Progress: Snowman’s Land Cleared
Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music
With two stars left in Snowman’s Land, my first question is simple: where are the red coins?
I’d like to confidently say none of them are inside the igloo. I cannot say that with confidence.
At the same time, I decide to roll the Red Coin Star and the 100-Coin Star into one attempt. This is an old habit from vanilla Super Mario 64. It usually saves time.
Coin Counting in a Frozen Economy
Finding the red coins isn’t the hard part. The real issue becomes obvious very quickly: where do 100 coins come from in this course?
The answer is the igloo.
I head inside and clear out every coin I can find. Outside, I mop up enemies wherever possible. Eventually, the numbers add up and the 100-Coin Star appears.
That’s when problem number three shows up.
The red coin star is there. I can see it. I just can’t reach it.
Everything Except Shouting at the Screen
I try:
- Standard jumps
- Awkward camera angles
- The cannon
Nothing works.
Eventually, it clicks. This star wants a Koopa Shell.
There’s just one issue: I already used the shell earlier in the run.
Rather than exit the course, I take a deliberate death. It’s faster, and at this point, efficiency matters more than pride.
The Shell Gamble
One more trip into Snowman’s Land.
I head straight for the box I hope contains the Koopa Shell. There’s no guarantee. The seed could absolutely ruin me here.
Thankfully, the shell is exactly where it should be.
I slow everything down. No risks. No clever movement. Just controlled progress.
The shell does its job. The red coin star is collected.
Snowman’s Land is finished.
Next Move: Chasing Familiar Ground
With the course cleared, I make a mental note for the next castle visit.
I want to head toward where Snowman’s Land normally sits in vanilla Mario 64. At this point, I’m nearly halfway through the star count, and momentum matters.
This seed hasn’t been kind, but it has been fair. I want to keep that balance on my side.
YouTube – Log 11 Video
One shell, one reset, and one course fully crossed off the list.
Log 11 Summary
| Course | Snowman’s Land |
|---|---|
| Stars Cleared | 7 / 7 |
| 100-Coin Star | Collected |
| Red Coin Star | Collected (with shell) |
| Tactical Deaths | 1 (on purpose) |
| Next Objective | Follow vanilla paths, keep momentum |
Sometimes progress means knowing when to reset instead of forcing a bad situation.
Survivor Incognito 