There are few gamers who haven’t at least dabbled in Mario’s epic debut in the 3D realm, Super Mario 64 — and many have delved into this adventure multiple times.
While an experienced player might be looking for anything that would make their next playthrough more exciting or unconventional, learning more about the game’s intricacies before jumping in can give a first-time player a better sense of what to expect and keep the frustrations at bay.
This list of hidden secrets is, in reality, a compendium of advanced techniques and less explored corners of this 3D Mario platformer. These tips, exploits, and easter eggs can prove useful and interesting to newcomers, but also for veterans who are likely to have missed some of these more nuanced and well-hidden bits.
With that said, this list will explore 20 hidden secrets from the rich world of Super Mario 64. It will offer gameplay tricks, neat little quirks, and some lesser-known facts about the game. At the very least, it should enlighten even the most diehard of Mario fans with some knowledge about one of the most influential games of the early 3D era.
Updated July 8, 2021 by Stephen LaGioia: Though it hasn’t exactly aged like fine wine, Super Mario 64 remains a delectable gaming classic. This is the case not just for gamers of the 90s — but also for a new generation of kids and teens, who have rediscovered this 3D platforming gem through the Nintendo DS remake, and, more recently, Super Mario 3D All-Stars on Switch.
Even several years after its release, new exploits, secrets, and easter eggs have been unearthed — while speedrunners continue to try and best the already lightning-quick playthroughs that have been achieved. Coupled with the aforementioned rereleases, these happenings from the gaming community at large have breathed new life into this decades-old release. Given the game’s evergreen nature — and the general intricacies of this Mario adventure — it seemed appropriate to refresh this list and power it up with some additional entries.
25 The Impossible Coins
As it happens, there are a couple of coins in the game that cannot be collected, as they oddly reside within the walls of a couple of environments. The first can be seen under the wooden ramp in Snowman’s Land, while another is near the grassy platform with a pipe in Tiny-Huge Island. Both can be seen when setting Mario directly next to the wall and moving the camera so that it gets a glimpse behind the surface of the walls.
Whether this is a programming goof or deliberate easter egg is anyone’s guess, but it’s interesting to scope them out regardless.
24 A Glimpse Into The Real World
While Super Mario 64 is rife with colorful fantasy worlds, there actually exists a portrayal of a real-world locale within Wet-Dry World. Though it has a fantastical vibe, it’s actually just slightly manipulated pictures representing a real area.
Specifically, the skybox for the stage contains a vast composite of altered photos of what was once thought to be a Spanish town Casares. However, it was soon discovered, upon even further digging, that these photographs are of a town called Shibam in Yemen, as well as the Mosque of Mohammed Ali in Cairo, Egypt.
23 The Many Faces Of Mario
This one remained exclusive to Japanese owners of the game until recently, but Western players can now experience it thanks to the release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Players can get a glimpse of a fun little easter egg even before booting up the game itself.
Pressing the shoulder buttons at the start screen will rapidly reveal a spiral pattern of several smaller moving images of Mario’s face. This is sure to make the already bizarre startup screen with Mario’s movable face even trippier.
22 Trapping The Cameraman
You can decide to pull a fast one on the camera-wielding Lakitu when going through certain doors — specifically those that don’t reside on the first floor of Peach’s Castle.
Simply enter a castle door, do a quick about-face and swiftly go back through the same door. Doing so will sometimes get the camera briefly stuck behind the door. You might look at it as a brief bit of payback for the camera troubles Lakitu often brings.
21 The Corpse Of The Fallen King
The first big boss encounter in Super Mario 64 will bring you face to face with King Bob-Omb, ruler of everything that has to do with the explosive critters. In order to get to the top of the mountain where he resides, Mario has to cross a ditch which contains two gigantic black marbles rolling back and forth.
Once you defeat King Bob-Omb, himself a gigantic black marble with a crown, a third one appears in the ditch. Is that a coincidence? One might think so — but the pink Bob-Omb near the start of the level seemingly confirms this theory. In its own words, the King is “nothing but a big dud now!”. In short, after defeating the monarch, his corpse apparently falls off the mountain and rolls around a ditch forever.
20 The Butterfly Collector
On Tiny-Huge Island, Mario alternates between being a giant in a small world, or a dwarf in a gigantic world. The level will begin in either condition depending on which painting you jump in. Should you choose to start as a giant, Mario will find nothing near the entrance except for a very tiny Goomba, and a trio of pinkish butterflies. The Goomba is easily dealt with, but what about the butterflies? These apparently innocent creatures actually hide a secret.
If you can manage to punch them, they will transform; some of them into a precious 1-up mushroom. Meanwhile, others will become Mario-seeking bombs. The odds seem to be random, so punching the insects is like playing the lottery. Those who want to test their luck can find others hanging out in the castle’s courtyard.
19 Retro Decorations
The Bowser in the Sky level is so full of obstacles and tricky jumps that it’s hard to slow things down and enjoy the scenery. Near the end of the level, on the platform filled with columns, take the time to stop by one of them and switch to the first-person view.
Hieroglyphs on the column can be seen, showcasing Bowser spitting fire at Mario. These are both depicted in the style of their original Super Mario Bros. apparition for NES. With this being Bowser’s home, the engraving of course biasedly depicts the boss as winning the encounter.
18 Time Is On My Side
Tick Tock Clock is one of the most peculiar levels in the entire game. Taking place inside of a clock’s mechanism, it feels more like an obstacle course than a world to explore. Furthermore, the gears, levers, and platforms seem to change speed every time the course is entered. If you want to have more control over the clock, then pay attention to the minute hand before entering. If you enter the course with the minute hand on three, the gears will move much slower.
At six, they will move slightly faster, which is a good way to get where you need to go in a hurry if you know what you are doing. Entering at nine will provide the biggest challenge, as the gears will move out of sync and erratically. Finally, those of a more low-key nature can enter at 12 so that everything stands still.
17 Money Makes The World Go Round
Finding the 100 coins star in every level is one of the more tedious parts of the game, as some levels seem to be very stingy when it comes to handing out currency. This trick can certainly make life a bit easier. If you encounter one of those seemingly useless wooden posts, as in Bob-Omb Battlefield, resist the urge to pound them into the ground.
Instead, run around said post five times, and five coins will pop out. In Bob-Omb Battlefield’s case, this yields 20 extra coins right there and goes a long way towards that coveted 100-coin goal. So keep spinning around those posts. It might not be quite as fun or satisfying as Mario’s emphatic ground pounds, but it’s a lot more rewarding.
16 Bowser’s Secret, More Cynical Message
If for some reason you feel like beating Bowser again after collecting 120 stars, then head back to the course titled Bowser in the Sky. You will need to defeat him again, but this time, the speech invoked by his defeat will be different. Instead of the standard “You have beaten me!” spiel, Bowser will lament the worthlessness of his troops as well as his own ineptitude.
Indeed, his message makes it clear that Bowser was unaware of the existence of the castle’s secret stars, and that he was not the one who hid them. He simply missed them during his conquest of the castle. It may be worth revisiting for those who really seek to see the deposed tyrant lose his mind.
15 Dust Yourself Off And Try Again
The final fight against the King of Koopa is much more challenging than his previous encounters. In this epic battle, the stage crumbles to the shape of a star, severely reducing the available area in which Mario can dodge Bowser’s attack. Do not be ashamed if it takes a few tries before finally defeating him. Nintendo seemingly anticipated this, indicated by the hidden 1-up mushroom near the warp pipe that takes you to the duel.
Look behind the far-left pillar that has a gaggle of Goombas and several pillars. The 1-up mushroom will be there every time you come back, effectively granting an unlimited number of tries to defeat your nemesis.
14 Break Down The Walls
Super Mario 64 isn’t really known for its breakable walls. That is usually the realm of the Legend of Zelda series, which supplies the player with bombs for such tasks. Still, in Whomp’s Fortress, there is an area that provides the exception to the rule. Once the Whomp has been defeated once, the top of the fortress will be replaced with a tower.
At the bottom of it, there’s a specific part of the wall which can be punched. Doing so will break the brick and reveal a 1-up mushroom hiding in an alcove. There is no visible indication that this could be busted open — although the polygon is slightly visible when playing on an emulator.
13 End Credits Directed By…
The end credits of Super Mario 64 remain among the best the medium has ever seen, thanks in large part to that appealing soundtrack. While it’s strong enough to stand on its own, those who want to spice up the credit sequence somewhat can start by plugging in a second controller.
The added controller will be able to move the camera in different directions, basically making you the director of your own credit sequence. While you cannot move the camera with the same freedom available during the game, you can still change the direction it’s looking. So if you’d rather look at the castle’s architecture than a simple, head-on shot of Mario and friends waving, have at it.
12 We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Cannon
Many are aware that Yoshi is waiting on top of the castle for the courageous souls who decided to collect all 120 Power Stars — but did you know it’s possible to get to the top without using the cannon that unlocks after that 100% completion? You’ll need to go to the right end of the castle, and spot the hill that’s right next to the castle’s wall.
A well-placed triple jump will get Mario most of the way up the hill. When he starts sliding, jump again, and you should be able to grab onto the wall. Just make sure to latch on to the proper section, as illustrated in this video. If you climb the wall nearest to the hill, instant death awaits instead.
11 Keep Stomping Those Moles
Monty Moles may be remembered as those annoying animals who throw rocks at Mario, but you can make them pay with a little patience — and implementing a little trick that could pay dividends. These critters can be found in Hazy Maze Cave and Tall Tall Mountain. Whenever one sneaks out of its hole, promptly stomp them. Stomping eight of them in a row without leaving the area or stomping a different type of enemy will yield an extra life.
With the configuration of Hazy Maze Cave, particularly, it’s possible to stomp several groups in succession relatively quickly and rake in those mushrooms relatively easily.
10 Working Your Way Up
Some of the slopes in Super Mario 64 are steep enough to make climbing them tough, but still technically possible if one is persistent with holding down that control stick. Some slopes seem virtually impossible to traverse, but are still conquerable with some patience — as well as some ample crawling and scurrying.
Then there are some that are impossible to climb up with traditional methods — though there is a little trick that can even take you to the top of these.
When encountering a surface that causes Mario to slide down under normal circumstances, run at full speed towards the slope and hold down the A button. Then, mash the B button in such a way that Mario starts jump-kicking repeatedly. If you have the proper timing, the constant jump-kicking will slowly but surely grant leverage and eventually bring you to the top.
9 Imitation Is Flattery
Cool Cool Mountain is a course that is known for its penguins, ranging from tiny and cute to jarringly large. One of the stars in the level puts Mario in charge of reuniting the smaller penguin with its sizable mother. It’s a noble endeavor, but there’s one thing that’s just as fun and much cuter — belly slides.
If Mario does one of his patented belly flops next to the baby penguin, it will try to imitate the plumber and do its own, more adorable version of the slide. For bonus penguin mischief, try grabbing the baby penguin again once it has been taken back to the mother: her expression will change to a furious stare and she will pursue you until freeing the lad.
8 The Biggest Challenge So Far
In Cool Cool Mountain, there’s a very large bird waiting for you in the lodge near the start of the level. Usually, it will challenge you to a race down the slide, with a Power Star on the line should you win the race. If you think that winning without using the shortcut is tough, then try going back to the lodge after collecting all 120 stars.
The penguin is still there, and still incredibly tall, but this time he is twice as wide as he used to be. He explains that it is (understandably) because he has let himself go and hasn’t been practicing in a while. While he may be out of shape, this certainly won’t stop him from muscling Mario directly off the course when even slightly coming into contact with him.
7 Controlling The Elements
Wet-Dry World is a course which offers challenges based on the level of the water within. It can be somewhat likened to a prototype version of Ocarina of Time’s Water Temple. The water level can be changed using a crystal switch situated in various parts of the course. This can make the process of collecting the Power Stars fairly tough and tedious, as manipulating water levels isn’t any more fun in a Mario game than in a Zelda game.
While many tend to dislike this stage, there is a fairly simple tactic that can make it more bearable and even enjoyable. As it happens, you can control the initial level of the water depending on how high you jump into the painting. Jump in low for virtually no water, and jump in as high as you can to flood the whole place.
6 Bending The Laws Of Physics
Super Mario 64 defies the laws of physics in many ways, though in fairness, most of the game’s actions seem to follow its own internal logic. The game’s very loose interpretation of real-world physics can work to Mario’s advantage. A fall from too high can wreck your health meter, but there’s a way to save yourself from such a fall.
Simply execute a ground-pound when inches from the ground: Mario will stop dead in his tracks Looney Tunes-style, do a little flip, and finish his fall from a safe distance. Doing so will negate any damage that would have been caused by the plummet. Move over, Neville. Mario is the true man that gravity forgot.
