You’re standing on a tiny wooden plank. The wind is howling—or at least, the 1996 64-bit approximation of wind is—and you’ve got to make a leap of faith. Most people who grew up with a grey controller in their hands remember the sheer anxiety of Cool, Cool Mountain. But there is one specific mission that stands out because the game basically mocks you with the title. Wall kicks will work Mario 64 is the name of the sixth star in the first snow world, and honestly, it’s a masterclass in early 3D platforming frustration.
It sounds simple. The game is literally telling you the solution. Just kick the wall, right?
Well, if you’ve ever actually tried to do it without falling into the bottomless abyss, you know it’s rarely that easy. Mario 64 was the pioneer of 3D movement, and while the physics were revolutionary, they were also incredibly sensitive. One frame of lag or a slightly tilted analog stick and you're watching Mario lose a life while shouting "Mamma Mia!" as he plummets.
The Anatomy of the Wall Kick
To understand why this star is such a hurdle, you have to look at the mechanics. In Super Mario 64, the wall kick isn't just a button press. It's a rhythm. You have to jump toward a flat vertical surface, and then, at the exact moment Mario touches the wall, you hit the jump button again while holding the stick in the opposite direction.
If you're too early, nothing happens.
Too late? Mario just slides down the wall like a wet noodle.
For the star wall kicks will work Mario 64, Nintendo designers didn't just want you to do it once. They wanted you to scale a narrow frozen corridor where the margins for error are razor-thin. It’s located in the "hidden" area of the mountain, accessible by taking the cannon across the gap to the lower trees. This isn't the main slide. This is the technical part of the map.
Why the Camera is Your Worst Enemy
Let’s be real: the Lakitu camera system was a miracle for its time, but in tight spaces, it’s a nightmare. When you are trying to line up the specific jumps for the "wall kicks will work" star, the camera loves to get stuck behind a frozen crystalline pillar or suddenly pivot right as you’re mid-air.
I’ve seen speedrunners handle this with surgical precision. They use "C-button" buffering to lock the camera in a static position so the "left" on their joystick stays "left." For the average player sitting on their living room floor in 1997—or someone playing the 3D All-Stars port today—the camera shift usually causes them to overcorrect and fly off into the void.
Breaking Down the Path to the Star
You start by finding the cannon. You need to talk to the red Bob-omb Buddy first, obviously. Once you’re blasted across to that lonely ledge, you have to navigate a very narrow path. There’s a Spindrift (those little flower-headed guys) floating around that can actually help you if you’re smart. If you jump on him, you get a spinning descent which makes landing on the narrow ledges way safer.
But most people just try to run it.
After the narrow path, you hit the wall kicking section. It’s a triple-jump or a long jump into a series of walls. The "wall kicks will work" mission is essentially a tutorial masquerading as a challenge. It’s the game’s way of saying, "Hey, you’ve been playing for a few hours, but do you actually know how to control Mario?"
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- First jump: High enough to reach the first icy ledge.
- Second jump: Transitioning from the slope.
- The Final Kick: This is the one. You have to kick off the wall to reach the higher platform where the Power Star is just sitting there, rotating, mocking your previous fifteen deaths.
Shoshinkai 1995 and the Evolution of the Move
It's fascinating to look back at the development. When Shigeru Miyamoto and his team were building the game (originally under the project name "Project Reality"), the wall kick was one of the moves they spent the most time polishing. They wanted Mario to feel "athletic."
In the Shoshinkai 1995 demo of Super Mario 64, the movement was even floatier. By the time the final game launched, the wall kick was tightened up. This specific mission, wall kicks will work Mario 64, was placed in the fourth world to ensure players mastered the move before hitting the much harder Bowser stages or the verticality of Tick Tock Clock.
Common Misconceptions and Mistakes
A lot of people think you have to mash the A button. That’s a lie. Mashing actually makes it harder because the game looks for a "clean" input during the contact frames.
Another big mistake is the stick direction. You don't actually have to pull away from the wall immediately. You can actually kick off a wall by just pressing A, but pulling away gives you the distance needed to reach the next ledge. If you’re playing on an original N64 controller, the "gate" of the joystick—that octagonal shape—is your best friend. Sliding the stick into the bottom-left or bottom-right notches helps lock in the angle.
The Speedrunner Secret: The "Triple Jump" Skip
Did you know you don’t technically have to do the wall kicks the "intended" way? Speedrunners often use a precise triple jump from the lower slope to gain enough height to bypass the first two kicks entirely. It’s much faster but requires a frame-perfect turn at the edge of a slippery slope. For most of us, sticking to the name of the star—wall kicks will work Mario 64—is the safest bet.
Why This Star Sticks in Our Brains
There’s something psychological about being told what to do. The mission title isn't a hint; it's a command. Most other stars have cryptic names like "Li'l Penguin Lost" or "Shocking Arrow Lifts." But here, the developers were blunt.
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It’s also one of the first times the game forces you to deal with "slippery" physics. Cool, Cool Mountain is covered in ice, and Mario’s traction is garbage. Trying to perform a precision wall kick while your shoes have the grip of a wet bar of soap is what makes this mission a core memory for so many gamers. It’s frustrating. It’s rewarding. It’s classic Nintendo.
Technical Limitations of the N64
The hardware actually struggled a bit here. If you look closely at the "wall kicks will work" area, the textures are very simple. This was done to maintain a consistent 30 frames per second. Any drop in frame rate during a wall kick would make the input window feel different, essentially breaking the mechanic. By keeping the geometry simple, Nintendo ensured that if you failed, it was your fault, not the console's.
How to Master the Move Today
If you're playing on the Switch or an emulator, the input lag can be slightly different than the original CRT experience. On the Super Mario 3D All-Stars version, there’s a tiny bit of latency that wasn't there in 1996. To compensate, you actually want to hit the jump button just a millisecond earlier than you think.
- Watch Mario’s hands. When they touch the wall, he actually has a specific animation frame where he stays "flat" against the surface.
- Listen to the sound. There’s a specific "thud" noise. You want to jump right as that sound triggers.
- Don't panic. The biggest killer in wall kicks will work Mario 64 is oversteering. If you fall, just let Mario land. Trying to save a fall usually leads to a recursive loop of falling even further.
The Legacy of the Wall Kick
This mechanic defined an entire genre. Every 3D platformer that came after—from Banjo-Kazooie to Psychonauts and even Ratchet & Clank—owes its wall-jumping mechanics to this specific implementation. But none of them quite captured the "weight" that Mario has.
In Super Mario Odyssey, the wall kick is much more forgiving. You can even use Cappy to stall in the air and reset your momentum. It makes the "wall kicks will work" star feel like a relic of a tougher, less forgiving era of gaming. But that’s why we love it.
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Actionable Tips for Your Next Playthrough
- Talk to the Bob-omb: You can't use the cannon without opening it. The red Bob-omb is located on a ledge near the start of the level, just past the bridge.
- Use the "C-Up" Camera: Before you start the wall kick sequence, tap C-Up to look around and line up your path. Then tap it again to go back to standard view. This resets the camera's "memory" of where it should be.
- The "Long Jump" Shortcut: If you're feeling brave, you can long jump from the bridge above directly toward the star's location. It’s risky, but it skips the entire bottom section of the mountain.
- Practice at Peach's Castle: The trees outside the castle are great for practicing the "climb" mechanic, but for wall kicks, use the alcoves near the waterfall. It’s a safe environment with no death pits.
Next time you load up Super Mario 64, don't let the title of the star get in your head. It’s just a game of timing. Keep your thumb steady, watch the shadows, and remember that, despite the frustration, the game is right: those wall kicks really will work.
Next Steps for Success
To truly master the movement in Cool, Cool Mountain, start by practicing your "Triple Jump" on the flat snowy areas near the penguin mother. Once you can consistently trigger the third, highest jump, try to aim it toward a vertical wall. Notice the "hang time" Mario has at the peak of his jump—this is your window. Transition your practice to the "Wall Kicks Will Work" star area only after you can perform five successful kicks in a row without falling. Use the octagonal gate of your controller to ensure your "opposite direction" input is a true 180-degree pull. This prevents Mario from drifting sideways and missing the narrow landing platforms.