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Inside Peach’s castleSuper Mario 64GUIDES

Super Mario 64 Wiki & Guide

Mario, drawn from his model in Super Mario 64Power Star

Princess Peach’s castle has been taken over by Bowser, who has hidden its Power Stars in the worlds inside its paintings. This wiki covers all 15 courses and their 105 named stars, Bowser and every boss and enemy, the caps and the castle’s secrets, illustrated with models, paintings and courses drawn straight from the game.

Released
1996
System
Nintendo 64
Director
Shigeru Miyamoto
Power Stars
120

Start with the basics → · Browse the courses →

Explore the wiki

CoursesAll 15 courses and 105 star namesEnemies & bossesBowser, 8 bosses and 34 enemiesCharactersMario, Peach, Toad, Yoshi and moreCaps & movementWing, Metal and Vanish CapsGetting startedPower Stars and movement basicsCastle & BowserStar doors, keys and Bowser stages120 starsCastle secret stars and cap switchesCollectiblesCoins, 1-Ups and ! BlocksCastle residentsWho helps Mario, and whereFun triviaDetails to look out forPicturesModels, courses and paintings

The 15 courses

Each course is a painting (or a hidden entrance) in Peach’s castle. Select a course for its stars.

The Bob-omb Battlefield painting in Peach’s castleCourse 1Bob-omb BattlefieldThe Whomp's Fortress painting in Peach’s castleCourse 2Whomp's FortressThe Jolly Roger Bay painting in Peach’s castleCourse 3Jolly Roger BayThe Cool, Cool Mountain painting in Peach’s castleCourse 4Cool, Cool MountainBig Boo's Haunt, drawn from the game’s level dataCourse 5Big Boo's HauntHazy Maze Cave, drawn from the game’s level dataCourse 6Hazy Maze CaveThe Lethal Lava Land painting in Peach’s castleCourse 7Lethal Lava LandShifting Sand Land, drawn from the game’s level dataCourse 8Shifting Sand LandThe Dire, Dire Docks painting in Peach’s castleCourse 9Dire, Dire DocksSnowman's Land, drawn from the game’s level dataCourse 10Snowman's LandThe Wet-Dry World painting in Peach’s castleCourse 11Wet-Dry WorldThe Tall, Tall Mountain painting in Peach’s castleCourse 12Tall, Tall MountainThe Tiny-Huge Island painting in Peach’s castleCourse 13Tiny-Huge IslandThe Tick Tock Clock painting in Peach’s castleCourse 14Tick Tock ClockRainbow Ride, drawn from the game’s level dataCourse 15Rainbow Ride

All courses, stars and secret stages

Peach’s castle

Castle grounds in Super Mario 64, drawn from the game’s level dataCastle groundsPeach’s castle, its moat and the hills around it.Inside the castle in Super Mario 64, drawn from the game’s level dataInside the castleThe main hall and the first-floor rooms with their paintings.

Star doors, keys and Bowser gates

Bowser’s three stages

Bowser in the Dark World, drawn from the game’s level dataBowser in the Dark WorldOne throw · Basement keyBowser in the Fire Sea, drawn from the game’s level dataBowser in the Fire SeaOne throw · Key to the upper floorsBowser in the Sky, drawn from the game’s level dataBowser in the SkyThree throws · Princess Peach and the ending

How to beat Bowser

Bosses

King Bob-omb model from Super Mario 64King Bob-ombBob-omb BattlefieldWhomp King model from Super Mario 64Whomp KingWhomp's FortressBig Boo model from Super Mario 64Big BooBig Boo's HauntBig Mr. I model from Super Mario 64Big Mr. IBig Boo's HauntBig Bully model from Super Mario 64Big BullyLethal Lava LandEyerok model from Super Mario 64EyerokShifting Sand LandChill Bully model from Super Mario 64Chill BullySnowman's LandWiggler model from Super Mario 64WigglerTiny-Huge Island

Every boss and enemy, course by course

Mario’s caps

Wing Cap in Super Mario 64Wing CapRed ! Blocks. Fly after a triple jump or a cannon shot.Metal Cap in Super Mario 64Metal CapGreen ! Blocks. Sink, walk underwater and shrug off enemies.Vanish Cap in Super Mario 64Vanish CapBlue ! Blocks. Walk through mesh and some walls.

Caps, items and movement

Who’s who

Princess Peach, drawn from the model in Super Mario 64Princess PeachToad, drawn from the model in Super Mario 64ToadLakitu, drawn from the model in Super Mario 64LakituBob-omb Buddy, drawn from the model in Super Mario 64Bob-omb BuddyKoopa the Quick, drawn from the model in Super Mario 64Koopa the QuickMips, drawn from the model in Super Mario 64MipsYoshi, drawn from the model in Super Mario 64Yoshi

Character profiles · Castle characters and course residents

Quick tips

  • Every course has six named stars and a hidden seventh for collecting 100 coins; the star’s name on the course menu is a clue to where it is.
  • You don’t need every star in a course before moving on: big star doors open at 8, 30, 50 and 70 stars.
  • Look up into the sunlight in the castle’s main hall once you have 10 stars to reach the Tower of the Wing Cap.
  • Talk to the pink Bob-omb Buddies to open the cannons in a course.
  • In Tick Tock Clock, jump into the painting when the castle clock’s minute hand points to 12 to stop the machinery.
  • Red coins come in eights: collecting all eight in a course makes a star appear.

Power Stars and movement basics · Castle progression

Did you know?

  • Big Boo is the ordinary Boo model drawn three times larger, and the Whomp King is a Whomp at twice the size.
  • Koopa the Quick uses exactly the same model as every other Koopa Troopa; the game simply draws him at three times the size (ordinary Koopas are drawn at 0.8).
  • Goombas come in three sizes from one model: tiny (×0.5), normal (×1.5) and huge (×3.5).
  • Bowser needs one throw into a bomb in the Dark World and in the Fire Sea, but three in the Sky.
  • Mario’s model has three versions with fewer and fewer polygons; the game swaps between them as he gets further from the camera.
  • Peach’s portrait in the castle has a Bowser version stored right beside it in the game’s textures.

More trivia

FAQ

When did Super Mario 64 come out?

On 23 June 1996 in Japan, 29 September 1996 in North America and 1 March 1997 in Europe, for the Nintendo 64.

How many Power Stars are there?

120: six named stars and a 100-coin star in each of the 15 courses (105), plus 15 castle secret stars. All courses and stars.

How many stars do you need to finish the game?

70 stars open the endless stairs to Bowser in the Sky, the final battle. Castle progression and Bowser gates.

What happens when you collect all 120 stars?

The cannon outside the castle opens, and Yoshi waits on the castle roof with 100 extra lives and a message from the developers.

Where can I play Super Mario 64 today?

It was re-released on the Wii (2006) and Wii U (2015) Virtual Console, in Super Mario 3D All-Stars for Nintendo Switch (2020), and with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack since 2021. Super Mario 64 DS (2004) is a remake with extra characters and stars.

Sources & picture credits

Pictures made from the Super Mario 64 (USA) game data: characters, enemies and items are drawn from their own 3D models, posed with a frame of one of their own animations; courses are drawn from their level geometry with their objects in front of their own sky. They are rendered without the game’s fog, shadows or moving water textures, so they look a little cleaner than on the console. The box art was already on this wiki. Game content © Nintendo.