This article is brought to you by Dark Horse Comics, coinciding with the release of Rosalina's Storybook - the actual storybook from Super Mario Galaxy, now in print for you to own.

Playing through Super Mario Galaxy, both when it was originally released and today, is a treat that every gamer should indulge in at least once. The game is a joyful, colorful triumph of design, from its playful relationship with things like gravity and physics, and the introduction of Rosalina, the most tragic character in the Mario universe. Super Mario Galaxy moved the series forward by light-years. Years after we first learned about her place in the cosmos, Rosalina’s Storybook is getting a physical release so you can share her story with your own little one.

Super Mario Galaxy starts as most Mario games do: that troublesome Bowser has absconded with Princess Peach. This time, he has taken to the stars, forcing Mario to explore the depths of space to save the galaxy. The setup is handled quickly in the game, allowing the player to swiftly start exploring the different planets and asteroids that dot the galaxy

Near the beginning of the game, Mario meets Rosalina aboard the Comet Observatory, kicking off his star-studded adventure. While Rosalina isn’t the first (or the second) princess that Mario has encountered on his adventures, she introduced an element of tragedy to the Mario franchise.Rescuing Princess Peach is still the main objective of Super Mario Galaxy, but Rosalina is undoubtedly its heart.

See, Rosalina wasn’t born among the stars; she was once a little girl who adopted a Luma in the hopes of helping it find its mother. Her story is told in a side story contained in Rosalina’s Storybook. The children’s book recounts Rosalina’s loss, missing her own mother and home even as she finds purpose helping the Lumas on their journey to build (and rebuild) the universe. It is a story that is told through gorgeous watercolor-style artwork and whimsical prose. Nintendo has released a physical copy of Rosalina's Storybook, which is the perfect Christmas present for the Mario fan who wants to share Rosalina’s story with their own children. Featuring the actual art and story from Super Mario Galaxy, this gorgeous hardcover storybook will be loved by both old and new fans of the game.

It is this bittersweet storyline that helps Super Mario Galaxy stand as one of – if not the – greatest 3D Mario game ever. In a game full of distant planets and soaring comets, Rosalina’s Storybook makes it feel grounded..Sprinkled throughout the gameplay of Super Mario Galaxy, Rosalina’s Storybook tells how Rosalina took to the stars to help Luma find its own mother. Like the best children’s stories, there is sadness as Rosalina yearns for her own home and the mother she has lost, but her resolve to help the Lumas shows her kind heart and inner strength. The pictures in the storybook are gorgeous and whimsical, but the message of resilience and caring for others is what makes it worth sharing with your own little Luma.

Now available on Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Galaxy benefits from enhanced resolution, an Assist Mode, and more.  But for all the improvements in this new edition of the game, Rosalina’s Storybook remains one of the highlights of this classic game. In an adventure that takes Mario to the stars and beyond, it is the most human and relatable that he has ever felt.

Rosalina and Super Mario Galaxy are in the midst of a renaissance of sorts. The aforementioned enhanced version of the game has been released for the current Nintendo consoles, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is coming to cinemas in April 2026. A whole new generation of fans is discovering Mario’s galactic adventure - and Rosalina’s story told through the touching storybook.

Here's how to play all the Mario games in order.