Tall, Tall Mountain

Tall, Tall Mountain is the twelfth level in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. The painting to the course is located in the foyer of the castle's second floor opposite the painting to Wet Dry World. It is the smallest painting that leads into a course. It features a high mountain with all kinds of obstacles on the way to the top. The hat stealing monkey Ukiki is featured here as well as the blowing cloud enemy named Fwoosh. The dangerous aspect of the level is that almost the entire path around the mountain is thin and near a cliff face. Like its painting, also located on the second story of the castle, Tall, Tall Mountain is surrounded by giant mushrooms, one of which has a Power Star. The top of the mountain has a flat surface and railing, and is next to a waterfall that leads to the start of the level. This is the only one of the main courses in the DS version that has neither a Switch Star nor a Silver Star.

Levels
The level titles and numbers correspond to Super Mario 64 unless otherwise noted.

Star 1: Scale the Mountain
To get this star, Mario must climb to the top of the mountain. He will begin by going right of the small waterfall at the start of the level and go across two large gaps. If he falls through the first gap, he'll still land on a lower part of the mountain and be able to climb up the side, but the second gap leads into the abyss. Mario will then be running along the edge of the mountain with mushroom platforms on his left until he finds a fork-in-the-road around Monty Moles.


 * On the first way, Mario can go left and up the wall. Then at the top, go right and follow along the side of the mountain. At some point, he will end up near some Goombas in a small grassy area and meet up at the end of the other path of the fork.


 * On the second way, Mario will go forward and cross a few enemies. Then he'll cross a plank leading to a Ukiki that can steal his hat if he picks it up. Mario will have to move to the right and cross the log and make it roll to the next area of land (like in the Lethal Lava Land star, Red-Hot Log Rolling). Mario will then go around the perimeter of the mountain (while avoiding giant balls rolling down) and come up to the Goombas on a grassy area.

Mario will then travel around the edge of the mountain. Later, he will have to long jump across a waterfall and balance across a thin walkway. After that, Mario must simply make his way up and grab the star.


 * Names in other languages

Star 2: Mystery of the Monkey Cage
To acquire this star, Mario must again trek to the top of the mountain, or hitch a ride with Hoot the owl, where there will be an Ukiki. Mario must catch it, and, when prompted, let him go. Mario must then follow it to a cage containing a star. The Ukiki will break the cage, and the star will fall. Mario must head back to the area where the other Ukikis are to get it.


 * Names in other languages

Star 3: Scary 'Shrooms, Red Coins
To get this star, Mario must find the mushroom platform area at the beginning of the stage and carefully collect all the red coins there. He must then carry on slightly further around the mountain to the area with the Monty Moles, and find the rest of the red coins there. They are scattered along the wall with rock platforms to reach them. After all the coins are collected, the star will then appear on the Star Marker across that area on a giant mushroom.


 * Names in other languages

Star 4: Mysterious Mountainside
To acquire this star, Mario must find the entrance to a secret slide. It is near the top of the mountain by a Fwoosh. If Mario walks up to the wall, it may move a little like a painting would. He should jump into it and get into the level.

Mario will find himself in a building with a large slide on it. This slide is noticeably more difficult than the Princess's Secret Slide and has many curves and jumps. Also, near the beginning is a fork-in-the-road, and if Mario chooses the wrong road, he will fall off the slide and lose a life. At the end of the slide, Mario will go through a hole that will lead him to the star that is located behind a mesh on the side of the mountain.

If Mario loses a life from falling off the slide and returns to Tall, Tall Mountain through the painting, he would automatically end up at the start of the slide again, thus not requiring him to go all the way up the mountain from the start.

It is possible for the player to skip the slide by jumping and then kicking in the air while pushing the backwards the direction Mario is facing to get the star. Nintendo tried to prevent this in the DS version, but it is possible to do it using Luigi's invisibility power.


 * Names in other languages

Star 5: Breathtaking View from Bridge
This star is located a fair way up the mountain, behind the waterfall at the spot after the Fwoosh is found. To access it, Mario can either long jump to it, or use the switch further up the mountainside past the grassy area with Goombas on it to create some wooden platforms to the falls. Mario must quickly run before the platforms disappear and grab the star.

In the DS remake Super Mario 64 DS, the Star is under a black brick that only Wario can break. This mission was also moved to the seventh star in the DS version.


 * Names in other languages

Star 6: Blast to the Lonely Mushroom
This star is situated on a large, isolated mushroom, away from the mountain. It can be accessed five ways. Shortcuts involve long jumping from the top of the mountain, jumping on a Fly Guy and twirling onto the mushroom, using Hoot the owl, blasting from the cannon, and Using the Wing Cap. The cannon is under the island that can be reached by a secret portal on one of the smaller mushroom platforms. The portal will take Mario near a very thin walkway for him cross. When he gets to the end of the walkway, the cannon will be in front of him. Mario must carefully aim and grab the star in midair. In the DS remake, the player can also use Luigi's backflip from the top.

This Star was moved to Star 5 in the DS remake.


 * Names in other languages

Star 7 (DS): 5 Secrets of the Mountain
This star is added to Super Mario 64 DS, for the sixth star. To access it, the player has to either have Mario collect a Wing Cap at the top of the mountain or make use of Hoot who can be found in a tree at the beginning of the course. The objective is to fly through the five coin rings in the sky. The star will then appear on the summit.


 * Names in other languages

Enemies

 * Goombas
 * Bob-ombs
 * Chuckya
 * Monty Moles
 * Fly Guy
 * Ukiki
 * Fwoosh
 * Big Steely

Statistics from Super Mario 64

 * Total Number of coins: 137
 * Caps Found: (none)
 * Spinning Heart: (none)
 * Cannons: 1
 * 1-Up Mushrooms (11):
 * Static Mushroom : #1 Behind the start point, on a narrow ledge. #2 On a ledge by the moles. #3 On the ledge just before Fwoosh. #4 Hidden behind the wall between the slide's start point, and the actual slide. #5,6 On the slide.
 * Triggered Mushroom : #7 Appears after walking in all four corners of the slide start point.
 * Box Mushroom : #8 Above one of the mushrooms with red coins.
 * Butterfly Mushroom : #9 From one of the butterflies in the ground with vines near the top of the mountain.
 * Moles Mushroom : #10,11 By continuously jumping on two sets of Moles near the wall with vine, two 1-ups will appear from each set.
 * Warps :
 * The smallest mushroom can warp Mario to underneath the ledge with the Monty Moles near the cannon.