Super Mario 64

 

    With Nintendo re-releasing Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy on the Switch as part of a “3D All-Stars” collection celebrating Mario’s 35th anniversary, I considered it time to replay the 3D Mario games and see where my thoughts lie on them now. Thus, I recently one hundred percent completed Super Mario 64 and have some thoughts on it.

    Super Mario 64 came out in 1996 along with the Nintendo 64 and revolutionized the way video games are made and ushered in a generation of 3D platforming. Most of the innovations in 64 are so new that concepts had to be heavily explained or given analogous representation. For example, a player-controlled camera was so new that Nintendo used a cutscene to introduce a Lakitu holding the camera just to make it clear to everybody that this was a thing you controlled. Those innovations and creative workarounds do deserve a lot of credit. Although this means that much of the game is rough around the edges by today's standards. The camera can often feel like it isn’t doing what it’s supposed to, there’s a hearty helping of glitches, and the game doesn’t exactly look that great. Although the port to the switch has upped the resolution to 1080p docked and the HUD has been completely redone so it most certainly looks better than it ever did officially. Despite all the innovations Nintendo made gameplay wise, the story stays pretty much the same compared to previous entries in the series. Bowser kidnaps Peach and in other news, it is a day that ends in Y.

The controls are probably where Mario 64 has aged the worst. A lot of people online have mentioned just how smooth or effortless Mario is to control, but after all the changes made to platformers in the past twenty-four years, that’s hardly the case. Mario can often feel a little too slippery for my liking. Many levels have thin walkways that made me feel on edge for just how awkward it is to make Mario go in a straight line at times. Additionally, one tends to get used to Mario’s death sound for when he’s falling off a cliff quite quickly. That said, the sheer amount of moves at your disposal, from the dive, slide kick, somersault, and more, all feel natural. Some of those moves wouldn’t return for Sunshine and Galaxy which did feel quite jarring at first. None of this is to say that Mario 64 is filled with sloppy controls, but some levels sure do push their luck with how many times Mario falls into an instant death pit. 

There are fifteen levels across Mario 64, each with seven stars to collect (six for missions and one from a 100-coin run). Many of the levels are iconic and rightfully so. I genuinely enjoy most of the levels and the star missions within them. I have played through Super Mario 64 a few times and I still feel there are new things to discover in Hazy Maze Cave, which is a fantastic feeling. Music is another one of the game's strengths. I could listen to Koopa's Road until the end of time, it's the perfect boss level theme. So perfect it got remade for Super Mario Galaxy 2. The level design, coupled with the music, makes for a great atmosphere across the board.

Not all of the stages are winners though. Tiny-Huge Island can feel extremely jank at times, and Rainbow Ride is pretty annoying in its layout. Tall Tall Mountain and Tick Tock Clock also have issues with the mission design. Half of Tall Tall Mountain’s stars require climbing to the top of the mountain which can feel repetitive, and Tick Tock Clock is just climbing a certain portion, falling off, climbing again, getting a star, and doing it over again for the next star but going up higher this time. It makes playing those parts of the game frustrating, especially if you want to go for a completionist run. Although, you can get enough stars to beat the game without ever entering those stages, so whatever. 

Final thoughts: Super Mario 64 was a revolutionary game that has aged poorly. It’s by no stretch of the imagination a bad game, but you can see pretty easily where the game has aged. The controls for both Mario and the camera can be jank as hell, but when they work it is a great time. The stars are still fun to collect, and even though many can be annoying to collect on a perfect 120-star run, a non-completionist run is fun and endearing. The levels are almost all creative and extremely enjoyable to explore. I even forgot how much I liked the secret stars in Peach's castle. It’s still an important piece of gaming history and worth your time to play through to the end, even if you don’t 100% it.

4 / 5

 I enjoyed it