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[Dice]

I am playing Mario 64, and it has a nice amount of charm and the controls are sure nice, but I'm finding the worlds barren and bland and the challenge nonexistent. I played this game frequently for 5 years after it came out, what is going on? Was I stupid? Insane? An easily amused baby in the then-new world of 3D games? Or have games really moved on to become much more lush and interactive without me noticing too much? I'm a little frightened to go back and play other old faves like NFS3, Ape Escape, even Goldeneye. I played FF7 again and that was still good, but after this ordeal with Mario I'm a little disturbed.

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

You've been successfully brainwashed by Sony.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

Mario 64 changed the way we looked at a platformers, but we have advanced quite a bit since then. Its only natural to not have the same feeling when going back to it. Super Mario World use to kick my ass, but I was like 7. I've gone back to it now and I rarely die, the challenge is just showing how your skills have improved along with this generation of games.

 

[Saturnman]

The novelty wore off and nostalgia means little to you.

 

[Ranger X]

Well said dude.


I still find Mario 64 is one of the best 3D platformers out there.

 

[Dice]

I still find Mario 64 is one of the best 3D platformers out there.

Despite what I have just realized, I (unfortunately for the genre) still do as well. But then I haven't played several big ones that have come out over the last few years like R&C or Sly Cooper.

 

[ninge]

Play ratchet and clank 2 - it's one of the best, most polished games i've played in a good while

 

[ManDudeChild]

Play ratchet and clank 2 - it's one of the best, most polished games i've played in a good while

This man speaks the truth. R&C2 is even more fun the second time through. Then there's the first-person mode that makes it a whole new game almost.

 

[evilromero]

I still play Mario 64 quite frequently. I love the attention Nintendo put into the world. The singing birds in the coutryard, the running water and amazing sunshine is just all perfectly realized. And the opening level is just pure platforming heaven. Still the best platformer, only bested technically by its big brother Sunshine.

 

[Deg]

I am playing Mario 64, and it has a nice amount of charm and the controls are sure nice, but I'm finding the worlds barren and bland and the challenge nonexistent. I played this game frequently for 5 years after it came out, what is going on? Was I stupid? Insane? An easily amused baby in the then-new world of 3D games? Or have games really moved on to become much more lush and interactive without me noticing too much? I'm a little frightened to go back and play other old faves like NFS3, Ape Escape, even Goldeneye. I played FF7 again and that was still good, but after this ordeal with Mario I'm a little disturbed.

You played it abit too much.

 

[MaddenNFL64]

I've only played the game recently though emulation, but I have a totally different view than yours after having played it.

I think of 1996, a 8 meg cart, and a fanciful, colorful world filled with wonder. Flying around with that winged cap is still one of the funnest things in gaming to do IMO.

But gamers aren't monolithic in thought, so it's not a total shock to see Mario 64 losing it's gleam in some peoples eyes.

 

[Red Dolphin]

I just played through this again very recently and it is still incredibly fun and a great game. The challenge level is definately low now with only the last two worlds (World 14 and 15) being all that challenging.

I remember finding the game really challenging back in 1997. It was probably due to most of us playing our first true 3D game with analogue control and getting used to the 3D perspective and judging depth. And another thing.. the music is so good! Love the Bowser stage music, underwater music, metal cap music, and the feeling of flying with the winged cap or scating around on a turtle shell still rocks. I might even have to go back and play Mario Sunshine just so I can play those awesome "void worlds" to get my Mario 3D platforming "fix".

 

[human5892]

Mario 64 remains my most favorite game of all time. I think it still holds up superbly to this day.

Unfortunately, my love for it doomed Sunshine for me, as I could not completely judge it on its own merits.

 

[Jonnyboy117]

In terms of challenge, Sunshine is about 10x harder than SM64. But if you want a good challenge in SM64, go for 100 coins in Tick Tock Clock.

 

[human5892]

In terms of challenge, Sunshine is about 10x harder than SM64. But if you want a good challenge in SM64, go for 100 coins in Tick Tock Clock.

Definitely. I remember spending about three hours on that damn star. It was worth it to get all 120 though.

Mario Sunshine is certainly the overall more challenging game, though.

 

[Malakhov]

Don't worry, that's normal. Mario 64 was a pretty good game but nothing else.

 

[john2kx]

3D games just don't age well - that's all there is to it.

 

[TheUnknownForce]

Many old games appear dated and easy as you get older...it's nothing new.

It makes me wonder how Nintendo is going to harden up Mario 64x4 if at all.

 

[human5892]

It makes me wonder how Nintendo is going to harden up Mario 64x4 if at all.

By forcing you to play with a d-pad.

 

[sc0la]

Super Mario Sunshine is more challenging, looks better, has some better objectives, and most importantly has much tighter play control.

 

[Insertia]

I've never never liked Mario64. It has always been bland and boring platformer to me. I first played it in 2000, years after it was released and when 3d gameplay evolved so much since its release.

I can still go back and play the 2d Marios, but Mario64 is too dated to be enjoyable.

 

[BeOnEdge]

I am playing Mario 64, and it has a nice amount of charm and the controls are sure nice, but I'm finding the worlds barren and bland and the challenge nonexistent. I played this game frequently for 5 years after it came out, what is going on? Was I stupid? Insane? An easily amused baby in the then-new world of 3D games? Or have games really moved on to become much more lush and interactive without me noticing too much? I'm a little frightened to go back and play other old faves like NFS3, Ape Escape, even Goldeneye. I played FF7 again and that was still good, but after this ordeal with Mario I'm a little disturbed.

everytime i try to play SM64 i feel the same way. its just not fun. ya ya 3d platformer blah blah blah but tombraider owned SM64 as far as the complete package goes.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

Even after 8 years, nothing has knocked Mario 64 from its throne. Dozens of Banjos, Conkers, Jaks, Spyros, Sonics, and Tys later, nothing even comes close. I was never a huge fan of the 3D platform genre, but Mario 64 is still number one in control, variety, and challenge. I think the game even stands up graphically in a retro-sort-of-way. When it comes to the pure bliss of controlling a character and his actions, no other game can capture the same magic Mario 64 did. Prince of Persia is a distant 2nd, though.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I played it again about 3 months ago or so. It still is really cool with design, control, etc. It doesn't look so hot anymore though and given the market and what has come after I don't think it's something I'd ever play again. The N64 conroller sucks on hindsight and I agree with previous posters that 3D does not age so well (though I played Conker right after and it was still fun if not especially pretty). But really, there's nothing wrong with recognizing a game for it's greatness in time even if it seems a bit aged now. It still makes SMS seem like a blandly designed platformer even if the graphics are sharper.

 

[radioheadrule83]

I just can't play ugly N64 games when I have slick updated versions and a controller I'm now used to. Especially the sub 30 frames per second games... which Mario thankfully isn't. The camera is improved in Sunshine along with many other things. If only they'd chosen power-ups instead of the stupid water cannon, and made the levels as random and unthematic as they have been in the past - people would have loved it a lot more. But hey, every Mario game is different really I guess.

 

[sc0la]

When it comes to the pure bliss of controlling a character and his actions, no other game can capture the same magic Mario 64 did.

But see that is the thing. You can claim it had better environments, better levels, better whatever. But SM64 simply does not compete with SMS in the area of pure bliss of controlling your character. The control is so tight in SMS. I played them both back to back after I finished SMS, and it just doesn't even compare. In SMS you feel like you have total control over your character in a giant play ground.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

Actually, you're right, SMS is a bit better overall in the control department, I was actually comparing Mario 64 to other games in its genre. Sunshine does overtake 64 in every category except length and variety. And music.

 

[Azih]

In terms of control I have to go with Mario 64. Sunshine is tighter for sure, but the long jump in Mario 64 is *genius* in terms of control, run, slight tap on trigger, press A and yow lookit Mario fly.

But the thing is that precise jumping mattered in 64 in a way that it never did in Sunshine outside of the secret levels. Secret Levels > 64 > rest of sunshine.

Edit: In 64 I always felt like I had a goal and Nintendo had provided me with a number of tools and I had to find the ones that fit the job. Side flip, long jump, backflip, triple jump etc. In Sunshine the hover pack was almost the only tool. Almost always I jumped to the approximate location of the platform and hovered to land on it. Repead ad infinitum.


Plus there was more whimsy in 64. Whimsy counts a lot for me.

 

[bjork]

Trivia: which game knocked Super Mario 64 from the #1 sales slot in Japan right after it came out?

NiGHTS. (only for like a week, though)

Go go Sonic Team.

 

[Ristamar]

I also think the controls in SMS feel tighter, but that's more of a compliment to SMS than anything else. SM64 still stands tall as one of the best 3D platformers ever. To even compare it to the likes of Tomb Raider (a decent game in its own right) is blasphemous.

 

[Dice]

I don't have any problems with the graphics, if I did then I'd have a problem going back to OoT, which I have actually been enjoying a lot more than I did when it came out. But Mario 64 is a total kids game, it's ridiculously and easy and simplistic, that's what I am finding bland.

As for SMS, I don't see how covering everything with paint is "challening". It's more like "an incredibly tedious and frustrating chore of figuring out how to clean the level to unlock the fun objectives". And it happens on almost every single level too, not being able to touch anything isn't my idea of fun.

I think of 1996, a 8 meg cart, and a fanciful, colorful world filled with wonder. Flying around with that winged cap is still one of the funnest things in gaming to do IMO.

But many gamers aren't blinded by nostalgia as I am, so it's not a total shock to see Mario 64 losing it's gleam in some peoples eyes.

Fixed.

By forcing you to play with a d-pad.

ZING! But probably true, thats not a good form of challenge though.

Trivia: which game knocked Super Mario 64 from the #1 sales slot in Japan right after it came out?

NiGHTS. (only for like a week, though)

Go go Sonic Team.

I have that game, I finally got it like a year ago. It's great, almost like a platforming racing game.

 

[adam20]

I hated the way the game didn't have a level access menu. After you beat the game you should be awarded something like that. I find it a disgrace to not be able to choose with level to play quickly and not have to resort to running around the castle. What the heck were they thinking? Some of the levels were extremely fun for their time and it would have been nice to be able to play them without wasting a whole lot of time. Expecially some of the pre-boss levels. They showed some really classic moments. For a game of such quality I found it appauling what they didn't include. Just unforgivable.

Anyway I too found the first level to be one of the best. It was just so full and alive. The same could be said for the second. Then of course the rest of the levels didn't have that same kind of shine. The game could have been so much more. But I suppose it was good enough anyway. Fault #1 just peeved me off to no end. There was no point in going back and playing some of the levels without quick access. I could go make some toast in the time it took to reach some levels!

 

[Ristamar]

I could go make some toast in the time it took to reach some levels!

Toast takes, what, like a minute to make? I've seen loading screens take more time than that. Talk about ADD...

 

[Azih]

Yeah there were only four levels in the castle. Basement, Main Floor, Second Floor and Top Floor. The only levels that were spaced even close to a minute apart were the ones in the Basement compared to the Top Floor.

 

[evilromero]

At least the visuals in Mario 64 haven't aged terribly. It still looks slick and sharp like it did when it came out. I think it's simplistic visual approach helped maintain its look throughout the years. But games like Banjo and Donkey Kong have suffered from horrible framerates and oversaturated colors by todays standards. Plus Mario 64 still has the best soundtrack of any N64 game.

But Mario Sunshine barely wins over Mario 64 simply because of its amazingly precise controls.

 

[Memles]

I played it again right before Sunshine released, actually, so I may not be too jaded. I'm picking up 64x4, mind you, because it's been awhile since I played it and I quite like it...but at the same time I can honestly say that some of the level design seems uninspired. While the first level works on so many levels, later ones very simply don't. Some have all sorts of charm, others are devoid of any real redeeming qualities and feel like tedium at its finest.

But as a genre-definer, magnifique.