Anomaly Location Procedures

The Anomaly Location Procedures, often shortened to the ALP, are a series of procedures designed by users of the MIPS Hole Wiki in order for use by standard individuals to locate personalization and anomalies in their copy of Super Mario 64 that may be perceived as normal. These mainly apply to the more common anomalies that may blend in to the standard game, such as Dynamic Level Rearrangement or Enemy Discoloring. This document is to be considered ground zero for isolating anomalies, whether or not the anomalies are well-documented or previously unknown. Currently, 5 main procedures have been added to this document, though some may be updated or removed, and more procedures can be added.

Procedure 1: The Comparison Test
Procedure 1, also known as the Comparison Test, is performed by writing down the number of main courses, smaller levels, total stars, and floors of Princess Peach's Castle including minor areas that are present in the copy. The next step is to compare this information to the standard copy, then to an anomalous copy, and, optionally, to Super Mario 64 DS, as it features several things that have been reported in personalized cartridges of Super Mario 64. If a copy is minimally personalized, it will contain the following:


 * 15 main courses.
 * 9 smaller levels.
 * 120 total stars.
 * 4 castle floors (including the Basement), as well as the Castle Grounds and Castle Courtyard.

If the copy features average personalization, it may contain the following:


 * 16+ courses.
 * 10+ smaller levels.
 * 121+ stars.
 * 5+ castle floors, and three or more smaller segments.

If the copy features anomalies resembling some aspects of Super Mario 64 DS, it may contain the following:


 * More than 1 playable character.
 * Several new smaller areas.
 * 150 stars.
 * One new smaller segment of the castle.
 * Several new ways to obtain stars.
 * 2+ new power-ups.

Procedure 2: Common Anomaly Checklist
Procedure 2, also known as the Common Anomaly Checklist, is a series of common anomalies that have been very well documented that may be located in a copy without the player realizing unless particularly major. Anomalies may be added to this checklist as time goes on and more reports of anomalous activity in Super Mario 64 cartridges are documented. Overlap with anomalies mentioned in Procedure 1 can occur. The Common Anomaly Checklist includes:


 * Changes to a certain level to make it have a different theme or appearance; Dynamic Level Rearrangement.
 * Variants of existing enemies that have a different color, and potentially new behaviors; Enemy Discoloring.
 * A new type of collectible known as Medals, most commonly the Ghoul Medal which is often reported as a standalone anomaly.
 * New castle floors, most commonly a Fourth Floor or Second Basement, though other areas such as Unidentified Floors and Minor Anomalous Locations are relatively common.
 * Over 120 stars, most commonly a 121st Star.
 * More than 4 main power-ups including the Koopa shell, most commonly a Starman or Fire Flower.
 * New enemies that have been found in the July 25th 2020 Leak or the files of Super Mario 64, such as the Blarggs, Motos, Hoppers, and Bloobers.
 * More than 15 courses and/or more than 9 small levels, the most common of which being Bob-omb Village, Big Boo's Forest, and Cold, Cold Crevasse.
 * A change to the hidden 1-up found in Whomp's Fortress, whether or not it is a cracked wall texture on the area hiding the 1-up, or the removal of the secret entirely.
 * A new playable character, such as Luigi or Yoshi, who more commonly appears as a ridable mount.
 * The appearance of the Wario Apparition. Though it is uncommon, it is likely the most well-known anomaly, so it will be included on this checklist.

Procedure 3: The Dream Principle
While not necessarily a procedure, Procedure 3, also known as the Dream Principle, states that any reports of personalization from around the time Super Mario 64 released may not be as reliable as more recent encounters, as the reporter may have misremembered an existing part of the game or dreamed about an anomalous manifestation, hence the name.

The Dream Principle can be applied to particularly strange encounters that defy the established boundaries of the Personalization A.I., most commonly associated with reports of floors beyond the established boundaries, or more levels than possible with the limited amount of level slots in the game. The Dream Principle does not entirely discredit these reports, but instead states to take them with a grain of salt.

Procedure 4: Hardware & Cartridge Status Check
Procedure 4, also known as the Hardware & Cartridge Status Check, is conducted by inspecting the Nintendo 64 and cartridge to see if anything is out of the ordinary. For example, if the cartridge is dusty, or the hardware and/or cartridge is somewhat broken, it could cause corruption potentially mistaken for personalization. Some other small tests include checking if the cartridge was accidentally tilted, or if the cartridge was tampered with in any way, such as a GameShark being used to change some aspect of the game.

If anything is noticed during Procedure 4, repairs and fixes should be performed as needed unless impossible. If repairs are impossible, a new console, cartridge or both may be required. Note that personalization may still be present alongside corruption if corruption can be caused from issues found during Procedure 4, which may cause "malfunctioning personalization" that can significantly alter the game in a negative way.

Procedure 5: Playthrough Watching
Procedure 5, known as Playthrough Watching, is conducted by watching videos of standard copies of Super Mario 64, either emulated, on another console, or simply being an un-personalized copy. If any oddities are noticed between the copy seen in the video and the copy being tested, they are to be inspected to see if any personalization has occurred.

Alternatively, other media that contains info on the standard copy of Super Mario 64, such as Wikipedias, may be used in place of videos, though videos are the preferred format due to it being easier to spot smaller instances of anomalies such as Dynamic Level Rearrangement. However, if more major anomalies are being investigated, any form of media can be used for this procedure.