Tick Tock Clock

"There's something strange about that clock. As you jump inside, watch the position of the big hand."

- Toad

Tick Tock Clock is the fourteenth level in Super Mario 64 and its remake Super Mario 64 DS. It takes place inside a giant clock. Mario must deal with the clock's moving gears, pendulums, and other obstacles that change speed depending on what position the clock's minute hand is in when he jumps into the level. Tick Tock Clock is the second to last level in both games and is found on the third floor of Peach's Castle. It also was remade into a race course that appears in the Star Cup of Mario Kart DS. The entrance to the level is an old grandfather clock shaped like a tree, and the minute hand controls the time inside. Enter when the hand points at 12, and all moving parts will freeze. Enter between 12 and 6 to make them move slowly, and between 6 and 12 to make them move quickly. Entering at 6 makes them move at random speeds, in random directions. In order to open the star door in front of it, Mario will need at least fifty Power Stars.

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

Star 1: Roll Into the Cage
From the entrance, Mario should head past the fist swing pendulum over the conveyor belt and then pass the shifting blocks. After, Mario should pass by the large plane where the moving hand may pass. Continuing on, Mario should see the Power Star near a conveyor belt underneath the cage-like grid. He then must jump on the conveyor belt and grab the Power Star.

In Super Mario 64 DS, the name of this level has been changed to Luigi in the Cage, as Luigi is the only member of the group that can turn invisible. When Luigi reaches the cage, there will be no entrance but a ? Block will be available. Opening it will reveal a Power Flower which grants Luigi invisibility. Luigi will then be able to walk through the cage and get the star.


 * Names in Other Languages

Star 2: The Pit and the Pendulums
For this mission, Mario should follow the same path as in the previous mission. This time however, Mario should continue past the cage. Once Mario reaches the top of the pole, he should head left. Eventually he'll come to a place that contains two pendulums. Navigating his way through, he'll reach the next power star. It's easier to enter Tick Tock clock when the clock minute hand is on "12" and make the pendulums and other parts freeze. In the DS remake, Super Mario 64 DS, the star is called The Pendulum Switch Star, since it requires stepping on a Star Switch and going through the pendulums to reach the Star in the Star Sphere before it disappears.


 * Names in Other Languages

Star 3: Get a Hand
This time, Mario should re-enter the stage making sure not to have the clock's minute hand on "12". He will need to have the clock moving. The player should have Mario travel up to the large platform and wait for the large hand to to pass by. Mario will need to jump onto it and ride it until it brings him to the little alcove with the Power Star in it. There is another (easier) way to get the star. The player can see this star from the cage with the first star. Just jump off, slide down and the player can drop into the alcove. A third but harder and faster way is stepping onto a Heave Ho in the right position. The Heave Ho will directly fling Mario into the star.


 * Names in Other Languages

Star 4: Stomp On the Thwomp
For Mario to acquire this star, Mario will need to ascend up the path to the flagpole. Once he has climbed it, Mario should head left and follow his way up around the clock. Eventually he'll reach the top, where there is another clock hand. Riding it will take him to a conveyor belt with a Thwomp at the end. Jumping atop it will take Mario high enough to jump the next star.

It is possible (but not mandatory) for a skilled player to get this Power Star with the clock stopped. To do so, the player must rely on a series of high jumps and wall jumps, requiring even the use of Triple Jumps at times.


 * Names in Other Languages

Star 5: Timed Jumps on Moving Bars
In order to find the star for this mission, Mario must go to the right (above the 2 pendulums in the pit and the pendulums mission) and jump on a series of bars that jut out and sink back in to the wall. After clearing these bars Mario will come to a platform with the power star on it. In Super Mario 64 DS a black Block is added at the making Wario have to do the mission.


 * Names in Other Languages

Star 6: Stop Time For Red Coins
Heading right from the entrance, Mario should see many green bars and a bunch of Red Coins. Normally the platforms would be rotating but if Mario was to enter the level when the minute hand was on "12", they will be stationary (making it much easier to get the coins). After the last coin is found, the power star will appear above the Star Marker.


 * Names in Other Languages

Star 7 (DS): Tick Tock Silver Stars
At the Starting point, Mario and the gang will have to go to the right. Silver Stars will, at some point, fall and bounce around. After collecting five of these, the Power Star will appear. Some Bob-ombs fall from the platforms overhead, with their fuses already ignited, so the player will have to avoid being caught in the explosions and losing Silver Stars in the process.

Mario Kart DS
Tick-Tock Clock is also a course in Mario Kart DS. It is modeled after the course Tick Tock Clock of Super Mario 64. Near the start of the course, the racers will run around a first clock, where they can take a speed boost by running over some Dash Panels. After the clock, an ever ticking pendulum can knock the drivers off if they collide with it. Throughout the course there are rotating gears, which lead the karts in 360˚ arcs around the center. Racers then go to a second clock, smaller than the first one, having Item Boxes moving around. At the end of the course the are many gears protruding from the ground like tires, which spin in opposite directions of each other. If the drivers go up the gear which is turning away from them, then drivers will run slightly faster. All gears in the course change direction every 45 seconds. Clock hands are another obstacle that would spin back and forth, spinning out any kart that touches them. Missions 6-7 and 7-3 are located here.

Trivia

 * The star called "The Pit and the Pendulums" is a pun on the short story The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe.
 * The Mario Party 3 minigame, Tick Tock Hop, takes place on the clock's painting from Super Mario 64.
 * In the Mario Party 8 minigame In the Nick of Time, the clock looks a little bit similar.
 * In Mario Kart DS, if the player hits the pendulum it will ring.
 * This level appears to be changed more than any other level in the remake.