Big Star Door

Screenshot of Mario using a Power Star to open a Big Star Door, from Super Mario 64

Big Star Doors are a special sliding type of ★ door in Super Mario 64 and its remake, Super Mario 64 DS. Like other ★ doors, they restrict progress to certain parts of the Mushroom Castle until the player has the necessary number of Power Stars. Unlike normal ★ doors, however, the passages they cover are always required to open to complete the game. In the remake, only Mario can unlock a Big Star Door, but once it is unlocked, any character can enter it.

Four Big Star Doors exist in the games:

1. The first floor door leads to Bowser in the Dark World. 8 Power Stars (12 in the DS version) are required to open it.
2. The second door is in the basement and requires 30 Power Stars to be opened. Dire, Dire Docks and Bowser in the Fire Sea are behind it.
3. The third door is on the floor above the second floor lobby at the top of the stairs. 50 Power Stars are needed, and behind it are Tick Tock Clock, Rainbow Ride, and Wing Mario Over the Rainbow.
4. The last door leads to the final battle with Bowser. It does not require any Power Stars to open, but it has a staircase that never ends behind it unless Mario has at least 70 Power Stars (80 in the DS version). In the remake, if anyone other than Mario attempts to open the final door, that character will still encounter the endless stairs, regardless of the number of Power Stars.

In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, there is a painting of a Big Star Door.