How to get the Shoot into the Wild Blue Star in Super Mario 64

Shoot into the Wild Blue is the third mission in Whomp’s Fortress, and it there are a couple of ways to get it. Some of them are complicated, others are far more easy to pull off. In this guide, we will run through two of them.

First thing first, you will need to make your way through the level until you come to a Bob-omb Buddy that is near a square in the ground with a bomb symbol on it. The square will open, and you can drop down inside. You will find yourself in control of a cannon that you can use to fire yourself through the air.

If you look to the left of the Bob-omb Buddy, you will see some platforms jutting out of the wall. The lower platform is where you want to go, but it is not possible to see the Star from this angle. Instead, you need to try and perfectly judge your cannon shot to land you perfectly on the platform. One trick is to aim at the midpoint of the supporting pillars of the platform above, directly above the flag pole on the platform with the star. This should, in theory, send you on an arch that brings you between both platforms, smacking off the pole, and falling down on top of the platform.

Aim a little too high, too low, or too much to either side and you are likely to just go sailing past it. As you might have guessed, this one is a bit awkward. There is, however, a much easier way to get the Star. Run down the ramp under the platform, pretty much all the way to the edge. Now, do a somersault towards the wall, then wall jump up to the platform. It might take a few goes to get this right, but you should be able to get up to the star without too much issues.