Rosalina (Mario)

Rosalina, known as Rosetta in Japan (ロゼッタ), is a fictional character in the Mario series of video games. She debuts in Super Mario Galaxy, where she acts 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 in the game, and also watcher of the cosmos. Rosalina has since appeared as a player character in subsequent Mario games, such as the Mario Kart series, and others like the Super Smash Bros. series.

Rosalina
Mario character
Rosalina, as depicted in Mario Party 10 and Super Mario Party
First appearanceSuper Mario Galaxy (2007)
Created byYoshiaki Koizumi
Voiced byMercedes Rose (2007–2010)
Kerri Kane (2011–2014; 2017-2018)
Laura Faye Smith (2013–present)
In-universe information
SpeciesHuman
GenderFemale
Fighting styleMagic

Appearances

Super Mario series

In Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach by removing her castle from the ground with Peach still inside, and also attacks the Comet Observatory, where Rosalina lives with her adopted Lumas, and steals its main source of fuel: Power Stars. Rosalina asks Mario 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 turn her Comet Observatory into a comet and drive Mario to the center of the universe, where Bowser keeps the kidnapped Princess Peach. After Bowser is defeated by Mario, Bowser's galaxy at the center of the universe turns into a supermassive black hole, devouring Princess Peach's castle and Rosalina's Comet Observatory. All of Rosalina's Lumas throw themselves into the black hole in order to stop it. After this, Rosalina appears to Mario, explaining to him about the circle of life and the death and rebirth of stars; it is implicit in her explanation that the universe and all the Lumas are to be reborn. Afterwards, Rosalina is gone and Mario, as well as Bowser and Peach, wake up back in the Mushroom Kingdom again. 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 backstory which is unlocked gradually as the game progresses, it is explained that Rosalina tells the story of how she was a young girl who went off in a spaceship in order to help a lost Luma find its parents, hiding the fact that she herself had lost her own mother. As Rosalina starts to feel lonely, numerous other Lumas soon come to join her, and she comes to know about their purpose in life to eventually transform into other things. Rosalina decides to build a house for her new family, which soon became the Comet Observatory.

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, throughout the game, a shadowy form named the "Cosmic Witch" or "Cosmic Spirit", strongly resembling Rosalina, appears to help in levels where the player has 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 as well (by collecting 120 Power Stars), telling Luma the story of the "Green Stars", which opens the Green Star missions (additional optional missions in the game), and finally, with the game completed, she appears on the game's hub and thanks Mario.[3]

In Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U, Rosalina is featured as an unlockable fifth character. She possesses the ability to perform the Spin Attack that Mario could in the Galaxy games, using it as both an attack and a second jump. When asked why Nintendo chose Rosalina over other Mario characters, 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]

In Super Mario Odyssey, she 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][6]

Mario Kart

Rosalina appears in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX and Mario Kart Tour as an unlockable character, and is unlocked by default in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Mario Kart 8 sees the introduction of a baby version of Rosalina.[7][8][9] Rosalina also has a namesake racing track in Mario Kart 7 called Rosalina's Ice World.[10]

In Mario Kart Wii, Rosalina is a Large-sized unlockable character. She can be unlocked by winning first place with at least a 1 Star Rank in all Mirror Grand Prix Cups, having a Super Mario Galaxy save file and play 50 races, or playing 4,950 races. Rosalina rides in Large vehicles, and is the first female character to ever be in this class due to her tall height. A Luma orbits around her during gameplay, and occasionally squeals or giggles when the player performs an aerial trick. Like Peach and Daisy, Rosalina appears in a biker suit while racing on any of the bikes, only that the color scheme is different to the overall color scheme of her main dress. Her signature bike is the Shooting Star and her signature kart is the Honeycoupe.

In Mario Kart 7, Rosalina a Cruiser-class character, along with Donkey Kong and Wiggler, and this time, she appears without a Luma accompanying her in the races. Rosalina has an advantage bonus in weight and speed. Just as in Mario Kart Wii, Rosalina is an unlockable character, this time by winning the Star Cup at 150cc. She has her own track in the Special Cup, Rosalina's Ice World, which makes allusion to the Super Mario Galaxy series. When Rosalina uses the Peach Parasol for a glider, it becomes turquoise to match her color scheme. Likewise, her Birthday Girl kart is colored blue.

In Mario Kart 8, Rosalina retains her bike gear from Mario Kart Wii when riding a bike or an ATV, and her signature dress for karts. In addition, her infant counterpart debuted in this game. Much like in Mario Kart 7, her Peach Parasol glider is turquoise. In the Wii U version, she is one of the lighter heavyweights, sacrificing some speed and weight to boost her acceleration, handling, and traction stats a little. She shares these traits with Donkey Kong, Waluigi, Roy Koopa, and Link. In Deluxe, she is available from the start. While she is still a heavyweight character, she is now in the lightest of the 5 different heavy groups, sharing stats with King Boo and Link.

Joystiq commented on her appearance, saying that it was nice to see that another "Nintendo character join the obscenely large roster of folks showing their faces in the game."[11]

Other games

She also appears as a playable character in Mario Golf: World Tour, available via downloadable content.[12] Rosalina is a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where she fights alongside various colored Lumas, as well as being in Mario Party 10, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, Super Mario Party and Mario Tennis Aces. She also joined the roster in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where she is clad in a leotard/swimsuit. 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. Rosalina also appeared in Super Mario Bros. U crossover Puzzle & Dragons Z.[13]

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

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."[14] This storybook was known in-game as Rosalina's Storybook, which told Rosalina's backstory and was written by Yoshiaki Koizumi late at night so that no one would find out about it, saying that "for a long time, it really felt like telling a story in a Mario game was something that wasn't allowed" in an interview.[15] During an interview with Koizumi on the development of Super Mario Galaxy, he explained that Rosalina was originally meant to be related with Peach, but it was later decided against.[16] 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.

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.[17]

Douglas Wilson, GameSetWatch

In a poll conducted by Official Nintendo Magazine, the readers ranked Rosalina as the sixth greatest female character. Journalist Tom East who conducted the poll described Rosalina as a "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."[18]

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".[19] 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."[17] 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.[17] 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."[20]

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.[21] Kotaku's Michael McWhertor called her an "attractive Peach replacement" in their Super Mario Galaxy impressions.[22] Phil Pirrello of IGN reviewed Rosalina positively, giving her a 7 out of 10.[23] 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.[24] Larry Hester of Complex listed Rosalina as one of the 40 "hot but forgotten" female video game characters.[25]

Rosalina also drew some criticisms.[26][27] Callum Archer of GameRant.com listed Rosalina at number nine in his top-ten list of Mario characters that disappeared from the franchise or should disappear, describing her as a re-skin of Princess Peach, who "didn't even do that much in the sequel" of Super Mario Galaxy.[28] Jake Shapiro of NintendoLife complained about Rosalina being a princess from the Mario franchise, stating "It’s a bummer that every single female-identified character in Mario Kart 8 is a princess".[29] Matthew Wilkinson of TheGamer.com listed Rosalina among the five characters that should not return in the Mario Kart series, stating that "Now feels like the right time to take her out of this franchise for a while".[30] Joey Davidson of TechnoBuffalo.com disapproves the addition of Baby Rosalina in Mario Kart 8, stating she "could have been dropped for better options".[31] Jeremy Parish of Polygon.com ranked 73 fighters from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate "from garbage to glorious", listing Rosalina at number 51, while Princess Daisy placed 31 and Princess Peach was ranked number 4.[32]

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.
  5. "Super Mario Odyssey - Secret 8-Bit Rosalina - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  6. "I found Rosalina! - *SPOILER* inside. - Super Mario Odyssey". gamefaqs.gamespot.com. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  7. "Rosalina will be in Mario Kart 7". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  8. 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.
  9. "Rosalina – Mario Kart 7". IGN. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  10. "Rosalina's Ice World". IGN. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  11. Hinkle, David. "Jump Festa play sessions reveal new assist trophy, impressions". Joystiq. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  12. "NoA PR – Mario Golf: World Tour Lets Players Expand Their Play Options". GoNintendo. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  13. 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.
  14. Kohler, Chris (12 June 2009). "Miyamoto: Why I Spiked Mario Galaxy 2's Story". GameLife. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  15. "History Lesson: Yoshiaki Koizumi". Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  16. Black, Fletcher. Super Mario Galaxy PRIMA Official Game Guide, page 346.
  17. "What Super Mario Galaxy's Rosalina Shows Us About Storytelling". GameSetWatch. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  18. East, Tom. "Nintendo Feature: Leading Ladies". Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  19. Greenhough, Chris. "The hidden emotional depths of Super Mario Galaxy". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  20. Golden, Geoffrey. "Super Mario Galaxy: Best Mario Story Ever". SiliconEra. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  21. Concelmo, Chad. "The Gamer's Red Carpet: Super Mario Bros". Destructoid. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  22. Mcwhertor, Michael. "Super Mario Galaxy Hands On Impressions". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  23. Mario's Ladies: The Princesses of Mario Galaxy - IGN, retrieved 5 November 2020
  24. 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.
  25. "40 Hot But Forgotten Female Video Game Characters". Complex. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  26. "Whiny Baby Gamer Bro Is So Mad About Nintendo's Female Characters He's Hate-Buying All of Their Amiibo". Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  27. "Man hate-buys Rosalina & Luma amiibo in bulk so fans can't have them". Destructoid. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  28. "Mario: 5 Characters That Disappeared From The Franchise (& 5 That Should)". Game Rant. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  29. Life, Nintendo (6 May 2014). "Mario Kart Month: Mario Kart 8 Character Profiles: Mo' Babies, Mo' Problems". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  30. "5 Characters That Should Join Mario Kart (& 5 We Don't Want To Return)". TheGamer. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  31. "Mario Kart 8: 5 Characters Sorely Missing from the Roster". TechnoBuffalo. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  32. Parish, Jeremy (3 December 2018). "We rank the Smash Bros. (and friends)". Polygon. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
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