Power Stars and movement basics
A starter guide to Super Mario 64: practise movement in the castle grounds, use the mission title as a clue, plan the 100-coin star, include castle secrets.
Original Nintendo 64 game with 120 Power Stars; not Super Mario 64 DS.
Practise movement in the castle grounds
Learn the long jump, backflip and side somersault where a missed landing is harmless. Settle the camera before committing to a narrow jump.
Use the mission title as a clue
Each course has named star missions. Read the selected mission before entering, then identify its landmark rather than exploring without a goal.
Plan the 100-coin star
Each main course has a 100-coin star. Choose a route with reliable coin sources and leave dangerous jumps until you are comfortable with the layout.
Include castle secrets
The 120-star total includes secret stars outside the main course missions. Check castle rooms and cap courses as well as your painting-world totals.
Choose height, distance or control
A backflip can reach a high ledge, a long jump covers distance, and an ordinary jump can be easier to land precisely. Practise each in the castle grounds and settle the camera before taking it into a narrow course route. The mission title is a clue to the objective, not a requirement to rush past everything else. Identify the relevant landmark and choose a movement technique that solves that particular approach.
Keep a castle-secret list beside the course totals
Fifteen main courses contribute six named stars and a 100-coin star each, but the total also includes castle secrets. A neat row of course totals therefore does not by itself prove the 120-star collection is finished. Note cap-switch courses, timed challenges and character rewards separately. The original N64 version has one playable Mario and a different total from the DS adaptation, so use the correct checklist.