Crystal Caves (SDK64)

This article is about the stage in Super Donkey Kong 64. For the course in Last Impact, see Crystal Caves (LI).

Crystal Caves
Information
Hack	Super Donkey Kong 64
Required	26
Boss(es)	Big Mr. I
Number of Stars	7
Music	Donkey Kong 64 - Crystal Caves
Previous Level	Fungi Forest
Next Level	Creepy Castle
Acts
Stars	Star 1 Star 2 Star 3 Star 4 Star 5 Star 6

Crystal Caves is the sixth stage of Super Donkey Kong 64 entrance to this level is on a grassy platform on the side of the mountain, on the path to Angry Aztec. It can be reached by using the superjump pad or Triplejump 2, or long jumping from the path past Angry Aztec.

The main feature of the level is a river which spans most of the stage. On one end of the river is a cavern with a igloo, and on the other is a large open area with cabins and a waterfall. There is also a second zone accessible through a pipe near the cabins, which only has some red coins above a bottomless pit.

Levels

The hole in the wall allows Mario to bypass the small hole at the bottom

Star 1

Take a right at the first fork to come to a large open cavern. Head left along the river for a short distance, and long jump to the other side, from the left side of the stone pillar. Climb to the top of the stone pillars on the left and follow the bridge towards the crystal formation. Do a sideflip to get up to the hole in the wall and get to the other side. Just down the corridor is a Heave Ho patrolling underneath a star. The star can be reached using the Heave Ho, a triple jump ground pound, or triplejump2.

Star 2

The "!" switch for these boxes is inside the castle next to Mario

Head back towards the river. Head left along the river for a short distance, and long jump to the other side, either from the left of the stone pillar, or by jumping across Dorrie. Climb to the top of the stone pillars on the right and go to the castle. Get on top of the castle using a sideflip wallkick ledgegrab, or triplejump 2. There is a "!" switch hidden inside the center tower of the castle, which creates a line of boxes leading to the star on the far pillar. The boxes are spaced close enough together to be made using regular jumps with enough time to get across if Mario moves quickly.

Star 3

Riding the Thwomp to the top of the waterfall

Head to the river, jump into it and follow it to the left to a room with a large cabin on the left. Use the wood platform to jump onto the shore and follow the path up towards the waterfall. Climb the stone pillars and cross the bridge towards the Thwomp in front of the cabin. Jump on the Thwomp’s head and ride it to the top of the waterfall to get the star. Be warned that the top of the waterfall is very slippery, and there are invisible walls around the edges of the alcove, so it’s best to long jump directly to the star once the Thwomp stops moving.

Star 4

One of the igloo secrets

Head to the river and go right along it until the steep slope leading to Cranky’s Lab. Go around or over the hill and keep hugging the right wall to reach a large igloo. Around the igloo are 5 sparkling secrets on top of large floating wood platforms. After collecting all 5 secrets the star appears on top of the igloo.

The sixth red coin in the zone through the pipe

Star 5

Head to the river, jump into it and follow it to the left to a room with a large cabin on the left.

1. On the first floor of the large wood cabin, in the door on the left
2. First floor of the wood cabin, in the door on the right
3. Second floor of the wood cabin, in the door on the left
4. Third floor of the wood cabin, In the door
5. Through the pipe on top of the stone pillar in the centre of the cabin room, on a ledge past a Heave Ho
6. In the same area as red coin 5, on a ledge past two Kuromames
7. In the same area as red coin 5, on a ledge past a Heave Ho
8. In the same area as red red coin, on a ledge past a Heave Ho and a Kuromame

After obtaining all 8 red coins, the star appears in the cabin area, near the pipe.

Star 6

Running around Big Mr. I is much trickier on ice.

Go right along the river until the steep slope leading to Cranky’s Lab. Jump in the river, follow it past Cranky’s Lab and use the floating wooden platform to jump up to the slope on the right with the Chuckya. Go up the slope, past the crystal formation with the mini tunnel and into the gap in the crystals on the right at the top. In this room is a Big Mr. I, circling a patch of ice. Get Mr. I to lock on to Mario, and then run circles around it to defeat it. There is a bug/feature where Mr. I can charge Mario, and hit Mario multiple times before he can get up, instantly killing him.

Enemies

• Chuckya
• Goomba
• Heave Ho
• Scuttlebug
• Swoopers
• Thwomp