Reviews

Super Mario 64 Review by Hyrules007

Platform: Nintendo 64
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date (North America): September 26, 1996
Genre: 3D Platformer
Rated: K-A for Kids to Adults
Players: 1
Cartridge Size: 64 Mb
Built-In Save File: Yes
Controller Pak: -
Expansion Pak: -
Transfer Pak: -
Rumble Pak: -

Introduction
Super Mario 64 is the pioneer of 3D gaming. Much like Super Mario Bros. did for 2D gaming, Super Mario 64 did for 3D gaming by offering gamers worldwide innovation that completely surpassed every 3D game released prior to Super Mario 64 and beyond. I really can't imagine what 3D gaming would be like had Nintendo not been in the picture.

The development of Super Mario 64 started in mid-1994. At first Shigeru Miyamoto considered developing Super Mario 64 as a Super Nintendo Entertainment System title, but due to the system's technical limitations, he decided to move the project to the Nintendo 64 (then known as Ultra 64). Even with the power of the Nintendo 64 at their hands, Shigeru Miyamoto and his team spent quite some time working on the animations and figuring out what camera system to use. There was a point when Super Mario 64 had a fixed path almost like an isometric type of game.

Super Mario 64 was unveiled in Space World of 1995 with high applause. At that time Nintendo said that 50% of the game was complete and that the final version should have around 32 areas; however, the final version of the game has 25 areas because the cartridge couldn't fit any more areas. With the Nintendo 64 launch coming soon, Shigeru Miyamoto and his team had to scrap some areas, characters, and ideas; accordingly, plans to incorporate Luigi as a playable character and Yoshi as a side-kick was canceled in-order to fit as many areas into Super Mario 64 as possible.

Even with so many ideas scrapped from the game, Super Mario 64 turned out to be one of the best games of all-time. With sales of over twelve million copies sold worldwide, Super Mario 64 is the top selling Nintendo 64 game of all-time, as well as the 5th best selling game in the series history. Overall Super Mario 64 is one of the top 20 best selling games of all-time.

Gameplay
More than ten years later Super Mario 64 is still better than most 3D adventures! Princess Peach kicks off your adventure by inviting Mario over to her castle to eat some of her cake; of which, I don't believe has anything to do with cake. When Mario arrives at Princess Peach's Castle, a news reporter informs him that the Princess has been kidnapped and that the news reporter is there to film the action as it takes place.

Entering the castle Mario hears an evil laugh from non-other than Bowser. Mario looks around and sees that one of the doors is unlocked. The other doors either requires a key, requires a select number of Power Stars, or leads to an area where there is nothing currently useful. The one door that is unlocked has a painting on the wall and according to Mario -- moved when he touched it. Heroically Mario jumps towards and into the painting where he finds himself in another world; Bob-Omb Battlefield, the first of many worlds in Super Mario 64.

There are a total of 120 Power Stars to collect in Super Mario 64. In order to reach, per se, certain Power Stars, Mario must find a cap switch to unlock a certain cap that may be required to collect a certain Power Star. In each of the varied 15 courses there's 7 Power Stars to find; however, that only adds up to 105 Power Stars. The other 15 Power Stars not accounted for are hidden in other areas throughout the castle. Unlike in Mario's previous adventures - there is no time limit used in which you need to complete a level in a certain amount of time. Instead, Super Mario 64 brings an exploration aspect to the adventure series, where you are free to roam around as you see fit. The camera system can be confusing at first, but after playing around with it for a bit, I had gotten used to the freedom of controlling the camera where I want it to be.

Movement is fluid as the N64 analog control stick introduced what 3D gaming is supposed to control like. Mario performs many moves - all of which are easy to learn; for instance, to perform a long jump you simply press the Z button followed by the A button while running. In all Mario will walk, run, swim, slide, fly, crawl, shell ride, handstand, punch, pound the ground, jump kick, slide kick, sweep kick, stomp, long jump, wall jump, triple jump, somersault, and grab Bowser by his tail.

The challenge is at a perfect level and you are given a tiny hint for 105 of the games Power Stars; however, for the other 15 hidden stars you are given no hints at all, but a little exploration will do the trick. There are times when you have to get things right perfectly when performing certain tasks -- but even so -- the game never gets frustrating thanks in part to the easy to learn solid controls.

Graphics
The best graphics of its time! I've seen many 3D games prior to the launch of the Nintendo 64 but non of them looked nearly as good as Super Mario 64. PlayStation and/or Saturn gamers noticed that the textures in Super Mario 64 are detailed and not formed from obtrusive blocky pixels. The animation is slick and funny at times; for example, when a Goomba sees Mario, it gets excited and performs a small hop.

Sound
Koji Kondo works his musical magic; the theme song leading to Bowser makes you feel like a hero and at the same time makes Bowser seem like a bad ass, a remixed version of the classic Super Mario theme song keeps things in order, and the castle theme song is of royalty. Sound effects are well done and Super Mario 64 marked the first time that Mario and Princess Peach spoke in a video game; of which, is very well done.

Nintendo Wii Virtual Console Version
Release Date (North America): November 19, 2006
Rated: E for Everyone

Even if you've played through Super Mario 64 a hundredth times, the clean and sharp texture upgrade is well worth the 1,000 ($10) Wii Points that it costs to purchase Super Mario 64 for your Wii. To top that off the game automatically runs in 480p if you have the necessarily equipment. To top that off even more the game now runs in 60fps.

You can either use the Gamecube or Wii Classic controller to play the Wii version of Super Mario 64 -- but the Gamecube controller feels the most natural, as gamers who have played Super Mario Sunshine on the Gamecube will feel right at home because the controls are pretty much similar.

One last thing to note about the Wii version of Super Mario 64 is that you are now able to copy your Super Mario 64 save file to a portable SD memory card to either backup your save file, and/or bring your save file to a friends home to share with.

Final Thoughts
Purchase the Wii version of Super Mario 64 if one of the following applies to you: you've never played Super Mario 64, or, you've played Super Mario 64 before and enjoyed it. Easy decision, huh? Overall if you've never played Super Mario 64 you owe it to yourself to experience the birth of good 3D gaming.

Presentation: 10
I couldn't have thought of a better way to bring the Mario series into the 3D world. In addition there's a 3D Mario face that you can alternate when you first start the game. Talk about a solid presentation!

Gameplay: 10
Perfect challenge level. With 120 Power Stars to collect, you will be busy for a while.

Graphics: 9.0
Slick animation. Though cartoonish, Super Mario 64 is the best looking game of its time. Wii version looks cleaner, sharper, runs in 60fps, and automatically runs in 480p if you have the necessarily equipment.

Sound: 9.0
Well categorized theme songs for each area. Sound effects are well done. Hear Mario and Peach speak for the first time in video game history.

Replay Value: 10
More than ten years later I'm still playing this game. Here's to another ten years! A high score system that keeps track of the most coins that you've collected in each of the games 15 worlds is another great reason to roam around that certain level again.

Final Score (not an average): 9.8