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[Golgo 13]

Thanks to everyone who helped. I ended up getting the N64 version on Wii U. Enjoying it so far, only a few stars in -- the camera controls seem a little wonky, (like they're reversed?) but hell, this is a 20 year old game we're talking about here . Can't wait to dive deeper.

 

[User123456]

Go N64. Ds controls are ass and the Wii U has issues with input lag and large analog deadzones. Can't speak for the Wii version.

 

[AmaterasuOkami076]

64 is much better to play. Could've been very different if we had a OoT/MM style 3DS remake. But the DS had to make sacrifices and despite the extra content, doesn't do the game justice imo.

Edit: nevermind!

 

[pretty done]

A game of Mario 64's caliber really deserves a 1080p remake. I really hope that is something in the cards for the Switch after SMO.

That or Mario 3D All Stars

 

[SirNinja]

ITT, an alarming number of GAFfers don't know SM64DS had this:

Bam. Full analog control right there, courtesy of the touchpad. Everything else was controlled with your right hand, AND you didn't have to hold down a button to run - speed is controlled by how much you move the stylus away from the initial position. The only bad thing about that control mode is that it wasn't the default.

DS, easily. Wish it were remade for 3DS.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

ITT, an alarming number of GAFfers don't know SM64DS had this:



Bam. Full analog control right there, courtesy of the touchpad. Everything else was controlled with your right hand, AND you didn't have to hold down a button to run - speed is controlled by how much you move the stylus away from the initial position. The only bad thing about that control mode is that it wasn't the default.

DS, easily. Wish it were remade for 3DS.

Sure, but that doesn't change any of this:

Forget considering either version based on extra content, or controls, those are only skin-deep comparisons. It goes further than that.

The DS version messed with the level designs to accommodate the ill-suited controls (some platforms were made larger for example) but everything else added either did nothing for the game or took away from it. For example, the extra characters mess with the carefully designed level structures - one platform in Snowman's land once required Mario to bounce off an enemy and twirl gracefully towards it, now it can easily be circumvented using Luigi. Likewise a lot of the challenge was dumbed down, perhaps patronisingly so. Balloon power-ups were placed in locations where Mario once had to deftly wall jump, among other changes. Basically, the DS version asked less from its players, in a game that's totally about experimentation and mastery of the controls.

And the overall aesthetic of Mario 64 DS lacks the charm of the original. Mario 64 had textures that were designed to be blurred, and DS lacks texture filtering. The new textures change the look of the game a tad too much in some areas. Likewise its character models are a product of a time when Nintendo was finding its feet with 3D rendering and design.

Mario 64 DS is still a great game. But it's just such an awkward adaptation, back when Nintendo was probably unsure of what the DS was actually for.

tl;dr: You should play the N64 original. The DS version fundamentally waters down the level designs and expects less from you, the player.

If you've never played Mario 64, ever, the DS version shouldn't be a priority. It's a cool remix that ultimately takes away from the original game in a number of ways (while also adding a few trivial things like minigames) and should be played after the original game.

If controls were the only thing separating the two games, I'd argue otherwise, but that isn't the case.

Thanks to everyone who helped. I ended up getting the N64 version on Wii U. Enjoying it so far, only a few stars in -- the camera controls seem a little wonky, (like they're reversed?) but hell, this is a 20 year old game we're talking about here . Can't wait to dive deeper.

Cool! Yeah, the camera is inverted along the X-axis, though if you think about how they implemented the camera (controlling Lakitu who holds a TV camcorder since this sort of thing was new to games) pressing C-left to move Lakitu "left" makes sense.

If you ever do play the DS version let us know what you think of the level design changes and how the new characters affect the challenge/balancing of those levels. I'd be interested to see your take.

 

[jts]

Original version is better than DS version, but DS version is definitely worth a try (after playing the original and craving for a bit more). Has neat stuff on it and you can adapt to the controls. Started with the touchscreen slider thing but ended up with the d-pad, no ragrets.

 

[paperlynx]

N64 for the controls, DS has some good extra content but not worth the hassle

 

[Toadthemushroom]

Yeah, DS version is definitely still worth playing, but I'd never call it the best version, nor recommend it be played first if you haven't played Mario 64 before.