I think Mario 64 DS should be appreciated more.

[It’s Time To Go]

Mario 64 DS seems to be largely forgotten as a Mario title, and I think it deserves more of a look.

A lot of the detraction around Mario 64 DS seems to involve its major hurdle, that its a DS game with no proper analogue control. You can either use the D-Pad, or a touch screen virtual analogue control, which has always felt strange to me. You can play it on a 3D with the analogue circle, but its still not quite right. Despite that, I still think it works a lot better than people might think, or at the very least you get used to it. You hold the Y button to run, and its really fine.

You also don't start the game as Mario, you start it as Yoshi and have to unlock Mario, then Luigi, then Wario. Each character plays different, can do different things, such as smashing different coloured blocks, turning invisible, using the flying cap, becoming metal, etc. It's a lot of fun. They also added 30 extra stars to the game, some extra levels, and there's some differences in the design of the castle and levels to accommodate these character changes. For example, Yoshi defeats the King Bomb-bomb by swallowing the bombs he throws then spitting them out at him. I love these changes. I like the extra content a lot as well.

And as an added bonus, you have the mini games

These were also included in NSMB, but they were here first, and they're really fun, DS tech demos.


Mario 64 DS is not only on the DS, but Wii U virtual console, and I think it deserves a second look from a lot of people, even if it cant match the legendary status of the N64 game.

 

[Caiusto]

I hate the new textures

 

[steviestar3]

It's really not very good at all. None of the new content is compelling (outside of the minigames, which were included in another game anyway) and the controls are crippled compared to the original release. It's hard to work up the drive to revisit it when I could just play some actual Mario 64 instead and have a way better time.

Edit: I wanted to add too that the way they implemented the playable characters is really lackluster. They all individually have less functionality than Mario did in the original game (since they split the power-ups between them) and they're not well balanced with each other. Luigi trivializes any sort of platforming challenge with his overpowered backflip while Wario is basically useless outside of the small number of stars that require his specific power-ups. The most efficient way to play the game is to just play as Yoshi 99% of the time and swap caps as needed, but even that's annoying because all of your character's voice clips will be replaced by obnoxious Yoshi noises. I'd rather just avoid all this hassle and just have one character like in the original.

 

[Stowaway Silfer]

I loved this game.

 

[RadzPrower]

It's pretty rough to look at, but I did play an SM64DS hack a few months ago and it was a good experience. I just wish there was an HD means of playing it at this point.

 

[Possum Armada]

Could not disagree more with an OP.

 

[wayward_]

I think I had the reverse experience from most people. This was my first introduction to SM64 and I absolutely loved it, then when I played the original as part of the 3D All Stars bundle I just had a terrible time all round, didn't enjoy it at all.

 

[PtM]

SM64 is the game they created the analogue stick for.

 

[bremon]

It looked nice and was nice to have portable SM64 but the D pad made it control like shit, so… it sort of was shit thanks to that.

 

[yoonshik]

The controls killed the game for me.

Also, we lost the v-sign

 

[It’s Time To Go]

I think I had the reverse experience from most people. This was my first introduction to SM64 and I absolutely loved it, then when I played the original as part of the 3D All Stars bundle I just had a terrible time all round, didn't enjoy it at all.

Click to shrink...

I played DS first and then 64. I've come to appreciate the original more over time specially with the switch release but I still have a preference for the DS version even with the weird controls.

 

[War95]

I enjoyed it way more than the original version but i havent played since i was 12 so idk how it will stand today. I port of this in Switch would be good

 

[Tab]

It's funny for me because people always complain about the controls, but I played the DS version as a kid, so those are the controls I'm used to. I couldn't stand the way the 64 version controlled when I played 3D All Stars. Mario feels like he turns to widely, and running and walking is controlled purely by the stick, there's no run button like the DS version so it ended up feeling less precise to me.

 

[oliverandm]

I only have fond memories of this game. I bought it at launch. I was completely mesmerized by it: looking at 3D graphics on a handheld at that time was something else, and since I had no experience with the original I took it all in without regard for changes and differences. It was so amazing. I love it, still do, never had a problem with the controls, and I think it largely holds up, even if it is a bit wonky.

 

[City 17]

The controls did it no favors, but yeah SM64 on a handheld was like magic, and the minigames were pretty fun.

 

[Arithmetician]

The minigames were ace - it was the DS's killer app when it came out, incredible stuff.

For the main game, controls were terrible of course with no analog stick, and DS's screen isn't exactly high res, but if this was remastered with analog controls and 1080p people would appreciate the better textures and lighting as compared to the original. This is the sort of work that should've gone into 3D all stars if we're being honest.

 

[wayward_]

I played DS first and then 64. I've come to appreciate the original more over time specially with the switch release but I still have a preference for the DS version even with the weird controls.

Click to shrink...

I had actually completely forgotten just how different the DS version was, so I think this probably explains why I just couldn't get my head around the original controls.

 

[blonded]

It's mostly fans of the original who hate this I find. I played this as a kid never having played any mario before and it blew my mind.

 

[jokkir]

I loved it. Control issues were overblown.

Kinda wish there was a mode to just play as Mario all the way through like the OG game

 

[joffocakes]

The minigames were great and I didnt mind the controls (though they absolutely aren't as satisfying as the original) but splitting the game up into four different characters was tedious.

 

[xyla]

Not a fan of the controls and of gating abilities behind the characters - it was too far removed of what Mario 64 originally was.

I enjoyed what they did with the graphics and loved the mini games that were added. never played the multiplayer - always wonder if that flowed well.

If they would do a new 3D Mario set around these 4 characters with different abilities I would be completely on board though!

 

[Bobson Dugnutt]

I really enjoyed this. One of my only positive experiences with the 3ds due to how much I hated the controls in general. Will see how It feels on 3d all stars instead at some point as I never played the original.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

It's really not very good at all. None of the new content is compelling (outside of the minigames, which were included in another game anyway) and the controls are crippled compared to the original release. It's hard to work up the drive to revisit it when I could just play some actual Mario 64 instead and have a way better time.

Edit: I wanted to add too that the way they implemented the playable characters is really lackluster. They all individually have less functionality than Mario did in the original game (since they split the power-ups between them) and they're not well balanced with each other. Luigi trivializes any sort of platforming challenge with his overpowered backflip while Wario is basically useless outside of the small number of stars that require his specific power-ups. The most efficient way to play the game is to just play as Yoshi 99% of the time and swap caps as needed, but even that's annoying because all of your character's voice clips will be replaced by obnoxious Yoshi noises. I'd rather just avoid all this hassle and just have one character like in the original.

Click to shrink...

Agreed with all of this.

 

[Japanmanx3]

One of the GOAT DS games! Multiplayer was amazingly fun. And that bob-omb sorting minigame!!!!

 

[PsionBolt]

I'm with you, OP. Its various issues mean I don't think the DS version is an all-time classic like the original, but it's absolutely not a bad game, as some would have you believe. It's still Mario 64, and they didn't just stop at the bare minimum and rest on that, either -- it looks way better than the N64 version, and the added stars, characters, and even oft-overlooked multiplayer mode (not the minigames, the other one!) are all super neat additions that made the game feel fresh all over again.

The beginning of console 3D was a moment in gaming unlike any that will ever come after, but getting to revisit that feeling on a handheld, with enough new twists to evoke memories of that same sense of discovery, was a pretty darn good moment of its own.

 

[xmassteps]

Mini games slapped

 

[homez99]

I completely agree. I couldn't afford a N64 when I was younger so this was my first opportunity to play SM64 and it didn't disappoint.

Sure, the lack of analogue control wasn't ideal but it was still so much fun to play and looked great on the DS. Seeing graphics like these on a handheld felt like such a massive jump from the GBA.

I was surprised by the mini games, they were addictive and served as a decent distraction.

 

[shan780]

this was one of my first games ever. i didn't know it was even a remake until I was much older. my family didn't get internet until like 2010, so my friend and I used to spend our time in the playground theorising about how to get specific stars and unlock the other characters. we were both convinced waluigi was somehow in the game too

 

[Aether]

Worse controlls, core gameplay additions feels pointless, characters all feel worse then mario by himself.
Textures dont add much, and reduce the clean look, especially with the low resolution.

Only benefit is the minigames, but those are not really part of the core game and more of a side mode, and where also in NSMB (but they where fun)

so no, it was more a "we can" instead of a "we should" port, similar to all those Doom ports.
I...dont really see much that redems this version.

 

[o Tesseract]

I remember my family was going through a rough time at the time this came out. Me being a kid and not really understanding that, I asked for a DS and SM64DS for Christmas.

I remember my parents saying that Christmas wouldn't be so great that year but they didn't really explain why.

Being a bratty kid I snuck down on Christmas night and found the one box that had my name on it. It was a Sears clothing box similar to what we got years prior so I remember feeling disappointed that it probably wasn't the DS. I snuck it into the kitchen and quietly opened it and, well, there it was.

I sealed it back up as it was and put it back exactly where it went. The next morning, even though I knew, I let out the most excited reaction and hugged my parents endlessly for getting it for me.

I ended up playing the shit out of it and had a really great time.

I don't know why I decided to share this whole story but it reminds me of a simpler time. I don't think I really cared that it didn't have analog control or whatever. I was just excited and had a wonderful time with the game.

 

[Walnut]

I couldn't get used to the control scheme. The run button d-pad combo was too awkward

 

[Deleted member 61531]

This game did have analog controls though. I got all of the stars with the thumb pad! 🥴

 

[Finale Fireworker]

I think this game is reaching a point of peak cultural tension.

SM64 is an all time classic and one of the basic building blocks of all of modern gaming. There are few games whose achievements relative to its time of release can be stated as more significant and more impressive than Super Mario 64 in 1996. This was a time of many gaming revolutions, but as one of the first 3D Nintendo games it has a lot of weight as being out of the gate early. Because of this, anybody who was playing video games in 1996 is likely going to hold SM64 at a point of historical and cultural reverence. It is a "sacred game" - like Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil 4 - that people do not like to see messed with. Most people of this age group are going to think SM64 DS is a disgraceful game.

Super Mario 64 has also remained accessible for subsequent generations of players. It is one of the most speedrun games of all time, creating continued exposure among the larger gaming community. It was released on the Wii, Wii U, and now the Switch. The opportunities for someone to have interacted with the original SM64 are numerous. If you have experienced SM64 either personally or as a spectator, your exposure is likely from the original game. As a result, the original SM64 has a sort of impenetrable reputation.

Where SM64 DS fits in to this is that its original release falls right in between all of this. Speedrunning was still niche. The Wii Virtual Console release had not come out. So for a short period of like two years in the mid 00s, SM64 DS was the most accessible entry point for a lot of younger players. While this window was short, it is meaningful that many children from 2004-2006 played the DS game for the first time and their relationship with the game begins there.

We are all a lot older now. Fans of the original have worked hard to bury the DS game for decades. But now the children who grew up with the DS game are old enough to push back on the agenda. There is going to be hostility between the people who want this game ignored as a matter of principle and the people who think the game's reputation is undeserved.


I know that I personally hate Super Mario 64 DS. I do not think it is possible to take it as its own experience without relating to what it altered or adjusted from the original release. I think all of its mechanical changes are actively bad. If the original SM64 did not exist you could still say it was an okay game despite its flaws. I like some of the content, like the presence of Goomboss and King Boo. But the original SM64 does exist. And even with less content, it is a much stronger game. I would prefer we go back to not discussing SM64 DS at all, but I understand that I am old now and there is nothing I can do.

 

[Nobody_joe]

I love the DS graphics.

 

[Bitanator]

That luigi card game, I put over 500 hours into it

 

[It’s Time To Go]

I love the DS graphics.

Click to shrink...

I also love them and prefer them, but i can see why people prefer the original graphics too. Koopa the quick is just a normal Koopa in DS which is super lame.

 

[JoJo'sDentCo]

I think the change in character design/art is disgusting. haha

 

[kiguel182]

It's the only version of 64 I played and I finished it. It looks better to me than the original and I don't remember having any control issues.

the mini games are amazing. I played those a lot.

 

[steviestar3]

I think this game is reaching a point of peak cultural tension.

SM64 is an all time classic and one of the basic building blocks of all of modern gaming. There are few games whose achievements relative to its time of release can be stated as more significant and more impressive than Super Mario 64 in 1996. This was a time of many gaming revolutions, but as one of the first 3D Nintendo games it has a lot of weight as being out of the gate early. Because of this, anybody who was playing video games in 1996 is likely going to hold SM64 at a point of historical and cultural reverence. It is a "sacred game" - like Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil 4 - that people do not like to see messed with. Most people of this age group are going to think SM64 DS is a disgraceful game.

Super Mario 64 has also remained accessible for subsequent generations of players. It is one of the most speedrun games of all time, creating continued exposure among the larger gaming community. It was released on the Wii, Wii U, and now the Switch. The opportunities for someone to have interacted with the original SM64 are numerous. If you have experienced SM64 either personally or as a spectator, your exposure is likely from the original game. As a result, the original SM64 has a sort of impenetrable reputation.

Where SM64 DS fits in to this is that its original release falls right in between all of this. Speedrunning was still niche. The Wii Virtual Console release had not come out. So for a short period of like two years in the mid 00s, SM64 DS was the most accessible entry point for a lot of younger players. While this window was short, it is meaningful that many children from 2004-2006 played the DS game for the first time and their relationship with the game begins there.

We are all a lot older now. Fans of the original have worked hard to bury the DS game for decades. But now the children who grew up with the DS game are old enough to push back on the agenda. There is going to be hostility between the people who want this game ignored as a matter of principle and the people who think the game's reputation is undeserved.


I know that I personally hate Super Mario 64 DS. I do not think it is possible to take it as its own experience without relating to what it altered or adjusted from the original release. I think all of its mechanical changes are actively bad. If the original SM64 did not exist you could still say it was an okay game despite its flaws. I like some of the content, like the presence of Goomboss and King Boo. But the original SM64 does exist. And even with less content, it is a much stronger game. I would prefer we go back to not discussing SM64 DS at all, but I understand that I am old now and there is nothing I can do.

Click to shrink...

...this is really overdramatic. I don't think there was any sort of concentrated effort to bury 64 DS, it just naturally happened because the game isn't that good and it was overshadowed by the huge amount of better DS games that released later. I also don't see a huge wave of zoomers being ready to wage cultural war over a lackluster port of an old game just because they played it when they were 6. The most you're going to see are a few contrarian takes here and there.

I think the change in character design/art is disgusting. haha

Click to shrink...

It's "fine" I guess, nothing in 64 DS actively looks bad or anything. But it uses the typical homogenized Mario style while the 64 game had a more distinct style that was unique to it which I've come to appreciate in retrospect. I do think the colors look a lot worse on DS though, I hate how washed out it looks.

 

[BennyWhatever]

I love this game. Being able to play through most of the game as Yoshi was my favorite thing ever. I played the original first and didn't like the controls of the DS one, but otherwise I think I like it better?

 

[Randdalf]

I never played the N64 version but I loved this one on DS. It's still a fantastic game, even though I understand the perspective of those who played the original.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

...this is really overdramatic. I don't think there was any sort of concentrated effort to bury 64 DS, it just naturally happened because the game isn't that good and it was overshadowed by the huge amount of better DS games that released later. I also don't see a huge wave of zoomers being ready to wage cultural war over a lackluster port of an old game just because they played it when they were 6. The most you're going to see are a few contrarian takes here and there.

Click to shrink...

I think maybe you're taking me a little more dramatic than I intended. Some of my language was tongue in cheek.

SM64 DS is like Twin Snakes - "we don't talk about it" - you know what I mean?

 

[Bear and bird]

It's a great game held back by the DS' hardware. I wish they'd bring it back for one of Nintendo's modern consoles. : /

 

[B. Spaceman]

Having Wario in a mainline Mario game was pretty cool

 

[It’s Time To Go]

I think maybe you're taking me a little more dramatic than I intended. Some of my language was tongue in cheek.

SM64 DS is like Twin Snakes - "we don't talk about it" - you know what I mean?

Click to shrink...

Cos Twin Snakes is great too.

 

[Mr Swine]

I love both versions to prefer the DS version because I can play as Wario

 

[Tobor]

I bought it a launch and tried to talk myself into liking it, but I hated it.

No analog control murdered it.

 

[bionic77]

I already played the main game on the N64 but those mini games were seriously addictive and perfectly demonstrated the value of touch gaming.

I think they had those mini games in a few of the early Nintendo titles or maybe I remember it wrong and it was just with Mario64.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Cos Twin Snakes is great too.

Click to shrink...

I don't want to over-react but I'm afraid I need to push you into a volcano.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

I already played the main game on the N64 but those mini games were seriously addictive and perfectly demonstrated the value of touch gaming.

I think they had those mini games in a few of the early Nintendo titles or maybe I remember it wrong and it was just with Mario64.

Click to shrink...

They were also in New Super Mario Bros.