Minigames

Minigames are optional games in Super Mario 64 DS. They can be found in the Rec Room and are unlocked by catching rabbits after talking to the Toad found in the Rec Room. There are 9 minigames for each character, each relatively different except for the variants of the minigames that already exist. The minigames themselves vary but follow a theme for each character: Yoshi's minigames are puzzle-based, Mario's are action-themed, Luigi's are casino-themed to the point Luigi even wears a business outfit, and Wario seemingly does not have a theme, though his minigames do seem to be "paired" to some extent even when the actual minigames themselves differ overall, with the exception of Psyche Out which does not have an equivalent.

Boom Box
In Boom Box, you have to click on one of the 6 or 8 treasure chests. It will make a sound, and you have to find the second treasure chest that makes the same sound. You must match all of the treasure chests to each other. Sometimes, the sounds are all the same, and you have to match based on speakers. On the top screen, Mario's head from the title screen reacts to you play. They frown when you fail, and smiles when you succeed. If you clear a level, they appear surprised and then laugh. Mario will scream and appear shocked if you lose the game, which is accomplished by failing to match a chest 3 times in a row. In the background, Yoshi can be seen attempting to push a treasure chest.

Hide And Boo Seek
In Hide and Boo Seek, the player has to help Luigi fend off Boos in Big Boo's Haunt, presumably a reference to Luigi's Mansion. The touch screen will turn black, and the player has to rub it with the stylus to reveal the Boos. If the player succeeds, the next level begins. If the player does not find the Boos in the time limit, the game ends. The Boos move around, bouncing off of walls and each other.

Loves Me...?
In Loves Me...?, the player has to pluck petals off of a flower alongside Yoshi. Each petal plucked changes the text at the top of the bottom screen from Loves Me to Loves Me Not and then back and forth as the petals are removed. The petals on the flower vary with each gameplay. Once all the petals are plucked, it will either be on Loves Me or Loves Me Not. The former is considered a win, while the latter is considered a loss. If the player gets a Loves Me three times in a row, the text will say Really Loves Me!, while i they get three Loves Me Nots in a row, the text will say Really Loves Me... Not! On the top of the screen, Yoshi reacts to the outcome, celebrating if the player wins, and looking sad if they fail.

Mix-a-Mug
In Mix-a-Mug, the player has to line up 3 parts of a face to match the face seen on the top screen of the DS. The 4 playable characters can appear, as well as Princess Peach. The player must tap the part they want to freeze to make it cease movement and lock in the part of the face. The player starts with 12 coins, lose 3 coins if they fail, and gain a star if they line up the character correctly. They also gain 3 coins for matching a character on the left or right side of the screen, and 6 for matching one in the center. The minigame ends when the player runs out of coins.

Puzzle Panel / Puzzle Panic
In Puzzle Panel, the top screen displays an image made up of a grid of tiles, and the player has to match the grid on the bottom screen to the one on the top. The tiles display Mushrooms on the front, and Cape Feathers on the back. Touching a panel with the stylus will cause it to flip over. If the tiles are matched, the Yoshi statues on each side of the screen blast off into the sky, and the player goes to the next level. As the levels progress, it takes more flips to match the panels. If you flip the wrong tiles 3 times, you will fail. There is a harder version called Puzzle Panic with more tiles.

Tox Box Shuffle
In Tox Box Shuffle, the player has to select the correct Tox Box that has Yoshi inside of it. Each level, they will shuffle around, and the player will have to figure out which Tox Box holds Yoshi. In later levels, they shuffle faster, and a light blue Yoshi is introduced, making it harder to find the real Yoshi. The minigame ends if you guess incorrectly twice. This minigame also has the Mario head reacting to your gameplay.

Wanted!
In Wanted!, the top screen of the DS will display the face of one of the 4 player characters. The bottom screen shows a number of faces of the other 3, and the player has to find the one displayed on the top screen. In later levels, there will be more faces, they will begin to move, and the character on the top screen can hide behind the other faces. The player begins with 10 seconds on the first level, and gain 5 seconds by finding the correct face, and lose 10 seconds by tapping any incorrect face. The timer has a maximum time limit of 50 seconds, and the score has a limit of 9,999. The minigame ends when the player runs out of time.

Which Wiggler?
In Which Wiggler?, the player has to figure out which Wiggler on the bottom of the screen matches the one on the top. The correct Wiggler will have the same placement of the dark yellow rings on the body as the Wiggler on the top of the screen. When the player guesses correctly, the time limit gains 5 seconds, and they progress to the next level. If the player picks the wrong Wiggler when they begin to move or pick the wrong Wiggler multiple times, it will get angry, wake up if it was asleep or turn red if it was already walking, and move faster, deducting 10 seconds from the player's time limit. The player also cannot choose another Wiggler for 3 seconds. The timer starts with 20 seconds, and can go up to 50 seconds. The minigame ends when you run out of time or choose the wrong Wiggler enough times, causing the correct Wiggler to turn red or wake up.

Bounce & Pounce / Bounce & Trounce
In Bounce & Pounce, the player must control 3 Marios and stomp on all of the Fly Guys on the screen. If they stomp them all, they progress to the next level. The player also has 3 lives, and loses one if a Mario falls, but the Mario will respawn. If the player loses all 3 lives, they will lose the game. The player's lives will restock every 5 levels. The player can control the Marios by tapping them, launching them upwards if tapping the middle of the screen, launching them to the right if the left is tapped, and vice versa. In Bounce & Trounce, the gameplay is the same, but it is point-based, gaining points when stomping a Fly Guy.

Connect the Characters
In Connect the Characters, there are 2 to 4 heads on the top screen of the 4 playable characters and their bodies on the bottom. The goal is to match each head to the correct body by drawing paths with the stylus for the heads to follow. Once they finish drawing a path, they can press the Go button to make the heads fall. As the levels progress, the paths the player made remain, making it harder to match the heads to the bodies. After 5 levels, the paths clear, and difficulty increases.

Mario's Slides
In Mario's Slides, the player must draw lines to guide Mario to a Power Star while avoiding Piranha Plants, similarly to Connect the Characters. The player can make Mario faster by holding the 2 down arrows on the bottom screen. As the game continues, the paths remain, making it harder to continue. After Mario obtains 5 Power Stars, the game progresses to the next level, increasing difficulty. As the player progresses, more Marios and more Stars appear. If Mario lands on a Piranha Plant, the minigame ends.

Shell Smash
In Shell Smash, the player has to shoot a green Koopa shell at red ones to gain points. If many are hit in a row, the player gains more points. The player can shoot up to 5 green shells. Once all the shells are exhausted, the game ends, and the results are tallied.

Shuffle Shell
In Shuffle Shell, the player has to navigate a blue paddle on the bottom screen to shoot Koopa shells at a target on the top screen. Every shell gives points depending on where on the target they land. The outermost ring on the target gives 100 points, the second ring gives 300, the third 500, and the center of the target gives 1,000 points. If the shell does not land on the target, you will not earn points. The player can shoot up to 5 shells, but other shells stay on the field. If a shell hits another shell, it will be moved, which can change the points earned. The game ends when all shells are used.

Sort or 'Splode
In Sort or 'Splode, the player has to put Bob-ombs in two sections: the black section for regular Bob-ombs, and a pink section for Bob-omb Buddies. As the game progresses, more Bob-ombs spawn and at a faster rate. If a Bob-omb is left for too long, it explodes, ending the game, causing the player's score to be tallied, based off of how many Bob-ombs were sorted. If a Bob-omb is put in the wrong section, it causes every Bob-omb in said section to explode, and only the other section's Bob-ombs are tallied. Once 40 Bob-ombs are placed in a section, they are cleared out.

Trampoline Time / Trampoline Terror
In Trampoline Time, the game starts with 3 Mario clones bouncing off of a large trampoline. Said trampoline will disappear, and the player will have to draw more trampolines to keep the Marios in the air. The trampolines disappear when landed on. There is a limit of 3 trampolines at a time. If a Mario lands on the center of a trampoline, they will bounce higher than normal. If a Mario hits a wall at the correct angle, they will bounce off of it. For each Mario bounced to the correct location, a point is received. The location they must be sent to occasionally changes. The structure the minigame takes place around will increase in height every 10 Marios, reaching a maximum height at 60 Marios. As the game progresses, Marios spawn faster. If three Marios fall, the game ends.

In Trampoline Terror, which takes place in Tower of the Wing Cap, the player has to bounce the Marios through rainbow rings for points, with points doubling for each ring bounced through without hitting another trampoline. The player starts with one Mario, but getting a thousand points gives a second, five thousand a third, ten thousand a fourth, and the final Mario is obtained at twenty thousand points.

Lucky Stars
In Lucky Stars, the player bets 10 coins and guesses which of the cards has more stars on it. If they guess correctly, they win coins, and lose coins if they guess incorrectly.

Mario Slot / Super Mario Slot
Mario Slot is a slot machine game. There are 3 wheels that spin once a coin is entered. The player has to click each wheel to stop it. If each slot has the same item, the player wins more coins. If any Power Stars are shown, the player wins coins. The player earns extra coins if they get a star and two matching items. Once the player loses all of their coins, the minigame ends. In Super Mario Slot, the player is more likely to win, as more Power Stars can appear.

Memory Match / Memory Master
In Memory Match, the player bets 3 coins and has to match cards with other cards of the same image. All the cards are face-down, so they have to remember what image is on what card. The player wins coins if they match them all, as well as a star. The more stars you earn, the more cards appear. If the player doesn't match the correct cards, you lose coins, and can even lose stars if you lose enough coins. If you lose every coin, the minigame ends. In Memory Master, the player bets 5 coins, and more cards appear. Every time the cards are dealt, some cards are face-up.

Mushroom Roulette
In Mushroom Roulette, the player bets a maximum of 5 coins on their cards or lines in between some of the slots on the roulette. If the player bets on lines, they do not win as many coins. Luigi then rolls a ball into the roulette on the top screen. If the ball lands in a slot with the same picture as one of the player's cards, they earn coins, and lose coins if it lands in any other slot. When the player runs out of coins, the minigame ends. If the player quits before running out of coins, said amount of coins are saved.

Pair-a-Gone / Pair-a-Gone and On
In Pair-a-Gone, there are 50 cards with pictures on them that the player must match in a row of any direction. The player wins coins when all pictures are matched. If the player is unable to match them, they lose coins based off of how many cards remain as well as a star. If all the cards are cleared, both coins and a star are obtained. In Pair-a-Gone and On, the cards replenish and the minigame goes on forever until there are no more possible matches, hence the name.

Picture Poker
In Picture Poker, the player bets coins that their 5 cards that they draw are better than Luigi's, who is on the top screen. After they are given their cards, they can bet more coins, or swap out their cards for a new set. Luigi can also replace his own cards, which are not shown. Then, both sets of cards are shown. If the player's cards are better than Luigi's, they win coins based off of the rank of their hand and how much they bet. If Luigi's hand is better, the player loses the coins that were bet. If the player gets a draw, the player gets their coins back. Each victory, the player gets stars, and loses stars with each loss. The minimum bet is determined by how many stars the player has. If the player runs out of coins, the minigame ends.

Bingo Ball
In Bingo Ball, the player has to launch a ball into the machine, eventually landing on a number. The player will then mark said number off of a bingo card. The goal is to mark off as many numbers as possible. The player gets 100 points for each number, and 500 points for getting a row on the bingo card. Getting every number gives the player 10,000 points. If the player wins with leftover balls, 2,000 points are awarded for each ball. If the player crosses out the entire board with exactly 9 balls, they will earn 20,900 points, the maximum score. If you run out of balls, the minigame ends.

Bob-omb Squad
In Bob-omb Squad, the player has to use a slingshot to hit Bob-ombs using parachutes out of the sky. If the Bob-ombs land on the ground, they destroy a garden of Power Flowers, ending the game when all 4 flowers are destroyed. The player scores 100 points for each Bob-omb hit, and the points multiply with each Bob-omb hit with one shot. Occasionally, a Lakitu can appear, and hitting it will explode all the Bob-ombs on the screen, giving 100 points for each Bob-omb. As the player gains points, the Bob-ombs fall faster.

Coincentration / Intense Coincentration
Coincentration's beginning cutscene shows Wario punching a Money Bag, launching coins into the boxes on the bottom screen. The player has to tap the boxes containing coins to obtain the coins. If the player taps a wrong box, the game ends. In Intense Coincentration, fewer coins spawn than normal, making the minigame harder.

Lakitu Launch
Lakitu Launch has similar gameplay to Bob-omb Squad, using a slingshot to hit something. The player has to launch Spiny eggs into giant green shells being carried by Lakitus. If the player shoots enough Spiny eggs into one shell, it will be weighed down and go lower, allowing the player to shoot even more eggs into it. After 30 seconds, the game ends and the score is tallied based on how many Spiny eggs landed in the shells.

Psyche Out
In Psyche Out, the player is shown the backside of a card and has to guess which of 2 images presented to them is on the card. The card is somewhat translucent, allowing the player to see the picture. The player can play until they guess incorrectly, which ends the game. As the player continues, the card becomes more opaque, and the amount of options that can be guessed with increase.

Slots Shot
In Slots Shot, the player has to launch balls similarly to Bingo Ball and attempt to get it into a pipe that will then activate a slot machine. First, the player has to hit 2 Piranha Plants blocking the pipe before being able to access the pipe. The player gets 3,000 points for getting into the pipe, and upon hitting the slot machine, can win up to 10,000 points if the images on the slot machine match up. If the player misses, the ball can hit mushrooms that give 300 points and can land in one of 4 holes. The ball returns to the player upon entering the holes, earning 2,000 points. After the player uses all 8 balls, the game ends.

Snowball Salom / Giant Snowball Salom
In Snowball Salom, the player has to guide the head of a snowman to the finish line in the span of 20 seconds. Rocks and Mr. Blizzards block the way, slowing the player down, and making the snowman head lose size upon contact. Touching the head with the stylus also slows them. Giant Snowball Salom is harder, with a 40 second time limit and penguins as obstacles instead of Mr. Blizzards.

Super Mario 64 Manifestation
In some personalized copies of the original Super Mario 64, minigames can appear. The most common of these is the New Mario Bros., a multiplayer minigame planned to include Luigi before being scrapped. However, other types of minigames can appear, such as watered-down variants of Super Mario 64 DS minigames. The most notable of these anomalous minigames takes place in a new area in the sky being held up by wooden platforms and scaffolding. The player has to complete a gauntlet of challenges in a brief timeframe, such as defeating Bullies, collecting coins, and reaching the end of a stage. Even more examples include the Painting Creator and the Battle Tower.

Anomalous & Unused Minigames
Main Article: Anomalous & Unused Minigames

In some personalized copies of Super Mario 64 DS, anomalous minigames can appear. Most of them appear to be based on unused minigames that can be found referenced in the files of the game, with their only remnants being introductory text leftover in the data. However, some appear to be entirely unique, potentially created by the Personalization A.I. The most common way to unlock these is by finding the Purple Rabbit, or any color of rabbit associated with Waluigi, as a new playable character would need new minigames, finding extra rabbits for characters to unlock minigames that are equivalents of existing minigames, or by finding them in Luigi's Casino.

Luigi's Casino
Main Article: Luigi's Casino

In the background of most of Luigi's minigames, a casino area can be seen that is never explored in the main game, dubbed Luigi's Casino. However, some people say they have been able to access this area as a playable level, which is unique in that some people claim they can play minigames there, which is interesting as minigames can usually only be played in the Rec Room. The level itself also has notable missions attached to it such as a King Boo rematch, potentially referencing Super Mario Sunshine.