Super Mario 64: The Missing Stars

Super Mario 64 The Missing Stars is the first official major ROM hack of Super Mario 64 ever created. It was initially released in April 2009 and contains 38 Stars.

In terms of difficulty, it is relatively straightforward, and in terms of length, it is quite short and not very cryptic. It is also one of the most unique hacks, making use of a large number of interesting and unique gimmicks in every one of its “levels”. The format of the hack is also different, as most of the stars are not found in standard courses, but in small overworld areas. These areas are all large, flat areas with objects such as platforms put into them, which Mario or Luigi must traverse to reach Stars or coins.

This hack strives on changes during gameplay and progression through the hack. Oddly, the camera seems to focus on the center of the level when on Lakitu Cam, so using the Mario perspective is recommended. Beware that the various pipes and sections will change the camera. On a side note, the character selection and the final boss both require use of the directional pad, specifically the left and right inputs; because of this, you may need to ensure that you have these controls mapped.