Super Mario 64: Collect 120 Power Stars in Your Browser (ROM Setup & Moveset Guide)
When Nintendo EAD and director Shigeru Miyamoto launched Super Mario 64 alongside the Nintendo 64 in June 1996, they wrote the foundational grammar for every 3D action and platforming game that followed. From the moment you practice cartwheels on the courtyard grass outside Princess Peach's Castle alongside the Lakitu Bros. camera crew, Mario 64 rewards expressive momentum, creative shortcuts, and non-linear exploration across fifteen magical painting worlds. Please note: hosted via `smz.fun`, this browser engine requires you to provide your own legally owned Super Mario 64 N64 ROM file on launch.
What Is the Super Mario 64 Browser Port (`smz.fun`)?
In Mario 64, Bowser invades Mushroom Castle, traps Princess Peach and her Toad attendants behind sealed doors, and scatters the castle's 120 Power Stars across enchanted wall paintings and secret courses. Rather than forcing you down linear left-to-right stages with a flagpole timer, each of the 15 main courses in Mario 64 is a self-contained 3D sandbox housing six numbered Star missions plus a seventh 100-Coin Power Star. The browser runtime at `smz.fun` executes the game natively inside your web tab once you select your local N64 ROM file from your device.
- Bring-Your-Own-ROM Compliance: To respect Nintendo's copyright, `smz.fun` does not host or distribute ROM files—you load your own legally owned Mario 64 ROM locally in the browser.
- 15 Iconic Painting Worlds + Castle Secrets: Leap into Bob-omb Battlefield, Whomp's Fortress, Jolly Roger Bay, Cool, Cool Mountain, Big Boo's Haunt, Lethal Lava Land, Tick Tock Clock, and Rainbow Ride.
- 70 Power Stars to Reach the Final Boss: Unlock Star Doors across three castle floors (Main Hall, Basement, and Upper Tower) until 70 Stars dispel the Endless Stairs to Bowser in the Sky.
- 120 Power Stars Completion Reward: Collecting every single Course Star and Castle Secret Star unlocks the courtyard cannon to meet Yoshi on the castle roof!
Mastering Mario's Acrobatic 3D Moveset and Three Cap Power-Ups
The secret to why Mario 64 remains one of the most speedrun games on Earth thirty years later is that Mario's full acrobatic toolkit is unlocked from minute one. You never have to buy an upgrade to Long Jump, Wall Kick, or Dive-Roll; the only limit in Mario 64 is how creatively you chain those moves together. Sprinting forward and timing three consecutive jumps launches a soaring Triple Jump; holding crouch while running and tapping jump fires a low-trajectory Long Jump that preserves speed across wide gaps; and snapping the stick in the opposite direction before jumping triggers a high Side Somersault.
- Long Jump & Dive Recovery: Use the Long Jump (`Crouch + Jump` while running) to cross huge chasms in Mario 64, or press Punch in midair to Dive and press Jump on landing to rollout swiftly.
- Wall Kicks & Backflips: Jump into a vertical wall and tap Jump at the exact frame of impact in Mario 64 to rebound higher—or hold Crouch and Jump from a standstill for a high Backflip.
- Wing Cap (Red Blocks): Unlocked at the Tower of the Wing Cap once you have 10 Power Stars; triple-jump or launch from a Bob-omb Buddy cannon to soar through the sky.
- Vanish Cap (Blue Blocks) & Metal Cap (Green Blocks): Walk straight through wire meshes and Boos with the Vanish Cap, or walk underwater and resist toxic gas and lava bounce with the heavy Metal Cap in Mario 64.
Castle Hub Progression: Main Hall, Basement, and Upper Tower
Princess Peach's Castle in Mario 64 is packed with puzzles of its own. Clearing your first eight Power Stars opens the Big Star Door to Bowser in the Dark World, where grabbing Bowser by the tail and swinging him into spiked bombs earns the Basement Key. Down in the castle basement of Mario 64, you can drain the moat, unlock the Metal and Vanish Cap switches, and clear Bowser in the Fire Sea for the Upper Floor Key—leading to high-altitude gauntlets like Tall, Tall Mountain, Tiny-Huge Island, Tick Tock Clock (where the clock hand entry minute controls platform speed!), and Rainbow Ride.
- Tick Tock Clock Time Trick: In Mario 64, jumping into the clock face when the minute hand points precisely at 12 freezes every moving gear and pendulum in the stage!
- 15 Castle Secret Stars: Catch MIPS the yellow rabbit twice in the basement, slide down Princess's Secret Slide under 21 seconds, and collect the 8 Red Coins in every Cap and Bowser stage.
- 8-Segment Power Meter & Water Healing: Taking damage or running out of breath underwater drains wedges from your Power Meter in Mario 64—collect Coins or surface at water level to heal.
- Lakitu vs. Mario Camera: Switch between the wide Lakitu view and close-up Mario view to line up narrow bridges.
How to Load Your N64 ROM & Controls Guide
Setting up Mario 64 in your browser takes only seconds once your local N64 ROM file is ready.
Step-by-Step Local ROM Import on `smz.fun`
When the `smz.fun` interface loads, use the file prompt to select your legally owned Mario 64 N64 ROM (`.z64` or `.n64`). The ROM is processed locally in your browser.
Controller & Keyboard Input Setup
Exact bindings follow the `smz.fun` in-browser configuration. Connecting a USB or Bluetooth controller is recommended for Mario 64 so you have 360-degree analog control for spinning Bowser and sneaking past Piranha Plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need my own ROM file to play Super Mario 64 here?
The `smz.fun` web application provides the browser runtime, while the original 1996 Super Mario 64 game data remains copyrighted by Nintendo. Loading your own local Mario 64 ROM keeps the browser port compliant.
How many Power Stars do I need to beat Super Mario 64?
Without using speedrun glitches, you need 70 out of the 120 total Power Stars in Mario 64 to climb the Endless Stairs on the third floor and challenge Bowser in the Sky.
Why are the platforms moving so fast in Tick Tock Clock?
In Mario 64, the speed of all hazards inside Tick Tock Clock is determined by where the minute hand is pointing when you jump into the clock face: 3 gives slow movement, 6 gives random speeds, 9 gives fast speeds, and 12 stops time completely!
How do you unlock the Wing, Metal, and Vanish Caps permanently?
Stand in the sunbeam in the castle lobby and look up to enter the Wing Cap stage, enter the underground waterfall cave inside Hazy Maze Cave for the Metal Cap switch, and drain the castle moat to access the Vanish Cap course in Mario 64.