The Genius of Super Mario 64
I remember getting Super Mario 64 along with the Nintendo 64 on the day they first came out, back when I was in elementary school. As fun as the game was to play back then, it's easiest to appreciate in retrospect, even though many other games have expanded and improved upon the formula.
Many games tend to struggle with a balance of linearity and open-endedness, but Super Mario 64 establishes a happy medium in the first few minutes. You begin with Mario across the bridge from Peach's Castle, and, obviously enough, are directed to go inside the castle. Once inside, you will learn about how Bowser used the power of the Stars to seal the castle, and how Mario must explore the worlds inside the paintings to claim that power. Your first destination is Bob-Omb Battlefield, and to get the first star, you can follow a relatively straightforward path to the top of the mountain. After running, jumping and fighting enemies, you must defeat King Bob-Omb to claim the star.
Of course, you do not have to do it that way. If you are familiar with some more advanced techniques, it is possible to claim a Star by pounding the post that the Chain Chomp is attached to, resulting in it breaking the bars keeping you from the Star. Whatever your choice, once you do have that star, you can either obtain the next star in Bob-Omb Battlefield, or head over to Whomp's Fortress, which you need a single star to open. From the very beginning, the game guides you to where you need to go, but gives you freedom to explore.
The game does an excellent job of giving you more freedom over time while also upping the ante. After obtaining three stars, you will gain access to two new worlds, and after gaining eight, you will gain access to Bowser in the Dark World, a long and challenging stage that ends with your first battle with Bowser. But between those, if you continue in Bob-Omb Battlefield, you will ultimately encounter a Star that can only feasibly be obtained by unlocking the Wing Cap and using it to fly. This can only be achieved by standing on the sun-like tile in the castle entrance and looking up at the light coming in from the ceiling, which only appears after you get ten Stars. By doing so, the game forces you to be flexible and explore other worlds.
Similarly, while unlocking new worlds also increases the number of places you can obtain Stars, you also need to find more of the Stars to advance. Compare each of the following Star milestones.
By the end of the game, you will have to collect most of the stars, not to mention a significantly higher portion of the available stars than in the early game. That said, you do have a significant amount of leeway, and can freely skip some stars that you consider frustrating or tedious.
Super Mario 64's castle stage, the "hub level" that connects the portraits, is also a stage in its own right. There are many secret areas hidden around the castle, with even entire worlds in less than obvious locations. You can also chase down rabbits for a few extra Stars, as well as talk to the Toad retainers for information, as well as a few Stars. As a result, the castle is a deeper and more involved hub level than many subsequent imitators.
I will, however, admit that many aspects of the game are dated. The simplicity of the graphics is excusable given that it was the first game on the N64, but modern gamers may understandably not like how most of the worlds seem to be floating in thin air. The game lacks separate health and oxygen meters, meaning that you can completely restore your health by diving below the water and resurfacing. The 100-Coin Stars require you to collect all the coins in one trip to the world, without dying or collecting any other stars, so it can be frustrating to die if you are close to that goal.
Ultimately, while many later games have expanded and improved upon what Super Mario 64 first created, it is nevertheless a very important game in the history of 3D platformers and "collect-a-thons." As such, fans of the genre should take the time to play it, if they have not already done so.
Many games tend to struggle with a balance of linearity and open-endedness, but Super Mario 64 establishes a happy medium in the first few minutes. You begin with Mario across the bridge from Peach's Castle, and, obviously enough, are directed to go inside the castle. Once inside, you will learn about how Bowser used the power of the Stars to seal the castle, and how Mario must explore the worlds inside the paintings to claim that power. Your first destination is Bob-Omb Battlefield, and to get the first star, you can follow a relatively straightforward path to the top of the mountain. After running, jumping and fighting enemies, you must defeat King Bob-Omb to claim the star.
Of course, you do not have to do it that way. If you are familiar with some more advanced techniques, it is possible to claim a Star by pounding the post that the Chain Chomp is attached to, resulting in it breaking the bars keeping you from the Star. Whatever your choice, once you do have that star, you can either obtain the next star in Bob-Omb Battlefield, or head over to Whomp's Fortress, which you need a single star to open. From the very beginning, the game guides you to where you need to go, but gives you freedom to explore.
The game does an excellent job of giving you more freedom over time while also upping the ante. After obtaining three stars, you will gain access to two new worlds, and after gaining eight, you will gain access to Bowser in the Dark World, a long and challenging stage that ends with your first battle with Bowser. But between those, if you continue in Bob-Omb Battlefield, you will ultimately encounter a Star that can only feasibly be obtained by unlocking the Wing Cap and using it to fly. This can only be achieved by standing on the sun-like tile in the castle entrance and looking up at the light coming in from the ceiling, which only appears after you get ten Stars. By doing so, the game forces you to be flexible and explore other worlds.
Similarly, while unlocking new worlds also increases the number of places you can obtain Stars, you also need to find more of the Stars to advance. Compare each of the following Star milestones.
- Whomp's Fortress: 1 out of 7 Stars from Bob-Omb Battlefield.
- Cool, Cool Mountain and Jolly Roger Bay: 3 out of 17 Stars in Bob Omb Battlefield, Whomp's Fortress, and two hidden areas in the castle.
- Bowser in the Dark World: 8 out of roughly 31 Stars in all the areas near the castle entrance.
- Bowser in the Fire Sea: 30 stars out of several dozen in the castle entrance and basement.
- Bowser in the Sky: 70 out of 120 Stars.
By the end of the game, you will have to collect most of the stars, not to mention a significantly higher portion of the available stars than in the early game. That said, you do have a significant amount of leeway, and can freely skip some stars that you consider frustrating or tedious.
Super Mario 64's castle stage, the "hub level" that connects the portraits, is also a stage in its own right. There are many secret areas hidden around the castle, with even entire worlds in less than obvious locations. You can also chase down rabbits for a few extra Stars, as well as talk to the Toad retainers for information, as well as a few Stars. As a result, the castle is a deeper and more involved hub level than many subsequent imitators.
I will, however, admit that many aspects of the game are dated. The simplicity of the graphics is excusable given that it was the first game on the N64, but modern gamers may understandably not like how most of the worlds seem to be floating in thin air. The game lacks separate health and oxygen meters, meaning that you can completely restore your health by diving below the water and resurfacing. The 100-Coin Stars require you to collect all the coins in one trip to the world, without dying or collecting any other stars, so it can be frustrating to die if you are close to that goal.
Ultimately, while many later games have expanded and improved upon what Super Mario 64 first created, it is nevertheless a very important game in the history of 3D platformers and "collect-a-thons." As such, fans of the genre should take the time to play it, if they have not already done so.
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