The Hostile Castle Protocol – Entry 1: Back Into The Castle

Game: Super Mario 64 Randomizer
Platform: Steam Deck
Format: No Commentary

Video: Jolly Roger Bay, seven stars collected, and the first discoveries about Non-Stop Mode.

Back Into The Castle

I told myself I wouldn’t come back to this anytime soon.

Apparently that plan lasted about as long as most of my attempts at sticking to a schedule.

At the time of writing this, Krunch% is still ongoing, but the more I thought about my original Super Mario 64 Randomizer run, the more I found myself wanting another trip through the castle.

Before long, I was setting everything up again.

This time the difficulty has been increased a little. To keep things fair, I deleted the test save file I’d been using while checking the settings and started fresh.

Non-Stop Mode is enabled this time around, which means once I enter a course, I stay there until I choose to leave, run out of health, or the game decides to remove me from the level.

Given my previous experiences with randomizer chaos, none of those possibilities can be ruled out.

The Castle Opens Its Doors

With the settings chosen, it was time to see what the randomizer had prepared for me.

Its answer was Jolly Roger Bay.

That wasn’t what I expected.

In my original randomizer run, Jolly Roger Bay ended up being one of the more straightforward courses. I wasn’t about to complain, although the course itself seemed determined to make sure I didn’t become too comfortable.

The balancing pillars inside the cavern appeared to have developed a personal interest in my whereabouts and spent much of the session trying to introduce me to the water below.

Despite that, progress came quickly.

Seven Stars In Jolly Roger Bay

One by one the stars started falling.

The objectives themselves weren’t especially difficult, but the randomizer had added just enough uncertainty to keep me paying attention.

While working on the 100 Coin Star, I remembered that I would eventually need to raise the sunken ship guarded by the eel.

My assumption was that collecting the star inside the ship would force me to leave the course and re-enter before I could finish the final objective.

Apparently Non-Stop Mode had other plans.

After collecting the ship star, I was simply placed back into Jolly Roger Bay with the final objective still available.

That left only Can the Eel Come Out to Play?

Convincing the eel to cooperate took a few attempts. During that time I was fully expecting the randomizer to have hidden the star somewhere completely different.

Thankfully, tradition survived the randomization process.

The eel eventually emerged with the star still attached to its tail, allowing me to collect the seventh and final star of the course.

Jolly Roger Bay was officially cleared.

An Unexpected Discovery

With the course complete, I decided to experiment with the menu options.

Choosing to exit the course launched Mario out of the level and immediately cost me a life.

Useful information to have.

Not information I was particularly pleased to discover.

To make sure it wasn’t some strange one-off, I entered the course again and selected the option to return to the lobby instead.

This time Mario simply appeared back inside the castle with no life penalty attached.

Lesson learned.

The castle apparently charges a fee for leaving incorrectly.

End Of Entry Status

The first course is complete and seven stars are already on the board.

I also learned a few important things about how Non-Stop Mode behaves, which is knowledge that will hopefully save me from losing additional lives in the future.

I forgot to check how many stars are required for the various doors throughout the castle, but that’s a problem for the next entry.

I’m also not sure whether the Boos have appeared in the courtyard yet.

Those are both questions for future me.

For now, the castle has been surprisingly cooperative.

I’m sure that won’t last.

Stars Collected: 7 / 119
Lives Remaining: 5
Courses Cleared: 1

Continue The Journey

Entry 2 →

The Hostile Castle Protocol Hub

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Survivor Edition

17th Jun 2026 0

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Epilogue: Thirty Years Later

Game: Super Mario 64 Randomizer
Platform: Steam Deck
Format: No Commentary

Why This One Needed an Epilogue

It has been a while since I last wrote an epilogue, but this run felt like it deserved one.

Nearly thirty years ago we were given the game that set the standard for 3D platformers, and in many ways for games in general. Very few titles can be called truly influential, but Super Mario 64 is one of them. Even decades later people are still playing it, still finding new tricks, and still discovering ways to push the game further than anyone expected.

I have watched world records being broken, seen people complete the game blindfolded, and watched runs that make it look effortless. That was never what this was about for me. I wanted something familiar, but different enough that I couldn’t rely on memory alone.

That is why I chose the randomizer.

Familiar, But Never Safe

I could have played through the original game again without any problems, but the randomizer forces you to slow down and think. Stars are not where you expect them to be, levels don’t behave the way your memory says they should, and suddenly a course you know inside out becomes something you have to learn all over again.

It didn’t take long for the run to remind me of that. Getting Rainbow Ride and Tick Tock Clock early in the run felt like the game was testing me right from the start. Those are not the levels you expect to deal with when you are still trying to figure out where everything is.

And then there was the hunt for the Wing Cap Switch Palace. For a while I genuinely thought it might end up being in the very last place I could possibly check. That search alone made the randomizer worth doing.

The Stars That Fought Back

If there was one type of star that caused the most trouble, it was the red coins. A lot of them turned into puzzles I wasn’t expecting to solve.

Bowser in the Fire Sea was one of the worst. The coins were placed in spots where grabbing them felt like a risk every time. It wasn’t enough to know the level, I had to work out how to reach them without burning Mario in the process.

Rainbow Ride was another one that stuck with me. Collecting the red coins there only to see the star appear at the opposite end of the course felt like the game reminding me that nothing in a randomizer run is ever simple.

Even near the end the run kept finding ways to surprise me. Wet-Dry World being the final course felt a little anticlimactic, but that is the nature of a randomizer. You don’t choose the order. The seed does.

Thirty Years Later, Still Worth Playing

What surprised me the most about this run is how well the game still holds up. Even after all this time, Super Mario 64 is still fun to play, still satisfying to finish, and still able to throw challenges at you when you least expect them.

That is probably why people are still playing it after all these years. Not because of nostalgia alone, but because the game itself is strong enough to keep people coming back.

The Journey Ends

I don’t know if I will do another randomizer run in the future, but I’m glad I did this one. It turned a game I already knew into something unpredictable again, and it made the final credits feel earned in a way they normally wouldn’t.

This journey took longer than I expected, gave me more trouble than I planned for, and reminded me why this game became a classic in the first place.

For now, I’m happy to say the run is finished.

And I had a blast doing it.

Not Quite the End

As much as this feels like the end of the run, it doesn’t feel like the end of the experience.

Super Mario 64 might be finished, but I’m not done with it yet.

So instead of stopping here, I’m taking it further. The same ideas, the same structure, but rebuilt on a much larger scale.

Next, I’m stepping into a version of this game that doesn’t stay contained in a castle.

A galaxy-sized version of it.

Continue the Journey

← Log 25

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

7th Jun 2026 0

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 25: Thank You For Playing

Game: Super Mario 64 Randomizer
Platform: Steam Deck
Format: No Commentary

Video: Final red coins in Bowser in the Sky, 120 stars collected, and the last battle with Bowser (no commentary)

The Final Star

It was time. No sense putting it off any longer. I had 119 stars, and the final one was waiting for me in Bowser in the Sky. One last red coin hunt before the end.

When I jumped into the course I expected the randomizer to throw me somewhere near the end, but instead I spawned close to the beginning. That turned out to be perfect, because it meant I could search the entire level properly from start to finish instead of rushing through it.

I took my time, stopping every so often to move the camera around and make sure nothing was hiding just out of view. Hazy Maze Cave had already taught me that stars and coins could be sitting right in front of me without me noticing if I wasn’t careful.

I also had to fight the instinct to take the shortcuts I would normally use in this level. In the original game I know this course well enough to rush through it, but this wasn’t the original anymore, and I had a feeling if I skipped ahead too quickly I’d leave a coin behind.

120 Stars

The final three coins were waiting near the location where the red coin star appears, right beside the pipe that leads to the final battle. Once I collected them, the star appeared exactly where I hoped it would.

One jump later, and that was it.

All 120 stars of this randomizer seed collected.

Only one thing remained.

The Final Battle

The fight with Bowser didn’t go perfectly at first. I managed to throw him into one bomb, but nerves or bad luck got the better of me after that. I got caught by his fire, stunned, and even managed to fall off the platform. Round one went to him.

The second attempt felt different. I was calmer, more focused. The first throw landed, then the second, and suddenly I was holding him for the final spin.

As I turned Mario around with Bowser in his hands, I couldn’t help but think that this really was the final throw of the run.

It was.

Three clean throws later, Bowser was defeated and the randomizer seed was finished.

The Credits Roll

The familiar cutscene played out, and when the camera showed the castle roof, Yoshi was there waiting, proving that all 120 stars had been collected.

I let the credits roll without skipping. Watching the game show each of the locations again, one after another, reminded me just how much ground this run had covered. Every level, every detour, every moment where I thought I might have made the seed impossible.

And that music… the same credits music I’ve heard so many times over the years still feels exactly the same as it did the first time I heard it.

All that was left was the final line.

Thank you so much for-a playing my game.

And thank you for all the memories you have given me, Mario.

Continue the Journey

← Log 24
Epilogue →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

31st May 2026 1

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 24: One Star From the End

Game: Super Mario 64 Randomizer
Platform: Steam Deck
Format: No Commentary

Video: Finishing Big Boo’s Haunt before clearing Wet-Dry World and reaching 119 stars (no commentary)

Hunting the Final Red Coin

I was determined to finally locate the missing red coin in Big Boo’s Haunt. My first stop was the roof of the mansion, and sure enough that’s exactly where it had been hiding the entire time. Once I knew where it was, the rest of the red coin hunt turned into a fairly quick sweep through the mansion grounds and rooms.

I did have a brief moment where I forgot where the last coin was, but the mistake corrected itself quickly when I walked into the wrong room and immediately realised where I actually needed to be. A quick correction later and the final star of Big Boo’s Haunt was mine.

The Final Course

With the haunted mansion finally cleared, only one course remained before the final challenge: Wet-Dry World.

If I’m honest, I expected it to give me more of a fight. Instead, the course practically collapsed in front of me. The first two stars came almost immediately as I opened a couple of random boxes and found them sitting inside. I’ll happily take that kind of luck at this stage of the run.

Cleaning Up the World

After the early luck, the rest of the stars became a matter of cleaning up the level methodically. The Secrets in the Shallows and Sky star didn’t take long, and while collecting those secrets I spotted the location of another star, which made the next objective very straightforward.

I also took the opportunity to speak to the pink Bob-Omb to open the cannon, just in case it became useful later on. By the time I finished exploring the upper areas, only three stars remained, and all of them required heading into the town section of the level.

The Final Stars

My first visit to the town went surprisingly smoothly. One of the stars was sitting there waiting for me, so that immediately reduced the list to just two: the 100-coin star and the red coin star.

By the time I began collecting the red coins, my coin total had already reached ninety-nine. That meant the very first red coin I collected pushed the total to one hundred and awarded the 100-coin star instantly.

After that it was simply a matter of collecting the remaining red coins. A brief swim later and the final star of Wet-Dry World was secured.

119 Stars

With Wet-Dry World complete, all fifteen courses have now been cleared. The total stands at 119 stars.

Only one star remains.

The Final Challenge

The next entry may very well be the last.

One final red coin challenge remains before the path opens to Bowser in the Sky. Once that star is collected, there will be nothing left but the final battle.

Continue the Journey

← Log 23
Log 25 →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

24th May 2026 1

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 23: Wings and Ghosts

Game: Super Mario 64 Randomizer
Platform: Steam Deck
Format: No Commentary

Video: Conquering the Wing Cap red coins before exploring Big Boo’s Haunt and collecting several more stars (no commentary)

The Wing Cap Challenge

It was finally time to tackle the Wing Cap red coins. Out of everything I’ve faced during this run, this one had been sitting in the back of my mind as the biggest hurdle. I had already struggled with the red coins in Bowser in the Fire Sea earlier in the run, so the idea of doing something similar in a stage built entirely around flying didn’t exactly fill me with confidence.

The level wastes no time throwing you into the air. As soon as I entered, Mario was already flying, which meant I had no choice but to try and take mental notes of where each coin was while keeping control of the flight. I could see seven of them fairly quickly, but I knew the eighth would probably reveal itself mid-flight.

Finding the Right Flight

My first attempt didn’t go particularly well. Somewhere during the chaos my brain decided it would be a good idea to create a savestate while I was flying. I’m still not entirely sure why that happened.

The second attempt was slightly better. I managed to line up a few coins, but my altitude was too low to collect some of the others. Rather than force it and lose the run completely, I accepted the attempt as a loss and reset.

The third attempt was the one that mattered. I managed to control Mario just enough to sweep through every coin in a single flight. Once the star appeared, I didn’t hesitate. Unsure of how much time remained on the Wing Cap, I made a direct line for it and secured the star.

The Wing Cap red coins were done. And with that, the final flight challenge of the run was behind me.

Two Courses Remain

After leaving the stage I headed back upstairs in the castle. At this point there were only two courses left before the final challenge: Big Boo’s Haunt and Wet-Dry World.

I had a fifty–fifty choice between the two entrances. I took the right-hand side.

Waiting behind it was Big Boo’s Haunt.

A Haunted Start

The course immediately rewarded me with a bit of luck. After defeating one of the bosses — the Big Eye — I found a star within reach and grabbed it straight away. There are several bosses scattered throughout this level, including the Big Eye and three different Big Boos.

The star from that boss didn’t spawn in a location I was entirely confident about reaching, so I opted to collect the easier one first. On my second visit I tracked down the original star again, and this time it appeared much closer to me.

Ghost Hunting

I knew one of the Big Boos would be waiting near the carousel. My instinct told me that particular encounter wouldn’t be moved somewhere strange given how the room works. Sure enough, after clearing out the smaller Boos, the Big Boo appeared exactly where I expected.

One of the ghosts also mentioned that ghosts never truly die, which at least confirmed the location of another Boo needed for the “Go on a Ghost Hunt” star. While exploring the area I also spotted one of the red coins, giving me another clue for the final collection in this level.

Making the Most of Momentum

With the course practically handing out stars at this point, I decided to attempt the 100-coin star while I was already exploring the mansion. My thinking was simple: collect the 100-coin star along with either the red coin star or the “Go on a Ghost Hunt” star, leaving the remaining objective for my final visit here.

I searched nearly every room in the mansion, deliberately leaving the roof area for later. In fact, I only abandoned that plan because I fell off the roof and ended up back near the carousel. While there I grabbed the nearby red coin and discovered the final Boo needed to trigger the third Big Boo encounter.

With the coin total finally reaching one hundred, I collected the 100-coin star and immediately attacked the first Big Boo I encountered outside the mansion grounds. As luck would have it, it turned out to be exactly the Boo I needed, which meant another star was secured.

The Final Stretch

That leaves the red coin star still waiting in Big Boo’s Haunt. Once that’s finished, only Wet-Dry World remains before the path to Bowser in the Sky opens.

The day ends with the total sitting at 111 stars.

Just eight more before the final course unlocks.

Continue the Journey

← Log 22
Log 24 →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

17th May 2026 1

Super Mario 74: A Survivor’s Journey Log 9 – Ice-Crystal Tower

Super Mario 74 – Log 9: Ice-Crystal Tower

Platform: Steam Deck
Mode: Original Edition
Rules: No savestates (except between entries)
Format: No Commentary

Video: Ice-Crystal Tower exploration, King Whomp rematch, red coins, and Wing Cap climbs (no commentary)

With Stalagmite Cave done, I stayed in the same room and moved into the next course: Ice-Crystal Tower. Every time I enter, there’s a Goomba waiting to start something. I’ve made a point of ignoring it unless it becomes a problem. So far, that’s worked well enough.

The first task was a rematch with King Whomp. I spent enough time practicing the route up to him that it’s become familiar, even if I wouldn’t trust myself to do it without thinking. The fight itself is different this time. Smaller platform, less room to recover, and if you fall, you’re climbing all the way back up to try again. There is a metal box that can help, but positioning matters more here than anything else.

I’ve seen the trick where you phase through him with a ground pound, but I’ve never managed to make it work consistently, so I stuck with what I know. Wait for him to turn away from the box, move in, ground pound, and reset. It’s slower, but it works. Three clean hits later, the fight was done and the star was mine.

Waters of Pain was next, a section I’d already passed through on the way up. The ice behaves more like lava here, which changes how you approach everything. The star itself sits in a box above a small platform, just out of reach unless you commit to the jumps properly. I didn’t quite get it right, clipped the ice, and ended up bouncing onto the platform anyway. Not clean, but effective enough.

Almost the Top lives up to its name. The climb back up is familiar by this point, but the risk doesn’t really go away. One mistake and you’re either back on the snow or falling out of the level entirely. The Spindrifts are the main problem here, each one placed just well enough to knock you off if you’re not careful. This time they stayed out of the way, and the star was taken without issue.

The red coins came next. Some of the jumps here felt worse than the earlier climb, mainly because there’s less room to recover if anything goes wrong. I started the 100-coin collection at the same time, but it became clear fairly quickly that I wasn’t going to reach the total on that pass. Rather than force it, I settled for the red coin star and moved on, knowing I’d come back to the full collection properly.

How High Can You Get? turned into the real 100-coin attempt. The plan was simple enough — climb as high as possible, then use the Wing Cap to cover the remaining platforms. In practice, it didn’t go cleanly. Two separate mistakes, both costing time and momentum, both forcing me to adjust mid-run. Eventually everything lined up, and I was able to collect the remaining coins before reaching the top. Not perfect, but enough to secure the star.

The final star, Very Well Hidden Star, needed the Wing Cap again. The name isn’t exaggerating. The star sits below the starting platform, easy to miss even if you know it’s there. My first attempt went straight past it, which wasn’t surprising given the angle. The second attempt was better. Adjusted the approach, lined it up properly, and this time the landing worked.

With that, Ice-Crystal Tower was done. Another course cleared, and one less area left hanging over the run.

Continue the Journey

Previous Entry:
Super Mario 74 – Log 8

Next Entry:
Super Mario 74 – Log 10 (coming soon)

Super Mario 74 Hub:

Super Mario 74 – A Survivor’s Journey

15th May 2026 0

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 22: Conquering the Maze

Game: Super Mario 64 Randomizer
Platform: Steam Deck
Format: No Commentary

Video: Finishing Hazy Maze Cave with the remaining stars, battling the rolling boulders for the 100-coin star, and heading toward the Wing Cap switch stage (no commentary)

A Plan for the Maze

I went into Hazy Maze Cave this time with an actual plan. Three stars remained here, and I also needed to visit the Wing Cap area while I was in the level. With that in mind I planned three visits: the first two would be used to collect the remaining named stars, and the third would be for the 100-coin star before heading toward the Wing Cap stage.

The logic behind that was simple. The 100-coin star is the only one that doesn’t eject me from the course after collecting it, which meant it made sense to leave it until last.

A Lucky Start

My first spawn dropped me straight into the toxic maze. It wasn’t exactly the start I had hoped for, but it turned out to be a lucky one. One of the remaining stars was sitting right there waiting for me, which immediately cut the list down from three to two.

For the second visit I planned to return to the toxic maze area, as I knew another star was somewhere nearby that I had missed previously. Just as I was about to drop down into the maze again, though, something caught my eye. A shadow on the ground.

I looked up and there it was — the final named star in the level. I could have collected it at almost any point earlier, but I wasn’t going to complain. A quick grab later and the only star left in Hazy Maze Cave was the 100-coin star.

The 100-Coin Challenge

As expected, the 100-coin star proved to be the toughest task in the cave. The first challenge was gathering enough blue coins, which turned out to be more difficult than I expected.

My first attempt ended with me missing some of the blue coins, and because I wasn’t sure whether the total would reach one hundred, I decided to grab another star and leave the course to reset.

The second attempt went better. I managed to reach ninety coins before heading toward the cavern where Dorrie waits in the underground lake. Unfortunately the rolling boulders had other plans and knocked me out before I could finish the run.

Attempt number three ended in almost the same place. I even tested a theory that Metal Mario might be able to withstand the boulders. Apparently not.

The fourth attempt came dangerously close to the same fate, but this time I managed to slip past the boulders and finally collect the 100-coin star.

Thirteen Courses Cleared

With that star secured, Hazy Maze Cave was officially complete. That makes thirteen courses finished in this randomizer run.

My next destination was the Wing Cap Switch Palace. This will be my final use of the Wing Cap during this playthrough. Once that star is collected, only fourteen stars will remain across two courses before it’s time to take on Bowser in the Sky and the red coins waiting there.

One Last Flight

But before Bowser comes the final Wing Cap challenge.

The red coins in the Wing Cap stage are waiting.

Continue the Journey

← Log 21
Log 23 →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

10th May 2026 1

Super Mario 74: A Survivor’s Journey Log 8 – Stalagmite Cave

Super Mario 74 – Log 8: Stalagmite Cave

Platform: Steam Deck
Mode: Original Edition
Rules: No savestates (except between entries)
Format: No Commentary

Video: Stalagmite Cave exploration, descent route, red coins, obstacle courses, and Cap-Combination attempts (no commentary)

With Dice-Fortress finally behind me, the obvious next step would have been to head back to the Tower of the East and continue there. The problem is that the next course in that area needs the Vanish Cap, and I’d rather avoid unnecessary backtracking if I can help it. So instead, I stayed where I was, unlocked another star door, and made use of what was already available. Inside was the pink Bob-Omb, who opened a cannon I’ll be coming back to later, but for now there were two courses to choose from. The first of those was Stalagmite Cave.

The first star, Downwards, doesn’t leave much room for interpretation. A sign at the top makes two things clear before you even start: once you go down, there’s no going back, and there are no coins waiting at the bottom. With that in mind, I took the drop. The plan was to land cleanly in the water. The reality was the same as it had been during practice — not quite. Close enough to recover, though, and once I was in the water the star was straightforward to collect.

Sweating Tunnel came next, and getting there meant heading back up through the level. Wall kicks, careful movement, and just enough awareness to avoid losing progress to something minor. The bat up there isn’t dangerous, but it’s the kind of thing that can break your rhythm at the worst possible moment. I passed the Thwomps and the Chuckya platforms on the way, both of which I knew I’d be dealing with later, and kept moving toward the lava path. A series of descending platforms over lava isn’t the place to hesitate, so I stuck with long jumps and kept the momentum going. It worked this time, though I know from practice that it doesn’t always.

The red coins and 100-coin star followed, and this part of the course felt more controlled. There’s space to move, room to plan, and not much pressure unless you create it yourself. I made a point of leaving the final coins close to where the red coin star would appear, just to avoid any unnecessary movement at the end. It paid off. No mistakes, no wasted time, just two more stars added cleanly.

Hot Obstacle Course was next, though the name doesn’t quite match what it asks of you. This is where the Thwomps come into play properly. Three of them, spaced just far enough apart to force you to commit to each jump. It’s more about timing than anything else. Get that right, and the star is waiting at the end.

Chuckya’s Challenge lived up to its name a bit more. Platform to platform, each one guarded, each one needing just enough precision to avoid being grabbed and thrown back. I decided to push back a little on one of them, which didn’t go to plan the first time, but the second attempt was cleaner. A few long jumps later, and that was another star secured.

That left the reason I came here in the first place: Cap-Combination. This one needs both the Metal Cap and the Wing Cap active at the same time, which meant heading back down the slide and setting things up properly. I grabbed the Metal Cap first, then the Wing Cap, partly out of habit and partly because I trust the Wing Cap timer slightly more, even if I don’t know exactly how much difference it makes.

From there, it was a matter of flying over to the underwater switch, activating it, and dealing with the timed path that follows. It’s longer than it looks, and the slope works against you just enough to make every second count. Walking is possible, but I found jumping kept the pace up better. Even then, it took a few attempts to get everything lined up properly. Timing, positioning, momentum — all of it had to come together. Eventually it did, and once it did, the rest of the path felt manageable.

One final flight to the star, and Cap-Combination was done.

There’s still another course in this area to deal with, but that can wait for the next entry. For now, Stalagmite Cave is cleared, and more importantly, one of the more awkward stars in this section is out of the way.

Continue the Journey

Previous Entry:
Super Mario 74 – Log 7

Next Entry:
Super Mario 74 – Log 9

Super Mario 74 Hub:

Super Mario 74 – A Survivor’s Journey

8th May 2026 1

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 21: The Hundredth Star

Game: Super Mario 64 Randomizer
Platform: Steam Deck
Format: No Commentary

Video: Star 100 collected in Mario Wings Over the Rainbow before exploring Hazy Maze Cave and securing the red coin star (no commentary)

Star Number One Hundred

There didn’t seem much point putting it off any longer. If I was going to collect my hundredth star, it may as well be a memorable one. That meant jumping straight into the painting hiding the Mario Wings Over the Rainbow stage.

My spawn point couldn’t have been much better. I landed on the platform with the pink Bob-Omb, the cannon, and the Wing Cap boxes all in one place. Before doing anything else I spoke to the Bob-Omb to unlock the cannon, then took a moment to scan the sky and figure out where the red coins were sitting.

I managed to count seven of them from the platform, though the eighth one remained hidden somewhere beyond my line of sight. I figured I would find it once I was in the air.

A Simple Flight Plan

The approach was straightforward. Grab a Wing Cap, fire myself out of the cannon, collect whatever coins lined up with my flight path, then return to the platform and repeat. The important thing was not risking the Wing Cap timer expiring while still in the air.

After a few passes I spotted the final coin sitting near one of the stable clouds, along with another Wing Cap box above it. Thankfully it was one of the clouds you can actually land on, which made the setup possible. The coin itself took a few attempts to grab cleanly. A triple jump would get me close enough, but I was slightly off each time.

Eventually the jump lined up properly. The coin was collected and the red coin star appeared in a position that was thankfully reachable. One final flight later and I had my hundredth star.

The Final Stretch

With star number one hundred secured, the run now sits nineteen stars away from the end. Eighteen of those are spread across three courses, while the final one waits in the Wing Cap switch area.

That makes the next destination fairly obvious. It’s time to return to Hazy Maze Cave. If I can clear that level along with the Wing Cap switch stage, it will remove what feels like the biggest remaining obstacle in this randomizer run — aside from Bowser in the Sky and the red coins waiting there.

Into Hazy Maze Cave

I didn’t plan it this way, but my first visit back to Hazy Maze Cave quickly turned into a red coin hunt. The coins are scattered throughout the level, which made it seem like the most efficient objective to tackle first.

It does mean sacrificing the chance to combine the red coin star with the 100-coin star, but mapping where the coins were located felt more valuable for the long term. While exploring the cave I also became a little fixated on the switch hidden behind the water that normally requires the Metal Cap to reach.

No matter what I tried, I couldn’t quite reach it. To make matters more interesting, I noticed several boxes sitting high up in the cavern. I have no idea how I’m meant to reach them yet, but they’ve been added to the list of things to investigate unless I can clear the level without needing them.

Finding the Star

Once the eighth red coin was collected, the star spawned somewhere in the cave. The only problem was I had no idea where it had appeared. Rather than panic, I decided the best approach was simply to search the cave methodically.

Room by room I checked each section of the level until eventually I spotted it waiting in the rolling boulder chamber. Thankfully grabbing it didn’t cause any further problems.

Confidence for the Endgame

Hazy Maze Cave still has work left to do. The 100-coin star remains, along with two other stars in the course and the Wing Cap switch stage red coin star. Once those are finished, though, the biggest hurdles in this randomizer run should be behind me.

For now, I’m feeling confident about my chances.

Continue the Journey

← Log 20
Log 22 →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

3rd May 2026 1

Super Mario 74: A Survivor’s Journey Log 7 – Reaching the Top

Super Mario 74 – Log 7: Reaching the Top

Platform: Steam Deck
Mode: Original Edition
Rules: No savestates (except between entries)
Format: No Commentary

Video: Tower climb, Lava-Switch of Eruption stars, wing cap flights, and Dice-Fortress completion (no commentary)

Options were starting to narrow. I still needed to unlock the remaining caps, and the next one was waiting at the very top of the tower in this area. Getting there was the problem. The only way up was a chain of triple jumps, one after another, and missing even one meant dropping all the way back to the start. It took more attempts than I care to count before I was confident enough to even start recording, so when it finally came together in one clean run, it felt earned.

At the top sat the pipe leading to Lava-Switch of Eruption, the Wing Cap switch course for this area. First priority was the switch itself. I’d rather have the cap unlocked before worrying about anything else, so I went straight for it. With that done, there were still three stars left in the course, and the first attempt didn’t go well enough to keep. A quick reset and a change of approach made more sense.

I went for the red coins next. They’re spread across towers and platforms, and in theory it’s straightforward, just a matter of planning the route. In practice, I managed to ignore my own plan and leave the highest coin until last. The course forces you to use the cannons to reach everything, and timing matters more than it first appears. On the first proper attempt, the Wing Cap ran out just as I was closing in on the final coin. Close enough to see it, not close enough to reach it.

The second attempt went better. I got the last coin, the star appeared, and then the same thing almost happened again. The Wing Cap ran out just as I was going for the star itself. This time though, I was low enough that the fall didn’t matter. No panic, no recovery needed, just a clean landing and the star collected.

Under the Tower was next, and this was the one that caused problems earlier. This time it didn’t. One clean attempt and it was done, which made a nice change. The Tallest Tower followed, and although I’d already been there, the star itself wasn’t where you’d expect it. You can go for it with the Wing Cap, but dropping down to it felt more reliable, so that’s what I stuck with.

With the Wing Cap course cleared, it was time to go back to Dice-Fortress and finish what I’d left behind. The Observation Tower was first. At the top, along with the star box, was a sign pointing out what I already suspected. To reach the platforms ahead, I’d need to start my flight from the highest point in the map. Which naturally leads into the final star: Secrets in the Sky.

Finding that highest point wasn’t as straightforward as I remembered. The video makes that fairly obvious. I ended up going in the wrong direction more than once, even managing to grab the Observation Tower star again by mistake. At one point I even tried to kill Mario just to reset my position, and somehow failed at that as well. Not exactly the cleanest part of the run.

Once I finally found the right spot, the plan was simple. Launch from the highest point, hold the jump button to glide, and keep as much height as possible on the way over. Simple on paper, less so in execution. It took several attempts before the flight lined up properly, but eventually everything clicked, the box was broken, and the final star was free.

One more flight to reach it, repeating the same route, and this time it worked without issue. With that, Dice-Fortress was complete.

That brings the total to forty stars. Still a long way to go, but progress is steady. One hundred and eleven left.

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