Fun trivia
Three memorable details to notice while playing Super Mario 64.
Story and late-game spoilers.
Original Nintendo 64 game with 120 Power Stars; not Super Mario 64 DS.
A castle full of doorways
Paintings act as entrances to many courses. The castle is a playable hub rather than only a level-selection screen.
Coins can make a star
Most main courses have a 100-coin star in addition to their six named missions. Coin routes therefore form their own small exploration puzzle.
One rabbit, a moving target
MIPS turns part of the castle basement into a chase. Catching a character can be a star challenge without a traditional course mission.
The camera is part of learning a space
Lakitu’s camera presentation gives viewpoint changes an in-world character, while practical play still depends on positioning the view before a jump. The grounds provide room to learn how movement and camera angles interact without immediately demanding a course objective. This makes the hub more than a level selector. Its layout, secrets and safe practice space teach skills that remain useful when a narrow bridge or high platform appears later.
A collection can change the castle roof
Yoshi is associated with a reward after the original 120-star collection rather than joining the normal playable roster. Reaching the roof turns a previously inaccessible-looking part of the hub into a destination. That gives completion a visible consequence beyond a changed number in the menu. It also explains why a DS guide discussing playable Yoshi would describe a different game rather than a missing option in this version.