super_zootd
Smash Rookie
This is the first review I've ever written, hopefully someone out there can give it a read and tell me what they think. I get the feeling that it may be too long; I could be more concise. Anybody who writes professionally would be greatly appreciated. So yeah. Either way you should play it, its god tier.
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I was never an “N64 kid,” so I wasn’t lucky enough to experience the Italian plumber’s first 3D adventure when it launched beside Nintendo’s latest home console, way back in 1996. Because my vision isn’t blurred by the lovely intoxicant that is nostalgia, I can see the game as it truly is, after all these years. And what it is, is hands down, one of the greatest video games of all time. When determining a game’s greatness, in addition to technical things like graphics, controls, sound and so on, it is imperative that you consider the impact that said game had at the time of its release. Why? No game is immune to age. As time goes on graphics, sound, game play, and virtually every other aspect of a game will one day feel old and out of date. You cannot compare what some would call a “retro” game to something like The Last of Us, as if they had both been developed on today’s hardware, after the game changing innovations that so many games have made in the past. At least, not with the expectation of a fair fight. Therefore it’s essential to remember what it was like at its debut, if you want to truly assess the game and its place in the history of video games.
A few games of each generation raise the bar; innovating in ways not done before, changing the industry for the better. One such game wasSuper Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64. Aesthetically, Mario’s first 3D outing is a long way from the graphical wonder it was back in 1996. Still, the controls, game play, and music/sound of Super Mario 64 hold up surprisingly well. To illustrate my point, here is a breakdown of the game and those aforementioned aspects.
Graphics:
Understandably, the graphics of a game from nearly 20 years ago do not hold up very well. That is because of how far our beloved medium has come. Series like Naughty Dog’s Uncharted, and the currently in development The Order: 1886 for PS4 have spoiled us by delivering highly realistic graphics; graphics that will inevitably be topped by new games in the future. At the time however, SM64 was gorgeous. The levels: bright and colorful, the animations: elaborate, and Peach’s castle, including the 15 courses of the game, large and filled with enemies and varied terrain in which to run, jump, and explore.
Gameplay:
There is one thing about SM64 that truly stands the test of time; in fact, it is the most important aspect of any videogame. That is, of course, the fun you will have playing it. From the opening sequence just outside Princess Peach’s castle, all the way to the credits that roll after the defeat of Bowser, the game’s main antagonist (duh), you will have a blast. The game consists of 15 courses hidden in paintings hanging on the walls of the castle. Jump into one and you will enter the course in search of one of the game’s 120 Power Stars. Each course consists of six missions, and while the title of each mission often gives a hint as to what it will take to find its star, it is up to the player to discover the way to this goal. In addition to those missions, if you collect 100 coins in each level you’ll be awarded another star. Finding those coins may sound like an easy task, but in many of the courses, the search for them presents a real challenge. Those stars, along with secret stars hidden around the castle, make up the 120 found in the game. As your count increases you will gain access to more courses and even some boss fights with Bowser. It will only take 70 to open the way to the epic finale between him and the Italian plumber. Of course, many players will feel the need to collect all 120 stars. While it’s no cakewalk, anyone can do so with a little time and patience.
Controls:
For satisfying gameplay to be present you need the tight controls Nintendo’s flagship character has been known for since his game changing 1985 debut, Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Solid camera control in particular, is very important in determining a game’s playability. For one that takes place in 3D space, it is absolutely necessary. Fortunately, using the 4 C buttons on the N64 controller, the player is able to direct the camera around Mario. This system of camera control was at the time revolutionary. In today’s world however, it falls short of the standards we have become used to. While the player is able to control their viewpoint, the camera will constantly adjust itself to achieve the best angle possible, oftentimes to no avail, sometimes even causing the players death. However frustrating, this is the game that set the first standards of both camera, and player control. While it’s far from perfect, the development of a controllable camera system was essential to the future of 3D game play. Player control fares much better; new players will find that controlling Mario is quite intuitive. The Nintendo 64’s controller featured the first well designed analog stick for controlling movement; others had done it before, albeit poorly and not to the extent that Nintendo did. The analog stick is used in conjunction with the A, B, and Z buttons to pull off all manners of jumps, attacks, and dives. It works extremely well, and makes controlling Mario a whole lot of fun. If you play this game, or even if you decide against it, go on YouTube and check out some of the speed runners, who get the control stick and button inputs down to an exact science in order to complete the game as fast as possible. Remember this name: Siglemic. That is the Twitch.tv moniker of Michael Sigler, a speed runner who has cemented himself as the best, holds multiple world records for the game, and is known for ruining the childhoods of those who grew up thinking they were good at it. It is a joy to watch him race through the game, and wonder at the insane acrobatics Mario pulls off, in ways you would never have thought possible. Tangent aside, the game controlled very well for the time, and still does, surprisingly so.
Sound:
As far as the music goes, this is classic Mario fare, done by one of the greatest video game music composers of all time, Koji Kondo. If it’s your first time playing the game, chances are you’ll love the games stellar soundtrack. Anyone who has had multiple playthroughs, particularly those who grew up with it, will feel nostalgic about any one of the tracks in the game, the moment they begin to play. However, those who play more mature titles, the “hardcore” gamer, may not enjoy it as much as those who play a wider range of video games.
The sound effects are equally as good, showcasing the huge advance in capabilities from the Super Nintendo’s 16-bit audio. You’ll certainly hear a lot of “wahoo” and “let’s go” from Mario as you play, in addition to things like the sound of his footsteps, or a grunt when you bump into a wall or object. Those are only a small sample of what the game has to offer; just as the graphics help immerse the player in this world, so does the sound design.
Bottom Line:
If I had to give this game a score based solely on how it compares to the games of today, it would not be indicative of its true greatness. I will say, that at the time of its release, many believed it was deserving of a 10/10. All things considered, I have no qualms in saying it really does deserve such recognition. Anyone who considers video games to be a big part of their life should give SM64 a try. You will not be disappointed. It is great not only because of its innovations, but because of its continued playability throughout the years. The number one aspect of SM64, above any other, is simply the fun you will have playing through it. And then playing through it again to get all 120 Stars. And another time just for kicks. A must play, for all who game. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go play some Super Mario 64.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was never an “N64 kid,” so I wasn’t lucky enough to experience the Italian plumber’s first 3D adventure when it launched beside Nintendo’s latest home console, way back in 1996. Because my vision isn’t blurred by the lovely intoxicant that is nostalgia, I can see the game as it truly is, after all these years. And what it is, is hands down, one of the greatest video games of all time. When determining a game’s greatness, in addition to technical things like graphics, controls, sound and so on, it is imperative that you consider the impact that said game had at the time of its release. Why? No game is immune to age. As time goes on graphics, sound, game play, and virtually every other aspect of a game will one day feel old and out of date. You cannot compare what some would call a “retro” game to something like The Last of Us, as if they had both been developed on today’s hardware, after the game changing innovations that so many games have made in the past. At least, not with the expectation of a fair fight. Therefore it’s essential to remember what it was like at its debut, if you want to truly assess the game and its place in the history of video games.
A few games of each generation raise the bar; innovating in ways not done before, changing the industry for the better. One such game wasSuper Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64. Aesthetically, Mario’s first 3D outing is a long way from the graphical wonder it was back in 1996. Still, the controls, game play, and music/sound of Super Mario 64 hold up surprisingly well. To illustrate my point, here is a breakdown of the game and those aforementioned aspects.
Graphics:
Understandably, the graphics of a game from nearly 20 years ago do not hold up very well. That is because of how far our beloved medium has come. Series like Naughty Dog’s Uncharted, and the currently in development The Order: 1886 for PS4 have spoiled us by delivering highly realistic graphics; graphics that will inevitably be topped by new games in the future. At the time however, SM64 was gorgeous. The levels: bright and colorful, the animations: elaborate, and Peach’s castle, including the 15 courses of the game, large and filled with enemies and varied terrain in which to run, jump, and explore.
Gameplay:
There is one thing about SM64 that truly stands the test of time; in fact, it is the most important aspect of any videogame. That is, of course, the fun you will have playing it. From the opening sequence just outside Princess Peach’s castle, all the way to the credits that roll after the defeat of Bowser, the game’s main antagonist (duh), you will have a blast. The game consists of 15 courses hidden in paintings hanging on the walls of the castle. Jump into one and you will enter the course in search of one of the game’s 120 Power Stars. Each course consists of six missions, and while the title of each mission often gives a hint as to what it will take to find its star, it is up to the player to discover the way to this goal. In addition to those missions, if you collect 100 coins in each level you’ll be awarded another star. Finding those coins may sound like an easy task, but in many of the courses, the search for them presents a real challenge. Those stars, along with secret stars hidden around the castle, make up the 120 found in the game. As your count increases you will gain access to more courses and even some boss fights with Bowser. It will only take 70 to open the way to the epic finale between him and the Italian plumber. Of course, many players will feel the need to collect all 120 stars. While it’s no cakewalk, anyone can do so with a little time and patience.
Controls:
For satisfying gameplay to be present you need the tight controls Nintendo’s flagship character has been known for since his game changing 1985 debut, Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Solid camera control in particular, is very important in determining a game’s playability. For one that takes place in 3D space, it is absolutely necessary. Fortunately, using the 4 C buttons on the N64 controller, the player is able to direct the camera around Mario. This system of camera control was at the time revolutionary. In today’s world however, it falls short of the standards we have become used to. While the player is able to control their viewpoint, the camera will constantly adjust itself to achieve the best angle possible, oftentimes to no avail, sometimes even causing the players death. However frustrating, this is the game that set the first standards of both camera, and player control. While it’s far from perfect, the development of a controllable camera system was essential to the future of 3D game play. Player control fares much better; new players will find that controlling Mario is quite intuitive. The Nintendo 64’s controller featured the first well designed analog stick for controlling movement; others had done it before, albeit poorly and not to the extent that Nintendo did. The analog stick is used in conjunction with the A, B, and Z buttons to pull off all manners of jumps, attacks, and dives. It works extremely well, and makes controlling Mario a whole lot of fun. If you play this game, or even if you decide against it, go on YouTube and check out some of the speed runners, who get the control stick and button inputs down to an exact science in order to complete the game as fast as possible. Remember this name: Siglemic. That is the Twitch.tv moniker of Michael Sigler, a speed runner who has cemented himself as the best, holds multiple world records for the game, and is known for ruining the childhoods of those who grew up thinking they were good at it. It is a joy to watch him race through the game, and wonder at the insane acrobatics Mario pulls off, in ways you would never have thought possible. Tangent aside, the game controlled very well for the time, and still does, surprisingly so.
Sound:
As far as the music goes, this is classic Mario fare, done by one of the greatest video game music composers of all time, Koji Kondo. If it’s your first time playing the game, chances are you’ll love the games stellar soundtrack. Anyone who has had multiple playthroughs, particularly those who grew up with it, will feel nostalgic about any one of the tracks in the game, the moment they begin to play. However, those who play more mature titles, the “hardcore” gamer, may not enjoy it as much as those who play a wider range of video games.
The sound effects are equally as good, showcasing the huge advance in capabilities from the Super Nintendo’s 16-bit audio. You’ll certainly hear a lot of “wahoo” and “let’s go” from Mario as you play, in addition to things like the sound of his footsteps, or a grunt when you bump into a wall or object. Those are only a small sample of what the game has to offer; just as the graphics help immerse the player in this world, so does the sound design.
Bottom Line:
If I had to give this game a score based solely on how it compares to the games of today, it would not be indicative of its true greatness. I will say, that at the time of its release, many believed it was deserving of a 10/10. All things considered, I have no qualms in saying it really does deserve such recognition. Anyone who considers video games to be a big part of their life should give SM64 a try. You will not be disappointed. It is great not only because of its innovations, but because of its continued playability throughout the years. The number one aspect of SM64, above any other, is simply the fun you will have playing through it. And then playing through it again to get all 120 Stars. And another time just for kicks. A must play, for all who game. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go play some Super Mario 64.
