Medals

Medals are anomalous collectibles found in some personalized copies of Super Mario 64. They can be collected by completing several challenges throughout the game. This can range from beating the game to collecting all the coins in a level. It is believed these are created as a way for the player to continue playing after the ending, or as a challenge for players good at the game. The bronze, silver or gold medal typically appear directly on the file select screen, while the others only appear when the file is selected.

List of Possible Medals
Below is a list of the possible medals that have been reported. Note that not all of these may appear in the same copy, or have the same way of unlocking them.

Game Completion Medals
These are the most common medals. They are the bronze, silver and gold medals. They are unlocked by beating the game with:


 * Bronze Medal: 70-99 Stars
 * Silver Medal: 100-119 Stars
 * Gold Medal: 120+ Stars

Collecting these medals usually does not give a reward, although the Gold Medal's rewards could be considered the general reward for collecting 120 stars.

Ghoul Medal
The Ghoul Medal is commonly collected by finding a way to exit the cage around Big Boo's Haunt. The reward is varied, but reports include: unlocking a permanent toggle-able Vanish Cap, unlocking the Phantasm Cap, unlocking new missions in BBH, or unlocking new levels. Some people consider this a different anomaly from the other medals, as it can commonly appear on it's own.

Shiver Medal
The Shiver Medal can be collected by beating either version of the Penguin race in a certain time limit. It is more common in the Penguin race after collecting 120 stars. It commonly unlocks a new move, similarly to the new triple jump awarded by Yoshi, usually related to mobility and racing. Notably, after beating the first Penguin race normally, they mentioned not being able to give you a gold medal. However, the name of the Shiver Medal is a pun on silver medal.

Broil Medal
The Broil Medal can be collected by using the Koopa Shell in Lethal Lava Land to get to all of the small structures throughout the level without crashing once, or defeating all Bullies in the level including Big Bullies. The reward typically ranges between a new Koopa the Quick race (only if it is unlocked via the Koopa Shell), a new collectible such as the Big Bully's Key, new missions in Lethal Lava Land, the level changing in some way, or a new level.

Cap Medal
The Cap Medal can be unlocked by collecting all 3 caps at the same time. It most commonly unlocks nothing, though some people say it unlocks a cap switch that gives all 3 caps at once, or the Yellow Cap Switch. Notably, you cannot collect all 3 caps at the same time without cheats in standard copies.

Cheater Medal
The Cheater Medal can be obtained by cheating in any Koopa the Quick race, either Penguin race, the Big Bob-omb fight, and/or The Princess' Secret Slide. This usually prohibits any of these challenges or any other timed challenge from being entered or started. Notably, in some copies, this results in the deletion of save data.

Speedster Medal
The Speedster Medal can be obtained by beating a level, mission, floor or the entire game in an exceptional amount of time. Notably, people who have used glitches to sequence break also report getting this medal. This medal commonly alters the dialogue of Bowser after being defeated in the final fight, but does little else, though others report it increases the player's speed or unlocks a new move.

Rich Medal
The Rich Medal can be obtained through methods related to coins, usually by all the coins in a level without dying, collecting all the coins in the game, or through achieving certain amounts of coin scores. This medal is notable for having some of the most interesting rewards, as some say it unlocks Wario to some extent, either as playable or simply making him appear, likely due to his greedy nature, or that it unlocks a new ending where with all the money Princess Peach expands the castle, creating new floors and by extension new levels. Moneybags also supposedly become more common.

Trivia

 * Medals are supposedly mentioned in an older version of the strategy guide of Super Mario 64. This is unconfirmed.
 * Some people suggest that this anomaly is created by the Personalization A.I. taking a scrapped Ghoul Medal collectible and making similar collectibles based off of it, explaining why the Ghoul Medal commonly appears by itself.