A door in the classic 1996 video game, Super Mario 64, has finally been unlocked after nearly three decades of puzzling players. This unusual door, positioned at the foot of Cool, Cool Mountain’s slide, lacks a handle and cannot be opened from the “outside.”
For years, Super Mario 64 fans have been both intrigued and frustrated by the enigma of this one-sided door
This long-standing mystery was solved by a speedrunner dubbed “Alexpalix,” who was inspired by a YouTube video.
For years, Super Mario 64 fans have been both intrigued and frustrated by the enigma of this one-sided door.
Alexpalix’s solution was motivated by a YouTube video featuring Pannenkoek2012, a well-known Super Mario 64 multiverse engineer and A-press expert.
Pannenkoek2012’s video discussed the concept of unseen walls in the game, one of which prevented this door from opening.
Doors in Super Mario 64 are divided into two types: “real” doors, which open directly into the next area, and “fake” doors, which hide loading or warping zones behind fake corridors.
The door at the bottom of Cool, Cool Mountain belongs to the latter kind. In Super Mario 64, collision – how objects interact physically – is calculated independently of graphics. This unusual game mechanics stops players from reaching this specific door.
The key to unlocking this mysterious door was exploiting a glitch in its collision detection. By luring the large mother penguin that lives near the hut close to the door, and then entering a perpetual falling state between collision hulls, players can rotate into the normally inaccessible door and open it.
This method requires no changes to the game, making it a valid solution within the game’s original parameters.