So I’ve 120-starred SM64 and it’s definitely been the best fun I’ve ever had with this game. I always struggled with the N64 analogue, but with modern sticks it’s been a blast. The game plays and feels so much better than Sunshine, it’s a relief to see not a few people in here realizing that Sunshine is indeed a janky, temperamental game.
SM64 also has perfect progression. Starts easy enough, then gradually becomes harder until the last 2 stages where it puts every bit of your skill to the test. Tik Tok Clock and Rainbow Ride are absolutely brilliant. I used to actively hate RR, now I see how carefully designed it is. Yeah, I still had to redo it a ton of times. Getting to the flying ship again and again is a test of patience and that last star you have to get with the cannon is just cruel, but the level’s design is out of this world for such an early 3D game, and the way you can basically see every part of the level in the distance from the carpet is incredible.
TTC is fantastic as well. My left Joycon started drifting badly when I was playing that level and I was in handheld mode so no Pro Controller available, yet I managed to do it all somehow. Getting those 100 coins was tense, lol.
I also had no real problem figuring out a lot of stuff that had me completely stumped when I played the game for the first time. Granted, I’ve seen tons of speedruns during the last years, but those rarely show you the legit way of getting stars, so a lot of stuff I had to learn again, which made me appreciate the brilliance of SM64 even more. This game was so ahead of its time, it’s scary. No wonder no other game really managed to do the same thing.
I don’t think I have the time for Galaxy now, but SM64 more than justified my purchase of 3D All-Stars.