Above the Clouds

Above the Clouds are a group of three secret levels in SM64 Last Impact, which all feature the Cloud Flower power-up. The first cloud stage is accessible after Mario has collected 12 stars, when a beam of light comes down to shine on the yellow pedestal in the first overworld. The second is in the clouds above Drybone Desert, which is reached by using the cannon, and the third is in Sky-High Islands, through a hidden pipe on the side of the giant floating island.

There are very few enemies in these stages, as they rely more on difficult platforming. The first just involves jumping from cloud to cloud, while the second and third require Mario to collect red coins, and follow around a flying ship which goes along a rainbow path through the level. In the second level, the ship revolves around a central platform, while in the third it follows a linear path, so Mario must be quick in order to keep up with it.

The cloud power-ups respawn after a few seconds, and Mario can hold two at a time. In all stages, Mario will lose a life if he falls.

Levels[]

Above the Clouds 1[]

This is by far the easiest of the three cloud stages. Mario only has to use long jumps, the cloud cap, and maybe a triple jump or two to make it to every platform. The path to the star is completely linear, so just progress from cloud to cloud to reach the star.

Above the Clouds 2[]

Mario must collect the 8 red coins along the ship’s path for this star. Since the ship always comes back around, this level can be taken slowly by waiting for the ship to come back. This is especially relevant for the 5th and 6th red coins where getting back on the ship quickly can be difficult, so it may be better to wait for the ship, rather than rushing and potentially falling off. The best place to get back on the ship is from the floating platforms near the 5th red coin (beware the bow of the ship, which can sweep Mario off the platforms). If Mario dies in this stage, he will appear on the clouds over Drybone Desert.

The locations of the red coins are as follows:

On a cloud near the start
Between the Cloud Flower and a cloud power-up
On top of the highest of three floating platform
Next to the Bullet Bill Blaster
On top of a vine on the floating island
On top of a vine on the floating island
On the first floor of the house on the central cloud
On the upper platform of the house on the central cloud

after collecting all 8 red coins, the star appears on the starting platform.

Above the Clouds 3[]

This level has been called the hardest in the game by some players, and it is almost certainly the hardest to find without any hints. Mario must move quickly to collect the red coins while keeping up with the ship, otherwise he can end up stranded. This is made more challenging by the fact that any damage will cause him to lose the Cloud Cap, making an already tough stage even more difficult. It is possible to reach the cloud with the 8th red coin without the ship by using two clouds along with triple jump dives from the cloud near the castle, but if the ship is already docked it may be impossible to reach the final platform. If Mario dies in this stage, the game will open the star select menu for Sky-High Islands, and Mario will appear at the pipe leading to Above the Clouds when entering the level.

The locations of the red coins are as follows:

On top of a floating platform near the start
On top of a floating island next to a cloud power-up
On top of a pole surrounded by rotating flames
On a cloud
On top of a palm tree
On one of the back towers of the castle
On one of the back towers of the castle
On a cloud surrounded by flames, near the dock at the end

After collecting all 8 red coins, the star appears on the dock at the end of the boat’s path.

Enemies[]

Bullet Bill

Trivia[]

A Bob-omb in the second cloud stage tells Mario that someone planted vines on all of the flying islands to leech their power and that they will soon go crashing to the ground.

There is a sign on top of the pillar in the third cloud stage which says “The button combination to open the green gate is A L B Z B A L Z” referring to the door in Abandoned Outpost.
The temple far in the background in the first cloud stage can actually be reached by doing the Infinite long jump glitch against a structure higher up in the course. and utilize the cloud suit if necessary. The temple is actually solid. and has a weegee Sprite on one of the walls