Super Mario 64

Summary

Genre: Platform
Number of players: 1
Rumble Pak: No
Controller Pak: Yes
Expansion Pak: Not used

Review

Mario made his claim to fame right back on the NES with Super Mario Land. He has been on every Nintendo system and is probably their most famous character. This was the first game out for the Nintendo 64 - so just how good is it?


Gameplay: Mario 64 is in full 3D. As a result it does take some time adjusting yourself to the game and how to handle the portly plumber. It does take some time to be able to successfully pull off all his moves, and there are a lot of them, but the game does offer you a few easy worlds in which you can practice and hone your skills until you are near enough an expert at them. And believe me, in some of the later worlds, you really need to be.

The game itself is quick, never slows down, and is highly enjoyable. Mario 64 is like entering a new world, with turtles rampaging out of control and brown monsters aimlessly roaming the land. Sounds like the hallucinations of a person high on some sort of drug, doesn't it?

Mario offers many innovative ideas - fly using the Wing Cap, be fired out of a cannon to reach high up places, change your size on Tiny-Huge island (hey it's a better name than "Death Mountain") and so on. The list really does go on and on and on. There's just so much to do in Mario 64. To fully complete the game, you have to collect 120 Stars. Stars are obtained after you complete certain objectives - for instance, collect 8 red coins from around the world. However, it is possible to fight Bowser for the last time after collecting just 70 stars.

Which brings me on to King Koopa himself. Now, we all know that in previous games, Bowser was a fairly big turtle, who could breathe fire. This time, he's an absolutely GIGANTIC turtle who can breathe fire! He is truly awesome, but sadly is very easy to beat, even the last time you fight him (you fight him three times). This is slightly disappointing really, because he had the potential to be one of the best bosses in computer game history. As it is, he's big, bad, but devilishly easy to beat.


Challenge: Collecting all 120 stars will keep you going for some time. The levels could have been a bit more difficult, though. Even the hardest stage, Rainbow Ride, is not as difficult as it could have been. But you will take some time to discover all of the castle and its secret stars, which will keep you interested in the game for a long time. There isn't all that much replay value; certainly more than Banjo-Kazooie, but, still, you won't want to go plugging through that castle again collecting all the stars for some time... what a shame.


Graphics: All in 3D, but it is obviously one of the earlier N64 games. The lands are relatively spartan, particularly when compared to more recent games like Banjo-Tooie, although this is not surprising at all really. Bowser is worthy of a special mention in the graphics department - he looks simply amazing. You won't be disappointed with the graphics; it is a very cartoony game, but with Mario I don't think you could expect anything different.


Sounds: Mario shouts when he jumps, punches, gets hit, and so on. The sounds are quite limited, and hence start to grate after a while, but they won't have you ripping your hair out in annoyance. Characters such as Mario and Peach speak, which is done very well for such an early game. The voices are clear and easily heard. The music is very Mario-like, and some of the tunes are actually quite good. They are certainly fitting with the game, being quite upbeat and happy. Not bad at all.


Summing up: A great title which will have you addicted for some time to come. It's still one of the best games out on the console, despite its age, which is quite incredible when you consider that it was the first game out on the N64. You won't regret buying this game, so go out and do it!


Gamesmark: 88%


Reviewer: Tangycheese


Maverik's opinion: Absolutely. True, Mario 64 is eclipsed somewhat by more recent games such as Banjo-Kazooie, but that doesn't make it less worthy a purchase. When first released, this game was exceptional and even revolutionary, and it still plays superbly well. It feels a perfectly natural extension to the popular Mario series, and the 'jump' to 3D is executed far better than many other N64 games. It's simply terrific, and the benchmark by which all other 64 games are judged. Well worth picking up!