Super Mario 64: Information from Answers.com Mobile

Super Mario 64

Release Date: December 16, 1996
Genre: Action
Style: 3D Platform
Similar Games: Bomberman 64 (Nintendo 64), Banjo-Kazooie (Nintendo 64), Space Station: Silicon Valley (Nintendo 64)

Game Description

The well-traveled Mario embarks on his most visually striking adventure to date, one that finds the mustachioed plumber running, jumping, and flying across 3D realms for the first time. While the storyline might not surprise veteran players -- Princess Peach has been abducted yet again by Mario's turtle-shelled nemesis, Bowser -- the control scheme and play mechanics offer a new take on the best-selling platform series. The Nintendo 64's distinctive controller allows Mario to tiptoe, walk, and run simply by varying pressure on the analog stick. The yellow buttons control the camera, while others initiate triple jumps, back flips, ground pounds, and more. Mario can even swing and fling large boss characters by twirling the analog stick after grabbing them.

The 15 main worlds in Super Mario 64 are linked together from within Peach's castle. While exploring the hallowed halls and royal rooms, players will encounter paintings leading to new and varied environments. From snow- and lava-filled realms to lagoons and deserts, each world is home to seven golden stars that Mario must collect to unlock additional areas in the castle. Players will complete an assortment of tasks to acquire all 120 stars, from locating eight red coins to racing a giant penguin. Familiar enemies such as goombas, koopas, and chain chomps will appear sporadically throughout each area, allowing Mario to perfect his patented butt-bounce. The ultimate goal is to find and defeat Bowser in a series of three one-on-one showdowns.

~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

Super Mario 64 is the marriage of "run and jump" action established with Mario's first 8-bit game, Super Mario Bros. [NES] with fully 3-D polygonal environments and characters. Between the ten years or so that separated these two titles, we find a sucession of increasingly evolved titles that finally ended with the Mario series going 3-D.

~ Aaron Kosydar, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

It's difficult to exaggerate just how good Super Mario 64 is. Mario's first 3D adventure is every bit as wondrous as his finest 2D outings. Throughout the 15 courses found inside Bowser's Castle, the magic of Shigeru Miyamoto's Mushroom Kingdom breaks forth at every moment. In and around the castle itself, this is also the case, so the whole game world is one. It's a truly magical place to be and to play.

The story is traditional: Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach, Mario battles against Bowser, Mario saves the Princess, and life in Mushroom Kingdom is returned to "normal." However, the storyline is not Super Mario 64's raison d'être. Super Mario 64 is all about fun, enjoyment, and that warm glow so very few games are capable of giving players.

The N64's controller was designed with games like Super Mario 64 in mind. From the start, this is apparent in how closely one can control Mario's movements and how instinctive the gameplay is. After only a short while of play, it's possible to forget about the controller in your hand, such is the oneness of the experience.

Once the sheer brilliance of Super Mario 64 has sunk in, there is no shortage of challenging gameplay. Each course is packed full of things to do, places to go and characters to meet. Countless mini-games are scattered throughout both the main portal area (Bowser's Castle) and the 15 courses found therein. There's plenty of diversity, too, and Mario's quest is never boring. One minute the charismatic plumber is sliding down an icy hill, the next he's flying high in the clouds in a bid to collect eight red coins. Super Mario 64 is most certainly enchanting.

Visually, Miyamoto's 64-bit opus is phenomenal. Everywhere and everything is vivid. Scenery is lush, and the solid nature of the graphics engine adds to Super Mario 64's charm. The game runs at a respectable frame rate, and while it's not as fluid as it could be, there's never any noticeable slowdown. The draw distance is very impressive and, in a show of supremacy over its 3D platform peers, Super Mario 64's level design is such that objects rarely pop-up late. Again, this is for the good of the gameplay.

Super Mario 64's soundtrack is every bit as delightful as its graphics. Koji Kondo, Nintendo's legendary lead sound engineer, works his magic in a way that only he can, bringing beaming smiles with just a few well-placed notes. Throughout the game's entirety, Kondo's tunes shift to match what is occurring in on-screen, often with breathtaking results.

Faults? Problems? These, it seems, aren't in Miyamoto's vocabulary. As the first true 3D platform game, the game does everything right. Super Mario 64 is a masterpiece in the truest sense of the word.