Super Mario 64's mysterious door unlocked after 28 years
A door in the classic 1996 video game, Super Mario 64, has finally been unlocked after nearly three decades of puzzling players. This unique door, located at the bottom of Cool, Cool Mountain's slide, lacks an outside handle and cannot be opened from the "outside." The solution to this long-standing enigma was discovered by a speedrunner named "Alexpalix," inspired by a YouTube video.
The intrigue behind the unopenable object
The mystery of this one-sided door has captivated and frustrated Super Mario 64 enthusiasts for years. Alexpalix's breakthrough was inspired by a YouTube clip from Pannenkoek2012, a renowned Super Mario 64 multiverse engineer and A-press expert. Pannenkoek2012's video explained the concept of invisible walls in the game, one of which prevents this particular door from being opened.
Understanding the physics
Doors in Super Mario 64 typically fall into two categories: "real" doors that open directly into the next room, and "fake" doors that conceal loading or warping zones behind fake corridors. The door at the bottom of Cool, Cool Mountain falls into the latter category. In Super Mario 64, collision - how objects interact physically - is calculated separately from graphics. This unique game physics prevents players from reaching this particular door.
The key to unlocking the unreachable door
The secret to opening this elusive door involved exploiting a glitch in its collision detection. By luring the big mother penguin that resides near the hut close to the door, and then entering a perpetual falling state between collision hulls, players can pivot into the usually unreachable door and open it. This method does not require any modifications to the game, making it a legitimate solution within the game's original parameters.
