Rosalina (Mario)

Rosalina, known as Rosetta in Japan (ロゼッタ), is a fictional character in the Super Mario series of video games. She debuts in Super Mario Galaxy as a non-player character who resides in the Comet Observatory, the game's hub world. She is the adoptive mother of the Lumas, a fictional species of star, and watcher of the cosmos. Rosalina has since appeared as a player character in subsequent Mario games, including various Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros. games.

Rosalina
Mario character
Rosalina, as depicted in promotional artwork for Super Mario 3D World
First appearanceSuper Mario Galaxy (2007)
Created byYoshiaki Koizumi
Voiced byMercedes Rose (2007–2010)
Kerri Kane (2011–2014; 2017-2018)
Laura Faye Smith (2013–present)

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Galaxy

In Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser attacks Rosalina’s Comet Observatory and steals its main source of power: Power Stars. He then kidnaps Princess Peach by removing her castle from the ground with Peach still inside, and takes her to the center of the universe. There, he wants to build his own galaxy and rule the entire universe. When Mario encounters Rosalina in her observatory’s gate after his failed attempt to rescue Peach, she asks him to retrieve the lost Power Stars. In return, she promises to help him save Princess Peach. Once Mario retrieves enough Power Stars, Rosalina is able to pilot her observatory to the center of the universe. After Bowser’s defeat, the galaxy he made at the center of the universe turns into a supermassive black hole that consumes Princess Peach's castle and the observatory. All of the Lumas that lived with Rosalina in her observatory then throw themselves into the black hole to stop it from consuming more. Shortly after, Rosalina appears to Mario as he flies through a void and explains the circle of life, death, and rebirth of stars. It is implicit in her explanation that the universe and all the Lumas are to be reborn. Mario, as well as Bowser and Peach, are then left to awake in the Mushroom Kingdom after her conversation. Once 120 Power Stars in the game are collected, Rosalina delivers a thank you message to the player, promising to watch over them.[1]

In a Storybook that is gradually unlocked as the game progresses, Rosalina tells of how she once was a young girl who journeyed through space to help a lost Luma find its mother after years of searching on the ground. She hides from both the Luma and the reader that she lost her own mother, and grew very homesick and sad after never finding what they were looking for. Due to her negative feelings, numerous other Lumas came to her side, and she came to know them as her new family. From then on, the Lumas knew her as their mother. She built a home for her new family on a comet, powered by the first Luma she met from earlier. She also learned of the Lumas’ purpose in life to eventually transform into other things. Their home grew to become the Comet Observatory, where they decided to watch over the cosmos, while also vowing to return to Rosalina’s home planet every 100 years to pay remembrance to the past she abruptly left behind.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Throughout Super Mario Galaxy 2, a shadow-like apparatus named the "Cosmic Witch" or "Cosmic Spirit" resembling Rosalina appears to help the player in a level when they have died multiple times.[2] Rosalina herself appears after Mario defeats Bowser and rescues Princess Peach in the final cutscene before the credits play. Rosalina also appears late in the game after collecting 120 Power Stars, telling Luma the story of the "Green Stars". When the game is completed, she appears in the game's hub and thanks Mario.[3]

Super Mario 3D World

In Super Mario 3D World, Rosalina is a secret fifth playable character, unlocked after completing World Star - Level 2. Her strength is the ability to perform the Spin Attack that Mario could in the Super Mario Galaxy games, using it as both an attack and a second jump. When asked why Nintendo chose Rosalina over other Mario characters, Super Mario 3D World director Kenta Motokura responded, "I was thinking about what would be pleasing after the ending and wanted to bring in another female character in addition to Princess Peach. Rosalina has a following among the Super Mario Galaxy fanbase, and she's appeared in Mario Kart recently, so I think she is well known."[4]

Super Mario Odyssey

In Super Mario Odyssey, Rosalina has a minor reference as hint art in the Dark and Darker side of the moon which can be hit by Cappy to collect 10 coins.[5]

Other games

Mario Kart Series

Rosalina appears as a playable driver in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX and Mario Kart Tour.[6][7][8] Rosalina also has a namesake racing track in Mario Kart 7 called Rosalina's Ice World.[9] Mario Kart 8 introduces Baby Rosalina. Mario Kart Tour introduces Rosalina (Halloween), Rosalina (Aurora), and Baby Rosalina (Detective) as high-end, tour specific spotlight drivers.

Super Smash Bros. Series

Rosalina appears a fighter duo named Rosalina and Luma in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where she fights alongside various colored Lumas.

Mario Party Series

Rosalina appears as a playable contestant in Mario Party: Island Tour, Mario Party 10, Mario Party: Star Rush, Mario Party: The Top 100, and Super Mario Party.

Various Mario Sports Games

Rosalina appears in various Mario themed sports games, including Mario Golf: World Tour available via downloadable content, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash , Mario Tennis Aces , and Mario Sports Superstars . She also appears in Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as a guest competitor, meaning she is playable in one event for each game.

Super Mario Maker

Rosalina appears in Super Mario Maker as a Mystery Mushroom costume, which can be unlocked either through the 100-Mario challenge, or by scanning her amiibo figure.

Other Games

Rosalina also appears in the Super Mario Bros. crossover edition of Puzzle & Dragons Z.[10] She is present in Volume 38 of the Super Mario-Kun manga. Dr. Mario World sees the introduction of Dr. Rosalina. She makes various other cameos, from a puzzle in Puzzle Swap , an 8-bit sprite in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, the Super Mario Mash-Up pack in Minecraft as a playable skin, and Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam as a part of a Character Card with Princess Peach and Princess Daisy.

Character development
Concept character artwork for Rosalina (left) compared to the final artwork (right)

Reception
I would go as far as to argue that Super Mario Galaxy is, at its core, a game about Rosalina – or at least her worldview [...] Rosalina’s storybook may not formally alter the game system, but it certainly affects our perception of the game world, imbuing it with an additional aura of motivation and meaning. Much more than mere "bonus content," Rosalina’s storybook anchors an emotional heart of the game world.[11]

Douglas Wilson, GameSetWatch

Rosalina has received mostly positive reception. In an interview, Shigeru Miyamoto stated that he had planned the usual kidnapping of Princess Peach, but also "had another cast of characters, a princess from outer space and her family of talking stars, who had a deeper, sadder story that was revealed through elegant picture-book scenes throughout the game."[12] This storybook is known in-game as Rosalina's Storybook, which tells Rosalina's backstory and is written by Yoshiaki Koizumi late at night so that no one would find out about it. He stated "for a long time, it really felt like telling a story in a Mario game was something that wasn't allowed" in an interview.[13] During another interview with Koizumi on the development of Super Mario Galaxy, he explained that Rosalina was originally meant to be related to Peach, but it was later decided against.[14] The character was voiced by Mercedes Rose until 2011's Mario Kart 7, in which she was voiced by Kerri Kane. Laura Faye Smith has provided the character's voice in all subsequent appearances, with the exception of Mario Golf: World Tour, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, part of Mario Sports Superstars, Mario Tennis Aces and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, all of which still use Kerri Kane's work with Nintendo for Rosalina.Chris Greenhough of Joystiq claimed that Super Mario Galaxy was the first Mario game to have an engaging story, and cited Rosalina as an example, saying that "although this narrative thread (Rosalina's Storybook) starts life as the kind of standard fare you'd expect from a Mario title, Rosalina's tale quickly becomes tragic".[15] Game researcher and designer Douglas Wilson opined in GameSetWatch that Super Mario Galaxy's most surprising moment did not involve new gaming mechanics, a plot twist, but rather the character Rosalina and her storybook, stating "The biggest shocker was a simple storybook tale told by a princess named Rosalina."[11] Furthermore, he wrote that "Super Mario Galaxy is a brilliant game, for reasons already covered in various reviews. Yet despite the largely positive coverage, I was disappointed that the gaming press so overwhelmingly ignored (or in one case, dismissed) Rosalina’s storybook", and compared it to The Little Prince and My Neighbour Totoro.[11] Siliconera called Rosalina's Storybook "bittersweet" as "the game could just as easily been a simple "save the princess" story and still have been a great game, but...the engaging story takes Super Mario Galaxy to an artistic level other Mario titles haven't approached."[16]

Destructoid reviewed Rosalina very positively, saying that she is a "celestial stunner", summing up that "Rosalina embodies style perfection" and thus is "out of this world", giving her an "A+" on their Gamer's Red Carpet.[17] Kotaku's Michael McWhertor called her an "attractive Peach replacement" in their Super Mario Galaxy impressions.[18] Shane Bettenhausen of 1UP.com labelled Rosalina as a "celestial hottie", and one of the better Mario Kart Wii characters in an otherwise disappointing roster.[19] Larry Hester of Complex listed Rosalina as one of the 40 "hot but forgotten" female video game characters.[20] Tom East of Official Nintendo Magazine listed Rosalina as the sixth best Nintendo "leading lady", saying that "she obviously made a big impression on you because after one appearance (not counting Mario Kart) she has made the top ten."[21]

References
  1. Super Mario Galaxy gameplay
  2. "Here's how Super Mario Galaxy 2's 'Super Guide' works". Destructoid. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  3. Nintendo. Super Mario Galaxy 2. Nintendo. Rosalina: I would like to give you my thanks.
  4. "Iwata Asks: Super Mario 3D World: Time Solves All Things". Nintendo. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  6. "Rosalina will be in Mario Kart 7". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  7. Official Game Bio: "Making her debut on the track, Rosalina shows her experience of space travel translates well to rocketing round the race course. With a friendly Luma by her side, Rosalina is right at home on the track!". Nintendo.
  8. "Rosalina – Mario Kart 7". IGN. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  9. "Rosalina's Ice World". IGN. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  10. Thomsen, Michael (9 June 2015). "'Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition' struggles to make free-to-play games worth a higher price of admission". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  11. "What Super Mario Galaxy's Rosalina Shows Us About Storytelling". GameSetWatch. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  12. Kohler, Chris (12 June 2009). "Miyamoto: Why I Spiked Mario Galaxy 2's Story". GameLife. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  13. "History Lesson: Yoshiaki Koizumi". Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  14. Black, Fletcher. Super Mario Galaxy PRIMA Official Game Guide, page 346.
  15. Greenhough, Chris. "The hidden emotional depths of Super Mario Galaxy". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  16. Golden, Geoffrey. "Super Mario Galaxy: Best Mario Story Ever". SiliconEra. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  17. Concelmo, Chad. "The Gamer's Red Carpet: Super Mario Bros". Destructoid. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  18. Mcwhertor, Michael. "Super Mario Galaxy Hands On Impressions". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  19. Bettenhausen, Shane. "Mario Kart Wii Review for Wii from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  20. "40 Hot But Forgotten Female Video Game Characters". Complex. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  21. East, Tom. "Nintendo Feature: Leading Ladies". Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
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