"Super Mario 64" - One (More) Per Course Quiz

Answer: Pink

Bob-Omb Battlefield, the first course of the game, plunks Mario into the corner of an ongoing battle between the regular Bob-Ombs camped out on and around a massive hill and the pink Bob-Omb Buddies who will support him with cannons of their own to fire their new hero around the map. Pink Bob-Ombs won't fight you; the black ones will, so it's not hard to tell the difference.

These buddies appear in twelve of the game's fifteen major courses, they just happen to debut here.

Answer: Red Coins on the Floating Isle

All fifteen courses of the game feature a Red Coin challenge in which Mario must collect eight Red Coins found across the map (or, sometimes, just in a portion of it). The task he undertakes in Whomp's Fortress will have him all around the region, collecting coins on top of and behind enemies, on precarious ramps, and on floating islands that extend up past the top of Whomp's Fortress proper.

When it's all done, he can collect his star waiting near the start of the course.

Answer: Clamshells

Much of Jolly Roger Bay will send you into the depths and fortunately, the water itself is enough of a hazard that you won't need to worry about too many foes while getting around. The only foe, technically, to appear in the water is Unagi the eel, but you might also make an attempt to collect items (including Red Coins and a Koopa Shell) from inside the opening-and-closing clamshells on the sea floor. Watch out though-- they can shut quickly and leave Mario reeling.

Answer: Two

Some of Cool, Cool Mountain's only real citizens are a handful of penguins-- two small and two large-- scattered around the peak. The second star found here, 'Li'l Penguin Lost', recognizes a plight when it sees it; you need to get Tuxie, one of the small penguins, to her mother at the base of the mountain, basically bringing it from the starting point of the map to the end without taking the slide within the mountain.

Interestingly, there's another little penguin much closer to the mama at the end, but handing this baby off will result in the news that it's not her child-- and we don't know where her parents are.

There's got to be a wild story there.

Answer: A cage

Descending to a lower-level courtyard of Peach's castle, you can access Big Boo's Haunt by facing off against a solitary Boo hovering around in the gardens, punching it when it's corporeal to reveal a hidden cage containing the game's fifth course. Once Mario jumps inside, he'll be teleported to a haunted mansion contained within, loaded with all manner of spooky foes including ghosts, spiders, and a hungry piano.

Answer: Monty Mole

In their only appearance in "Super Mario 64", the Monty Moles appear to have taken residence in the hazy maze itself, braving the high ground of the toxic labyrinth that Mario needs to navigate to get around the sixth course of the game. Monty Moles are more a nuisance than anything; even if Mario hops on them, punches them, or runs into them while coated entirely in metal, they won't even drop coins.

Instead, they'll pop out of their holes over and over ad infinitum, just like a game of whack-a-mole.

Answer: Koopa Shell

Lethal Lava Land isn't a massive map, but it is a dangerous one since Mario will need to navigate a number of platforms resting atop a field of lava in order to collect his Power Stars (save for the ones that have him entering a volcano to do more of the same). Though Mario can navigate the course on foot or with a rare Wing Cap, he can find a Koopa Shell near the start of the level and use that to glide over the lava without getting hurt.

There's only one opportunity to use it though; if he collides with a wall, sign, or foe, then the chance is lost.

Answer: Mario's hat

Although Klepto, flying around over the oasis of Shifting Sand Land, can be a bit of a boon to Mario as he navigates the course for the first time since he requires an almost full traversal of the area, this condor is a nuisance in all other cases. Once Klepto's talons are empty of any Power Stars, he'll instead turn his attention to knocking Mario's cap off his head and flying around with it.

Answer: Bowser in the Fire Sea

It's a bit of a back and forth with this one as Bowser's sub will remain in Dire, Dire Docks, acting as its first task to overcome, until you complete Bowser in the Fire Sea, a boss level you can only access once you've completed that first Power Star in Dire, Dire Docks. Once Bowser is defeated this second time in the game, it'll free up a lot of space in the latter half of this small level, a course that's composed of two large, cavernous pools of water.

Answer: Moneybag

Appearing for the first time in this snowy Course, Moneybag will blend in with its environment until Mario comes up to grab the bait: a shiny coin. Mario can exact his revenge, however, since once the creature is visible he can jump on top to defeat it and claim a Blue Coin instead.

This isn't the only unique foe to Snowman's Land though. Mario can also face the Chill Bully for a Power Star.

Answer: Seven

These small, diamond-shaped switches can be found at strategic points throughout both the opening area of Wet-Dry World and the downtown area, allowing Mario to raise and lower the water levels of the course to his needs for different Power Stars. It's important to identify where these are in the course as their accessibility is key to managing where you can reach (or set up to reach) at any point. To use one, all Mario needs to do is run or swim into it.

It'll do the rest of the work.

Answer: True

Interestingly, this is a mandatory ride for anyone seeking the Power Star at the end of the line. Although Mario can ride the slide hidden on the mountain wall for the fourth Power Star, more than sixty coins can be found on the ride while closer to seventy-five can be found on the exterior of the course. If Mario falls off the slide, he can reenter the course and start from the top, but this means he'll need to jump off the ledge with the fourth Power Star and proceed back up the mountain to continue collecting coins.

Answer: Tiny

There are two paintings that let you into this thirteenth course; one is small, one is large. If you jump into the smaller one, you'll emerge as a large Mario, but jumping into the huge one makes you small (at least in proportion to most of the area).

This will have a noticeable effect on the enemies around the map; Goombas will inflate to huge sizes; Piranha Plants will tower over Mario. To change size from within, all you need to do is hop into the pipes you find throughout.

Answer: They will be faster than normal

Tick Tock Clock gives you a handful of seemingly custom options for how you wish to approach the course, but in some cases (like the Stop Time for Red Coins Power Star) you're best positioned to choose one way or another. Jumping into the clock on the hour will cause the clock's internal mechanisms to stop, setting them in default positions; jumping in the clock at 15 past the hour will slow them down from normal while jumping in at 15 minutes to the hour will speed them up. Jumping in at half past will set the mechanisms to random and variable speeds.

Answer: In a maze

While Mario will have encountered mazes in previous courses (Hazy Maze Cave included), the one found in Rainbow Ride is a unique one, being completed along a vertical surface. Instead of finding his way at ground level he'll have to jump around, avoiding obstacles and using the walls to scale and collect the eight coins.

The maze is also the home of the Pink Bob-Omb, whose cannon on the flying ship is needed to get the final Power Star of the course, and the Blue Coin Switch, which requires some precise wall jumping to take advantage of.