Super Mario Galaxy RTA Guide
This is a comprehensive guide to speedrunning Super Mario Galaxy! If you're brand new, you are in the right place!
Choosing a Platform/Release
The official speedrunning leaderboards requires that you play the game on Disc (Wii/Wii Mini/Wii U), Wii U Virtual Console, Emulator (Dolphin), Nvidia Shield TV, Super Mario 3D All-Star (Switch/Switch 2), or the Remaster (Switch/Switch 2). If you want to see all documented differences, please see the Platform Differences page. Nintendo Switch 2 remastered release is the fastest method for all main board categories except Any% Mario due to Star Festival Skip being patched on the remaster. For more information regarding each platform, click on the respective pages.
- Disc (Wii/Wii Mini/Wii U)
- Emulator (Dolphin)
- Virtual Console (Wii U)
- Nvidia Shield TV
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch/Switch 2)
- Remaster (Switch/Switch 2)
Choosing Mario or Luigi
You can play as either Mario or Luigi, however Luigi is only playable after collecting 120 stars and collecting the grand star in Bowser's Galaxy Reactor a second time as Mario. The following are all the differences between Mario and Luigi.
| Character | Beginning Course | Max Jump Height | Top Running Speed | Acceleration | Air | Max Spin Height | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario | Star Festival | Short | Greater | ||||
| Luigi | Gateway Galaxy | Long | Shorter | Depletes each Spin |
Mario speedruns begin in the Star Festival while Luigi speedruns begin in Gateway Galaxy, skipping Star Festival entirely. Mario's top running speed is slower, his max jump height is shorter, his air time
Most active speedrunners play as Luigi since he jumps higher,
Choosing 1P or 2P
Categories
These are the main categories listed on the leaderboards at speedrun.com/smg. Currently, the use of a second wiimote (2p) is allowed for all main categories.
To download splits for these routes, follow a link, click the "Export" dropdown on the left side of the page, and choose your timer program.
Any%
The goal of Any% is to beat the game with no additional restrictions. This requires collecting 60 stars to unlock the final galaxy, Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, and collecting the grand star in that galaxy to complete the game.
Easier Route - "Pushback 2.1" by ro_money. Rather easy route in which you need 400 star bits after Ghostly 1 (to unlock Sweet Sweet Galaxy) and 600 after Buoy Base S (to unlock Drip Drop Galaxy).
Fastest Route - "Going Commando" by Alaeus, adjusted further by xzRockin and ro_money. Extremely tight star bit route, requiring 400 after Space Junk 3 (to unlock Sling Pod Galaxy), as well as the targets for Pushback 2.1. Saves 35 seconds over Pushback 2.1 if done optimally.
120 Stars/242 Stars
The goal of 120 Stars is to collect all 120 stars in the game and then collect the grand star in Bowser's Galaxy Reactor to complete the run. Because that grand star must have already been collected to access purple comets, this means the level must be completed twice in the run.
The goal of 242 Stars is to collect all 242 stars in the game - 120 stars with both Mario and Luigi, followed by Grand Finale Galaxy with both characters to complete the run. Because the 120 star route for both characters is the same, the 242 route is just back-to-back 120 routes, followed by the two Grand Finale stars.
Current Fastest Route - "Long Island Limbo." For runners who aren't extremely comfortable with collecting star bits, it's recommended to grind to 999 star bits in Sling Pod Galaxy, then optionally to ~2400 in Melty Molten 3.
