Super Mario 64, is one of the most highly remembered games of the 1990's, appealing to children, teenagers, and even adults who played the old Nintendo in the 1980s. It is the first time that we have seen Mario fully rendered in 3D, and this game is one of the first to be rendered in three dimensional graphics. This game featured new storyline, new graphics rendering, new gameplay, and more than meets the eye. The titled is acclaimed by many critics and fans to be the best revolutionary game of all time.
Plot. Mario recieves a letter from Princess Peach, inviting him to her castle to have some cake that she baked for him. When Mario arrives at the castle, he discovers much to his surprise that no one is there. However, Toad informs him that Bowser has taken the power of the stars from the castle. Now Mario must retrieve their powers, getting new power-ups, and using his amazing acrobatic abilities to save the princess once again.
Mario must achieve stars in each world by completing challenges, obtaining eight red coins, beating friendly characters such as Koopa the Quick in a race. Secret stars in stages are obtained by getting 100 coins, and secret stars in the castle can be obtained in secret stages where you can obtain the Mario Wings Cap, the Invisible Cap, and the Metallic Cap.
The Metal Cap has a short limit of time, giving Mario time to survive underwater without drowning, the invisible cap can make Mario pass through some fence-like walls, while the Winged Cap gives him the ability to fly. Mario can perform many types of jumps like: wall kicking, triple jump, backwards somersault, and long jumps. Cannons can also be used with the Winged Cap, making them fly to greater distances.
Concept. Mario goes through many stages obtaining various stars in various parts of the castle such as the three floors, the basement, and the courtyard. The concept for this game is very unique in greater aspects, such as getting stars, power-ups, secret stars and so on. Players can beat the game with many stars, or 120 stars. When players obtain 120 stars, they get access to the rooftop of the castle with the cannon outside, where a familiar character awaits.
Design. With 3D games becoming very popular since the rise of the PlayStation, Nintendo decided to make an upgrade. Years before the game's release, Shigeru Miyamoto originally planned for Super Mario FX, following the same 3D graphics of Star Fox. The game's development began with the creation of the characters and the camera system, and ended up featuring free-roaming design. Information about Super Mario 64 first leaked out in November 1995, and a playable version of the game was presented days later as part of the world premiere for the Nintendo 64 (then known as the "Ultra 64") at Nintendo Space World.
Music and Voice Acting. The music of the game was composed by veteran game composer, Koji Kondo. The game featured voice acting, and Charles Martinet became the voice of Mario, while Jen Taylor was the voice of Peach. Mario's memorable quotes in the game are: "Mamma Mia!", "Here We Go!", "So long Bowser", and the most famous one "It's-a me, Mario", which was also used as a joke in the Ubisoft game, Assassin's Creed II.
Legacy. Super Mario 64 continues to be successful up until this day. Various remakes were planned, though this game had one on the Nintendo DS. The DS remake features Yoshi, Wario, and Luigi as playable characters, and also it features additional stars, new mini-games, and multiplayer mode. Super Mario 64DD was planned for the Nintendo 64 DD, but the 64 DD was not successful, and it was scrapped. Another project was also planned, but it was also scrapped before the release of Super Mario Galaxy. However, games like Super Mario Sunshine for the Gamecube, and Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, are sequels to the game.
Rantings. My only rant about this game is that Luigi was not there, and it would have been better if he was. But all that was fixed in the DS version.
Good Aspects. I was so amazed with this game when I played it by the time I was 10 years old. The game was very fun and entertaining, and almost every kid did not want to go to school the next day playing this game. I really love how they designed the game, the environments, and the plot outline. Nintendo did a great job in the development of this great game.
Overall. Super Mario 64 is a must play, and a must have for old and new gamers who love Mario. This game has the highest replay value that a Mario game never had, and you can download this on the Wii for 1,000 Wii Points. On the time when it was a golden age in video games, now it's nothing but FPS games to kids of this generation. This great game gets a 10 out of 10.