Box Art
Game: Super Mario 64
First Released: June 23, 1996, Nintendo 64
Developers: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo 64, iQue Player, Nintendo DS, Wii Virtual Console
Rated: E, for Mild Violence and Comic Mischief
First Released: June 23, 1996, Nintendo 64
Developers: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo 64, iQue Player, Nintendo DS, Wii Virtual Console
Rated: E, for Mild Violence and Comic Mischief
How I Came To Play This Game
Bob'omb Battlefield
Before I played this game, all of the Super Mario Brothers games I'd played were side scrolling. I played them from the original NES games to the 3D ones for the DS and Wii. The only Mario game I had heard of that was a 3D platform game was Super Mario Sunshine, which I had seen at a friends house. I first played Super Mario 64 when my brother bought it with his birthday money. I
was the one that pointed it out and said he should buy it, so it was my fault he did. A decision that has scarred me for life, for I have labeled the game the as one of the greatest and worst games of all time.
Story
Bowser
Princess Peach Toadstool sent a letter to Mario to come and have some cake with her in the castle. When Mario arrives, he finds one of the Lakitu Bros. who follows him around dangling a camera. Together, they go inside and hear a
familiar voice telling them to get out of the castle, actually being Bowser. Toad informs them that Bowser has kidnapped Princess Toadstool again and is holding everyone hostage inside the castle walls. He has also stolen the
Power Stars and given them to his minions who are hiding in the paintings that are accessible inside the castle. Mario must jump into each painting scattered around the castle in order to retrieve the power stars. Toad informs Mario about a Bob-omb field where Big Bob-omb must be faced. The first of many power stars can be found here. By obtaining one Power Star, Mario can unlock the doors that has the number 1 written on it, which are the Princess's Secret Slide and the Whomp's Fortress. Mario then goes through a Whomp infested area where he fights the Whomp King, an icy mountain, a haunted house and many others. When Mario collects 8 of the Power Stars, he can open the Star Door at the left side of the castle. He then falls through the floor in the room and enters the first Bowser Course, Bowser in the Dark World. Then he enters the warp pipe at the end of the course, which leads him to Bowser. He has to grab Bowser's tail and throw him into a bomb on the edge of the stage. Unfortunately, it turns out that Bowser doesn't have Princess Toadstool with him. Instead, he runs away, leaving a key for Mario to collect. Mario then obtains the key that allows him to enter the basement of the castle. The basement contains 4 levels, which are Dire, Dire Docks, Lethal Lava Land, Shifting Sand Land, and Hazy Maze Cave. There is also MIPS the rabbit that gives a power star. In the basement, there is a star door that requires 30 stars to open. The Star Door leads to a room with the entrance to Dire, Dire Docks and the second Bowser course, Bowser in the Fire Sea. At the end of the course, there is a warp pipe that leads Mario to another battle with Bowser. This battle can be more challenging than the last one, since Bowser can now teleport and tilt the stage. Also, the distance between the arena platform and the bombs has increased. When he defeats Bowser for the second time, Mario gains a key to the second floor. When Mario collects 50 Power Stars, he can go up to the third floor. Once Mario collects 70 Power Stars, he can access the door into Bowser's final stage , Bowser in the Sky, and go through another one of the Koopa King's obstacle courses. After he finds the warp pipe at the end of the course, Mario finds Bowser waiting for him. The two then begin to engage in battle. This time, Bowser has to be blown up by a bomb three times. When Bowser gets blown up twice, certain parts of the arena fall away, leaving the platform in a shape of giant star. Bowser ends up defeated, and is surprised when Mario tells him there were some Power Stars he missed, the Castle's Secret Stars. Bowser gives up, and hands Mario the final Grand Power Star before he disappears. When Mario grabs the last power star, wings appear on his cap, allowing him to fly. He circles the star-shaped arena, and flies away. Eventually, he lands in front of the castle. As his wings fade away, Mario uses the power of the Giant Power Star to save Princess Peach and take her back at the front of the castle. The star goes into the stained glass window over the front door of the castle, the window flashes, and Peach slowly descends to the ground. Mario rushes up to her as she opens her eyes. Thanking him, Peach kisses Mario on the nose and says she will bake a cake for him. Peach and two nearby Mushroom Retainers walk into the castle. Mario starts to do so himself, but then pauses and turns around to look at the upward. Peach calls his name and Mario runs in after her and the Mushroom Retainers while the camera pans to the left and shows several birds flying through the sky. After the credits scroll, Mario, Peach and two Toads wave goodbye to the player, followed by the cake, with Peach and Mario figures, shown at the very end.
Pros And Cons
Story
Hazy Maze Cave
The story is very mario-like as in it revolves around the princess needing to be saved, again. You know, "Princess invites Hero to a party, Princess gets kidnapped by bad guy, Hero defeats bad guy and rescues Princess, Princess kisses the Hero". The same exact thing happened in the first one, with only minor details changed.
Characters
Mario, Peach, Toads, and Yoshi
The characters are also the same as in the original game, save for Yoshi. Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Toad are all there. Luigi is the only one that is missing.
Gameplay
Outside The Castle
When first picking up the controller, I was expecting another 3D side-scroller, like New Super Mario Brothers. However, this was a 3D adventure game. The world was in complete 3D. The camera was centered on Mario as he ran around inside the 3D world. He could jump, high-jump, super-jump, long-jump, water-jump, pole-jump, wall-jump, punch, kick, ground pound, backflip, swim, dive, sleep, lift boxes, lift heavy enemies, grab ledges, climb poles, and stomp enemies. This character was definitely Super Mario. However, it wasn't an easy game to play. A lot of Nintendo 64 games have the same problem, the analog control is stiff. Using the analog stick to control Mario was very difficult. He would usually move a little off from where you pointed the analog stick. Also, when turning around, he would only 180 degree turn if he was standing still. If you tried to turn around while moving, he would have to do a very wide turn which included moving a little to the left or right. That's a problem if you're on a narrow path that you could fall off to your death. Also, being able to precisely aim him while flying around with a wing cap was easier said than done. However, besides all of the negative emotions I have for this game, there are an equal amount of good things. For one thing, the area and feel are recognizable. The enemies are the same and can be beaten the same way as in the side-scrolling games. Also, new enemies are added to implement the feature of 3D. Also, every time you successfully save a Power Star, you feel so great. You feel like you really are saving the Mushroom Kingdom. That is how hard the game is.
Graphics
Dry Dry Desert
The graphics are typical for a Nintendo 64 game. Everything is made of polygons, and there are several graphical tricks that seem like they're 3D but aren't. One example is the trees. They are actually 2D sprites, but they always face the camera, so you'll never notice. Also small objects like coins and 1-ups are also just 2D sprites that have animations. The characters all look funny, just look at Bowser and Yoshi, they are made of limited polygons.
Music
This game, along with many other Mario games, has awesome music. You go through the castle so many times that you will be forced to like the music that plays there. Also the music that plays in Bob'omb Battlefield, Cool Cool Mountain, Jolly Roger Bay, and Rainbow Ride have gone into the classic album of video game music. They are songs you wouldn't mind having on your mp3 player.
Releases
Original Box Art
Super Mario 64 was originally released in 1996 for the Nintendo 64. The United States version was released a few months later that year. The U.S. version had new features such as voice acting and rumble pack compatibility.
In 1997, a version was released in Japan as Super Mario 64 Shindo Pak Taio Version which included the new features from the American version. It was then released for the iQue Player in 2003. It was also ported to the Wii Virtual Console in 2006. However, in 2004, a remake of the game was made for the Nintendo DS. This version included updated graphics and new features.
My Version's Extras
DS Box Art
Although I have played and completed the original, I don't own it. The version I do own is the Nintendo DS remake titled Super Mario 64 DS. This remake included updated graphics and many new features including new secret levels, minigames, 30 new Power Stars, and the ability to play as other characters. Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Yoshi are all playable in the remake. The original power up system was also redone. The only cap which remains is the wing cap, which can only be obtained by Mario. Then there's the Super Mushroom, which makes you larger and more destructive like in many other Mario games. Another one is the Power Flower. This flower gives different powers depending on which character you're playing as. Mario blows up like a balloon and floats around, Luigi turns invisible and can walk through walls, Wario turns metal and can sink to the bottom of water, and Yoshi can breath fire to melt ice. In addition, each character has their own unique abilities. Yoshi can eat enemies and throw eggs but can't grab things, he can also hover for a slightly higher jump. Mario can wall-jump, and use the wing cap, but he's the quickest and hardest to control. Luigi has a higher and more controlled jump, but he can't wall jump. Wario also can't wall jump, but he's the strongest so he can break larger black blocks, but he's also the slowest character. You don't have to switch characters every time, you can just pick up a characters cap usually in possession of a Goomba and the character will transform into the corresponding character. This game was a great remake, but it was plagued by bad controls. First off, the Nintendo DS doesn't have an analog stick, so the d-pad is used instead. A d-pad doesn't have the precise movements as the analog stick does. Also, you have to hold Y to run. In the original, Mario auto ran. Also, the functions of the A and B buttons were swapped. B now jumps and A punches. What mad-man came up with that?
My Rating
I give this game an 8/10. The game was memorable, but it was extremely difficult. However, you feel great and powerful once you've beaten it.