Super Mario Galaxy/Run Routes

This page contains speedrun routes for Super Mario Galaxy. Routes from past speedruns and prospective speedruns can be placed here.

Route Correctness Checklist

A basic correctness checklist for possible run routes:

• Compare current star count with the next galaxy's star requirement.
• Comets:
  • Make sure you've cleared the comet's requirement star (see the Comet Stars section).
  • Make your star plan match the comet patterns (see the Comet Stars section).
• Star bits: Make sure you'll have enough star bits for each Hungry Luma star in the route.
• Luigi stars: Know when you're getting Luigi's letters (see the Luigi Stars section).
• Plan around the events that return you to the Observatory

61-star (Any%)

Bowser's Galaxy Reactor requires a minimum of 60 stars to enter, and unlike in Super Mario 64, the Grand Star from defeating Bowser counts in the star total.

Segmented

This is the route plan used in Yoshifan's 2:25:04 run as Luigi.

1. Gateway - Grand Star Rescue
   • End segment 1
2. Good Egg - Dino Piranha
3. Good Egg - A Snack of Cosmic Proportions
4. Honeyhive - Bee Mario Takes Flight
   • End segment 2
5. Honeyhive - Trouble on the Tower
6. Honeyhive - Big Bad Bugaboom
7. Loopdeloop - Surfing 101
8. Flipswitch - Painting the Planet Yellow
9. Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor - Megaleg's Moon
   • End segment 3
10. Space Junk - Pull Star Path
11. Space Junk - Kamella's Airship Attack
12. Space Junk - Tarantox's Tangled Web
13. Rolling Green - Rolling in the Clouds
    • End segment 4
14. Battlerock - Battlerock Barrage
15. Space Junk - Pull Star Path Speed Run (Comet)
16. Bowser's Star Reactor - The Fiery Stronghold
    • End segment 5
17. Beach Bowl - Sunken Treasure
18. Beach Bowl - Passing the Swim Test
19. Beach Bowl - The Secret Undersea Cavern
20. Beach Bowl - Wall Jumping up Waterfalls
21. Ghostly - Luigi and the Haunted Mansion
    • End segment 6
    • Talk to Luigi at the Garage
22. Sweet Sweet - Rocky Road (400 star bits)
23. Good Egg - Luigi on the Roof
24. Honeyhive - Honeyhive Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
    • End segment 7
25. Bubble Breeze - Through the Poison Swamp
26. Ghostly - A Very Spooky Sprint
27. Beach Bowl - Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone (Comet)
28. Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada - Sinking the Airships
    • End segment 8
29. Freezeflame - The Frozen Peak of Baron Brrr
30. Freezeflame - Freezeflame's Blistering Core
31. Freezeflame - Frosty Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
32. Freezeflame - Hot and Cold Collide
33. Gusty Garden - Bunnies in the Wind
34. Gusty Garden - The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows
    • End segment 9
35. Buoy Base - The Floating Fortress
36. Ghostly - Matter Splatter Mansion
37. Buoy Base - The Secret of Buoy Base (First green star)
    • End segment 10
    • Talk to the Mailtoad for Luigi's Battlerock letter
38. Battlerock - Luigi under the Saucer
39. Hurry-Scurry - Shrinking Satellite
40. Sling Pod - A Very Sticky Situation (400 star bits)
    • End segment 11
41. Gusty Garden - Gusty Garden's Gravity Scramble
42. Freezeflame - Conquering the Summit
43. Gusty Garden - Major Burrows's Daredevil Run (Comet)
44. Gusty Garden - The Golden Chomp
45. Honeyclimb - Scaling the Sticky Wall
46. Bowser's Dark Matter Plant - Darkness on the Horizon
    • End segment 12
47. Gold Leaf - Star Bunnies on the Hunt
48. Gold Leaf - Cataquack to the Skies
49. Gold Leaf - The Bell on the Big Tree
50. Gold Leaf - When it Rains, it Pours
51. Gold Leaf - Cosmic Mario Forest Race (Comet)
52. Toy Time - Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser
53. Toy Time - The Flipswitch Chain
54. Toy Time - Mario Meets Mario
55. Toy Time - Fast Foes of Toy Time (Comet)
56. Sea Slide - Going After Guppy
57. Sea Slide - Underwater Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
58. Sea Slide - Faster than a Speeding Penguin
    • End segment 13
    • Talk to the Mailtoad for Luigi's Honeyhive letter
59. Honeyhive - Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom
    • End segment 14
60. Drip Drop - Giant Eel Outbreak (600 star bits)
    • End segment 15
61. Bowser's Galaxy Reactor - The Fate of the Universe
    • End segment 16

Single-Segment

Route 1

• Mostly based on Yoshifan's 2:25 segmented run as Luigi. The stars are almost all the same.
• There is only one comet that has to be at a specific point of the route: Honeyhive Cosmic Mario Race. If it is planned later or earlier in the route, then Dino Piranha Speed Run may be the active comet instead. For all other comets in the route, the comet may be done sooner or later (but as usual, Terrace comets must be even stars, and non-Terrace comets must be odd stars).

1. Gateway - Grand Star Rescue
   • Back to start of observatory; Grand Star.
   • To Terrace
2. Good Egg - Dino Piranha
3. Good Egg - A Snack of Cosmic Proportions
4. Honeyhive - Bee Mario Takes Flight
   • Back to start of observatory; found Toads.
   • To Terrace
5. Honeyhive - Trouble on the Tower
6. Honeyhive - Big Bad Bugaboom
7. Good Egg - King Kaliente's Battle Fleet OR Loopdeloop - Surfing 101 (These are both around the same length)
8. Flipswitch - Painting the Planet Yellow
9. Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor - Megaleg's Moon
   • Back to start of observatory; Grand Star.
   • To Fountain
10. Space Junk - Pull Star Path
11. Space Junk - Kamella's Airship Attack
12. Space Junk - Tarantox's Tangled Web
13. Rolling Green - Rolling in the Clouds
    • Back to start of observatory; 13 stars unlocks comets.
    • To Fountain
14. Battlerock - Battlerock Barrage
15. Space Junk - Pull Star Path Speed Run (Comet)
16. Bowser's Star Reactor - The Fiery Stronghold
    • Back to start of observatory; Grand Star.
    • To Kitchen
17. Beach Bowl - Sunken Treasure
18. Beach Bowl - Passing the Swim Test
19. Beach Bowl - The Secret Undersea Cavern
20. Beach Bowl - Wall Jumping up Waterfalls (Skip cutscenes)
21. Beach Bowl - Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone (Comet)
22. Ghostly - Luigi and the Haunted Mansion
    • Back to start of observatory; found Luigi.
    • To Terrace Hungry Luma; feed it, and then...
    • Talk to Luigi at the Garage
    • Go back to Terrace Hungry Luma
      • Doing things in this order can save a second if done just right.
23. Sweet Sweet - Rocky Road (400 star bits)
    • Back to start of observatory; Hungry Luma star + first letter from Luigi.
    • To Terrace
24. Honeyhive - Honeyhive Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
25. Good Egg - Luigi on the Roof (Skip cutscenes) (needs to have one level between talking to Luigi at the Garage and this star.)
    • Exit Terrace
    • To Kitchen (going clockwise in the observatory might be fastest)
26. Bubble Breeze - Through the Poison Swamp
27. Ghostly - A Very Spooky Sprint
28. Ghostly - Matter Splatter Mansion (Skip cutscenes)
29. Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada - Sinking the Airships
    • Back to start of observatory; Grand Star.
    • To Bedroom
30. Freezeflame - The Frozen Peak of Baron Brrr
31. Freezeflame - Frosty Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
32. Freezeflame - Freezeflame's Blistering Core
33. Freezeflame - Hot and Cold Collide
34. Freezeflame - Conquering the Summit (Skip cutscenes)
35. Gusty Garden - Bunnies in the Wind
36. Gusty Garden - The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows
37. Gusty Garden - The Golden Chomp
38. Gusty Garden - Gusty Garden's Gravity Scramble (Skip cutscenes) (Should come after Golden Chomp; platforms at start of gravity area are better that way, and it gives you a second chance if you fail ? coins the first time)
39. Gusty Garden - Major Burrows's Daredevil Run (Comet)
40. Buoy Base - The Floating Fortress
41. Buoy Base - The Secret of Buoy Base (Skip cutscenes)
    • Back to start of observatory; first green star.
    • Talk to the Mailtoad for Luigi's Battlerock letter
    • To Fountain
42. Battlerock - Luigi under the Saucer (Skip cutscenes)
43. Hurry-Scurry - Shrinking Satellite
    • Exit Fountain
    • To Fountain Hungry Luma
44. Sling Pod - A Very Sticky Situation (400 star bits)
    • Back to start of observatory; Hungry Luma star.
    • To bedroom
45. Honeyclimb - Scaling the Sticky Wall
46. Bowser's Dark Matter Plant - Darkness on the Horizon
    • Back to start of observatory; Grand Star.
    • To Engine Room
47. Gold Leaf - Star Bunnies on the Hunt
48. Gold Leaf - Cataquack to the Skies
49. Gold Leaf - The Bell on the Big Tree (Skip cutscenes) (Will have a Storybook unlock dialog at 49 stars, which is best left for a coin/starbit free level)
50. Gold Leaf - When it Rains, it Pours
51. Gold Leaf - Cosmic Mario Forest Race (Comet)
52. Toy Time - Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser
53. Toy Time - The Flipswitch Chain (Before Mario Meets Mario, in case you fail at 50 star bits the first time)
54. Toy Time - Mario Meets Mario (Skip Cutscenes)
55. Toy Time - Fast Foes of Toy Time (Comet)
56. Sea Slide - Going After Guppy
57. Sea Slide - Underwater Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
58. Sea Slide - Faster than a Speeding Penguin
    • Exit Engine Room
    • To Kitchen Hungry Luma
59. Drip Drop - Giant Eel Outbreak (600 star bits)
    • Back to start of observatory; Hungry Luma star.
    • Talk to the Mailtoad for Luigi's Honeyhive letter
    • To Terrace
60. Honeyhive - Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom (Skip cutscenes)
    • Back to start of observatory; 60 stars.
    • Say Yes/Go to Rosalina.
61. Bowser's Galaxy Reactor - The Fate of the Universe

Route 2

• Mostly based on some early testing back when SMG first came out.

1. Gateway Galaxy - Grand Star Rescue
2. Good Egg Galaxy - Dino Piranha
3. Good Egg Galaxy - A Snack of Cosmic Proportions
4. Good Egg Galaxy - King Kaliente's Battle Fleet
5. Honeyhive Galaxy - Bee Mario Takes Flight
6. Honeyhive Galaxy - Trouble on the Tower
7. Honeyhive Galaxy - Big Bad Bugaboom
8. Loopdeeloop Galaxy - Surfing 101
9. Flipswitch Galaxy - Painting the Planet Yellow
10. Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor - Megaleg's Moon
11. Space Junk Galaxy - Pull Star Path
12. Space Junk Galaxy - Kamella's Airship Attack
13. Rolling Green Galaxy - Rolling in the Clouds
14. Honeyhive Galaxy - Honeyhive Cosmic Mario Race
15. Battlerock Galaxy - Battlerock Barrage
16. Battlerock Galaxy - Breaking into the Battlerock
17. Battlerock Galaxy - Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe
18. Battlerock Galaxy - Topmaniac's Daredevil Run
19. Hurry-Scurry Galaxy - Shrinking Satellite
20. Bowser's Star Reactor - The Fiery Stronghold
21. Beach Bowl Galaxy - Sunken Treasure
22. Beach Bowl Galaxy - Passing the Swim Test
23. Beach Bowl Galaxy - The Secret Undersea Cavern
24. Beach Bowl Galaxy - Wall Jumping Up Waterfalls
25. Beach Bowl Galaxy - Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone
26. Ghostly Galaxy - Luigi in the Haunted Mansion
27. Ghostly Galaxy - A Very Spooky Sprint
28. Ghostly Galaxy - Beware of Bouldergeist
29. Ghostly Galaxy - Matter Splatter Mansion
30. Ghostly Galaxy - Bouldergeist's Daredevil Run
31. Bubble Breeze Galaxy - Through the Poison Swamp
32. Buoy Base Galaxy - The Secret of Buoy Base
33. Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada - Sinking the Airships
34. Good Egg Galaxy - Luigi on the Roof
35. Gusty Garden Galaxy - Bunnies in the Wind
36. Gusty Garden Galaxy - The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows
37. Gusty Garden Galaxy - The Golden Chomp
38. Gusty Garden Galaxy - Gusty Garden's Gravity Scramble
39. Gusty Garden Galaxy - Major Burrows's Daredevil Run
40. Freezeflame Galaxy - The Frozen Peak of Baron Brrr
41. Freezeflame Galaxy - Frosty Cosmic Mario Race
42. Freezeflame Galaxy - Conquering the Summit
43. Bowser's Dark Matter Plant - Darkness on the Horizon
44. Battlerock Galaxy - Luigi under the Saucer
45. Gold Leaf Galaxy - Star Bunnies on the Hunt
46. Gold Leaf Galaxy - The Bell on the Big Tree
47. Gold Leaf Galaxy - Cataquack to the Skies
48. Gold Leaf Galaxy - When It Rains, It Pours
49. Gold Leaf Galaxy - Cosmic Mario Forest Race
50. Sea Slide Galaxy - Going After Guppy
51. Sea Slide Galaxy - Underwater Cosmic Mario Race
52. Sea Slide Galaxy - Faster than a Speeding Penguin
53. Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor - King Kaliente's Spicy Return
54. Honeyhive Galaxy - Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom
55. Sweet Sweet Galaxy - Rocky Road
56. Sand Spiral Galaxy - Choosing a Favorite Snack
57. Deep Dark Galaxy - The Underground Ghost Ship
58. Deep Dark Galaxy - Bubble Blastoff
59. Deep Dark Galaxy - Ghost Ship Daredevil Run
60. Deep Dark Galaxy - Boo in a Box
61. Bowser's Galaxy Reactor - The Fate of the Universe

120-star (100%)

Requires beating the game twice. Fifteen purple coin collect-a-thons don't appear until Bowser's Galaxy Reactor has been cleared. After collecting all 120 stars, defeating Bowser again unlocks Luigi as a playable character.

Segmented

Segment 1

• Gateway: Grand Star Rescue

Segment 2

• Good Egg: Dino Piranha
• Good Egg: A Snack of Cosmic Proportions
• Honeyhive: Bee Mario Takes Flight

Segment 3

• Honeyhive: Trouble on the Tower
• Honeyhive: Big Bad Bugaboom
• Loopdeloop: Surfing 101
• Flipswitch: Painting the Planet Yellow
• Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor: Megaleg's Moon

Segment 4

• Space Junk: Pull Star Path
• Space Junk: Kamella's Airship Attack
• Space Junk: Tarantox's Tangled Web
• Space Junk: Yoshi's Unexpected Appearance

Segment 5

• Rolling Green: Rolling in the Clouds
• Space Junk: Pull Star Path Speed Run (Comet)
• Bowser's Star Reactor: The Fiery Stronghold

Segment 6

• Beach Bowl: Sunken Treasure
• Beach Bowl: Passing the Swim Test
• Beach Bowl: The Secret Undersea Cavern
• Beach Bowl: Wall Jumping up Waterfalls
• Ghostly: Luigi and the Haunted Mansion

Segment 7

• Sweet Sweet: Rocky Road
• Good Egg: Luigi on the Roof
• Honeyhive: Honeyhive Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
• Good Egg: King Kalientie's Battle Fleet
• Good Egg: Dino Piranha Speed Run (Comet)

Segment 8

• Battlerock: Battlerock Barrage
• Battlerock: Breaking into the Battlerock
• Battlerock: Battlerock's Garbage Dump
• Battlerock: Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe
• Save Battlerock: Topmaniac's Daredevil Run for later in Segment 11 (After Luigi under the Saucer and Shrinking Satellite).

Segment 9

• Beach Bowl: Fast Foes on the Cyclone Stone (Comet)
• Ghostly: A Very Spooky Sprint
• Ghostly: Beware of Bouldergiest
• Ghostly: Matter Splatter Mansion
• Ghostly: Bouldergiest's Daredevil Run (Comet)
• Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armanda: Sinking the Airships

Segment 10

• Gusty Garden: Bunnies in the Wind
• Gusty Garden: The dirty Tricks of Major Burrows
• Gusty Garden: Gusty Garden's Gravity Scramble
• Gusty Garden: The Golden Chomp
• Gusty Garden: Major Burrows's Daredevil Run (Comet)
• Freezeflame: The Frozen Peak of Baron Brr

Segment 11

• Talk to Mailtoad for Luigi's Battlerock Letter
• Battlerock: Topmaniac's Daredevil Run (Comet)
• Hurry Scurry: Shrinking Satellite
• Battlerock: Luigi under the Saucer

Segment 12

• Bubble Breeze: Through the Poison Swamp
• Buoy Base: The Floating Fortress
• Buoy Base: The Secret of Buoy Base

Segment 13

• Freezeflame: Conquering the Summit
• Freezeflame: Frosty Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
• Freezeflame: Freezeflame's Blistering Core
• Freezeflame: Hot and Cold Collide
• Honeyclimb: Scaling the Sticky Wall
• Dusty Dune: Soaring on the Desert Winds

Segment 14

• Dusty Dune: Blasting through the Sand
• Dusty Dune: Sunbaked Sandcastle
• Dusty Dune: Sandblast Speed Run (Comet)
• Dusty Dune: Bullet Bill on your Back
• Bowser's Dark Matter Plant: Darkness on the Horizon

Segment 15

• Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor: King Kalientie's Spicy Return

Segment 16

• Bowser's Galaxy Reactor: The Fate of the Universe

Segment 17

• Talk to Mailtoad for Luigi's Honeyhive Letter
• Good Egg: Purple Coin Omelet (Comet)
• Space Junk: Purple Coin Spacewalk (Comet)
• Honeyhive: Honeyhive's Purple Coins (Comet)
• Battlerock: Battlerock's Purple Coins (Comet)
• Honeyhive: Luigi in the Honeyhive Kingdom

Segment 18

• Beach Bowl: Beachcombing for Purple Coins (Comet)

Segment 19

• Sling Pod: A Very Sticky Situation

Segment 20

• Ghostly: Purple Coins in the Bone Pen (Comet)
• Gold Leaf: Star Bunnies on the Hunt
• Gold Leaf: Cataquack to the Skies
• Gold Leaf: When it Rains, it Pours
• Gold Leaf: Cosmic Mario Forest Race (Comet)
• Gold Leaf: The Bell on the Big Tree
• Gold Leaf: Purple Coins in the Woods (Comet)

Segment 21

• Dusty Dune: Treasure of the Pyramid

Segment 22

• Dusty Dune: Purple Coins in the Desert (Comet)
• Sea Slide: Going after Guppy
• Sea Slide: Underwater Cosmic Mario Race (Comet)
• Sea Slide: Faster than a speeding Penguin
• Sea Slide: The Silver Stars of Sea Slide
• Sea Slide: Hurry, He's Hungry

Segment 23

• Gusty Garden: Purple Coins on the Puzzle Cube (Comet)
• Toy Time: Heavy-Metal Mecha Bowser
• Sea Slide: Purple Coins of the Sea Slide (Comet)
• Toy Time: The Flipswitch Chain
• Toy Time: Fast Foes of Toy Time (Comet)
• Toy Time: Mario Meets Mario
• Toy Time: Bouncing Down Cake Lane

Segment 24

• Freezeflame: Freezeflame's Purple Coins (Comet)
• Gateway: Gateway's Purple Coins

Segment 25

• Toy Time: Luigi's Purple Coins (Comet)
• Deep Dark: The Underground Ghost Ship
• Deep Dark: Plunder the Purple Coins (Comet)
• Deep Dark: Bubble Blastoff
• Deep Dark: Ghost Ship Daredevil Run (Comet)
• Deep Dark: Guppy and the Underground Lake
• Deep Dark: Boo in a Box

Segment 26

• Dreadnought: Infiltrating the Dreadnought
• Dreadnought: Dreadnought's Colossal Cannons
• Dreadnought: Revenge of the Topman Tribe
• Dreadnought: Topman Tribe Speed Run (Comet)
• Dreadnought: Dreadnought's Garbage Dump
• Dreadnought: Battlestation's Purple Coins (Comet)
• Matter Splatter: Watch your Step

Segment 27

• Melty Molten: The Sinking Lava Spire
• Melty Molten: Through the Metor Storm
• Melty Molten: Fiery Dino Piranha
• Melty Molten: Lava Spire Daredevil Run (Comet)
• Melty Molten: Burning Tide
• Melty Molten: Red-Hot Purple Coins (Comet)

Segment 28

• Snow Cap: Star Bunnies in the Snow
• Drip Drop: Giant Eel Outbreak
• Bigmouth: Bigmouth's Gold Bait
• Bonefin: Kingfin's Fearsome Waters
• Sand Spiral: Choosing a Favorite Snack
• Boo's Boneyard: Racing the Spooky Speedster

Segment 29

• Rolling Gizmo: Gizmos, Gears, and Gadgets

Segment 30

• Bubble Blast: The Electric Labyrinth

Segment 31

• Loopdeswoop: The Galaxy's Greatest Wave

Segment 32

• Bowser's Galaxy Reactor: The Fate of the Universe

• Luigi unlocked, End of game.

Single-Segment

121-star New Game+

• Target: Under 7 hours
• Total star bits needed: 6370

In this category, we start with Luigi immediately after unlocking him, and collect all 120 stars with him. We unlock the Grand Finale Galaxy and complete it. This prevents repetition in collecting all 120 stars twice in a single run, and shortens the run's length to a reasonable time frame.

Segmented

Single-Segment