Super Mario 64

Platform : Nintendo 64/Wii Virtual Console/Nintendo DS

Developer : Nintendo

Release : 1996

This is the game changer. Well, as far as 3D platforming games go.  Super Mario 64 is the first game in the series to sport a change of perspective, moving from the flat 2D world to a fantastic 3D polygonal one. It is also the game that set a new standard for the genre, providing a template for the myriad platforming games that follow after it.

Like all other Super Mario games, the cast and story is simple and familiar. Princess Peach wrote a letter to invite Mario over for a cake. When Mario arrived at the castle, he realized that the princess was once again missing and was kidnapped/transformed by none other than Bowser himself.

Since the gameplay is being brought into a new 3D perspective, controls of the game changed. The N64 controller is made to good use and it would even seem like the controller was designed specifically for this game. The controls are perfect. The analog stick is used to make Mario move, with 360 degree freedom, around the world. With the additional buttons on the N64 controller, Mario is also not limited to his usual jump and stomp attack anymore. He is now able to punch, slide, crouch and roll. Mario is also capable of pulling off more advanced moves such as butt stomps, long jumps, wall jumps, back somersaults and triple jumps that allow him to reach areas which aren’t accessible without them. All these may sound extremely complicated, almost to the point of being able to imagine your fingers getting tied into knots while fiddling around the controller. Fortunately this is not the case as the new controls are very intuitive, since the buttons placement is great on the controller, to learn once you started playing. The controls are also so responsive, executing the moves became almost like second nature. Mario’s arsenal of new moves also allowed for new ways of level designing with much more variations compared to past platforming games.

Super Mario 64 is much lengthier, with 15 worlds to explore and 120 stars to collect, than all previous games in the series. But that does not mean that it is draggy and simply consists of repetitive levels found in so many other platforming games. The 15 worlds of Super Mario 64 are so imaginative and different from each other that entering each of the game worlds for the first time was always a breathtaking experience. Many of the worlds are still very memorable even now, over 13 years after the game was released. Worlds, such as the one that took place inside a grandfather clock and the boss levels, are extremely fun to play and were designed so well that they are in my opinion only bested when Super Mario Galaxy was released. The game is also very well balanced when it comes to difficulty. Game worlds will progressively get more challenging but they will only be unlocked as you collect more stars in the game. This acts as a path to guide you through the game, avoiding the risk of throwing an extremely difficult level at the beginning of the game when you are just starting to get the hang of the game. The levels are also designed so that you will be required to learn new moves and make use of the power ups in order to get past them, ensuring that you are comfortable with the controls to finish the game by the time you get past the first couple of worlds. While saving the princess from Bowser will be achievable by most gamers, collecting all the 120 stars in the game is left only to the most hardcore group. Collecting all the stars requires the mastering of the control system of the game and exploring every nook and cranny of each world.

 

Primitive as it may seem by today’s standards, the graphics were simply jaw dropping during the time of its release. It was almost impossible to find a game prior to this game’s release that is so rich in textures, detail and effects. The game made good use of the N64’s power to churn out bright, colourful and smooth graphics. Characters in the game are also nicely detailed and are animated livingly. Music and sounds in the game are fantastic too. The tunes suit the game’s lively environments and atmosphere very well and the sound effects cue the actions of the player and events of the game appropriately. Some of the sounds are so unique to the series that we are able to associate future Mario games with it.

From the way I described it, Super Mario 64 seemed like the perfect game for me. It is a pity one aspect of the game is not as good as the rest. The camera system in the game acts somewhat like a primitive version of the ones found in today’s platformers. Not only does it occasionally get stuck in weird places, you are also expected to rotate the camera manually as it is not unusual for the camera to choose a weird angle to track Mario on screen. There are also times when the camera will automatically flip itself in another direction suddenly, causing you to lose orientation in the game.

Still Super Mario 64 can be considered to be one of the best videogame that was released for the N64 and brought radical changes to the entire series. It stands the test of time and still provides a very enjoyable experience today.

Rating : 9.5/10

Weiwen