What used to be our favorite game on Nintendo 64 is now available for the Nintendo DS. Super Mario 64 has even improved, with new challenges and the ability to play four different characters: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi and Wario.
As you probably remember, many stars are hidden in the castle and around the game world for you to collect. Curiosity is your greatest ally in the search for many of these stars. Intelligence will also make getting stars way easier. When you know the right thing to do, most of these stars can be reached in less than a minute. You need 60 stars to be able to fight Bowser for the last time. Here are tips to easily earn 25 of those stars.
Just Talking (3 Stars)
Go talk to Toad next to the entry of the Hazy Maze Cave. He has found a star and will give it to you. Do the same with the Toad under the stairs on the third floor, and the one on the fourth floor, at your right. You just need to talk to get the stars. It’s as simple as that. You shouldn’t have underestimated him.
Note: you will need keys to get to this level, so you won’t be able to do it at the beginning of the adventure.
The Princess’s Slide (2 Stars)
In the room where you can switch characters, jump on the painting of Peach at your right. You will easily slide your way down to a star in about 20 seconds, with not much chance of falling. Then do it again, but jump off to the left the slide as soon you are able to, to reach the other part of the slide. Looking on the map where the two parts of the slide meet will help you jump at the right time. This is a bit riskier, but you will earn a new star in seconds.
Ghosts Don’t Die (1 Star)
Go into the garden at the back of the castle, and you will find tons of ghosts to kill. Simply ground pound on all of them until you collect all eight red coins. If you get hurt, go into the water to get your lives back.
Note: you cannot earn this star with Yoshi, as he is not powerful enough to kill ghosts.
Behind the Chain Chomp’s Gate (1 Star)
Instead of unleashing the Chain Chomp by ground pounding on the stake it is chained to, Luigi can simply use the Power Flower to go through the cage and get the star.
Whomp’s Fortress (3 Stars)
It’s really easy to earn three stars in Whomp’s Fortress once you know how to get them. For the Shoot in the Blue star, instead of using the cannon, use Luigi’s backflip. Go above the place where the star is (you will see it on the map), and use Luigi’s backflip to get right under it.
For the Fall into the Cage Island star, use the owl (in the tree right next to where you begin) to go up in the sky and fall to the right place. For the Blast Away the Wall star, go to the cannon in the Whomp’s Fortress. When you are in, shoot out of the cannon to the top right corner of the brick wall. A star is hidden in the wall you’ll destroy.
Blast to the Stone Pillar (1 Star)
In Jolly Roger Bay, shoot out of the cannon to reach the stone pillar on your left, next to the star (that you can see on the map). Aim for way higher than the pillar so your character can hang on it. Then, jump on the platform where the star is. You will get it in less than a minute.
Opening Treasures (2 Stars)
You will find chests that you need to open in the right order in Jolly Roger Bay and Dire, Dire Docks. In the first world, the chests are hidden in the cave you will access by the tunnel underwater. You will need to open them in this order: the one in the back, the one on the left, the one on the right, the one in the front. A star will appear.
In the second world, you will find the chests underwater. You will need to open them in this order: the one next to the clam, the one close to the tunnel, the chest that is the farthest to the tunnel, and the one close to the swirl.
Lil’ Penguin Lost (1 Star)
Once you are carrying the little penguin in Cool, Cool Mountain (it can be found above and next to the cabin), use the wooden bridge that leads to nowhere to teleport to the other side of the world, close to its mother. You will be able to earn the star in less than a minute. Simply wait at the end of the wooden bridge (on your right when you start), and you will automatically teleport.
Secret of the Haunted Books (1 Star)
In the mansion in Big Boo’s Haunt, go to the first door on your left on the second floor. Run through the library, and then push the books in the right order: top, right, then left. You will open a secret passage to a star.
Through Jet Streams (2 Stars)
You can use Wario’s metal ability to get the star in the jet stream of the Jolly Roger Bay and Dire, Dire Docks. In the second world, you will need to swim through 5 air rings for the star to appear.
Yoshi’s Ice Sculpture (1 Star)
Go to Snowman’s land with Yoshi and use Flower Power on the fire to make him spit fire. Then, melt the ice cube in which the star is hidden.
The Switch Stars (3 Stars)
The main challenge to earn most of these stars is simply to know where the switch is located. Then, you simply use the long jump to reach them faster. Get rid of enemies that are going to be in your way before activating the switch, so they won’t harm you during your race. Here are the easier ways to earn these stars:
Switch Star of the Fortress: hidden in a red block. Break it (with Mario or Luigi), activate the switch, and reach the star as fast as you can.
Switch Star of the Bay: in the cave you will reach by going through a tunnel underwater. Luigi has to use the Power Flower to become transparent and race to get the star.
Switch Star of the Basement: In Big Boo’s Haunt, go in the basement by using the elevator in the cabin at your left when you begin. Get Wario to break the black block and then long jump to the star.
Through the Looking Glass (1 Star)
In the room filled with mirrors that leads to Snow Man’s Land, Luigi is able to travel into the mirror with a Power Flower to jump into Wario’s painting. But that’s not all. He can also go in the door reflected by the mirror, and he’ll easily find a star in a white room.
Up, Up, Up (2 Stars)
In the secret level called The Secret Under the Moat, you will easily find a star if you have Mario destroy the black blocks in the moat after getting rid of all the water. Change your view, and you will see a platform you haven’t seen yet. Get Mario’s hat and then go back to the bottom of the slide. Hit the red box to get balloon Mario to reach the platform, next to the wall in front of the slide. You’ll then have a few seconds to make balloon Mario reach the star.
There is also another star you will easily get with balloon Mario in Behind the Waterfall. Go to the secret place that you can reach by entering the door close to the sea monster in the Hazy Maze Cave. To get there, ground pound on the back of the sea monster, climb on its head, and then lead it to the door. When you get there, use Mario to elevate to the star that’s high above the red box, next to the cascade.
Eight Glowing Rabbits (1 Star)
You will get a star once you catch the eight white rabbits. This task is not so difficult to do, but requires a lot of patience. Once you’ve already caught the three yellow rabbits outside the castle with Yoshi, go in and out of the castle over and over again until you see a white rabbit outside. They just randomly appear, so there is no other way to get them. Catch them every time you see them until you get eight. This will give you a key that can open the door in the room in which you switch characters.
That’s how you can quickly rack up 25 stars in Super Mario 64. What other stars have you gotten, and how did you get them? Let me know down in the comments!
