Super Mario Galaxy – 10 Best (& Worst) Stars

Super Mario Galaxy is easily one of my favourite games of all time, and I’ve already ranked each galaxy, but that doesn’t tell the whole story – I’m going to pick my 10 favourite (and least favourite) stars / levels.

As an added challenge, I’m not going to pick any of the purple coin levels. I hate almost every single one of them, and my top 10 worst would be filled with them otherwise.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

10 (WORST) – Passing the Swim Test (Beach Bowl)

Short stars can either fall into the funny or pointless categories. “Passing the Swim Test” falls into the latter.

Not only have we already explored this part of Beach Bowl in the previous star, but it’s far too easy to steal the golden shell and claim the star in under a minute.

10 (BEST) – Dino Piranha (Good Egg)

Nintendo always excel at crafting the best first levels in Mario games, and “Dino Piranha” is no exception.

The music, the different paths, the visual style, the galaxy hopping, the boss battle at the end … It’s all good stuff, and I always look forward to it when I boot up a new save.

9 – Shrinking Satellite (Hurry-Scurry)

You run around a galaxy until the panels disappear, and that’s it. Far too short, and the Sea Slide bonus star does it better!

9 – The Silver Stars of Sea Slide (Sea Slide)

After a couple of low-stakes stars that encircled Sea Slide and nothing more, it was fantastic to take a leisurely stroll around the entire galaxy to collect five silver stars.

It was definitely better than collecting a hundred purple coins, that’s for sure …

8 – Painting the Planet Yellow (Flipswitch)

More of a tech demo than a real galaxy. You flip the switches, you avoid the spikes and lasers.

Shouldn’t take more than a minute to complete, so it would’ve been better as another galaxy’s secret star.

8 – Rocky Road (Sweet Sweet)

The first Hungry Luma bonus star you come across in the Comet Observatory, and the best by a country mile.

The candy aesthetic is so much fun, and the jumps can be genuinely challenging if you’re not paying attention.

7 – Topmaniac’s Daredevil Run (Battlerock)

I really like the original level (more on that later …), but the developers were taking the piss with this daredevil run.

Topmaniac is one of the easiest bosses in the game, so having him as a daredevil star feels like a condescending kick in the nuts.

7 – Pull Star Path (Space Junk)

Space Junk is easily one of my favourite galaxies in the game, mainly due to its chill vibe and soundtrack, and its first star is delightful.

I always look forwards to this low-stakes journey through the wonders of space, and the silver star section at the end is a fun challenge.

6 – Conquering the Summit (Freezeflame)

Accessing this secret star is definitely the best part about it, as once I’ve found it the joy immediately disappears.

The parkouring is too unreliable, the bats that keep nagging you from above are unbelievably annoying, and it brings more frustration than satisfaction on the whole.

6 – Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe (Battlerock)

Battlerock’s levels are designed in a way that get better and better with each star, until it crescendos to the grand finale.

I love the 2D sections, dodging all the lasers, and the final fight with Topmaniac is a great way to cap it all off.

5 – Bullet Bill on Your Back (Dusty Dune)

Not only do you have to replay a large chunk of a bog-standard level to reach this hidden star, but the actual star itself is a pain in the backside to get.

It’s more annoying than fun to wrangle the bullet bills and get them to descend at just the right time, and the various Dry Bones and red herring domes add unnecessary obstacles.

5 – The Sinking Lava Spire (Melty Molten)

When I first played Super Mario Galaxy as a kid, I’d never seen anything quite as grandiose and thrilling as “The Sinking Lava Spire”.

The lava-filled level beforehand is great, but the sinking island in particular is such a fun rush.

4 – Luigi Under the Saucer (Battlerock)

Pure laziness.

You have to beat 99% of the same level again, mostly standing on a moving platform and dodging easy obstacles, before directing the bullet bills under the star instead to save Luigi. A waste of my time.

4 – Heavy Metal Mecha-Bowser (Toy Time)

One of the biggest spectacles in the entire game.

The Toy Time galaxy is full of fun aesthetics and challenging level design, and the Mecha-Bowser stage was the coolest thing my young eyes ever did see. Even the spring power-up can’t sour the experience.

3 – Giant Eel Outbreak (Drip Drop)

I hate underwater Mario levels. I hate dealing with underwater enemies. “Giant Eel Outbreak” in Drip Drop Galaxy is just that.

The controls are clunky and aiming the shells can be so tedious, and yet the worst part is that they do it again (but better) in the Bigmouth boss battle later on!

3 – The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows (Gusty Garden)

Gusty Gardens is my favourite galaxy in the game due to its soundtrack, planet design and general whimsy, and this star has the best aspects of all three.

A delightful romp through flowery planets and giant apples ends with a really solid boss fight with Major Burrows. On the whole, one of the most consistent stars from start to finish.

2 – Dreadnought’s Garbage Dump (Dreadnought)

You first come across the “Garbage Dump” bonus star in Battlerock, where you have to throw five bombs in exactly the right place. That was already agonising enough.

So when Dreadnought repeated the same idea, except this time needing six bombs in the same limited amount of time, you’d best believe my heart sank. I’ve replayed Galaxy half a dozen times and I still always struggle with this star.

2 – Hot and Cold Collide (Freezeflame)

After a stellar ice level and an even better lava romp, Freezeflame combines both and boasts every creative idea under the sun.

This is one of the longest stars in the game, and yet every section is an action-packed romp with rewarding puzzles and parkour. Who doesn’t absolutely love the ending where you ice skate on lava platforms?

1 – Star Bunnies in the Snow (Snow Cap)

The final Comet Observatory Hungry Luma bonus star in the game, so I was expecting great things. My hopes couldn’t have been tarnished any more.

“Star Bunnies in the Snow” is probably my least favourite Mario level of all time – I hate catching those stupid bunnies, I hate the unfair time limit, and waddling through thick snow is so infuriating. A disaster of a star.

1 – The Fate of the Universe (Bowser’s Galaxy Reactor)

You always hope when playing a game that its final level is among the best, but rarely do the developers manage to pull it off.

“The Fate of the Universe” is one of Nintendo’s, and Mario’s, crowning achievements – the level is a brilliant showcase of every mechanic you’ve seen before, and the final Bowser fight boasts numerous amazing phases that get better than the last. One of my favourite levels in all of gaming.

Aaaand that’s my list. You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: