Although it has the basic princess kidnapping, Bowser does something new as well. He takes over Peach's castle, and gains control over some of the 120 Power stars. He gave the ones he had to his top minions. What he didn't know, was that there was 120 in total. Bowser also trapped the princess and Toads in the castle walls.
Graphics - 10/10
Considering this is Nintendo's first true 3D game, the graphics had alot of problems and weren't exactly smooth. They were a tad blocky and unorganized (having different types of graphics mixed in unnaturally). But, at the time, they were simply amazing. Mostly because they were so detailed. Nintendo did a great job on this... but we're still thankful they never used them again!
Music - 7.5/10
A great musical score. Bowser's levels and battles had music that fits the mood perfectly and were truly Bowser music. You can't really pick out a bad song from this game. They are all good for setting the mood and can be stuck in your head for a while. My favourite is probably the 1st and 2nd Bowser battles.
Items - 4/10
There really aren't many items. Coins, stars, 1-up Mushrooms, caps. The three caps gave this part 3 extra points, becasue they are new to the series. They can make you fly, invisable and made of metal! The dissapointing part of the items, is no Fire Flower. Wouldn't it be great to shoot fireballs in 3D? Also, there is no Mushroom to make you bigger due to the health bar.
Humor - 3/10
Nothing really tries to be funny here. Nothing except playing with Mario's face at the start screen. Although it's hilarious at first, it starts losing it's edge after a long (very long) while, but you'll enjoy it for a long time. Even when it's not as much fun, you'll still love stretching Mario's large nose over his face. Other than this great feature, nothing else is funny.
Characters - 0/10
No new characters. None at all. A big shame.
Fun Factor - 8.5/10
Mario's first 3D adventure remains a big hit, and loads of fun! It has the same old Mario touch, with new twists to it! Anyone who has an N64 but doesn't have this game should hang their heads in shame. Being the first N64 game, you have to have it. Go get it now if you don't, or I'll kill you.