Tag: Survivor Incognito

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

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 →

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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 20: Ninety-Nine Stars and the Finish Line Ahead

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 20: Ninety-Nine Stars and the Finish Line Ahead

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

Video: Returning to Tiny-Huge Island to secure the 100-coin star, red coin star, and the final Piranha Plant star before reaching 99 total stars (no commentary)

Returning to Tiny-Huge Island

With three stars still remaining in Tiny-Huge Island, it made sense to return there and finish the job. My goal right now is to complete the stars tied to the ground floor and basement areas of the castle before heading back upstairs. That way I know everything in those sections is cleared before moving into the final stretch of the run.

I also made sure to keep one lesson from the previous visit in mind. Last time I managed to lose track of a star entirely after switching between island sizes. This time the plan was simple: collect the star first, then think about moving between islands.

An Unexpected Coin Hunt

My original intention was to deal with the Piranha Plant star first, but the level had other ideas. As I moved around the island collecting coins, it gradually turned into a full attempt at the 100-coin star. Instead of changing direction halfway through, I decided to stick with it and incorporate the red coin star at the same time.

That meant switching from the huge island to the tiny island eventually, since the red coins can only be collected there. Once I had gathered enough coins to feel comfortable with the total, I made my way to the pipe closest to where I wanted to go.

Aiming for the Red Coins

The plan was straightforward enough: reach the cannon, aim for the tree that sits near the red coin area, and land close enough to continue the collection from there. I’m aware that speedrunners probably have quicker ways of reaching the area, but I prefer approaches that I know I can execute consistently.

Thankfully the red coins themselves weren’t placed in anything too unreasonable. To be fair, Tiny-Huge Island only has so many places where they can realistically appear. The biggest relief was realising I had judged the coin total correctly before switching islands.

I collected the hundredth coin, secured the 100-coin star, and then finished gathering the red coins for another star immediately afterwards.

Clearing the Piranha Plants

That left only one objective in the level: the Piranha Plants. All the time I had spent exploring the island during previous visits paid off here. I already knew roughly where each one was located, so moving between them was straightforward.

One by one they were dealt with, and when the final one fell the star appeared nearby in a reachable location. No disappearing act this time. I grabbed it without hesitation and said goodbye to Tiny-Huge Island for good.

Checking the Remaining Courses

After leaving the level, I took a moment to review what courses still needed attention. Hazy Maze Cave had already been explored earlier in the run, so that wasn’t a concern anymore. That left just two courses I hadn’t properly tackled yet: Big Boo’s Haunt and Wet-Dry World.

As I made my way back into the basement in preparation for attempting the Mario Wings Over the Rainbow star, something else occurred to me.

Ninety-Nine Stars

I checked the star total and realised I had reached ninety-nine stars. That means I’m now only twenty stars away from unlocking the final course. Once Bowser falls and the last star is collected, that will be it. This randomised version of a game I’ve known for most of my life will finally be complete.

There are countless players who grew up with Mario in one form or another, but Super Mario 64 holds a particularly important place in gaming history. For many people it became the blueprint for how 3D platformers — and even many other genres — would work in the years that followed. Few games have had that kind of influence.

And if I’m being honest, I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for the moment when the credits music begins to play.

The Next Star

The next entry will be a special one. It’s time to collect star number one hundred.

Continue the Journey

← Log 19
Log 21 →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

Super Mario 64 Randomizer logs are written after each recording session. Some journeys end slowly, one star at a time.

1

Super Mario 74: A Survivor’s Journey Log 6 – System of a Town

Super Mario 74 – Log 6: System of a Town

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

Video: Tower of the East exploration, System of a Town stars, rooftop routes, sewer navigation, and red coin collection (no commentary)

With the other star door still out of reach, there wasn’t much reason to stay where I was. The next step was to move into the next hub area, the Tower of the East. There are multiple courses here, along with a few other stars scattered around, but I had already decided where I was going first. System of a Town felt like the right place to start.

The first star, Rooftop Climbing, suggests taking the obvious route. Climb the buildings, follow the path, work your way up. That is the intended approach, but not necessarily the one I went with. There is another way to get there, and I ended up taking that instead. The star itself sits inside the building that also has another star resting on its roof, something I kept in mind for later.

From there, I moved into the sewer system. This is one of those stars that is easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. Once you drop into the water, there’s a path off to the left that doesn’t stand out at first glance. Follow that, and you’re into a series of jumps that range from straightforward to just awkward enough to slow you down. Nothing too difficult, but enough to keep you from rushing through it.

The Secondary House Entrance turned out to be much simpler than I expected. The name gives it away if you think about it for a moment. Find the house with the chimney, drop in, and the star is waiting. No tricks, no pressure, just a quick entry and a clean star.

Find The Secret Room was less straightforward. I already knew where the star was from earlier practice, but getting there was another matter. Two platforms, slightly different heights, and a triple jump that needs to be just right to reach the house. While I was practicing, the Chuckya on the second platform made sure I didn’t get it right the first time, or the second. This time it stayed out of the way, though it still took a couple of attempts to get the jump lined up properly. Once inside, a ground pound revealed the room, and the star followed.

The red coin star was next, along with the 100-coin star alongside it. This one was more about movement than difficulty. Working through the course, checking corners, moving between rooftops and streets, making sure nothing was missed. As expected, the red coin star itself sends you back to the start once it’s done, which at this point is more routine than surprise.

That left the star I had noticed right at the beginning, sitting on top of the building. The Mansion’s Secret Star. This was where all the wall jumping came back into play. Climbing up wasn’t difficult at first, but near the top I nearly lost it. A slight mistake, a bit of panic, and for a moment it looked like I was going to drop back down and start again. Instead, a quick recovery with a jump kick chain got me back into position, and the star was secured.

With that, System of a Town was complete. One course cleared cleanly, and a good amount of progress made in this new area. I’m still not quite at the point where I can open the next star door, but I’m close. More importantly, I know the remaining caps are in this area, which means more options will open up soon enough.

Continue the Journey

Previous Entry:
Super Mario 74 – Log 5

Next Entry:
Super Mario 74 – Log 7

Super Mario 74 Hub:

Super Mario 74 – A Survivor’s Journey

1

Super Mario Galaxy 63 – Entry 1: Run Begins

Super Mario Galaxy 63 – Entry 1: Run Begins

It turns out I wasn’t finished with Super Mario 64. I just needed it to get bigger.

Watch the Run

Not Done Yet

Apparently I’ve not had enough of Super Mario 64.

I could have easily gone back and started another randomizer run, but I knew I wanted something different. After getting modded versions of Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 running on my Steam Deck, I had a new direction.

The starting point was obvious: Super Mario Galaxy 63.

A Different Kind of Familiar

Before going further, it’s worth noting that Super Mario Galaxy 63 is a reimagining of Super Mario 63:

Super Mario 63 Wiki

I had never played it. I didn’t even know it existed until I started looking into this hack. If I’m going to work through it properly, it makes sense to understand what inspired it.

Like its inspiration, this run replaces stars with shine sprites. There are also star coins to collect, which unlock bonus levels later on.

That’s enough context. Time to begin.

First Steps

I start in what looks like the Mushroom Kingdom, and I’m given control of Mario immediately.

This is useful. It gives me time to test the control setup properly. This run is not just about the hack itself, it’s also a test of how well this setup holds up before moving into other Galaxy mods.

Along the way, I run into some familiar faces from Galaxy 1 and 2. One of them brings back memories I didn’t ask for: the robot that used to task me with destroying boxes under a time limit. Those stars still linger somewhere in the back of my mind.

The area works well as a tutorial. I get to practice wall kicks, flips, and eventually spinning once I collect the Luma. I’ve mapped spin to a button this time, which already feels like the right decision on Steam Deck.

Back to the Castle

It doesn’t take long for Bowser to show up, kidnap Peach, and set things in motion. Some things don’t change.

There is a cannon just outside the castle, which immediately feels like an invitation I should probably ignore. Naturally, I don’t.

I jump in to see what’s on top of the castle. The plan is simple: launch, land, and have a look around. What actually happens is less controlled.

The aim is off, the angle is wrong, and instead of landing anywhere useful, I end up effectively trying to launch Mario into orbit.

It doesn’t help me, it doesn’t reveal anything useful, but it does confirm one thing early: this setup is going to be tested properly.

Entering the castle feels immediately familiar. That makes sense. I’ve spent more hours here than I can count.

There are locked doors, but one opens as I approach. Inside is a painting.

So yes, we’re doing this again.

Bob-Omb Battlefield, Again

The first world: Bob-Omb Battlefield Galaxy.

There are four shine sprites and eight star coins here, shown clearly on the selection screen. I decide to go left to right, starting with:

Top of the Summit

Inside, a Pink Bob-Omb lets me know that King Bob-Omb is no longer in charge. He’s been replaced by Dino Piranha.

That feels like a fair trade.

I collect my first star coin early, then two more on the way up. Three collected before reaching the summit is a good start.

Dino Piranha is exactly as I remember. No major changes, no surprises. Three hits later, and the first shine sprite is mine.

First Impressions

This feels like a solid introduction to the hack.

It’s familiar enough to settle into quickly, but different enough that I can’t rely entirely on memory. That balance is exactly what I was looking for.

I’m curious to see how other levels are reimagined in this format. There’s still more to uncover within the castle, and if this first step is anything to go by, this might turn into something worth sticking with.

Continue the Journey


Super Mario Galaxy 63 Hub

— All entries in this run.


Mario ROM Hacks Hub

— All Mario ROM hack content.


Dolphin Setup Guide

— How this run is even possible.


Entry 2 →

1

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 19: Secrets, Wigglers, and a Vanishing Star

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 19: Secrets, Wigglers, and a Vanishing Star

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

Video: Returning to Tiny-Huge Island to defeat Wiggler, clear the Five Itty Bitty Secrets, race Koopa the Quick, and attempt the Piranha Plant star (no commentary)

Back to the Island

It was time to head back to Tiny-Huge Island. By this point I was starting to get used to the slightly unpredictable nature of the entrance. Sometimes I would spawn on the tiny island, sometimes on the huge one. It seemed random enough that I stopped worrying about it and simply used the opportunity to learn the layout properly, especially the pipes that allow you to switch between the two versions of the island.

I have to admit I appreciate how those pipes are contained entirely within this level. Given that reaching the Wing Cap stage in this seed requires a detour through Hazy Maze Cave, having something straightforward for a change felt like a welcome break.

Taking the Easy Win

My original plan was to start by collecting the Five Itty Bitty Secrets, but once I was inside the level I realised I had a chance to deal with Wiggler first. It’s one of those stars that rarely causes trouble once you reach it, so it felt like a quick and easy one to tick off the list.

Sure enough, the fight went exactly as expected. A few well-timed jumps later and the star was mine without any real drama.

Secrets Found

After that I turned my attention back to the Five Itty Bitty Secrets. With the locations already mapped out from the previous visit, this one didn’t give me any trouble either. It was one of those moments where preparation pays off and the star falls into place quickly.

Naturally, that’s when things started to become a little more complicated.

An Unexpected Race

While trying to plan my route for the next objective, I found myself thinking about the Piranha Plants scattered around the island. There are five of them in total, and I was trying to visualise the best order for dealing with them.

Before I could fully commit to that plan, though, I ran into Koopa the Quick and ended up accepting his rematch. The race itself was closer than I expected. In fact, I’m fairly certain that if he hadn’t nudged me toward the flag near the end, I might have lost that one.

The Piranha Plant Problem

With the race finished, I went back to dealing with the Piranha Plants. It took a few attempts to get all five of them cleared, but eventually the star appeared. As tends to happen in this level, it launched itself to another part of the island rather than landing conveniently nearby.

My solution seemed simple enough. I switched to the tiny island to move closer to where the star had landed, intending to switch back to the huge island once I was in the right position.

That’s where things went wrong.

The Star That Disappeared

When I returned to the huge island, the star was nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t tell whether I had completely forgotten where it landed, somehow managed to miss it while staring right at it, or whether switching between island sizes had caused it to despawn entirely.

I searched the island repeatedly, circling the area far more times than I’d like to admit. Eventually I had to accept that something had gone wrong. Whether it was my memory or the mechanics of the level, the result was the same: the star wasn’t there anymore.

Accepting the Loss

In the end I decided the sensible option was to cut my losses. I exited the course and left Tiny-Huge Island for another visit later. If nothing else, the lesson was clear enough.

Next time I’ll collect the star first before switching between islands.

Continue the Journey

← Log 18
Log 20 →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

Super Mario 64 Randomizer logs are written after each recording session. Sometimes the biggest challenge is remembering where the star actually landed.

1

Super Mario 74: A Survivor’s Journey Log 5 – Azure-Abyss Cleared

Super Mario 74 – Log 5: Azure Abyss Cleared

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

Video: Azure Abyss red coins, 100-coin star, Metal Cap puzzle, and Wall of Failure attempts (no commentary)

Back to Azure Abyss, and straight into what I knew was going to be a longer task — the red coins, or Red Treasure Hunt as this one is called, along with the 100-coin star on top of it. The layout of this course makes it awkward to rush anything. It’s deeper than it first looks, and the last thing I wanted was to be scrambling for air because I got careless. So I took it slower, moving between the land sections and the underwater routes, trying to keep things controlled rather than efficient.

Somewhere along the way I realised my swimming had improved without me really noticing. I’m not about to claim anything close to speedrunner level, but there was a rhythm to it that I don’t remember having before. Funny how that happens just by playing more. It made the coin collection smoother, even if it didn’t make it any shorter.

The red coin star itself sits safely above the water, which helps, but by the time I had all eight coins I was still short on the total. That’s when it turned into a bit of a hunt. I hit 97 coins and started running out of places to check. I didn’t want to spend more time swimming if I could avoid it, so I went after one of the flying enemies, hoping it would drop what I needed. It dropped two coins. 99. Close enough to be frustrating.

I eventually tracked down the final coin, though it took longer than it should have, and with that both the red coin star and the 100-coin star were done. Not difficult, just drawn out enough to make every mistake feel like wasted time.

Next was Heavy Metal Required, and the name doesn’t leave much to guess. I needed the Metal Cap. I’ve seen this done without it, but I’m not interested in making things harder than they need to be, so I stuck with the intended route. With the cap active, I could sink properly underwater and push the purple switch, which brought out the timed blocks.

Everything felt fine at first. The jumps were clean, the timing felt right, and then right at the end I walked straight off the final block. No complicated mistake, no bad angle, just walked off. The second attempt went the way the first one should have, and the star was mine without any further issues.

That left one final star in the course: Wall of Failure. The name fits. I knew exactly what I needed to do — get onto the platform, long jump, grab the ledge — and in theory it’s simpler than the alternative route. In practice, it took far longer than it should have. I lost count of the attempts. Too much distance, not enough distance, missing the ledge entirely, every variation you can think of showed up at least once.

When it finally worked, it wasn’t clean or dramatic, it just… worked. Mario grabbed the ledge, pulled himself up, and the star was there. That was Azure Abyss done.

Even with the course complete, I’m still two stars short of opening the next star door in this area. That means next time I’ll be heading through the double doors instead. I already have the key from Bowser, so it’s time to open up more of the castle and see what else this hack has waiting.

Continue the Journey

Previous Entry:
Super Mario 74 – Log 4

Next Entry:
Super Mario 74 – Log 6

Super Mario 74 Hub:
Super Mario 74 – A Survivor’s Journey

1

Submerged: A Subnautica Survival Diary – Log 12: Growing Up

Submerged – Log 12: Growing Up

Platform: Steam Deck
Mode: Survival
Format: No Commentary

Video: Floating Island farming run, lifepod sweep, wreck exploration, and base expansion (no commentary)

I had a lightbulb moment today. I’m fed up of chasing fish.

Every time my hunger dips, I stop what I’m doing, grab the knife, and head outside like I’ve never planned further than the next five minutes. It works. It keeps me alive. It also feels temporary.

The island has fruit. The fruit grows on trees. Trees can be replanted.
The solution has been sitting there the entire time.

If I’m here for the long haul, I need to act like it.

I headed back to the island with one job: harvest what I need and leave. No sightseeing. No heroic dives. Just infrastructure.

As soon as I arrived, I noticed a distress signal directly below the island. Of course there was. I added it to the list and focused on the plants first. Priorities.

I moved through the vegetation carefully. Some of it looks useful and isn’t. Then I found the Bulbo Trees.

Knife out. Controlled hits. Samples collected.

Once cut, they’re on a timer. That’s all I could think about as I made a quick detour down to the lifepod beneath the island. Inside, I picked up a PDA that helpfully informed me the Aurora meeting point was… the island I was just standing on.

Great. Glad we cleared that up.

I didn’t hang around. Back to base.

Titanium gathered. Indoor growbed fabricated. Crops planted immediately. No hesitation.

I stood there longer than I expected, watching them settle into place. It felt different. Less scrambling. More planning.

If this works, food stops being a daily chore. Water still needs attention, but solving one problem at a time is how this becomes manageable.

With farming underway, I checked my signals properly. Two lifepods stood out. One near the Aurora. Another roughly four hundred metres away and one hundred metres down.

I followed the first coordinate carefully. Adjusted for the compass. Reached it.

It was already looted.

I’ve clearly been there before. I don’t remember recording it. At some point in the past, I must have visited, taken what I could, saved, and moved on. Not ideal. From now on, cleared pods get marked properly.

On the way to the second lifepod, I found a wreck and went inside. I can’t help myself. Inside, I found a Battery Charger fragment and another Bioreactor fragment.

The charger is the real win. I’ve been rationing batteries like they’re rare artefacts. One more fragment and that changes completely.

The second lifepod was intact but empty. I had a small laugh at how it had all ended. The ocean has a sense of humour. I took what I could and left.

Back at base, I decided to expand. A tunnel. Another room. The fabricator and I had a brief disagreement about placement, but eventually it cooperated.

The base feels less like a crash shelter now and more like something intentional. At the same time, hull integrity keeps dropping with every addition. The bigger it gets, the weaker it becomes. Reinforcement is climbing the list quickly.

The crops are growing.

That alone changes the tone of everything.

I still need to head back to the Aurora and see what’s waiting in the Captain’s Quarters. That will be deliberate. Planned.

For now, though, survival feels… easier.

I don’t trust that feeling entirely.

But tonight, I’m not chasing fish.

I’m growing them out of the equation.

Continue the Journey

Previous Log |
Next Log
Submerged Hub

0

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 18: Clearing the Battlefield and Finding the Missing Course

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 18: Clearing the Battlefield and Finding the Missing Course

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

Video: Finishing Bob-Omb Battlefield with the 100-coin and red coin stars before discovering Tiny-Huge Island hidden in an unexpected place (no commentary)

One Last Trip to the Battlefield

Much like with Shifting Sand Land before it, the time had come to finish up Bob-Omb Battlefield. I didn’t go in with any particular plan other than knowing there were three stars left to collect here. My thinking was simple enough: whichever of the two main stars I managed to grab first would decide what the next objective would be.

During the process I finally discovered where the Bob-Omb who opens the cannons had been hiding. After all that searching in the previous visit, I now had access to the cannons in the level. A little late perhaps, but still useful to have available.

Flying Through the Battlefield

I decided to aim for the fifth star first. In a normal run this is the one where you fly through the rings of coins, but here the areas were scattered around the map. Fortunately they weren’t too difficult to locate. I made a brief stop on the floating island to collect the final ring and, while I was there, took note of where a few red coins were sitting.

My earlier instinct turned out to be correct. The Wing Cap was going to be necessary to reach them.

Collecting that star brought my total up to ninety stars, which meant I had officially reached three quarters of the total needed for the run. With that milestone in place, I headed back in to deal with the remaining stars.

Coins Before Red Coins

The next task was the red coin star, but before chasing those I decided to tackle the 100-coin star. The reason was simple: wherever the hundredth coin is collected, that’s where the star appears. I didn’t want to risk it spawning high in the air where I would be forced to grab it using the Wing Cap.

I was already planning to use the Wing Cap for the red coins anyway, but this approach meant I could control where the star appeared and keep things simple. It also gave me some extra flight practice. Between the Wing Cap switch course and another red coin stage still ahead, I figured any extra time getting used to the controls would help.

Thankfully the plan worked out cleanly. I gathered the coins I needed, secured the 100-coin star, and then collected the red coins without too much trouble. With those done, Bob-Omb Battlefield was finally complete.

Looking for What I Missed

With the battlefield cleared, the next step was to start checking areas I either hadn’t visited yet or wasn’t entirely sure I had explored properly. I knew there were two entrances upstairs that still needed investigating, but before heading there I decided to check somewhere else first.

The area where Bowser in the Dark World normally sits.

When I jumped in, the answer to the missing course mystery finally revealed itself. The stage waiting there was Tiny-Huge Island.

A Rough Welcome

My first attempt didn’t last very long. The level gave me a fairly direct welcome by ejecting me from the stage almost immediately. The second attempt went better, though, and I managed to grab one of the stars before things got out of hand.

Something else I noticed fairly quickly was that spawning into the stage isn’t consistent. Sometimes I appeared on the tiny island, other times on the huge version. My assumption is that it’s a fifty-fifty chance, although I seemed to land on the huge island more often than the small one during this session.

Mapping the Island

Progress in the level was limited this time around, but it wasn’t completely unproductive. I managed to locate where the five itty-bitty secrets are positioned and also identified the areas where the Piranha Plants can spawn. Even if I didn’t collect many stars here yet, having that information will make the next visit far more efficient.

The Goal Gets Closer

With Bob-Omb Battlefield finished and one more star collected from Tiny-Huge Island, the run now sits at ninety-three stars. Each entry brings the end goal closer, and the castle is slowly running out of places to hide the remaining ones.

Continue the Journey

← Log 17
Log 19 →

🧢 Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

Super Mario 64 Randomizer logs are written after each recording session. Plans rarely survive contact with the castle.

1

Submerged: A Subnautica Survival Diary – Log 11: Copper, Caves, and Structural Regret

Submerged Log 11: Copper, Caves, and Structural Regret

Platform: Steam Deck

Video: Base upgrades, lifepod dive to 250m, cave panic, and Seamoth improvements (no commentary)

I was going to chase the black box. Then I remembered the giant alien laser. Priorities shifted.

The plan had been simple: head back to the Aurora, find the black box data, and pretend I wasn’t about to get shot out of the sky by an alien cannon.

Reality check: I’m not leaving this planet anytime soon.

If I’m here for the long haul, the base needs to stop feeling like a damp hallway with ambition.

Bulkheads, Flooding, and The Game Laughing Directly at Me

I started by looking at a bulkhead, because in my head that means “less flooding” and “more responsible adult survival.”
In practice, the game basically laughed and told me to enjoy living in a fish tank.

So I pivoted to the upgrades that actually move the needle:
more power and medical supplies.

Solar Power and the Medkit Fabricator: A Short Story About Suffering

Goal one: another solar panel.
Goal two: a medkit fabricator, because I’m tired of treating “hope” as a healing item.

Then I checked what I needed and immediately had a new enemy: creepvine samples.
Not because they were hard to get.
Because I already had them.
And then I ate them.

So off I went to replace the snacks I shouldn’t have treated as snacks.

Radio Interruptions: Lifepod 4 Joins the To-Do List

Mid-upgrade, I got a distress signal from Lifepod 4, with the helpful advice to wear a radiation suit.
Which is fair.
But I’ve already handled that situation.

So Lifepod 4 gets added to the list of places I will absolutely go to…
once I’m done putting out the current fires I set myself.

Copper: The Myth, The Legend, The Personal Insult

Copper remains elusive.
I’m finding diamonds more often than copper, which feels like the planet is doing comedy at my expense.

All of this because I need copper wire for a computer chip.
Which means the moment I want to build something “basic,” the universe decides I need to earn it.

At this point I’m seriously considering a scanner room, purely so I can stop living my life like a metal detector with legs.

Medkit Fabricator Online (Finally)

Once the medkit fabricator was up and running, I moved on to a quality-of-life upgrade I should have made ages ago:
a beacon.

I named it “base”, because:

1) it is a base

2) I would like to find it again

3) I don’t need to overthink this

Valentino Goes Deep: The 250m Lifepod Run

With “base” now marked like a sensible person would do, I took Valentino for a drive to a lifepod sitting around 250m down.

Naturally: no survivors.
The ocean doesn’t do happy endings.

But I did come away with something useful: a blueprint for a Repulsion Cannon.
I still need a Modification Station before I can get too excited, but I’ll take a win when it shows up.

The Beautiful Cave That Immediately Became A Problem

Next up: a cave near another lifepod location.
The cave itself is gorgeous.
It’s also the kind of place where you realise, mid-swim, that you have no idea where the exit is.

And that’s when I moved “make a beacon” from “good idea” to “non-negotiable survival requirement.”

I eventually found my way back out, and I didn’t drown in a glowing underwater postcard, so that counts as success.

Valentino’s New Problem: He Can’t Go Anywhere Without Taking Damage

Back at base, I had a new priority: hull reinforcement for Valentino.
He couldn’t so much as breathe underwater without scraping something and taking damage.

So I did what any reasonable person would do:
I went hunting for diamonds.
For armour.
On a submarine scooter.
Completely normal.

Eventually I got lucky and upgraded Valentino with:

  • Hull Reinforcement
  • Storage Module

Now he’s tougher, roomier, and slightly less likely to come home looking like he lost a fight with a rock.

Next Time (If Copper Stops Playing Hard To Get)

  • Hit Lifepod 4 (radiation warning acknowledged, thanks)
  • Seriously consider a Scanner Room to end the copper scavenger hunt
  • Start working toward the Modification Station so that Repulsion Cannon isn’t just a tease
  • Revisit the Aurora plan… after accepting I’m probably getting shot down anyway
Continue the journey:

Log 10 | Log 11 (You are here) | Log 12

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Super Mario 74: A Survivor’s Journey Log 4 – Toxic Stars & Unexpected Progress

Super Mario 74 – Log 4: Toxic Stars & Unexpected Progress

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

Video: Metal Cap switch course cleared, Toxic-Switch of Danger stars, and first stars in Azure-Abyss (no commentary)

With Bowser beaten, I could have moved straight into the next area, but there were still a couple of places left in this overworld that I hadn’t touched yet. One of them was the pipe leading to the Metal Cap course, Toxic-Switch of Danger. Technically I could have gone here right at the start of the hack, but I wanted to give myself a bit of a warm-up first. I remembered this level having toxic gas everywhere, and the only way to move through it safely is with the Metal Cap, which meant I already knew this was going to be one of those courses where you either stay calm and get through it, or you rush and fall straight into a hole.

There are five stars in this course, so I decided I might as well deal with all of them while I was here. Like before, I’m using the names from the wiki since the game itself doesn’t show them, and the first thing I did was go for the easier ones before even activating the switch. The first star, The Correct Hole, looks like a trap at first. The level is full of bottomless pits, and one of them has a coin floating over it, which usually means you shouldn’t trust it. This time though, it actually was the right one. I dropped down, grabbed the coin, and came out with the star without any problems, which was a good sign considering how this level is supposed to go.

The next star, Behind the Switch, is exactly where the name says. It sits in a small alcove directly behind the Metal Cap switch itself, which makes it easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there, but also one of the simplest stars in the course once you do. With those two done, there wasn’t really any reason to avoid it anymore, so I activated the switch and made the Metal Cap blocks active, including the one inside this level that I was about to be using a lot more than I expected.

Pillar Jumping was next, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. I went for a long jump to the pillar and followed it with a wall kick to grab the ledge. Apparently the intended way is to triple jump, but the long jump and wall kick worked for me, so I stuck with that rather than trying to be clever. One more jump after that and the star was mine, which left the two I remembered giving me trouble years ago.

Toxic Wall Kicks was the one I had been thinking about before I even entered the course. Back when I first played this hack, this star caused me more problems than I care to remember, and part of the reason I didn’t come here first this time was because I didn’t want to get stuck on it straight away. Somehow though, this time it just worked. One attempt, no panic, no missed jumps, and the star was collected before I really had time to expect anything to go wrong.

That only left the red coins, and that’s where the level finally decided to push back a little. The first attempt ended almost immediately when I misjudged a jump for the very first coin and dropped straight into a hole. Second attempt went much better. The coins are scattered across small platforms and narrow ledges, and a few of them hang just far enough over pits to make you think twice before jumping. Most of them came together without much trouble, but the last one slowed me down. To reach it I had to land on a small platform, then jump to another even smaller one, and every time I thought I had the angle right, Mario would come up just short or drift a little too far. That meant more trips back to the Metal Cap block, because I wasn’t about to risk running out of time in the gas while trying to fix my own mistakes. Eventually the jump worked, the last coin was collected, and with it the final star of the course.

Finishing that level with less trouble than I remembered honestly surprised me, so instead of stopping there I decided to keep going and head straight into Course 3, Azure Abyss. For some reason I had it in my head that this level had a lighthouse and was much darker than it actually is, which makes me think I’m mixing it up with another hack, but once I got inside it was clear I wasn’t remembering it quite right.

The Deepest Dive was the first star, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Straight into the water, swim down to the bottom, grab the star, done. Cave Exploration was similar, but this time with a hidden passage to find before the star shows up. Once I spotted the opening it didn’t take long, and by that point I was already thinking about whether I should go for one more before stopping.

I decided on Pillars of Precision, which thankfully didn’t involve another long swim, just a short dive into a cave with three narrow pillars waiting at the end. I fully expected to miss at least one jump and have to repeat the whole thing, but somehow everything lined up perfectly and the star was collected on the first try. That was the point where I stopped and just sat there for a moment wondering what was going on, because years ago this hack gave me serious trouble, and now I had just cleared the Metal Cap course and taken three stars from the next level without much resistance at all.

I’m not going to get overconfident. I know this hack well enough to know it will push back sooner or later. But for now, I can honestly say I’m having a blast playing this again, and I don’t remember the last time I got through this much of Super Mario 74 without feeling like the game was trying to throw me out of the castle.

Continue the Journey

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Super Mario 74 – Log 3

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Super Mario 74 – Log 5

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Super Mario 74 – A Survivor’s Journey

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