Supermassive
HISS, HISS
It really isn't, though.
Here's a completion video that didn't seem to use motion controls and barely used any rolls at all. I approached my Koopa races very similarly purely by using similar running/jumping/leaping/hat-jumping combinations, and it seemed like a pretty effective method. In fact, that's what made them fun, as opposed to all the endless fetch quest moons.
I didn't do all of them myself (only certain that I fully completed the first two), but my experience is more consistent with GreatKeith's than yours, personally.
Fair enough. I stand corrected. Thanks for the vid.