How do you use the camera in Super Mario 64?

Answer 1

To use the camera, press the yellow buttons that are up and to the right of the "A" and "B" buttons. The ^ arrow zooms in to Mario. the v arrow zooms out from Mario. The < makes the camera spin to the left of Mario, and the > arrow makes the camera spin to the right of Mario. If you press the "R" button, the camera zooms behind Mario's head, so you see what he sees. I personally recommend having the camera zoomed all the way out. This allows you to have bird's eye view of the action.

(Note: If you press the ^ so that the camera is right behind Mario's head, you can make him look around. This is handy when you want to travel to the Flying Cap level)