Game Debate #16: Super Mario 64

[RH | 4,903]

You know, I played both of those games and I remember really, really like BK.  However, today, I only remember SM 64.  Maybe it's because I've played SM64 so much since then, but I really only have brief glimpses of moments and scenes in my brain of that game.  I need to give it another go.

[DefaultGen | 5,401]

10. I played through it a couple weeks ago and I'm playing through it again right now. Love everything about this game, except like the 100 coin stars in Hazy Maze Cave and Jolly Roger Bay, which are kind of tedious doing them for the 100th time, but I'm sure they were fun the first time.

[MrPeaPod | 121]

This was the first time I had seen a game in 3D and it blew my mind! Great game still to this day. 9/10 for me

[themisfit138 | 523]

10. It is just as fun on the Switch as it is on 64. I have been playing this every year since Christmas of ‘96. 

[Splain | 2,569]

34 minutes ago, themisfit138 said:

10. It is just as fun on the Switch as it is on 64. I have been playing this every year since Christmas of ‘96. 

Same, every time I fire it up I feel like it's Christmas '96 again. Seems like I've played it so many times that the nostalgia should be wearing off by now, but even just watching the Switch trailer and hearing that bob-omb music was like POOF! Kid again.

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

I can't say I like it.  But I was very impressed at the time.  I also don't have a ton of nostalgia for it either. 

Really, it's the beginning of the end for my interest in Mario.  Every subsequent Mario game is pretty much meh.  Odyssey is maybe a 5 for me.

64 is pretty good. If it were a TWATA grade, it would be 6.0 D--.

[Adorabear | 69]

I gave it a 10/10. It was my introduction to Mario and is still fun today! Only thing I don't like is the camera.

[DarkTone | 984]

Playing it for the first time. 

Stole from Croc. 4/10. 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,523]

6 minutes ago, DarkTone said:

Playing it for the first time. 

Stole from Croc. 4/10. 

[TDIRunner | 2,735]

The Nintendo 64 was the first Nintendo system that I didn't own until many years later, so I never played it when it first came out.  I've played the game a few times, but never more than a few minutes.  Yesterday, I played the game on 3D All Stars for longer than any time before, but it was still only about 30 minutes.  I'm not sure that I can give it an official score, but I think it's fair to say that I would have loved this game if I played it when it was brand new, but if I play in completely for the first time this year, I'm going to think it's just ok.  Some of the issues like the camera or controls would have been much easier to forgive when the game was new and I had little experience with 3D games.  But it's hard to ignore that stuff when playing it for the first time after many years of 3D gaming.  

[SpoonMan Abrams X | 697]

5/10 for me

It was a great game for it's time, but I feel like basically every other 3D Mario game since is much better. It was a great proof of concept in my opinion, but not a whole lot more beyond that. I always get bored with this after playing it for a while.

[themisfit138 | 523]

On 9/21/2020 at 2:46 PM, DefaultGen said:

10. I played through it a couple weeks ago and I'm playing through it again right now. Love everything about this game, except like the 100 coin stars in Hazy Maze Cave and Jolly Roger Bay, which are kind of tedious doing them for the 100th time, but I'm sure they were fun the first time.

The worst 100 coin star is Tiny-Huge Island. You have to get almost every coin possible in that level. 

[Foochie776 | 1,051]

1 hour ago, themisfit138 said:

The worst 100 coin star is Tiny-Huge Island. You have to get almost every coin possible in that level. 

Bingo. That level always surprises me with the challenge 

[DefaultGen | 5,401]

2 hours ago, themisfit138 said:

The worst 100 coin star is Tiny-Huge Island. You have to get almost every coin possible in that level. 

I won't argue if you like it the least or anything, but Tiny Huge Island has the most coins of any level in the game! https://edp.org/sm64coin.htm

Make sure you're ground pounding the big goombas to get a blue coin. The big island goombas get you 45 coins alone. Running around the posts like the first level teaches you gets you another 10.

[Estil | 1,264]

Many years ago I read about these two guys experiencing SM64 for the first time together and actually spent the first 15-20 minutes playing with that giant stretchy Mario face!!  It's a wonder they didn't forget to play the actual game!!

Are there in fact other games where the "pre-game show" (so to speak) may in fact be just as if not more appealing than the game proper?

 

[OptOut | 8,883]

14 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

I won't argue if you like it the least or anything, but Tiny Huge Island has the most coins of any level in the game! https://edp.org/sm64coin.htm

Make sure you're ground pounding the big goombas to get a blue coin. The big island goombas get you 45 coins alone. Running around the posts like the first level teaches you gets you another 10.

Funny you should say that about the first level TEACHING you to run around the posts... I never knew you could do that until like a couple years ago when I started watching speed runs.

When I saw that I was all like:

[OptOut | 8,883]

And, when it comes to coin stars, Dire dire docks has the fewest coins, but it's not that hard or anything.

My vote for hardest 100 coin star is Tick Tock Clock. That level is tough as nails, even with the clock stopped, and one mistake and you're into oblivion and have to start again! 

[Jicsan | 589]

23 minutes ago, OptOut said:

My vote for hardest 100 coin star is Tick Tock Clock.

Agreed.  This was the last star I needed to get 120... for years.

[Skorp | 383]

8/10 for me. It really is a very fun game that will stick on as a classic for life. It's not the best for N64 though or the best Mario, but one of the bests or in the top 10 for sure.

[DarkTone | 984]

There's 120? FFS.

[PII | 1,885]

N64 is still the only console I've ever bought the day it came out.  I know it's not realistically possible, but I remember feeling like I had discovered a never-ending cure for boredom with Mario64.  It showed everyone who was paying attention what a 3D game should be.  Considering how new the technology was it's really something to point out the fact that this game was very nearly flawless.  The only issue I recall was an occasional tidbit with the camera that never really was a serious problem for me.  I can remember the nay-sayers (gaming magazines mostly) pointing out that the N64 was going to have very few titles available at release.  Well, when the pack-in is Mario64 it doesn't matter if there are NO other games available.  

I also remember that a friend of mine had purchased a PS1 and tomb raider around the same time, then invited me and some others over to see it.  No one else present had seen an N64 yet and they were all like "whooaaaah."  To me it looked like I was looking through a pair of mesh screens constantly moving around and the character movement was super slow and clunky looking.  I'm not trying to rag on the ps1, I eventually came to enjoy it as well -just pointing out the difference between Mario64 and the rest of the competition is all.  

I remember being amazed by the flying and the swimming and the slides and the surfboard-turtleshells and every little "human" maneuver that I could make Mario do.  I kind of hate to say it, but I think it probably eclipsed the impact (relatively speaking) of seeing Super Mario Bros. 1 for the first time.  Heck, it eclipsed literally everything that came before it, everything contemporary and a whole lot of stuff that came after it.

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

I'm in the middle of replaying the game on 3D All Stars, about 45ish stars in so far, but it's definitely looking like an 8 or a 9 for me so far. Definitely an absolute classic of a game, and still fun to this day. I'll vote in the poll once I beat the game though.

[DefaultGen | 5,401]

4 hours ago, OptOut said:

Funny you should say that about the first level TEACHING you to run around the posts... I never knew you could do that until like a couple years ago when I started watching speed runs.

When I saw that I was all like:

I thought it’s on a sign. I haven’t read the signs in over 20 years!

[Gloves | 11,776]

7 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

I thought it’s on a sign. I haven’t read the signs in over 20 years!

I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes.

[Brickman | 3,983]

10/10. Can't wait to replay it for the 6th or 7th time now. I haven't played it since the DS version so it's probably about time haha. Until the release of Mario Odyssey, this was my favourite Mario.