Talk:The Pendulum Switch Star

Potential merge

I don't think that this mission is different enough from the one it's derived from, The Pit and the Pendulums, to warrant having its own page. It's basically the same mission retooled to fit the new mechanics introduced in Super Mario 64 DS, in a similar vain to Inside the Cage and Metal-Head Wario Can Move! and the new versions of Big Bob-omb on the Summit, Watch for Rolling Rocks, and Pyramid Puzzle. The only difference between the two missions is the addition of the Star Switch, but in my opinion that difference isn't really enough to warrant this being a separate page, especially since a lot of different missions in this game have been adjusted to have a small change that doesn't otherwise affect the mission in major ways, like the aftermentioned Pyramid Puzzle and a lot of the missions that now require Wario.

I think this case differs from other missions because the Star Switch doesn't really change the flow of the course. It does add a time limit that requires backtracking if the player fails, but some other course changes are more drastic than this, like Watch for Rolling Rocks and Inside the Cage. Unlike missions such as Luigi in the Cage and Yoshi's Ice Sculpture, which deviate enough from Roll into the Cage (by requiring further exploration beyond the cage) and In the Deep Freeze (due to Yoshi needing to travel to a location where he can get the Fire Power) respectively, because the Star Switch is in the path normally required to complete both this mission as well as The Pit and the Pendulums, and any difference in the path to press this switch seems identical to Watch for Rolling Rocks.

I was also thinking about merging Snowman's Silver Star into Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins due to their similarities, but one major thing that complicates this is that choosing the name wouldn't be satisfactory; choosing the Super Mario 64 name could confuse readers thinking that Snowman's Land has 2 Red Coin missions, while choosing the Super Mario 64 DS name could confuse readers thinking that the mission in Super Mario 64 has none. But more importantly, neither name covers both missions simultaneously, due to each having version-specific terminology. This merger doesn't face such issues; like with Metal-Head Mario Can Move!, both missions focus on pendulums, with a pit underneath, making "The Pit and the Pendulums" a universal name for both missions, compared to "The Pendulum Switch Star" which is only applicable to the Super Mario 64 DS iteration. I think this page should be merged. I... am R.O.B. Star! LAUNCH! 00:06, August 9, 2026 (UTC)

Merge into The Pit and the Pendulums

This talk page section contains an unresolved talk page proposal. Please try to help and resolve the issue by voting or leaving a comment.

Current time: August 10, 2026, 19:32 (UTC)

Per my convo above. The only differences between the two missions are the Star now requiring a time limit, and minor changes to the final platforms leading to the Star, but otherwise this mission is clearly, in my opinion, not different enough from The Pit and the Pendulums to warrant this having its own page. Breathtaking View from (the) Bridge had a time limit in the original that was removed in the remake. Pyramid Puzzle was changed to accommodate a new feature introduced in the remake. Collect the Caps.../Inside the Cage was changed to accommodate a removal from the remake. And Watch for Rolling Rocks has a completely different method to get the star. But because all of these missions follow the same structure as the originals and have little deviation from them, they can have all of their information in one page and it works for both games.

I also think this case is different compared to two other missions. Luigi in the Cage is very different from Roll into the Cage, as Luigi has to actually take a detour that goes beyond the cage and further up the course, compared to Roll into the Cage where Mario only has to get to the cage, and unlike missions that now have Black Bricks, which require Wario but otherwise don't have any significant deviations from the original, Luigi in the Cage cannot be completed in the same vain as Roll into the Cage because moving beyond the cage is required. Also, while Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins and Snowman's Silver Star seem like the same case as this one, the naming is an issue, not only because they can confuse readers (as shown above), but because neither name can satisfy a merged page as they both describe version-exclusive requisites for the mission.

In light of this, I think that these missions aren't different enough from each other to warrant having separate pages. In terms of the name, I prefer having "The Pit and the Pendulums" cover both pages because that name accurately defines obstacles present in both versions of the mission (as described here), while "The Pendulum Switch Star" is really only applicable to Super Mario 64 DS. The missions were split in June 2016, along with Luigi in the Cage, but while I can see merit with that mission being separate (after all, as someone we don't name said, "Mario can just simply platform his way into the cage, whereas Luigi has to climb halfway up and grab a Power Flower to drop through the mesh cage"), I don't see the same merit applied for the Pendulum missions.

I made a draft for the combined pages here. If this proposal passes, this will be the combined page for both missions. If there are similar cases to the missions I described, feel free to let me know.

Proposer: I... am R.O.B. (talk)
Deadline: August 24, 2026, 23:59 (UTC)

The Supporters and the Mergers

1. I... am R.O.B. (talk) Per proposal.
2. Clockwork Wandering Poplin (talk) My main concern is that attempting cover both missions on one page will very likely result in most of the SM64DS info being buried in an article which will be primarily focused on the N64 original. But other than that, per proposal.
3. Remembered Old Buddy (talk) Per proposal.