Star Switch

A Star Switch is a special type of switch introduced in Super Mario 64 DS. They are an additional gameplay element exclusive to the remake and did not appear in the original game, Super Mario 64. Star Switches resemble yellow stars and have an exclamation mark imprinted on them. They appear in ten of the fifteen main courses, where they are necessary for one of the seven course missions respectively. Each of these missions has the term "Switch Star" somewhere in its name. Five more Star Switches can be found in other levels. Fifteen Switch Stars can be found throughout the entire game.

Any playable character is able to activate the Star Switches by stepping on them. Once activated, they will make a Power Star appear in a Star Sphere within the same level. The Power Star only remains there for a short time, so the player needs to hurry in order to reach the star in time, or else they will have to press the switch again. The time limit varies depending on the respective switch.