Shifting Sand Land
Shifting Sand Land is the eighth course of Super Mario 64. The entrance is disguised as a wall and can be accessed from the end of the hallway left of the painting leading to Lethal Lava Land.
| Shifting Sand Land | |
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| Course Info | |
| Abbreviation | SSL |
| Terrain | Sandy/Default |
| Setting | Day |
| Water | Small |
| Course Items | |
| Coins | 86 (  ×55 •  ×8 •  ×3)
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| Enemy Coins | 50 ( ×30 • ×4)
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| Stars |  ×7
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| Caps |  ×3
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| Star Navigation | |
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| Overview | |
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Course Versions
There are three versions of the course that can appear by selecting different stars. Keep in mind that if there are any blue stars (uncollected) present in the star selection menu, then the last version that can be selected is the first blue star and not the stars after it:
- Version 1: Accessed by selecting Star 1. Klepto holds a star.
- Version 2: Accessed by selecting Star 2 or Star 3. Klepto does not hold a star, while there are no extra tornadoes in the course.
- Version 3: Accessed by selecting Star 4 through Star 6. Extra tornadoes will appear in certain quicksand areas.
Coins
There are 74 coins outside of the Pyramid and 62 coins inside the pyramid for a combined maximum of 136 total coins for this score. The max can be raised using the Breaking-Disappearing Cork Box Glitch, which allows collection of infinite coins.
| Location | Count |
|---|---|
| Inside the throwing box under the stone building | 3 |
| One coin on top of each of the four pillars | 4 |
| Line of coins between the two pillars behind the pyramid | 5 |
| Line of coins on the pyramid | 5 |
| (In the Pyramid) 2 coins just before first floor staircase at back of pyramid | 2 |
| (In the Pyramid) Ring of coins under the first wire grid | 8 |
| (In the Pyramid) Line of coins under the second wire grid | 5 |
| (In the Pyramid) 4 coins on steps just after second wire frame | 4 |
| (In the Pyramid) 2 pairs of coins, on moving steps | 4 |
| (In the Pyramid) 10 coins at very top of pyramid (a line and a sloped line of coins) | 10 |
| (In the Pyramid) 5 coins in "Pyramid Puzzle" secrets | 5 |
| (Out and In the Pyramid) 12 Goombas | 12 |
| 3 Fly Guys | 6 |
| 2 Crazy Boxes | 10 |
| 2 Bob-ombs | 2 |
| 8 Red Coins | 16 |
| 4 Pokeys | 20 |
| (In the Pyramid) Blue coin block | 15 |
| Total | 136 |
TASes
Star 1: https://youtu.be/ei5Xghrkoqk[1]
Star 2: https://youtu.be/FTeqCg_XDaU[1]
Star 3: https://youtu.be/LvexpK-Tuys[1]
Star 4: https://youtu.be/Ijpkr1VP1pA[1]
Star 5: https://youtu.be/D_sFOzm2B7s[1]
A Press Counts
In the A Button Challenge, two of the seven stars require one A presses, namely Inside the Ancient Pyramid and Pyramid Puzzle. The remaining missions do not require A presses to complete.
| Star | A Presses | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 1* | 1 |
| 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 1* | 2 |
| 100 | 0 | 8 |
| *To jump out of the elevator of the pyramid. | ||
Entering Shifting Sand Land (0x)
The painting disguised as a wall can be entered by dive-recovering into it.
In the Talons of the Big Bird (0x)
- Video: https://youtu.be/ww82yJUtnok
Near one of the four pillars, there is a crazy box nearby, which Mario can grab at the right moment to touch Klepto once the crazy box is at its peak. Mario then grabs the star.
Shining Atop the Pyramid (0x)
- Video: https://youtu.be/9LUnFXtny2U
Using the same crazy box, Mario aims towards the top of the pyramid instead and swiftly grabs the star there. Even without this strategy, the star can still be reached by twirling from a Shy Guy and then walking up the pyramid while burned by a Keronpa Ball.
Inside the Ancient Pyramid (1x)
- Video: https://youtu.be/-7rhANlmuDE
Navigating up the pyramid from the bottom (standard) entrance to the top costs 1 A Presses[2] using known strategies, but it is faster to complete by entering the pyramid from the top. Unfortunately, the barriers around the elevator are 7 units too high for a dive recover to clear, and therefore an A press must be used to jump out of the elevator. Mario jumps from the elevator th the star.
Stand Tall on the Four Pillars (0x)
The biggest obstacle is to get to Eyerok's boss fight without pressing A. To do so, Mario needs to get on top of the wire mesh to access the teleporter via wrong-warping (the teleporter is intended to be one-way, but it can be activated by standing on a slightly higher ground). That way, Mario can enter the room from above, normally accessed by standing on top of the four pillars and riding down on the elevator.
To get onto reach the wire mesh, Mario uses a precise goomba bounce.
Free Flying for 8 Red Coins (0x)
- Video: https://youtu.be/53yVvpNQHQg
The most difficult red coins to collect is the four midair red coins, one of which being closest to Mario is the hardest to get, as it is not far enough to be reached by a shy guy or a crazy box alone. The extra tornadoes do not spawn until this star is completed. However, with better strategies manipulating a Shy Guy, Mario can get it to appear at the right location and keep it at a lunging state with the crazy box's bounce, allowing it to move higher than intended. Mario then bounces on it from the peak of the crazy box, collecting the red coin while twirling. Without this strategy, Pokey clones would have been required.
The remaining red coins in the air can be collected using a combination of tornadoes and shy guys. The location where the star is spawned is almost off-limits for Mario to reach as it requires a shy guy that is used up for the first coin. The fastest way for Mario to collect it is to clone the star. Nonetheless, even without cloning, Mario can still reach the high platform by precisely bouncing on a goomba and a pokey [3].
Pyramid Puzzle (1x)
- Video: https://youtu.be/p4URidbSP88
Just like Inside the Ancient Pyramid, navigating up the pyramid from the bottom (standard) entrance to the top costs 1 A Presses[2] using known strategies, but it is faster to complete by entering the pyramid from the top. Unfortunately, the barriers around the elevator are 7 units too high for a dive recover to clear, and therefore an A press must be used to jump out of the elevator. After jumping from the elevator, Mario just collects all the secrets and collects the star.
SSL 100 coins (0x)
- Video: https://youtu.be/92LrcsRjTLI
Collecting various coins. Mario can opt to clone the box for more coins and eventually reach 100 coins without having to enter the pyramid.
Other Challenges
In the CCC Challenge, excluding coin missions, all stars can be collected. Pyramid Puzzle requires precise jump kicks over the five coins to collect the secrets without touching the coins.
In the No Buttons Allowed Challenge, In the Talons of the Big Bird, Shining Atop the Pyramid, and Free Flying for 8 Red Coins can be collected. They make heavy use of twirls from Fly Guys and Tornados.
In the No Joystick Allowed Challenge, all seven stars can be collected.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 TAS Times: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12Sl41gqLUGzBU0p1nx7uNKOAP835NIoFXqda1j6oqag/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://youtu.be/pzjknw-O0rY?si=YWfNvN-KshwZuKFT
- ↑ SSL Red Coins 0x Alternative Star Collect: https://youtu.be/RYUcbaHst8E