thoughts on super mario 64?

[geozeldadude]

i'm curious about what other people think about mario 64. i'm almost finished playing it through for the first time and getting all 120 stars, and i have mixed feelings about it. my biggest gripe is that i feel there's too much "try and die" stuff, in particular w/ the canons and with a fair amount of the jumping. it's especially annoying when you fall all the way from the top of a mountain and you have to keep climbing all the way back to the top just to fall again b/c you haven't got the jumping angle quite right.

also, do you play through obsessively getting every star in order (where possible)? i find that nowadays that's how i approach these games, although when i was younger i don't think i would've played that way.

[Scooter]

I just started playing the game recently and I'd have to agree with your assessment. I'm enjoying Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time MUCH more than Super Mario 64. Hopefully it will impress me more as I progress in the game.

[geozeldadude]

that's funny -- i also played ocarina recently. when i first started mario 64 i def. wasn't really into it, but i def. got to like it a lot more as i played it. i don't feel like it's as hugely superior to sunshine as people seem to think, although i guess i'm biased since i played sunshine first.

[extrarice]

While a groundbreaking title, I find the camera in Mario 64 to be highly annoying. I haven't managed to get all the stars yet, or even finish the game.

[Dr. Jamal]

it was very annoying while playing through.

I would have to def stick with the nes version.

nothing could ever compare to the original.

[Niode]

I played that game to death when I got my N64 on day one. I managed to get all 120 stars within about a month.

I've been playing through Banjo Kazooie again recently getting each jiggy and all the notes in each world before moving on to the next. It's been a lot more satisfying playing it that way. I don't need to backtrack at all.

[Flak Beard]

I never really was a fan of Mario 64, or any of the 3D Mario games for that matter. The way Mario runs always felt too slippery to me, and while the games do have plat-forming, it always felt lacking in the 3D games. The Mario games have always been about bouncing off enemies and hitting blocks above you, but those things are too spread out in the 3D games. Also, you find yourself falling back on Mario's punch move more often than jumping on enemies.

The 3D Mario games are by no means bad, I just personally feel there are other better 3D platformers out there. Mario 64 just doesn't have the same magic to me as SMB or Super Mario World. I think I got the minimal amount of stars to complete it and then shelved it until I sold my N64.

[bonefish]

I thought Mario 64 was overly easy and a little too leisurely, almost like a platforming Pilot wings 64. Just kind of exploring the same areas over and over, at least its not as bad as DK64. That being said, recently got back into the 64 and enjoyed replaying Mario 64, the camera isn't as good as I remember it to be, but the control is tight.

[GrahfSoP]

I played that game to death when I got my N64 on day one. I managed to get all 120 stars within about a month.

I've been playing through Banjo Kazooie again recently getting each jiggy and all the notes in each world before moving on to the next. It's been a lot more satisfying playing it that way. I don't need to backtrack at all.

I just beat banjo kazooie again a couple days ago. There are two jiggies in that game that are even a little bit challenging, but they're absolute terrors. The first one is the jiggy in the propellers in rusty bucket bay. The second is the second race with boggy in freezeazy peak. That one is only hard because its impossible if you do too well. You have to suck at the game to get it, or purposely blow the race until the end. It took me an hour of doing perfect or near perfect runs to figure out that you have to do a shitty job to make it possible.

On topic, Mario 64 is absolutely amazing, and the controls (other than the camera) are superb. I might only think this because it brings back good memories, but I love the game.

[HeavyMetalMe]

Mario 64 would have been pretty sick had it been more like Yoshi's Story, with the whole side scrolling 2.5D thing. Aw man, the things I'd do for a brand new side scrolling Mario. And not that Paper shit!