Lethal Lava Land

**Lethal Lava Land** is the seventh course in Super Mario 64. It can be accessed from the painting containing a red fireball in the basement room of the Princess Peach's castle. The basement can be accessed by defeating Bowser in the Dark World.

## Course Versions

There are two 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 through Star 4. There is no shiny shell.
* **Version 2**: Accessed by selecting Star 5 through Star 6. The shiny shell is available for the player to ride on.

## A Press Counts

In the A Button Challenge, it takes one A Presses to collect all seven stars. The lone A press is used to long jump from the Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano platform.

### Entering Lethal Lava Land *(0x)*

Performing a dive recover (press *B* at run speed) allows entering the painting without pressing A.

### Boil the Big Bully *(0x)*

*Video: https://youtu.be/NbUWR0IkNxE*
As the course is filled with lava, Mario can go to higher platforms by simply using lava boosts. Therefore, Mario has no difficulty getting to the platform of the Big Bully and defeat it to collect the star.

### Bully the Bullies *(0x)*

*Video: https://youtu.be/\_szjkqYGwkI*
Mario goes to the platform with three bullies present and defeats all the bullies on the platform. The star is then collected by a lava boost nearby.

### 8-Coin Puzzle with 15 Pieces *(0x)*

*Video: https://youtu.be/4PXUXKf2ghU*
Bowser's puzzle is reached by sliding kicking and dive-recovering. The eight coins on the puzzle are then quickly collected for the star to appear since the geometry of the course is mostly flat, easing navigation.

### Red-Hot Log Rolling *(0x)*

*Video: https://youtu.be/BxCJYoxELvk*
As the shell is not available at this point, Mario must reach the log behind the steel-grate platform without a shell. After a couple of lava boosts, Mario gets on top of the log and rolls on it, and finally collects the star with a well-timed dive.

### Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano *(0x)*

*Video: https://youtu.be/BxCJYoxELvk*
Mario enters the volcano. For the next two stars, Mario will utilize the lava boost from the "lavafall", but the major obstacle is how many lava boosts Mario can use without dying. Fortunately, a spinning heart is nearby allowing Mario to regain HP, allowing Mario to reach the destination with 0 A presses with a complicated route.

First, Mario gets on the moving platform with a lava boost and ZB bounces onto the lavafall (Mario is immune to lava effects when slide kicking) to land on the narrow bridge above with 2 lava boosts. Once there, Mario descends to the spinning platform and exploits the heart healing Mario's HP for an extended duration. Mario then moves back to the bottom of the lavafall quickly (since the higher platform is too high to reach) to go back to the higher platform with 3 lava boosts, restores HP with 3 coins, and quickly uses one more to reach the small platform with a pole. From there, Mario performs the final movement of ZB bouncing to the lavafall with height (while collecting 2 coins to restore HP) and uses 2 more lava boosts to reach Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano platform, collecting the star.

### Elevator Tour in the Volcano *(1x)*

*Video: https://youtu.be/UohcfHOTyvs*
As the path leading to the Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano star requires jumping off the pole 2 times, it is not feasible to use the intended route. Instead, Mario uses the same movement used in Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano to reach the Hot-Foot-It into the Volcano platform, and then long jumps onto the Elevator Tour in the Volcano from afar.

### LLL 100 coins *(0x)*

*Video: https://youtu.be/b3XxfYRYPHo*
There are enough coins to collect outside the volcano, and so Mario collects most of the coins using a shell and grabs additional coins from bullies and Mr. I.

## References

1. ↑ SM64 120 Star ABC Route: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wVD60DYcPPjWmfObqwV-1Kb0ic478dsL9znCMqM2X4M/edit?usp=sharing

 First Floor
 Bowser Stages