20 Years Later, Does Super Mario 64 Hold Up?

[EarthPainting]

I never really liked Mario 64, but I was late to the party when it came to video games. II didn't start playing ames until the PS2 and GCN-era, so I had to work my way backwards to get to the N64. Mario 64 felt dull, repetitive, and sometimes even annoying to me. Aside from it being downright ugly, a big part of it is just the structure of the game and the 3D collectathon genre it spawned. It took me forever to beat, because there were too many levels or mission types I just did not like, so I was constantly scrounging for stars to beat the bare minimum requirements to proceed. It also never really sat right with me that Mario has a punch and a kick. I'm not sure what they were thinking at the time, but I'm glad they went back on that decision. The music did hold up nicely though, and I can't deny the game's innovations and influence. So I guess in summary, I respect it a whole lot for its contributions to the industry, but I don't want to ever play it again.

 

[Jagsrock]

It's a legend of a game. It's almost hard to judge it impartially cause as my first game I'm so connected to it. But having played and beaten it numerous times over the years I must say it does indeed hold up. The camera is an issue but it still manages to be an amazing experience Everytime i play it. There's just something wonderous about it despite how linear the game really is, it offers up a type of freedom we hadn't seen before and it has maintained that feeling for me after all these years.

 

[Rezae]

I can go back and play it anytime. It truly is timeless and still puts a smile on my face 20+ years later.

 

[Cryptosporidium]

Why won't this rumor die?

No matter how much you want it to, the 3DS Circle Pad DOES NOT NEVER HAS AND NEVER WILL give analog control in Mario 64 DS. I don't understand where this misconception comes from, but every single time I see it it makes me more angry than it should.

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I mean, it plays perfectly fine for me now that im use to it. Plus the extra charaters and minigames

 

[Bigg]

I...actually don't know? I adore SM64 but I don't think I've played it since beating the DS version a decade ago.

I will say my gut says I agree with most of the posters here — the camera is a little bit wonky, sure, but the level design still holds up except for like one or two worlds (I never have and never will like Wet-Dry World's gimmick).

And I'm personally tired of the "______ was secretly never good" argument. Mario 64 was unquestionably revolutionary for the time. It was the foundation from which 3D platformers built upon for almost a decade. Before Mario 64, no one really knew how to make a fully 3D platformer.

 

[Semfry]

Still some of the best control ever. I think the Galaxy's and probably Odyssey (still need to fully finish it) surpass it overall, but 64 is still the most freeform in what can be done (maybe Odyssey will come close, but the basic moves feel slowed down a bit in comparison, despite various refinements). Also being the "worst" among the best games ever doesn't mean much. Structurally it's still probably my favourite take on the collectathon/exploration platformer despite issues like warping out after each star; almost every one has some meaningful tasks attached and even the more repetitive ones (like the 100 coin ones) provide unique challenges most of the time. Odyssey is mostly great (and not warping out makes the easy ones not so much of an issue) but does fall a little onto generic tasks occasionally, or moons just placed to pad out the numbers.

Someone mentioned Tomb Raider for the PlayStation, which was a bad game even when it launched, despite the reviews.

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Not surprised someone implying Mario 64 was never a good game would make this shitpost opinion too.

 

[passepied joe]

It's aged but it isn't terrible outside of the camera. Sunshine controls far better, but 64 is a decent game.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

I really think not. I think it has the worst level design in the series. It's more about exploration and collection of trinkets than about interesting platforming challenges

 

[Rock And Roll]

When it came out I didn't like it. It just felt clunky and awkward to control. I thought it looked ugly and believed DKC or SMRPG to be better looking "3D" games (give me a break, I was a kid). I also didn't like the actual gameplay itself, collection was boring and Mario having a health bar of 8 made the game feel way too easy.

I guess if you liked it then you'll probably still like it now. For me, SMB3 & SMW we're the pinnacle of the series until the Galaxy games came along. I like Odyssey a lot but still think I prefer platforming Mario over exploration based Mario.

 

[HylianSeven]

I mean, it plays perfectly fine for me now that im use to it. Plus the extra charaters and minigames

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It's literally the same as using a D-pad. It's not actually analog and is therefore inferior to the N64 version in my opinion because of that.

 

[Amiibola]

Yeah, it still does

The game was desiged with N64's strenghts and weaknesses in mind, the controller was designed for it and at the same time it's so universal that it goes well with any other controller.

World are small and some of them feel chaotic, but that's expected on such game. Gameplay wise it's still to be topped (Didn't play Oddisey, tho)

 

[Scaught]

I still play it about once a year. It just controls so well for it's generation.

 

[Hero of Winds]

Yup. I played the online mod with a friend not too long ago, and I think it still holds up in terms of gameplay. My only complaint is the camera, it felt a lot more finicky and restrictive than I remembered, but other than that I still enjoy it.

 

[Xita]

It was the first/second game I ever played. It's a great game but I don't think it's a masterpiece or anything. I've enjoyed the other 3D Marios (aside from 3D World, haven't played Sunshine) a lot more than 64.

 

[DaToonie]

It would be nice if we could get Super Mario 64 DS with playable Waluigi.

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Fixed that for you. ...Please just let me have this.

But anyways, SM64 is another game I didn't get to really play for myself until years later on Wii VC. Even then, it was an awesome and great experience to play. Though I can't help but feel resentful towards the people here who were truly there to experience it when it was this new, never before seen thing. Wish I was born a little earlier sometimes, haha.

 

[Rebel-TT]

Rebel-TT, great idea for a thread and I'm glad to read your perspective on this. I completely agree, basically. I think it's a pioneering one but not nearly as fun now as it was then when exploring 3D worlds was such a novelty. Collectathon platformers died out in the subsequent gen when the mindset shifted to the idea that how to traverse 3D space was more interesting to play than just getting to traverse 3D space at all. At least when platforming is the focus, I mean. When shooting or traversing an open world is the priority people enjoy traversing 3D space but when platforming is the focus the essence is lost the less platforming you do, IMO.
So I'll just say this, then. I never got much into SMS and when trying it again a couple years back we couldn't get into it then either. But when trying the original linear Sly Cooper again in the past couple years we enjoyed it a ton because of the focused 3D platforming design. And I think there's a thoroughline from there to the SMG Galaxy games, which we loved, to the 3DL and 3DW games which we were also huge on.
(As a side note, another recent 3D platformer we've enjoyed immensely was Snake Pass.)
As an additional note, as big fans of previous 3D Zelda games, BOTW left us cold in a lot of ways, though we mostly focused on exploring and side questing and lots of Koroks before getting burned out 120 hours in, so if we try it again we'll focus more on the main quest and shrines (of which we found some we're great and some not as interesting) and less on the Koroks perhaps.
That all being said, and having gone mostly on media blackout since the January trailer, I was somewhat skeptical of how much we'd enjoy SMO. Having played 15-20 hours, I can say we like it a whole lot and are generally enjoying our time with it more and more as we continue to play it past completion of the main game. The first 5 hours or so were pretty fun and in parts awesome, but it picked up considerably in creativity and fun factor for us thereafter.

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Thank you for the thoughtful reply. I'll check out Snake Pass based on your comments here. I'm still greatly anticipating Mario Odyssey.

 

[Nabbit]

Thank you for the thoughtful reply. I'll check out Snake Pass based on your comments here. I'm still greatly anticipating Mario Odyssey.

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My pleasure. It has a really tough learning curve. I'll repost some thoughts from elsewhere that I posted as a LTTP, or rather LTTS in this case. ^^ Anyway, it has a difficult learning curve but if you stick with it and it clicks for you I think it is an amazing game (esp. going for 100%, much of the fun is in that IMO). I'll be eager to hear your impressions of both games!

Man, I am so pleased with this game... when I first heard about it I was quite eager and then I saw the control scheme and thought to myself, "I am really never going to get the hang of that." I watched the "how to play" video at the time but knew I wasn't going to be playing it very soon so expected there to be a significant learning curve and figured I'd give it a go when it went on sale. Sure enough it was on sale a few weeks back and when we wrapped up our latest progress towards 100%'ing Spot Goes to Hollywood (GOAT isometric platformer), we decided to get it a shot.

It was a rough go at the beginning, I can say. The regular controls have a steep learning curve to them. I tried to remember what I'd seen in the video and in GAF posts by wonderful people like Wozman23 and Neiteio, and to pay close attention to the game's very reasonable tutorial level, but I really struggled to wrap my head around the controls of wrapping the snake around a post.

After a few levels, something clicked and now I absolutely love the game. I think going for each collectible in every level before going on to the next level made the learning curve more difficult but also much much more doable in the long run. The collectibles are also some of the greatest fun to be had in the 7 or so levels we've played so far. I feel like I got more proficient at vertical poles then horizontal poles. I figure it will depend person to person on how their mind carries out spatial reasoning or something. I still have some trouble with movement at times but I really feel like I'm getting there and with its beautifully unique control scheme I feel like I'm learning a new skill or new way to use my brain or something, it's difficult to put into words.

On the whole, I'm finding the game to be a relaxing almost zen-like experience. The level design is genius and diverse and it has a great feel of a modern collectathon to it.

The music is amazing, too, and I never get sick of it even playing a course for an hour. Also the game itself is lovely on the Switch docked, and the characters are adorable and excellently designed.

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[Asbsand]

I like to say it's the game that defined proper 3D movement for third person action games, because it has the complexity, velocity and mechanical fluidity that should be the standard for any game even if they're not even platformers.

Playing the game today still feels great and while some of the level design hasn't aged well in terms of... well, "what is this stage supposed to be!?" mostly every level in this game is both fun and challenging and the mechanics are suitable for it and vice versa. I've yet to get my Odyssey copy but I actually hold all other Mario games to the 64 standard. There has to be the same jumping features unless they're replaced with some other form of complexity. 3DL was ok because instead of triple jump we got different kinds of roll jumps while keeping the normal long jump (the most important one) but in terms of feel, like with Galaxy but even moreso, 3D Land and World both feel too restrictive, like they're designed for beginners who will struggle to keep Mario from running too fast or slipping.

Sunshine omitted the best feature which is the long jump and I didn't like using FLUDD but that aside it too had some of the best physics in the series, and Mario Galaxy felt pleasant but I don't like when they make Mario lose speed when he jumps. I'm hoping Odyssey allows me to build up speed using Mario's physical velocity again, just like in 64 because that is the best.

 

[panama chief]

64 felt great a week ago. Tried it again yesterday and missed the roll. Can you patch it in Nintendo?

 

[merchantdude]

It's still the best 3D Mario. Mario's moveset in 64 is amazing (if you don't believe me go watch some SM64 speedruns) and it's a shame that modern Mario games don't give you as much freedom when it comes to controls and character movement.

 

[Rebel-TT]

Not surprised someone implying Mario 64 was never a good game would make this shitpost opinion too.

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Not shitposting though. I think, like all art, good pieces stand throughout time. Reviewers are people: they can also buy into hype. Movies sometimes also can be seen through the same retrospective lens. Mistakes can be made. I'm not denying that Super Mario 64 is good; it is. Not great though. And Tomb Raider is bad - and has always been - because it's not good now. My context about other older games that have endured and would be universally praised today, like Link to the Past and Mario World, was omitted from your quote.

But these are opinions. If your enjoy Tomb Raider on PS1 today, I can't fault you. To each his own. I wanted to know if persons saw the repetition in Mario 64, as I did, i.e. too laborious and often too much of a chore. Seems my opinion is an unpopular one though. Lol

 

[Marmoka]

Camera sucks. But the game is still brilliant.

 

[AwShucks]

Absolutely. I love Mario 64 and always have a blast when I go back to play it.

 

[Superking]

Gameplay is totally fine. The three biggest issues are: graphics, camera, and the fact that the world is so, so, so much smaller than you remember as a kid. Though to be fair, that last comment could be applied to nearly all pre-GC 3D video games.

The game still has arguably the best physics and controls of any 3D Mario platformer, though.

 

[Panther2103]

The gameplay completely holds up. Graphics from that era don't hold up as well as the NES / SNES / Genesis era does today but they still are decent enough to not feel like it's a mess to look at . The camera is also really awful, but after 10 seconds you get used to having to maneuver it like that again. The only N64 games that I don't feel hold up tend to be the shooters because of how awful it is to control with the C buttons / joystick combination.

 

[Aeron]

I think most people that don't like the early 3D era of games naturally won't like/won't think Mario 64 holds up.
It's a matter of preferences.

Also on no planet is the original PS1 Tomb Raider a bad game, it is one of the greatest 3D action platformers of all time.
It is arguably a better 3D recreation of Prince of Persia than the 3D PoP games are.
I say that as someone who doesn't even particularly like TR on a personal level, just respect the mechanics.

 

[Bakercat]

I know I'll get a lot of hate, but I personally don't think it's aged well, at least compared to how mario controls in sunshine. It's very hard for me to go back to 64's controls after sunshine because I think they took 64's controls and greatly improved them in every way. There are some things I never did like about 64's controls like the wall jump for example, but for the most part I liked them until sunshine came out. Other things like the camera are a bigger problem then I think people would like to admit. The artstyle and low poly of the time are fine with me, but I don't like how some of the levels just float in the air. Granted, Mario 3D world and land also did this, but it has always bothered me that the places don't make logical sense. You can argue that they are painting worlds and not real places, but it just bothers me too much. I do recommend people play it if they've never done so before, I just warn not to play sunshine first or you'll feel like the controls in 64 are not as refined.

 

[MAX PAYMENT]

I really wish I could play Mario 64 on switch.

 

[MegaRockEXE]

It was my first Mario game, but it certainly stands out for being quite different in many areas.
Mario has a bunch of moves. Not all of them being useful, but being gimmicks to show off the new 3D stuff. Though it was necessary in a way because before you could either jump on an enemy or not and that was it.
A lot of the now traditional mainstays are gone, so it gives the world a different kind of feel. And then the items are all different. No color changes. Hats now. And out of these strange patterned boxes. The classic mushroom is gone. And 1-ups are tiny and avoid you sometimes.
No brick blocks too.
And worlds that still feel somewhat out-of-place today. It was a big departure from the norm, that's for sure.

 

[cHinzo]

Got all the 150 stars on the DS version. For sure it's still playable. Still prefer this game over something like 3D World, which had hardly any memorable levels.

 

[HyGogg]

Judging older games by modern standards doesn't totally make sense to me. It's difficult for me to divorce a game from the time in which it was released, even if that's not when I originally played it. If a game is revolutionary for the time, I'm not going to look at it now and go "Oh, it's so jaggy" or whatever.

So yeah, Mario 64 holds up as well as it ever has to me. You certainly wouldn't design the camera exactly how they did back then, and the levels would probably be a lot denser. It might be a bit faster moving too. But none of that is really what I think about when I play it.,

 

[Dead Guy]

Probably a bit biased since it was one of the very first games I ever played but I still think it holds up tremendously for its age. The music, stages and controls are all still amazing. Only thing that isn't great is of course the camera but given that it was THE original 3d platformer I can give it a break