Koopa the Quick as they are seen in Super Mario 64.
Koopa the Quick is a special Koopa found in Super Mario 64. They first appear in the second mission of Bob-omb Battlefield, and then a second and final time in Tiny-Huge Island. Upon being talked to, they will ask to race the player. Beating Koopa the Quick in a race to a flag with a Koopa shell on it will reward the player with a star.
Phenomena[]
Third Race[]
In some personalized copies, there is a third race with Koopa the Quick. This is usually the hardest race, and appears in copies that have raised difficulty. The location of the third race varies, though is occasionally in it's own small level.
Koopa the Quick model alterations[]
Some personalized copies of Super Mario 64 alter or replace Koopa the Quick's model to better fit the location he is in found in. Some of these models include Dry Bones the Quick, Goomba the Quick and Boo Buddy the Quick. These may only be cosmetic, or include changes in dialogue as well.
In cases of severe "AI dementia" some players may end up seeing Koopa's model replaced with an alternate Mario, Princess Toadstool, Luigi or even Bowser model. The Princess variation has been reported to be very unstable and has been reported to potentially cause permanent save file corruption.
Inappropriate race locations[]
Some personalized copies place Koopa the Quick in courses unfit for a race such as Battle Fort, Bowser in the Dark World, Whomp's Fortress, Big Boo's Haunt and Lethal Lava Land. Some report the layout of the stage is changed to better account for the new variable such as all of the lava in Lethal Lava Land being drained when he is present. With no alterations, Koopa the Quick may get stuck on difficult terrain or fall off the course, rendering his stars impossible to collect.
Mouth[]
The red polygon in question.
Interestingly, Koopa the Quick has a red polygon located inside his head, presumably to represent the inside of his mouth. However, his mouth never opens, even when he talks, so this red polygon goes unseen by the player in normal gameplay. There is no animation for his mouth opening, either, so this feature seems to have been scrapped early on.
Koopa the Slow[]
Sometimes the game may attempt to make Koopa the Quick races easier for less skilled players by slowing down his movement. However sometimes his movement can be slowed to the point where it takes him hours to reach the flag.
Death Match with Koopa the Quick[]
An instance of a Bowser painting being replaced by Koopa the Quick which was documented on a unknown forum circa 2000.
In some instances if the player displays extreme animosity during a race (such as attempting to ground pound, punch or blow up Koopa the Quick) may cause the AI to respond by replacing Bowsers' boss fights with a battle against Koopa the Quick instead.
Some report Bowser paintings being replaced with images of a Koopa Troopa. This is exceedingly rare as there has only been a dozen accounts of this phenomenon.
This may be the AI attempting to implement what it deems would be a more satisfying conclusion for Mario's journey for the player if they appear to dislike Koopa the Quick and his footraces. It is unknown how the game accounts for his two stars with the sudden change in main antagonist or who may take his place.