5/5 ★ – RawMetal's review of Super Mario 64.

System: Nintendo 64 Started: April 28, 2025 Ended: May 9, 2025 Redemption Playthrough First Attempt: 2000 Another childhood video game of mine is Super Mario 64. I did not own a Nintendo 64 until Christmas Day 1999. However, I knew my cousins, who owned a Nintendo 64 and a copy of this game, before I did. I would just sit and watch them play during family visits. By the start of the next millennium, I finally got a copy and played it both with friends and family. But I never finished the game, as we mostly just fooled around, going through each painting and ignoring the main quest of stopping Bowser in the final level. Until now, I went back to this game and finished it with 120 Stars. Super Mario 64 remains one of my favorite retro single-player games and somehow it's also fun to play with a group of people. I still love it, despite its flaws that show some age for its 64-bit technology. The Mario franchise in the 90s was arguably the best decade. Starting with Super Mario World and the subsequent titles, the games were absolute hits. Super Mario Bros. 3 was released outside Japan in 1990. Other notable titles include Dr. Mario, Super Mario Land 2, and Yoshi’s Island. This decade was also the most technically advanced in gaming since 1996, with the rise of the Nintendo 64 and Mario’s first foray into 3D. Mario’s first breakthrough in 3D and voiced by Charles Martinet was iconic. The stages and music are so memorable that even today, people recognize where songs like Bob-omb Battlefield, Dire Dire Docks, and the Slider theme originate. Controlling Mario was different thanks to the Nintendo 64 controller, which is easy enough for an octopus to handle. Seeing the Red Italian Plumber performing backflips, triple jumps, dive jumps, and leap jumps, blew everyone’s mind in 1996. That year was also significant, as it marked the launch lineup of the Nintendo 64. The outside entrance of Peach’s Castle was a great way to test the controls and tricks, with only ambient outdoor sounds before entering the castle, where the real game begins. Mario fans highly praise this game, and I even give it a higher score because of nostalgia. It was one of my childhood favorites. However, I must address its problems now in 2025: both the level design and controls have aged poorly. The level design offers little variety, most worlds are on floating islands where you often fall into the void, and the backgrounds of every stage have a pixelated, PNG-like texture. Compared to later 3D Mario titles like Sunshine and Galaxy, which feature more detailed sandbox levels. It’s clear Nintendo was experimenting with the capabilities of the new 3D gaming console and had to work within technical limitations regarding object and enemy counts. The controls can also feel clunky at times. We all know that the Nintendo 64 controller’s control stick was often loose and worn out, especially after fights with Bowser. Many kids, including myself, had to use their full palm and rotate the stick vigorously. I’ve seen people do this. That’s why most players prefer the Wii Virtual Console or Switch versions over the original N64 release. Even the infamous Staircase Glitch can be used to complete the game quickly. I tried it myself and was surprised that it worked. The game’s difficulty can be tricky at times, depending on the Power Star objectives, but most of my deaths were due to the camera system. During my playthrough, I constantly fought the camera, which would move even when I wanted Mario to be in a specific position. Sometimes I overshot jumps or accidentally fell off platforms, forcing me to restart the level. That’s why stages like Tick Tock Clock and Rainbow Ride stand out as my best/worst due to camera positioning. Lastly, the 100% completion reward is underwhelming. After collecting all 120 stars, you might expect something great, but the reward is simply seeing Yoshi in his 3D form, earning 100 extra lives, and gaining a special triple jump; useful only if you want to replay levels and mess around. I wish you can ride Yoshi or a dedicated level with him for completing everything. Still, Super Mario 64 is the kind of game you can play for hours for fun, even without fully completing it, especially when passing the controller with friends. As the first 3D Mario game of its time, it is a certified classic and a perfect start for players who owned the Nintendo 64. Although the controls and graphics now feel outdated, and the level design seems rudimentary, the game remains timeless for its sense of freedom, allowing players to explore the 3D sandbox across 15 stages and Peach’s Castle. Despite its quirks, like the Staircase Glitch, it can be even more fun to see how quickly you can beat it. It’s a must-play for its historical significance in Mario’s evolution and as a relaxing game to just chill with.