Star 1 - Plunder in the Sunken Ship - Jolly Roger Bay

Learn how to get the first Star, 'Plunder in the Sunken Ship,' in Super Mario 64's Jolly Roger Bay. Master swimming controls and navigate the underwater ship!

Alright, time to dive into Jolly Roger Bay and snag your first Star! This one's called 'Plunder in the Sunken Ship,' and it's all about getting comfortable with Mario's swimming. If you haven't already, maybe practice your moves in the water outside the castle. You know, B for slow and steady, A for that breaststroke action. Once you feel like a fish, jump into the painting!

You'll pop out on a little patch of land right by the bay. First things first, hop into the water. Keep an eye on your life meter – it'll go down while you're swimming, so grab any coins you see or pop up for air to keep topped up. Now, find the deepest part of the bay and start swimming straight down. You're looking for a shipwreck resting on the ocean floor. Swim right towards it!

As you get to the entrance of the ship, you'll find a pink eel acting as a rather inconvenient doorman. It's blocking the only way in! To get past it, you need to lure it out. Swim close enough to grab its attention, but not so close that it hurts you. Then, quickly swim back up to the surface to catch your breath. Once you've got some air, dive back down. The eel should be out of its hiding spot now, leaving the entrance clear. Swim right into that hole to enter the ship.

Inside the ship, you'll find a spot in a corner where you can briefly poke your head above the water to catch your breath. This is where the real puzzle begins! To get the Star, you need to open four chests, but in a specific order. Messing up the order means you'll have to try again. Here's the sequence:

1. Open the chest at the very top.
2. Open the chest that's second from the bottom.
3. Open the chest that's third from the bottom.
4. Finally, open the chest at the very bottom.

Each time you open a chest, it'll release a helpful air bubble that you can swim through to refill your health. Once you've successfully opened all four chests in the correct order, the water level inside the ship will drop. Now, you need to make your way to the very bottom of the ship. Look for a yellow '!' Block down there. Hit it to reveal your Power Star and finish the mission!