Super Mario 74 is a ROM hack made by Lugmillord. It was released in June 2011 and contains 151 stars. The difficulty is amped up, but not so much to the point of ruining the fun. It starts very easy, and has a hard difficulty curve. It doesn't get too hard until the very end, and even more so in the final two "sphere" levels.
More over, the creator made an even harder version called Super Mario 74 Extreme Edition reusing levels from this game (replacing Champion's Challenge with Triarc-Bridge), but for the purpose of making them devilishly difficult.
The graphics are still the same as the original game, but there are few changes like the music, though most of the tracks still stay the same. The overworlds mostly contain pipes and instant warp zones hidden inside the pseudo-paintings in order to transport between the levels.
This hack also has a very silly tone and is most likely meant to be a parody. The NPCs are there mostly for a quick laugh or joke, and getting a specific amount of stars usually results in a message taunting the player, saying that they're going too slow. Even some of the star names are taunting the player, such as any of the ones that are simply called "Secret..." or "Can You Find Me?". There are also some times that the game mentions the original Super Mario 64 by name/game and breaks the fourth wall.
In January 2021, MarioCrash released a crossover of SM74 and SM74EE, called Super Mario 74: Ten Years After, which introduces new themes for the levels, as well as new missions. It was made as a celebration of SM74's 10th anniversary in 2021.
Plot[]
The main plot of this game is explained by a Toad close to where you spawn when you enter the Valley of the Toads. As usual, Princess Peach gets kidnapped by Bowser. However, there are more than the usual 120 stars, implying that is a direct sequel to Super Mario 64. The extra 30 stars happened to be hidden in the toilet. In-game, these 30 stars are placed throughout the overworlds and in the secret stages. Also, once you get to the final two levels, Mario learns of the Kubus(es), which are cubes that control certain aspects of every video game in existence. Though there are five in total, two are introduced in the original. The Kubus of Light provides energy for sunlight in every video game, and the Kubus of Darkness produces all of the darkness in every video game.
Levels[]
| Name of level | Level(s) replaced | Number of Stars available | Stars required | Amount of coins in the level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dice-Fortress | Bob-omb Battlefield | 7 | 0 | 121 |
| Skyward Slopes | Whomp's Fortress | 122 | ||
| Azure-Abyss | Jolly Roger Bay | 131 | ||
| System of a Town | Cool, Cool Mountain | 10+ | 147 | |
| Haunted Factory | Big Boo's Haunt | 226 | ||
| Stalagmite Cave | Hazy Maze Cave | 30 | 135 | |
| Icecrystal-Tower | Lethal Lava Land | 167 | ||
| Overheating Oasis | Shifting Sand Land | 30+ | 144 | |
| Flowery Gardens | Dire, Dire Docks | 10+ | 110 | |
| Swampy Spring | Snowman's Land | 50+ | 133 | |
| Sunny Beach | Wet-Dry World | 100 | ||
| Cliff of Wrath | Tall, Tall Mountain | 116 | ||
| Molten Treasure Chest | Tiny-Huge Island | 50+ | 255 | |
| Luminium-Sphere | Tick Tock Clock | 85 | 148 | |
| Ombru-Sphere | Rainbow Ride | 95 | 141 |
Bonus Levels[]
| Name of level | Level(s) replaced | Number of Stars available | Stars required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toxic-Switch of Danger | Cavern of the Metal Cap | 5 | 0 | This entire level contains toxic air that can decrease Mario's health very quickly. |
| Bowser's Badlands-Battlefield | Bowser in the Dark World | 4 | 10 | N/A |
| Tower of the East | Wing Mario Over the Rainbow | 6 | 10+ | |
| Lava-Switch of Eruption | Tower of the Wing Cap | 3 | ||
| Dust-Switch of Identity | Vanish Cap Under the Moat | 6 | ||
| Frozen Slide | The Princess's Secret Slide | 4 | ||
| Bowser's Aquatic Castle | Bowser in the Fire Sea | 5 | 50 | |
| Champion's Challenge | The Secret Aquarium | 2 | 50+ | The second Star in this level is also the 151st and final Star in the game. |
| Bowser's Crystal Palace | Bowser in the Sky | 6 | 110 | There are 16 Red Coins in this level. In addition, there is also a secret entrance to the castle grounds from the original Super Mario 64 hidden somewhere in the basement of the Crystal Palace. |
Hub[]
| Name of level | Level(s) replaced | Number of Stars available | Stars required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley of the Toads | Castle Courtyard | 4 | 0 | Two of the Stars come from Toads. The other two are held by MIPS the rabbit. |
| Magma Temple | Castle Interior | 1 | 50+ | Once you have collected 125 Stars, you can gain access to the last of the five Mysterious Hidden Objects behind that door. |
| Castle Grounds | 0 | 110+ | Yoshi will still appear on the roof if you have at least 120 Stars. | |
Music[]
| Used in | Name of sequence | Game(s) with this sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Title Screen | Title Theme | Super Mario 64 |
| File Select | Flipside | Super Paper Mario |
| Overworld 1, 2, and 3 | ||
| Dice-Fortress | Bob-omb Battlefield | Super Mario 64 |
| Skyward Slopes | Title Theme | |
| Azure Abyss | Dire, Dire Docks | |
| System of a Town | Bob-omb Battlefield | |
| Haunted Factory | Frantic Factory | Donkey Kong 64 |
| Stalagmite Cave | Cave Dungeon | Super Mario 64 |
| Icecrystal-Tower | Snow Mountain | |
| Overheating Oasis | Lethal Lava Land | |
| Flowery Gardens | Bob-omb Battlefield | |
| Swampy Spring | Dire, Dire Docks | |
| Sunny Beach | Bob-omb Battlefield | |
| Cliff of Wrath | ||
| Molten Treasure Chest | Lethal Lava Land | |
| Luminum-Sphere | Stone Tower Temple | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask |
| Ombru-Sphere | Stone Tower Temple (Inverted) | |
| Bowser's Badlands Battlefield | Koopa's Road | Super Mario 64 |
| Bowser's Aquatic Castle | ||
| Bowser's Crystal Palace | Hideout Helm | Donkey Kong 64 |
| Key 1 / Key 2 Bowser Fights | Koopa's Theme | Super Mario 64 |
| Final Bowser Fight | Ultimate Koopa | |
| Frozen Slide | Slider | |
| Champion's Challenge | Eternal Star | Mario Party |
| Toxic-Switch of Danger (Metal Cap Stage) | Cave Dungeon | Super Mario 64 |
| Lava-Switch of Eruption (Wing Cap Stage) | Lethal Lava Land | |
| Dust-Switch of Identity (Vanish Cap Stage) | Windmill Hut | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
| Metal Cap | Metallic Mario | Super Mario 64 |
| Wing Cap | Powerful Mario | |
| Vanish Cap | ||
| Shell Ride | ||
| Boss Battle | Stage Boss | |
| Koopa Race | Slider | |
| Piranha Plant Lullaby | Stone Tower Temple | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask |