Chasing Pixels and Pounds: Your Hilariously Comprehensive Guide to Coin Collecting Across Gaming Universes (and Maybe Real Life?)
Let’s be honest. Who hasn’t felt that urge? The twitch in your thumbs. The glint in your eye. Spotting a shiny, digital coin begs to be collected. From the Mushroom Kingdom to monstrous labyrinths, coins fuel countless games. They jingle and bestow power (or a new hat). We dive into video game coin collecting. We’ll touch on how to snag 100 coins in Shifting Sand Land.
But hold your horses, aspiring digital Scrooge McDucks! Before we start, let’s lay some coin fundamentals. This is your Coin Collecting 101, Mario-style.
Super Mario 64 Coin Collecting: The OG Coin Quest
Ah, Super Mario 64. A revolutionary game that practically invented 3D platforming. And at the heart of this polygon paradise? Coins. They aren’t just for extra lives. In this game, coins unlock something special: the 100 Coin Stars.
100 Coin Stars: The Shiny Grail
These aren’t regular Power Stars. The 100 Coin Stars are VIP passes to star power. Collect 100 coins in any of the 15 main courses, and BAM! A star appears above Mario. No fixed location, no puzzles, just pure coin-collecting prowess. The game says, “Hey, you’re good at picking up change. Here’s a star.”
Don’t hoard coins in Peach’s Castle or non-course areas. These 100 Coin Stars are picky. They only appear in those 15 course levels. Gather 100 coins elsewhere, and you have a hefty coin purse but no stars. Sorry, castle millionaires, rules are rules.
Secret Stars: The Sneaky Siblings
Now, let’s touch on stars and less obvious ways to get them. Shout-out to the Secret Stars. These 15 elusive beauties hide in Peach’s Castle and the grounds, earned through secret tasks. They’re for the adventurous who explore every nook of the Mushroom Kingdom. Think of them as the Easter eggs of the star world.
Coin Carnivals in Specific Super Mario 64 Levels: Level Up Your Loot
Alright, strategy time! Want 100 coins? Crave that extra star? Let’s break down specific Super Mario 64 levels and see where the coin-collecting gold is buried. This is your level-by-level collection guide; we leave no coin unturned.
Dire Dire Docks: Dock and Roll with Coins?
Is 100 coins in Dire Dire Docks a thing? Yes! Here’s the coin lowdown:
- Wooden Dock Line: Those lines on the main wooden dock? Easy to grab.
- Bowser’s Sub Area: Venture into Bowser’s lair and snag coins. Even underwater villains appreciate pocket money.
- Red Coins: There are 8 red collectibles here, worth 2 coins each. That’s 16 coins for color-coordinated collecting.
- Blue Coin Block: Above Bowser’s area, there’s a block waiting to be bashed. Smash it for a whopping 30 coins.
Coin Tally for Dire Dire Docks: Haul in over 106 coins. Plenty for that star and some extra.
Hazy Maze Cave: Prepare for a Coin Scavenger Hunt (of Mild Annoyance)
Hazy Maze Cave sends shivers down any aspiring hunter’s spine. Why? This level is notorious for being a pain for coin collecting. Prepare for tests of patience as you scour every nook for those elusive coins. Think of it as a digital Easter egg hunt, but less rewarding.
Big Boo’s Haunt: Spooky Coins and Spectral Loot
Boo! Did I scare you? Probably not as much as missing a coin here. Fear not, brave collector! This mansion is generous with spectral shrapnel.
- Boo Bonanza: Defeat Boos, and they’ll cough up Blue Coins. Cha-ching!
- Eyeball Enemy Extravaganza: Squash creepy eyeball enemies too! Watch the blue coins flow.
- Scuttlebug Scramble: Outside, Scuttlebugs scuttle about, dropping coins. Every bit helps!
- Breakable Box Bonanza: Boxes everywhere often hold coins. Smash ’em; it’s therapeutic and profitable.
This level is like a coin piñata. Go in, bust ghosts, and smash boxes, and you’ll swim in spectral shillings.
Delfino Plaza (Super Mario Sunshine): Sunshine, Spraying, and Sweet Coin Success
Technically, Delfino Plaza is from Super Mario Sunshine, not 64. But it’s a coin paradise. This vibrant hub overflows with coins. Runs feel like strolls on the beach (with a coin vacuum). You feel like a coin vacuum.
- Tunnel Network Treasure Trove: The tunnel network beneath Delfino Plaza is a goldmine! Nearly 100 coins hide down there.
- Spraying Spree for Coin Glory: Use F.L.U.D.D., your water backpack, to generate coins! Spray:
- Hanging Signs
- Open Windows
- Wanted Posters
- Green Birds (yes, really)
- …and other spray-able objects.
Shine Location Alert! Hit that 100-coin mark in Delfino Plaza and your Shine Sprite pops up on the ocean pillar. Soak it up (you might be wet from spraying). Delfino Plaza is like the Las Vegas of Mario worlds.
Tiny-Huge Island: Size Matters (and So Do Coins)
Tiny-Huge Island features giants and tiny versions. And coins! Here’s how to get max coins in this land of fluctuating dimensions:
- Tiny Entrance, Big Coin Potential: Enter through the right-hand portrait to start tiny. Tiny means more accessible coins!
- Main Area Mayhem: In the main tiny area, rack up at least 74 coins. Defeat enemies and explore hidden spots.
- Red Coin Rendezvous: Gather 74 coins, then hit the Red Coin area. Collect all 8 Red Coins (16 coins total) plus 2 Blue Coins (another 10 coins).
Tiny-Huge Coin Triumph: This strategy pushes you over 100-coin threshold. Tiny island, huge coin rewards. It’s all about perspective.
Tall, Tall Mountain: Slide into Coin Riches (Literally)
Tall, Tall Mountain is surprisingly lucrative for coins, especially with the secret sauce: Mysterious Mountainside (Star #4).
- Mysterious Mountainside Magic: Star #4 is your ticket to coin heaven here.
- Slide to Coin Glory: Go down that slide to collect around 50 coins! A coin-themed ride, but less chlorine.
- Pre-Slide Prep: Don’t forget to grab coins on your way to the slide entrance. Every coin counts!
Tall, Tall Mountain gives plenty of opportunities. Collect wisely. Expand your digital wealth!
Mountain’s slide acts as a coin conveyor belt. Hop on, hold tight, and let the coins roll in. It’s efficient and exhilarating. This is the way to gain your 100 Coin Star on this towering terrain.
Blue Coins: The Blu-ray of Bucks
Blue Coins! They are rare and often worth more. In Mario games, Blue Coins serve as premium currency. They are like finding a twenty in old jeans. Someone even checked the USD exchange rate for Blue Coins. Apparently, “$0.000983 BLU to USD” exists, according to bored souls online. The lengths people go for Mario…
Speaking of Blue Coins, remember the Sand Bird? That majestic sandy avian? It appears in Shifting Sand Land. It carries four Blue Coins on its sandy back. Just another reason to hitch a ride on that desert dodo.
Coins Beyond the Mushroom Kingdom
Mario isn’t alone in coin collecting. Coins of various types exist across genres and platforms. They are like digital fairy dust. Let’s explore coins in other gaming realms.
Super Mario Odyssey: Coin Farming Frenzy
Super Mario Odyssey introduces new levels of coin collecting. Want a mountain of coins fast? Become a Frog.
Capture a frog with Cappy, then hop your way to riches. Frogs act as coin magnets. For ambitious players, quick ways to earn 10,000 coins exist in Odyssey. YouTube can guide you.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Coins for Speed Demons
In Mario Kart, coins fuel speed! Each coin collected boosts your overall speed. It’s like giving your kart pure coin energy. The more coins, the faster you race. Simple: Coins = Speed.
Monster Legends: Maze Coin Mania
Monster Legends offers a quest for unlimited maze coins. Maze coins act as special currency during events. “Unlimited” may be exaggerated, but strategy is key for maximizing your haul. Monster collecting plus maze navigation equals coin fun.
Coin Master: Leveling Up in Coin Land
Coin Master centers on coins. Spin the wheel, raid villages, and build your empire. Want to know the number of levels? It’s a lot. New villages and levels grow regularly. Coin-collecting is a marathon.
Angry Birds: Fashionable Fowl with Funds
Even Angry Birds enjoy pocket money. A basic outfit for your Hatchlings costs coins. Virtual birds need personal style too. Coins for cosmetic changes? A quirky but charming idea.
Bowser Banter: Villainous Coin Opinions
Now, let’s explore Bowser, Mario’s nemesis and possible coin lover. Villains need funding, right? Bowser facts amuse us.
Bowser’s Level Upgrades
Bowser actually levels up! In some games, his powers scale with levels, just like RPGs. He reaches new ranks at levels 10, 20, and 40 originally. Remakes streamline it to levels 8, 16, 24, and 32. Bowser leveling up? What a power fantasy.
Bowser in the Sky
Bowser in the Sky? Sounds ominous and it is! It’s the last course in Super Mario 64. To enter, navigate Peach’s Castle, gather 70 Power Stars, and tackle the “Endless Stairs.” Bowser’s lair exists literally in the sky. Full of stolen coins.
Bowser Shuffle: Board Game Banditry
Bowser has his own board game event! The Bowser Shuffle in Mario Party rearranges player positions randomly. Rewards can be substantial, such as 1000 coins or 100 Stars. Shuffle your friends and steal their coins—typical Bowser!
Bowser’s Bling: $10 Gold Coin
There exists a real-world “Bowser” coin? Not exactly Bowser, but a $10 gold coin minted in the US from 1795 to 1933 is colloquially named the “Bowser” coin. Why? Who knows! They are popular among collectors.
Fighting Bowser: Tail-Grabbing Tactics
Fighting Bowser is classic Mario. The strategy? Fling him into bombs! Grab his tail (risky but needed), spin around like a fuzzy tornado, and hurl Bowser into chaos. Pro-tip: Bowser features a rare “dance” animation at the fight’s start, increasing your chances of grabbing his tail early.
Bowser’s Vital Stats: Age and IQ
Buckle up for Bowser trivia! He is approx 34 years old. Not bad for a fire-breathing king! Bowser’s IQ? A staggering 9,800. Who knew he was so clever? They call him a Demon King. That’s quite a resume.
Bowser’s Bulk: Weight and Colors
Bowser is large. Estimates claim he’s around 8’6 feet tall and 1600 lbs. Speaking of colors, have you heard of Blue Bowser? Known as his brother or imposter, the Blue Bowser appears in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels exclusively on the Famicom Disk System. A Mario twist!
Greed Mode Games: Coins in Binding of Isaac
Switching from fun Mario to The Binding of Isaac offers a dark twist. Greed Mode revolves around coins with horrors and risks.
Jam Chance: Coin-Fueled Chaos
The “jam chance” adds unpredictability in Greed Mode. Accumulate coins to increase enemy spawn rates drastically. It maxes out at 20% with 200 coins in normal mode (1% at just 55 coins in Greedier mode). Greed mode offers consequences.
Ultra Greed: Coin Challenge Unlocked
Unlock the tougher Ultra Greed (Greedier) mode. Need to donate 500 coins to the donation machine post completing regular Greed Mode with a character. 500 for extra pain? Typical for Binding of Isaac.
Greed Mode Survival Tips:
- Prioritize Damage and Health: Damage and health upgrades matter for survival against increased enemy threats.
- Always Do the Last Wave: Defeating all main waves in rooms is critical as it opens angel/devil rooms for run-saving items.
- useful in the coin-heavy chaos of Greed Mode.
- Survivability Over Damage (Sometimes): Damage matters, but survivability often comes first in Greed Mode. Find items that keep you alive, even if your damage output suffers a bit.
Greed Mode Damage Reduction: A Small Mercy
Greed Mode grants one small mercy: damage reduction. After Chapter 3, enemies deal only half a heart. This is unique to Greed Mode. A minor act of kindness in a game that tests your sanity (and coin skills).
Crypto Coins and Collectible Currencies: From Pixels to Pounds (and Beyond)
Let’s connect digital game coins to the real world of cryptocurrency and collectible coins. Coins are coins, right? (Not exactly).
SAND (The Sandbox): Digital Land and Digital Gold
SAND fuels The Sandbox, a virtual world for building, owning, and monetizing gaming experiences. It combines Minecraft and cryptocurrency. SAND has a total token supply of 3,000,000,000 SAND. It launched on Binance at 0.008333 USD per SAND. The circulating supply is around 1,000,000,000 SAND. Crypto prices always change.
MANA (Decentraland): Virtual Reality Bucks
MANA serves as the currency of Decentraland, a virtual reality platform on the Ethereum blockchain. Decentraland (MANA) powers the Decentraland virtual reality environment. Use MANA for virtual land, avatars, and to join the Decentraland metaverse. It’s like real estate, but pixelated and unstable.
Pepe Coin: Meme Magic and Market Mayhem
Pepe Coin. A cryptocurrency that emerged from internet memes. The live Pepe price always changes, while the 24-hour trading volume can be massive. Meme coins are volatile and often unpredictable. Research first before exploring meme-based crypto.
UK £100 Coin: Silver, Legal Tender, and Collectible Coolness
From digital to tangible, here’s the UK £100 coin. This isn’t average change. Made of two ounces of 999 fine silver, this coin is officially legal tender. But don’t expect to find it regularly. It’s designed as a limited edition collectible or gift. A £100 coin that’s worth more as silver than for spending? The world of coin collecting is incredible.
$50 Coin: Value and… Value?
The $50 coin exists! Its value? Well, it’s $50. (Unless it’s gold or silver, then its value increases). The idea of a $50 coin is straightforward, but its worth relies on material and collectibility. Coin value is more complex than you think.
Ancient Coins: Cache and Cash (of the Past)
Diving into history, Ancient Coins in games like Sea of Thieves are a premium currency. The Ancient Coin Cache gives players 25 coins. Naturally, players seek ways to get free coins in many games. Free coins are the ultimate prize in gaming economies.
Coin Curiosities and Random Ruminations: Coin Facts You Never Knew You Needed
Let’s conclude this coin journey with random facts and trivia. Because why not? Coins hold endless fascination.
Making 99 Cents: Coin Combinations and Conundrums
How many combinations can you use to make 99 cents?