One of the funniest games ever made.

Super Mario 64 revealed a platformer galvanized by the advent of 3D tech, unfolding its world in parallel to the new dimension. Far from including linear obstacle courses, this instead adopts a more open and surprisingly accommodating structure, akin to an adventure game that just so happens to contain the traversal of platformers. The wealth of movement options enabled by 3D - from long/side/back/triple/wall jumping to ever more eclectic 'powerups', grants a subtle degree of mastery over the perceived wobbly controls and shoddy camera. In addition, the change to quasi-missions leaves enough room for gameplay variety aplenty, that yet again complements the loose format.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. This is de facto less of a proper platformer and more of a delightful slapstick comedy where the player assumes neither the role of the audience nor director, but rather the bumbling stooge clumsily navigating the world around him. Primitive, almost volatile 3D physics and collisions actually contributes to the rampant hilarity, enhanced by a wondrous soundtrack and charming level aesthetics. Add to that the slippery controls plus odd sound effects from most entities (not to mention Mario's reactions) and the experience is an immaculate balance of skill-based complexity and unexpected humor. Of course, the unintentional nature of these gags is their greatest asset, an organic method that puts most overtly 'comedic' platformers before & after it to shame. That capricious nature prevails all throughout - even when their mannerism gets difficult lategame, the setbacks somehow get funnier as the stakes and desperation increase, defusing player frustration while making victory especially gratifying. Super Mario 64 is certainly influential, but its ilk - despite tighter controls and more memorable characters, never came close to matching this work's unstable goofball spirit.

esse jogo é tão estressante e divertido quanto cuidar de uma criança

e o Mario é uma criança sendo filmada enquanto brinca e se exibe com suas acrobacias

as fases tem literal o mesmo layout de parquinhos de rua, com desafios diversos mas nenhum ponto de progressão muito específico pra seguir

e os mundos serem fictícios dentro do próprio jogo é a materialização da imaginação fértil que o mario tem

eu não acredito nesse jogo, mas eu me encantei com suas brincadeiras.

I had never actually beaten this game until 2013, despite having played parts of it a few times since its release 17 years earlier. So even without copious amounts of nostalgia, this game grabbed hold of me and didn't let me go until I had 120 stars. The level of challenge is great. The N64's analog stick makes this the only way to play this game. On the Wii U's Virtual Console the stick has a huge dead zone. On DS you have a D-pad and a touch screen.

If it weren't for the Switch re-releases, the best way to play this would still be on the original N64 hardware!

...or an emulator, I guess

Ah, an instant classic

Nothing felt better than to 100% this game and see Mario waving to you at the end

What a masterpiece

This game looks like goddamn tech demo, and you know what? I fucking LOVE that. I'll be fucked if Super Mario 64 isn't satisfying to run and jump across. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but damn was it everything we needed in 1996. A world before my brain got corrupted by analysts and blowhard reviewers just itching their boners to call something "janky."

I loved this as a kid, and still revisit from time-to-time to love it some more, whether as a half-assed Switch port, or the code-dumped re-engineered PC port. This game still rocks. I'm going to tattoo low-poly Mario on myself someday.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8sxTdvX4AAMqbd.jpg

Eu acho que é a primeira vez que platino a versão do N64. A primeira vez que joguei SM64 foi no remake de NDS, o qual platinei diversas vezes. Alguns anos depois emulei a versão original e zerei algumas vezes, mas a platina só tenho certeza que fiz dessa vez. Mais do que um mero espírito completionista, o que me motivou mesmo é que esse jogo é bom demais. Marios seguintes evidentemente trouxeram mais polimento e um visual mais aprimorado, mas em relação ao level design e game feel SM64 não deve nada a seus descendentes. Jogão.

I'm very emotional as I write this. This is my favorite single player game ever - it's not even close. I could talk about some of it's flaws, but while they might be flaws to most people, they're not to me. I love everything about this game.

Tonight I finally did it. I wish I had an audience to witness me. My 120th star - 100 Coins in Hazy Maze Cave - and I went outside, got shot out of a canon and met that scum bag rat fuck son of a bitch bastard Yoshi for my very first time!!!

My childhood is complete <3 this is a true coming of age moment for me.

Most people I talk to (understandably) don't like this game, It has some pretty shitty levels no doubt, and the controls do not really hold up, but despite these frustrations I find myself continually going back to it every so often. It's just one of those games that clicks, that I get so sucked into while playing for just a couple minutes. I love revisiting levels I already know like the back of my hand and trying get stars in different, faster, ways, and I love fucking around in the areas and doing stuff that serves to impress no-one but myself. It's so unhinged, and I love it for that. In that sense I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure of mine. Just pure, dumb, fun.

fun game - lots of great levels, great design in place around them and tons of movement options

controls did NOT age well
you WILL bonk and you WILL slide way more than what is fun
you WILL want to ragequit a babygame for babies
you WILL fantasize about killing mario
you WILL call stage obstacles slurs
mario WILL spread his asscheeks with his entire two fists and point his depths directly at the camera (if you can manage to control the camera for more than 3 seconds)

It might not be the best in mechanical terms, but nothing has come closer to the eerie, adventurous, colorful, diverse, creative aesthetic of it all. Each level has a unique personality, a unique feeling and atmosphere attached to it. You really feel you're traveling to different worlds.

Probably the best game ever just because it's the essence of a videogame taken to its limits: to use mechanical, visual and musical aspects to make you feel in control of things, while also delivering a special, diverse and unique aesthetic experience.

And I always consider a plus the community around a game. The fact that this game continues to be reviewed and analyzed, tier lists and speedruns and unique run ideas like the A Press Challenge (I recommend you watch asap Bismuth's video about such challenge) come out almost every week or the thousands of rom hacks available that add new and fresh ideas are just some signs that this hits the right spot and it does it in a way that shines above similar works.