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Well, these next two pages will most likely be wasted space in most of your minds, as you've probably already played Nintendo's new blockbuster title, and you probably have the system! If you haven't, I have to say, I feel sorry for you! After the two year wait, we're finally given the Nintendo 64, and, surprisingly, Nintendo didn't think that the system warranted a pack-in game (or they knew gamers would buy the system, regardless of whether or not it would come with a game). The truth is, if you're buying a Nintendo 64, Super Mario 64 should definitely be the first game you buy, so, in essence, the system runs at $250, not $200 (buying the game that should have been packed-in runs you at least another $50). If you haven't read about, played, or watched this game, then I don't know where you've been for the past few months. The advertising campaign that Nintendo is running is incomprehensible. Playable units can be found in almost any store that sells the system, and nearly every gamer has one. Should you buy one? Make your decisions based upon your experience with a playable sample unit. The story of Super Mario 64 isn't surprising at all. Bowser has stolen the princess again (who takes the name of "Peach" in Super Mario 64), and it's up to Mario to rescue her. To accomplish this, Mario must gain back the "power stars" of the castle. These stars can be obtained in many ways. Each level has seven, and fifteen more are hidden and labeled as "secret castle stars." In total, there are 120. It's quite simple to get "most" of the stars, but getting all 120 requires a fine amount of skill and a great deal of effort on your part. The seven stars in each level are given a label from the entry screen of the level. This label serves as a clue as to how to obtain that particular star. The star you choose to seek doesn't have to be the one that you actually get -- you can get them in any order you choose. When starting the game, however, it is much easier to use the clues, all of which are quite descriptive for the short number of words they contain. Each level has a star that can be obtained by collecting 100 coins, and each level has between 100 and 150 coins, which can be collected from defeating enemies, exploring, and using other tricky maneuvers. Another star can be collected by gathering each of the eight red coins, most of which can be difficult to get. The other five stars are can usually be obtained by completing specific tasks that the aforementioned entry screen clues you in on. The different ways in which you must collect the stars for each level are unique, to say the least. Well, unique from one another, that is. One level may ask you to defeat a boss, while another may have you climb to the highest point in the level. Others may ask you to collect stars that are hidden in the oddest of places. The concept of 120 stars hidden in 15 levels may make it seem as if most of the stars can be collected in a similar manner. Nintendo did, thankfully, add some diversity here. There are not a great deal of enemies, but the ones that are there are usually fun to defeat, although not that difficult to overcome. The difficulty of the game comes with dealing with the obstacles and the environment. Like in other past platform games, which require you to make long jumps and reach out-of-the-way areas, Super Mario 64 is similar in this way. While you won't necessarily encounter many "long jumps," you will need accurate jumping skills to reach most stars. Getting the hang of the means of controlling Mario can be a chore for some; the controller is quite odd, especially for non-gamers. The analog joystick (which isn't new technology, despite what Nintendo would have you believe) works great, but not flawlessly. For instance, it can be difficult to get Mario to do what you want him to, even with such great maneuverability of the analog joystick. The problem may be attributed to the fact that Super Mario 64 is a 3D game, however, and I'm not sure if they'll ever find a way around this hindrance. As for jumping, Mario controls like in all previous games in the series, except in 3D. I'm quite surprised that the transformation to a 3D engine worked so well. Perhaps this is the explanation for the two year delay. The many buttons used in Super Mario 64 (eight) allow Mario to do some pleasing moves, most of which can be accomplished by pressing more than one button at once. The two primary buttons, A and B, allow Mario to jump and punch. The Z trigger button on the underside of the controller allows Mario to crouch, at which time he can crawl around or press the jump button to do a backflip. This move is necessary to reach certain areas of the 15 levels, although advanced players will find ways around this, such as jumping off walls and the use of the triple jump. Jumping off walls works exactly as it sounds: Pressing the jump button when Mario meets a wall in midair. He must have a running jump to do this, but once you've grasped the timing and play control you'll find yourself leaping between two facing walls like a tree frog. This is a great move, and it's great fun too, once you learn how to do it, that is. In addition, by doing a triple jump or somersault jump and meeting a wall, you can jump even higher off the surface, allowing you to catch some real air and reach places you never thought were possible. The triple jump is exactly what it sounds like, as well. By pressing the jump button a second and third time as Mario touches the ground, you can cause him to do a higher jump, then a flip (for his third jump). You must do this during a sprint if wish to have the third jump do anything; you'll only do a double jump if you don't. The somersault jump can be done by running, then pressing the opposite direction and jump simultaneously. Each of these special moves require timing, and what an importance it is. You'll have to become familiar with all of these moves in order to get each of the 120 stars, and probably the first 70 too. There is no way around learning the wall jump, so learn it! Do I really need to explain the visuals? They're spectacular -- true eye candy at it's finest. The anti-aliasing of the textures on the polygons is a welcomed change (I wouldn't necessarily call it an advantage, as some people prefer the jagged, pixelated surfaces of the other systems). It provides a blurred effect, however, which can be good or bad, depending on your preferences. If only surfaces would gain detail as you approach, rather than losing it, as all next-gen systems show (whether it be pixelization or "blurriness," if there is such a word). When compared to Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot, however, Super Mario 64 has visual flaws. Most notably, the shadows. In Super Mario 64, Mario may find himself in something's shadow, only to be the same color and shade that he normally remains. In the competitor's game, Crash becomes shaded, as if actually in the shadow. It's a shame that Nintendo's game couldn't provide this, but Super Mario 64 is still playable and pleasing to look at, nonetheless. Shadows are rarely used in Super Mario 64 though. Technically, a shadow should be cast behind a mountain, but it doesn't. All parts of the levels contain the same amount of lighting. Changing this could add some further depth and atmosphere to the game (especially underground levels, where it should be dark), even though that of which the game provides is quite sufficient. The dreaded pop-up is also present, although it's not a big problem. Polygons have this problem, but sprites don't. Trees, fences, and coins are all sprites in this game, sprites that face you no matter where you are (try looking down at a tree and notice that it appears to be lying on the ground...odd). This causes no pop of these objects, but with the majority of the graphics being polygons, you'll notice some strange events. Take this example: At a distance you see a red coin. Approaching the coin causes a cube to appear around it, enclosing the coin. This is caused because the coin is a sprite (hence, no pop-up), but the box is. Couldn't the coins be polygons too? The most notable flaw of Super Mario 64, however, are the awkward camera angles. They never seem to be where you want them to be, and even though you can change them (with the four yellow C buttons), you may often find them still to be lacking the angle that you need to see what you need to see. For instance, in small rooms, the camera is sometimes stationary in the center of the room. When Mario comes too close, he'll go straight through it. This reverses the controls, since right is now left and left is now right. Confused? You will be when it happens, trust me. Also, the views sometimes become "stuck" behind walls or above platforms, preventing you from seeing Mario. You may find yourself seeing "Game Over" if you aren't dreadfully careful as to how you use these views. At times the camera may be down low to the ground, and this makes it difficult to judge distance, both between objects in the environment and between Mario and the walls. You would think 13 buttons and an analog joystick would be enough control, but humorously, this isn't the case. Go figure... The game may seem short with it's fifteen levels, but it can actually take quite some time to collect the stars and complete all of the levels, which is unlike the past games in the series. Just for the record, it's the most difficult Mario game I've played, which is good. With these flaws, Super Mario 64 is far from being "perfect," as many have labeled it as. It's a quantum leap in the way games are played, and it's no doubt that it will set new standards for all future games. With Super Mario 64 having been in development for over two years, I'm hoping that all games won't take this long to create. All we can do is wait and see, and in the meantime, keep collecting those 120 stars. |
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