The Gateway Galaxy is the first galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy. In this galaxy, Mario gains the Star Spin power, which becomes his go-to weapon throughout the game. When Mario collects the Grand Stars from Bowser Jr.'s reactors (Robot, Airship, and Lava) and Bowser's Star Reactor and Dark Matter Plant, the Gateway Galaxy becomes accessible again. The Red Luma in the Comet Observatory who tells Mario he has a secret will tell him to collect all 100 Purple Coins. Once Mario collects all of the Purple Coins, a Red Power Star will appear and the Luma will activate Red Stars around the observatory.

As it is not accessed from a dome, the Gateway Galaxy is one of the few galaxies to not have an icon.

Planets and areas[]

Starting Planet[]

This planet is where Mario starts his journey through the Galaxy. There are two houses and a few stones arranged in a ring. Flower beds also appear and some balloon-like objects can be whacked with Mario's Star Spin; when this happens, they stretch out, then snap back, and if Mario gets hit, he will drop some Star Bits. There is also a castle-like structure that sits on top of the planet.

Black Hole Core Planet[]

In the first mission, after Mario frees the Launch Star from a crystal, he will land on a hollow shell that has some grass and stones. Massive holes appear in the shell. There is a Black Hole at the centre, so if Mario falls into a hole, he will get devoured by the Black Hole at the centre. Here, there are five golden Star Chips. When Mario collects them all, he can find a Launch Star that he can use to blast off to the next planet.

Metal Planet 1[]

This planet has some Goombas that have a key that Mario must get to free up a Luma trapped in a cage. (In order to get the key, he must beat the Goomba who has it.) The Luma will create a Sling Star that Mario can use to get to the next planet once she is freed.

Metal Planet 2[]

Surface[]

This planet is bigger than the previous planet and has platforms that encircle the equator and whose ends have electricity running over them, rendering them dangerous. More Goombas appear, with a massive Goomba that cannot be stomped on being entrusted with the key (and therefore serving as a minor boss). Mario can defeat him by flipping him upside-down with his Star Spin (as with the smaller Goombas) and then kicking him. Once Mario gets his hands on the key, the interior can be accessed.

Interior[]

Inside, the gravity is inverted. The planet's core is a massive machine that is surrounded by a pink energy vortex and acts as a boss. In order to defeat the machine, Mario has to walk on the Flipswitch Panels that dot the interior, causing the machine to collapse and rescuing the Grand Star. Platforms similar to the ones on the surface can be seen crawling around on the interior; they are destroyed along with the machine when Mario activates the Flipswitch Panels.

Missions[]

Grand Star Rescue[]

When Mario awakens on this planet, a Star Bunny will challenge him to a game of hide-and-seek. The player will have to follow the bunny until he reaches his two friends, who will run and hide. One is found near a crate, another in a crater, and the last in a Warp Pipe. The player will have to catch them all, and a new structure on the planet will appear. Mario will meet with Rosalina and Luma and gain his Star Spin ability, which he can use to free up a Launch Star that is trapped in a crystal (The Launch Star will become active when Mario frees it.). Mario needs to Star Spin the nearby Launch Star to reach the next planet, which has five Star Chips scattered about. To go to the next planet, Mario will have to grab the Star Chips to make a Launch Star and blast Mario to the next planet. Here, a Luma in a cage tells Mario that one of the Goombas on the planet has the key. The player will have to defeat the Goombas on the planet until one gives up a key. Mario will have to collect the key to free the Luma. The Luma then transforms into a Sling Star, which slings Mario to the next planet. On this planet, Mario must defeat the Grand Goomba near the top of the planet to free the other Luma and enter the Warp Pipe. The inside of the planet is filled with yellow switches and moving electrical walls. A big machine stands in the middle of the room; a Grand Star is inside it. Mario needs to step on all the yellow Flip Switches to turn them blue, which will shut the machine down and reveal the Grand Star.

Gateway's Purple Coins[]

This Power Star is only accessible after the Garden has been unlocked. When Mario enters the galaxy, Rosalina will meet him and a Red Luma will challenge him to gain one hundred Purple Coins. There are seventy coins on the planet and thirty in the air. Mario must use the new Red Star to transform into Flying Mario to gain the thirty in the air. This is the game's sole Red Power Star, and grabbing it allows the use of the Red Star power-up in the Observatory Grounds.

Trivia[]

• This is the only galaxy in the game where you have to flip the Flip Switches off, instead of on, as well as the only one that locks itself upon completion; however, after Mario conquers Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor, he can go back here.

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Characters	Main protagonists	Mario • Luigi • Princess Peach • Rosalina • Luma
	Antagonists	Bowser • Bowser Jr.
	Non-playable	Coach • Cosmic Luigi • Cosmic Mario • Guppy • Lumacomète • Lumalee • Penguin Racers • Penguru • Polari • Princess Peach • Rosalina • Queen Bee • Ray • Seagull • Spooky Speedster • Toad Brigade (Banktoad · Blue Toad · Mailtoad · Toad Brigade Captain · Yellow Toad) • Worm
Species	Species	Big Green Caterpillar • Board • Butterfly • Cataquack • Gearmo • Honeybee • Hungry Luma • Luma • Ocean Small Turtle • Penguin • Star Bunny • Toad
Enemies	Enemies	Amp • Astro Goomba • Ball Beamer • Banzai Bill • Bat • Big Amp • Bolt Beam • Bonefin • Black Hole • Blooper • Bob-omb • Bomb Boo • Boo • Brrr Bit • Burn Bit • Bullet Bill • Burner • Cataquack • Cheep Cheep • Chomp Pup • Chomp • Clam • Cluckboom • Crab • Dry Bones • Electricity Shooter • Electrogoomba • Eye Beamer • Fire Arm • Fire Shooter • Flipbug • Giant Gringill • Goomba • Grand Goomba • Gringill • Ground Urchin • Ice Bat • Jammyfish • Jump Guarder • Koopa Troopa • Lava Bouncer • Lava Plume • Li'l Springy • Magikoopa • Mandibug • Mecha Bowser • Mikey Mine • Mini Topman • Mobile Sentry Beam • Monty • Octopus • Piranha Plant • Pokey • Pokey Head • Ring Beam • Pink Electrogoomba • Preying Mantas • Prickly Plant • Puffer Fish • Pumpkinhead Goomba • Purple Piranha Plant • Red Pokey • Ring Beamer • Sentry Beam • Sliding Stone • Spangler • Spiky Topman • Spoing • Spring Robot • Spring Topman • Starbag • Swoopin' Poink • Thwomp • Torpedo Ted • Tox Box • Tweester • Undergrunt • Urchin • Water Shooter • Wiggler
Obstacles	Obstacles	Banzai Bill Cannon • Bars / Crystal • Bill Blaster • Black hole • Bramble • Bumper • Burner • Cannon • Chomp box • Current • Dark matter • Electric rail • Fire Bar • Fire geyser • Fire Shooter • Fireball • Floating Mine • Freezing water • Giant Prickly Plant • Gravity field • Honey • Lava • Lava Geyser • Lava tide • Meat • Meteor • Moving sand • Mud • Poison swamp • Prickly Plant • Pulse Beam • Quicksand • Sand tide • Skull Box • Space Mine • Spike • Spring • Torpedo tube • Water Shooter • Water tide • Whirlpool • Wind
Bosses	Bosses	Dino Piranha • King Kaliente • Mandibug Stack • Bugaboom • Megaleg • Kamella • Tarantox • Topmaniac • Bouldergeist • Major Burrows • Baron Brrr • Undergrunt Gunner • Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser • Kingfin • Fiery Dino Piranha • Bowser Jr. • Bowser
Galaxies	Gate	Gateway Galaxy • Boo's Boneyard Galaxy
	Terrace	Good Egg Galaxy • Honeyhive Galaxy • Loopdeeloop Galaxy • Flipswitch Galaxy • Sweet Sweet Galaxy • Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor
	Fountain	Space Junk Galaxy • Battlerock Galaxy • Rolling Green Galaxy • Hurry-Scurry Galaxy • Sling Pod Galaxy • Bowser's Star Reactor
	Kitchen	Beach Bowl Galaxy • Ghostly Galaxy • Bubble Breeze Galaxy • Buoy Base Galaxy • Drip Drop Galaxy • Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada
	Bedroom	Gusty Garden Galaxy • Freezeflame Galaxy • Dusty Dune Galaxy • Honeyclimb Galaxy • Bigmouth Galaxy • Bowser's Dark Matter Plant
	Engine Room	Gold Leaf Galaxy • Sea Slide Galaxy • Toy Time Galaxy • Bonefin Galaxy • Sand Spiral Galaxy • Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor
	Garden	Deep Dark Galaxy • Dreadnought Galaxy • Melty Molten Galaxy • Matter Splatter Galaxy • Snow Cap Galaxy
	Comet Observatory	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
	Planet of Trials	Rolling Gizmo Galaxy • Bubble Blast Galaxy • Loopdeeswoop Galaxy • Grand Finale Galaxy
Items	Items	1-Up Mushroom • ? Coin • Bee Mushroom • Boo Mushroom • Coin • Fire Flower • Grand Star • Green Power Star • Ice Flower • Life Mushroom • Note • Power Star • Purple Coin • Rainbow Star • Red Power Star • Red Star • Silver Star • Spring Mushroom • Star Bit • Star Chip
Objects	Objects	? Block • Airship • Arrow Sign • Assembly Block • Banandelion • Bar • Beacon • Blue switch • Bob-omb Dispenser • Bolt (object) • Bolt (platform) • Bowser Statue • Brick Block • Bubble • Bubbler • Cage • Cannon • Cloud • Coconut • Coin Block • Conveyor Belt • Crate • Dome • Empty Block • Flip Tile • Flipswitch Panel • Fluff • Flower (platform) • Flowerbed • Glass case • Gold Shell • Gold Treasure Box • Gravity spotlight • Gravity switch • Green Shell • Ground-Pound Switch • Hole • Honey wall • Honeycomb • Item Crystal • Key Door • Launch Star • Leaf pile • Lever Switch • Lift • Matter • Nail • Ocean Small Turtle • Pole • Portrait • Pull Star • Ring (Rolling Ball) • Ring (underwater) • Rock spire • Rolling Ball • Semisolid Platform • Shock Wave Generator • Shrinking platform • Sign • Sliding block • Sling Pod • Sling Star • Snow sculpture • Snowman • Springboard • Sproutle Vine • Stalagmite • Star Piece Cluster • Starshroom • Stone block • Stone circle • Stone Wheel • Stretch Plant • Swing • Tiny lamp • Torch • Tornado • Trash • Treasure chest • UFO • Underwater ring • Valve • Vine • Warp Pad • Warp Pipe • Watermelon • Water spout
Moves	Moves	Backward Somersault • Co-Star Super Jump • Crawl • Crouch • Dash • Double kick • Double Jump • Ground Pound • Long Jump • Jump • Side Somersault • Star Spin • Swim • Triple Jump • Wall Jump
Missions	Gateway Galaxy	Grand Star Rescue • Gateway's Purple Coins
	Boo's Boneyard Galaxy	Racing the Spooky Speedster
	Good Egg Galaxy	Dino Piranha • A Snack of Cosmic Proportions • King Kaliente's Battle Fleet • Dino Piranha Speed Run* • Purple Coin Omelet* • Luigi on the Roof
	Honeyhive Galaxy	Bee Mario/Luigi Takes Flight • Trouble on the Tower • Big Bad Bugaboom • Honeyhive Cosmic Mario/Luigi Race* • The Honeyhive's Purple Coins* • Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom
	Loopdeeloop Galaxy	Surfing 101
	Flipswitch Galaxy	Painting the Planet Yellow
	Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor	Megaleg's Moon
	Sweet Sweet Galaxy	Rocky Road
	Space Junk Galaxy	Pull Star Path • Kamella's Airship Attack • Tarantox's Tangled Web • Pull Star Path Speed Run* • Purple Coin Spacewalk* • Yoshi's Unexpected Appearance
	Rolling Green Galaxy	Rolling in the Clouds
	Battlerock Galaxy	Battlerock Barrage • Breaking into the Battlerock • Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe • Topmaniac's Daredevil Run* • Purple Coins on the Battlerock* • Battlerock's Garbage Dump • Luigi under the Saucer
	Hurry-Scurry Galaxy	Shrinking Satellite
	Bowser's Star Reactor	The Fiery Stronghold
	Sling Pod Galaxy	A Very Sticky Situation
	Beach Bowl Galaxy	Sunken Treasure • Passing the Swim Test • The Secret Undersea Cavern • Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone* • Beachcombing for Purple Coins* • Wall Jumping up Waterfalls
	Bubble Breeze Galaxy	Through the Poison Swamp
	Ghostly Galaxy	Luigi and the Haunted Mansion • A Very Spooky Sprint • Beware of Bouldergeist • Bouldergeist's Daredevil Run* • Purple Coins in the Bone Pen* • Matter Splatter Mansion
	Buoy Base Galaxy	The Floating Fortress • The Secret of Buoy Base
	Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada	Sinking the Airships
	Drip Drop Galaxy	Giant Eel Outbreak
	Gusty Garden Galaxy	Bunnies in the Wind • The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows • Gusty Garden's Gravity Scramble • Major Burrows's Daredevil Run* • Purple Coins on the Puzzle Cube* • The Golden Chomp
	Freezeflame Galaxy	The Frozen Peak of Baron Brrr • Freezeflame's Blistering Core • Hot and Cold Collide • Frosty Cosmic Mario/Luigi Race* •Purple Coins on the Summit* • Conquering the Summit
	Dusty Dune Galaxy	Soaring on the Desert Winds • Blasting through the Sand • Sunbaked Sand Castle • Sandblast Speed Run* • Purple Coins in the Desert* • Bullet Bill on Your Back • Treasure of the Pyramid
	Honeyclimb Galaxy	Scaling the Sticky Wall
	Bowser's Dark Matter Plant	Darkness on the Horizon
	Bigmouth Galaxy	Bigmouth's Gold Bait
	Gold Leaf Galaxy	Star Bunnies on the Hunt • Cataquack to the Skies • When It Rains, It Pours • Cosmic Mario/Luigi Forest Race* • Purple Coins in the Woods* • The Bell on the Big Tree
	Sea Slide Galaxy	Going after Guppy • Faster Than a Speeding Penguin • The Silver Stars of Sea Slide • Underwater Cosmic Mario/Luigi Race* • Purple Coins by the Seaside* • Hurry, He's Hungry
	Toy Time Galaxy	Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser • Mario/Luigi Meets Mario • Bouncing Down Cake Lane • Fast Foes of Toy Time* • Luigi's Purple Coins* • The Flipswitch Chain
	Bonefin Galaxy	Kingfin's Fearsome Waters
	Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor	King Kaliente's Spicy Return
	Sand Spiral Galaxy	Choosing a Favorite Snack
	Deep Dark Galaxy	The Underground Ghost Ship • Bubble Blastoff • Guppy and the Underground Lake • Ghost Ship Daredevil Run* • Plunder the Purple Coins* • Boo in a Box
	Dreadnought Galaxy	Infiltrating the Dreadnought • Dreadnought's Colossal Cannons • Revenge of the Topman Tribe • Topman Tribe Speed Run* • Battlestation's Purple Coins* • Dreadnought's Garbage Dump
	Matter Splatter Galaxy	Watch Your Step
	Melty Molten Galaxy	The Sinking Lava Spire • Through the Meteor Storm • Fiery Dino Piranha • Lava Spire Daredevil Run* • Red-Hot Purple Coins* • Burning Tide
	Snow Cap Galaxy	Star Bunnies in the Snow
	Rolling Gizmo Galaxy	Gizmos, Gears, and Gadgets
	Loopdeeswoop Galaxy	The Galaxy's Greatest Wave
	Bubble Blast Galaxy	The Electric Labyrinth
	Grand Finale Galaxy	The Star Festival
	Bowser's Galaxy Reactor	The Fate of the Universe
Mini-games	Mini-games	Bob-omb Blasting • Bubble Blowing • Ray surfing • Star Ball Rolling
Other	Other	Comet Observatory • Planet of Trials • Starbit Festival • Star Pointer • Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Missions marked with an asterisk (*) are only available while a Prankster Comet is in orbit.