Introduction

Super Mario 64 is one of the greatest Mario games of all time. It began a new era in 3D platforming and opened new possibilities. The reason it translated so easily into 3D was actually because Miyamoto was making it a SNES game. But you can all guess why it was made into a game for N64. Ever since 1996, every single platformer has been a rip off of SM64. The game went to sell over 11 million copies world wide and became the most successful N64 game ever. With its awesome graphics, innovative gameplay, and easy control, this game could be considered the ultimate Mario game.

Story (not counted)

The game's story isn't too original. It is the same basic "Save the princess" story. Mario gets invited over to the castle from princess peach. But when he arrives, everything is quiet, almost too quiet. When Mario enters the castle, a familiar voice tells him to scram. "There is nobody home. Now scram!!!" That is kind of funny if you think about it. Toad then tells Mario how bowser stole the princess and the power stars and imprisoned them in the walls of the castle inside his own worlds. The plot may be simple but it works and compared to the average Mario game, it's a big story. 6.5/10

Gameplay

The gameplay is the best part of the game. For its time, it was extremely innovative and original. Like I said earlier, all 3D platformers have been rip offs of its gameplay and it is true. What you have to do is recover stolen stars to open new worlds. They are scattered around 15 different worlds. When you collect a certain number of stars, you will be able to open a new area. Sound familiar? Back then it wasn't. Plus all the classic jumping of a Mario game is there. There are even courses where you go through by running and jumping but you have free movement and no restrictions by only moving two directions. Plus all the classic style courses are there. A grassy meadow, a dry dessert, a land of lava, an underground cave, a sky level, a snowy snowy land, and a tall tall mountain. Gameplay gets a 10/10

Replay value (not counted) This is where the game seems to fall short. The game's replay value really isn't too good. Once you get every single star in the game, going through them again will seem kind of pointless. It's just not as fun the first time you play as it is the second time. It is still fun but you will usually get bored since you already know what to do. I really think they could have done a better job on the replay value. But certain stuff such as flying around the castle on the wing cap just doesn't get old. Plus yoshi gives you 100 lives at the end of the game. So I guess that makes up for it. However if you think about it, there are challenges in the game that you could perform such as making your own obstacle courses, beating your record on the slide, and even the ultimate challenge (NOT LUIGI) getting to the castle roof WITHOUT the cannon. It's really REALLY hard but possible. Are you up to it? Find other stuff to do just for fun. Replay value is a 6 out of 10.

Music:

 This game has some of the best music in a videogame. The music in this game will be just plain great. From the title music to the end credits, all of the music should delight you. The in game music's main theme is a perfect match. Once again, Koji Kondo has composed another classic theme. The water level music is just AMAZING. When you enter the level, you hear this relaxing melody. When you enter the water, the music changes slightly and sounds a little more like it's performed by and orchestra. And then when you enter the cave, the music just sounds cool. You would really get the feeling of water levels with this music. Also, the underground theme is something everyone should be familiar with. It is the underground level theme from the original SMB games. But its remixed in a mysterious way. Also, when you go deeper into the level, the music gets spookier and more mysterious. There is too much music in the game to explain. Go play it and see for yourself. 9/10

Graphics

The visuals on this game are the best of 1996. For something made in 1996, this is awesome. Play an average N64 game and you will see what I mean. The graphics surpass all Sega Saturn and very few PS1 games are as good as it. The environments in it are bright and colorful; the enemies look like they were meant to be in 3D, and the water levels work very nicely. The only con is the bad camera angle but it's forgivable. These are the best graphics of 1996 and there is NO pixleization. That is something that is rare for games in the mid 1990's. And it was a HUGE step up from previous SNES titles that were in 3D. However these graphics are extremely outdated nowadays and have been surpassed many times. Even handhelds can have better graphics now adays. But at a time when 3D was hard to make and usually ended up with crappy distances and bad   pixleization, the graphics get a 9.5/10. Would have been a ten but the polygon count seems a bit low in some areas.

Overall Value and Fun Factor

Even though the game isn't quite as fun the second time you play through, its still pretty fun, its still worth every moment of it. Even though the replay value is low, the game is so freaking long that it won't matter. It will take at least 50 hours for the average gamer to complete the game. And Hardcore gamers will likely spend 30. As a result, I won't count the replay value against the score. The game is a ton of fun, lasts a long time, and will keep you playing until the very end. That is how much fun the game the game is. And that is what the point of any game is: to have fun. Super Mario 64 excels in that very very much. Overall Value and Fun Factor gets a 10 out of 10.

Closing
Super Mario 64 is a must play game. If you haven't played it, go out and buy it at EB games or gamestop right now! If you have a DS, go buy the remake Super Mario 64 DS. If do have this game, dust off your old N64 and pop the cartridge in. If you are still playing it to this day, keep on playing. I have a lot of great memories of this game. They last a lifetime. The game has aged quite well actually, So keep on playing and have a great time with the Nintendo 64 masterpiece Super Mario 64.
 

Overall Score 9.5 out of ten. Grade: A.

Written By: WillBillXP
Date Submitted: February 12th, 2007

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