Bowser in the Sky

Bowser in the Sky is the final Bowser level in Super Mario 64, in which Mario would travel through platforms in the sky until he reached a Warp Pipe leading to a fight against Bowser to save Princess Peach and the Toads in Princess Peach's Castle. Mario would have to avoid enemies such as Chuckyas and Goombas. Bowser in the Sky is the 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. Otherwise, the staircase will repeat itself. There is, however, a glitch that can be used to get up the stairs without enough Power Stars.

The battle against Bowser is pretty similar to the last few fights, except there are five mines around the arena instead of eight and 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, making the third throw require much more power and timing than the first two.

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 the appear near 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

 * Before the player goes in the pipe at the end, he/she should look at the statues. It shows Mario jumping over a Fireball near Bowser, in the old Super Mario Bros. style. It's very blurry and of poor quality yet unmistakable.
 * Before running near the Whomp, stay on the revolving platform and back jump onto the nearby ledge. This skips the Whomp and a Chuckya.
 * Like the other Bowser trap stars, the secret stars in this level are shown under the "Castle Secret Star" count.