Editing Super Mario 64 (section)

=== Health, lives, and power-ups ===
Unlike many of its predecessors, ''Super Mario 64'' uses a [[Health (game terminology)|health point system]], represented by a pie shape consisting of eight segments.{{sfn|NOA|1996|p=17}} If Mario has taken damage, he can replenish his health either by collecting three types of coins—yellow, which replenishes one segment; red, equal to two yellow coins and which replenishes two segments; and blue, equal to five yellow coins and which replenishes five segments, by walking through a spinning heart or by jumping into water.{{sfn|Nintendo Power|1996|p=8}} Underwater, Mario's health instead represents how long he can hold his breath, slowly diminishing while underwater and replenishing when he surfaces.{{sfn|NOA|1996|p=9}} Finishing a course grants Mario an extra [[Life (video games)|life]] for every 50 yellow coins the player collected,{{sfn|NOA|1996|p=17}} and [[Super Mario#Extra lives|extra life mushrooms]] are hidden in various places such as trees and poles - they may either chase Mario through the air or fall to the ground and disappear shortly if not collected.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hernandez|first=Patricia|date=November 17, 2014|title=Outrunning a 1-Up Mushroom in Super Mario 64 Is a Great Tradition|url=https://kotaku.com/outrunning-a-1-up-mushroom-in-super-mario-64-is-a-great-1659802995|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141119164250/http://kotaku.com/outrunning-a-1-up-mushroom-in-super-mario-64-is-a-great-1659802995|archive-date=November 19, 2014|access-date=April 7, 2021|website=[[Kotaku]]|publisher=[[G/O Media]]}}</ref>

In absence of the [[power-up]]s normally found in previous games, such as the [[Super Mario#Power-ups and transformations|Super Mushroom]] and [[Super Mario#Projectiles|Fire Flower]], three colors of translucent blocks—red, green, and blue—appear throughout many stages. Three switches of the same colors, found in three secret areas located in either stages or the castle itself,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-18 |title=Cavern of the Metal Cap 8 Red Coins - Super Mario 64 Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/super-mario-64/Cavern_of_the_Metal_Cap_8_Red_Coins |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-18 |title=Tower of the Wing Cap 8 Red Coins - Super Mario 64 Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/super-mario-64/Tower_of_the_Wing_Cap_8_Red_Coins |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-18 |title=Vanish Cap Under the Moat 8 Red Coins - Super Mario 64 Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/super-mario-64/Vanish_Cap_Under_the_Moat_8_Red_Coins |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> turn their corresponding blocks solid and permanently allow Mario to obtain three types of special cap power-ups throughout all of the stages. The Wing Cap allows Mario to fly after doing a triple jump or being shot from a [[cannon]];<ref>{{cite magazine|title=NG Alphas: Super Mario 64|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=20|publication-place=[[New York City]]|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=August 1996|page=53|url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-020/page/n53/mode/2up|via=[[archive.org]]|access-date=January 9, 2022|editor-last=West|editor-first=Neil|editor2-last=Perry|editor2-first=Douglas|editor3-last=Charla|editor3-first=Chris|editor4-last=Lundrigan|editor4-first=Jeff|editor5-last=Szeto|editor5-first=Richard|display-editors=5|editor6-last=Wang|editor6-first=Eugene}}</ref> the Metal Cap makes him immune to enemies, fire, noxious gases, allows him to withstand wind and water currents, perform on-land moves underwater, and have unlimited air capacity underwater; and the Vanish Cap renders him partially immaterial and invulnerable, and allows him to walk through some obstacles.{{sfn|NOA|1996|p=9}}{{sfn|Nintendo Power|1996|p=9}} Another implicit powerup is the shell remains after stomping a [[Koopa Troopa]], which Mario can use to run over enemies, and surf on water, lava, and quicksand.<ref>{{cite web |last=Spear|first=Rebecca|title=Super Mario 3D All-Stars: How To Find All 120 Stars in Super Mario 64 |pages=[https://www.imore.com/super-mario-3d-all-stars-where-find-all-stars-super-mario-64#whomps-fortress 2],[https://www.imore.com/super-mario-3d-all-stars-where-find-all-stars-super-mario-64#lethal-lava-land 7],[https://www.imore.com/super-mario-3d-all-stars-where-find-all-stars-super-mario-64#snowmans-land 10]|url=https://www.imore.com/super-mario-3d-all-stars-where-find-all-stars-super-mario-64 |website=[[iMore]]|publisher=[[Future US]], Inc |access-date=December 27, 2021 |date=September 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227011118/https://www.imore.com/super-mario-3d-all-stars-where-find-all-stars-super-mario-64|archive-date=December 27, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>