Sunset Ranch

Sunset Ranch is an unused course found in some personalized copies of Super Mario 64. It is usually reported to be on the Fourth Floor of Princess Peach's Castle, but in other reports it replaces Snowman's Land as the 10th course of the game. The level is described as a giant fenced in area, taking inspiration from many ranches in both the western and southern United States, having Bob-omb Buddies wearing cowboy hats, a large barn, and a large sunset landscape. The theme of the course is similar to another anomalous course, Peaceful Pier, as they both use Mario Kart 64 tracks, Sunset Ranch specifically uses a remix of Kalamari Desert.

Description/Layout
Sunset Ranch is fittingly described, as the name suggests, as a large ranch area possibly inspired by ranches in both the western and southern United States. Enemies commonly reported here include Goombas, Bob-ombs, Koopas, and interestingly, smaller versions of Wiggler, all of which commonly have cowboy hats on the top of their heads like the Bob-omb Buddies, which usually either makes them invulnerable to jumping or simply gives them an extra hit point. Interestingly, an unused power-up is found here, the Fire Flower, an item frequently featured in other Mario titles. The power-up is commonly used for the stage's boss, along with a couple other missions. The way to spit fireballs is usually by using the L button, although other methods with the power-up have been reported.

The main area starts with the player surrounded by dirt hills, with a path leading them to the course. The course includes many more elements of a stereotypical ranch, including a barn, some tractors along with other farming equipment, and a couple of hay bales which have coins on top of them. There is also a yellow box with a Koopa shell next to a large wooden post, seemingly being used to tie down a horse, even though there are none featured in the course.

Missions
Sunset Ranch has six stars and a 100 coin star that can be collected throughout the level. The methods of collecting the stars are inconsistent, but the reports give an idea of what they could've been. The most commonly reported stars include a star that requires the player to "Ride into the Sunset", a star found on top of the barn, a star using the Fire Flower to light a torch, and the final most reported star is a boss fight with a boss commonly called the "Blood Moon Monster." in that specific mission, the background image changes to the one used in Big Boo's Haunt, but with the moon being blood red, and there is no music used in that stage, but instead a wind ambience is the only sound until you find the Blood Moon Monster. The BMM has been reported with the following text before battle:

"Grrrrrr. This accursed ranch has made me so miserable. The people here get to relive the same time over and over again, watching a beautiful sunset. While I'm stuck with the same dark nights over and over again. NOT ANYMORE! I've engulfed this entire ranch in darkness, now everyone will feel the same way I do! You think you can stop me? I'd love to see you try, punk!"

Reports have varied on how to defeat the Blood Moon Monster, but the most commonly reported method involves the Fire Flower, the player most throw twelve fireballs at the BMM, with the Monster stopping attacks after 4 and 8 attacks with the Fire Flower. After the battle, the following text is reported from the Blood Moon Monster:

"Agh. That was a great battle from you. The fire in your soul to win is more burning hot then the balls of flame you spat from your gloves. I now see the error of my ways. I shall end the darkness of this ranch and go elsewhere where I can live in the peace of night. As for you, take this shiny star as a reward from the ancient midnight kings. I hope we meet again someday."

Theorizing
Many rumors have been theorized from Sunset Ranch's removal with some feeling Negative Emotional Aura from the Blood Moon Monster, while others reporting glitches that have occurred with the Fire Flower. Other players made a rumor that the developers were forced to add in another snow level with demands from Nintendo and were forced to replace a level on the second floor, and with no painting made for Sunset Ranch at that point, Nintendo forced the devs to remove Sunset Ranch. In part of an interview with a Super Mario 64 developer, he said he got fired from the team after refusing to delete Sunset Ranch in favor of Snowman's Land, and that he cursed out the Nintendo higher ups before being dragged out by security. He also said he received a letter from Shigeru Miyamoto himself, giving an apology for what the higher ups did to the game, and that he agreed with the developer, and hoped to give him compensation by including Sunset Ranch in another Mario game one day, whether it be a sequel, or a game on another console.

While the course would never make it to normal copies of the game, many ideas could've been inspired from this course, including small wiggler enemies included in Super Mario 64: Last Impact, a ROM hack made by Kaze Emanuar. Also included in the ROM hack was the Fire Flower power-up, being similar to its use in Super Mario Galaxy, but having unlimited use until a player touches water. The developers also included many ranch elements in future Mario titles, including in Mario Kart 64, with the course Moo Moo Farm.