Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game created and released by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D platformer in the Super Mario series. In the game, players control Mario as he goes on a space mission to save Princess Peach and stop Bowser, his main enemy. After completing the main story, players can also play as Luigi for a harder challenge. The game’s levels are set in galaxies made of small planets, asteroids, and other worlds. Gravity plays a major role in how players move and complete tasks. Players use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to control Mario, complete missions, fight bosses, and collect Power Stars. Some levels require using the motion controls on the Wii Remote.
Nintendo EAD Tokyo started developing Super Mario Galaxy after the release of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat in late 2004. Shigeru Miyamoto, a Nintendo designer, suggested creating a large-scale Mario game. The idea of using spherical platforms came from a GameCube tech demo called Super Mario 128, shown at Nintendo Space World in 2000. Nintendo wanted the game to appeal to all ages and gave the team more creative freedom because of the space theme. The game was directed by Yoshiaki Koizumi, and the music was composed by Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo. This was the first time in the series that a symphony orchestra was used for the soundtrack.
Super Mario Galaxy was released in Japan on November 1, 2007, and other countries received the game later that month. Critics praised the game for its graphics, gravity mechanics, level design, music, setting, and story. It is the ninth best-selling Wii game worldwide, with sales reaching 12.80 million copies. A sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, was released in 2010 and also received high praise.
Super Mario Galaxy is often considered one of the best games in the series and one of the greatest video games ever made. At the time of its closure in 2019, it was the highest-rated game in history on GameRankings. It won many awards, including multiple "Game of the Year" titles, and became the first Nintendo game to win the BAFTA Award for Best Game. The game has been re-released multiple times, including on the Nvidia Shield TV in China in 2018 and in a limited collection called Super Mario 3D All-Stars for the Nintendo Switch. Both Super Mario Galaxy games were re-released as a collection for the Nintendo Switch in October 2025 and are also available separately on the console’s eShop. A movie based on the game, called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, was released in 2026.
Gameplay
Super Mario Galaxy takes place in outer space, where Mario travels through different galaxies to collect Power Stars. These stars are earned by completing missions, defeating bosses, or reaching specific areas. Each galaxy includes planetoids and orbiting structures for players to explore. Every space object has its own gravity, allowing players to walk around planetoids in different directions, such as sideways or upside down. Players can jump between separate objects and fall toward others nearby. While the main gameplay is in 3D, some areas restrict movement to a two-dimensional plane.
The game’s main hub is the Comet Observatory, a spaceship with six domes that provide access to most of the game’s 42 galaxies. Each dome, except one, contains five galaxies. Five domes end with boss battles where players must defeat Bowser or Bowser Jr. to earn a special Power Star called a Grand Star, which unlocks the next dome. Players start with access to one galaxy, and more galaxies and stars become available as they collect Power Stars. After collecting 120 Power Stars as Mario, players can play as Luigi. Collecting 120 Power Stars with both characters unlocks an additional challenge, which rewards the player with the 121st star and a commemorative picture that can be sent to the Wii Message Board.
Mario is controlled using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Most of Mario’s abilities are similar to those in Super Mario 64, such as long jumps, wall jumps, and somersaults. A new feature called the Star Pointer, which uses the Wii Remote’s motion sensor, is included. The Star Pointer is a small blue cursor that appears when the Wii Remote is pointed at the screen. It is used to collect Star Bits, which are konpeito-shaped objects. Star Bits can be shot to stun enemies, move obstacles, or feed Hungry Lumas. The Star Pointer can also attach to Pull Stars, which pull Mario through space. In levels where players are trapped in floating bubbles, the Star Pointer is used to blow wind and control the bubble’s movement.
Early in the game, players learn the "Spin" technique, which has appeared in other Super Mario games. In Super Mario Galaxy, the "Spin" is used for melee attacks to stun enemies and break objects. It also activates special propellers called "Sling Stars" or "Launch Stars," which launch Mario across large distances. The "Spin" is also used for climbing vines, ice skating, flipping switches, unscrewing bolts, and activating power-ups. Other Wii Remote functions are used for smaller tasks, such as riding a manta ray or balancing on a large ball to roll through an obstacle course.
Seven power-ups give Mario temporary abilities. For example, special mushrooms grant the player a Bee, Boo, or Spring Mushroom. The Bee Mushroom allows Mario to hover, climb honeycombs, and walk on clouds and flowers. The Boo Mushroom lets Mario float, become invisible, and pass through obstacles. The Spring Mushroom helps Mario jump to high areas. The Fire Flower lets Mario throw fireballs, and the Ice Flower grants immunity to fire and creates ice tiles on liquid surfaces. The Rainbow Star makes Mario invincible and increases his speed, while the Red Star allows brief flight and attracts coins and Star Bits.
Mario’s health is tracked by a three-part meter that decreases when he touches enemies or hazards. When swimming underwater, Mario has an air supply meter that depletes his health if it runs out. Health and air supply can be restored by collecting coins or touching bubbles underwater. If Mario’s health meter is empty, he loses a life and must return to a checkpoint. The health meter can temporarily expand to six parts using a Life Mushroom. Instant death occurs if Mario is swallowed by quicksand or dark matter, crushed by hazards, or falls into black holes or bottomless pits. Extra lives can be earned by collecting 1-Up Mushrooms, collecting 50 coins without losing a life, or gathering 50 Star Bits.
Super Mario Galaxy includes a co-operative two-player mode called "Co-Star," where one player controls Mario and the other uses the Wii Remote to control a second Star Pointer on-screen. The second player can gather Star Bits and shoot them at enemies. They can also make Mario jump, and pressing the A button at the same time increases the jump’s height. The second player can stop enemies by aiming the Star Pointer at them and holding the A button.
Plot
The centennial Star Festival is a celebration to watch a comet pass by the Mushroom Kingdom. On the night of the festival, Princess Peach finds a star-shaped creature named a Luma and invites Mario to the festival to see it. As Mario travels to the castle, Bowser attacks the Mushroom Kingdom with a group of airships and a large flying saucer, using it to lift Peach's castle into space. Mario tries to enter the castle but is attacked by Kamek, one of Bowser's helpers, and is sent into space, with the Luma following him.
Mario wakes up on a small planet and meets Rosalina, a guardian of the cosmos and caretaker of the Luma and its kind. Rosalina lives in a starship called the Comet Observatory. She explains that during a centennial visit to her home world, Bowser attacked the Observatory and stole the Power Stars, which are its energy source, making it unable to move. With the help of the Luma from Peach, Mario gains the ability to travel through space and begins a journey across the universe to recover the Power Stars and restore power to the Observatory. During his journey, Mario meets friends from the Mushroom Kingdom, such as Luigi and the Toads, and faces challenges with Bowser and Bowser Jr.
After collecting enough Power Stars, the Comet Observatory travels to the center of the universe, where Bowser has captured Princess Peach. During the battle, Mario learns that Bowser plans to rule the entire universe with Peach by his side. Mario defeats Bowser and rescues Peach, but a planet in the galaxy collapses into a supermassive black hole that starts destroying the universe. The Lumas sacrifice themselves by jumping into the black hole, causing it to collapse into a singularity. The universe is reborn as the singularity explodes in a supernova. Rosalina tells Mario that dying stars are reborn as new stars, continuing the cycle of life. Mario wakes up in the restored Mushroom Kingdom with Peach and Bowser, and they celebrate the new galaxy above them. If the player collects 120 stars, Rosalina will thank them, and the reborn Lumas will leave with her aboard the Comet Observatory to explore the cosmos again.
Development
The idea for Super Mario Galaxy began in late 1996, shortly after Super Mario 64 was released. Even though Super Mario 64 helped shape how 3D games are made, some Nintendo employees noticed that the game made some players feel confused or uncomfortable, unlike 2D games. Assistant director Yoshiaki Koizumi believed this was because the game tried to prevent players from feeling lost or sick during gameplay. Solutions like camera controls were created, but some players found them too complicated or scary. After Super Mario 64 came out, creator Shigeru Miyamoto formed a team at Nintendo EAD to make a new game, tentatively named Super Mario 128, to solve these issues.
The ideas for Super Mario Galaxy’s gameplay came from Super Mario 128, which was shown at Nintendo Space World in 2000 to demonstrate the GameCube’s power. The demonstration’s director, Yoshiaki Koizumi, wanted to use spherical platforms in a future game but thought it might not be possible. After Super Mario Sunshine was released in 2002, Miyamoto said it was not connected to Super Mario 128 but was instead a follow-up to Super Mario 64. Koizumi later regretted adding too many camera options, as it made it hard for players to choose. In 2003, a staff member wanted to work on a new Super Mario game, and Koizumi agreed after their teamwork on Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Miyamoto suggested starting a new Mario game after Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was finished in 2004, focusing on spherical platforms.
In 2005, Koizumi prepared plans for the game, called Super Mario Revolution, for the Wii, which was still being developed. Using lessons from Super Mario 128 and their work on Jungle Beat, the team designed a 3D action game where Mario would run on spherical worlds that had their own gravity. If Mario moved in one direction, he would return to his starting point, helping players avoid getting lost. After Nintendo approved the project, Koizumi made a small prototype with EAD Tokyo employees to show Miyamoto. During development, Miyamoto gave feedback from his office in Kyoto. Koizumi said many ideas were formed before the Wii was even created.
The idea for Mario’s "spin" attack came early in development. Jumping on enemies on a spherical map was hard for some players, and Koizumi said jumping in 3D was "absurd." Takeo Shimizu, the game’s producer, said the easiest way to attack was to "spin" instead of jump. At first, the spin was done by moving the GameCube controller, but later it was changed to shaking the Wii Remote. Miyamoto added a delay after the spin to make the game more challenging. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata wanted the game to feel fun and rewarding, so the team added a co-operative mode where one player controlled Mario and another used the Wii Remote to help.
The team aimed for the game to be enjoyed by players of all ages, from 5 to 95. However, Miyamoto thought the game was too easy and lacked challenge. To fix this, Koizumi suggested limiting the number of hits players could take to three, compared to eight in earlier games, but added more 1-Up Mushrooms and checkpoints. Iwata later said this change had a big impact on gameplay.
The game’s focus on gravity and spherical platforms led to many ideas. Koichi Hayashida, a co-designer, was unsure about using spherical worlds for jumping, calling it a "bad match." Shimizu also worried about technical challenges but later found the experience "totally fresh." Futoshi Shirai, the level designer, liked the idea of running on different-shaped planets, such as ice cream and apple-shaped worlds. Because the game was set in space, the team could create unique ideas. Shirai said the spherical world allowed them to design new experiences, and artist Kenta Motokura said players would enjoy exploring new planets. Koizumi said the game’s freedom made it more fun for players.
Throughout development, staff members enjoyed the game’s creative freedom, especially Mario’s transforming abilities. Iwata noted that Mario’s Bee Suit was popular with women, and other suits were added to change gameplay.
Reception
Super Mario Galaxy has received high praise from critics. It is the fourth-highest-rated game of all time on Metacritic, a website that collects reviews, with an average score of 97 out of 100 based on 73 reviews. Before GameRankings, another review website, closed in December 2019, it was listed as the highest-rated game with at least 20 reviews, with a score of 97.64% based on 78 reviews.
The game’s visuals and presentation were widely praised. Chris Scullion from Official Nintendo Magazine said the graphics showed the Wii’s full potential and that the game’s visual effects and large playing areas would impress players. Jeremy Parish from 1UP.com noted that the visuals were "very impressive," especially when displayed at a higher resolution. Andrew Robinson from Computer and Video Games said Nintendo focused on gameplay, but Super Mario Galaxy "got both perfect." Margaret Robertson from Eurogamer called the visuals "full of creativity," saying the game’s details matched its mission design. Andrew Reiner from Game Informer approved of the game’s portrayal of water and particle effects, but said the visuals were similar to those in Super Mario Sunshine. Patrick Shaw from GamePro said the game used the Wii’s features well, including its presentation and control methods.
Reviewers also praised the game’s presentation. Chris Hudak from GameRevolution called Super Mario Galaxy a "next-gen version" of Super Mario 64, saying it was polished, engaging, and emotionally moving. Alex Navarro from GameSpot praised the game’s colorful levels, animations, and character designs, saying it was "the best-looking Wii game." Navarro also noted the game engine kept frame rate drops rare. Bryn Williams from GameSpy said the game had the best visuals on the Wii, calling the graphics "out of this world" and the colors "better than expected." A reviewer from GamesRadar said the game’s visuals were so impressive "words can’t describe" them. Louis Bedigan from GameZone said the game’s designs looked different from earlier Mario games, calling the planet designs "beautiful" and other elements "eye candy." Matt Casamassina from IGN said the game pushed the Wii’s limits, combining "great art" with "great tech" for "stunning results." David Halverson from Play said the game was "very polished" with "next-gen" graphics.
The game’s gameplay, especially its gravity mechanics and use of the Wii Remote, was also praised. A reviewer from Famitsu said the game’s pacing was "very good," with level designs and difficulty that gradually improved. A reviewer from Edge praised the Wii Remote’s control schemes, saying they were more subtle than those in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Chris Scullion was initially unsure about using the Wii Remote as a pointer but said it felt familiar after a short time. Scullion also said the game’s gameplay was its strongest feature. Jeremy Parish praised the game’s changing gravity, saying it made even difficult challenges feel natural. Andrew Robinson said the gravity mechanics allowed the game to grow in scale to "amazing proportions." Margaret Robertson called the gravity use "full of creativity." Andrew Reiner said the game changed the platform genre for the seventh generation of consoles, blending nostalgia with new physics.
Patrick Shaw said the game’s new mechanics revived the Super Mario series, calling it the best since Super Mario 64. Chris Hudak said the game was like a new version of Super Mario 64, with gameplay that had a "signature Miyamoto style." Alex Navarro praised the level designs as "top quality" and said the game’s suits added a "great dimension" to gameplay. Bryn Williams said the two-player mode was not very useful but praised the controls with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, calling them "very accurate." A reviewer from GamesRadar said the controls improved from the previous game, Super Mario Sunshine. Louis Bedigan said the controls and world designs were "close to perfect." Matt Casamassina said the game’s physics were "very fun" and the motion controls were well done. David Halverson praised the controls, saying the Wii Remote and Nunchuck were "at their best" and hard to imagine using any other way.
The game’s soundtrack and audio were also well received. Chris Scullion said it was the best in any Super Mario game, with music that matched the game’s environments. Jeremy Parish said the music was better than the visuals, calling it "quintessentially Mario" but also "sophisticated." Andrew Reiner said the music was both beautiful and nostalgic, and Andrew Robinson called it "amazing." Alex Navarro praised the modernized orchestral music, calling it "excellent" and "top-notch." Bryn Williams said the game had the best sound on the Wii, with a soundtrack that would "go down in history" as Nintendo’s best. A reviewer from GamesRadar said the music was the best orchestral soundtrack ever in a game. Louis Bedigan said the soundtrack was a "step forward" in video game music, calling it "moving and breathtaking." Matt Casamassina said the music was "exceptional" and "superb," calling it the best in any Nintendo game. Chris Hudak said the lack of voice acting was traditional but might feel "unusual" if added.
Super Mario Galaxy was a commercial success. It sold 350,000 copies in Japan within its first few weeks. In the United States, it sold 500,000 copies in its first week, the highest first-week sales for a Mario game in the country at the time. The NPD Group reported that 1.4 million copies were sold in the US in December 2007, making it the top-selling game of the month. It became the fifth best-selling game of 2007, with 2.52 million copies sold worldwide. After 13 months, it sold 7.66 million copies globally. By January 2010, it sold 4.1 million copies in the US, and by February, it became one of nine Wii games to sell over 5 million copies in the country. By March 2020, Nintendo had sold 12.8 million copies worldwide, making it the third best-selling non-bundled Wii game and the ninth best-selling Nintendo-published Wii game.
Super Mario Galaxy won the Game of the Year 2007 award from IGN, GameSpot, and other sources.
Legacy
In the 1,000th issue of Famitsu, Miyamoto said he wanted to create a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. The game was first named "Super Mario Galaxy More" during development and was planned to include different versions of the planets from the original game. As the game was made, new ideas were added, and it became a full sequel. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was announced during a Nintendo event at E3 2009 in Los Angeles. It was released on 23 May 2010 in North America, 27 May 2010 in Japan, and 11 June 2010 in Europe. The sequel received as much praise as the first game and sold 6.36 million copies worldwide by April 2011.
Super Mario Galaxy, along with other Wii games, was released again for Nvidia’s Shield TV in China on 22 March 2018 through a partnership between Nintendo, Nvidia, and iQiyi. The game runs on the Shield using an emulator, but it has changes to the interface and controls, and supports 1080p resolution. Because the Shield does not have motion controls, some controls are adjusted. For example, the on-screen pointer is controlled using the right analog stick, and the button to choose a Galaxy is mapped to the right trigger.
The game is included with Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection for Nintendo Switch. It was released on 18 September 2020.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., an improved version of Super Mario Galaxy was released for Nintendo Switch on 2 October 2025. This version is available as part of a collection that includes the sequel or separately on the Nintendo eShop. The Switch version runs at 1080p resolution and can reach 4K resolution on Nintendo Switch 2 with a free update. Additional features include an assist mode and a new chapter in Rosalina’s storybook. A pair of Amiibo for the game was released on 2 April 2026, which can be used to receive in-game items.
On 12 September 2025, a Nintendo Direct presentation announced that the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) would be titled The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which was released on 1 April 2026.