Can you successfully push anything in Super Mario Galaxy?

I've noticed that when you push Mario (or Luigi, for that matter) up against an isolated object - like a Bowser statue, for example (not a wall or cliff or other big obstacle) - the character will try to push the object. The object doesn't move, but there's Mario pushing with all his might up against the statue trying to move it just an inch.

So as I ran around the rest of the galaxy, I tried pushing most every isolated object I could find. Try as I might, however, I have been unable to find any object that the character can successfully move by pushing.

Let's disqualify coconuts as they appear to be kicked (or dribbled, like a soccer ball) when Mario walks into them and not pushed with the character's hands.

Is this behavior just a red herring, something that was anticipated to be used in the game but cut out during development or just some other left-over of the design process? Or is it legacy code from another game engine that was used as the basis for the engine behind Super Mario Galaxy?

Anyone come up with any useful purpose for this behavior?

I wondered the same thing. Did they have extra gameplay features for Mario that were later abandoned?

Great first post. Welcome to the Wii forum.

Wow, and I thought I played the game too much.

I never noticed that, really. It might be in there just so that it would look better than him continually running against a wall. I don't know.

More likely just an action in context. If you're walking up against an object, Mario isn't just going to stand there, he's going to try to walk into the wall. Of course, since you're jamming him up against the object, he's going to be pushing against it, as that small bit of distance will put him as close as possible to the direction you're sending him in.metroidfood

I suppose it makes sense that Mario would try to push a "pushable" object (at least an object small enough that a person may believe they can push it), I'm left thinking that I missed something in the game is all. Some hidden power-up where I should push an object to reveal a hidden room.

When I got to the haunted galaxies I thought I had stumbled upon the correct area to push something (push a statue to reveal a secret passage - sure, it's cliche, but I thought it to be the best target for the behavior), but alas there was nothing.

Thanks for the responses.