Super Mario 64 is, to this day, one of the most influential videogames of all time. One of the first ever 3D videogames, and paved the way for countless games to release afterwards. However, I've just never played it until now. Finally though, I've gotten a chance to play it, and it's an amazing title.
Mario's controls to me are an interesting case. Now, that's not me saying they're bad, in fact they're really well designed. I find interest in how Mario controls because he has a lot of interesting quirks to him. Oftentimes, it feels like he does what you don't want him to do, but you can use that to create some unique movement. It's an interesting double edged sword then, as while that unique movement is good, if you don't know how Mario moves, you'll find his controls to be more of a hindrance. Alongside that, the wall jumps, somersaults, and long jumps feel so fun to pull off.
I said this to myself after beating the game, but I feel like of the 70 stars, I did, there was a 75/25 split of level quality. 75% of levels were really well designed, and I enjoyed getting them, while the other 25% were frustrating to me. I can't bring myself to say that the 25% of levels were bad, though, so that's why I described them as frustrating. I will say for a good bit of it though, the reason why was because I didn't have a legitimate N64 controller. Some sections were built with the notched joystick of the N64 controller in mind, and if I had one, the frustration would overall be less.
The only general criticism I have to give is that I feel like the camera could be better. For one, I found the camera to zoom way far out on numerous occasions, especially during the Bowser fights. And the other point about the camera is that I wish the camera could rotate in a full circle, as it would eventually stop rotating at some point.
My issues aside though, Super Mario 64 is still one of the most influential games just, ever. It's an amazing game, and I understand why it is so beloved. While I did enjoy my time playing it, I wouldn't rate it as my favorite 3D Mario, but it's still an easy second place.
Mario's controls to me are an interesting case. Now, that's not me saying they're bad, in fact they're really well designed. I find interest in how Mario controls because he has a lot of interesting quirks to him. Oftentimes, it feels like he does what you don't want him to do, but you can use that to create some unique movement. It's an interesting double edged sword then, as while that unique movement is good, if you don't know how Mario moves, you'll find his controls to be more of a hindrance. Alongside that, the wall jumps, somersaults, and long jumps feel so fun to pull off.
I said this to myself after beating the game, but I feel like of the 70 stars, I did, there was a 75/25 split of level quality. 75% of levels were really well designed, and I enjoyed getting them, while the other 25% were frustrating to me. I can't bring myself to say that the 25% of levels were bad, though, so that's why I described them as frustrating. I will say for a good bit of it though, the reason why was because I didn't have a legitimate N64 controller. Some sections were built with the notched joystick of the N64 controller in mind, and if I had one, the frustration would overall be less.
The only general criticism I have to give is that I feel like the camera could be better. For one, I found the camera to zoom way far out on numerous occasions, especially during the Bowser fights. And the other point about the camera is that I wish the camera could rotate in a full circle, as it would eventually stop rotating at some point.
My issues aside though, Super Mario 64 is still one of the most influential games just, ever. It's an amazing game, and I understand why it is so beloved. While I did enjoy my time playing it, I wouldn't rate it as my favorite 3D Mario, but it's still an easy second place.