The famous mario 64. A game that is still fun but also it's mechanics aged like milk.
Now, to give credit where credit is due level design is really good. Not just good also it's consistent. The most consistent 3d mario even(didn't play odyssey). There is gimmick sections like slides or bowser's linear sections but they are rare compared to the other mario games gimmicky sections.
Level design is good because almost every level designed to be find lots of discoveries in every part of the level. Also choose your own level idea supports it's freedom to it's fullest. You only need to get some number of stars to get to the next section. You don't have to collect everything and I respect this decision a lot. Because the option of skipping a level if I don't like it is nice, because some levels are just not fun.
But gameplay mechanics are like... Ice levels on crack. They are daaaamn slippery it's like every surface mario walks on is made on ice. Also this makes mario 64's slopes the worst. If you are on a slope, you are dead. Because slope's momentum is so strong that mario's jump isn't enough to recover yourself, no it's actually makes your painful mistake intensify and send you faster to your death and I hate it.
Another thing I hate is moving platforms don't add to your jump speed compared to the 2d titles. So if you are on a platform and decided to jump, say bye bye because platform pasts mario underneath while you are on the air and it's too late to realize you need to move now. Because mario's movement in the air just sucks.
Yeah mario's movement in the air suddenly becomes rigid as heck. You can only move forward or backwards for a little bit. That's it. Again compared to the 2d mario's, his air movement just suck ass.
Also who decided to put mario a u-turning animation??? WHOOOOOOOOOO!!???
I CAN'T COUNT HOW MANY TIMES I FALL TO MY DEATH BECAUSE GARBAGE MARIO DECIDED TO NOT TURN INSTANTLY BUT DO A U-TURN ON A SMALL PLATFORM
Yeah I hate the movement and think every mario 3d sequel is superior to this game on movement mechanics. But at least level design is good so that makes this game not a bad game I guess
Now, to give credit where credit is due level design is really good. Not just good also it's consistent. The most consistent 3d mario even(didn't play odyssey). There is gimmick sections like slides or bowser's linear sections but they are rare compared to the other mario games gimmicky sections.
Level design is good because almost every level designed to be find lots of discoveries in every part of the level. Also choose your own level idea supports it's freedom to it's fullest. You only need to get some number of stars to get to the next section. You don't have to collect everything and I respect this decision a lot. Because the option of skipping a level if I don't like it is nice, because some levels are just not fun.
But gameplay mechanics are like... Ice levels on crack. They are daaaamn slippery it's like every surface mario walks on is made on ice. Also this makes mario 64's slopes the worst. If you are on a slope, you are dead. Because slope's momentum is so strong that mario's jump isn't enough to recover yourself, no it's actually makes your painful mistake intensify and send you faster to your death and I hate it.
Another thing I hate is moving platforms don't add to your jump speed compared to the 2d titles. So if you are on a platform and decided to jump, say bye bye because platform pasts mario underneath while you are on the air and it's too late to realize you need to move now. Because mario's movement in the air just sucks.
Yeah mario's movement in the air suddenly becomes rigid as heck. You can only move forward or backwards for a little bit. That's it. Again compared to the 2d mario's, his air movement just suck ass.
Also who decided to put mario a u-turning animation??? WHOOOOOOOOOO!!???
I CAN'T COUNT HOW MANY TIMES I FALL TO MY DEATH BECAUSE GARBAGE MARIO DECIDED TO NOT TURN INSTANTLY BUT DO A U-TURN ON A SMALL PLATFORM
Yeah I hate the movement and think every mario 3d sequel is superior to this game on movement mechanics. But at least level design is good so that makes this game not a bad game I guess
9 Comments
@Moister I don't know. For me sunshine felt the best for movement. Two biggest problems(limited air movement and u-turn animation) kills my enjoyment entirely for this game. Every time I press the jump button or make a turn I pray to god not to fall from the platform I am on. Also yeah wii u virtual console's input lag wasn't nice too but I tried ds version as well and I still don't enjoy it. Everytime I see a small platform in this game I start having a nightmare
@gsifdgs Flud definitely made Sunshine easier for air movement and the U-Turn is not replaced by the side somersault. I do think Super Mario 64 has better ground control while Sunshine is more slippery and Sunshine has more air freedom than in 64, not including flud.
I can agree small platforms can be scary on Mario 64, it's a good thing there aren't many.
I can agree small platforms can be scary on Mario 64, it's a good thing there aren't many.
@Moister Maybe, but not for me I guess or I maybe I am a noob I don't know. But even if I try to compare the ground mario, his turning feels painful to me because of his random decision to do a canserous semi-circle u-turn animation rather than a instantaneous turn when you are trying to be precise and slow, it just f#cks me up
https://youtu.be/ErkLuoJ_8qk?feature=shared what I mean is here at 12:50 .
Moister
7 months ago
But physics on this game are insanely detailed and after you get use to it there is nothing compared to Mario 64, not even later games which are way more limited in comparasion. They lean to a different approach (3D World, Odyssey, Galaxy).
I may have big nostalgia glasses on as well, so I might not be as objective as I want. Also, don't know if this may influence in the overall enoyement of the title but I've heard the Wii U version sucks for precision when it comes to movement, input lag and a soft dark filter to prevent seizures. If possible try the native Wii U port made unofficially or just plain emulation and see how it compares.
Won't blame you if you don't change your judgment of this game, I've seen a lot of people that recently got into this game thanks to the 3D All-Stars collection and most of them left with a negative impression after a couple of hours.