The Trial Course
- “Of the 6 doors... 2 open onto action courses! You can handle a lot of action, right? 2 others will lead to battle courses. You can fight, right?! The last 2 open onto puzzle courses. No sweat for a great puzzle solver like you, right?! Once you choose a course, there's no turning back! The only way to know what's behind a door is to walk through it! You must pass 4 of the 6 courses to move ahead.”
- —Narration,Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
The Trial Course[1] is a series of corridors located deep withinBowser's Keep inSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars andits Nintendo Switch remake. It begins with a room of six numbered Big Red Doors[2] known as theSix-Door Chamber. Two of the doors lead to "action courses" whereMario must use hisjumping ability to navigate obstacles and enemies (which do not lead to battle encounters) and collect items, two lead to "battle courses" with a series of consecutive fights against enemies summoned byWizakoopa, and two lead to "puzzle courses" where the player is challenged byDr. Topper. Each door's destination is randomized each playthrough. When a course is completed, the player is sent back to the Six-Door Chamber, where that course's door is then marked with anX. Each course has a reward at the end, and four must be completed to progress; once the fourth is completed, the paths leading back to the room with the doors and the castle before become inaccessible until Bowser's Keep is exited uponExor's defeat.
Action courses[edit]
Mario gets 10 tries to get through a series of obstacle-filled rooms. If he makes 10 faults before the course is complete, he is sent back to the Six-Door Chamber. Every fault also causes a loss incoins.
Action Room 1[2][edit]
The reward is theSuper Slap.
Action 1-1[3][edit]
An invisible maze is suspended overlava. It becomes visible for an instant when jumped upon, which is demonstrated by threeTerrapins that briskly move from the beginning to the end ahead of Mario. Four large coins are in the air over the maze.Treasure boxes contain aFright Bomb, anIce Bomb, aRoyal Syrup, and aRock Candy.
Action 1-2[3][edit]
Several graytiles move back and forth laterally across a lava pit, stopping while Mario jumps. Treasure boxes contain aMax Mushroom, aRed Essence, aFire Bomb, and aFlower.
Action 1-3[3][edit]
AGuerrilla imitatesDonkey Kong, throwingbarrels down an isometric room similar to25m fromDonkey Kong, though without slopes or ladders. Once Mario reaches the Guerrilla at the top, it flees down the side.
Action Room 2[2][edit]
The reward is theSonic Cymbals.
Action 2-1[4][edit]
A series of rising-and-falling gray tiles between a stone overhang and a lava pit must be jumped across. A treasure box on top of the overhang contains aCroaka Cola.
Action 2-2[4][edit]
Mario must balance on an iron ball to jump to high places as twoBob-ombs loosely pursue him, exploding if they touch him off the ball. In the remake, aRob-omb appears near the end of the room and moves in a fixed pattern around a pillar, and it is faster than the Bob-ombs. Eight large coins are in the air. Treasure boxes contain aPick Me Up, a Max Mushroom, a Rock Candy, and two Flowers.
Action 2-3[4][edit]
Two gray tiles rotate around each other when stood upon, shown previously inBandit's Way. This time, however, they are over an enormous lava pit. Treasure boxes contain a Royal Syrup, a Fire Bomb, a Pick Me Up, a Croaka Cola, and two Flowers.
Battle courses[edit]
Wizakoopa spawns an enemy at each pair of statues, leading to an encounter against a group of standard enemies.
Battle Room 1[2][edit]
The reward is theStar Gun (Drill Claw in the remake).
Battle 1-1[3][edit]
- Pro Goomba: 5 Pro Goombas
- Malakoopa: 2 Malakoopas, 1Grand Troopa
- High Boo: 2Boos, 2Orbisons
- Sling Shy: 5 Sling Shies
Battle 1-2[4][edit]
- Chewy: 2 Chewies, 2Beezos
- Mr. Kipper: 1 Mr. Kipper, 2Muckles
- Amanita: 2 Amanitas, 1 Orbison
- Glum Reaper: 2Greapers, 1 Glum Reaper
Battle 1-3[4][edit]
- Lava Babble: 3 Lava Babbles
- Lakitu: 3 Lakitus
- Zeostar: 2 Zeostars, 2Shamans
- Shaman: 6 Shamans
Gallery[edit]
Battle Room 2[2][edit]
The reward is the Drill Claw (Star Gun in the remake).
Battle 2-1[3][edit]
- Terra Cotta: 4 Terra Cottas
- Urspike: 2 Urspikes, 1Star Cruster
- Sackit: 1 Sackit, 2Big Blasters
- Chow: 2 Chows, 1Forkie
Battle 2-2[4][edit]
- Alley Rat: 1 Alley Rat, 2Armored Ants
- Blooper: 3 Bloopers, 1 Star Cruster
- Stinger: 5 Stingers
- Geckit: 2 Geckits, 1Chained Kong
Battle 2-3[4][edit]
- Bob-omb: 1Rob-omb, 2 Big Blasters
- Vomer: 4 Vomers
- Magmus: 2 Magmuses, 2Pulsars
- Huhwhat family "item" icon: 1Comeon (can spawnBahamutts)
Gallery[edit]
Puzzle courses[edit]
Dr. Topper challengesMario to solve his brainteasers. Failure puts Mario back in the Six-Door Chamber.
Puzzle Room 1[2][edit]
The reward is a Rock Candy.
Puzzle 1-1[3][edit]
Mario and Dr. Topper take turns hitting a coin-filled treasure box up to four times in a row, trying to avoid collecting the 21st coin.
Puzzle 1-2[3][edit]
Dr. Topper introduces Mario to a game called Magic Buttons. Mario needs to depress a 4×4 group of 16buttons, each of which inverts the state of all cardinally surrounding buttons.
Puzzle 1-3[3][edit]
Dr. Topper has Mario play Ball Solitaire. Mario must kick iron balls into bouncing over each other, like incheckers, to reduce a 4×4 grid of 15 balls to one. It is an automatic failure if a ball is made to leapfrog over two at once or it bounces over nothing.
Puzzle Room 2[2][edit]
The reward is a Rock Candy.
Puzzle 2-1[4][edit]
Dr. Topper gives Mario a trivia quiz consisting of 12 questions about the game, chosen randomly from a pool of 40 (41 in the remake). Mario has five seconds to answer each, with correct answers raising the tile he stands on by one step, wrong answers lowering it by two, and timing out lowering it by one. The goal is eight steps high. All the questions and the possible answers to each are listed below. The correct answers are highlighted in green.
SNES version[edit]
| Question | Answer 1 | Answer 2 | Answer 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| How much...does a femalebeetle cost? | 1coin | 50 coins | Afrog coin |
| What doesBelome really like to turn people into? | Scarecrow | Ice cream cones | Mushrooms |
| What isRaini's husband's name? | Raz | Romeo | Gaz |
| Johnny loves WHICH beverage?... | Currant juice | Grape juice | Boysenberry smoothie |
| What's the name of the boss at theSunken Ship? | Johnny | Jimmy | Jackson |
| Booster is what generation? | 7th | 8th | 78th |
| Where was the 3rdStar Piece found? | Moleville | Forest Maze | Star Hill |
| In the Moleville blues, it's said that the moles are covered in what? | Soil | Dirt | Slugs |
| What color are the curtains inMario's house? | Blue | Green | Red |
| Yaridovich is what? | A boss | A new breed of cattle | A special attack |
| Theboy at the inn inMushroom Kingdom was playing with...What? | Game Boy | Super NES | Virtual Boy |
| What didCarroboscis turn into? | A carrot | A beet | A radish |
| Who is the famous sculptor inNimbus Land? | Garro | Gaz | Goya |
| What isHinopio in charge of at the middle counter? | The inn | Weapons | Items |
| Who is the ultimate enemy in this adventure? | Smithy | Bowser | Goomba |
| Who is the leader ofThe Axem Rangers? | Red | Black | Green |
| What's the name ofJagger's "sensei"? | Dinky | Jinx | Johnny |
| How many underlings doesCroco have? | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| What wasToadstool doing when she was kidnapped byBowser? | She was playing cards | She was looking at flowers | She was digging for worms |
| Who is the famous composer atTadpole Pond? | Toadoskfy | Toadofsky | Frogfucius |
| Which monster does not appear inBooster Tower? | Jester | Terrapin | Bob-omb |
| The boy getting his picture taken atMarrymore can't wait 'til which season? | Hunting | Skiing | Baseball |
| What technique doesBowser learn at Level 15? | Bowser Crush | Crusher | Terrorize |
| What words doesShy Away use when he sings? | Dum dee dah~ | La dee dah~ | Dum lee lah~ |
| What doesBirdo come out of? | Abarrel | Aneggshell | A basket |
| What's the first monster you see in thePipe Vault? | Goomba | Sparky | Chompweed |
| What's the password in theSunken Ship? | Corals | Pearls | Oyster |
| What wasMallow asked to get forFrogfucius? | Honey Syrup | Cricket Pie | Carbo Cookie |
| Mite is Dyna's...WHAT? | Big sister | Little brother | Second cousin |
| What does theRed Essence do? | Makes you sleepy | Gives you strength | Relieves back pain |
| How long have the couple inside the chapel been waiting for their wedding? | 1 hour | 30 minutes | 45 minutes |
| What doCulex,Jinx, andGoomba have in common? | They are immortal | They live inMonstro Town | They all like bratwurst |
| What is the 4th selection on the Menu screen? | Important Items | Special Items | Equip |
| Theman getting his picture taken atMarrymore hates what? | Getting married | Mowing the lawn on Sundays | Getting his picture taken |
| Where was the 1st Star Piece found? | Bowser's Keep | Mario's Pad | Mushroom Kingdom |
| How many legs doesWiggler have? | 10 | 8 | 6 |
| What's the full name of the boss at theSunken Ship? | Johnny Jones | Jesse James Jones | Jonathan Jones |
| Who helped you up the cliff atLand's End? | Sky Troops | Flying Troopa | Sky Troopas |
| What color is the end ofDodo's beak? | Yellow | Orange | Red |
| What's the chef's name atMarrymore? | Blintz | Gateau | Torte |
Nintendo Switch version[edit]
| Question | Answer 1 | Answer 2 | Answer 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| How much...does a femalebeetle sell for? | Onecoin | Fifty coins | AFrog Coin |
| What doesBelome really like to turn people into? | Scarecrows | Ice-cream cones | Mushrooms |
| What isRaini's husband's name? | Raz | Romeo | Gaz |
| Johnny loves which beverage? | Currant juice | Grape juice | Boysenberry smoothie |
| What's the name of the boss at theSunken Ship? | Johnny | Jimmy | Jackson |
| What color are the curtains inMario's house? | Blue | Green | Red |
| Booster is what generation? | 7th | 8th | 48th |
| Where was the thirdStar Piece found? | Moleville | Forest Maze | Star Hill |
| In the Moleville Blues, it's said that the moles are covered in what? | Soil | Dirt | Slugs |
| Speardovich is what? | A boss | A new breed of cattle | A special move |
| What didCarroboscis used to be? | A carrot | A beet | A radish |
| Who is the famous sculptor inNimbus Land? | Garro | Gaz | Goya |
| What isCinder Toad in charge of at the middle counter? | The inn | Armor | Items |
| Who is the ultimate enemy in this adventure? | Smithy | Bowser | Goomba |
| Who is the leader of theAxem Rangers? | Red | Black | Green |
| Which enemy is only found in the Sunken Ship? | Reacher | Crusty | Mr. Kipper |
| Mario, Mallow, andPeach'striple move is called what? | Healing Rainbow | Healthy Rainbow | Stache, Princess, and Rainboy, GO! |
| What's the name ofJagger's "sensei"? | Dinky | Jinx | Johnny |
| How many underlings doesCroco have? | Two | Three | Four |
| What was Peach doing when she was kidnapped byBowser? | She was playing cards | She was looking at flowers | She was digging for worms |
| Who is the famous composer atTadpole Pond? | Toadoskfy | Toadofsky | TheFrog Sage |
| Which monster does not appear inBooster Tower? | Jester | Terrapin | Bob-omb |
| The boy getting his picture taken atMarrymore can't wait till which season? | Hunting | Skiing | Baseball |
| What technique doesBowser learn atlevel 15? | Mechakoopa Stomp | Crusher | Terrorize |
| What words doBeezos use when they sing? | ♪Dum dee dah♪ | ♪La dee dah♪ | ♪Dum lee lah♪ |
| What doesBirdo come out of? | Abarrel | Aneggshell | A basket |
| What's the first monster you see in thePipe Vault? | Goomba | Lava Bubble | Chompweed |
| What's the password in theSunken Ship? | Corals | Pearls | Oyster |
| What wasMallow asked to get for theFrog Sage? | Honey Syrup | Cricket Pie | Carbo Cookie |
| Mite is Dyna's...what? | Big sister | Little brother | First cousin |
| What does theRed Essence do? | Makes you sleepy | Gives you strength | Relieves back pain |
| How long have the couple inside the chapel been waiting for their wedding? | An hour | Thirty minutes | Forty-five minutes |
| What doCulex,Jinx, andGoomhilde have in common? | They are immortal | They live inMonstro Town | They all like bratwurst |
| What is the fourth option on the Menu screen? | Journal | Special | Items |
| Theman getting his picture taken atMarrymore hates what? | Getting married | Mowing the lawn on Sundays | Getting his picture taken |
| Where was the first Star Piece found? | Bowser's Keep | Mario's Pad | TheMushroom Kingdom |
| How many legs doesWiggler have? | Ten | Eight | Six |
| What's the full name of the boss at theSunken Ship? | Johnny Jones | Jesse James Jones | Jonathan Jones |
| Who helped you up the cliff atLand's End? | Sky Troopas | Flying Troopas | Paratroopas |
| What color is the end ofDodo's beak? | Yellow | Orange | Red |
| What's the chef's name atMarrymore? | Blintz | Gateau | Torte |
Puzzle 2-2[4][edit]
Dr. Topper shows a small pile of barrels for 10 seconds and has Mario count them, including the ones hidden by the camera angle, before Dr. Topper hides them again and has him give an answer. If Mario is correct, he moves on to a much larger pile, which Dr. Topper gives him 20 seconds to count. Both numbers of barrels vary each play.
Puzzle 3-3[4][edit]
Dr. Topper introducesBoo, Goo, Bones, and Kipp, who took part in a triathlon of swimming, cycling, and a marathon. He has Mario interview each to determine what order they finished in. Once Mario has an answer, Dr. Topper has him speak to them again in the order they came in. The one in first place says they outrode another during cycling and were never passed by them, the one in second says they fell into fourth during cycling but had a shared higher position in the other events, the one in third says they got the same position in swimming and cycling but were beaten by two in the marathon, and the one in fourth says they placed third in swimming.
Items[edit]
Field[edit]
| Item | Image | Location | Location image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Remake | |||
| 410-Coins |  | Found in the action course with an invisible path. | .png) .png) .png) | _(Switch).png) _(Switch).png) _(Switch).png) |
| 8 10-Coins | | Found in the action course with an iron ball. | .png) .png) | _(Switch).png) _(Switch).png) |
Treasure boxes[edit]
| Item | Image | Location | Location image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Remake | |||
| 2110-Coins | | Only treasure in thepuzzle courses. As a part of the course, Mario is not able to get all 21 10-Coins, and due to this, no coins are added to the coin total. |  | .png) |
| Croaka Cola |  |
|   | .png) .png) |
| Pick Me Up |  |
|   | .png) .png) |
| Flower |  |
|      | .png) .png) .png) .png) .png) |
| Rock Candy |  |
|   | .png) .png) |
| Max Mushroom |  |
|   | .png) .png) |
| Royal Syrup |  |
|   | .png) .png) |
| Fire Bomb |  |
|   | .png) .png) |
| Fright Bomb |  | First in the action course featuring an invisible path. |  | .png) |
| Ice Bomb |  | Second in the action course featuring an invisible path. |  | .png) |
| Red Essence |  | Second in the action course featuring moving platforms. |  | .png) |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | クッパ Kuppa Meikyū | Bowser's Maze; rendered "The Trial Course" in the Shogakukan guide[1] |
- Six-Door Chamber
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | クッパ Kuppa-jō muttsu no tobira no ma | Bowser's Keep — 6-Door Room | |
| ６つの muttsu no tobira no ma | 6-Door Room | ||
| Chinese(Simplified) | 酷霸城堡 6道门的房间[7] Kùbà chéngbǎo 6 dàomén de fángjiān | Bowser's Keep — 6-Door Room | |
| 6道门的房间[8] 6 dàomén de fángjiān | 6-Door Room | ||
| Chinese(Traditional) | 庫巴城堡 6道門的房間[9] Kùbā chéngbǎo 6 dàomén de fángjiān | Bowser's Keep — 6-Door Room | |
| 6道門的房間[10] 6 dàomén de fángjiān | 6-Door Room | ||
| Dutch | Zaal der Zes Deuren[11] | Six-Door Hall | |
| French(Canadian) | Salle aux six portes[12] | Six-door hall | |
| French(European) | salle aux six portes[13] | six-door hall | |
| German | Sechstürensaal[14] | Six-door hall | |
| Italian | Sala delle sei porte[15] | Six-door hall | |
| Korean | 쿠파 성 6개의 문이 있는 방[16] Kupa Seong 6-gae-ui muni inneun bang | Bowser's Keep — 6-Door Room | |
| 6개의 문이[17] 6-gae-ui muni | 6 doors | ||
| Spanish(Latin American) | Sala de las 6 puertas[18] | 6-Door hall | |
| Spanish(European) | Sala de las 6 puertas[19] | 6-door hall |
Notes[edit]
- InDr. Topper's trivia quiz, two direct references to theFinal Fantasy series are made in the Japanese version. When Dr. Topper asks which monster appears first in thePipe Vault, one of the possible answers is "Exdeath," the villain ofFinal Fantasy V, and when he asks who the ultimate enemy of the adventure is, a possible answer is "Kefka," the villain ofFinal Fantasy VI. In the English translation, these choices were replaced with "Chompweed" and "Goomba," respectively. In the remake, every new translation is closer to the English version here to seemingly avoid theseFinal Fantasy references, with the exception of the Korean version retaining the reference to Exdeath (the other answer is instead "theFrog Sage").
- The same ultimate enemy question also has "Luigi" as a possible answer in the Japanese version, which is instead "Bowser" in the English version. The remake's Eastern-language translations (Chinese and Korean) use "Luigi," whereas the Western-language translations (Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Dutch) use "Bowser."
- In the English version and most translations, Dr. Topper asks, "How many legs doesWiggler have?" The correct answer is "six" to match Wigglers' in-game version, although their artwork depicts them with the usual eight legs. In the Japanese version and the Chinese, Korean, and German translations, the question instead asked is whichendearing monster was atStar Hill.
References[edit]
- ^abcMay 10, 1996. ワンダーライフスペシャル 任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオＲＰＧ 完全攻略版 (Super Famicom WLS Super Mario RPG Final Edition). Toyko:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-102538-2. Page 2.
- ^abcdefgGet the Seventh Star Piece.Nintendo: Super Mario RPG Strategy (American English). Archived February 24, 1998, 20:09:39 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^abcdefghPelland, Scott, and Kent Miller (1996).Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 98.
- ^abcdefghijPelland, Scott, and Kent Miller (1996).Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 99.
- ^「クッパ
城 ６つの扉 の間 」– Place Name.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved March 26, 2024. - ^「６つの扉の間に もどりますか？（チャレンジは失敗になります）」– Prompt.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^"酷霸城堡 6道门的房间" – Place Name.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^"要返回6道门的房间吗？（会算作挑战失败。）" – Prompt.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^「庫巴城堡 6道門的房間」– Place Name.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^「要返回6道門的房間嗎？（挑戰將會失敗）」– Prompt.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^"Zaal der Zes Deuren" – Place Name.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Dutch). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^« Retourner à la Salle aux six portes? (La tentative sera considérée comme un échec.) » – Prompt.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Canadian French). Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^« Retourner à la salle aux six portes ? (La tentative sera considérée comme un échec.) » – Prompt.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (French). Retrieved October 14, 2025.
- ^„Sechstürensaal“ – Place Name.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (German).
- ^«Sala delle sei porte» – Place Name.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Italian). Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^"쿠파 성 6개의 문이 있는 방" – Place Name.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Korean). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^"6개의 문이 있는 방으로 돌아가겠습니까? (도전은 실패 처리됩니다)" – Prompt.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Korean). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^"¿Quieres regresar a la Sala de las 6 puertas? (Este intento contará como un fallo)." – Prompt.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (Latin American Spanish). Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^«¿Quieres regresar a la sala de las 6 puertas? (Este intento contará como fracaso.)» – Prompt.Super Mario RPG.Nintendo (European Spanish). Retrieved November 21, 2023.
