Bowser key

Bowser key
Hitbox Info
Hitbox	cylinder with radius of 80 and height of 50, offset down 0 units
Tangibility radius	1000
Interaction type	Star/Key
Surfaces	none
Related Power Star
Found In Bowser Stage

Bowser Keys or Keys are items used to progress through key doors that are obtained by defeating Bowser at the end of a Bowser Stage. There are two keys in Super Mario 64, one from Bowser in the Dark World, which unlocks the basement, and one from Bowser in the Fire Sea, which unlocks the second floor. The only way to skip a key is to do Moat Door Skip to go into the basement without ever having to interact with the basement key door. There is no way to skip the upstairs key door since it triggers the loading zone to the second floor, with no difference entrances to get in (e.g., moat door). Because of this, Bowser in the Fire Sea is mandatory to finish the game.

Glitches

• On the Japanese version after collecting a key, a Star will float around Mario instead of the actual key
• On the Japanese version if you C-up and look somewhere else before collecting the key, Mario's head will stay in that direction, giving the appearance of a broken neck.

Mario with his head pointing down and star over his head after picking up a key on the Japanese version.