An image of the Painting Creator's interface, seen in BlackJoystick's Paint the Painting video.
The Painting Creator is a rare anomaly found in few personalized copies of Super Mario 64, first properly documented by Youtuber BlackJoystick. The Painting Creator has 2 main manifestations, with the first one using an interface resembling Mario Paint, and the second version simply requiring the player to do something to "unlock" a painting or paintings. Both versions have been reported to appear simultaneously. The paintings associated with the Painting Creator are almost always anomalous, though regular levels can appear with the Painting Creator. It is believed the Painting Creator, particularly the first manifestation, is rare due to hardware limitations or difficulties in reimplementing the mechanic into Super Mario 64.
Functionality[]
Version 1[]
The Painting Creator's first manifestation's interface is usually similar or somewhat identical to Mario Paint, potentially being imported directly by the developers for this purpose. The Painting Creator interface would commonly begin with text reading "PAINT THE PAINTING" or something similar, and then the word "GO!", resembling a minigame. The player would then be able to create their own painting using the tools in the interface.
This version of Painting Creator usually has a time limit for making the painting, which will kick the player from the Painting Creator and then send them to the anomalous level based off of their painting or simply remove them from the Painting Creator. Alternatively, the player could press a button that would exit the Painting Creator and either enter the anomalous level based off their painting or be ejected back into the area they were before accessing the Painting Creator with no time limit. This exit button has appeared in the versions of the Painting Creator with the time limit as well.
Upon exiting this manifestation of the Painting Creator, the player will usually enter an anomalous level based off of the painting they have created. The levels appear to either be made via Dynamic Level Arrangement or simply selected from a catalogue of levels by the A.I., both appearing to occur after the A.I. "scans" the player's painting. However, this scan has reportedly been unstable, likely due to cartridge limitations.
Notably, few reports have claimed that they could use the Painting Creator to create cosmetic paintings, sometimes alongside a reward such as a 1-up. This is potentially due to a level being unable to be generated for various possible reasons, so the painting is instead used to decorate Princess Peach's Castle, making the Painting Creator entirely optional, unless the reward for making the painting is a star.
Version 2[]
This version of the Painting Creator, instead of having an interface, is a similar anomaly where the player has to fill in a blank painting to enter a level. This version of the anomaly reportedly requires the player to complete a task or series of tasks in order to make the painting appear. The most common way of doing this is collecting stars in other levels, beating a Bowser level or otherwise making significant progression in the game, or finding a collectible known as Paint that will then fill in the painting.
Paint[]
Paint is a collectible associated with the Painting Creator, reportedly used in either version of the anomaly. Paint can take the appearance of a bucket filled with paint, a rainbow-colored object, or a paintbrush with paint on it. In the first version of the Painting Creator, a certain amount of Paint would have to be collected to access the Painting Creator, or there would be a limit to how much could be created before running out of paint and being forced to acquire more to continue. The second manifestation usually simply uses Paint as an unlocking mechanism to fill in the painting or paintings.
Paint can be acquired through several means, usually through methods usually used to collect coins or other basic collectibles such as 1-Ups. Some of the most common reported methods of finding Paint is by finding it somewhere in a level, usually hidden somewhere, similarly to 1-Ups, collecting it from defeating enemies or even bosses, breaking boxes containing the Paint, or being given the Paint by an NPC such as a Toad.
How to Access[]
The Painting Creator can be accessed through various means. The most common means of accessing the first manifestation of the Painting Creator is by finding a room known as the Painting Room somewhere in Princess Peach's Castle, though some have reported accessing the Painting Creator simply by finding a blank painting in the castle and either jumping into or looking at this blank painting. This blank painting would then be replaced with the painting created by the player and also warp the player to the level chosen by the Painting Creator. This blank painting method is also the main method used for the second variation of the Painting Creation.
The Painting Room[]
The Painting Room is a room that can appear in Princess Peach's Castle, and has been reported in every floor, including anomalous floors, though it most commonly appears in Floor 2B. This room can reportedly be filled with several paintings from throughout the game, including anomalous paintings, as well as the room supposedly being covered in cosmetic paint. There would also be the blank painting used to reach the Painting Creator's first variant, though some simply report there being a regular painting that will lead to a level in this room instead of the Painting Creator.
List of Associated Levels[]
This section is a list of levels commonly reported to be found through the use of either versions of the Painting Creator. Note that several other levels have been reported, as well as several unique and unconfirmed levels that have been not listed until significant evidence proves the level's existence.
Skyhigh Pipelands[]
Main Article: Skyhigh Pipelands
Skyhigh Pipelands is a sky-themed level with various pipes strewn throughout the level. This level is usually picked in the first version of the Painting Creator when the painting created has a pipe or similarly shaped object, or depicts a cloudy area. This was also the first level reported to be accessed via the Painting Creator anomaly, as it was featured in BlackJoystick's video on the anomaly.
The Special Slide[]
The Special Slide is an anomalous slide level similar to the Princess' Secret Slide, though usually has an increase (or decrease depending on the player's performance in the game) in difficulty. This level is usually generated via the first variant of the Painting Creator when a slide or similar shaped object is created, a large black void, or simply something the A.I. does not have a level for. This appears to imply the Special Slide is a "placeholder level" for the A.I. if it cannot effectively scan the player's painting.
Common Anomalous Levels[]
Several common anomalous levels can be accessed via the Painting Creator, usually by creating a landscape that appears similar to these levels if the first manifestation of the Painting Creator is found. One of the most common examples is Big Boo's Forest, which is simply generated from a forest or similar looking area. Some other examples include Cold, Cold Crevasse, generated from a snowy or ice-y landscape, and Bob-omb Village, by painting a grassy or village area.
Floor 2B Levels[]
Several levels attributed to Floor 2B, such as Boiling Hot Basalt or Dry Bones Desert, have been reported to be generated via the Painting Creator. This is likely due to the Painting Room the Painting Creator is commonly accessed from most commonly appearing in Floor 2B, or due to the levels being clone levels of already existing levels, making them easier to generate.
Pathway[]
Pathway is a basic level that can be found in the first version of the Painting Creator by making a painting of a basic pathway or grassy area. It appears to be a basic, test level, consisting of a grassy area with a path growing through it, as well as several boxes containing coins. Notably, some reports claim the level is named "Zumaposa" for an unknown reason, potentially due to an error from the Personalization A.I. resulting in a glitched name.
Raging Rain World[]
Main Article: Raging Rain World
Raging Rain World is a lava level which notably has several rain clouds covering the level, making it stand out from other lava levels, and creating a theme of contrast in the level. This level usually appears when lava, rain clouds, or 2 conflicting themes are drawn in a painting if the first manifestation of the Painting Creator is present in the copy. The exact way the conflicting themes are determined is unclear.
Reports[]
Paint the Painting
BlackJoystick's video documenting the Painting Creator.
BlackJoystick's Documentation[]
In BlackJoystick's video named Paint the Painting, they find the first version of the Painting Creator and then use it to access Skyhigh Pipelands. They start in Floor 2B, before finding the Painting Room, and talk to a rainbow Bob-omb who asks them to make a painting. They step onto a hexagonal pedestal, and look up at an empty canvas, and are sent to the Painting Creator interface. They create a painting of clouds and a pipe coming up from a cloud, and then end up in Skyhigh Pipelands. They go through the level, obtain a star, and the video ends.
