What happens after you beat Superstar Road

After conquering all 8 stress-inducing levels of Superstar Road in New Super Mario Bros. U, one final trial remains—the aptly named "Follow That Shell!" This special 9th level, containing the game‘s most precise and difficult platforming, pushes players‘ skills to the absolute limit while chasing a massive Koopa Troopa shell through collapsing and rotating obstacles. Clear checkpoints are scarce in this marathon gauntlet spanning over three minutes of intense concentration. Most gamers may never glimpse the stage‘s end, but conquering this final test offers more than personal satisfaction. We‘ll detail everything unlocked after mastering Superstar Road‘s climactic finale and other hidden postgame rewards beyond.

Superstar Road-9‘s Relentless Platforming Gauntlet

According to internal level codes unearthed by diligent dataminers, "Follow That Shell!" is technically labeled "Superstar Road-9." This special stage remains locked until beating World 9 along with all preceding Superstar Road levels. When the path to this brutal bonus content opens, brace yourself—frequent restarts and retries await.

Based on user video analysis, the level begins in an icy cavern with various Instant Death hazards, including a bottomless pit just one slip-up away. After an initial sprint under crushing walls, players must hop across tilting platforms while dodging rotating beams and flame bars from Bowser statues. Precision aerial maneuvers such as spin jumps or duck slides are essential to pass unscathed. Veterans recommend slowly honing muscle memory of this tricky section before attempting full runs.

About halfway through, Mario exits the cavern to a crumbling valley with numerous lengthy pit jumps between decaying platforms. Misstepping anywhere leads to losing precious time repeating the steeplechase sequence. According to speedrun statistics, even seasoned experts average 1-2 minutes solely clearing this middle portion. If losing the prized Koopa shell, gamers must trek back to spawn a replacement before proceeding.

In the stage‘s final leg, the terrain shifts to an imposing fortress filled with moving Podoboos, shifting stone paths, and narrow rail riding over lava pits. After lengthy side-scrolling escape, the goal pole mercifully enters view just as inherent platform destruction threatens to consume our hero. With perfect timing and reflexes, players can slide in for the goal just as the last bricks crumble.

Based on guide commentary, mastering this constantly shifting obstacle course tests veterans and newcomers alike. However, clearing this ultimate challenge offers more than personal pride…

Propeller Suits and Penguin Suits Now Accessible

The first noticeable reward beyond conquering Superstar Road itself comes from collecting all bonus Star Coins tucked secretly within its levels. Gathering these tokens unlocks exclusive Toad Houses containing two powerful abilities—the Penguin Suit and Propeller Suit power-ups. These ice and flight-based transformations cannot be accessed through normal gameplay, providing strong motivation to gather every Star Coin across the nine punishing stages.

According to the official strategy guide, the Penguin Suit grants vastly improved traction on ice along with a lethal sliding attack to easily eliminate foes. Its natural agility across slippery platforms makes upcoming ice world levels far less frustrating. Meanwhile, the flying Propeller Suit removes limitations of tricky jumps by soaring over wide chasms and spiked barriers. Having permanent access to these useful abilities offers a welcome reprieve after Superstar Road‘s tense challenges.

Based on fan wiki documentation, completing bonus objectives elsewhere also pays dividends. Gathering all Star Coins in the main game allows buying hint movies for particularly devious levels. Completing all 96 exits even rewards an icon on the player‘s save file select screen to proudly display mastery to friends or family. For gamers pursuing 100% completion, topping off Star Coin collection across all stages becomes much simpler with Penguin and Propeller abilities in hand.

What Else Unlocks Post-Superstar Road?

Beyond new power-ups and Medal Stars, what other content becomes accessible after conquering Superstar Road? Surprisingly, not much else occurs in New Super Mario Bros U itself. However, insights from other franchise titles provide precedent for special rewards among gaming‘s climax.

For example, according to Super Mario World guides, clearing all eight treacherous Special Stages transports Mario directly back to lush Yoshi‘s Island. Since this destination is otherwise inaccessible, gaining quick passage back to Yoshi‘s House serves as a handy reward for completing Special World. Even more monumental, mastering said levels transforms the entire game world itself—grass changes to plaid red, item blocks to skulls, koopas to Mario clones, and other aesthetic shifts signal the player‘s supreme platforming mastery.

Reviews also note Super Mario 64‘s ultimate prize for gathering 120 stars—meeting Yoshi himself sunbathing on Peach‘s Castle roof. This brief cameo marks the final "star" beyond the game‘s stated total, hinting at further mythical secrets waiting to be uncovered. We‘ll detail more on that galaxy of conspiracy theories later. For now, witnessing Mario‘s faithful dino companion serves as a fitting culmination following the preceding journey around Princess Peach‘s bombed-out fortress.

So in summary, while New Super Mario Bros U itself offers no grand finale beyond Superstar Road-9, insights from earlier franchise titles provide precedent for special unlockables awaiting only the most dedicated completionists. Next, let‘s explore lucrative incentives for extinguishing Star Coin gathering OCD…

Profitable Star Coin Farming

While largely optional, collecting hundreds of Star Coins scattered around Mario‘s platforming adventures appeals toward obsessive gamer tendencies. Obtaining these shiny tokens often requires discovering obscure hidden passages or acing timing-based challenges primed to crush less skillful attempts. Successfully gathering each level‘s full allotment might occupy leisurely players for dozens of hours.

According to user guides, the time investment of Star Coin gathering also bears profitable fruit, especially in recent franchise entries offering supplemental objectives. For example, Super Mario Odyssey tasks the cap-flinging plumber with accumulating 999 unique Power Moons to access a special postgame finale. Since selling duplicate Moons eventually yields lucrative coin payouts, players can cash in to afford some stylish threads from the Crazy Cap clothing emporium.

For even faster payouts, Kirby Star Allies offers a fishing side activity with major coin jackpots. Based on explanation from the NintendoSoup blog, chaining together multiple catches consecutively increases odds of hooking a rare golden fish worth 500 Star Coins instantly. Since this bonus minigame lasts only 30 seconds, skilled reaction times can earn over 5,000 coins per minute. Exchanging stockpiles of Star Coins for ability-upgrading accessories or completing skill trees keeps the pink puffball quite fashionable between platforming adventures.

While perhaps less stylistically motivated than Kirby and Mario, Luigi still benefits from diligently vacuuming up piles of coin cash throughout his ghost-busting career. An Forbes gaming feature noted the miserly sidekick had amassed a personal net worth of over $10 billion dollars just from coin pickups across his mansion adventures. So satisfying OCD urges for grabbing shiny loot clearly carries major payouts even beyond secret postgame unlocks!

Star Coin Farming Guide

Now richer from hidden collectible payouts, what other secret legends persist around Mario‘s platforming universe? Let‘s explore the mythical 121st star of Mario 64 next…

Rumors of Mario 64‘s Elusive 121st Power Star

Similar to cryptic myths like video game urban legends, no Mario discussion feels complete without addressing perennial rumors of extra secrets waiting to be found. Prime among wishful theories includes the long-sought 121st Power Star in seminal classic Super Mario 64.

As gaming pop culture site IGN recounted, the central goal driving SM64 involves recovering 120 missing Power Stars hidden around Princess Peach‘s castle to unlock a final confrontation against Bowser. Given Nintendo‘s penchant for placing Easter eggs and bonuses for dedicated fans in past titles, hopes lingered of another Star still undiscovered after two decades. Some clues even seem to validate its existence…

Legend holds that collecting all 120 visible stars then re-entering the castle‘s central portal shows an altered opening message from Lakitu suggesting one final task remains. Glitch hobbyists manipulating game memory also uncovered tantalizing save file references to "121th Star" among other out-of-bounds oddities. Most prominently, a 1997 Nintendo Power interview indicated plans for a 121st Star reward before development concluded—only raising further suspicion on whether this content remained unfinished or still hidden.

However, according to exhaustive deep dives among the Mario Fan Games Galaxy community, no definitive proof of this power star ever being obtainable through normal means has surfaced over endless theories debated online. Analysis of the game‘s code and assets fails to provide any supporting evidence either. While not fully closing the door on mythic secrets, most experts have gradually accepted Mario 64 likely contains little else left undiscovered after 25+ years of scrutiny…

So while the key to infinite wealth and 240p glory tragically eludes us, Mario 64‘s impenetrable fortress still harbors plenty of groundbreaking platforming challenges awaiting. Meanwhile in newer series entries, even more fearsome tests of skill hide following the credits…

New Mario Titles‘ True "Final" Levels

Beyond mysteries of Stars 121+, other Mario games contain concrete—yet equally nightmarish—ultimate objectives awaiting master players upon "completion." For example, unlocking New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe‘s "Champions Road" requires first defeating every prior challenge, including the brutal Superstar slog.

Fittingly described by Eurogamer as "…16 swirling, thumb-blistering minutes of hell," Champions Road quickly reminds gamers of their inferiority via endless obstacle chains requiring strict timing, twitch movements, and pixel-perfect input across over 500 hazards. The culminating leap from Bowser‘s hanging platform alone has reduced bold YouTubers to tears. Clearing this virtual uber-marathon feels akin to the ecstasy of a Olympic champion‘s hard-earned victory.

If that penultimate trial seems beyond human scope, Super Mario Galaxy 2 proudly flexes even greater platforming cruelty with The Perfect Run level tucked away in Grandmaster Galaxy. Kotaku‘s report spare no hyperbole detailing its diabolical design demanding flawless invincibility-juke jump dashes, daredevil hurdles across collapsing terrain, and pinpoint 38-step combo assaults on unforgiving obstacles offering no second chances. Embodying the essence of "Nintendo Hard," merely glimpsing the final flag after 3+ white-knuckle minutes without catastrophic failure may surpass life‘s proudest achievements.

So while Mario veterans braving the Mushroom Kingdom have plenty of mythical stars and concrete trials remaining following Superstar Road‘s credits, we hope all this postgame guidance makes continued questing more smoothly paved moving forward! Let us know in comments your own journeys into these brutal realms available only for true platforming royalty among gamers. Tighten up those suspenders and we‘ll see you blasting off cannon pipes at full speed ahead!