Launching himself off walls since 1996, Mario was doing parkour way before it became cool. The Wall Kick (sometimes known as the “Wall Jump”) is a tricky move to master in Super Mario 3D All-Stars’ rendition of Super Mario 64 (and in the original game, too), but with its potential to take our hero to great heights, the path to becoming a Wall Kick connoisseur is one well worth pursuing. Since the terms “Wall Kick” and “Wall Jump” refer to the same thing — and both names are used by players of Super Mario 64 — we’ll use them both interchangeably in this guide.
Who’s ready to give those walls a good kicking?
How to perform the Wall Kick
Jump towards a vertical wall by running and pressing the “A” or “B” button. As soon as Mario makes contact with the wall, press the “A” or “B” button again. It requires some specific timing and may take a little practice; if you hear Mario make an “Ugh!” sound upon after hitting the wall, you mostly likely hit the button a little too late. When performed successfully, Mario will kick off the wall and propel himself upward.
When done between two adjacent walls that are within close proximity, you can Wall Jump your way up between the walls continuously until you reach the top, allowing you to ascend to a higher platform.
What is the Wall Kick for?
The Wall Jump allows Mario to reach greater heights than his typical jumps can take him. In Cool, Cool Mountain’s aptly titled mission, “Wall Kicks Will Work,” Mario must use Wall Kicks in order to reach the Power Star.
At the base of the mountain near the lower cabin, you can find a cannon; jump in and aim at the tree to launch Mario to the other side of the level. After making your way across the narrow cliff and Long Jumping across the pit, you will reach a series of slopes that you will need to ascend with Wall Kicks (you may need to pull off one of these at the apex of a Triple Jump). On the final platform, the Power Star awaits after a narrow ice path.
Wall Kick appearances in other Mario games
Like many of Mario’s moves in Super Mario 64, the Wall Kick returned in many of his subsequent adventures (albeit officially renamed the “Wall Jump”), and you can use the move in all three games in Super Mario 3D All-Stars. From Super Mario Sunshine onwards, the maneuver became much easier to pull off, as Mario would slide down a wall upon contact (rather than simply collide into it as he does in 64). This allows for a much longer window of time for the player to hit the jump button.
It can be argued that the Wall Jump, in fact, existed before Super Mario 64, as a similar maneuver can be used in Super Mario Bros.; however this is more of a glitch than an official feature. Still, it’s a fun trick to play around with, and an effective speedrunning technique!
More Super Mario 3D All-Stars guides
Looking for more help with any of the games in Super Mario 3D All-Stars? Check out our other guides!
Super Mario 64 Guides
Super Mario Sunshine Guides
Super Mario Galaxy Guides
Written by Reece Heather
A lifelong Nintendo fan and a longtime editor at Zelda Universe, Reece will forever be grateful that he somehow dodged the Naughty List of Christmas 1998, when Santa delivered the life-changing gift of a Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Mario Kart 64. When he's not playing games, Reece is usually reading Punisher comics, delving helplessly into the weirdest depths of anime and manga, or spending time with his cocker spaniel Gracie -- the goodest girl ever!
