The Galaxy’s Greatest Wave
The Loopdeeswoop Galaxy is one of the three special test galaxies in Super Mario Galaxy. To unlock them, you must first find all three green Power Stars. You can get it in the Battlerock Galaxy in the rescue of Luigi under the saucer, in the Buoy Base Galaxy in the mission “Found from the Navy Fortress” and in the Dusty Dune Galaxy in the secret mission “Treasure of the Pyramid”. Once you collect all three Green Stars, a new green Launch Star will appear at the Comet Observatory, taking you to the Planet of Trials. There are three green Lumas waiting through which you can enter the new galaxies. Select the Loopdeeswoop Galaxy to start the difficult variant of the well-known Ray race from the Loopdeeloop Galaxy.
After landing, you will be on a small stone island where several penguins are waiting for you. Talk to the great penguin coach and take on his challenge. You have to cope with a manta ray a long stretch of water within three minutes. The best time to date is 1 minute and 30 seconds, but you don’t have to beat this record to get the Power Star. The only thing that matters is that you reach the finish line before the end of the three minutes and do not fall off the track. Controlled exclusively with the Wii Remote: Hold it towards the screen and turn it slightly to the left or right to steer the ray. With the A button you accelerate, while by releasing the key you become slower again. If you shake the Wii remote, the Ray makes a small jump. Especially in tight curves you should not hold the A button permanently, otherwise you shoot easily over the edge of the waterway.
As soon as the start signal sounds, you accelerate on the first straight route and if possible keep yourself in the middle of the waterway. There are already several 1-up mushrooms here, which you can collect when passing by. Especially the extra lives before the first larger turn are worthwhile, as you can collect them again in later attempts. When you approach the first tight turn, you briefly release the A button and carefully steer the ray in the new direction. This is followed by several large yellow rings that show you the course of the route. Behind it leads the path over a steep slope and two smaller slopes. Keep yourself as central as possible in front of each slope and avoid strong steering movements during the jump. Once you land on the water surface again, you can accelerate again. Pay particular attention not to deflect too much directly after a jump, as the ray then slides slightly laterally over the edge.
After the yellow rings you get to the section with the red rings. Here the waterway becomes significantly narrower and leads upwards in a long curve. Release the A button before the start of the turn and continue with reduced speed. Steer as evenly as possible and correct your direction only with small rotations of the Wii Remote. On this section you will find another 1-up mushroom, which you can take with you, if it is directly on your lane. But do not drive unnecessarily close to the edge, because a crash costs you more time than the extra life is worth. After the rising curve follows the blue rings, between which the waterway becomes particularly narrow. Hold yourself as close as possible in the middle and accelerate only briefly when the course of the route is straight. As soon as you recognize the next tight turns, you release the A button and steer the ray in the desired direction as early as possible.
At the end of the blue section, you get the biggest difference from the original Loopdeeloop Galaxy: a massive looping that completely turns the waterway upside down. Drive as centrally as possible towards the looping and accelerate so that you have enough momentum for the gradient. During looping, you should keep the Wii remote as quiet as possible and not try to compensate for the changed camera perspective by hectic steering movements. The ray follows the curved waterway automatically, as long as you do not steer too much to the left or right. Once you have crossed the looping, the route continues over a much wider section. Use this area to correct your direction and prepare for the final big jump.
Immediately thereafter follows a particularly steep waterfall, over which you race down at high speed. Align the rays as accurately as possible before the edge to the center of the opposite waterway. During the subsequent jump, you should release the A button and steer as little as possible so that you do not fly past the landing surface. Once you have landed on the water surface again, a last close turn to the finish line follows. Reduce your speed again before the turn and head in the new direction as early as possible. Then you accelerate on the last straight and drive through the big golden target ring. Make sure to actually drive through the middle of the ring and then stop falling off the waterway. Even a crash immediately behind the finish line can still make the attempt fail.
If you have successfully completed the route within the three minutes, you will be transported to the small winning island. Talk to the penguin coach who will give you the Power Star for your performance. With this, you have completed the only mission of the Loopdeeswoop Galaxy. For the regular star, a safe journey well under three minutes is sufficient. You do not have to accelerate the rays permanently and can consciously slow down the more difficult corners and the narrow passages.
Optional Record and Star Bits: If you complete the route in less than 1 minute and 30 seconds, an additional Launch Star will appear on the launch island, allowing you to reach several small side planets. There are? coins that release numerous Star Bits. An additional Power Star is not waiting there. For the record ride you should accelerate almost continuously on the longer straights and before the looping, but the A button should briefly release before the two particularly tight corners and the last waterfall. The numerous 1-up mushrooms along the circuit also allow you to collect additional lives and make up for lost attempts more easily.