Super Mario Finally Breaks Down and Tells That One Door: "Fine, You Win!"

After 28 years of existential dread, a seemingly unopenable door in Super Mario 64 has finally been conquered. This accomplishment wasn't achieved through some fancy fire flower or a lucky star – it involved a penguin and a whole lot of stubbornness.

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Yes, that right, a penguin. Apparently, the moustachioed plumber needed a little feathered friend (and a frame-perfect manoeuvre) to squeeze through an invisible wall and unlock the door in Cool, Cool Mountain. In case you didn’t know, Cool, Cool Mountain is the fourth level in the beloved classic Super Mario 64, taking players on a chilly adventure through a snowy mountain landscape. (fun fact: penguins are penguins in the Mushroom Kingdom, in case you were confused).

The credit for this avian-assisted exploit goes to Alexpalix1, a speedrunner who clearly wasn't going to let a little locked door ruin their day. But Alex wasn't working alone. Shoutout to YouTube guru Scott Buchanan (Pannenkoek2012), who spent three hours and 45 minutes explaining how invisible walls work in Super Mario 64 (because apparently, even magical brick walls need rules).
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Look, you probably don't have that kind of time, but Alex did, and let's just say it involved a lot of pixels and polygons. The important takeaway here is that with a little help from our feathered friends and a whole lot of internet rabbit holes, we can all achieve the seemingly impossible. So next time you get stuck in a video game, try befriending a local penguin. You never know, they might have the key to unlocking your destiny (or at least a mysterious door).