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

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 15: Lava Coins and a Missing Course

Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 15: Lava Coins and a Missing Course

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

Video: Upstairs exploration, Tick Tock Clock entry leads to Lethal Lava Land, wing cap red coin attempts, 100-coin failures, and a late-session realisation (no commentary)

Dodging the Cave, Taking the Stairs

I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Hazy Maze Cave. Not today. Not when I know exactly how many ways that place can waste my time, and not when the Wing Cap stage is sitting there like a chore list pretending it’s optional. So I go upstairs instead, because upstairs at least feels like a choice.

There are three different entrances up here that can lead to something useful, plus the one door that wants 119 stars like it’s doing me a favour. I’m not there yet, so I focus on what I can touch. As I climb the stairs, I decide to see what awaits me inside the clock.

I jump in and get Lethal Lava Land.

It could have been worse, I tell myself. I’ve already tackled what felt like the two hardest courses in this randomizer seed. How bad can this be.

Lethal Lava Land, Rewritten

The answer is somewhere in the middle. Not a total disaster, but not the easy breather I was hoping for either. It has the same energy as Bowser in the Fire Sea, where you can feel the randomizer making decisions specifically to be annoying.

Pretty much all the red coins are over the lava. Of course they are. And the red coin star itself is over the lava as well, which means the last thing you want to do in a lava level is the exact thing you have to do. I hate it immediately, which is impressive, because in the original game I actually like this course.

It doesn’t help that I don’t pay enough attention to where the camera pans when stars are hinted at. I catch enough of it to have a vague idea, but most of the time I’m running on instinct and memory and whatever the course decides to show me on the way. Luckily, Lethal Lava Land isn’t huge compared to some of the other worlds, so even “mostly luck” has a higher success rate here than it probably deserves.

Wing Cap: Emergency Measures

This might be the first time I’ve ever used the Wing Cap in this stage. Ever. That’s not a brag. That’s just the randomizer forcing a new habit into me like it’s a life lesson.

I try to be clever first and use the Koopa shell to sweep up red coins quickly. It makes sense in theory. It’s fast, it keeps you moving, and it lets you pretend you’re in control. Then I lose it before the red coin star appears, and suddenly the plan is gone and I’m standing on hot rock trying to negotiate with gravity.

I briefly consider just jumping for the star and hoping the game decides to be kind. It’s not a strategy so much as it is a surrender. Then I spot the Wing Cap block and realise I’d completely forgotten it even existed here. It’s one of those moments where you don’t feel smart for remembering, you just feel annoyed that you didn’t remember sooner.

The 100 Coin Star, Postponed

I also make a few attempts at the 100 coin star, because I always tell myself I might as well “while I’m here.” Every attempt ends the same way: me in the lava, but somehow in increasingly creative ways. It’s like I’m trying to find new angles for humiliation.

I do manage to grab the six main stars in the level, which keeps the session from turning into a complete loss. But the 100 coin star will have to wait. I’m not wasting the entire recording on a coin chase that keeps ending with me sizzling.

The Click at the End

As I wrap up the recording, something clicks. I start counting what areas are left, making a mental note of where each course could potentially be, and trying to map the castle in my head the way you do when you’ve been burned enough times to stop trusting anything at face value.

And then I realise one thing.

If my calculations are correct, I’m missing a course. Not “I haven’t reached it yet.” Not “I don’t have the stars.” Missing. I have no idea where in this castle it could be, which is a problem, because the castle isn’t that big when you’re not pretending it’s a mystery.

It’s the kind of realisation that sits in the back of your skull and doesn’t let you relax. The run isn’t just about collecting stars anymore. It’s about figuring out what I’ve somehow walked past without seeing, and accepting that the randomizer probably hid it somewhere obvious just to make it feel personal.

Continue the Journey

← Log 14
Log 16 →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

21st Mar 2026 1

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 7: Bowser in the Fire Sea Was Not the Plan

Super Mario 64 Randomizer Log 7: Bowser in the Fire Sea Was Not the Plan

Mode: Randomizer
Lives Remaining: 17
Stars Collected: 38
Stars Remaining: 82

With Tick Tock Clock finally behind me, I head back downstairs to see what’s lurking behind the entrance that should lead to Hazy Maze Cave. The answer, apparently, is Bowser in the Fire Sea.

To make matters worse, a quick look around confirms the red coins are floating over lava. That problem can wait.

Bowser First, Questions Later

After a few failed attempts getting my bearings, I respawn right next to the Bowser fight entrance. I briefly consider going for the red coins first, then decide against it. Survival comes first.

This somehow turns into the only time I’ve ever failed this fight. I misjudge my position, step where I shouldn’t, and Mario drops straight into the lava.

The second attempt goes as expected. Bowser goes down, the key is mine, and we all agree not to talk about the first try.

The Red Coins Problem

With upstairs now unlocked, I return to the Fire Sea red coins. Several attempts later, it’s clear this set is going to be a nuisance. Precision jumps over lava with a randomizer twist are not something to rush.

I leave them for another session — and another video.

Video

Run Status

Lives Remaining: 17
Stars Collected: 38
Stars Remaining: 82
Next Goal: Explore upstairs and see what the randomizer has moved.

Continue the Randomizer

Randomizer Hub |
Log 6: Time Stops for No Mario |
Log 7 |
Log 8

20th Dec 2025 1

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 6: Time Stops for No Mario

Progress: 38 Stars Collected | 82 Remaining | 21 Lives
Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music

“When I looked into the light expecting peace and found Tick Tock Clock instead, I realised this run has no mercy.”

With Whomp’s Fortress cleared, I headed back to the basement to see what chaos was waiting this time. First win of the day: MIPS went down without a fight. One clean grab. One clean star.

Next stop: the Secret Aquarium. Straightforward as always. Then I spotted a platform that needed the Wing Cap. I don’t have it. I took the loss and moved on.

The big basement door — the one that may or may not lead to Hazy Maze Cave — is still locked. No key. No access. Back upstairs it was.

YouTube – Log 6 Video

Tick Tock Clock: Early, Unwanted, but Done

I looked into the light expecting the Wing Cap trial. I got Tick Tock Clock instead.

Shockingly, it wasn’t a disaster. Star placements were forgiving. No awkward jumps on tiny gears. No close calls over the void. The only real struggle was:

Grinding out the 100 Coin Star
Backtracking to collect the Red Coin Star

Annoying, sure, but manageable. And now the whole level is finished and off the board.

Rainbow Ride: Another Early Win

Like Tick Tock Clock, Rainbow Ride popped up early in this seed. Getting both out of the way now is a massive relief. Two of the most awkward courses cleaned up long before they can cause havoc.

Log 6 Summary

Lives	21
Stars Collected	38
Stars Remaining	82
Nightmares Cleared Early	Tick Tock Clock, Rainbow Ride

Two tough courses gone. One rabbit caught. One fake Wing Cap entrance. A solid session.

Continue the Journey

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Super Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

13th Dec 2025 1