Super Mario 64: Looking Back at the Plumber's First Foray into 3D

Mario's 3D adventures have enchanted audiences as much as (if not more than) his classic 2D games. I love two of the three that have been released so far (Super Mario Sunshine could have been much better), and with any hope, Super Mario Galaxy 2 will likewise be considered one of the plumber's best titles yet. As I am excited about the game's release, I feel that it is time to look back at Mario's first 3D game, released in 1996. Super Mario 64 was a launch title for the Nintendo 64, and it proved to the world that it was possible for platform games to work in 3D. Fourteen years later, how does it hold up? Well, I am here to tell you why I think it is still fun, albeit dated compared to other 3D platform games.

One day, Princess Peach (starting with this game, she would always be called Peach instead of Toadstool) invites Mario over to her castle for some delicious cake. Mario arrives at the castle, only to discover that Peach is missing and a familiar gruff voice telling him to go away. It turns out that Bowser has attacked the castle, stealing the Power Stars that protect it, creating worlds within paintings, and imprisoning the princess and her royal subjects within the castle walls. Only Mario can retrieve the stars, foil Bowser's plans, and save Peach for the millionth time. The game is light on story so that more focus is placed on the game play.

As he explores the game's fifteen courses, Mario will have to find the Power Stars that are hidden in various spots. A clue to each star's whereabouts appears at the start of the course, and then it is up to the player to explore the world to find the star. These precious items can be found in tough-to-reach spots, rewarded after defeating bosses, given to you after solving puzzles, and rewarded for collecting red coins. Each course has seven stars, six of which are found in episodes, and one that is given to you after collecting 100 coins. For the latter task, you can get a gold coin worth only one coin, red coins that are worth two, and blue coins that give you five. In many cases, the stars can be collected in any order, unlike subsequent games in which the main stars must be grabbed in a specific order.

Many of the moves that Mario knows now debuted in this game. He can perform a long jump to gain more distance. He can pound the ground to squash enemies and obstacles. He can jump three times in a row, the last of which will make him leap higher and farther. For added abilities, Mario can activate switches that make special blocks appear throughout the game. These caps can give Mario special moves that will last for a limited time. The Wing Cap makes him fly, the Invisible Cap makes him transparent and able to walk through some walls, and the Metal Cap makes him stronger and enables him to walk underwater. Experimenting with each move is as fun today as it was back in 1996.

Sometimes, Mario can gain a star outside of the main courses. These special stars can be acquired in much the same way as normal stars. In mini courses, you can collect eight red coins to make a star appear. Other areas require you to beat a mini game to gain a star. On occasion, merely speaking to people will reward you with stars. Among the mini courses in the game are those with switches that activate the magic caps and those that have Bowser waiting for you at the end. You will memorably grab Bowser by the tail and swing him around before throwing him into a spiked orb, but the Koopa King will learn new tactics every time you face him.

As for the stars, there are 120 in all, but you need only 70 to enter the final area and beat the game. Luckily, a lot of the stars are optional, and it isn't necessary to visit every world before you go on to defeat Bowser for the last time. You can grab stars out of order and travel back and forth between worlds, giving the game a nonlinear feel and giving you lots of freedom and many ways to complete the game. Super Mario Galaxy had the same feeling, but Super Mario Sunshine forced you to grab 50 very specific Shine Sprites, which is one of the reasons why it was the weakest Mario 3D game. If you do grab all 120 stars, you can discover some nice rewards which are well worth the effort.

As fun as the game remains, it has long since showed its age. The fifteen worlds are a bit small, unlike the enormous worlds found in later 3D games. As a result, the exploration is a bit limited. The idea of being forced to leave a world after collecting a star instead of staying and trying to find more of them likewise seems ancient. Subsequent Mario 3D games worked the same way, but at least with Galaxy you were often led on different paths with every visit, giving that game more depth. The graphics, while nice for their time, were outclassed by some other Nintendo 64 games, particularly from Rareware, by the time the system was on its last legs. The camera system had plenty of faults, but would be improved upon in other games. Super Mario 64 is simply another game from another time, being outclassed by many technical advancements over the last fourteen years.

Still, there is much to love about the game. The challenges are often tricky and very rewarding, and you can replay them as much as you want, perhaps trying to find different methods for finding stars. The boss fights, particularly those with Bowser, are thrilling if largely simple, and collecting coins rarely seems like a chore. The music score is a joy to hear, with Bob-Omb Battlefield, Jolly Roger Bay and Koopa's Road being particularly memorable. For many people, this was the first game in which they heard Charles Martinet as the voice of the famous plumber, though even back then he was restricted mainly to voice samples instead of full sentences. Even so, Mario's voice remains wonderfully nostalgic.

Is Super Mario 64 worth revisiting, or playing for the first time? Even after all these years, it is still rather enjoyable. There is a lot of fun to be had with it, though it has been outdated by its sequels and numerous other 3D platform games. Even so, players will want to find a copy of the game, whether they have owned it for years, wish to track down an original cartridge, or download it from the Wii Shop Channel. That way, they can see how Mario's 3D adventures got started, and practice for Super Mario Galaxy 2. Hopefully, all of Mario's future 3D games will be amazing like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy, and not mediocre like Super Mario Sunshine.