One of the most important console games of all time. The legacy of Super Mario 64 is based on the monumental transition of console games from 2D to 3D and, while SM64 was not the first 3D console game ever, it was the first one that was crafted to perfection with the tools and limitations available at the time of its development and release.
This game dropped jaws from its very first playable section outside the castle, which acted as a playground for the player to explore all the new moves that Mario could perform ranging from regular jumps, to acrobatic jumps, crouching, punching, backflips, etc. The physics behind Mario movements was ahead of its time to the point that this game remains a fan favorite for speed runs and it never ceases to amaze me how speedrunners combine all the different moves for a seamless ninja-like progression through the different levels.
Graphics were of course top notch at the time of release with the N64 hardware making use of cleaner and less pixelated textures versus other PlayStation and Sega Saturn games. Soundtrack was also fantastic with tunes that have become timeless and are part of Nintendo's legacy to the industry. Other milestones include Charles Martinet debuting as the voice of Mario and the game featuring limited voice acting (Princess Peach).
The overall game design was excellent with the castle acting as the main hub for levels but at the same time offering its own secrets and areas that were fun to explore. The thematic behind using the castle's paintings as levels/worlds allowed for the design team at EAD to have full freedom in terms of themes for each level which increased variety and replay value (snow, desert, haunted, underwater levels, etc). Furthermore, to increase replay value and varierty, each level features different "missions" to obtain stars which forced full exploration of said levels on behalf of the player. Simply put, if you wanted all 120 stars in this game, you would have to revisit and master each corner of all levels, creating a unique feeling of adventure and feeling of mastering the game.
Better graphics, presentation, and gameplay components have been crafted throughout the years in the 3D platforming world ever since the release of SM64; but the legacy this game left is unmatched and the level of polish and quality that Nintendo provided ended up creating a timeless masterpiece in the gaming universe.
This game dropped jaws from its very first playable section outside the castle, which acted as a playground for the player to explore all the new moves that Mario could perform ranging from regular jumps, to acrobatic jumps, crouching, punching, backflips, etc. The physics behind Mario movements was ahead of its time to the point that this game remains a fan favorite for speed runs and it never ceases to amaze me how speedrunners combine all the different moves for a seamless ninja-like progression through the different levels.
Graphics were of course top notch at the time of release with the N64 hardware making use of cleaner and less pixelated textures versus other PlayStation and Sega Saturn games. Soundtrack was also fantastic with tunes that have become timeless and are part of Nintendo's legacy to the industry. Other milestones include Charles Martinet debuting as the voice of Mario and the game featuring limited voice acting (Princess Peach).
The overall game design was excellent with the castle acting as the main hub for levels but at the same time offering its own secrets and areas that were fun to explore. The thematic behind using the castle's paintings as levels/worlds allowed for the design team at EAD to have full freedom in terms of themes for each level which increased variety and replay value (snow, desert, haunted, underwater levels, etc). Furthermore, to increase replay value and varierty, each level features different "missions" to obtain stars which forced full exploration of said levels on behalf of the player. Simply put, if you wanted all 120 stars in this game, you would have to revisit and master each corner of all levels, creating a unique feeling of adventure and feeling of mastering the game.
Better graphics, presentation, and gameplay components have been crafted throughout the years in the 3D platforming world ever since the release of SM64; but the legacy this game left is unmatched and the level of polish and quality that Nintendo provided ended up creating a timeless masterpiece in the gaming universe.