"Super Mario 64": One Per Level Quiz

Answer: Three

Star Three ("Shoot to the Island in the Sky") gets everything started. Mario must simply use a cannon to shoot himself to the floating island, and retrieve the star from inside a ! box.
Star Four ("Find the Eight Red Coins") requires Mario to travel throughout the level to find eight red coins. Once he finds all eight, a star will appear in the field containing four wooden posts. One of the red coins is located on top of the tree on the floating island.
Star Five ("Mario Wings to the Sky") requires Mario to once again travel to the floating island, then collect the center coin in the five rings of coins just off the tip of the island. This is accomplished by using the cannon on the island, and preferably the Wing Cap. It's tough to collect the star without the Wing Cap, but it can be done.

Answer: an owl

Said owl (popularly named "Hoot") appears in the first tree right at the beginning of the level, after you've collected the first three or so stars in the stage. After Mario awakens the owl from his nap, he offers Mario a ride to the top of the fortress.

The owl is not the easiest thing to control, but it's one of the only ways to obtain Star Five ("Fall Onto the Caged Island"). Mario must ride with the owl to gain access to the star on the caged island. It's also possible to use the cannon, but it's slightly more difficult.

Answer: Eight

You open four treasure chests to drain and raise the ship in Star One ("Plunder in the Sunken Ship") and then you open four more chests to obtain the star in the ocean cave in Star Three ("Treasure of the Ocean Cave").
It's not enough to simply open the chests. In both cases, you must open them in the correct order. Otherwise, Mario receives an electric shock and the order is reset. If you need air while opening the chests, an air bubble appears to replenish your health every time you open a correct chest.

Answer: A snowman missing a nose

No, no snowman in this level is missing a nose. There is however, a snowman missing its head. For Star Five ("Snowman's Lost Its Head") you will need to direct a snowball to a snowman's head to create a snowman. This snowman gives you a star for your gratitude.
There is a warp point on the end of the broken bridge to the right of the start of the level. It warps you to a set of bridges at the lower part of the mountain, where you can find a few red coins.
A ski lift can be found at the very bottom of the mountain, where the mother penguin is (and where the slide ends). It takes you up to a red coin, and the midsection of the mountain where the snowman head is located.
The racing penguin appears at the top of the slide in the cabin. To collect Star Three ("Big Penguin Race") you will need to defeat him in a race down the slide, and without using any shortcuts.
Fun Fact: After you collect all 120 stars, the penguin will really put on some weight.

Answer: Three

Star One ("Go on a Ghost Hunt"): Mario must defeat five regular Boos, then defeat the Big Boo in the main lobby. This also activates the staircase to access the second floor.
Star Two ("Ride Big Boo's Merry-Go-Round"): Mario travels to the haunted shack behind the main house to defeat a flurry of Boos, followed by a Big Boo, all the while riding on a spooky carousel.
Star Five ("Big Boo's Balcony"): Mario must wall kick his way to the attic to defeat yet another Big Boo out on the balcony, then hike up the roof to obtain the star after the scrap.

Answer: The Cavern of the Metal Cap

Use the swimming dinosaur/sea monster (popularly named "Nessie" or "Dorrie") to ride over to the opposite side of the underground lake. Within that door you will find a metal pool that leads to the level. This course will not only allow you to hit the green Cap Switch and activate all Metal Caps in the game, but also collect eight red coins for another star.

Answer: Bully

These black bomb-like creatures with horns are unique in that they don't cause direct damage when Mario touches them. They will, however, try to knock him into the lava, which takes away three sections of the health meter. Mario must retaliate and punch and kick them into the lava instead.
For Star One ("Boil the Big Bully") and Star Two ("Bully the Bullies") Mario faces jumbo versions of this enemy.

Answer: Three

First, Star Three ("Inside the Ancient Pyramid") requires you to enter the pyramid and travel all the way to the top to collect a star. Then, to collect Star Four ("Stand Tall on the Four Pillars"), you must do just that, to enter the pyramid through the secret top entrance, and defeat the Eyerok monsters for another star.
Finally, for Star Six ("Pyramid Puzzle") you must collect five special coins within the pyramid to obtain a star.

Answer: Bowser in the Fire Sea

Yup, you will need to collect the first star ("Board Bowser's Sub") in this level in order to open the pit leading to the second Bowser level. It's a simple task: just use the ! switch to access the deck of the submarine. In Bowser in the Fire Sea, you will have to traverse across a series of platforms floating in a lagoon of molten lava (and collect eight red coins for another star, if you wish).

Then you will have to defeat Bowser again, this time with a tilting platform over lava. It's all worth it, however, because defeating him earns you the key to access the second floor of the castle.

Answer: A turtle shell

In addition to Star Four ("Whirl From the Freezing Pond"), Mario can also find a Koopa shell behind the wall. He will need to ride this shell to access most of the red coins and obtain Star Five ("Shell Shredding For Red Coins").
The Blue Coin Block is located in the igloo, the cannon is near the start of the level (though the Bob-omb Buddy is also in the igloo), and there is no Cap Switch in this level.

Answer: Seven

In the main level, there are five switches:
Switch #1- on the ground near the corner cage leading to the town
Switch #2- underneath the dock-like structure at the start of the level
Switch #3- on the short white block structure (containing the warp point)
Switch #4- on the taller slope-sided white block structure accessible by using the ! switch on the dock-like structure
Switch #5- on the higher sloped area above the first switch
In the town, there are two switches:
Switch #6- on the ground directly below the entrance to the town
Switch #7- at the very end of the platform above the pole on the roof of the church
These switches are used to adjust the level of the water in the level, which you'll need to do to access all the stars. Note: you can jump into the very top of the painting outside the level to start the water level even higher than you can set it with the switches. This makes getting to the town much easier.

Answer: A hidden slide

When you near the top of the mountain, you will find a wall that ripples like a painting when you walk near it. If you jump inside, you will find a secret slide within the mountain. You'll have to make it to the bottom of the slide alive to obtain Star Four ("Mysterious Mountainside") The slide can also be a useful source of coins to obtain the 100-coin star.

Answer: Koopa the Quick

Koopa the Quick appears again (Star Three: "Rematch with Koopa the Quick"), and he's awaiting a rematch to regain the glory he lost back in your first footrace in Bob-omb Battlefield. This time, instead of simply running merrily up the mountain, you will need to race him down ledges littered with cannonballs, and across a bridge where a fierce wind is blowing. If you can make it to the flag first again, he gives you a star, and gives up for good.

Answer: Three

You can control the speed of the moving obstacles within the clock by simply jumping into the level at different times. If the minute hand is pointing to the 3, the clock moves slowly.
If the minute hand is pointing to the 6, the clock starts and stops in a sort of random, screwy manner.
If the minute hand is pointing to the 9, the clock moves fast. It can be difficult to collect the stars this way.
Finally, if the minute hand is pointing to the 12, the clock completely stops. This is helpful in collecting some of the stars, but you will need to have the clock moving to collect others.

Answer: Four

Hence the name, this level is a big ride in the rainbow-filled sky, with magic carpets, moving platforms, floating mazes, and even a flying ship. Mario rides a total of four magic carpets in this level.
There is one at the beginning, one leading to the junction of two, and then at the junction, one carpet leads to the ship, and the other leads to the floating house.