Bowser in the Sky

Bowser in the Sky is the final Bowser level in Super Mario 64 and the last one overall, in which Mario travels through platforms in the sky until he reaches a Warp Pipe leading to a final fight against Bowser to save Princess Peach and the Toads in Princess Peach's Castle. The stage also contains enemies such as Chuckyas and Goombas.

Bowser in the Sky is one of the hardest levels in the game, and Mario will need seventy Power Stars (eighty in Super Mario 64 DS) to reach the top of the endless stairs, or the staircase will repeat itself. There is, however, a glitch that can be used to get up the stairs without enough Power Stars by making Mario do a Backwards Long Jump (only found in the N64 and Virtual Console version).

The battle against Bowser is pretty similar to the last few fights, except for a few minor changes. Unlike the previous battles when the player had four mines (eight in the remake), this battle has five. Bowser also adds some new twists: When Bowser slams the ground, shock waves will appear, and they'll damage Mario if he touches them. Bowser will also breathe fire that will spread all around the battlefield. The last difference is that Bowser has to take damage from three mines before admitting defeat. On a side note, when Bowser takes damage from two mines, he'll shake the battlefield, causing it to form a star-like shape; this makes the third throw require much more power and timing than the first two. Additionally, each time Bowser is damaged, it becomes easier for Mario to grab Bowser's tail without having to bait him into performing the charge attack.

Bowser in the Sky is one of only three levels in Super Mario 64 DS that only one certain character can access, as Bowser will only allow Mario to enter this level. The others are Chief Chilly Challenge for Luigi, and The Secret Under the Moat for Wario.

Star 1
As with the previous Bowser levels, a Power Star can be obtained by collecting the eight Red Coins found throughout the level. The Power Star will then appear behind the Warp Pipe that leads to Bowser.

Star 2 (DS only)
Below the first set of platforms that rotate much like a Ferris wheel is a large stone platform. At one end is a Star Switch. Upon pressing it, the player must backtrack a fair bit in order to collect the Power Star.

Secrets

 * The statues before the pipe at the end of the level show a depiction of Mario jumping over a Fireball near Bowser, in the old Super Mario Bros. style.
 * Like the other Bowser stage Stars, the secret Stars in this level are shown under the "Castle Secret Star" count.
 * Bowser's message to the player when defeated changes upon acquiring all 120 Power Stars (150 in the DS remake):