No Buttons Allowed Challenge
The No Buttons Allowed Challenge (also known as the Buttonless Challenge) forbids the use of A, B, Z, Start, L, R, and (to some extent) C buttons. This challenge was created by pannenkoek2012 to push the game to its limits.
| Buttonless Challenge | |||
| Abbreviation | NBA | ||
| Individual stars collectible | 34 | ||
| Overall stars collectible | 0 | ||
| Is beatable | No | ||
| Star Details | |||
| BoB |
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| WF |
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| JRB |
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| CCM |
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| BBH |
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| HMC |
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| LLL |
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| SSL |
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| DDD |
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| SL |
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| WDW |
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| TTM |
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| THI |
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| TTC |
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| RR |
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| Secret |
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| Castle |
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| Bowser |
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The C buttons are only allowed when they only affect the camera and don't affect actual gameplay. For example, the C^ Hyperspeed glitch is not allowed.
The challenge is more difficult than simply restricting the A button, since this disables many maneuvering options that Mario can use, such as jumping, diving, sliding, and more. The challenge cannot be done as a full game run as there is in-game text that cannot be advanced without the use of buttons.
There are only 34 stars that can be collected, many of which require complicated strategies.
Possible Stars
| Location | How to enter | Applicability | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob-omb Battlefield | Find the 8 Red Coins | Mario can slide off of a hill into the Koopa to knock its shell of, then use Shell Hyperspeed to collect the coins on Chain Chomp's post and the floating island. The star itself is collected by sliding off a hill and bouncing on Goombas. | Behind Chain Chomp's Gate | Shell Hyperspeed is also used here to clip inside the gate high enough to collect the star. | |
| 100 Coins | Shell Hyperspeed is used again to collect coins in the sky, as well as kill Goombas. The star is spawned in a specific spot near the ! switch so it can be collected by falling from above. | ||||
| Whomp's Fortress | Shoot into the Wild Blue | The warp is used to get to the top of the stage, then the slope nearby can be used to slide Mario onto the lower platform. The star can be collected by precisely falling off the side of the platform. | |||
| Blast Away the Wall | Mario can framewalk up to the area where the star is, then collect it with a precise ledge grab into the wall. | ||||
| Cool, Cool Mountain | Slip Slidin' Away | Framewalking is used to enter the cabin, then the slide can be completed normally. To collect the star itself, Mario must warp back to the top of the stage and fall on it from above. | |||
| Frosty Slide for 8 Red Coins | The red coin on the tree at the start can be collected by falling from the nearby ledge, and the one at the top of the ski lift can be collected with a precise ledge grab. The one on the tree at the bottom of the stage can be collected by bouncing off of a Spindrift, and then the star is easily collected by falling from above. | ||||
| Wall Kicks Will Work | The strategy for this star is the same as in the A Button Challenge. Framewalking is used to climb to the peak of the mountain, then Mario slides off with enough speed to bounce on a Spindrift and twirl down to the star. | ||||
| 100 Coins | There are plenty of coins obtainable by going down the slide and the outside of the mountain. The final coin collected is the red coin in the corner of the stage, so the star can be collected by walking up the steep slope. | ||||
| Lethal Lava Land | Boil the Big Bully | Lava boosting can reach all the way to the Big Bully platform and collect the star. The bully is defeated by running into it precisely when it's on the edge of its platform. This star has to be carefully planned to collect enough coins to survive. | |||
| Bully the Bullies | This star can be collected with the same strategies as the previous one. | ||||
| 8-Coin Puzzle with 15 Pieces | The puzzle can easily be reached with lava boosts, then collecting all of the coins is easy. | ||||
| Red-Hot Log Rolling | The ring of coins on the nearby platform means that it is possible to ride over to the log area with full health. Mario can use one lava boost to get on top of the log, then another to reach the star. | ||||
| 100 Coins | The route for this star has to be carefully planned out so Mario can collect enough coins to survive lava boosting around the stage. | ||||
| Shifting Sand Land | In the Talons of the Big Bird | The pyramid is reached by climbing up a pillar and bouncing on a Fly Guy. The other Fly Guy is then used to hit Klepto and reach the star. | |||
| Shining Atop the Pyramid | The same strategy for reaching the pyramid in the previous star is used. | ||||
| [[Free Flying for 8 Red Coins] | Tornadoes and Fly Guys are used to reach the four coins in the sky, break a cork box, and reach the star. | ||||
| Snowman's Land | Snowman's Big Head | One of the Moneybags is lured all the way to the shell block, then Moneybag Duplication is used to get enough Moneybags to bounce all the way to the shell block and open it. The shell is used to lure the Fly Guy near the top of the snowman, then use Shell Hyperspeed to reach most of the way up. The lured Fly Guy is then used to twirl into the star. | |||
| Chill with the Bully | The icy water can be easily used to defeat the Chill Bully and collect the star. | ||||
| In the Deep Freeze | The Moneybags are used again to reach the shell, then Shell Hyperspeed is used to reach the ice block with the star. | ||||
| Whirl from the Freezing Pond | Moneybag luring and duplication is used again, but this time enough are duplicated to bounce all the way to the star block to open it and collect the star. | ||||
| Shell Shreddin' for Red Coins | Seven of the eight red coins can be easily collected, even without the shell, but the one underneath the Chill Bully platform is very problematic. Moneybag duplication is once again used to get Moneybags underneath the platform, then it is possible to slide with enough speed to reach the red coin, then bounce on Moneybags to escape with enough HP to survive. The star is collected by twirling off of a Fly Guy. | ||||
| 100 Coins | Moneybag duplication is used again, this time near the icy water so Mario can boost off it to bounce on duplicated Moneybags and collect their coins. The boosting is also used to collect the star. | ||||
| Wet-Dry World | Shocking Arrow Lifts! | The warp is used to reach the star platform and a fire bounce can open the star block. The warp is used again to reach the star. | |||
| Tall, Tall Mountain | Scary 'Shrooms, Red Coins | Two of the red coins on the mushrooms can be collected easily with the vertical wind, but the other two are problematic. They are possible to collect by luring a Fly Guy and using Wind Hyperspeed to twirl off of it at high speeds. This makes it possible to collect the red coins on the other two mushrooms and get back in time to reach the vertical wind again. One of the cliff red coins can be reached by twirling in the vertical wind again, and the other three can be collected by dropping down from above. The star can be reached with the vertical wind. | |||
| Mysterious Mountainside | The star is reached by using the vertical wind to climb up the mountain and twirling off of a fly guy to reach the star. | ||||
| Breathtaking View from Bridge | The vertical wind, Fly Guy, and framewalking are used to climb the mountain, and the star is reached by dropping from above. | ||||
| Blast to the Lonely Mushroom | The Fly Guy is once again used to twirl to the star. | ||||
| Tiny-Huge Island | Pluck the Piranha Flower | Framewalking is used to get around the water, then the slope is used to slide and knock the shell of the koopa. This would send Mario into the water, so he has to run into a Spiny to stop sliding. The shell is used to reach the Piranha Plants and defeat them, and a fire bounce is used to collect the star. | |||
| Five Itty Bitty Secrets | The same method is used to obtain the Koopa shell. This time, it is used to enter the pipe at the top of the mountain to reach the tiny island. From there, several fire bounces are used to climb the mountain slopes and reach each of the secrets. This amount of fire would kill Mario though, so he also has to run into the small Koopa Troopa to knock its Blue Coin to the sandy area to regain health. | ||||
| 100 Coins | The shell is once again obtained, but this time it is used to enter Wiggler's cave. The Koopa Troopa is not defeated yet, so the shell will respawn once Mario exits. Two red coins are collected, then the cave is exited. Mario bounces on a Fly Guy and uses the vertical wind to twirl indefinitely. The twirling is used to defeat several large Goombas and collect their blue coins. The shell is obtained again, this time to get up the mountain. Another Goomba is defeated with a twirl, then Mario climbs to the top of the level to fall into the pipe. Mini Goombas are defeated by dropping onto them, and then Mario drops back into the lower pipe to defeat the Piranha Plants with fire bounces. The final coin is collected next to the steep slope so the star can be obtained by walking up to it. | ||||
| Tick Tock Clock | Get a Hand | The spinners are climbed by framewalking, only possible on the random setting. A fire bounce is used to get on top of the hand, and then Pendulum Manipulation is used to allow Mario to ride the pendulum into the star. | |||
| Stop Time for Red Coins | The red coins are collected by framewalking on the spinners. The star is then obtained with a precise slide off of one of the spinners. | ||||
| Tower of the Wing Cap | Red Coin Star | Since Mario starts the course flying, it is easy to collect the red coins and star. |