Sunday, August 29, 2010

Boulder Bowl Galaxy - Rolling Crabber Romp

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
It's time for another romp! This time, we're on the outside of a metal mesh cage planet crawling with 30 crabs. We get to use Rock Shrooms and have 60 seconds to take all of them out. I got 2-up on my first try- there are blue crabs, which give 1-ups- but missed a few and died. I gave up to pursue other Stars.
Take 2- I got a 1-up and missed 2. I hadn't quite developed a strategy yet.
Take 3- 2-up, missed 2.
Take 4- 1-up, missed 2.
Take 5- See Take 3.
Take 6- 1-up, missed 3.
Take 7- 3-up, missed 2.
Take 8- I got all 30 with less than 10 seconds to spare. I developed a strategy to walk, not roll to some areas, because I lose some control when rolling. I also tried to get several of them clustered so I could take many of them out at once. I got 3-up from the blue crabs.
Star Get #89, Galaxy Complete!, 1064 Star Bits, 20 Lives
Interlude
Baby Luma gets another letter that hope it reaches us in bright spirits. May the Stars shine down on us. Attached are 50 Star Bits to help us.

Chompworks Galaxy - Cosmic Clones in the Chompworks

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
If it wasn't enough of a pain trying to get the gold Chomp into the basin, we now have to contend with Cosmic Clones! Fortunately, all we have to do is take care of the gold Chomp, not go through the entire mission. I tried running in circles while trying to lead the Chomp to stall the Clones. I fell in the lava three times on my first try.
Take 2- I took hits from the clones and lava, and ultimately died from the clones due to bad timing with the switch, which broke the Chomp.
Take 3- I took too many hits from the Clones and lava.
Take 4- The Chomp made it to the basin, but I took too many hits from the Clones before the Star appeared.
Take 5- I took too many hits from the Clones and Helmet Goombas. I gave up at this point because I was low on lives.
Take 6- I returned, but took hits from the Clones, lava, and Goombas.
Take 7- Too many hits from Clones.
Take 8- I got a 100 Star Bit 1-up and successfully led the Chomp to the basin. I took my penultimate hit (2nd to last) before the Clones exploded, so I yet again had only one bar of health left. Finally!
Star Get #88, Galaxy Complete! 952 Star Bits, 529 Coins, 14 Lives

Starshine Beach Galaxy - Purple Coin Beach Dash

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
There are 140 Purple Coins. You must get at least 100 of them. You get Yoshi and some Dash Peppers. You have 35 seconds. Go!
Shortest Purple Coin mission ever! The coins are lined up in rows of 2 or 3, with strategically placed Dash Peppers in groups of 2 or 3. Even though you have 35 seconds, you can only bank on having about 30 to get the coins because it takes time to get Yoshi and the first Dash pepper. When getting Yoshi, it is best to long jump to him and jump on his shell, versus spinning, which takes longer. It is also best to always keep the Star Pointer on the screen at all times, so you can grab a Dash Pepper for Yoshi. You only need to lightly tilt the joystick to stay in the line of coins. The Hightail Falls music plays throughout. The Piantas are gone. On my first try, I got 75 coins before time ran out.
Take 2- 64 coins.
Take 3- 75 coins. I had difficulty steering Yoshi.
Take 4- 94 coins. So close! Bad steering and Yoshi stalling in the water prevented me from getting 100.
Take 5- 91 coins. See Take 4 reasons. Yoshi does a painfully slow doggie paddle in the water. This is why the Star Pointer must remain on screen- so you can get Yoshi moving again without wasting time.
Take 6- 67 coins. Bad swimming.
Take 7- 88 coins. Bad steering.
Take 8- 85 coins. Bad steering.
Take 9- 92 coins. My Dash Pepper ran out just before the time did.
Take 10- 87 coins. Dash Pepper ran out. My left hand is tingling at this point. I don't think this is a good sign. After a short rest, I continue.
Take 11- 103 coins. I had less than 10 seconds left when I got the last few coins. Time stops afterwards, so I decided to go back and get all 140 coins. There is no bonus for doing so.
Star Get #87, Galaxy Complete!, 6 Lives

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Supermassive Galaxy - Big Wigglers Speed Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
We have to reach the flagpole in 2:30 minutes. I died from a bad jump to the 1-up.
Take 2- I get the 1-up, but am knocked in the black hole by the Paragoomba.
Take 3- I got a 1-up but was squished by a Thwomp.
Take 4- I got a 100 Star Bit 1-up but made a bad long jump on the Wiggler stone with 30 seconds left.
Take 5- See Take 3.
Take 6- I got a 1-up, but made a bad jump to the moving platform. I give up at this point and continue later.
Take 7- I take a hit from the Piranha Plant and get the 1-up, but died from the Thwomp.
Take 8- See Take 3.
Take 9- I got a 1-up, took 2 hits from the Goomba, and make a bad jump on the Wiggler stone.
Take 10- I got stuck trying to take out the Koopas. I lost a lot of time because I kept missing. I got the 1-up, but ran out of time before I reached the stone.
Take 11- I got the 1-up. I saved myself on the platforms and made it to the Star with 5 seconds left.
Star Get #86, Galaxy Complete!, 809 Star Bits, 1526 Coins, 16 Lives

Sweet Mystery Galaxy - Bulb Berry's Purple Coin Glow

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
This is the ONLY Purple Coin mission without a time limit. Yes, the Bulb Berry has a time limit, but we can go at our own pace. In Galaxy, Purple Coin missions without time limits are supposed to get you to explore the galaxy and see things the designers put in that you may have missed trying to the get the Star. This mission only gets you to check out the path to the 1-up early in the game, which I already know how to get. I get Yoshi, the Bulb Berry, and a 1-up. I got 51 and ran out of berry and fell.
Take 2- I got 43 and ran out of berry.
Take 3- I got 46, a 1-up, and fell off.
Take 4- 37, 1-up, fell off.
Take 5- 2-up, 96 coins, fell off. So close!
Take 6- I got 2-up and all 100 coins. Towards the end, I thought I had missed one, but I didn't. My strategy was to take it slow. I returned to a safe platform when the berry started to run out. I went over some areas multiple times so I wouldn't fall off.
Star Get #85, Galaxy Complete!, 13 Lives
A Comet appears in Starshine Beach.

Flipsville Galaxy - Purple Coin Spin Speed Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
We land directly in the pipe to the 2D antfarm with the changing gravity arrows. The Beat Block music plays. We have 2:30 minutes to collect all 100 Purple Coins in the area. I took two hits from Fuzzies and finished with less than 10 seconds to spare. The coins in the lower left corner were the hardest to get with the changing gravity. We change rooms with the Spin Drill again. My strategy is to just get as many coins as you can in each square. Be careful when shaking to spin, because that will activate the drill and send you into the next square. Move quickly and this won't take too long.
Star Get #84, Galaxy Complete!, 11 Lives

Yoshi Star Galaxy - Spiny Rainbow Romp

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
It's time for another Romp! I attempted this one much earlier, but gave up. We have to kill 30 Spinies in 60 seconds. Once again, we get Rainbow Stars, because there aren't too many ways we can kill Spinies. I ran out of time because I got stuck in the mud.
Take 2- I got most of them, but I ran out of time.
Take 3- I died from too many hits.
Take 4- I got stuck in the mud.
Takes 5-8- I missed 2 of them. They must be hiding from me! (They are- some are in corners or near the edge of the planet.) I gave up at this point and returned much later.
Takes 9-10- I missed 1.
Take 11- I got all 30 Spinies! The ways to make this easier are to make sure your Rainbow Star never runs out, run whenever possible (if you jump, you have to start over building up speed, but water will slow you down tremendously), and stay out of the mud. I took out the Spinies at the start, moved to the water area, then the hill, then toward the mud area. I had little time to spare, but afterward, I got a 1-up on a ledge.
Star Get #83, Galaxy Complete!, 547 Star Bits, 7 Lives
A Comet appeared in Flipsville. I got more lives in Sky Station and a Comet appeared in the Clockwork Ruins.

Puzzle Plank Galaxy - Purple Coin Shadow Vault

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
I noticed that I was getting towards the end of the game, and I counted the Stars I hadn't gotten yet. Those numbers plus my total did not add up to 120. What is missing? Then I remembered: Purple Coins. These missions can be really annoying, especially timed ones. I found my first mission here in Puzzle Plank. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Cosmic Clones? The Shadow knows! We land in the green pipe where we got a lot of coins to feed the hungry Luma. This time, there are purple coins arranged in similar clusters and we have a one minute time limit! Only one minute! Will that be enough? As soon as we go to collect them, Cosmic Clones appear. I was nervous enough, but that, and the Purple Coin music (same as in Galaxy) starts playing, which makes me even more nervous. While running around to collect the 100 coins- there are only 100 here, but in every Purple Coin mission, you must collect 100 to get the Star- I took only one hit from a Cosmic Clone, despite the fact that the coins are arranged in clusters so we must circle around to get them. I had 20 seconds or less to spare when I collected the last one. That wasn't so bad! The Cosmic Clones also exploded into many Star Bits. I think a beta version of this mission appeared in the E3 trailer.
Star Get #82, Galaxy Complete!, 528 Star Bits, 35 Lives
A Comet appears in Flip-Swap. (Speaking of the E3 trailer, I rewatched it, and some of the stuff in it isn't in the game. There is one last area I haven't been to, but that's not until I collect all the Stars.)

Boo Moon Galaxy - The Star in the Sinking Swamp

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
This Star was very difficult to find. It's a hidden Star that's very easy to miss. I land in the halls and wander around. I take a hit from a Boo, launch, and ride the snaking platform to the midgate. I get 3 1-ups from the musical notes and launch to the moon, where I get the Launch Star Chips and launch to the pop-up area. I missed the secret path entirely. I left and gave up for the time being.
Take 2- I returned, took hits from Boos, launched, tripped the midgate, and got 3 1-ups and fell in the goop.
Take 3- Fell in the goop.
Take 4- I got a 3 1-up and rode the snake platform towards the Launch Star. As the snake platform sinks into the goop, another snake platform appears at the last second. I missed it, so I returned to the map.
Take 5- I launched to the midgate, got 3 1-ups, and missed the platform to the Star. I fell in.
Take 6- I got 3-up and fell in the same place.
Take 7- I got 3-up, took a hit from a Ghost Octoomba, and fell in.
Take 8- I got a 3-up, a 100 Star Bit 1-up, but didn't jump off the sinking platform and fell in.
Take 9- I got a 3-up, took a hit from a Ghost Octoomba and got on the secret platform, which moves much faster than Mario can walk, so I fell in.
Take 10- I got a 3-up, but used the Launch Star, so I returned to the map.
Take 11- I launched, took a hit from a Ghost Octoomba and reached the midgate. I got a 3-up, took another hit, and fell in.
Take 12- I got a 3-up and successfully followed the platform to the Star. It moves faster that Mario walks, but it zigs and zags, and doubles back on itself so Mario can stay aboard. However, Mario should neither jump nor spin, as this will cause him to fall behind. Just dodge the Ghost Octoombas without spinning. The platform will take you to the Star and start sinking into the goop, so align Mario under the Star quickly and carefully and jump to get it.
Star Get #81, Galaxy Complete!, 460 Star Bits, 1501 Coins, 35 Lives
I just may have a new place to get lives!

Shiverburn Galaxy - Octo-Army Icy Rainbow Romp

New signal acquired. Rainbow Mario at 4 o'clock! - Transmission 11
Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
The Romps are a new type of Comet mission. All you have to do is defeat all 30 enemies on the planet in a given time limit. It's like what my physics teacher once said- it's simple, but not easy. We get 50 seconds to defeat 30 Octoombas- mostly blue ones, but there are a few pink ones. Good news- you get a few Rainbow stars (they don't regenerate). Bad news- you don't land on the planet, so you have to waste time running up the Starshroom to the Launch Star, and time ticks down while you launch. This takes place on the arena on which you battled Prince Pikante, but the fences are gone. The best way to do this is to skate and recharge your Rainbow Star strategically- do not let it run out. Also try to make the last ones you have to take out are not on the outer edge. I missed one on my first go and ran out of time.
Take 2- I fell off. At this point, I hadn't noticed that there was a counter on the screen in the corner, so I don't know how many I got.
Takes 3-4- See Take 2.
Take 5- See Take 1.
Take 6- I got them all! Once you do that, the timer stops. Unfortunately, I fell off. Noooooooo! See warning about outer edge. I postponed this until I got more lives because I had 1 life left.
Take 7- See Take 2. I returned immediately after getting more lives.
Take 8- I got all 30 of them and didn't fall off!
Star Get #80, Galaxy Complete!, 413 Star Bits, 11 Lives
That's a thing of beauty! - Transmission 11

Slipsand Galaxy - Squizzard's Daredevil Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
I was worried about this mission until I found we just need to battle Squizzard again. Time for more Carnival Fire Flower! I get in two hits, but am killed by a ball he throws.
Take 2- I get in all 3 hits. That wasn't so bad!
Star Get #79, Galaxy Complete! 1339 Star Bits, 7 Lives

Battle Belt Galaxy - Mini-Planet Daredevil Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
Great! Just what I don't need. I die from a lava demon.
Take 2- I walked into lava.
Take 3- I got a 1-up from the blue crab. We launch to a yellow Starshroom with Yellow Toad asleep on the table. I trip the midgate and die from a Boo. At least these Daredevil runs come with midpoints so we don't have to start from the beginning.
Take 4- I reach the 2nd midgate on the red Starshroom. I am killed by a Chomp.
Take 5- I die from a mole.
Take 6- I finally kill all of the Chomps and get the Star.
Star Get # 78, Galaxy Complete!, 335 Star Bits, 8 Lives

Battle Belt Galaxy - Mini-Planet Mega-Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
That's a nice, descriptive name for a mission. I get up to the ice planet like in "Snacktime for Gobblegut", taking 4 hits, and getting a 1-up, but kill ice demons on the planet. I sling to a green-brown planet with moles and a green pipe locked in a cage. I take out the Rocky Wrenches and release the green pipe. I am warped into the planet where I hear the Beat Block music. It's a 2D antfarm with gravity arrows and flies. I must take out the flies when their spike is covered. After releasing the Sling Star, we sling to a planet with four Silver Chomps and sling plants. Not this guy again! He's annoying! Taking them out is easier because they will follow us, so we can lure them close to a sling plant and take them out. Once all four are gone, we get a key to the cage the Star is in.
Star Get #77, 219 Star Bits, 1478 Coins, 13 Lives
Interlude
We get mail from Jibberjay, saying there is a race in Fleet Glide. Oh no. That's not going to happen any time soon. I haven't won the race in Wild Glide yet.

Battle Belt Galaxy - Snacktime for Gobblegut

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
We land on a rock planet that has the same music as Space Storm. There is one Goomba on the planet. We kill it and it releases a Sling Star and sling to the next planet. There is a sign on the planet that says we have to defeat every enemy to get through. That spells out clearly what must be done. This planet has lava pools with lava demons. We kill all 3 and long jump over a pool to get the Comet Medal. We sling to the next planet, where we use a Fire Flower to take out 3 urchins. We released the Sling Star, but pick up a Fire Flower for the next planet, just in case. It was a good call, because the next planet is crawling with crabs. Grilled crab, any one? Two of the crabs are red and the other is blue. Taking out this one gives us a 1-up. The rest of the fireballs travel all around the planet. We sling to a pink Starshroom. The Luma who made the Starship must've made one for every Toad in the Brigade. There is a midgate on the Starshroom. Pink Toad says he's searching for the Captain, but there are enemies everywhere.
We sling to a stone planet shaped like a Jack 'o' lantern. There are pumpkin Goombas and a green pipe in a cage we can unlock with a key. One of the Goombas has the key. We use the green pipe and find ourselves in the water with 3 Boos in a 2D antfarm. The background is a jack 'o' lantern pattern. There is a shell at the bottom which we use to kill the Boos and release the Sling Star outside. We sling to a red Starshroom, where we find the Captain. He says a Captain should never be scared, even surrounded by enemies. But he's taking a break right now. We trip the midgate and sling to an ice planet. There, a hungry Luma wants 20 coins. We're in luck- we have 21! We feed him and he turns into a brown, spherical planet. We launch and the sky, formerly dark, turns bright pink and yellow, like a sunset. Who should appear but Gobblegut! Not just any Gobblegut- this is an orange, flaming, fiery Gobblegut! The only think safe to touch are his bellyache bulges. I get in 3 hits, but I miss a few and hit his body enough times and die.
Take 2- I buy a Life Shroom from the Luma Shop and sling to the ice planet and launch to his planet. I take 2 hits from him and notice that there are lava pools we must navigate as well. I get in 3 hits, but take enough hits to lose the Life Shroom. I noticed that Gobblegut creates the lava pools when he dives. I took two more hits, but got in the last 3 hits with one bar of health left. Phew! I hope there's a Grand Star from this! But no! he explodes into a regular Star. I beat a flaming Gobblegut and get a regular Star! Not worth the effort I put in! (But I'll take it anyway.)
Star Get #76, 39 Comet Medals, 140 Star Bits, 1451 Coins, 12 Lives

Slimy Spring Galaxy - The Deep Shell Well

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
I don't get this galaxy. It wasn't until I reached the end that I figured out what it was supposed to be. (It's supposed to be like Bigmouth Galaxy in Galaxy.) Musically, this is a dud. It's very slow, and sounds mostly like individual notes being played on a bad organ. It is eerie, though. We land in a cavern. We go through a green pipe on our left where there are 9 chests and only 3 shells. The one in the very middle has a 1-up. The middle row left chest and the middle column back row chest both have Goombas. We take a hit from a bat and kill the two in the cave. At the back of the cavern is a water slide. We slide down into water. We take hits from the urchins and worms. At the bottom is a shell. We die from an urchin.
Take 2- Once we progress further, the underground lake will take up all of the cave and there will be nowhere to surface. This time, we drowned because we ran out of air. I gave up at this point.
Take 3- I got a 1-up from the front left chest. Once in the lake, I got a shell and saw a hole in the rock to my left. It led to the Comet Medal and rejoined the main path. (I got the Comet Medal in Take 1, too.) I was running out of air when I reached the slope the urchins roll down, but made it to the Launch Star and launched to the midgate. There is a ledge with a 1-up that I reach with a long jump. It's a long drop to the bottom, where there is another lake. We get another shell-we lose it when we launch- and swim through rings. As we progress we find the lake is filled with Boos. Fortunately, the shell comes with a light and we can take them out this way. We continue and dodge even more urchins and reach the end of the lake and walk outside. The music is calm, we can hear the water, and birds. It's very peaceful. At the edge is a treasure chest. We open it with the shell and out pops Red Toad! He thanks us. He says, "I was taking a quick nap... Who am I kidding? I grabbed a Star, but fell and got trapped in this chest. It's stuffy in there." Ah, yes, Red Toad, always getting stuffed in chests with Stars. At least he's honest-for the time being. He gives us the Star as thanks, as long as we don't tell the other Toads. Sure, he finally helped us get a Star.
Star Get # 75, 38 Comet Medals, 95 Star Bits, 1448 Coins, 12 Lives
There is a Comet in Flash Black. Goody. I accidently triggered the pre-final battle sequence here, but I'll save it for when I blog about it. The path from Slimy Spring leads directly to Bowser, and I advanced, but did not see it before it triggered. It seems to have changed the map music.

Flash Black Galaxy - Jumping Around in the Dark

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
We fed a hungry Luma 1800 Star Bits to make this galaxy appear. That's not a typo, the galaxy's name is Flash Black, not Flash Back. (You'll understand soon.) On the map, it looks like the haunted mansion in Ghostly Galaxy in Galaxy. It will periodically look like the house, then everything fades to a silhouette. We fly into the galaxy, hearing the Beat Block music without the beeps (whistles). I can kind of hear it in my head, so not hearing it in my ears makes it feel like something's missing. The galaxy is experiencing an electrical storm, because lightning flashes will periodically light up the surroundings so we can see where we're going, but everything slowly fades to black, but it's not raining. Surprisingly, we can see all the enemies, regardless of whether the area is lit up. Maybe they're radioactive or otherwise glow-in-the-dark. We land on a path outside the house and take out a blue bird before entering the house from the side. The area switches to a 2D antfarm. The mansion looks nice from the inside when you can see it. We get Yoshi and Blimp Fruit so we can ascend. We get a Life Shroom and hit a spike bomb. We find the Comet Medal in the top left corner of the house. We unfortunately land on a Pumpkin Goomba's fire and lose Yoshi. We reach the Launch Star in the house near the center. (The mansion's kind of a maze.)
We fly out of the house to the midgate. We land on a stone path and can see the glow of the Star in the distance. But it's just an illusion- we get closer (when we can see) and see that we must collect Silver Stars. I collect four of them, but I fell off because I moved when it was dark and there was no platform there. Curses!
Take 2- I get the first two Stars and take a hit from a blue bird. I make my way on the path and collect the remaining three. I move to the edge and get the Star on the last center platform.
Star Get # 74, 37 Comet Medals, 47 Star Bits, 1434 Coins, 11 Lives
We got 7 Stars in this session, which isn't bad. I gave up on a few missions. Fortunately, I have 177 Stars currently. (Yes, I'm backlogged 103 Stars. These missions were completed in June.)

Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet - Gravity Star Speed Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
Yes, once again, I am doing one of the Grand Star Cosmic Stars. For some reason, for completing these challenges, which are now harder, you are rewarded with a regular Power Star. This goes completely against the reward principle of good game design! We have 30 seconds to reach the Star, but we can collect clocks to add 10 seconds each to our time limit. That isn't a problem for Take 1 because we take hits from Podoboos and lava and die.
Take 2- I took several hits, but ran out of time near the water.
Take 3- I made it to the water, but because I took a hit from a Cheep-Cheep, I couldn't reach a clock in time and ran out of time.
Take 4- I got very close to the Star, but due to the 2D nature and the gravity of the area, I made a bad jump that made me land on a Goomba instead of the rotating wheel that would have led to the Star. This stalled me and I ran out of time because I couldn't reach the last clock. I did get a 1-up on the way, though.
Take 5- I took some hits and got a 1-up. I finally made it to the Star with somewhere between 10-20 seconds to spare.
Star Get #73, Galaxy Complete!, 1107 Star Bits, 1427 Coins, 12 Lives
A Comet appears in the Chompworks Galaxy. This can't be good. (It isn't.)

Chompworks Galaxy - Spring into the Chompworks

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
This is another Star I don't like. The Spring Mushroom appears, which makes a spring coil around Mario so he can bounce high. It disappears when we try to launch, but after we trip the midgate, we get another. We find a Gearmo standing in the way of the Chomp assembly line, breaking up Chomps that roll into him. We must use the Spring Suit to bounce over and in between the Chomps to reach the other side and progress. I take 3 hits from Chomps and die. I could really use a Life Shroom here! I think the problem is that I am not used to the timing of this Spring Suit or I am out of practice from Galaxy. (The Spring Suit does not get used a lot.)
Take 2- I found a 1-up right above the midgate. I took too many hits from Chomps.
Take 3- I got a 100 Star Bit 1-up, the 1-up from the midgate, and died in the lava.
Take 4- I got the midgate 1-up, and was knocked into the lava by a Chomp and died.
Take 5- I got another 100 Star Bit 1-up and the midgate 1-up. I made it past the Chomps and had to cross a smaller bridge with Mini Chomps rolling out. I died from a Mini Chomp.
Take 6- I got the midgate 1-up, was hit by a Chomp, knocked into the lava, got out, and died from a hit from another Chomp. This is aggravating!
Take 7- See Take 6. I gave up at this point to pursue the Grand Star from Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet.
Take 8- I got the Spring Suit and launched to the midgate. I got the 1-up above the midgate and died from Chomps.
Take 9- I got the midgate 1-up, a 100 Star Bit 1-up, and died from hitting a Chomp, the lava, and then made a bad jump and died.
Take 10- See Take 6.
Take 11- I got the midgate 1-up. I reached the end of the assembly line after taking a hit from a Chomp and falling into the lava. I backflip up to the Mini Chomp ledge and launch to another midgate. Finally some progress! This new planet is a tower. We spring jump up the platforms and gears of the tower to reach the Star. Another Star I don't want to do again. That took way too long.
Star Get #72, 1071 Star Bits, 1418 Coins, 14 Lives
Interlude
Chee? We land in the Engine Room, which means we mysteriously brought back an item from our travels. Lubba asks, "Wait, this is a spring, so you wear that?" Yes, you bet we do. "Does is make a big Boing sound when poked?" I bet it does. Try it. All of the domes in the Engine Room have been filled! Yay! Wait, that means no more new power-ups. Drat! The Luma in the Engine Room says he'll have to brag to everyone now that we've filled all of the domes. Now that we're done collecting items, let's continue collecting Stars!

Haunty Halls Galaxy - Sneaking Down the Creepy Corridor

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
This Star was difficult for me. We land back in Haunty Halls to find that the path is moving us away from the starting place. I take a hit from a Ghost Octoomba and keep going. Once we get past the Ghost Octoombas, we find a sign that says the Boos won't hurt us as long as we don't look them in the eye, OK? What? Since when? (Oh, wait, dark Boos will chase us if we look at them.) In tiny print, we see the words "Tee hee hee!" Then a giant Boo surrounded by four regular Boos appears and chases us. The camera switches to us moving towards it, instead of 3rd person behind us, so I fell off trying to launch.
Take 2- The Boos appear and if we face them, they stop, cover their eyes, and blush. We reach the Launch Star and launch to the next planet. We trip the midgate. The corridor is made of red carpet with platforms moving closer to and away from it. Boos will periodically appear and chase us, so we fell off.
Take 3- We reach the Sling Star by being patient. The platforms will move closer so you can use them. There are Boos chasing us the entire way, but we can look at them to stop them in their tracks. We reach the midgate in the new area. There are more skulls eating through the moving carpet and I fell through a hole.
Take 4- I notice that the skulls move in circles. I walk behind them so I will have carpet to walk on. I can see the Star's glow at the end. I reached the safe area after being chased by another Boo. Now we are chased by 5 more Boos like at the beginning of the galaxy, but the platforms are small squares moving between dark matter like in "A Glimmer of Bulb Berry" and the camera is facing Mario, making my job much harder. Because of the altered camera angle, I fell off the level.
Take 5- I take a hit from a skull and a Boo, which nearly knocks me off the carpet. I triggered the appearance of the 5 Boos, and jumped off the level. I don't like this camera angle at all!
Take 6- I was knocked through by a skull.
Take 7- I got a 100 Star Bit 1-up and was knocked off by a skull. I gave up at this point because I had one life left.
Take 8- I walked off the level when the Boos at the beginning appeared.
Take 9- I launched to the midgate, slung to the midgate and fell through.
Take 10- I finally made it to the Star! It was hard getting to the Star on the last stretch because there is no where to rest and face the Boos because all platforms not below the Star will disappear. I don't want to try this Star again unless I absolutely have to.
Star Get #71, 841 Star Bits, 1412 Coins, 8 Lives

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Freezy Flake Galaxy - The Chimp's Skating Challenge

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
Finding this Star took a while. I wandered over to the last Bowser ice scupture and fell in the lava a few times. It was on my ninth try that I found out where to go. The tree on the right near the first Bowser ice sculpture hides a green pipe. We roll into the frozen domain of the Chimp. We have to bump the enemies and avoid the spiky ones. We need 500 points to win. Seriously, we beat the challenge with 600 points. 500 should be a piece of cake. And it is. It takes me 3 tries to do it- 430, 470, 500. The enemies appear in the same pattern as in the other challenge. I run into a spiky Gummit on the winning try. This qualifies us as his shining rival. He may not like it, but he promised us a Star.
Star Get #70, Galaxy Complete!, 778 Star Bits, 1411 Coins, 19 Lives
A Comet appears in Beat Block.

Cloudy Court Galaxy - The Shadow Lining

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
It took me a while to get the pun in the mission name. We see several blocks like in Space Junk that will form a path only when we approach the area in the path that they are supposed to fill. We collect Launch Star Chips after the patch of grass. After leaving the grass, Cosmic Clones appear. Goodie! The music is a remix of the Fast Foes/ Cosmic Mario/Luigi music. Once we collect all the Star Chips, the Clones poof. We launch to another area, which is a 2D area. More Clones appear as we run across the platforms and wall jump to a Sling Star, where the Clones poof again. We sling near the Star, where more Clones appear. We have to break the crystal to free the Star and poof the Clones. While breaking the crystal, I took one hit.
Star Get #69, Galaxy Complete!, 732 Star Bits, 1391 Coins, 18 Lives
A Comet appears Puzzle Plank.

Space Storm Galaxy - C'mere, Topman

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
I decided to answer the other Gearmo's letter, knowing what he meant by "odd jobs". I got a 1-up on the other side of the first Pull Star sphere. I launched and took hits from the electric fence. I launched again, blew up the cage, got a Life Shroom and launched again to the midgate. I touched the electric fence again and got a 1-up. I wander around the partial cylinder until I found a silver Gearmo. Okay, what do you want me to bring you? He found a Star in the garbage dump. He wants a red spiked Topman to trade for the Star, because there's no such thing as a free lunch. Drat! I went back to where the red Topmen spawn, got knocked into the electric fence twice and into the black hole.
Take 2- I got knocked into the electric fence and fell into the black hole because I couldn't recover.
Take 3- I lure a Topman over to the Gearmo because I already know what he wants. I let the Topman bump into Mario repeatedly because it won't cause damage and I don't want it to wander off. We reach the Gearmo and talk to him. After setting up the posts, the Topman wanders in easily. The Gearmo says it's so cute. (Again, if you say so.) He gives a Star for a job well done.
Star Get #68, Galaxy Complete!, 676 Star Bits, 12 Lives
Interlude
Chee? Lubba asks if we brought back a Gearmo. He hopes it doesn't try to put everyone to work. (I agree. No one should interrupt the lack of work being done on the faceship.) Maybe it will finally want to relax for a change. The silver Gearmo is sitting to tea with the gold Gearmo. He gives us a 1-up for being helpful. He loves the way Topmen spin.

Bowser's Lava Lair - Lava Lair Speed Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
You must go through the Lava Lair again. You must dodge enemies, lava, and fire. You have 30 seconds. Go! We have to get the clocks to add time so we don't run out. I take a hit from a Magikoopa and fell into the lava.
Take 2- I got a Life Shroom, but fell in the lava several times. I ran out of time.
Take 3- I fell in the lava three times.
Take 4- I died from the lava.
Take 5- I reached the Star with 8 seconds to spare. You don't have to battle Bowser. There is a Star placed in the galaxy and you just have to reach it within the time limit. I fell in the lava several times and got two Life Shrooms.
Star Get #67, Galaxy Complete!, 558 Star Bits, 1387 Coins, 1 Life
That wasn't so bad, but I was cutting it close! This was an okay session. I got seven Stars this time.

Spin-Dig Galaxy - Digga-Leg's Daredevil Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
We return to the galaxy to beat Digga-Leg again, this time with 1 health bar. Fun! There won't be any coins this time. We land on his planet and wake him up. I get in one hit, dodge a yellow drill, and am killed by Digga-Leg.
Take 2- I get in one hit, but a yellow drill kills me.
Take 3- I get in two hits, dodge all drills, and get in the third hit. I drill to the Star.
Star Get #66, Galaxy Complete!, 493 Star Bits, 5 Lives

Boulder Bowl Galaxy - C'mere, Goomba

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
I decided to take up the Gearmo's request for work done. I land back in Boulder Bowl and take a hit from a Green Octoomba. I get the Rock Mushroom, reach the midgate, bowl 5 of 6 Pinheads. I then take out the Octoombas with the same strategy as last time. We launch to the area with boulders and Chomps. So far, we haven't seen the Gearmo. I take a hit from a green Octoomba and a Chomp.
We wander around and find a gold Gearmo in between mudtracks. You know what the color gold means, right? I approach the Gearmo, thinking, "Alright, I'm here! What do you want me to burn?" Except he doesn't want anything burned. Inner pyro shall remained leashed. We talk to him and he says he wants a Goomba. Yes, a Goomba. He collects them. (He doesn't actually say "Goomba"; a picture of a Goomba appears in his text bubble. I guess it avoids name translation issues.) He found a Star in the trash and will give it to us if we bring him a Goomba within 4 airport lighting posts he sets up. Well, okay then. But, wait! Where am I going to get a Goomba on this planet? I go back to where I first landed and spun a rock pillar. Out pops a Goomba! We're in business! I have the Goomba chase me back to the Gearmo, but it gets flattened by a Chomp.
I go back and break another pillar and lead that one successfully within the posts. I took a few hits from it, but it's worth it because you don't want to move so fast it loses interest and wanders off. The Gearmo makes the Goomba levitate and spin in the air. He says it's adorable, cute, and ferocious. (Oooookay. If you say so.) He gives us a Star because we deserve it.
Star Get #65, 439 Star Bits, 1386 Coins, 6 Lives
Interlude
Chee? Lubba says we brought a Gearmo. We should put it out of the way because maybe it wants to relax for a bit. The gold Gearmo is sitting at the tree stump with the tea setting. He gives us a 1-up when we talk to him. (Just this once.) He thanks us. He kind of digs Goombas.

Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla - Fiery Flotilla Speed Run

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
I gave in and decided to try a boss level comet Star. In this mission, we have to take out Gobblegut in 2 minutes. We also don't get a Life Shroom here, so we only have 3 bars of health. I took out three bulges and he turned red. I took a hit from Gobblegut. Gobblegut only dives when he snorts his train whistle snort. I don't know how to trigger the dive sequence, so I had less than 30 seconds left when he dove again. Oddly enough, I died from too many hits.
Take 2- I took out three bulges, then two more, but took too many hits. I want my Life Shroom back!
Take 3- Took out three bulges, took too many hits.
Take 4- I took out three bulges. I took one hit before taking out two more bulges. I finally take out the last bulge and he explodes into a REGULAR STAR! What? I don't get a Grand Star for beating him within a time limit? Not cool! I want a better reward!
Star Get #64, Galaxy Complete! 385 Star Bits, 1366 Coins, 5 Lives

Melty Monster Galaxy - The Chimp's Bowling Challenge

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
We land back in Melty Monster and spy a green pipe just to the left of the main platform. We find the Chimp has set up a new game and wants us to try it. We get a Rock Mushroom and trip the midgate. We roll into the Chimp and off the level. Let's try this again!
Take 2- The Chimp wants us to use the Rock Shroom to bowl into the Pinheads- the bowling pin shaped enemies we met much earlier. Each one gives us 100 pts and we need 5000 or more. I got 600 before rolling off the level.
Take 3- We progress a little further and find that the Pinheads are arranged in clusters, with ramps to the next platform. Some of the platforms have challenges, including gaps and rotating platforms on which the Pinheads sit. There is also a blue area where Mario cannot step over or he'll get a foul and be returned to the start of that platform. His score will not diminish. He can go over the foul line, but he has to be a rolling rock. This time I got 3300 pts before rolling off.
Take 4- 2000 pts.
Take 5- 2300 pts.
Take 6- 1100 pts. At this point, I gave up to try and get other Stars.
Take 7- I returned to the game and got 2200 points.
Take 8- 4300 points. So close! I rolled off on the rotating platform.
Take 9- 5100 points. You don't have to hit every Pinhead to get 5000+ points. I reached the last platform before being returned to the start. The Chimp is amazed that we beat his score and has to acknowledge us as his greatest rival. We will get a Star to prove it. We should come back to try and beat the score, but I don't think I will.
Star Get #63, 15 Lives
A Comet appears in Throwback Galaxy.

Throwback Galaxy - Silver Stars in the Whomp Fortress

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
Yet another Silver Star mission. Fortunately, this won't be like Super Mario 64 DS, because they added a Switch Star mission instead of a Silver Star mission. The Bob-omb Buddy is thankful for the restored peace, so he scattered some Silver Stars for us. Gee, thanks. He couldn't just give them to us. The first one is up the ramp in front of us. I jumped off the planet and missed the cloud, so I fell.
Take 2- I got the first star on the ramp. I got 2-up from the Bonus Area. I missed the cloud again.
Take 3- I got the first 2 stars, the second of which is just below one of the moving floor plates near the Thwomps. The third is on a cloud over the water near the "cannon". The fourth one I found was at the top of the fortress above a cloud. The fifth star I found was on the edge of the planet above a cloud over the black hole. I nearly fell off trying to get it. The Star went to the top of the fortress. I tried to long jump off the clouds to the safety of the planet, but ground pounded through the cloud into the black hole. Nooo! The controls are sometimes so unforgiving.
Take 4- I got the first three, and 3-up from the Bonus Area, but took hits from a Piranha Plant and a water strider. I got the fourth star on the cloud of doom. I got a 100 Star Bit 1-up. I took my time to get back to the planet and got the fifth one on top of the fortress. The Star appears above the Bowser panel.
Star Get #62, 291 Star Bits, 1362 Coins, 17 Lives

Friday, August 6, 2010

Throwback Galaxy - Return of the Whomp King

Got something! Deja vu. -Transmission 15
Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
This is the first of a few galaxies remixed from other Mario games. This one is a near replica of Whomp's Fortress from Super Mario 64. Some of the colorations and platform designs are different, but it still maintains the same feel. The music used in Whomp's Fortress (and several other worlds in Super Mario 64) is remixed here. There is a red Bob-omb Buddy here. It's not pink, won't open cannons, nor will it direct us to Red Coins. It tells us to get the Star back from the Whomp King. I take hits from Piranha Plants and Goombas. I complete the Bonus Area with 3 1-ups from 8 Piranha Plants. Where the cannon would be is a Sling Star that slings us up so we can get a 1-up and some Star Bits. We also get a 1-up from above the Thwomp at the top of the stairs. I take a hit from a Paragoomba and get a 100 Star Bit 1-up, take a hit from a Wiggler, and get a 1-up at the top of the flagpole. Just below the flagpole's platform is the Comet Medal. I failed the musical note challenge, with a remix of the Underground theme. I take some more hits from Goombas. The falling blocks don't regenerate at the top of the stairs. I reach the midgate at the top of the fortress, where there is a mysterious Bowser panel. I ground pound the Whomp waiting there, which explodes into Star Bits and rubble. And...no Star appears! What? Then again, this one didn't have a crown on its head. The Bowser panel uncovers a hole that leads to the other side of the planet where the real Whomp King waits, crown and all. He's mad. So mad, that he doesn't come up with a single word of original dialogue- it's the exact same speech he gave in 64. Just try to ground pound the Whomp King! The battle music is the same funky music as Digga-Leg. He creates a red shadow when he's about to fall. When he lands, he shakes the ground, which will stun you if you don't jump in time. He will also stomp his foot periodically to summon little Whomplets. He is much thicker than the 64 version, so getting on his back to pound is more difficult. I take 3 hits from Whomplets and die.
Take 2- I defeated the Whomp at the top of the fortress and went to the other side of the planet. The Whomp King starts his speech, then says "I'm tired of this speech. Try to ground pound the Whomp King again!" We get in one hit by ground pounding the symbol on his back and cracks appear. We can reach the symbol with a backflip or a jump spin. I take 2 hits from Whomplets before getting in my 2nd hit. He flashes red and makes 5 Whomplets instead of 3. I finally get in my 3rd hit. He gives the same speech of defeat, says "Dang it!", bangs his fist and poofs into a Star.
Star Get #61, 36 Medals, 165 Star Bits, 1357 Coins, 12 Lives
Interlude
Chay! AY-O! Lubba asks what we're doing bringing hazardous materials aboard. Hazardous materials? I did no such thing! Then we notice we brought back the Bob-omb Buddy. How do this guys hitch rides with us without our knowing? We must make sure he stays calm because Lubba doesn't want an angry Bob-omb on the ship. The Bob-omb Buddy asks if we've heard of a mystical, legendary world? It sounds like an amazing place, but he wonders how to get there. We will soon find out that it's more proof that the people who worked on New Super Mario Bros. Wii worked on this game. A 1-up appears high on a cloud above the back of the faceship's head.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Clockwork Ruins Galaxy - Time for Adventure

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
Well, isn't that a cliche title? We land in the galaxy, which has the same music as Slipsand. We don't see any clock faces, but there are many rotating "gears" set into the rocks and trees. What is with clocks and trees? They were paired earlier in Tick Tock Clock in Super Mario 64. We have to navigate rotating platforms with enemies. We first take out the Pumpkin Goombas on land. We are knocked off by a blue Octoomba and couldn't recover.
Take 2- These rotating platforms are tricky to navigate. The first two platforms have no safety net, but I made it across them. I was knocked off the next one.
Take 3- I cross over all of the platforms and find a hungry Luma on the safety net of the last gear. He wants 30 Coins, which I don't have and don't plan on going back to get more. We launch into a 3D antfarm with a midgate. There are walls the push out, trying to get rid of us. There is a switch to ground pound on the side, but we can't reach it. There's a Life Shroom in the lower right corner. We ascend the antfarm to find a Luma trapped in a bar cage. We climb to the top and flip a gravity arrow. Parts of the former wall fall away. The wall is now the floor, so we can use the wall to reach the switch as we maneuver carefully around the gaps. Pounding the switch gets rid of the cage. The Luma thanks us because the cage was starting to smell moldy. (Well, I'm sorry you were uncomfortable.) He says the Star is ahead and henshins into a Launch Star.
We launch to a midgate, and see several notched gears rolling down a slope. We can ride to the top of the gears in the notches. We fall through a gap in the slope.
Take 4- I get a 1-up in an alcove. The Comet Medal is high above and it takes me several tries to get it. I start near where the gears drop from above. The gears have Tiki faces on them. After getting the medal, I dodge some spikes and climb up some pegs sticking out of the wall. I pound another switch and wall jump up some gears. I miss one coin from a green pipe. I take a hit from a green Octoomba and ride a platform up so I can see the Star above some pegs. I pound yet another switch and make more gears fall. We ride them to the pegs, which we jump up to reach the Star.
Star Get #60, 35 Comet Medals, 498 Star Bits, 1344 Coins, 11 Lives
Interlude
We get a letter from The Chimp saying there is a new game in Honeyhop. We'll take care of it later.
This was another very good game session. I got 14 Stars this time. Although I've taken a break from the game, during my last two sessions, I got 20 Stars each time. I should be finished with this game in no time!

Melty Monster Galaxy - The Magnificent Magma Sea

Welcome Back to the Galaxy!
This galaxy's name sounds a whole lot like Melty Molten from Galaxy. There is an equally large amount of lava here, but the music is different. It sounds like a grand adventure, like Indiana Jones. This is one of the times the power of the orchestra comes through. Also thrown in are the 6 notes that let you know you're playing Galaxy. We land on a platform and see several Blaargs on lava spheres. They will come up periodically to gobble whatever's in their path. We must use Pull Stars to cross over the spheres and dodge the Blaargs. There was some difficulty reaching the Launch Star, but we make it, launching two times before reaching the midgate. There is a lava wave pool with Podoboos. I take a hit from a Podoboo and die from the lava.
Take 2- I take two hits from the lava. The lower platforms will be covered in lava once a wave comes. I get a much needed Life Shroom between some flagpoles. We go across all of the platforms and flagpoles. I take a hit from a Podoboo. We have to go across rotating platforms and dodge a Blaarg. We trip the midgate and see tornadoes. Tornadoes were in Dusty Dunes Galaxy in Galaxy, so we can savely travel with them and spin to fly away like a helicopter. We reach a swing which helps us reach the Launch Star.
We launch to a new area with several spheres. There are several lava monsters marching around the planet. They pass through the spheres, so we have to time our crossing. The Comet Medal is on a sphere. The unsafe spheres are scorched black and the safe ones are stone gray. I take a hit from a monster on a gray sphere because I was on the edge and in its path. We reach the Star trapped in crystal near the end, free it, and it flies to another sphere. I take another hit from a monster and it knocks me onto the sphere the Star is one. The monsters also drown out the "Star is free" music.
Star Get #59, 34 Comet Medals, 388 Star Bits, 1308 Coins, 11 Lives
Interlude
A Comet appears in Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker. Lubba mentions we have another hungry mouth to feed. He hopes we know what we're doing. Another dice Luma appears in the green pipe in the Faceship's left ear. He wants 100 Coins for 5 dice spins. While on the deck, we can see and hear objects rushing into the black hole.

"World" 6 - Bowser in Your Sights

This "world" has a black hole in the background, which is ominous and reminiscent of the end of Galaxy. The music has a faster tempo, but is still eerie, like something is about to happen. There is a lava river flowing. We're approaching Bowser's front door, so things will be much more difficult. Let's finish this!