Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Entry 5: The Chimp’s Challenge

Apparently hidden stars now require advanced movement tech and panic skating.

The Secret Star

So, there is a secret star hidden somewhere within Sweet Treat Galaxy.

I had a feeling I knew where it was.

The problem was getting there.

Every time I entered this galaxy, I noticed those flying ice bird enemies above the starting area, which made me think it had to be possible to reach that platform somehow.

The question was how.

I thought I had an idea.

The Trick

During my research into Mario Galaxy ROM hacks, I’d seen people using a movement trick involving either a triple jump or backflip into a wall.

Before landing on the wall, they spin, jump off it, then spin again for extra height.

I still need a better name for it than “spin, wall jump, spin thing.”

The question was which version I needed here.

I settle on the triple jump.

My theory is that there’s a wall slightly higher than the starting platform. If I can hit the perfect spot with the triple jump, I should get enough height to pull the trick off properly.

That was the theory anyway.

Eventually Getting It Right

It takes quite a few attempts before I finally manage it.

A few times I’m more concerned about the ice bird enemies than the jump itself, mainly because they occasionally decide to swing directly at me.

Not ideal when Daredevil Mode only gives me one health.

Eventually though, I make it up there.

I follow the path and spot a pipe trapped inside a crystal.

Which usually means something unpleasant is waiting for me.

I go in.

The Chimp is there.

Great.

The Skating Challenge

The Chimp gives me a simple challenge: beat his score and I get the star.

Sounds reasonable enough until he tells me I need 500 points in 40 seconds while avoiding spikey enemies.

So naturally this turns into panic skating.

The only realistic way to move fast enough is by skating across the ice.

Regular enemies are worth 10 points each, while the gold enemies are worth 50, which immediately makes them the priority targets.

About halfway through, I’m sitting around 170 points and starting to think this attempt is doomed.

Then more gold enemies start appearing.

I do hit a spikey enemy at one point, which thankfully only stuns Mario instead of ending the run immediately.

With one second left on the clock, I hit one final gold enemy.

530 points.

The Chimp’s Skating Challenge star is mine.

Sweet Treat Galaxy complete.

A New Problem

I don’t really get time to celebrate though.

A prankster comet has appeared back at Galactic Garden Galaxy.

I have absolutely no idea what challenge it’s about to throw at me.

Looks like I’m heading back there next.

The Run

This is how it actually went.

Continue the Journey

← Entry 4: The Chocolate is Lava

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Archive

— All attempts in this challenge.

Super Mario ROM Hacks Archive

— All Mario ROM hack content.

Dolphin Setup Guide

— How this is even running on Steam Deck.

Entry 6 →

26th May 2026 0

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Entry 4: The Chocolate is Lava

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Entry 4: Chocolate Lava

One hit resets everything. Some surfaces don’t even need to hit you.

Back to Sweet Treat Galaxy

With one more star needed before I can reach the Luma and whatever comes after it, I head back to Sweet Treat Galaxy for Prince Pikante’s Peppery Mood.

And for probably the first time ever, the chocolate is lava.

Touch it, and it’s straight back to the start.

The ice enemies from before are gone, replaced with fire versions, which feels like a fair trade. Not a good one, just a fair one.

Ice Mario

The first job is collecting five star bits.

Two are just along the path. The other three are floating right over the chocolate lava.

Which means it’s time for the Ice Flower.

Ice Mario lets me skate across the lava by creating a path as I move. Without it, those bits aren’t happening.

It works well enough, as long as I don’t panic and overcorrect. That feels like the main risk here.

Five bits collected, launch star unlocked, onto the next section.

Narrow Margins

The next part keeps the Ice Mario, but makes things a bit tighter.

Narrow paths, moving platforms, gaps that are just big enough to matter.

It’s not too bad, but it’s the kind of section where one small mistake would undo everything.

I do think about jumping early for the launch star at one point.

I don’t.

That felt like the right decision at the time.

Prince Pikante

Then it’s time for the boss: Prince Pikante.

He’s riding something, not entirely sure what, but it doesn’t matter too much.

Like Dino Piranha, it’s a three-hit fight.

The difference is the space. There’s a lot more room to move, which helps, because standing still here doesn’t feel like an option.

I spend most of the fight sliding around just to avoid getting cornered.

Turns out the only way to hit him is sending his own watermelons back at him.

Not the flaming ones.

The green ones.

Three hits later, it’s done.

The star is mine.

The Run

This is how it actually went.

What’s Next

This opens the path forward.

The Luma wants 500 star bits, which probably means some farming at some point.

There’s also Gloomy Galleon sitting there with a single star available.

But before that, I noticed something in Sweet Treat Galaxy.

Every time I’ve been through it, there’s been a spot that feels like it leads somewhere.

And there’s still another star listed here.

I think I know where I’m going next.

Continue the Journey

← Entry 3: A Birthday Problem

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Archive

— All attempts in this challenge.

Super Mario ROM Hacks Archive

— All Mario ROM hack content.

Dolphin Setup Guide

— How this is even running on Steam Deck.

Entry 5 →

19th May 2026 1

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Entry 3: A Birthday Problem

One hit resets everything. Sometimes the problem isn’t surviving. It’s working out what to do.

Sweet Treat Galaxy

With both stars from Galactic Garden Galaxy done, there’s only one option left: move on.

The next stop is Sweet Treat Galaxy, starting with a star called Happy Birthday… Mario?

I doubt it would change if I switched to Luigi, but it goes on the list of things to check. Same with whether Starship Mario changes as well.

Getting There

The objective isn’t immediately clear. It shows a cake with lit candles, but no sign of the star itself.

So for now, it’s a case of getting there and seeing what happens.

The early section is straightforward enough. Ice enemies return, and they’re already starting to feel like a recurring problem in this galaxy.

Then the platforms start getting cut apart by moving saws.

That slows things down a bit.

Between that and the ice enemies, it’s not difficult, but it’s enough to keep me paying attention.

Another wall jump section follows, and as expected, things get a little more awkward near the top. Nothing major, just enough to remind me not to rush it.

From there, it’s onto a launch star and finally onto the cake itself.

Figuring It Out

The cake introduces more ice enemies, along with ice bats.

I figure out quickly that star bits deal with the ice enemies completely, and at least stun the bats. Not perfect, but good enough.

The path forward involves jumping between cakes, dealing with a few Mecha Koopas along the way. They don’t cause too many problems. A quick ground pound deals with them before they become one.

Then come rotating platforms and beams that need to be timed properly. The Comet Medal is here as well, which means doing a full loop on one platform while avoiding the beams before jumping across to the next one.

From there, another launch star sends me to what looks like the final cake.

No star.

The Clue

This is where it finally clicks.

The name of the star isn’t just a name.

Happy Birthday.

What do people do on their birthday?

Blow out candles.

I try star bits first. Nothing happens.

Then I try spinning.

The first candle goes out, and I hear a chime.

That’s the answer.

Once all the candles are out, the star appears.

Problem solved.

The Run

This is how it actually went.

Star Three

I collect the star and unlock a new path on the galaxy selection screen.

There’s still another star left in this galaxy, which works out well.

This one already feels different.

Normally, I’d run through something like this without thinking too much about it. With Daredevil Edition, every small decision feels like it matters more than it should.

Three stars in, and it’s already starting to show.

Missed Something

I realised after finishing the star that I missed the stamp.

It was there, I just forgot about it while focusing on the star.

So I went back in and didn’t miss it this time.

Continue the Journey

← Entry 2: Silver Stars Under Pressure

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Archive

— All attempts in this challenge.

Super Mario ROM Hacks Archive

— All Mario ROM hack content.

Dolphin Setup Guide

— How this is even running on Steam Deck.

Entry 4 →

12th May 2026 1

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Entry 2: Silver Stars Under Pressure

One hit resets everything. Sometimes you don’t even need that.

Back to Galactic Garden

With Dino Piranha down and only one more star available, I head back to Galactic Garden Galaxy and select the next objective: Silver Stars in Wuthering Heights.

The opening looks familiar. Same starting platform as before, but this time there are clouds to work with, along with the cloud power-up.

Cloud Mario again. Shake the remote, place a cloud, and keep moving before it disappears.

The first section isn’t too bad. The clouds are large enough that missing one doesn’t feel likely, and even if I do, I’ve got a cloud ready to save it.

Wind and Timing

The next section looks worse than it actually is.

There’s wind pushing clouds upward, sometimes shifting direction slightly, but nothing too unpredictable. The real problem is when it stops.

That’s when it starts to matter how many clouds I’ve got left.

There are also those spiky flower things around the area, which don’t help. There’s room to work with, but not enough to switch off completely.

I spot a mushroom along the way. Not sure if it’s needed or not, so I leave it for now. If it matters later, I’ll come back.

Silver Stars, No Margin

Then it’s onto collecting the five silver stars.

This is where Daredevil Edition really starts to show.

Normally, this wouldn’t be much of a problem. Here, every jump feels like it matters more than it should. One misjudged platform and it’s straight back to the beginning.

It doesn’t help that I can’t see where everything is until I’m close enough to it.

There’s also the stamp for this galaxy to grab. I use my last cloud to reach it.

I regret that decision almost immediately.

The next section needs wall jumps, and there’s barely anything to land on beyond a platform sitting at a right angle to the walls.

Somehow, it works. I avoid what felt like certain failure and grab the final silver star.

No reset. No second attempt. Just barely holding it together.

Of course, it appears back at the start of the area.

I also realise at this point that I could have used camera controls to make some of those blind jumps easier.

That would have helped.

Second Star Secured

I make it back to the start without undoing everything and collect the shine.

Second star done. First attempt.

The Run

This is how it actually went.

Back on the Ship

Back on Starship Mario, I head into the collection room and take a quick look at the cloud power-up again.

I’m not entirely sure how many stars are needed before Galactic Garden Galaxy is considered complete, but another thought comes up.

If I switch to Luigi, does Starship Mario become Starship Luigi?

Not sure yet, but it feels like something worth testing.

Continue the Journey

← Entry 1: One Hit Is All It Takes

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Archive

— All attempts in this challenge.

Super Mario ROM Hacks Archive

— All Mario ROM hack content.

Dolphin Setup Guide

— How this is even running on Steam Deck.

Entry 3 →

5th May 2026 1

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Entry 1: One Hit Is All It Takes

One hit resets everything. No checkpoints. No second chances.

Back to Neo Mario Galaxy

Ever since I managed to get Super Mario Galaxy ROM hacks running on my Steam Deck, I kept thinking back to Neo Mario Galaxy. It was the first one I tested as a proof of concept.

This time, I wanted to try something different: Daredevil Edition.

At the start, you’re given the choice between Mario or Luigi, along with the option to enable Daredevil Mode. Once it’s on, that’s it. There’s no turning it off later.

I accepted it.

What Daredevil Edition Changes

Daredevil Edition effectively puts every star under Daredevil Comet rules.

One hit, and the star resets. No checkpoints. No recovery.

Every section has to be done cleanly from start to finish. Mistakes don’t slow you down, they send you straight back to the beginning.

No safety net.

First Attempt

The first star takes place in Galactic Garden Galaxy, with the goal of defeating Dino Piranha.

It didn’t take long for the first attempt to go wrong.

I needed to grab a flower and float across to another platform. Simple enough in theory.

In practice, I misjudged the distance and walked straight off the edge.

Didn’t even get hit.

Just fell.

Second Attempt

The second attempt went better.

I made the jump properly this time and reached the next platform without too much trouble. From there, it was on to collecting five launch star bits spread across three giant apples.

There are enemies on each of them, which doesn’t help. After failing once already, the idea of going all the way back again was sitting in the back of my mind the whole time.

Once the launch star was active, the next section introduced a giant Piranha Plant. Not difficult, but enough to keep things tense.

Behind it was a Comet Medal, along with a brief moment as Rainbow Mario. For once, there was no risk. Just a short break from worrying about getting hit.

That didn’t last long.

Successful Attempt

This is the run where it actually goes right.

Dino Piranha, No Mistakes Allowed

Then it was time to face Dino Piranha.

This is probably the first time in a long while I’ve actually had to think about this fight. Under normal conditions, it’s straightforward. With one-hit rules, it feels very different.

I don’t think I’ve ever done a full no-hit run in any game before, so this was new territory.

Thankfully, it went cleanly.

Dino Piranha went down, and the first star of the run was secured.

First Impressions

The hack only has 42 stars in total, but it’s already clear this isn’t going to be straightforward.

Even simple sections feel different when there’s no room for mistakes.

One star down. Plenty left to go.

Continue the Journey

Neo Mario Galaxy – Daredevil Edition Archive

— All attempts in this challenge.

Super Mario ROM Hacks Archive

— All Mario ROM hack content.

Dolphin Setup Guide

— How this is even running on Steam Deck.

Entry 2 →

28th Apr 2026 1