Tag: Wing Cap

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.

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Super Mario 74 – Log 8

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Super Mario 74 – Log 10 (coming soon)

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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.

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Super Mario 74 – Log 7

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Super Mario 74 – Log 9

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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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Super Mario 74 – Log 6

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Super Mario 74 – Log 8 (coming soon)

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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.

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