Castle Secret Stars Castle Grounds and First Floor
Castle Grounds
These are all the secret stars that are outside the castle. Note:
that Castle Grounds includes the courtyard and are not in order

Star 1
Boos in the Courtyard
This star is exceptionally easy to get. To get to the Castle Courtyard go through either of the doors that lead to the basement in the main castle foyer. Follow the big boo through the door in the back to enter the courtyard, which is swarming with boos. There are eight red coins that the boos are carrying. Run around the courtyard, ground pounding them to knock the red coins out of them. Once you've got all eight coins the star will appear in the courtyard.
Star 2
The Secret of Battle Fort
Go to the courtyard. To the right, along the wall, is a set of three red-brick blocks. Bust 'em apart to reveal a hole that drops into the course. Turn right and run up the ramp to the top platform. Cross over the mesh bridge (dodge the bob-omb that falls in front of you) and hop past the the large grappling enemy to grab the first silver star at the top of the pole. Slide down the pole to the bottom level and defeat the nearby goombas. One of them will cough up the second silver star. Jump up to the ledges to the right (assuming you're facing the same direction you face when you start the course). In the corner of the course are a few blocks you can break to reveal a third silver star. Turn left and follow the walkway that goes around the perimeter of the course. On the other side of the map is another goomba (on this upper walkway) with a star. After nabbing the fourth star, continue down the walkway along the wall. You'll see some more red-brick blocks in a small ditch. Smash 'em up to unveil the last silver star. When you've got it, return to the start of the course to claim your power star reward.
Stars 3 and 4
The Secret Under the Moat
To open up the area The Secret Under the Moat you'll first have to drain the water in the moat. Head into the basement of the castle, turn right through the first door and take another right through the halls. You'll find a doorway with no markings that opens up to a small pool. Dive under water wand follow the underwater tunnel until it leads back up to another room. Ground pound the two large brick pillars (once each) and the water will drain out. Go to the outside of the castle as Wario and drop into the empty moat. There's a large black-brick block to the left that you can smash open, revealing a hole that leads to the secret area. The first power star to find is earned by collecting all eight red coins in the course. The first four are located on the many platforms that cover the large downhill slope at the beginning of the stage. To get to the platforms without falling and skipping any, you'll have to slide down the slope�do not jump onto the slope, just slide�and jump just as you approach the platform. In mid-air, press the crouch button to ground pound and you should safely land on the targeted platform. The first platform to aim for is the top one on the left side of the slope (you can see the platforms on your map. The second red coin is on the second platform down, in the center of the slope. The third red coin is also in the center column of the slope, two platforms below the platform with the second coin. And the fourth and final coin is visible after grabbing the third, on the next platform down in the right column. When you've got those four coins, round the next corner to the right and head past the spinning amps. Grab the Mario cap if you wish�it's not necessary, but controlling Mario is generally easier than Wario. You'll need to ride the series of rising platforms to the right, collecting three more coins on the way. Ride the first platform up and wait in the very center of it as it rises to let you jump onto the teetering walkway. Jump straight forward and you should collect the next coin as you fly onto the wood teetering platform, and quickly run up to the other side to touch and grab the sixth coin. Swing the camera around to let you see further ahead, and balance out the teetering walkway until the platforms ahead get close enough to jump onto. Ride the first platform up and, as the platforms starts headinb back down, drop onto the platform below you. It'll carry you up to the seventh red coin, and let you reach solid ground soon enough. Put on the Luigi cap nearby and bust open the red box to reveal a power flower. Turn Luigi invisible and you can pass through the cage that surrounds the eighth and final red coin. Grab it and collect the power star that spawns in the cage with you. There's a second star to be found in the area. Slide down the slope at the beginning and run around the corner to the right to grab the Mario cap. As Mario, return to the base of the slope and break open the red box to grab the power flower. Using Mario's ability float, get over to the platform over the gap and ground pound to land. Step on the star switch on the floor and quickly get another power flower from the nearby red box. From where you got the power flower, float straight upwards, through a narrow vertical passageway. Eventually one of the vertical walls will level out into a platform you can land on�ground pound over the platform to land and break open the next box to get another power flower. Again, float straight up until the next wall levels out to a platform. The power star can be found there�just bump into it and you'll collect it.
Star 5
8 Glowing Rabbits
You may or may not have noticed, but after collecting 8 power stars the various rabbits around the castle will randomly be glowing. If you catch eight of these glowing rabbits you'll be rewarded with a key that unlocks the last door in the room with the Mario, Luigi, and Wario character doors. Open that door and you'll instantly earn a power star. You can collect all eight bunnies with whichever character you choose, though we've expertly devised a formula that'll get you all the bunnies the fastest. Change your character to Yoshi and step outside of the castle through the front door. At the end of the bridge there will always be three bunnies. If you see one that's glowing, chase after it and catch it. When you're done, go back into the castle through the same door and then step right back out again. The three rabbits will all return to their place in front of the bridge. If none are glowing, just repeatedly enter and exit the castle. This is by far the fastest way to summon eight glowing rabbits.

First Floor
These are all the secret stars that are first floor of the castle. Note:
that First Floor includes the ? Tower, and the Big Boo Battle Section and are not in order

Star 6
Sunshine Isles
The Sunshine Isles is found in a painting in Princess Peach's room. Enter the one-star door on the upper-right area inside the castle and go past the doors for Mario, Luigi and Wario and hop into the painting to start the level. The goal is to simply collect the five silver stars in the area, and their locations are marked on your map. One of them is just sitting out on one of the outer islands. Another is being carried around the outer islands by a flying buzzard�fire an egg at the buzzard to make him drop the silver star. The last one that's on the other islands can be found at the top of one of the palm trees. Just climb the tree and jump from the top to grab it. There are two more silver stars on the main island. One can be found in a small alcove at the very base of the island, and the second is found at the top of the island. When you've got all five collected run to the gold star (it's on your map) and collect your reward.
Stars 7 and 8
The Princess's Secret Slide
Go to the room where you pick your character and you can jump through the painting of Princess Peach on the right. You'll enter a room with her secret slide, and the opportunity to earn two power stars. If you simply make it down the slide successfully you can break the yellow "!" box to reveal the first star. However, that's not all this slide has to offer. Make it down the slide in under twenty-one seconds and you'll be rewarded with another star.
Star 9
The Secret Aquarium
From the main castle foyer, turn right and enter the doorway that leads to the Jolly Roger Bay course. To the right you can just barely see a small alcove. Backflip up into the alcove to enter this secret area. There are eight red coins scattered throughout this underwater level, but there's nowhere to go up for air. You'll have to collect the eight coins quickly before you run out of breath, though every time you collecting a coin you'll gain some of your breath back. Four of the red coins can be found on the floor of the aquarium, in each of the four corners. The other four are in the center of four rings of coins that are spread around the rest of the water. Just swim around to collect them all and then grab the power star that appears in the center of the aquarium, at floor level.
Star 10 and 11
Gomboss Area
Enter area as Mario and slide down the ramp at the beginning and follow the narrow path to your right. Once the narrow path opens up to a slightly wider platform, turn right and run up the narrow ramp on the right. Run past the sleeping piranha at the top of the ramp and hop across the teetering platforms to reach a walkway with a couple of goombas and a star switch on the floor. Step on the switch and quickly run to the end of the walkway. You can wall jump up the cliff's edge by using the cage walls, but it's important that you use the rock wall also. The gap between the cage wall and the rock wall is smaller than the gap between the other two cage walls, letting you reach the top quicker to grab the power star before it disappears. You can earn a second star in the area by collecting all eight red coins. After sliding down the first ramp (as Mario), continue forward onto the rising logs and ride the small moving platforms just past them, heading left. You'll ride out to a small island with a black-brick block. If you're not already Wario, grab the Wario cap from the goomba and break open the block to get the first red coin. Return to the main land and jump right to land on the top of a mesh platform. Walk to the end of the platform (to the left), drop down, and then jump up to cling onto the bottom of the mesh, allowing you to swing over and grab the second red coin. Return to solid ground (swing away from the sleeping piranha plant) and turn left. Climb up the vine you see to reach the donut platform up top. On a small ledge that sticks out from this platform is the third red coin. Climb back down the vine and follow the narrow path to the left. At the end of the path (keep left) is a rising log platform you can jump to. Stand in the center of the log platform and jump to grab the fourth red coin right as the log reaches its maximum height. Ride the log back down and jump back onto the narrow path, following it down the other branch to your left. Jump across the series of rising blocks to your left and you'll find another red coin behind a sleeping piranha. Run back across the series of rising logs and turn left at the bottom. Just ahead you'll see a narrow ring path with a teetering platform in the center. Jump onto the platform so you can reach the sixth red coin and then jump off to hop along the teetering platforms to the left. At the end of the platforms is a red power flower box�as Mario, grab the power flower and you can float up to the top of the huge log to your right. At the very tip top is the seventh red coin. Drop down to the base of the log and grab the Luigi cap from the goomba nearby. Return to the ledge where you got the power flower for Mario and grab it for Luigi�quickly run back to the base of the log and backflip up to the ledge above. If you're still invisible you'll be able to pass through the gate and grab the eighth red coin. When you get it, the power star will appear at the beginning of the series of rising log platforms you used to reach the fifth red coin.
Star 12 and 13
Big Boo Area
Enter the level as Mario. The first red coin is in the very first room, just sitting in front of one of the doorways. Head through the eastern door to reach the second area and you'll see two more coins. The first one is easily got, but the second one is hanging over a fall-away walkway. You'll want to long jump over the fall-away walkway and then double back to run across it back to the main platform. You'll grab the third red coin on your way back before heading through the north door to the next room. You'll see a fourth red coin just to the right on the next platform, and there's a fifth one overhead. To get the fifth, grab the power flower from the red box to inflate Mario and float over to it. Head through the eastern doorway to enter the next room with the next two coins. To get the first, step on the first checkered platform you see and ride it sideways. When the platforms reaches the end of its path, jump onto the next ledge and move onto the second checkered platform. It'll carry you over to the next coin, and a platform with a Wario cap. Put on the cap, and head through the norther door to reach the next room. Just to the right is a black-brick block that Wario can smash. Bust it open to reveal the last red coin. Grab it, and the power star will appear right behind you. There's another power star to find in the level. In the third room of the maze is a Luigi cap you can grab. Put it on and break open the red box to let loose the power flower. Once Luigi is invisible, quickly run to the next room (through the eastern doorwa) and then to the last room (through the northern doorway). Run across the fall-away bridge and hop through the painting of the ghost to collect another power star.
Stars 14 and 15
Boswer in the Sky
Get the power flower from the red box near the beginning and turn around to float and grab the first red coin. Run forward just a bit and you'll see the second red coin at the very tip of the first fire breath you see�you can collect it by running along the very edge of the platform, but be careful of the fire. Alternatively, you can step on the red floor switch to create a temporary brick platform to step out on. Further up the path (past another fire breath and some goombas) you'll find the third red coin that's among the crystals being circled by amps. Jump up to the next platform and take a long jump to the island to the right (with the spinning amp). You'll find a fourth red coin before you have to long jump back to the main path. Wait for the yellow platform to move forward and drop onto it to collect the fifth red coin, and then ride the shifting platforms around to collect the sixth. Continue across the shifting platforms and across the large blue teetering walkways. At the end, turn around and you can walk along the narrow lip near the right wall to get the seventh red coin. Go back to the larger area of the platform (with the goombas) and jump back onto the nearest teetering walkway. Stand at the end closest to the goombas to raise the other side and then run and jump up to the top of the stone structure you're int. Up there you'll find the eighth coin. The gold star appears just ahead on the main path, behind the pipe that leads to Bowser. There's a second star in the course, as well. You'll need to make your way to the very end of the course to get this power star. Reach the pipe that brings you to Bowser, but don't jump down it. Instead, step on the star switch on the floor and get ready to run (carefully). Turn around and jump down to the bottom of the stairs (if the stairs turned back into a steep ramp you'll have to clear the ramp and ground pound the flat platform to avoid sliding off). From there you can long jump onto the stone platform ahead. Drop down to the teetering walkway below and stand at the end of it to raise up the other end. Run up the platform and jump another part of the stone structure where you'll find the golden power star.
Star 16
? Switch Tower
Enter the ? Switch area as Mario (by staring up into the ceiling at the center of the main castle foyer). Getting the level's eight red coins is simple enough, but that doesn't make it easy. All eight coins are simply floating in the air, separated in pairs on all four sides of the course. Fly around to collect them all and the golden power star will appear back on the center platform.
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