Hazy Maze Cave

Hazy Maze Cave is an underground cave level and the sixth course in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. In both games, this course is located in the basement of Princess Peach's Castle. The course has many hidden ledges, nooks, crannies, and alcoves, countless bottomless pits, and even an underground lake with a large but friendly sea monster named Dorrie. A map can be found in many areas of the course.

The Hazy Maze, the level's namesake, is located deep within the cave. This maze was referred to as the Toxic Maze, the Clouded Maze, and the Hazy Maze throughout the game. The Hazy Maze is a labyrinth whose passageways are clouded with a highly toxic yellow gas (purple in the remake). Mario's health is slowly depleted the longer he stays in the maze, and he will eventually suffocate if he is unable to get fresh air. To make matters worse, the Hazy Maze is full of Snufits, Monty Moles and Swoopers that can hinder Mario's progress. Fortunately for Mario, there are small areas of higher ground scattered throughout the maze, Metal Boxes that turn Mario into Metal Mario who is unaffected by the poisonous fumes, a Spinning Heart to recover lost health, and several escape routes that are clearly marked on the map just outside the entrance. Obtaining certain Stars requires the use of certain escape routes.

Although this course is named "Hazy Maze Cave", none of the areas in the cave except for the aforementioned maze contain fog.

There is a special hidden area in this course called the Metal Cavern, where Cavern of the Metal Cap (Behind the Waterfall in the remake) is located. The cave can be accessed through a door near the underground lake. The Metal Cap's ! Switch is located here, along with eight more Red Coins that can be collected to receive one of the castle's Secret Stars. In the remake version, the Metal Cavern doesn't have the metal cap switch and instead has several Power Flowers that can be used for Wario & Mario to be used with an extra star at the top of the course only accessed by Mario's balloon ability. This is the only course to have a secret level inside it on the N64 version.

This is one of the few levels not accessed via a painting; instead, Mario must enter the door to the right of the entrance to Lethal Lava Land and jump into a pool of liquid metal inside.

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

Star 1: Swimming Beast In The Cavern
As the name implies, Mario has to go deep into the cave to the area where Dorrie lives. At the beginning of the mission, the plumber has to go immediately to the left and perform a Long Jump to pass over a gap. Going up the way where the rolling rocks are coming at the black hole zone, Mario will find a door where an elevator leads directly to the subterranean lake found in the bottom of the cave. Upon sighting a plesiosaur, Mario can get on Dorrie's back to lead him to the small isle in the center of the lake. Making a Ground Pound on Dorrie's back will cause the plesiosaur to lower his head, allowing the hero to stand over his head and arrive on the isle to obtain the Power Star.

In the DS version of the game, Dorrie has goggles and will be wearing a giant Wario's Cap (except if the player is Wario). Taking the yellow cap, it will become normal sized. The character will become Wario, who is needed to punch and break a boulder on the lake's isle, which can now be reached without Dorrie, and reveal the Power Star.


 * Names in other languages

Star 2: Elevate For 8 Red Coins
By going down the right corridor upon first entering the level, Mario can access the other side of the course. After leaping over fire pits and avoiding pesky Scuttlebugs, Mario finds a door at the end of the corridor. Entering it and sliding down a long pole, Mario arrives in the underground "plaza" area of the course. In one corner of this area is a staircase formation that leads to an unusual floating platform. This platform has four arrow switches on it, and will move in the direction of the arrow switch that is pressed. Mario must collect the eight Red Coins by navigating a midair obstacle course. Once all eight Coins have been collected, a Star appears over the Star Marker on the floor. In Super Mario 64 DS, playing as Wario in this place, the player can get the switch star, used from the poles, to reach 3 red coins. Yoshi can do this mission only if he uses caps.


 * Names in other languages

Star 3: Metal-Head Mario/Wario Can Move!
After activating the Metal Cap switch, Mario must go again to the subterranean lake, evading the rolling boulders in the hall and reaching the elevator. The plumber can see a metal cap Block in the entrance of the lake. Hitting the block will release the cap that turns Mario into metal. With the added weight being metal, Mario sinks to the lake's floor, following the path from the entrance. A large ! Switch appears which the plumber must press when he is metal. Stepping on the switch will open up the crate doors, allowing access to the door behind them. The Power Star will be found at the end of a chamber that Mario reaches using the long-jump to pass the bottomless pits on the floor.

In Super Mario 64, it is possible to do a Ground Pound from the edge into the water over the switch to press it without the use of the metal cap.

In Super Mario 64 DS, the mission's title was slightly changed to Metal Head Wario Can Move! because Wario is the only character that becomes metal upon getting a Power Flower.


 * Names in other languages

Star 4: Navigating The Toxic Maze
In the fourth mission, the player must go the toxic maze area. Going to the right corridor of the entrance the character will enter to the plaza area. To the left side of the area, there will be a door and behind it a hole. Falling through the hole, the player arrives in the toxic maze. The ominous Toxic Gas over the floor will cause the characters to lose health as they breathe. Turning into Metal Mario (Metal Wario or Luigi's invisibility for the DS version) prevents the player from losing health while navigating through the gases. Small holes in some stretches of the labyrinth can be an obstacle to jump and reach the right door to go out from the maze. Once past the maze, an elevator will lead to the Star hidden inside an ! Block.

In Super Mario 64 DS, the player can skip the toxic maze and go behind the fence as Luigi by grabbing a power flower at the beginning of the level or in the underground cavern used in Star 1, quickly getting to the fence, and sneaking behind.


 * Names in other languages

Star 5: A-Maze-Ing Emergency Exit
For this star, the player will have to return to the toxic maze, and head towards the first door from the left, which will lead to an elevator. The elevator will go to a door that opens into the area above the rolling rocks. The player should grab the metal bars above the ground, and head towards the star. They could also, if they wish, long jump to the platform where the star is. In Super Mario 64 DS, as Luigi or Mario, the player can triple jump or backwards somersault to the platform from a black block (that only Wario can break) and hold onto the platform and grab the star.
 * Names in other languages

Star 6: Watch For Falling/Rolling Rocks
To find this star, the player must take the left corridor and navigate his or her way past the falling rocks. Before they reach the door, the player should wall jump between the two walls, and jump into one of the alcoves. The alcove on the right contains the sixth Power Star of the level.

In the DS version, the mission was changed to Watch For Rolling Rocks. The star is obtained differently, and Wario will be needed to retrieve it. Wario must break the nearby black Brick Block containing a Super Mushroom to grow big. He must then punch 4 of the falling rocks until he shatters the one containing the Power Star in order to make it appear; alternatively, he can also simply jump and punch/kick the boulders in his normal size to destroy them without the assistance of a Super Mushroom. The alcove that contained the Power Star in the original version now has a 1-Up Mushroom.


 * Names in other languages

Star 7 (DS): Underground Switch Star
In this level exclusive for Super Mario 64 DS the player has to go to the plaza area of the floating platforms. The player needs to be Wario, and go near the black Brick Block and smash it, revealing a Star Switch hidden. The player will then have to step on it and quickly get the Star inside the Star Sphere located near the floating platform.


 * Names in other languages

Enemies

 * Scuttlebugs
 * Boulders
 * Goombas (DS only)
 * Swoopers
 * Monty Moles
 * Snufits
 * Mr. I

Statistics from Super Mario 64

 * Total Number of coins: 139 (134 according to Nintendo Power)
 * Caps Found: Metal Cap (5)
 * Spinning Heart: Near the black hole on a ledge.
 * Cannons: (none)
 * 1-Up Mushrooms (4):
 * Box Mushroom : #1 Above the bottomless hole on a platform. #2 Next to the elevator to the underground lake.
 * Moles Mushrooms : #3,4 By continually jumping on two sets of Moles in the toxic maze, the player can get the two mushrooms.
 * Warps : (none)

Trivia

 * When inside the Hazy Maze or at the Underground Lake, there is a layer of chant added to the beat of the music. Everywhere else, the Super Mario Bros. underground melody is added to the beat instead.
 * The level Wet-Dry World uses the same music as this level and the layer of chant is heard in the downtown area.
 * With a properly timed dive, the player can actually dive forever on the left side of the gate underground once they have opened it.
 * The minigame Dorrie Dip from Mario Party 3 takes place in this course. Dorrie also makes an appearance in this minigame.
 * It is the only level with an entrance to another level in the N64 version.