Damp, Damp Deposit

Damp, Damp Deposit is an anomalous level in Super Mario 64 as well as Build 037, presumably a sewer stage as it shares similarity with the pipe mazes from Super Mario Bros. 3. It shares a color-scheme of blue, with orange lights illuminating the cavern. Strangely, the orange lights seem to actually have an effect on the lighting of the level, as surfaces reflect the orange lights. However, the actual lighting effects are very primitive, still relative to that of what Super Mario 64 was capable of. The NINT attachment seems to somewhat relegate the issue, but it still is not as decent as that of later video games. The level itself is somewhat unfinished, but using some source code found on a hard drive, it can be fully rebuilt. You can access the level through ground pounding the carpet of Princess Peach’s Castle’s first floor. The level itself is similar to Hazy Maze Cave, Dire, Dire Docks, and even that of Wet-Dry World. It contains an upper area and a lower area. Damp, Damp Deposit also seems to have a strange case of negative emotional aura, as it contains a gloomier atmosphere than the other levels.

Description
As mentioned earlier, Damp, Damp Deposit is a more industrial Hazy Maze Cave, with similarities to that of Super Mario Bros. 3’s pipe mazes, and underwater aspects similar to that of Dire, Dire Docks. Most of the industrial theming, as well as most of the gray textures, were also taken from Wet-Dry World. The level itself is almost entirely composed of blues and grays, but occasionally has orange lights that guide you across the caverns. Damp, Damp Deposit is separated into two sections, with a wide upper section, and a deep lower section.

Upper Section
The upper section is mainly caves and bricks, with tough platforming across pits and pipes. Some objects and enemies from Wet-Dry World, such as the gates, and brick platforms, as well as Amps and Heave-Hos. Scuttlebugs also make an appearance, but only around the complex hallways and grottos, and not near the more challenging sections. A tiny orange firefly-like enemy also appears, trying to fool you with a false sense of security the light may bring, and will follow you if you get close. Eventually, it will stop chasing and burn out, turning into a coin.

Lower Section
The lower section is much more interesting, as it seems to be a sort of abandoned mineshaft. The sewer pipes also vary up the geometry of the deep and expansive bottom half as well, digging into some of the abandoned buildings. More industrial platforms and climbable gates hang above the water, similar to the submarine section of Dire, Dire Docks. There aren't many enemies submerged underwater, only some Sushi. However, there are many mines, as well as Amps in the deeper tunnel sections. Around the buildings, and ledges leading into the tunnels, there are Crystal Taps to change the water level. A Bob-Omb Buddy resides in one of the dry sections of the tunnels. He can open up a cannon door, but it does not lead to a cannon. Instead, the door takes you to the deep caverns, beneath the watery section.

Deep Caverns
The deep caverns are much more rocky, like the Cavern of the Metal Cap, but also have areas similar to that of the Castle Basement. Unlike the rest of the level, the deep caverns do not play any music at all. Snufits and Glowbugs appear rarely, but for the most part the halls are empty. The place is not that complex, all paths leading to a big area with a supposed spider boss. However, the boss goes unused, resulting in a white billboard circle appearing, constantly facing the screen. Staring at it long enough causes the game to crash, and touching it will cause you damage.

Theorizing
Damp, Damp Deposit is theorized to be a test on the limits of level size, as well as a test for a scrapped lighting idea. The level itself is very expansive, rivaling that of the biggest levels in the base game. The strange orange lights have files for other colors, such as yellow and blue, most likely intended for Big Boo’s Haunt and Hazy Maze Cave. The same goes for the fireflies, but the recolored variants do not have any code, only a model. The level could also be a result of the Personalization A.I. conglomerating level themes into one sort of super-level, however this is only somewhat true. While the A.I. is responsible for some parts, such things such as the orange lights and the spider boss seem to be unused material from a developer. It is most likely the A.I. that pieced the unused areas and enemies into the level, especially since one of the builds it originated from has a very unstable A.I.

The stage also seems to contain a negative emotional aura similar to that of Wet-Dry World, a level that Damp, Damp Deposit takes inspiration and assets off of. The level itself is very gloomy, covering itself in greys, blues, and browns. The eerieness of the unfinished spider boss event, and the overall atmosphere and music makes the atmosphere much more depressing. It is unknown if this aura is intentional or not however, or if it's a result of the Personalization A.I.