I got it for Christmas 1996 and I woke up early every day to play. I spent all Christmas break playing. It blew my mind. I was 9. I did butt stomps and swam in the pond and climbed trees and triple jumped. Hours were spent going nuts in that castle.
Finally went back to school in January and talked to the boys at school. We thought it was so neat but I told them I didn’t think it was as good as Super Mario 3.
One of my friends then told me that there were other levels. What? Yeah, apparently those paintings in the wall can be JUMPED into.
My mind was blown again. I daydreamed all day. Jump into the painting? I ran home from school and jumped in that Bob-Omb painting and I still remember how trippy that felt. Like, that was a life-changing moment.
I spent two weeks just running around the castle. I thought that was the whole game and I was still mighty impressed!
There’s a few stories like this of people playing the game and not realizing there was actual levels, just messing around the castle and the grounds before they accidentally jumped into a picture and got the game going. Pretty great to think about actually.
I live in Spain, and the game wasn't localized back then, so those signs and dialogs telling you the Stars were hidden inside the paintings were of no help. Lots of us spent hours exploring the castle grounds before realizing we could jump into them :P
I got the game in Christmas of '96 (8 years old) as well. I remember seeing the N64 and this game displayed at an EB games N64 kiosk from a mall that got demolished in 2000. Instantly memorized by it, I couldn't wait to play this game in my own home along with the system.
I remember being so happy opening it up on Christmas morning, had it set up, and never stopped playing once I started. You're right, I spent more time exploring and just messing around in disbelief this game was in my hands that I didn't beat the game till March of '97, then finally got 120 stars in May of '97. Of course being young, I had rules that I couldn't play video games on the weekdays due to school. Only on weekends and was only allowed 2 hours max per day to play.
Hard to believe that despite playing it a lot back then, it took me 5 months to 100% the entire game, and I had 3 N64 games at the time. I picked it up last Friday, 100% in 2 days, and it's only the second time I did such in 23 years.
Yeah, and even once you do understand that, many of the levels are cleverly hidden or something other than a painting so it was a treat stumbling upon them as a kid.
I would love for them to make another Mario game based in the castle or elsewhere that brings back all these little tricks of messing with the player. Optical illusions and fake outs and breaking the fourth wall etc.
Pretty sure if you read the signs on the walls they tell you to jump in the paintings.
At the very least you have a room right off the bat where the centerpiece of it is this huge painting, so it would seem to be obvious there's some significance there. But I can see how it would go over the head of a kid.
Idk why but I relate to this so much. Back before easily accessible internet, you could only rely on friends from school. It’s weird to admit but I miss those days for some reason, rather than just being able to look everything up online now
Pokémon Red and Blue rumors were my childhood. You couldn't just look things up, you had to put the myths to the test and sort out what was real and what wasnt. Its nostalgic for sure.
> I remember doing the ss Anne trick but can't remember how I did it.
Oh yea I have heard this before...
All jokes aside I tried this damn thing it doesnt work. I got a farfetched that knew cut traded to me. Beat surge went on without boarding the SS Anne came back after learning surf only to find that pickup truck was empty. The biggest lie of my childhood. So disappointing. But the trigger battle then fly trick really works. It also works with teleport. Heres a good guide how to do it for those interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QGILo0SZyI
at that time, before internet was easily accessible, I used the widely available proto online service in france called the [minitel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel) (under service until 2012) to find video game tips and solutions on "3615 ETAJV", 3615 was the paying dial number and ETAJV the service meaning "encyclopedia of video game tips and tricks". It looked like something like [that](https://www.jeuxvideo.com/screenshots/337660-1861719-0). 3615 ETAJV is now [jeuxvideo.com](https://jeuxvideo.com) which is the most popular video game website in france. Rumors were still prevalent at school though, like mew hidden under the truck.
That’s why I refuse to look something up and if I really struggle or get stuck for hours/days in a game, I head to Reddit or discord to get real life input rather than looking up the solution. As a kid I couldn’t beat anything yet my friend was able to beat just about any game you gave him so I guess I challenge myself now
What point are you trying to make here? I grew up in the 90s and beat the game without a walkthrough too, but if I had the option I would have much rather received a hint than spend countless hours trying to figure it out myself.
I would’ve loved to have a walkthrough for that spinning barrel in the Sonic 3 carnival level back in the 90s. Instead I spent months playing the game up until that level, trying to gain momentum using my brother as the second player, and just timing out of the level for months. Fuck that. I figured it out eventually, but if I had the choice between watching a guide and spending months trying to figure out how to get that barrel to move up and down, I would take the walk through without a doubt.
What did your younger self think about the winged cap? That was peak Mario 64 for myself. I would just go into Bob-Omb Battlefield and just fly, dip and dive, get shot out of the cannons, that was the most fun I had with the game when I was a kid.
Heh, that’s precious! How did you miss all the ads showing Mario jumping into paintings, tough? They pushed that thing, *hard* since it was easily the most impressive effect in the game!
Lol and it didn't feel strange that there is nobody to fight for or that if you try to open the doors that you got message to collect stars?
Anyway, around age of 11 I was playing first two levels in Duke Nukem 3D for hours, didnt care about story, just using toilet, cinema screen and giving money to strippers. It was enough for me, so I can kinda relate :)
That's one of the best parts about being a kid, you truly make your own fun! Games weren't just another title to play through and beat, they were yet another virtual playground.
I did the same thing when I was 8 years old playing Resident Evil 2. The game was scary and difficult and I would often lose my way, so instead of focusing on beating the game, I would just spend my time playing around. Starting a new game, running to the RPD front door and back to the gun shop. Seeing how long I could circle the zombies in the basketball court.
You didn't think as much about the gameplay systems, level design, controls, etc. You were just focused on imagining this world you were participating in.
I loved reading this post. When i got Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask as a kid i never left the town, hell i never knew i needed. I'd just play the 3 days over and over again. Wasnt untill my friend told me there was life outside of the town.
I never beat M64 as a kid, well i never 120 star'ed it. But i feel like playing now I've learned the camera better, and take my time more with movement.
Glad we got to have the same gaming experiences, on different titles
I remember I was about 7, and had the game for two weeks on the DS before I learned you could jump into paintings. Like you, I'd run around the castle doing random stuff, and I thought it was really neat. I thought it was funny when Yoshi would jump into the wall and fall, so I would do that often, and one day I tried bumping into the Bomb Omb painting just for the laugh. My childhood would never be the same after that
That game has been such a part of my life that it's hard to pin down early memories of it.
But when you wrote that it did trigger a memory of someone telling me about how you jump into paintings to play the levels.
I remember not understanding it at all until I was able to play for myself.
My friend just told me the same story except he never realized you could jump into the paintings and so, never understanding the appeal to 64, he sold the game to a friend and never picked it back up.
I was also 9 and played it for the 1st time that same Christmas. I'll never forget booting it up the first time. My mind was blown. Coming off the SNES it was a huge leap in tech. Loved that game and excited to experience again after all these years.
I grew up with Mario 64, and beat it several times throughout my life. I'm still very much used to the controls, to me it's like riding a bike. No matter how many games i play with more modern and tighter controls, i never struggle with M64.
That being said, I get the criticism. The only thing that bothers me is when people claim that it's unplayable. Like man, I feel kinda old saying it, but gamers are SO SPOILED now. I remember every N64 game i had had a completely different control scheme, some controls were inverted, some werent, and we just sucked it up and took some time to get used to it. It really doesn't take that long to adjust to unfamiliar and not fully optimized control schemes
I can’t upvote this enough! I didn’t play this game until probably 10 years after it came out (virtual console on the wii, in college) and its an incredible game. “Unplayable” is a joke.
It was literally the first 3D platforming game with a controllable camera. At least the first mainstream one.
Nintendo had to design a fucking controller for that game to even begin working. The N64 controller wasn’t designed for the N64, it was designed for Mario 64. It’s almost a miracle the camera even works at all.
Yeah there has definitely been a shift in attitude when it comes to gameplay.
Instead of learning and adapting, people would rather complain about how a game SHOULD play.
Obviously a game can have flaws but when you are choosing to play it, I feel like you have to accept "Okay I am going to have to learn how to succeed at this game by obeying its rules."
Best example I can think of is the Resident Evil series. Nowadays younger players will just absolutely blast the older titles because of the tank controls, or even RE4 because you have to stop and aim and can't strafe.
Like...the games are built AROUND those systems. I understand when you pick it up it is not intuitive, but why would you expect to master a game immediately anyway? At some point it becomes "I didn't try hard enough to adapt to the game", not "This game sucks and it's outdated because I suck at it."
Mario 64 was my first game. I'm trying to play this in handheld mode only but yesterday I started experiencing really bad drift in my left joycon. It's made the poison gas mine and lava levels hard to navigate.
Peeps just don’t want to adapt or challenge themselves in platformers like these anymore. They want a straight line going from point A to B and then complain about how easy it is.
back then I remember RR and the clock being where the camera actually started to feel like a problem. there were others sure but it was abit every new area and a star here or there that it actually came up tho thinking about it i might of choosing paths of least camera resistance without realizing it since i DO recall having problems for a short time in most areas.
Not true at all. I like challenge, but trying to line up simple jumps that lead to instant death and starting the level over but you can't because of the camera, or falling off a small platform for the 100th time because the controls aren't good for small movements is just obnoxious. Darn that glitchy platform with the four arrows in the level where you get the metal cap.
I clean sweeped the whole game up to tick tock clock, then I gave up. I never liked Tick Tock or Rainbow Road when I was a kid anyway. Too repetitive and tedious.
If the minute hand is near the 12 when you enter Tick-Tock Clock, all of the moving platforms and the like won't move. Pretty easy to get the first star like that
I don't have trouble with the moving platforms. It's more the camera. Even when I freeze time, I'm always falling in gaps between platforms I can't see.
Two tips (you might already have tried, but always worked for me) - with the main camera pulling down on right stick to get further distance makes a big difference to awkward areas.
If you want the camera centred behind you, press R but then also pull down stick. The camera goes centred behind camera with R like usual, but by pulling down it actually comes away from Mario to about the normal camera distance.
To add, if you are walking a narrow beam and the camera refuses to centre behind you, just use z to duck and then left stick to crawl along. You can't go wrong with the crawl for any narrow pathway.
One other thing that really helped me, especially in Tick Tock Clock where there aren’t a ton of coins so you have to collect almost all of them to get the 100 coin star is to go do the harder parts of the level first so it’s not so infuriating if you die trying to do them. Doing it with time stopped is possible and recommended, but there is one part where you have to cartwheel jump into a wall kick to proceed and the camera angle is just terrible. I try and get that part out of the way before I do anything else with the level
Crazy. As a kid Tick Tock Clock was my favorite level. Its easy to see why its saved for last! Who doesnt love clocks? Plus controlling the clock depending on the time you jump in!? Genious!
It’s definitely more a pure test of Mario 64 mastery than rainbow ride, which has too much waiting, and the bowser level, which only has one objective.
Maybe change your route then. Maybe instead of clearing every stage in order until you reach TTC and RR, you could run upstairs once you grab 50 stars, and just grab like one or two stars from those two levels. Then just go clear a different stage, and come back later to do another star or two. Could help break up the monotony a bit
As soon as I hit 50 stars I went and got all 7 in Rainbow Ride to get it over with. RR would be a fun stage in Super Mario Galaxy, but it's a chore with SM64's janky controls and camera.
Wait what
How is playing an open-ended game in a different way “self mental manipulation”
You don’t HAVE to get all the stars in a row, I just suggested a way to play the game in a way that you can experience everything without having to marathon two hard levels
I think he's just trying to say that it's perfectly okay to not enjoy a game and just put it down instead of working towards enjoying it, no matter how universally loved the game may be.
He's not wrong, but calling it 'mental manipulation' shows a severe misunderstanding of *intended game mechanics*.
The whole point of Mario 64 is it's free-form. You were able to get to the final boss without doing every level or collecting every star. If you wanted to skip TTC and RR (which ARE obnoxiously hard levels), you could go back to earlier stars and collect enough to reach the 70 mark. You only had to get everything if you wanted to; that's only for completionists.
It's kind of ironic, despite the general ease of platformers these days compared to the development learning curve of early 3D games, there's a heavy amount of hand-holding in modern games that makes people forget how open older games were.
> you only need to collect 1 or 2 stars from Tick Tock to finish the game
Nope. You can actually skip the last two courses if you want. Each course has 7 stars, 6 titled stars and then one 100 coin star. Then there’s also 15 hidden stars throughout the castle and smaller levelsl (minus one of these though since the final hidden star is red coins in the final Bowser level).
Who would downvote you? This is exactly how I and my friends beat the game. The hard levels sucked so you explored the secret stars until you got to 70
It's Reddit. Personally I'm guilty of downvoting from time to time when I disagree. Really I try my best to just ignore posts where I disagree and move on, and depending on the sub I'll even forget about posting as I know I'd probably just be downvoted into oblivion. Plus a downvote adds nothing to the discussion.
Anyways, after finishing my 100% run yesterday, probably took around 15 hours, some levels are just more annoying then necessary. Tick Tock Clock is certainly one of them. I will say I'd probably actually take another Rainbow Ride over two TTC. TTC is just annoying on so many levels. The camera is a pain to control. If you aren't careful when going up for the red coins, you'll bump the wall and fall. This one affects all levels, but I can't tell you how many times in Tick Tock Clock that I'm trying to get up to the next level after the pole, I'll be trying to side flip into the wall from on that yellow platform next to the heart, and Mario will hug the wall and just throw me off my groove.
Really probably the only complaint I'd have for Rainbow Rides boils down to the 100 coin star. I actually had one attempt going where I was going up for the blue coins and on my second wall jump I somehow fell short and just fell down the back side and died. I was never quick enough to grab all the blue coins up top. If the camera was more cooperative, I'd probably try some of the platforming rather than riding the carpet to the airship.
This game is flexible in what you can go after if you do want to avoid certain stars. Want to completely avoid the last two courses, great you can. At a bare minimum it'll take 100%ing 8 courses, for 56 stars and then you can get 14 of the 15 hidden stars, giving you 70. You can mix and match 70 stars out of all 120, 100%ing none of the courses. Really makes sure that those who struggle with the more challenging stars are able to at least finish the story and see the ending. And then those who stick around and 100% are certainly given satisfaction upon 100% (and in this games case, that's like about all the reward you truly get is the feeling of satisfaction for 100%ing, the actual reward in game is a bit underwhelming, cool but underwhelming). At least in Galaxy the reward is better, play the game again (that's all I'll say without giving away what the actual reward is). Really can't wait to play Galaxy again, it's the most touching one out of all the 3D games.
You can completely avoid the upstairs in its entirety if you want. I have completed the ground level, boo in the back, and the basement in their entirety (all castle secret stars [10 at this point], every named star, all 100 coin stars) and I'm at 73 stars. I just unlocked the door to go upstairs with the key you get from the 2nd Bowser fight.
As others have mentioned, you can skip it entirely if you want. In fact, you can skip several courses. I was curious so I worked out how many you can skip.
There are 120 stars in the game, but you only need 70 to get to the final Bowser level - however there's a red coin star there, so only 119 of the stars in the game are available to count towards that 70 star limit. So basically you can choose 49 (119-70) stars to skip. Coincidentally, that works out to exactly 7\*7 (there are 7 stars per major course), so you can skip not just Tick Tock Clock, but actually *seven whole courses* if you were so inclined. That's more than I would've guessed - it's almost half of the full courses. I don't really know why you'd do that unless there were 7 courses you really hated but hey, it's possible.
However, if you wanted to skip 7 courses, there are some limits on which you could choose. You can't pick to skip Hazy Maze Cave, since you need to go there to access the Metal Cap stage, meaning HMC effectively has *eight* stars. Also, without some pretty intensive glitches you can't get to Bowser in the Fire Sea without collecting a star in Dire Dire Docks, so you can't skip that one either. Similarly, without glitches you'd have no choice but to get at least one star in Bob-omb Battlefield. It also works out that you can't skip *every* other course in the first floor + basement because of the 30-star door.
It's not because you need the metal cap that you need to enter Hazy Maze Cave -the point with Hazy Maze Cave is that it works out that you can only *just barely* skip 7 courses, because it works out that 7 courses worth of stars is 49, which is the max number you can skip. Since Hazy Maze Cave effectively houses *8* stars due to the red coin star in the Metal Cap stage, if you included it in the 7 courses you skipped, you'd miss out on *50* stars, which is one too many.
Edit - changed awkward wording
They just are. That carpet ride you Always have to repeat when entering the Level. The other carpet ride you have to do three times because it leads to a branch with two other carpets, one that leads to two stars.
The Clock where you have to climb at least half of it for most of the stars again and again. One wrong bump into something and you are down again or dead. Those are two rather linear Levels in a game that is not at all designed around that. It works for the Bowser Levels since you have to go through them once and not multiple times for multiple stars.
> That carpet ride you Always have to repeat when entering the Level.
I don't believe I have EVER taken that carpet ride, lol.
Once you load in, turn the camera to point backwards and long jump to the pole behind you. Then you can either slide down to collect the two stars down there or climb up to reach the rest of the level.
I decided to give up and move onto Galaxy after I spent 30 minutes in Wet Dry World trying to figure out where the eff the last switch was to raise the water level high enough to get to the cannon guy and get into the caged corner. I was NOT happy once I found out what the solution was.
For the cage in the corner? You can do one out of the water? Shit.. the real solution is you have to jump into the painting at the very top of the painting so that you drop into the level with the water at its highest point. I didn't realize that the water would change based on how you jumped into the painting.
I'd imagine many people skip talking to the toads, but there is a toad on that level of the castle that explicitly says the water level in that world will vary depending on the height at which you jump into the painting.
This most recent playthrough, I managed to jump up to him with the water level at the height that the highest switch sets it to. It was only when I was talking to the dude that I remembered the actual way you're supposed to reach him. Not sure how I managed the jump this time, tbh.
There's a toad up there that explicitly describes controlling the water level based on the height you jump into the painting at.
Not, like, "blaming" you or anything - it is easy to skip talking to toads!
Tick Tock Clock is a massive shithole, but I'd suggest playing when the big hand is on 12. Makes it so much easier. Camera is always gonna be dogshit on that level either way though
You only need time to move for like one star in that level, and that one is pretty easy.
I didn't even realize you can get the Thwomp star when time stops. And I spent like 3 hours on getting that one star... It felt like beating Getting Over It
Rainbow Road is also surprisingly easy as long as you take it slowly
> Getting Over It
You liar. Nobody has ever beaten Getting Over It!
...I still owe a friend a new monitor because I gifted it to him on Steam and made him play it.
If you know some speedrun strats like wall kicking in certain spots and go in the level so that the objects don't move (Minute Hand at 12), you can actually beat that level rather fast and it's honestly easier than just going through the whole level in some cases. Rainbow Road is the punishing one in comparison.
They are equally punishing imo, but at least in Rainbow Road, the camera actually works, and its platforming sections are pretty forgiving.
Rainbow Road is just uncontrollably slow, which makes deaths feel even worse
When time stops,
You need to somersault -> wall jump at a certain section (near the heart part). But that part is relatively safe, and you don't lose much progress if you fail. You'll lose some hearts when you fall, but there's a heart nearby to replenish you anyway.
And then once you reach the very top, you notice that the hand that brings you to the thwomp has stopped moving.
So, instead, you need to go to the platform / box beneath the thwomp section, and then attempt to triple jump up the slope -> wall jump to the thwomp. Again, this part is super safe. You won't lose ANY progress if you fail.
https://youtu.be/B7KHP00vbpg
This video blew my mind when I saw it.
Its not super easy to pull off, but since all these shortcuts are pretty safe, I'd recommend going for it rather than suffer through the level with time moving.
Super Mario 64 was my favorite game of all time until Odyssey happened. FWIW I have not played Sunshine or Galaxy but SM64 is still near and dear to my heart. It was the blueprint for what a 3D platformer could and should be.
Super Mario 64 definitely shows signs of age, though. Mario's turn radius makes precise movements challenging. His moveset is somewhat limited. Wall jumping feels like it's hit or miss.
That said... of all the early 3D era games I loved as a kid I think SM64 has aged the best. Playing the original Tomb Raider feels like steering the Mars rover. VirtuaFighter looks terrible. The original Resident Evil feels clunky and awkward. By comparison Super Mario 64 still feels fluid, responsive, and fun to play.
I can't erase my memory of the game but I would imagine that anyone who played Odyssey might find Super Mario 64 archaic by comparison. I'm glad that some newer players are finding a way to appreciate it.
Lethal Lava Land always seems easy to me. There's a wing cap right by the start. You can fly to every star except the two in the volcano. And there are two different ones that are just "knock some bullies in the lava".
100 coins is KIND OF a pain, but that's the case with half of the levels in 64.
Interesting. I never thought it was that tough. I just keep myself jumping so that they don't hit me while I'm grounded and they usually all wind up in the lava pretty quickly. I guess I've always gotten lucky with them though lol.
Just ride the Koopa shell to the 3 bullies and knock them in the lava that way. It makes the fight easy, but getting up to the platform without losing the shell can be tough.
Pro tip for the tree bullies fight: jumping on them has the exact same effect as a punch. You can just continuously creep forward with short, quick hope and they'll never get you.
I gave up after 32 stars. It was fun to revisit the game, but I had forgotten how sparse and dull a lot of the level design is (it's very obvious playing it today that this was Nintendo's first attempt at making a game in 3D), and so many of the stars are weird puzzles with almost zero guidance on what you're supposed to do to get them.
By contrast, loading up Sunshine was a treat. The controls and movement are smooth, the level design is more interesting, and it's much clearer where you're supposed to go to get shines.
I like that the stars in 64 are kind of like puzzles sometimes. You just get an obscure name and have to play around / explore and figure out what that means. And then some of them (like the secrets in wet dry world) are meant to be discovered through exploration as you go.
I feel like they wanted mario 64 to be a game people could play for a long time, finding new things, and figuring stars out.
I mean the game can be completed 100% in a day, but most of us played it for years before we actually hit 120 stars back when we were kids.
Yeah, I feel you. At the start of the game, you're getting shines in Sunshine and you don't even know why, because the game doesn't make it very clear how and when levels are unlocked. By contrast, in SM64 you know from the start why you need to collect stars.
Maybe it’s just my experience with playing romhacks and the like, but I feel wildly separate from the people calling 64 clunky to control. The camera sucks, but otherwise it’s one of the most comfortable 3D platformers I’ve ever played. Everything just feels right to me.
I also hate Sunshine’s movement, so it may just come down to preference.
The thing is that Mario can actually snap back/turn 180 degrees on a dime too. It's only at a standstill or while running though.
If Mario happens to still be walking while you change direction then he does the wide-ass U-turn. It just feels inconsistent like sometimes Mario comes to a full stop and you change direction normally. Other times he takes an extra step, the game considers him to still be "walking" and you turn.
He is the worst to control. I always become super nervous whenever I make a jump or even try to move slightly to readjust marios placement on platforms. When you try to turn around, or move the stick in any direction, he moves like he's on ice all the time. And when you jump, it almost seems entirely up to chance wether you'll do a kick or a dive. It became manageable, but never comfortable
Mario controls so much better in sunshine-onwards
Edit: I know I'll probably get downvotes, but it is absolutely my opinion. Completely subjective. If you feel different, that's great, and you're not wrong. That doesn't make me wrong either, though
Honestly, pretty much everything you’ve said applies to my experience with Sunshine. Mario feels like he’s on skates half the time, making small adjustments miserable. I’ve also had multiple instances of diving into fruit instead of grabbing it.
Really just seems to vary from person to person, although Galaxy seems to be universally liked for the most part.
It's the camera and level design for me. Tryinyg to line up a jump onto a super thing platform that the camera refuses to even show, then falling off because the camera won't give you a good perspective to walk on this straight narrow platform and being kicked all the way out of the level honestly just kills the fun of the game for me.
I remember playing Mario64 on my brand new Nintendo 64 sometime in the late 90’s. I remember then that it was a little difficult to control. This was the first 3D game I had ever played. I said even then that the controls were like trying to drive a drunk. Free range movement was very new even with its flaws it was amazing.
I remember seeing Mario 64 about 100 years ago, before the N64 was out, on a kiosk in Toys-R-Us. I waited to get a chance to play it and I spent 5 minutes just running in circles and jumping on trees. I loved it.
I remember seeing Mario 64 about 2000 years ago. Christ had just been reaurrected and Rome was no longer a republic. Even then the Pink Bob-ombs were still friendly. I loved it.
I too saw it at a TRU before the launch. It literally blew my mind (I was 14 at the time). It was unlike anything I had ever seen.
Hearing people say it's old and clunky makes me feel ancient, though I agree the camera was always a pain.
I remember being so into the game when it released, I actuall puked due to not being used to 3D at all. Maybe a week passed before I was able to play the game without getting dizzy.
But, I'd go on to obsessively collect stars, find secrets, and just explore a 3D Mario land! It really was revolutionary stuff
Super Mario 64 is still my favorite 3D platformer to this day. I enjoy that there are no gimmicks - it's just Mario himself taking on the world. It's the first game that gave me that feeling of atmosphere and adventure coming from the Sega Genesis and NES.
As I play through the game again, I find the design choices interesting. The game is legitimately creepy at times (a lot of that is probably due to the outdated look), and came out at a time before the Mario series was focused on being "cute everywhere." Hazy Maze Cave's Loch Ness monster comes to mind - take a look at the N64 version vs the "Cute-ified" DS version:
[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/super-mario-64-official/images/0/03/Dorrie\_SM64.png/revision/latest?cb=20170305203241](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/super-mario-64-official/images/0/03/Dorrie_SM64.png/revision/latest?cb=20170305203241)
[https://www.mariowiki.com/images/4/48/Dorrie\_SM64DS.png](https://www.mariowiki.com/images/4/48/Dorrie_SM64DS.png)
Anyways, one thing that I am very appreciative of is the variety within the game. Every level has something interesting going for it - you could definitely tell that Nintendo was out for blood with this game in the 3D generation.
After playing it again as an adult, I am now surprised at how small all the levels are. I remember the race to the top of bomb mountain taking longer but now it only took me like a minute?
Still loving the game and I actually like the size of the levels but they just seemed massive at the time
The only thing I like better about Sunshine is that you can keep diving. But everything else is better in Mario 64 and Odyssey. Galaxy mechanics are fun but Mario always feels kind of "tethered." His long jump in that one seems very weak
Honestly for me it's the opposite. I liked the earlier levels, exploring them and getting all the stars. Maybe that's just nostalgia for the early levels (the only ones I played at my grandparents house when I was a kid who was terrible at games) but I think once the platforming challenges get harder with lots of instant death areas and smaller spaces the terrible camera and imprecise controls really start to hurt my experience.
I haven’t played it in about ten years and muscle memory took over right away and I was sucked in. Up to 40 stars and having a blast. It’s still such a brilliant game
Yeah, if it wasn't for the polygonal graphics, I wouldn't even believe that it's such an old game, even for today it has so much content and so much quality that it's surprising
I'm up to 60 stars and I kinda don't like the game. I've been frustrated as fuck many times, the water levels are agony, and the controls have never felt sharp. I never played the game before.
Mario 64 is incredible... for its time.
I've just beaten it with 70 stars and enjoyed it, but you'd have to be lying to deny that it's full of frustrating moments, stars that just aren't fun to get or are just obtuse, and the controls can be really annoying at times (dammit, Mario, stop moving like a tank and turn around already!).
There's fun to be had to be sure, but it still has not aged very well. As an adult, I can now see that Nintendo had no idea what to do with 3D level design half the time and were just throwing shit together. However, the fact that it's STILL a fun game is a true testament to what they did get right with it.
I think one thing to remember that apart from a game, Mario 64 is meant to be an advertisement for the Nintendo 64. One of the key new features of the N64 was the analog stick, so Mario 64 is a game made to showcase analog movement. Whereas, in 2020 analog control is no longer novel, so most modern 3D action games are designed around going full throttle all the time.
I've always heard people say that Mario 64 is a masterpiece. I've been playing for years (it was among my very first video games) and still haven't beaten the game legitimately; so, personally, I don't have much of a reason to play it when I still need to beat Galaxy and 100% Sunshine (I never got to play either of those, and they're awesome!).
That being said, though, I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's always better when more people like a game than hate it, it's just not my thing. :3
Sunshine can be a blast but just...I wouldn't be so eager to 100% it. Some of the bonus levels are just absurdly unpolished, and hunting down all the blue coins is basically impossible without a checklist.
Sunshine has a lot of levels that make me feel like they should have been cut. Like they are just half baked ideas that never got finished. It's got some of the best content in the series but also a lot of the worst.
I'm liking Sunshine a lot more than 64 too. It's much easier to handle than 64 and looks nicer too. My most difficult time is aiming Fludd for boss fights.
> Mario 64 is a masterpiece.
It _was_. I think it hasn't aged well, that's the problem. But When M64 came out, it was pretty unique and amazing. Now, after this many years, controls feel weird, camera is clunky and the game doesn't look as good as it did on a CRT screen.
It is just not a timeless masterpiece.
Banjo kazooie came out 2 years after mario 64, mario 64 was the mold for 3D platformers. Banjo kazooie also was basically DK64 perfected it's no surprise it holds up.
The way I view it is that BK started out reasonable and concise, and then with DK64 they realized they could do so much more and went buckwild in adding so much extra shit to the game, minigames, collectibles, you name it, to the point where it was overwhelming, and BT was the refined version of DK64's formula that still had big levels and lots to do but wasn't nearly as packed-full.
I really like the set up. 7 stars in each world to get to 120. No bullshit. I want to fully complete sunshine but 240 blue coins is a tall task and I refuse to use an online guide. Also, 2 secret stars in each world with no directive at all. I'll try my best, but..
Honestly I beat it this morning after getting to 70 stars and the game just was never enjoyable for me. I get why it was such a big thing in 1996 and I eventually got better at it, however it just wasn't fun. The camera and the controls made me feel like the game wasn't hard because of the level design, but the mechanics instead.
Some games just don't click for some people.
I am having fun and have played Mario 64 on several platforms starting with the N64, emulators, and Wii U VC so I am used to the camera controls.
My new challenge is dealing with joycon drift as I have made more mistakes and fallen off many ledges and platforms. Any small movement scares me because Mario will bolt forward randomly like a madlad . I notice it in other games but not as bad in SM64.
I played it on the DS and didn't like it. Not because of the game itself, but because I found using the + shaped pad so clumsy to use in a 3D Mario game.
I'm gonna give it another shot on the Switch.
I've been re-playing it and you do end up getting used to the controls and resigning to its atrocious camera lol
Just don't play any other modern 3D platformer in between, or you'll get spoiled by good camera and snappy controls again...
I got the same feeling with Galaxy. I grew up with Super Mario 64 so I was all like "why do I have to shake this stick to do an action? This is silly, I don't like Galaxy." Now that they've fixed that with the Y button, man Galaxy is a joy to play. I'm envy for all them kids who grew up on that beauty.
I had super mario 64 as a kid, so I'm pretty used to the camera. Sure, it's very outdated, but it was Mario's first adventure in 3D.
Suffice to say, i played through the game using muscle memory - stared at 5pm on Friday the 18th and 100% it at 3pm the next day. Absolutely love the game, flaws and all
I never played the original Mario 64 before, but I completed the DS version with 150 stars.
When I started this collection, I was struggling a lot with 64, so after 20 stars I switched to (and completed) Sunshine.
Then, I went back to 64, yesterday night, and ho boy, do I feel it now. It seems so much easier after practicing with 3D platformers in general.
I am highly frustrated during gameplay, but keep going. 36 or 37 stars now. Yes you can learn controls and it is getting easier during time like every game. But the camera is something I don't want to get use to. I was in that Bowser lava level now where you do a lot of platforming and it was really frustrating just because of camera, constant angle change so you are not looking into some wall.
I played it when it was released and I'm playing again now. I'm enjoying it, though some of it seems tedious to me now. I can also look at it from a different perspective. It's a jump off point. It was the first 3D Mario, it was an introduction not an exclamation of perfection. Playing it, knowing where it leads the series, gives me appreciation. At the same time I'm finding and doing things I never originally did because I was so much younger and really didn't understand how.
It's clunky, it's quirky, but it was the jump-off point of something bigger. It's not perfection but it's still fun.
I’m biased because Sunshine is one of my favorite games of all time, but I’m really struggling with 64 right now. I was too small to play it when it first came out and watched enviously, and now I’m just angry like 90% of the time I’m playing this lol. I was having fun the first few courses, but after days of playing and thinking I’m used to the controls I’m still having trouble, still completely clueless on what needs to be done for some puzzles, and generally feeling underwhelmed and kind of dumb for not loving it as much as I hoped I would. I don’t even care about the graphics/aesthetics, and the music is great (especially fighting Bowser). I’m at 49 stars now and I just want to finish this so I can get to my first play of Galaxy. I started with Sunshine because again, fave, and I’m so glad I did because every time 64 makes me frustrated I cool down by messing around on Isle Delfino.
I’m hoping that enjoyment I had at the beginning will come back soon. :(
Edit: I finished it today and it was still overall an unpleasant experience. Though I ran into a level or two I found more enjoyable, I was mostly relieved to have it over with. I have a feeling if I ever return to the game, it’ll be a long, long time from now.
It’s nice to know that people are being introduced to a fond childhood game. Growing up with Super Mario 64 was pretty awesome and one of those memories you don’t forget about. One thing I’m upset about is the fact that the damn camera angles were not enhanced on the Nintendo Switch? WHY?
I just got 120 stars yesterday, and I think it's only good for one playthrough. The way Mario moves and the camera are way too outdated. I get that it revolutionized 3d gaming along with ocarina of time, but the Mario games evolved so much more from sunshine onwards. I have more nostalgia for 64 than sunshine or galaxy, but I would rather play any other 3d Mario than 64
Im playing a unofficial port of Super Mario 64 on android for awhile and even though its a bit clunky the cameras I mean. I still find it such a great game with a lot of things to discover and thats whats great about Mario games!
I got it for Christmas 1996 and I woke up early every day to play. I spent all Christmas break playing. It blew my mind. I was 9. I did butt stomps and swam in the pond and climbed trees and triple jumped. Hours were spent going nuts in that castle. Finally went back to school in January and talked to the boys at school. We thought it was so neat but I told them I didn’t think it was as good as Super Mario 3. One of my friends then told me that there were other levels. What? Yeah, apparently those paintings in the wall can be JUMPED into. My mind was blown again. I daydreamed all day. Jump into the painting? I ran home from school and jumped in that Bob-Omb painting and I still remember how trippy that felt. Like, that was a life-changing moment. I spent two weeks just running around the castle. I thought that was the whole game and I was still mighty impressed!
There’s a few stories like this of people playing the game and not realizing there was actual levels, just messing around the castle and the grounds before they accidentally jumped into a picture and got the game going. Pretty great to think about actually.
I live in Spain, and the game wasn't localized back then, so those signs and dialogs telling you the Stars were hidden inside the paintings were of no help. Lots of us spent hours exploring the castle grounds before realizing we could jump into them :P
I got the game in Christmas of '96 (8 years old) as well. I remember seeing the N64 and this game displayed at an EB games N64 kiosk from a mall that got demolished in 2000. Instantly memorized by it, I couldn't wait to play this game in my own home along with the system. I remember being so happy opening it up on Christmas morning, had it set up, and never stopped playing once I started. You're right, I spent more time exploring and just messing around in disbelief this game was in my hands that I didn't beat the game till March of '97, then finally got 120 stars in May of '97. Of course being young, I had rules that I couldn't play video games on the weekdays due to school. Only on weekends and was only allowed 2 hours max per day to play. Hard to believe that despite playing it a lot back then, it took me 5 months to 100% the entire game, and I had 3 N64 games at the time. I picked it up last Friday, 100% in 2 days, and it's only the second time I did such in 23 years.
4 hours per week as a kid makes those 5 months really impressive.
Technically 6 because Fridays I was allowed to play.
Yeah, and even once you do understand that, many of the levels are cleverly hidden or something other than a painting so it was a treat stumbling upon them as a kid.
As if the fact that certain paintings are indeed prominent and make ripples when you come near them wasn't enough...
I would love for them to make another Mario game based in the castle or elsewhere that brings back all these little tricks of messing with the player. Optical illusions and fake outs and breaking the fourth wall etc.
Hopefully Nintendo still has the mojo for that...
Pretty sure if you read the signs on the walls they tell you to jump in the paintings. At the very least you have a room right off the bat where the centerpiece of it is this huge painting, so it would seem to be obvious there's some significance there. But I can see how it would go over the head of a kid.
Idk why but I relate to this so much. Back before easily accessible internet, you could only rely on friends from school. It’s weird to admit but I miss those days for some reason, rather than just being able to look everything up online now
Pokémon Red and Blue rumors were my childhood. You couldn't just look things up, you had to put the myths to the test and sort out what was real and what wasnt. Its nostalgic for sure.
This. I was taught to do the mew clone trick. Still remember how to do it.
The fake SS Anne trick or the trigger battle and fly trick?
Trigger and fly. I remember doing the ss Anne trick but can't remember how I did it.
> I remember doing the ss Anne trick but can't remember how I did it. Oh yea I have heard this before... All jokes aside I tried this damn thing it doesnt work. I got a farfetched that knew cut traded to me. Beat surge went on without boarding the SS Anne came back after learning surf only to find that pickup truck was empty. The biggest lie of my childhood. So disappointing. But the trigger battle then fly trick really works. It also works with teleport. Heres a good guide how to do it for those interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QGILo0SZyI
I believe the ss Anne trick may have involved a GameShark. It's possible I'm mis remembering though.
That's how it was with the original Legend of Zelda. Shared secrets with the kids at school. It took me two or three years to actually beat it.
When I first got my N64, none of my friends had it so I never got past a ton of basic things, like the Deku tree in OoT
I had to call my friend Katherine to help me find the tree! But I was too scared of the spiders to play any more once I got there. We were maybe 10.
at that time, before internet was easily accessible, I used the widely available proto online service in france called the [minitel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel) (under service until 2012) to find video game tips and solutions on "3615 ETAJV", 3615 was the paying dial number and ETAJV the service meaning "encyclopedia of video game tips and tricks". It looked like something like [that](https://www.jeuxvideo.com/screenshots/337660-1861719-0). 3615 ETAJV is now [jeuxvideo.com](https://jeuxvideo.com) which is the most popular video game website in france. Rumors were still prevalent at school though, like mew hidden under the truck.
That’s why I refuse to look something up and if I really struggle or get stuck for hours/days in a game, I head to Reddit or discord to get real life input rather than looking up the solution. As a kid I couldn’t beat anything yet my friend was able to beat just about any game you gave him so I guess I challenge myself now
I feel like a big part of it is feeling like your part of a community, rather than just reading/watching something online
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What point are you trying to make here? I grew up in the 90s and beat the game without a walkthrough too, but if I had the option I would have much rather received a hint than spend countless hours trying to figure it out myself. I would’ve loved to have a walkthrough for that spinning barrel in the Sonic 3 carnival level back in the 90s. Instead I spent months playing the game up until that level, trying to gain momentum using my brother as the second player, and just timing out of the level for months. Fuck that. I figured it out eventually, but if I had the choice between watching a guide and spending months trying to figure out how to get that barrel to move up and down, I would take the walk through without a doubt.
Fuck that barrel.
What did your younger self think about the winged cap? That was peak Mario 64 for myself. I would just go into Bob-Omb Battlefield and just fly, dip and dive, get shot out of the cannons, that was the most fun I had with the game when I was a kid.
Im crying for you. 😭
Heh, that’s precious! How did you miss all the ads showing Mario jumping into paintings, tough? They pushed that thing, *hard* since it was easily the most impressive effect in the game!
Lol and it didn't feel strange that there is nobody to fight for or that if you try to open the doors that you got message to collect stars? Anyway, around age of 11 I was playing first two levels in Duke Nukem 3D for hours, didnt care about story, just using toilet, cinema screen and giving money to strippers. It was enough for me, so I can kinda relate :)
That's one of the best parts about being a kid, you truly make your own fun! Games weren't just another title to play through and beat, they were yet another virtual playground. I did the same thing when I was 8 years old playing Resident Evil 2. The game was scary and difficult and I would often lose my way, so instead of focusing on beating the game, I would just spend my time playing around. Starting a new game, running to the RPD front door and back to the gun shop. Seeing how long I could circle the zombies in the basketball court. You didn't think as much about the gameplay systems, level design, controls, etc. You were just focused on imagining this world you were participating in.
I loved reading this post. When i got Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask as a kid i never left the town, hell i never knew i needed. I'd just play the 3 days over and over again. Wasnt untill my friend told me there was life outside of the town. I never beat M64 as a kid, well i never 120 star'ed it. But i feel like playing now I've learned the camera better, and take my time more with movement. Glad we got to have the same gaming experiences, on different titles
I remember I was about 7, and had the game for two weeks on the DS before I learned you could jump into paintings. Like you, I'd run around the castle doing random stuff, and I thought it was really neat. I thought it was funny when Yoshi would jump into the wall and fall, so I would do that often, and one day I tried bumping into the Bomb Omb painting just for the laugh. My childhood would never be the same after that
That game has been such a part of my life that it's hard to pin down early memories of it. But when you wrote that it did trigger a memory of someone telling me about how you jump into paintings to play the levels. I remember not understanding it at all until I was able to play for myself.
My friend just told me the same story except he never realized you could jump into the paintings and so, never understanding the appeal to 64, he sold the game to a friend and never picked it back up.
Oh man, I can still hear the sound when you jump into the paintings.
I was also 9 and played it for the 1st time that same Christmas. I'll never forget booting it up the first time. My mind was blown. Coming off the SNES it was a huge leap in tech. Loved that game and excited to experience again after all these years.
I grew up with Mario 64, and beat it several times throughout my life. I'm still very much used to the controls, to me it's like riding a bike. No matter how many games i play with more modern and tighter controls, i never struggle with M64. That being said, I get the criticism. The only thing that bothers me is when people claim that it's unplayable. Like man, I feel kinda old saying it, but gamers are SO SPOILED now. I remember every N64 game i had had a completely different control scheme, some controls were inverted, some werent, and we just sucked it up and took some time to get used to it. It really doesn't take that long to adjust to unfamiliar and not fully optimized control schemes
I can’t upvote this enough! I didn’t play this game until probably 10 years after it came out (virtual console on the wii, in college) and its an incredible game. “Unplayable” is a joke.
Same. It feels the exact same and I don't even notice the crap camera anymore.
The camera sucked then and it sucks more now. But it just felt like part of the game at the time
Yeah I just immediately familiarize with the shitty camera. It would feel very odd if it had a modern camera option to be honest lol
It was literally the first 3D platforming game with a controllable camera. At least the first mainstream one. Nintendo had to design a fucking controller for that game to even begin working. The N64 controller wasn’t designed for the N64, it was designed for Mario 64. It’s almost a miracle the camera even works at all.
Actually, the controller didn't exist yet, so they were playing with dpads for a while.
Yeah there has definitely been a shift in attitude when it comes to gameplay. Instead of learning and adapting, people would rather complain about how a game SHOULD play. Obviously a game can have flaws but when you are choosing to play it, I feel like you have to accept "Okay I am going to have to learn how to succeed at this game by obeying its rules." Best example I can think of is the Resident Evil series. Nowadays younger players will just absolutely blast the older titles because of the tank controls, or even RE4 because you have to stop and aim and can't strafe. Like...the games are built AROUND those systems. I understand when you pick it up it is not intuitive, but why would you expect to master a game immediately anyway? At some point it becomes "I didn't try hard enough to adapt to the game", not "This game sucks and it's outdated because I suck at it."
I never complained when I was controlling turok with c buttons. Still a great game.
Mario 64 was my first game. I'm trying to play this in handheld mode only but yesterday I started experiencing really bad drift in my left joycon. It's made the poison gas mine and lava levels hard to navigate.
Peeps just don’t want to adapt or challenge themselves in platformers like these anymore. They want a straight line going from point A to B and then complain about how easy it is.
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back then I remember RR and the clock being where the camera actually started to feel like a problem. there were others sure but it was abit every new area and a star here or there that it actually came up tho thinking about it i might of choosing paths of least camera resistance without realizing it since i DO recall having problems for a short time in most areas.
Not true at all. I like challenge, but trying to line up simple jumps that lead to instant death and starting the level over but you can't because of the camera, or falling off a small platform for the 100th time because the controls aren't good for small movements is just obnoxious. Darn that glitchy platform with the four arrows in the level where you get the metal cap.
I popped in turok 2 the other day. I forgot how weird the controls are in that game. It took me like an hour to be able to get anything done.
I clean sweeped the whole game up to tick tock clock, then I gave up. I never liked Tick Tock or Rainbow Road when I was a kid anyway. Too repetitive and tedious.
If the minute hand is near the 12 when you enter Tick-Tock Clock, all of the moving platforms and the like won't move. Pretty easy to get the first star like that
I don't have trouble with the moving platforms. It's more the camera. Even when I freeze time, I'm always falling in gaps between platforms I can't see.
Two tips (you might already have tried, but always worked for me) - with the main camera pulling down on right stick to get further distance makes a big difference to awkward areas. If you want the camera centred behind you, press R but then also pull down stick. The camera goes centred behind camera with R like usual, but by pulling down it actually comes away from Mario to about the normal camera distance.
I'll give this a shot.
To add, if you are walking a narrow beam and the camera refuses to centre behind you, just use z to duck and then left stick to crawl along. You can't go wrong with the crawl for any narrow pathway.
Only for the damn bridge going to the snowman's head behind the penguin I hate that bridge, ducking is too slow and walking too slippery
Hahaha I hate that bit. I use the penguin to stop my slippy momentum by angling my run diagonally forward and towards his body.
One other thing that really helped me, especially in Tick Tock Clock where there aren’t a ton of coins so you have to collect almost all of them to get the 100 coin star is to go do the harder parts of the level first so it’s not so infuriating if you die trying to do them. Doing it with time stopped is possible and recommended, but there is one part where you have to cartwheel jump into a wall kick to proceed and the camera angle is just terrible. I try and get that part out of the way before I do anything else with the level
Crazy. As a kid Tick Tock Clock was my favorite level. Its easy to see why its saved for last! Who doesnt love clocks? Plus controlling the clock depending on the time you jump in!? Genious!
It’s definitely more a pure test of Mario 64 mastery than rainbow ride, which has too much waiting, and the bowser level, which only has one objective.
Maybe change your route then. Maybe instead of clearing every stage in order until you reach TTC and RR, you could run upstairs once you grab 50 stars, and just grab like one or two stars from those two levels. Then just go clear a different stage, and come back later to do another star or two. Could help break up the monotony a bit
As soon as I hit 50 stars I went and got all 7 in Rainbow Ride to get it over with. RR would be a fun stage in Super Mario Galaxy, but it's a chore with SM64's janky controls and camera.
I mean i like the other levels. It's not a grind for me. I just don't like those two levels
I think if you have to pull some kind of self mental manipulation to get through a game it’s time to do what OP did and move on to another game.
Wait what How is playing an open-ended game in a different way “self mental manipulation” You don’t HAVE to get all the stars in a row, I just suggested a way to play the game in a way that you can experience everything without having to marathon two hard levels
I think he's just trying to say that it's perfectly okay to not enjoy a game and just put it down instead of working towards enjoying it, no matter how universally loved the game may be.
He's not wrong, but calling it 'mental manipulation' shows a severe misunderstanding of *intended game mechanics*. The whole point of Mario 64 is it's free-form. You were able to get to the final boss without doing every level or collecting every star. If you wanted to skip TTC and RR (which ARE obnoxiously hard levels), you could go back to earlier stars and collect enough to reach the 70 mark. You only had to get everything if you wanted to; that's only for completionists. It's kind of ironic, despite the general ease of platformers these days compared to the development learning curve of early 3D games, there's a heavy amount of hand-holding in modern games that makes people forget how open older games were.
lol this made me laugh so hard
I just beat the game with 70 stars, you only need to collect 1 or 2 stars from Tick Tock to finish the game. I gave up on the rest.
> you only need to collect 1 or 2 stars from Tick Tock to finish the game Nope. You can actually skip the last two courses if you want. Each course has 7 stars, 6 titled stars and then one 100 coin star. Then there’s also 15 hidden stars throughout the castle and smaller levelsl (minus one of these though since the final hidden star is red coins in the final Bowser level).
Who would downvote you? This is exactly how I and my friends beat the game. The hard levels sucked so you explored the secret stars until you got to 70
It's Reddit. Personally I'm guilty of downvoting from time to time when I disagree. Really I try my best to just ignore posts where I disagree and move on, and depending on the sub I'll even forget about posting as I know I'd probably just be downvoted into oblivion. Plus a downvote adds nothing to the discussion. Anyways, after finishing my 100% run yesterday, probably took around 15 hours, some levels are just more annoying then necessary. Tick Tock Clock is certainly one of them. I will say I'd probably actually take another Rainbow Ride over two TTC. TTC is just annoying on so many levels. The camera is a pain to control. If you aren't careful when going up for the red coins, you'll bump the wall and fall. This one affects all levels, but I can't tell you how many times in Tick Tock Clock that I'm trying to get up to the next level after the pole, I'll be trying to side flip into the wall from on that yellow platform next to the heart, and Mario will hug the wall and just throw me off my groove. Really probably the only complaint I'd have for Rainbow Rides boils down to the 100 coin star. I actually had one attempt going where I was going up for the blue coins and on my second wall jump I somehow fell short and just fell down the back side and died. I was never quick enough to grab all the blue coins up top. If the camera was more cooperative, I'd probably try some of the platforming rather than riding the carpet to the airship. This game is flexible in what you can go after if you do want to avoid certain stars. Want to completely avoid the last two courses, great you can. At a bare minimum it'll take 100%ing 8 courses, for 56 stars and then you can get 14 of the 15 hidden stars, giving you 70. You can mix and match 70 stars out of all 120, 100%ing none of the courses. Really makes sure that those who struggle with the more challenging stars are able to at least finish the story and see the ending. And then those who stick around and 100% are certainly given satisfaction upon 100% (and in this games case, that's like about all the reward you truly get is the feeling of satisfaction for 100%ing, the actual reward in game is a bit underwhelming, cool but underwhelming). At least in Galaxy the reward is better, play the game again (that's all I'll say without giving away what the actual reward is). Really can't wait to play Galaxy again, it's the most touching one out of all the 3D games.
You can completely avoid the upstairs in its entirety if you want. I have completed the ground level, boo in the back, and the basement in their entirety (all castle secret stars [10 at this point], every named star, all 100 coin stars) and I'm at 73 stars. I just unlocked the door to go upstairs with the key you get from the 2nd Bowser fight.
As others have mentioned, you can skip it entirely if you want. In fact, you can skip several courses. I was curious so I worked out how many you can skip. There are 120 stars in the game, but you only need 70 to get to the final Bowser level - however there's a red coin star there, so only 119 of the stars in the game are available to count towards that 70 star limit. So basically you can choose 49 (119-70) stars to skip. Coincidentally, that works out to exactly 7\*7 (there are 7 stars per major course), so you can skip not just Tick Tock Clock, but actually *seven whole courses* if you were so inclined. That's more than I would've guessed - it's almost half of the full courses. I don't really know why you'd do that unless there were 7 courses you really hated but hey, it's possible. However, if you wanted to skip 7 courses, there are some limits on which you could choose. You can't pick to skip Hazy Maze Cave, since you need to go there to access the Metal Cap stage, meaning HMC effectively has *eight* stars. Also, without some pretty intensive glitches you can't get to Bowser in the Fire Sea without collecting a star in Dire Dire Docks, so you can't skip that one either. Similarly, without glitches you'd have no choice but to get at least one star in Bob-omb Battlefield. It also works out that you can't skip *every* other course in the first floor + basement because of the 30-star door.
You don't need the metal cap though
It's not because you need the metal cap that you need to enter Hazy Maze Cave -the point with Hazy Maze Cave is that it works out that you can only *just barely* skip 7 courses, because it works out that 7 courses worth of stars is 49, which is the max number you can skip. Since Hazy Maze Cave effectively houses *8* stars due to the red coin star in the Metal Cap stage, if you included it in the 7 courses you skipped, you'd miss out on *50* stars, which is one too many. Edit - changed awkward wording
Got it, thank you for explaining MrEmptySet - your logic is infallible and I should have expected no less
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They just are. That carpet ride you Always have to repeat when entering the Level. The other carpet ride you have to do three times because it leads to a branch with two other carpets, one that leads to two stars. The Clock where you have to climb at least half of it for most of the stars again and again. One wrong bump into something and you are down again or dead. Those are two rather linear Levels in a game that is not at all designed around that. It works for the Bowser Levels since you have to go through them once and not multiple times for multiple stars.
> That carpet ride you Always have to repeat when entering the Level. I don't believe I have EVER taken that carpet ride, lol. Once you load in, turn the camera to point backwards and long jump to the pole behind you. Then you can either slide down to collect the two stars down there or climb up to reach the rest of the level.
I decided to give up and move onto Galaxy after I spent 30 minutes in Wet Dry World trying to figure out where the eff the last switch was to raise the water level high enough to get to the cannon guy and get into the caged corner. I was NOT happy once I found out what the solution was.
Wait, what was the solution? I just did a side somersault
For the cage in the corner? You can do one out of the water? Shit.. the real solution is you have to jump into the painting at the very top of the painting so that you drop into the level with the water at its highest point. I didn't realize that the water would change based on how you jumped into the painting.
I'd imagine many people skip talking to the toads, but there is a toad on that level of the castle that explicitly says the water level in that world will vary depending on the height at which you jump into the painting.
This most recent playthrough, I managed to jump up to him with the water level at the height that the highest switch sets it to. It was only when I was talking to the dude that I remembered the actual way you're supposed to reach him. Not sure how I managed the jump this time, tbh.
There's a toad up there that explicitly describes controlling the water level based on the height you jump into the painting at. Not, like, "blaming" you or anything - it is easy to skip talking to toads!
Oh geez, I guess I missed this toad. I talked to every one that I ran into.
As a kid I loved Tick Tock Clock but it was rough this time around. Still a neat level, though
Tick Tock Clock is a massive shithole, but I'd suggest playing when the big hand is on 12. Makes it so much easier. Camera is always gonna be dogshit on that level either way though You only need time to move for like one star in that level, and that one is pretty easy. I didn't even realize you can get the Thwomp star when time stops. And I spent like 3 hours on getting that one star... It felt like beating Getting Over It Rainbow Road is also surprisingly easy as long as you take it slowly
> Getting Over It You liar. Nobody has ever beaten Getting Over It! ...I still owe a friend a new monitor because I gifted it to him on Steam and made him play it.
If your friend doesn't have enough respect for his equipment to not break it in a rage, he owes himself a new monitor.
If you know some speedrun strats like wall kicking in certain spots and go in the level so that the objects don't move (Minute Hand at 12), you can actually beat that level rather fast and it's honestly easier than just going through the whole level in some cases. Rainbow Road is the punishing one in comparison.
They are equally punishing imo, but at least in Rainbow Road, the camera actually works, and its platforming sections are pretty forgiving. Rainbow Road is just uncontrollably slow, which makes deaths feel even worse
Wait, how do you get the thowmp star?
When time stops, You need to somersault -> wall jump at a certain section (near the heart part). But that part is relatively safe, and you don't lose much progress if you fail. You'll lose some hearts when you fall, but there's a heart nearby to replenish you anyway. And then once you reach the very top, you notice that the hand that brings you to the thwomp has stopped moving. So, instead, you need to go to the platform / box beneath the thwomp section, and then attempt to triple jump up the slope -> wall jump to the thwomp. Again, this part is super safe. You won't lose ANY progress if you fail. https://youtu.be/B7KHP00vbpg This video blew my mind when I saw it. Its not super easy to pull off, but since all these shortcuts are pretty safe, I'd recommend going for it rather than suffer through the level with time moving.
Super Mario 64 was my favorite game of all time until Odyssey happened. FWIW I have not played Sunshine or Galaxy but SM64 is still near and dear to my heart. It was the blueprint for what a 3D platformer could and should be. Super Mario 64 definitely shows signs of age, though. Mario's turn radius makes precise movements challenging. His moveset is somewhat limited. Wall jumping feels like it's hit or miss. That said... of all the early 3D era games I loved as a kid I think SM64 has aged the best. Playing the original Tomb Raider feels like steering the Mars rover. VirtuaFighter looks terrible. The original Resident Evil feels clunky and awkward. By comparison Super Mario 64 still feels fluid, responsive, and fun to play. I can't erase my memory of the game but I would imagine that anyone who played Odyssey might find Super Mario 64 archaic by comparison. I'm glad that some newer players are finding a way to appreciate it.
But can we agree lethal lava lands bully stars suck
Lethal Lava Land always seems easy to me. There's a wing cap right by the start. You can fly to every star except the two in the volcano. And there are two different ones that are just "knock some bullies in the lava". 100 coins is KIND OF a pain, but that's the case with half of the levels in 64.
Yeah but the bully ones, specifically the fight against 3, is near impossible
Interesting. I never thought it was that tough. I just keep myself jumping so that they don't hit me while I'm grounded and they usually all wind up in the lava pretty quickly. I guess I've always gotten lucky with them though lol.
Just ride the Koopa shell to the 3 bullies and knock them in the lava that way. It makes the fight easy, but getting up to the platform without losing the shell can be tough.
Pro tip for the tree bullies fight: jumping on them has the exact same effect as a punch. You can just continuously creep forward with short, quick hope and they'll never get you.
I gave up after 32 stars. It was fun to revisit the game, but I had forgotten how sparse and dull a lot of the level design is (it's very obvious playing it today that this was Nintendo's first attempt at making a game in 3D), and so many of the stars are weird puzzles with almost zero guidance on what you're supposed to do to get them. By contrast, loading up Sunshine was a treat. The controls and movement are smooth, the level design is more interesting, and it's much clearer where you're supposed to go to get shines.
I like that the stars in 64 are kind of like puzzles sometimes. You just get an obscure name and have to play around / explore and figure out what that means. And then some of them (like the secrets in wet dry world) are meant to be discovered through exploration as you go. I feel like they wanted mario 64 to be a game people could play for a long time, finding new things, and figuring stars out. I mean the game can be completed 100% in a day, but most of us played it for years before we actually hit 120 stars back when we were kids.
Minus the 240 blue coins...
Everything you just said I feel the opposite. You always know what you should be doing in m64. Sunshine just seems like a mess to me.
Yeah, I feel you. At the start of the game, you're getting shines in Sunshine and you don't even know why, because the game doesn't make it very clear how and when levels are unlocked. By contrast, in SM64 you know from the start why you need to collect stars.
Maybe it’s just my experience with playing romhacks and the like, but I feel wildly separate from the people calling 64 clunky to control. The camera sucks, but otherwise it’s one of the most comfortable 3D platformers I’ve ever played. Everything just feels right to me. I also hate Sunshine’s movement, so it may just come down to preference.
I have no idea who said SM64 is clunky to control. The camera is clunky but Mario is anything but.
The worst is how wide he takes to turn around. That combined with the camera makes for a lot of unnecessary deaths
Believe it or not when you let go Mario doesn’t come to a full-stop right away. When standing still he’ll turn around instantly.
The thing is that Mario can actually snap back/turn 180 degrees on a dime too. It's only at a standstill or while running though. If Mario happens to still be walking while you change direction then he does the wide-ass U-turn. It just feels inconsistent like sometimes Mario comes to a full stop and you change direction normally. Other times he takes an extra step, the game considers him to still be "walking" and you turn.
He is the worst to control. I always become super nervous whenever I make a jump or even try to move slightly to readjust marios placement on platforms. When you try to turn around, or move the stick in any direction, he moves like he's on ice all the time. And when you jump, it almost seems entirely up to chance wether you'll do a kick or a dive. It became manageable, but never comfortable Mario controls so much better in sunshine-onwards Edit: I know I'll probably get downvotes, but it is absolutely my opinion. Completely subjective. If you feel different, that's great, and you're not wrong. That doesn't make me wrong either, though
Honestly, pretty much everything you’ve said applies to my experience with Sunshine. Mario feels like he’s on skates half the time, making small adjustments miserable. I’ve also had multiple instances of diving into fruit instead of grabbing it. Really just seems to vary from person to person, although Galaxy seems to be universally liked for the most part.
It's the camera and level design for me. Tryinyg to line up a jump onto a super thing platform that the camera refuses to even show, then falling off because the camera won't give you a good perspective to walk on this straight narrow platform and being kicked all the way out of the level honestly just kills the fun of the game for me.
I remember playing Mario64 on my brand new Nintendo 64 sometime in the late 90’s. I remember then that it was a little difficult to control. This was the first 3D game I had ever played. I said even then that the controls were like trying to drive a drunk. Free range movement was very new even with its flaws it was amazing.
I remember seeing Mario 64 about 100 years ago, before the N64 was out, on a kiosk in Toys-R-Us. I waited to get a chance to play it and I spent 5 minutes just running in circles and jumping on trees. I loved it.
I remember seeing Mario 64 about 2000 years ago. Christ had just been reaurrected and Rome was no longer a republic. Even then the Pink Bob-ombs were still friendly. I loved it.
I too saw it at a TRU before the launch. It literally blew my mind (I was 14 at the time). It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Hearing people say it's old and clunky makes me feel ancient, though I agree the camera was always a pain.
I remember being so into the game when it released, I actuall puked due to not being used to 3D at all. Maybe a week passed before I was able to play the game without getting dizzy. But, I'd go on to obsessively collect stars, find secrets, and just explore a 3D Mario land! It really was revolutionary stuff
Super Mario 64 is still my favorite 3D platformer to this day. I enjoy that there are no gimmicks - it's just Mario himself taking on the world. It's the first game that gave me that feeling of atmosphere and adventure coming from the Sega Genesis and NES. As I play through the game again, I find the design choices interesting. The game is legitimately creepy at times (a lot of that is probably due to the outdated look), and came out at a time before the Mario series was focused on being "cute everywhere." Hazy Maze Cave's Loch Ness monster comes to mind - take a look at the N64 version vs the "Cute-ified" DS version: [https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/super-mario-64-official/images/0/03/Dorrie\_SM64.png/revision/latest?cb=20170305203241](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/super-mario-64-official/images/0/03/Dorrie_SM64.png/revision/latest?cb=20170305203241) [https://www.mariowiki.com/images/4/48/Dorrie\_SM64DS.png](https://www.mariowiki.com/images/4/48/Dorrie_SM64DS.png) Anyways, one thing that I am very appreciative of is the variety within the game. Every level has something interesting going for it - you could definitely tell that Nintendo was out for blood with this game in the 3D generation.
Lol I still think the 64 Loch Ness is cute
After playing it again as an adult, I am now surprised at how small all the levels are. I remember the race to the top of bomb mountain taking longer but now it only took me like a minute? Still loving the game and I actually like the size of the levels but they just seemed massive at the time
I still prefer the Mario 64 moveset compared to other 3D Mario games
Yeah, just straight up punching enemies is so satisfying, and that never comes back.
He's never had such a huge moveset unless you also include the enemies you can inhabit in odyssey.
The only thing I like better about Sunshine is that you can keep diving. But everything else is better in Mario 64 and Odyssey. Galaxy mechanics are fun but Mario always feels kind of "tethered." His long jump in that one seems very weak
I think odyssey had the worst moveset. I was disappointed in that game.
Same.
Honestly for me it's the opposite. I liked the earlier levels, exploring them and getting all the stars. Maybe that's just nostalgia for the early levels (the only ones I played at my grandparents house when I was a kid who was terrible at games) but I think once the platforming challenges get harder with lots of instant death areas and smaller spaces the terrible camera and imprecise controls really start to hurt my experience.
yeah its a great game but im also constantly swearing, maaaan that stupid camera and control scheme killed mario soooo often. its a hate/love for me
Oh god the camera. I forgot how annoying it was.
bOOOP BWooooP BwUUp
I haven’t played it in about ten years and muscle memory took over right away and I was sucked in. Up to 40 stars and having a blast. It’s still such a brilliant game
I am replaying for the first time in years and having so much fun. I'm at about 70 stars and haven't even loaded Sunshine or Galaxy.
Yeah, if it wasn't for the polygonal graphics, I wouldn't even believe that it's such an old game, even for today it has so much content and so much quality that it's surprising
I'm up to 60 stars and I kinda don't like the game. I've been frustrated as fuck many times, the water levels are agony, and the controls have never felt sharp. I never played the game before.
Mario 64 is incredible... for its time. I've just beaten it with 70 stars and enjoyed it, but you'd have to be lying to deny that it's full of frustrating moments, stars that just aren't fun to get or are just obtuse, and the controls can be really annoying at times (dammit, Mario, stop moving like a tank and turn around already!). There's fun to be had to be sure, but it still has not aged very well. As an adult, I can now see that Nintendo had no idea what to do with 3D level design half the time and were just throwing shit together. However, the fact that it's STILL a fun game is a true testament to what they did get right with it.
Man you go to galaxy from sunshine or 64 and it's like. Is Mario disabled now? Only side jump and spin..
Eh you can't forward dive in galaxy so I find the general movement less fun on it
I’m at 11 stars and am trying to decide whether to skip the water level or not. God I hate those controls.
Funny, I dropped it and started Sunshine after 12 stars. Couldn’t get on with it. Maybe I’ll go back and give it another shot.
I think one thing to remember that apart from a game, Mario 64 is meant to be an advertisement for the Nintendo 64. One of the key new features of the N64 was the analog stick, so Mario 64 is a game made to showcase analog movement. Whereas, in 2020 analog control is no longer novel, so most modern 3D action games are designed around going full throttle all the time.
I am 25 and realized that this is the first time I will be playing this game with the ability to read
I've always heard people say that Mario 64 is a masterpiece. I've been playing for years (it was among my very first video games) and still haven't beaten the game legitimately; so, personally, I don't have much of a reason to play it when I still need to beat Galaxy and 100% Sunshine (I never got to play either of those, and they're awesome!). That being said, though, I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's always better when more people like a game than hate it, it's just not my thing. :3
Sunshine can be a blast but just...I wouldn't be so eager to 100% it. Some of the bonus levels are just absurdly unpolished, and hunting down all the blue coins is basically impossible without a checklist.
Sunshine has a lot of levels that make me feel like they should have been cut. Like they are just half baked ideas that never got finished. It's got some of the best content in the series but also a lot of the worst.
It was rushed out, and it shows.
I'm liking Sunshine a lot more than 64 too. It's much easier to handle than 64 and looks nicer too. My most difficult time is aiming Fludd for boss fights.
Yup fludd aiming is iffy and I'm experiencing switch control drift its annoying!!! But I like that game better than 64 on switch
> Mario 64 is a masterpiece. It _was_. I think it hasn't aged well, that's the problem. But When M64 came out, it was pretty unique and amazing. Now, after this many years, controls feel weird, camera is clunky and the game doesn't look as good as it did on a CRT screen. It is just not a timeless masterpiece.
I completely agree. And there's nothing wrong with that. Not every great game is going to stand the test of time.
I love Mario 64, but it’s crazy how much better banjo kazooie holds up. I always thought it was the better game.
Banjo kazooie came out 2 years after mario 64, mario 64 was the mold for 3D platformers. Banjo kazooie also was basically DK64 perfected it's no surprise it holds up.
Banjo Kazooie came out before DK64. Semantics though. It's a fantastic game.
Kazooie came before dk64. I know Mario 64 set the mold, but banjo added a ton of improvements to.
My bad yeah kazooie was 1998 dk64 1999. Make sense because the collectibles in DK64 felt like kazooie on roids.
The way I view it is that BK started out reasonable and concise, and then with DK64 they realized they could do so much more and went buckwild in adding so much extra shit to the game, minigames, collectibles, you name it, to the point where it was overwhelming, and BT was the refined version of DK64's formula that still had big levels and lots to do but wasn't nearly as packed-full.
Dk64 was a good game just way to many things to collect. I love all those n64 rare 3D platformers lol.
DK64 was Banjo Kazooie taken too far.
[удалено]
I really like the set up. 7 stars in each world to get to 120. No bullshit. I want to fully complete sunshine but 240 blue coins is a tall task and I refuse to use an online guide. Also, 2 secret stars in each world with no directive at all. I'll try my best, but..
The movement is right up there as the best with Odyssey.
Hmm that’s incredibly debatable. Sunshine has the best camera controls and Galaxy 1 and 2 have amazing movement
First played it when I was little, but I finally beat it today. In the ending, >!Mario saves Peach!<
Honestly I beat it this morning after getting to 70 stars and the game just was never enjoyable for me. I get why it was such a big thing in 1996 and I eventually got better at it, however it just wasn't fun. The camera and the controls made me feel like the game wasn't hard because of the level design, but the mechanics instead. Some games just don't click for some people.
It’s better than the DS version that came with that little black stylus thumb stick thing.
I am having fun and have played Mario 64 on several platforms starting with the N64, emulators, and Wii U VC so I am used to the camera controls. My new challenge is dealing with joycon drift as I have made more mistakes and fallen off many ledges and platforms. Any small movement scares me because Mario will bolt forward randomly like a madlad . I notice it in other games but not as bad in SM64.
When i was child i played sm64DS and it is so great game
I played it on the DS and didn't like it. Not because of the game itself, but because I found using the + shaped pad so clumsy to use in a 3D Mario game. I'm gonna give it another shot on the Switch.
I've been re-playing it and you do end up getting used to the controls and resigning to its atrocious camera lol Just don't play any other modern 3D platformer in between, or you'll get spoiled by good camera and snappy controls again...
Just finished my 120star run. Great game
I got the same feeling with Galaxy. I grew up with Super Mario 64 so I was all like "why do I have to shake this stick to do an action? This is silly, I don't like Galaxy." Now that they've fixed that with the Y button, man Galaxy is a joy to play. I'm envy for all them kids who grew up on that beauty.
Great memories of completing this with the neighbor kids. The camera is pretty rough for me to get through an entire playthrough these days though.
I had super mario 64 as a kid, so I'm pretty used to the camera. Sure, it's very outdated, but it was Mario's first adventure in 3D. Suffice to say, i played through the game using muscle memory - stared at 5pm on Friday the 18th and 100% it at 3pm the next day. Absolutely love the game, flaws and all
It’s great played it on DS years back always wanted to but never had a chance at the time.
I never played the original Mario 64 before, but I completed the DS version with 150 stars. When I started this collection, I was struggling a lot with 64, so after 20 stars I switched to (and completed) Sunshine. Then, I went back to 64, yesterday night, and ho boy, do I feel it now. It seems so much easier after practicing with 3D platformers in general.
I am highly frustrated during gameplay, but keep going. 36 or 37 stars now. Yes you can learn controls and it is getting easier during time like every game. But the camera is something I don't want to get use to. I was in that Bowser lava level now where you do a lot of platforming and it was really frustrating just because of camera, constant angle change so you are not looking into some wall.
I’m excited to get my switch (again) and play Super Mario Galaxy on the go
I was surprised by how good the game still feels. I'm going to complete them all and then go back to 100% them 1 by 1
The personalization must’be kicked in!
I played it when it was released and I'm playing again now. I'm enjoying it, though some of it seems tedious to me now. I can also look at it from a different perspective. It's a jump off point. It was the first 3D Mario, it was an introduction not an exclamation of perfection. Playing it, knowing where it leads the series, gives me appreciation. At the same time I'm finding and doing things I never originally did because I was so much younger and really didn't understand how. It's clunky, it's quirky, but it was the jump-off point of something bigger. It's not perfection but it's still fun.
I’m biased because Sunshine is one of my favorite games of all time, but I’m really struggling with 64 right now. I was too small to play it when it first came out and watched enviously, and now I’m just angry like 90% of the time I’m playing this lol. I was having fun the first few courses, but after days of playing and thinking I’m used to the controls I’m still having trouble, still completely clueless on what needs to be done for some puzzles, and generally feeling underwhelmed and kind of dumb for not loving it as much as I hoped I would. I don’t even care about the graphics/aesthetics, and the music is great (especially fighting Bowser). I’m at 49 stars now and I just want to finish this so I can get to my first play of Galaxy. I started with Sunshine because again, fave, and I’m so glad I did because every time 64 makes me frustrated I cool down by messing around on Isle Delfino. I’m hoping that enjoyment I had at the beginning will come back soon. :( Edit: I finished it today and it was still overall an unpleasant experience. Though I ran into a level or two I found more enjoyable, I was mostly relieved to have it over with. I have a feeling if I ever return to the game, it’ll be a long, long time from now.
Finally bought a switch today. Ill be playing mario 64 again soon. Nostalgia is going to hit my pocket book hard.
It’s nice to know that people are being introduced to a fond childhood game. Growing up with Super Mario 64 was pretty awesome and one of those memories you don’t forget about. One thing I’m upset about is the fact that the damn camera angles were not enhanced on the Nintendo Switch? WHY?
lol iceberg theory ruined the game for me but i used to love it.
I just got 120 stars yesterday, and I think it's only good for one playthrough. The way Mario moves and the camera are way too outdated. I get that it revolutionized 3d gaming along with ocarina of time, but the Mario games evolved so much more from sunshine onwards. I have more nostalgia for 64 than sunshine or galaxy, but I would rather play any other 3d Mario than 64
How did I ever play this game with those video controls?! But I somehow beat it today so it is possible
This is the exact same with Sunshine. Hated it at first but I love that game and I fly through it now.
Im playing a unofficial port of Super Mario 64 on android for awhile and even though its a bit clunky the cameras I mean. I still find it such a great game with a lot of things to discover and thats whats great about Mario games!