Abstract Apiary

The painting for Abstract Apiary, replacing the face of the clock

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Abstract Apiary is an anomalous level reportedly found in some copies of Super Mario 64. The course seems to be of very similar design to Tick Tock Clock, suggesting that it was repurposed or replaced by Tick Tock Clock. The level contains unique enemy designs, hazards, and an original boss fight. The painting to enter the level can replace Tall, Tall Mountain and is described as an abstract painting of a group of honeybees against a blurry background of sunflowers.

Layout

As the painting would suggest, this course uses an abstract style seen nowhere else in the game. The level takes place inside a large cylinder like Tick Tock Clock, but notably has a platform covering the bottom instead of a hole leading out of the course. Although the skybox is unable to be seen in normal gameplay, clipping the camera has shown that it resembles a sunny field of flowers. Inside the course, the walls resemble the honeycomb patterns of beehives drawn in a simplistic and abstract way. Unique enemies appear throughout the level, such as bees that resemble the Stingby enemy found in later Mario titles. These bees have low-detailed and simple designs, matching the abstract painting style. It can be assumed that these bees also lack detail to save resources, as many can appear on screen at once. Like Tick Tock Clock, a majority of the level is vertical with platforms around the walls giving the player access to higher spaces. Honey can also be found stuck along the walls in some places, allowing the player to use it to climb across. It can be assumed that this mechanic later inspired the honey used by Bee Mario in Super Mario Galaxy.

Theorizing

With the striking resemblance to Tick Tock Clock, it can be inferred that this level is an earlier version of the stage. The abstract beehive theme might have been dropped when the difficulty of the course forced the developers to place it later on in the game, thus placing it a floor higher. It may have been decided from there that a clock makes more sense than a beehive, as there is a large clock that can be used as an entrance to the course.