This page describes tricks and shortcuts for individual stars in Super Mario Galaxy 2. These tricks can be done with both Mario and Luigi unless otherwise noted. Note also that most mentions of "infinite fluttering" or just "fluttering" refer to Sideways Infinite Flutter.

World 1

Sky Station

1. Peewee Piranha's Temper Tantrum
   • If the introduction to the level can be skipped (for example, when collecting Green Stars or when doing individual-level runs), the dialogue with the first Luma can be skipped by jumping away as soon as you gain control. Because ending the intro as soon as possible causes a delay in when you gain control, you may need to wait about a second before ending the fly-in scene.
   • On the first planet, stand still after talking to the Luma on top of Yoshi's house. This will shorten the pause that occurs when the Launch Star appears by about half a second.
   • On the second planet, approach the tower leading to the Launch Star from the left, and reach the top with a backflip and a wall-jump off the left side of the structure. This will cause the Luma to reach the top of the tower sooner. Video
   • On the second planet, the next group of small planets can be reached by doing a homing ground-pound off of the Luma as it reaches the top of the tower. If the previous time-saver is used, the Luma will transform before you can set up the ground-pound unless you do a spin and then jump to make the Luma stop for a second. This is a risky trick that saves only about 10 or 15 frames, so it's mostly appropriate for individual-level runs. Video
   • Peewee Piranha's shell can be broken with a single ground-pound instead of 2 spins.
2. Storming the Sky Fleet
   • There is no landing stun at the beginning of this stage--avoid attempting a land-cancel.
   • On the first planet, the Chomp Pup holding the key can be reached by long-jumping down-right over the fence from the starting point.
3. Peewee Piranha's Speed Run
   • There is no landing stun at the beginning of this stage--avoid attempting a land-cancel.
   • Peewee Piranha's shell can be broken with a single ground-pound instead of 2 spins.

Yoshi Star

1. Saddle Up with Yoshi
   • Infinite flutter can be used to travel from the first planet to the third. There are several ways to do this:
     1. If the Comet Medal is obtained, start an infinite flutter by bouncing off the small berry facing the third planet by tapping the B button before jumping on to it. This will allow you to reach the third planet in a single flutter. Video Alternatively, flutter to the group of small berries near the Smeech or the large berry at the end of the first planet, and then start another flutter towards the third planet.
     2. If the Comet Medal is not obtained, start infinite fluttering from the Yoshi Egg. The third planet can be reached in a single flutter by bouncing off the Smeech or the nearby berries. If the bounce is missed, another infinite flutter will need to be started. Video
   • On the last planet, you can get the elevator to descend earlier by infinite fluttering up to it from the landing point. Video
2. Spiny Control
   • Infinite flutter can be used to travel from the first Yoshi Egg to the last planet. Video
   • Normally, when you hit the boss, Giga Lakitu, with a Spiny, all other Spinies disappear except for any in Yoshi's mouth. By storing a Spiny in Yoshi's mouth, you can get the last 2 hits against Giga Lakitu quickly. There are 2 methods to set up a storage of a Spiny:
     1. After 2 Spinies land on the ground, hit both of them once each with Yoshi's tongue to get the Spinies to retract into their shells. After spitting one towards the boss, quickly swallow the other Spiny before the first one hits. Video
     2. When Giga Lakitu throws 2 Spinies, swallow the first one while it's airborne, spit it back to the boss, and quickly swallow the second Spiny before it lands. Video
3. Spiny Rainbow Romp
   • When hitting a Spiny with the Rainbow Star, try to hit a Spiny on its edge because hitting it near the middle will cause you to briefly stop.
   • Another subtle problem with this Star is that running through shallow water will slow you down a bit.

Spin-Dig

1. Digga-Leg's Planet
   • The Drill on the first planet can be skipped by triple-jumping to the first Launch Star.
   • On the second planet, drilling at the base of a pillar will sometimes push you into the pillar. Video This is most consistently done by jumping backwards against a pillar before drilling.
   • On the Toad Brigade's ship, the dialogue with the Captain can be skipped by entering first-person view upon landing, shooting Star Bits at the Captain, and then running away while the Captain is stunned.
   • Digga-Leg's hopping phase can be shortened by forcing yourself underneath Digga-Leg.
   • Digga-Leg will not deploy any Diggas if the previous ones are still alive. Avoid destroying Diggas as much as possible, but also note that Digga-Leg can destroy the Diggas during its hopping phase, which is luck-dependent.
2. Silver Stars Down Deep
3. Digga-Leg's Daredevil Run
   • As in the first Star, Digga-Leg will not deploy any Diggas if the previous ones are still alive.

Fluffy Bluff

1. Search for the Toad Brigade Captain
   • Get the Cloud Flower and then reach the cloud above the large tree. From here, use long-jumps and clouds to jump to the last planet. Video With a couple of clouds, it's possible to land near the fountains.
2. The Chimp's Stomp Challenge
3. Every Planet Has Its Price

Rightside Down

1. Breaking the Laws of Gravity
   • The first gravity lever can be skipped by long-jumping to a Question Block and then jumping down to the area below the large Piranha Plant. Video
   • The second gravity lever can be skipped by jumping down to the second elevator when it's at its lowest point.
   • The Thwomps near the end of the stage can be bypassed by simply jumping onto the surrounding walls from the area where the gravity is pointing away from the camera.
2. The Great Crate Incinerator
   • After swinging off the flower, release the analog stick and jump as soon as you land to maintain forward momentum. This will let you reach the pipe directly.

Flip-Swap

• Long-jumping off of a platform as it's flipping upwards will boost the height of the long-jump and let you skip portions of the stage. Video

Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla

1. Gobblegut's Aching Belly
   • The small planet over the castle walls can be skipped by jumping onto the castle walls and then proceeding to the far-right corner of the structure. From here, jump towards the boss planet to enter its gravitational field. Video
2. Fiery Flotilla Speed Run

World 2

Puzzle Plank

1. The Puzzling Picture Block
   • On the second planet, the Launch Star can be reached with a backflip and a spin.
   • On the third planet, the high wall can be scaled with a triple-jump instead of waiting for the saws to carve out the middle piece. Video
   • On the last planet, it's possible to hit each puzzle piece two or three times with a single ground-pound. The exact method for doing this is unknown. Video
2. Purple Coin Shadow Vault
3. Bugaboom's Back

Hightail Falls

1. Hot-Stepping Dash Pepper
   • On the second planet, it's a little faster to dash up the left path.
   • After landing onto the last planet, the Star can be reached directly by eating the first Dash Pepper, running up to the top edge of the wall, and jumping just as Yoshi runs off the edge. Video
   • An alternative method for reaching the Star is to eat the Dash Pepper under the Grapple Flowers, run up-left on the concave ramp (or "vert ramp"), and then dismount. The momentum of Yoshi's dash will fling you up to the Star.
2. Hightail Falls Speed Run
   • All of the time-savers for the first Star are applicable to this Star as well.
3. Silver Stars in Hightail Falls

Boulder Bowl

1. Rock and Rollodillo
   • The third planet can be reached from the first planet in a couple of ways:
     1. With or without the Rock Mushroom, go to the top-left corner of the ramp past the Pinheads, long-jump straight left, and spin. Video
     2. With the Rock Mushroom, go to where the Pinheads are. Start rolling towards the third planet, jump, and then do one or two midair jumps.
   • On the second planet, you can skip breaking the large crystal by jumping over it with a few midair Rock Mushroom jumps.
   • Rollodillo can be prevented from starting its rolling attack by rolling away from it and then looping around to hit its back. Video
2. Rolling Crabber Romp
3. C'mere, Goomba
   • As in the first Star, the third planet can be directly reached from the first.

Cosmic Cove

1. Twin Falls Hideaway
2. Exploring the Cosmic Cavern
   • On the last planet, the platform under the Star can be reached with a triple-jump + spin. This skips filling the planet with water. Video
3. Catch That Star Bunny
   • The Star Bunny can be captured without freezing the planet by hitting the Bunny with a Star Bit before you start to chase it.

Wild Glide

Honeybloom

1. Bumble Beginnings
   • The first set of clouds can be climbed without the Bee Mushroom by triple-jumping up to the highest spinning flower, doing an instant sideflip off of it, and then quickly jumping off the highest cloud and spinning backwards. Video
2. The Secret Wall Jump

Bowser's Lava Lair

• A large portion of the last planet can be skipped with a couple of methods:
  1. The faster method requires getting the Life Mushroom on the third planet and having at least 4 units of health. At the second checkpoint flag, run to the right. At the edge of the lava, long-jump + spin towards the 3 Bowser statues leading to Bowser's gate. By holding forward on the analog stick as you hop across the lava, you should bounce onto the first and second statues. As soon as you land on the second Bowser statue, start long-jumping. Video
  2. The other method does not require the Life Mushroom but does require 3 units of health. At the second checkpoint flag, run to the right. At the edge of the lava, long-jump + spin towards the final Snake Block. From this Snake Block, long-jump across the top of the Bowser statues. Video

• Two of the locks on Bowser's gate can be destroyed with a single meteorite if you ground-pound the meteorite at a precise spot.

World 3

Tall Trunk

1. The Flotacious Blimp Fruit
   • The tree can be climbed without Yoshi and the Blimp Fruit by using a combination of triple-jumps, backflips/sideflips, and wall-jumps. Video
   • The Comet Medal can be obtained quickly by getting Yoshi at the first egg on the second planet, and then dropping to the floor below. Run off the edge to the left, and then start infinite fluttering backwards towards the Medal. Doing a spin at the beginning of the flutter will give you a significant speed boost.
2. Tall Trunk's Big Slide
   • The tree can be climbed without the trapezes by using triple-jumps, backflips/sideflips, and wall-jumps. Video
   • The slide can be entered from the side with a long-jump + spin. Video
3. Tall Trunk's Purple Coin Slide
   • As in the second Star, the slide can be entered from the side with a long-jump + spin.

Cloudy Court

1. Head in the Clouds
   • From the small square platforms early in the level, the drums can be reached directly with cloud-boosted long-jumps.
   • The first Launch Star can be skipped. From the cymbals, both Mario and Luigi can directly reach the next Launch Star with long-jumps and clouds. For Mario, however, it's faster to go to the windmill and get the Cloud Flower there first.
   • On the last planet, after ascending over the first wall, you can jump over the next wall with a couple of cloud-boosted long-jumps and a wall-jump + spin.
   • There are a few ways to get the Comet Medal and reach the top of the crushers before they close. Here are 2 examples: Video 1 Video 2
2. The Shadow Lining
3. Silver Stars in the Purple Pond

Haunty Halls

1. A Glimmer of Bulb Berry
   • After passing the first checkpoint and crossing the red path, it's possible to long-jump from the beginning of the green path to the next platform. So far, this has been done only with Luigi. Video
   • The last part of the level can be skipped by infinite fluttering to the Star as soon as you get Yoshi.
2. Sneaking Down the Creepy Corridor
3. Spooky Cosmic Clone Chase

Freezy Flake

1. Bowser on Ice
   • The slide can be entered by clipping through the left wall. Video
2. Sorbetti's Chilly Reception
   • With several consecutive midair Rock Mushroom jumps, the boss planet can be reached directly from the starting planet. Video This is currently a TAS-only trick.
3. The Chimp's Skating Challenge

Rolling Masterpiece

• The Flipswitches can be skipped by jumping at full-speed towards the next launcher.

Beat Block

Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet

1. Bowser Jr.'s Mighty Megahammer
   • Infinite flutter can be used to skip most of the level before the boss. The optimal route is to flutter to the asteroid on the right, flutter to a Question Block above one of Bowser's airships (which doesn't appear in this route), and then flutter to the Launch Star. Video
   • During the last phase of the fight against Megahammer, Bowser Jr.'s cockpit can be hit before Megahammer attacks by doing a sideflip and one full flutter before spitting out a Bullet Bill.
2. Megahammer's Daredevil Bash
   • As in the first Star, Bowser Jr.'s cockpit can be hit early during the last phase of the fight.