To the Top of the Fortress

Learn how to reach the top of Whomp's Fortress in Super Mario 64. This guide covers navigating the new tower and grabbing the Power Star.

Alright, so you've just taken down the Whomp King! The landscape of Whomp's Fortress has changed a bit, especially right at the very top. A new tower has popped up where the flat battleground used to be. Don't worry, getting to the top isn't too different from before, and you can mostly follow the steps for the 'Chip off Whomp's Block' mission. Once you get to the base of this new tower, things get a little more interesting.

You might notice Bullet Bills flying out of a cannon, and yep, they'll track you. You can't really do anything about them, so just try to ignore them and keep moving. You'll see platforms sticking out of the tower, and some of them actually move in and out of the structure. If a moving platform is tucked inside the tower, you'll just have to wait on a stable one until it slides back out. The very last platform you need to jump on looks like it's staying put, but it actually starts moving upwards, taking you to the top of the tower. Make sure to jump off at the peak and circle around to snag that Power Star!

Pro-Tip: Before you start climbing the tower itself, check out the base. Punching the very bottom of the tower reveals a hidden 1-Up mushroom. It's a nice little bonus before you begin the ascent!