’s Moon ❒
Probably the best boss name in Mario history – and a great little boss, too. Sorry:
great big boss.
First, find the Torpedo Ted turret, stand nearby to coax Ted out, then lure him over to
the Launch Star trapped in a cage. Now use it. And, er, thatÂ’s the lead-up to Megaleg.
Short, that.
To finish off Megaleg, you need to get on him. Wait until one of his feet comes crashing
down, then jump on – the green arrows handily show you where to go. Scamper past the
Torpedo Teds, over the revolving cogs, and up to MegalegÂ’s head. YouÂ’ll now need
to lure a Torpedo Ted into that cage surround the Power Star.
Trouble is, heÂ’s got a back-up cage. Lead a couple of Teds into that to break open a
path to the Star, then smash the cage. ThatÂ’s your first boss dealt with. Well done,
you.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• There’s a 1-Up on one of Megaleg’s megalegs.
• It’s just possible to climb onto Megaleg’s nose with a bit of handy jumping.
Serves no purpose whatsoever, of course.
THE FOUNTAIN
SPACE JUNK GALAXY
Access: 9 Stars
Star 1: Pull Star Path ❒
We played this level so many times in the E3 demo version of Galaxy, we can do it in our
sleep. See if you can too.
So this levelÂ’s all about those blue Pull Stars. Grab the first one with the pointer,
then waggle (or press Z) to drop down to the turquoise capsule thing.
On the other side of the capsule is a quick Pull Star path through a rocky area, then five
Star Chips to collect on three transparent balls. Look at those reflection effects! Swoon.
Then use the new Launch Star to reach the rocket ship (recognise it from anywhere?).
Run to the top of the ship, then tap the Pull Star at the centre of the little transparent
ball to get dragged up. Land on each of the balls in turn, then Pull Star yourself over to
the next. A long Pull Star path through more rocks follows, ending up in a big T-shaped
platform infested with bugs. Run forward and over the top.
Toads trapped in ice here – spin-smash to rescue them all, and the little Toad ship
will drop to meet you. Jump straight up to get pulled onto Captain ToadÂ’s head, then
scamper up to the Launch Star up top.
Final challenge: a brain-meddling platform test, where the floor is only ‘built’
as you approach. ItÂ’s not tricky, though: just follow the materializing platforms to
the left and right, collecting the five little silver stars. Then scamper back to the
first platform to pick up your prize.
Star 2: KamellaÂ’s Airship Attack ❒
So, hop into that Launch Star and over to the pirate ship. Wiggling near the switch next
to the bridge will bring it crashing down. Smash the crate on the other side and use the
Launch Star to reach the next ship.
HereÂ’s where the Magikoopa attacks start. Spin attack or chuck a shell to get rid of
the purple bast, then attack the chest at the end of the boat with a Koopa shell to
uncover another Launch Star.
Next ship. YouÂ’re getting pelted with fireballs by those fellas on the other side of
the bridge – just grab more Koopa shells, then face them, jump, and flick the Wii
remote to destroy them from afar. ThatÂ’ll bring the bridge down, at the end of which
is a Launch Star leading to Kamella herself
KamellaÂ’s got two wand attacks. One is a fireball, which you should avoid. The other
is a green shell, which you should grab (by spinning near the magical sparks) and throw
back her way. Repeating that will get rid of her for good – just spin-attack near the
pesky little Magikoopas to avoid embarrassing death incidents. Grab that Star.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• It’s just possible to crawl out to the masts on the pirate ships, but you have
to be pretty careful. WeÂ’d like to see photo proof of anyone who manages to walk all
the way to the end.
• On the second ship, you can blow out the torches with the spin-attack for extra
coins.
• On the third ship, stomping on the grate on the deck (or leaping over to the big
funnel from the platform you land on) will get you into a Star Bit-filled galley.
• The right-hand chest on the third ship can be smashed open with a Koopa shell for a
Life Mushroom treat.
Star 3: TarantoxÂ’s Tangled Web ❒
Jump over to the red Toad spaceship, and follow the usual path until you land on a
transparent planet. Find the entrance to the inside, then follow the log-laden path around
to the Launch Star.
And we’re off – to a small rock structure infested with bugs, and you first pull
device – that grey spiky thing that the Toad’s stuck on. Grab it and pull it back
to catapult the Toad out of the area (in any direction you fancy), then hop on yourself
and pull back to shoot yourself over to the next catapult. YouÂ’re then able to blast
Mario to the rocket ship, onto an L-shaped rock structure, and finally over to the planet
where Tarantox resides.
Use the catapult to smash his cocoon first. Then, dodging his green gunge, catapult
yourself into his glowing behind. ThisÂ’ll flip him over, revealing three red
vulnerable points on his underside, which you can attack using the catapult. He
doesn’t like that one bit – but you’ll need to flip him over once more and
pummel those red tummy-bubbles again before heÂ’s down for good. You can attack his
‘plungers’ with the catapult if that green gunk is proving a real problem.
All done? Grab that Star and get out of there.
Star 4: Pull Star Path Speed Run (Speedy Comet) ❒
Yep – it’s that first star, at speed. Four minutes. The secret’s in the speed
of your Pull Star pulling – work that Wii remote!
Star 5: YoshiÂ’s Unexpected Appearance ❒
Well, weÂ’ve spoiled that for you, eh? But itÂ’s not much of an appearance: itÂ’s
YoshiÂ’s big wooden head, rather than the man/woman/dinosaur it/him/herself.
You reach this secret Power Star via the third star. Get back to that transparent planet
from before, but this time feed the hungry Luma on the outside: he wants 50 Star Bits
– you can find them all within the planet if you hunt around, spin-attack the Goombas
and all that.
The Luma transforms into the Yoshi planet, which is having a bit of a Goomba outbreak. Bop
them all to access the secret Power Star.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• Note that the game will keep count of how many Goombas you stomp in succession
without touching the ground. We haven’t managed that many – see if you can find
out if anything special happens for, say, 10 in a row.
Star 6: Purple Coin Spacewalk (Purple Coin Comet) ❒
All the Purple Coins here are in groups, and only accessible with those mad
here-again-gone-again space platforms. You can save a lot of time by performing Long Jumps
(run, then briefly crouch with Z and press A) between the little coin clusters: the
platforms will always come and meet you. Remember that a spin at the top of your jump can
save you from a nasty death.
BATTLEROCK GALAXY
Access: 12 Stars
Star 1: Battlerock Barrage ❒
Welcome to Battlerock, which really wants to kill you. Preferably with a giant cannonball
to the stomach.
Five Pull Star Chips to collect first – have a good run around the metal discs to find
them all. Then use the resulting Pull Stars to reach the Launch Star to the next section.
Which is more metal discs, as it turns out. You need a big jump off the turret on the
first one to let gravity suck you up to the second – then spin-attack the screw to go
on a strange, frightening journey past a structure that really doesnÂ’t want you
there.
You can shoot the cannonballs with Star Bits. WeÂ’re going to keep telling you that,
because itÂ’s important.
You can run all around this disc, so use the underside to dodge the lasers where
necessary, and backward somersaults where that fails. When you reach the end, run as far
as possible to entice some Torpedo Teds from the wall in the distance, and guide them to
the large glass cage furthest away from them. ThereÂ’s your Star inside, see.
Star 2: Breaking into the Battlerock ❒
Hop, hop, hop, over the silver discs. Grab a Bob-Omb and you can throw it (with a flick of
the Wii remote) over to the Launch Star trapped in a glass cage over at the back-left. Use
it to reach the Multi-Coloured Multi-Ball Planetoid, as we call it.
There’s a Bob-Omb waiting for you on the green bit – carry it over to the red
section and free the trapped Luma from the glass cage for a new Launch Star route. Then
itÂ’s just a short (but mine-laden) Pull Star route to the next Launch Star.
Drop down the pipe into another cylindrical futur-o-room – grab a Bob-Omb and blow up
the glass cage in the centre. You then need to blast out of the cannon so you smash
through the icy spiky thing, revealing a Launch Star straight out of Battlerock.
Finally, on the final cigar-shaped planetoid, grab a Bob-Omb and take it over to the
opposite end to free the cannon, then time your blast so you hit the Star in the middle of
the revolving gates. Sweet!
Star 3: Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe ❒
Long one, this. Start by leaping between the shiny discs, then taking the Pull Star route
up to the (remarkably ineffective) Launch Star. Then ride the lift to the next.
That little spinny red thing? ThatÂ’s one of the Topmen, as far as we can make out. The
only way to kill them is to spin-attack them straight into electrifying lasers –
which, coincidentally enough, is exactly whatÂ’s surrounding that trapped Luma. Once
freed, the Luma transforms into a Launch Star, leading to a small mountainside platform.
Smash the box at the back to find a pipe down.
Gravity-meddling platform test? Yes. To start with, spin-attack the arrow to drop down.
Run right a bit, then – here’s our tip – climb onto the gold ‘?’ box
and jump up into the blue-background area. Keep left and youÂ’ll be dragged all the way
up to the ‘ceiling bit’. Watch the squashy boxes, and scamper right all the way to
another pipe.
A cylindrical room, and a laser turret. Jump on top for a Launch Star, and a lift
‘up’ (down?) to a room contained two Topmen. Luckily, they’ve installed some
electrical barriers that are just the thing to fry them with. Do so to drop down to a
(remarkably pretty) Launch Star.
Last bit, then: itÂ’s Topmaniac. Run around the planet and up to the top arena, then
smash Topmaniac on the head before spinning him into the green barriers. HeÂ’ll put up
with that three times, then die. What a sap. The Star is yours.
Star 4: TopmaniacÂ’s Daredevil Run (Daredevil Comet) ❒
YouÂ’ll get sent straight to Topmaniac for this. And, despite the one-health-segment
limitation, itÂ’s easy. Just make sure you stay well out of the way of the centre after
bashing him into the barrier, so you donÂ’t get spiked when he bounces back. We
actually had more trouble avoiding instant electrocution on our way into the arena than we
did with the boss himself. Because weÂ’re idiots.
Star 5: Purple Coins on the Battlerock (Purple Coin Comet) ❒
The good news is: thereÂ’s an automatic lift thatÂ’ll take you to every purple coin
you need to collect. The bad news? YouÂ’ll need some fancy acrobatics to grab every
coin.
Remember that you can fire Star Bits in order to bop the explosive cannonballs. Also of
note: itÂ’s almost (totally?) impossible to escape the gravitational pull of that
metallic disc, so you make a last desperate grab for coins you missed and still get
dragged back to safety.
The tricky bit is reaching the coins sitting high over the electric grids – best to go
for a crouching backwards somersault rather than anything fancier. You can sort of
‘walk’ on the electrified wires during your brief period of invincibility after
first touching them, which might help if youÂ’ve really messed up.
Star 6: BattlerockÂ’s Garbage Dump ❒
You probably arrived at this Star by accident when you tried to do Breaking into the
Battlerock. Everybody does. If not, itÂ’s done like this: get back to the
Multi-Coloured Multi-Ball Planetoid, but hunt for the Hungry Luma on it and feed him up.
The challenge, then: use the Bob-Ombs to blow up all the garbage. You know what makes it a
lot easier – and which it took resident brain genius Matthew to work out? If you grab
your first Bob-Omb and run along lighting up all the other Bob-Ombs, they all explode
much, much quicker. Which helps a lot. Otherwise, itÂ’s just a case of getting the
Bob-Ombs in the centre of groups of three or four piles of garbage: you can usually manage
this with a simple jump and throw.
Star 7: Luigi under the Saucer ❒
This is the last of the three Luigi-finding Power Stars, and youÂ’ll need the relevant
postcard from him before you can access it.
Select Star 1, then follow the usual route all the way to the cages at the end. Luigi is
trapped in a cage underneath the second-to-last disc. Stand underneath the last disc,
close to where the Torpedo Teds emerge, to lure a Ted over and free Luigi. This is your
first of three green Power Stars: see page 108 for what happens when you bag the lot.
ROLLING GREEN GALAXY
Secret Galaxy
Star 1: Rolling in the Clouds ❒
Ah, this is hilarious. Hop onto that ball in front of you, and youÂ’re off on a rolling
run thatÂ’ll make you giggle like a chimp. You need to hold the Wii remote vertically,
like an aeroplane joystick, and tilt to move the ball. You can also jump with A, which
comes in very handy.
You can see the route – the only difficult bits are the choice of route near the end
(take the righthand path for an easier ride) and the final jump. Pop into the hole after
the second big blast, and youÂ’ve got the Star.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• Yes, it’s possible to do a big jump onto the metal wire slide, rather than fall
through the hole.
HURRY-SCURRY GALAXY
Secret Galaxy
Star 1: Shrinking Satellite ❒
Nothing too complicated going on here: just a simple race across platforms that donÂ’t
fancy sticking around. Long jumps will see you across bigger gaps if you donÂ’t fancy
taking the long route. Drop through the platform when you reach the question mark block to
hop into the Launch Star.
Keep moving on the dodecahedron (yep, thatÂ’s what itÂ’s called), and the notes will
be yours in no time. Then simply drop through to the Star.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• Want to try NGamer’s patented Jump Forever Trick? It’s a flagrant case of
false advertising – it’s not quite forever. Anyway: get rid of all the tiles on
the Satellite – a challenge in itself, as it requires plenty of Long Jumps over the
big gaps you create. Then, with the Power Star in place, perform one huge Long Jump as far
as you can. Keep pushing forward and youÂ’ll spin around the Star for ages. Tops.
BOWSERÂ’S STAR REACTOR
Access: 15 Stars
Star 1: The Fiery Stronghold ❒
If you remember ye old Bowser levels from Super Mario 64, this is going to make your tummy
all excited.
Run, Mario, run! Dodge the flaming spinny things, duck under the Thwomp and stand on the
green platform. Wait until itÂ’s settled before daring to step off.
The next bitÂ’s a gravity-switching funhouse. Jump against the pink background when you
can to walk on the ceiling, then continue to run right, avoiding the dangers. The yellow
platform at the end carries you over to a dangerous disc – just run to the other side
– and a series of Twomp-laden steps up to the final section. Don’t worry if you
accidentally get burned by the flames – we do it all the time.
Big-a Bowser will then appear to cause platform-disintegrating hassle for you – just
run for you life, but do try to find time to grab that Life Mushroom in the corner.
Bowser, then. See those blue circles on the planet? You need to coax Bowser into smashing
into one of these – which is as simple as simply loitering on one of them until he
spins into the air, then clearing off so he doesnÂ’t land on your hat.
His tail will catch fire and heÂ’ll go pelting around the planet: wait for him to
approach and skid to a halt, then spin-attack his tail when he turns around. HeÂ’ll
then rotate around the planet on his back – judge where he’ll appear and get ready
to spin-attack him again.
Bowser being Bowser, this needs to be done a few times before he gives in. Take care to
dodge his butt-slam ‘tremors’, and you’ll be fine.
Your second Grand Star. Not bad, eh?
SLING POD GALAXY
Access: Luma outside entrance, feed 400 Star Bits
Star 1: A Very Sticky Situation ❒
This is a Galaxy full of those catapults. It’s not a complicated path to the end –
just time carefully to avoid the roving cannonballs. When it comes to the Pull Star path
through the mines, make sure Mario’s at rest before the next drag – the funny
angles you end up with if you take things too fast will inevitably lead to a nasty
explosion.
THE KITCHEN
BEACH BOWL GALAXY
Access: 16 Stars
Star 1: Sunken Treasure ❒
Ah, itÂ’s lovely this.
Your first mission here is to find five Star Chips – all of which are underwater.
ThereÂ’s one inside the clam thatÂ’s opening and closing his mouth; one on top of a
rock near the back; one just in front of the giant snapping Eel; and a last one just
hanging around the seabed; and the last is in a wooden crate next to a penguin –
waggle to smash it open.
Then all thatÂ’s left is to use the Launch Star to reach the Star itself. Bonza.
Star 2: Passing the Swim Test ❒
Easiest Star in Galaxy? Yep. Talk to the big penguin. Swim down to the little group of
penguins swimming underwater. Spin to grab the gold shell carried by the leader. Take it
to the big penguin (just ‘walk’ out of the water’). Aaaaaand – that’s
it. Next!
Star 3: The Secret Undersea Cavern ❒
Dive underwater and find the little penguin guarding a big broken-ish area in the wall at
the back. Grab a Koopa shell from nearby, and chuck it (by waggling the Wii remote) to
break through.
Swimming through, youÂ’ll emerge in an underwater cavern. Break the boxes at the back
to reach a switch you can stomp, unveiling a Launch Star thatÂ’ll whoooomph you up to
Cyclone Stone – a spinning concrete spiral in the sky.
It’s a pretty linear path to the Star – albeit quite a difficult one to stay alive
on. Just make sure you position yourself under the Tox Boxes so that their ‘empty’
side harmlessly smothers you.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• Spin-attack to knock the Goomba under the first Thwomp. It. Is. Hilarious.
• Lots of lives to be had on Cyclone Stone, if you’re brave enough.
Star 4: Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone (Speedy Comet) ❒
This is tough – a speeded-up version of Cyclone Stone from star 3 – but we
canÂ’t offer you much help beyond: be careful. ItÂ’s worth taking your time on the
path above the cyclone itself and using the triangular platforms to pause for breath: this
bitÂ’s much tougher this time around.
Star 5: Beachcombing for Purple Coins (Purple Coin Comet) ❒
In your own time, thankfully.
This Galaxy isnÂ’t very big, so you should be able to track down most of the coins with
a minimum of exploration of the beach and the waterbed. HereÂ’s the ones you might
miss:
• 1 above the big penguin’s head: triple jump to reach it.
• Several at the top of palm trees – explore the tops of all of them
• On the far side of the level is a little bamboo swing: jump onto the leaves of the
lower tree nearby, then Z-jump onto it to reach the coins
• Use Spring Mario near the waterfall to reach the very top of the area – there
are several coins high above the rock nearby, and the palm tree at the peak.
• 1 sneaky coin hidden behind the waterfall on the upper level.
Star 6: Wall Jumping Up Waterfalls ❒
Select star 3. Grab a Koopa shell from under the water, then get back up on the beach and
find the treasure chest over on the far right-hand side of the level (near the bamboo
swing). Throw the Koopa shell at the chest to unlock a Launch Star up to a new area.
And very clever it is, too. You need to coax a Cataquack over to the big coin thatÂ’s
hanging in the air in front of the waterfalls, and get thrown up. This makes an Ice Flower
appear. Grab it, and scamper over to the waterfalls. You can now – and how cool is
this? – wall jump up the pairs of waterfalls, as long as you’re Ice Mario.
After a Launch Star at the top, thereÂ’s a Power Star floating right at the back of the
pool. To reach it, become Ice Mario again and coax the Cataquack over to its platform
– you’ll need to create a bridge for him by walking on the water, making sure he
doesnÂ’t fall in the drink or hit the icicles. Smart, that.
EXTRA STUFFÂ…
• You can blow out the torches with your spin-attack.
• Aren’t drowning Cataquacks cute?
GHOSTLY GALAXY
Access: 20 Stars
Star 1: Luigi and the Haunted Mansion ❒
Bit of a giveaway, that level name, eh?
Hop into the Launch Star to reach your first spooky platform. Those pumpkins arenÂ’t
pumpkins – they’re Goombas with pumpkin heads on. Bless ‘em. Dodge past the
spider and head along the twisted bridge, using the coin platforms to dodge the rolling
Chomp as it comes trundling by.
Into the mansion, then. Waggle-attack the switch next to where you came in to activate a
light from the ceiling. YouÂ’ll then need to lure the Boos into the light so the
keyÂ’s dropped. YouÂ’re then free to step through the door up top.
Five Star Chips in the next room – not too much trouble to grab – then a Launch
Star out the window. This leads to a blue star path around the outside of the castle –
you need to temporarily let go (i.e. waggle) to drop Mario down to the key you can see,
then quickly grab back onto the star to avoid a horrible tumbling death.
Along the next corridor, grab the giant coin at the end of the room to nab yourself the
Boo Mario powerup. With a shake to turn invisible, you can hover through the wire mesh in
the corner of the room, then straight through into LuigiÂ’s cage. YouÂ’ll need to
step into the light before bouncing over to rescue Luigi, though – he’ll just
stand in the corner shivering if you appear in ghost form. The StarÂ’s yours.
Star 2: A Very Spooky Sprint ❒
Run to the underside of the Toad spaceship to reach the Launch Star thatÂ’ll shoot you
over to the main planetoid. YouÂ’ll then need to use blue stars to reach another Launch
Star, which takes you over to the race proper – with a behelmeted Boo.
Bit of a pain, this race. The important thing is to take a Long Jump straight for the blue
star when you start, to get ahead of the Boo – he’ll really get in the way
otherwise.