By
eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Start at the comet observatory. You should be able to find 1-UP mushrooms on the spinning green platform by the core, under the kitchen stairs and next to the StarShroom in the garage.
Step2
Go into a dome. Once you come back out into the observatory area, the 1-UP mushrooms will respawn.
Step3
Talk to MailToad to get mail from Luigi and Princess Peach. These come with a 5-UP.
Step4
Get the Red Star power up. This allows you to fly and you can collect two more 1-UP mushrooms in the observatory level. Find these under the platform supporting the gateway and at the top of the observatory. Claiming the one at the top of the observatory requires precise flying skills. Practice to make sure Mario will get it.
Step5
Start collecting. 50 little candy-looking star bits will give you an extra life. This is an easy way to rack up a lot of lives. If you collect 50 yellow coins, you'll alos get an extra life.
Step6
Explore the nooks and crannies, looking at all the areas of a level and using all your available skills.