Super Mario 64 players are likely to come across a slippery rabbit named Mips during their journey, and Mips holds two of the castle's 120 Power Stars. Though he may be hard to catch, he certainly isn't impossible to nab if Mario is quick enough.
Once players have collected 10 of Super Mario 64's Power Stars from the four levels available on the first floor of Peach's Castle, they are able to fight Bowser for the first time in his Dark World arena. Mario is gifted a key upon success, which can open the basement and let players navigate through four more levels including Lethal Lava Land and Shifting Sand Land.
After collecting fifteen Power Stars, Mips will be found lounging near the flaming picture that serves as the entrance to Lethal Lava Land. Mips will quickly scurry away from Mario, so players must be quick to catch the rabbit if they wish to get the star he's holding, but there are a few tips that can make this endeavor much easier.
If players have a keen eye, they might notice Mips only runs to a few set locations, and two of those are dead ends in the basement. One dead end is near the metal wall that hides the entrance to Shifting Sand Land, and the other is down a hallway near a Toad nestled underneath flaming torches. Both dead ends can be equally useful to catch the rabbit.
Once Mario has Mips cornered, there are two options at his disposal. The first, and least risky choice is to slowly walk towards Mips by lightly pressing forward on the control stick as he is nearing the dead end. This will cause Mario to tread softly (a trick which players might remember from avoiding the sleeping Piranha Plants while navigating Whomp's Fortress), and Mips may run straight into Mario, allowing him to easily grab the rabbit with a punch attack. The second option is risky, but arguably more rewarding. Mario can chase Mips to the corner and dive at him, though players must be swift and precise to avoid letting Mips slipping away.
Catching Mips will reward Mario with another Power Star to add to his collection. Mips also appears a second time after Mario has collected 50 Power Stars within Peach's Castle, but using the same strategy as the first encounter should have similar results.
Super Mario 64 is available now via Super Mario 3D All-Stars on Nintendo Switch.