Super Mario Galaxy is back in all its space-exploring goodness — now in HD thanks to Super Mario 3D All-Stars! While many who’ve picked up 3D All-Stars have already played Galaxy, there are tons who are experiencing this iconic title for the very first time. Given the sheer number of games fans likely have in their backlog, it may be helpful to know how long it takes to completely finish Super Mario Galaxy so you can have a good idea of how much time you’ll be spending on Mario’s cosmos-hopping adventure.
How long does it take to beat Super Mario Galaxy?
It will take you an average of approximately 14.5 hours to finish the main story of Super Mario Galaxy. That means completing the entire campaign and collecting 60 Power Stars to fight Bowser, the final boss. However, you can also find yourself playing for just 9.5 hours if you rush it, or even as many as 25 hours if you take your time. Not all players have the same play style, though — and some may be after more than just finishing the storyline.
If you’re looking to collect the 60 optional Power Stars on top of finishing the main story, you’re probably going to be spending at least 25 hours on Super Mario Galaxy; 16.5 hours if you rush it and 42.5 hours if you take your time.
If you really want to 100% complete Super Mario Galaxy, you’re looking at about 42 hours to totally finish it. That means collecting 60 Power Stars, beating Bowser, collecting another 60 Power Stars, beating Bowser again to unlock “Super Luigi Galaxy,” playing the game again as Luigi and collecting another 120 Power Stars, beating Bowser again, and beating the Grand Finale Galaxy as both Mario and Luigi to get another two Power Stars. If you rush it, you can 100% the game in about 27 hours and you’ll beat it in 61.5 hours if you take your time.
How’d we come up with these numbers? Well, we didn’t. How Long to Beat polled hundreds of players to see how long they took to beat Super Mario Galaxy based on their individual play styles, then averaged up all the times they gave.
Here’s a streamlined look at how to beat Super Mario Galaxy, plus a good idea of the time it’ll take you to do it:
| Goal | How to Complete | Average Time | Rushed Time | Take Your Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish the Story | Collect 60 Power Stars to fight Bowser. | 14.5 Hours | 9.5 Hours | 25 Hours |
| Finish the Story + Collect Optional Power Stars | Collect 60 Power Stars to fight Bowser and also collect the 60 optional Power Stars. | 25 Hours | 16.5 Hours | 42.5 Hours |
| 100% Complete the Game | Collect 60 Power Stars to fight Bowser. Collect the 60 optional Power Stars. Fight Bowser again to unlock "Super Luigi Galaxy." Collect 120 Power Stars as Luigi. Beat Bowser as Luigi to unlock the Grand Finale Galaxy. Beat the Grand Finale Galaxy with both Mario and Luigi to get the final two Power Stars. | 42 Hours | 27 Hours | 61.5 Hours |
More Super Mario 3D All-Stars guides
Looking for more help with any of the games in Super Mario 3D All-Stars? Check out our other guides!
Super Mario 64 Guides
Super Mario Sunshine Guides
Super Mario Galaxy Guides
Written by Daniel Dell-Cornejo
Daniel is an editor at Nintendo Wire. Always with his head in the clouds, he is never apart from his creative thoughts – a blessing for an aspiring fiction writer. As a journalist and lifelong gamer, he aims to provide readers with the very best in Nintendo coverage.
