Level Commands

The level commands define the top-level control of the game. They are used to load levels, textures, collision data, objects, warps, etc. and determine how everything is connected. The first byte of the level command is the command type and the second byte is the length of the command in bytes.

[CC] [LL] …

Loads raw data to RAM segment and jumps to segment offset. Used for loading level scripts and then jumping to an offset in them

00 10 00 [XX] [YY YY YY YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ] [AA AA AA AA]

Load raw data to RAM segment and jump to segment offset. The only difference between this command and 0x00 is a call to 0x80278498

01 10 00 [XX] [YY YY YY YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ] [AA AA AA AA]

End of level layout data. Typically followed by null padding.

02 04 00 00

Set flag to 0, delay X frames, set flag to 1. Sets s16 flag (8038BE20) to 0 before delay and 1 after. Does not increment level script pointer until after delay.

03 04 [XX XX]

Set flag to -1, delay X frames, set flag to 1. Identical to 0x03, except for flag set at start: sets s16 flag (8038BE20) to -1 before delay and 1 after. Does not increment level pointer until after delay.

04 04 [XX XX]

Jump to level script at segmented address.

05 08 00 00 [XX XX XX XX]

Push script stack and jump to level script at segmented address. Similar to 05, but also pushes current place on script stack so it can be popped later.

06 08 00 00 [XX XX XX XX]

Pop script stack, returns to where previous 06 or 0C pushed from.

07 04 00 00

Push script stack and 16-bit value on stack. This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

08 04 [XX XX]

Pops script stack and param (possibly from previous 08 or 0A). This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

09 04 00 00

Pushes next level command on script stack and param 0x00000000. This command is only used once in main level scripts.

0A 04 00 00

If result of operation is true, pop stack. This command is only used once in main level scripts.

0B 08 [XX] 00 [YY YY YY YY]

If result of operation is true, jumps to segmented address.

0C 0C [XX] 00 [YY YY YY YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ]

If result of operation is true, pushes next command on stack and jumps to segmented address This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

0D 08 [XX] 00 [YY YY YY YY]

If result of operation is false, skips over following 0x0F, 0x10 commands. This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

0E 08 [XX] 00 [YY YY YY YY]

Skips over the following 0x10 commands. This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

0F 04 00 00

Doesn't do anything, nop. This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

10 04 00 00

Set level accumulator (8038BE24) from assembly routine.

11 08 [XX XX] [YY YY YY YY]

Call assembly routine Y (A0 = halfword X, A1 = word from 0x8038BE24).
Store return value at 0x8038BE24.

12 08 [XX XX] [YY YY YY YY]

Call assembly routine Y (A0 = halfword X, A1 = word from 0x8038BE24).
Store return value at 0x8038BE24.
If return value is 0, set upper halfword @ 0x8039BE20 = 0 and do not continue to next command.
Else, set upper halfword @ 0x8039BE20 = 1 and continue to the next command.

Set level accumulator (8038BE24) to constant value.

13 04 [XX XX]

Calls PushPoolState/802783E8 and returns. This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

14 04 00 00

Calls PopPoolState/80278498 and returns. This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

15 04 00 00

Load raw data from ROM to absolute RAM address. Call 0x802786F0 (A0 = X, A1 = Y, A2 = Z)

16 10 00 00 [XX XX XX XX] [YY YY YY YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ]

Load raw data from ROM to RAM segment.

17 0C 00 [XX] [YY YY YY YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ]

Load and decompress MIO0 data from ROM to RAM segment.

18 0C 00 [XX] [YY YY YY YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ]

Create Mario face for the demo screen.

19 04 00 [XX]

 Call 0x80278120 (A0 = 0x000E1000, A1 = 0); allocate 0xE1000 bytes for mario face settings
 If allocation was successful:
 Call 0x8019C450(A0 = 0x000E1000, A1 = pointer to allocated area in ram)
 Call 0x8019C418(A0 = 0x80000400, A1 = 0x00025800)
 Call 0x8019C418(A0 = 0x8039F800, A1 = 0x00070800)
 Call 0x8019C4EC ; data gets loaded into 80000400 and 8039F800 after this call
 Call 0x8019C684(A0 = X)

Load and decompress MIO0 data from ROM to RAM segment (level terrain textures)

1A 0C 00 [XX] [YY YY YY YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ]

Start load sequence. Used before a chain of load commands.

1B 04 00 00

1C 04 00 00

• Frees data in pool allocated from level script
• Cleanups level related stuff (level objects, pointers, etc)
• Cleanups geometry layout data
• Cleanups all 8 area structs

More detailed notes can be found here: https://pastebin.com/raw/GjDsJYqq

Used after a chain of load commands.

1D 04 00 00

Allocates data from the pool and reset a couple variables

1E 04 00 00

• Reallocates memory for the geometry layout node system.
• Allocates 0xDAC0 bytes and stores pointer to 0x8038EE98. Not sure what this is, but it is related to collision.
• Allocates memory for collision data. Vanilla SM64 allocates enough space for only 2,300 collision triangles. Newer versions of Skelux's SM64 editor allocate enough space for 32,767 triangles.
• Sets halfword at address 0x8036125C to 0. (0x8036125C seems to be just a flag that is set when Mario enters into area #2 of any level)
• Sets byte at address 0x803613FE to 0. (0x803613FE seems to be a read-only byte that tells you how many red coins Mario has collected so far)

More detailed notes can be found here: https://pastebin.com/raw/XkCfkFyT

Start of an area.

1F 08 [XX] 00 [YY YY YY YY]

End of an area.

20 04 00 00

Load polygon data without geometry layout.

21 08 [X]0 [YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ]

Load polygon data with geometry layout.

22 08 00 [XX] [YY YY YY YY]

Unknown. This command is never used in any of the level scripts.

23 0C [A][B BB] [CC CC CC CC] [DD DD DD DD]

(short)sp[0x2a] = (short)8038be28[2] & 0xFFF; // B
(short)sp[0x28] = (short)8038be28[2] >> 12; // A
sp[0x24] = (int)8038be28[4]; // C
sp[0x2C] = (int)8038be28[8]; // D
if (sp[0x2a] < 0x100) {
  f4 = sp[0x2C];
  v0 = 8037B940(*0x8038b8a0, 0, sp[0x28], sp[0x24], f4);
  // t8 = sp[0x2a]; t7 = *0x8032ddc4; t9 = t8 << 2; t0 = t7 + t9;
  t0 = *0x8032ddc4 + sp[0x2a] * 4;
  *t0 = v0;
}
*0x8038be28 = *0x8038be28 + 8038be28[1]; // advance to next level command

Places a 3D object in the level.

24 18 [AA] [ID] [XX XX] [YY YY] [ZZ ZZ] [RX RX] [RY RY] [RZ RZ] [BB BB BB BB] [BS BS BS BS]

Loads the Mario object.

25 0C 00 [XX] [YY YY YY YY] [ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ]

Always: 25 0C 00 [01] [00 00 00 01] [13 00 2E C0]

Connect warps defined by previous 24: Place Object commands.

26 08 [AA] [BB] [CC] [DD] [EE] 00

Define level warps for paintings inside the Castle.

27 08 [AA] [BB] [CC] [DD] [EE] 00

Allows Mario to be instantly teleported to another area within the current level. The teleport to an area is triggered by the collision IDs 0x1B to 0x1E.

28 0C [CC] [AA] [XX XX] [YY YY] [ZZ ZZ] 00 00

Teleporting between 4 areas example:

(In area 1 level script)
Warp to area 2 (Collision 0x1C): [ 28 0C 01 02 XX XX YY YY ZZ ZZ 00 00 ]

(In area 2 level script)
Warp to area 1 (Collision 0x1B): [ 28 0C 00 01 XX XX YY YY ZZ ZZ 00 00 ]
Warp to area 3 (Collision 0x1D): [ 28 0C 02 03 XX XX YY YY ZZ ZZ 00 00 ]

(In area 3 level script)
Warp to area 2 (Collision 0x1C): [ 28 0C 01 02 XX XX YY YY ZZ ZZ 00 00 ]
Warp to area 4 (Collision 0x1E): [ 28 0C 03 04 XX XX YY YY ZZ ZZ 00 00 ]

(In area 4 level script)
Warp to area 3 (Collision 0x1D): [ 28 0C 02 03 XX XX YY YY ZZ ZZ 00 00 ]

29 04 [??] 00

Note: ?? is usually 01. ?? being 02 was only used once in the original game, in the Act Select level script.

2A 04 00 00

2B 0C [AA] 00 [RY RY] [XX XX] [YY YY] [ZZ ZZ]

Y = Y position of Mario (Signed 16-bits) Z = Z position of Mario (Signed 16-bits)

2C 04 00 00

2D 04 00 00

Loads terrain collision data for level, and other special models to be placed in the level.

2E 08 00 00 [XX XX XX XX]

Used in the levels Big Boo's Haunt, Hazy Maze Cave, and Inside Castle.

The segmented pointer in this command points to a byte array, with the same length as number of collision triangles in the level. Each byte in this array will be placed into offset 0x5 in the collision triangle structure.

When the ASM function 0x8029DBD4 is used with geometry layout switch command, it will use that offset 0x5 byte of the collision triangle that is below Mario as an index to determine which display list to render.

2F 08 00 00 [XX XX XX XX]

Shows a dialog at the beginning of a level. Ignored if the value at 0x8038B8AC equals -1 or XX > 1.

30 04 [XX] [YY]

Examples:

[ 30 04 00 00 ] # Bob-Omb's Battlefield
[ 30 04 00 1E ] # Whomp's Fortress
[ 30 04 00 5A ] # Bowser 1 Course
[ 30 04 00 81 ] # Vanish Cap
[ 30 04 00 82 ] # Metal Cap
[ 30 04 00 83 ] # Wing Cap

Set default terrain.

31 04 00 [XX]

No operation. This command is not used in any of the level scripts. 32 [XX]

Fade/overlay screen with color.

33 08 [XX] [YY] [RR] [GG] [BB] 00

Calls osViBlack(bool) (80323340), passing it X.

34 04 [XX] 00

35 04 [XX] 00

 If X is 0, call 0x803733B0 (A0 = 2)
 Else, call 0x803733B0 (A0 = 1)

Set music.

36 08 [??] [??] [??] [XX] 00 00

Set music. Used only in screen levels, like select file, select star and mario face and demo screen.

37 04 00 [XX]

38 04 [XX XX]

Call 0x8024922C (A0 = X)

Place macro objects defined in segmented address.

39 08 00 00 [XX XX XX XX]

List format: (each entry is 10 bytes)

[BB BB] [XX XX] [YY YY] [ZZ ZZ] [?? ??]

See here for more information

Define jet streams in JRB or DDD that repulse or suck Mario.

3B 0C 00 00 [XX XX] [YY YY] [ZZ ZZ] [II II]

Get/put remote values? Only used in main or menu level scripts.

3C 04 [XX] [YY]

list_of_level_scripts

• http://origami64.net/showthread.php?tid=160
• http://qubedstudios.rustedlogic.net/Mario64_HackingDoc1.5.txt
• http://s26.photobucket.com/user/Starxxon/media/M64Diagram.gif.html