Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64 is a video game that consists of 9 releases
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million copies, making it the best-selling Nintendo 64 game as well as the second most popular game on the Wii's Virtual Console. In making the leap to 3D, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto retooled the series' trademark gameplay to focus as much on exploration as traditional action. Super Mario 64 is hailed as having revolutionized the platformer genre on its release. A remake titled " Super Mario 64 DS" was released as a launch title for the Nintendo DS on November 20, 2004.
Princess from Bowser" formula. Mario is invited to Princess Peach's castle for cake, but when he arrives, he finds that Bowser and his minions have invaded the castle. The Princess and her servants have been trapped using the power of stars which are hidden within many of the castle's paintings. Mario must now enter these painting and and collect these stars to take on Bowser and free the Princess once again.
Bob-omb's Battlefield is comprised of green grassy fields, deep ravines, a high spiraling mountain plateau, and a floating island in the sky. It is ruled by the Bomb King, found atop the mountain, and his army of bob-ombs. Five cannons littered across the level make for easy traveling, but beware Wan Wan, a giant Chain-Comp chained to a pole in the center.
Whomp's Fortress is a huge floating island with a tower in the center and many smaller floating islands all around. This level is easy to fall from, and can be difficult to navigate for beginners. A tower appears after Mario defeats the evil Button King, a giant wall that tries to crush its opponents. Some enemies to watch out for are the sleeping piranha plants and mini button minions. Also a friendly owl will take Mario for a ride, if you can find him.
Jolly Roger Bay is an aquatic level with a deep underwater cave hiding buried treasure, sunken ships, and giant electric eels. Clams hide coins which help replenish Mario's health and prevent him from drowning. Use the metal cap to walk along the bottom of the ocean and find the turtle shell to rocket through the water.
Cool, Cool Mountain is a giant spiraling ice mountain. Mario can slide down the mountain side or go in the ski lodge chimney and race a giant penguin. Watch out for the baby penguin. Mario will want to help it back to its mother and while he's at it find the snowman head a new body.
Bowser In The Dark World is the first of three Bowser levels. This level is linear and has only one path to Bowser's lair. It is possible to get only one star in this level by collecting 8 red coins. Once you get to the top you must enter the green pipe and fight Bowser for the Key to the Basement. To defeat Bowser you must grab him by the tail and throw him into one of the bombs surrounding the arena.
Big Boo's Haunt is a level hidden inside a boo in the castle courtyard. It is a giant haunted house with many ghosts and secret rooms. Mario will have to fight Big Boos for their stars throughout the mansion, such as on a giant merry go round in the basement. Go around the back of the mansion for a secret door. Also the large eyeballs get dizzy if Mario run circles around them.
Hazy Maze Cave is a set of underground caverns. There are rolling boulders to dodge, fiery pits to jump, and tunnels filled with poison. Deep within this complex is a tranquil lake with a friendly dinosaur creature called Nessie who will help Mario navigate to a star, as well as the secret green P switch that unlocks green boxes. After obtaining it Mario will be able to use the metal cap to turn into Metal Mario.
Lethal Lava Land is an ocean of lava with platforms and set pieces jutting up out of it. Mario must leap from platform to platform and avoid falling in the lava. This can be difficult, as many of the enemies try to bump Mario off, and some of the platforms move. In the center is a volcano that conceals a giant inner chamber.
Shifting Sand Land is a giant desert with a huge pyramid in the center. It has many deadly sand traps and powerful sand whirlwinds which will throw Mario through the air. The pyramid is filled with obstacles and two giant stone hands with eyes wait in the dark to crush Mario. There is also a giant vulture flying through the sky who is holding onto a star and can steal Mario's hat.
Dire Dire Docks is a water level with a huge whirlpool and a docked submarine. There is also a giant shark that Mario should avoid. Once the second Bowser stage has been completed the submarine will mysteriously disappear.
Bowser In The Fire Sea is much like Lethal Lava Lands in that it is a giant lava ocean. The level extends vertically up out of the lava so that a misstep will send Mario falling into a fiery pit. Like the first Bowser level, Bowser In The Fire Sea is linear and it too has a red coins star. At the top is spirally portal that will lead to Mario's second encounter with Bowser, who holds the key for the upstairs. This battle sees Bowser with a few new tricks, but ultimately the same strategy of throwing him into a bomb works here.
Snowman's Land is a snow level with a huge snowman in the center. Mario can scale the snowman but should watch that he isn't blown off by the snowman's powerful breath. Mario will lose his hat if he is. The lake is frigid and will slowly damage Mario, but a skilled player can jump on the flower hatted snowmen to fly over it. There is also a runway that throws snow dunes that Mario must jump over and an ice maze in the mini igloo.
Wet-Dry world is a very vertical level. Mario can scale the cliffs and floating platforms to adjust the water level using switches. Also, depending on whether you enter at the bottom of the painting or jump in at the top will affect the water level at the start. There is a hidden town with a bell tower though an underwater tunnel. This level requires Mario to move the water up and down to get to different stars.
Tall, Tall Mountain is all about scaling a large mountain surrounded by an abyss. There are many places where if Mario fall he will be taken back to the bottom or killed. There is a mischievous monkey that can steal Mario's hat and a sliding challenge much like the earlier snow lodge sledding course. Some of the most difficult tasks have Mario jumping across huge toadstools growing from the abyss around the mountain.
This level allows Mario to change his size from little to huge. Depending on your size you can affect the environment in different ways. The level has a grassy mountain in the center which can be difficult to scale. The wind is dangerous in this level and can cause Mario to fall to his doom. A giant Wiggler, an easy-to-anger centipede like creature with boots, lives at the top of the mountain.
Tick Tock Clock is a level consisting of the inside of a clock. The level requires Mario to ascend a hexagonal structure dodging swinging pendulums and riding conveyor belts and clock hands. Depending on what time it is on the clock when you enter the level, the level's obstacles change speed. Certain speeds will make certain stars easier to obtain.
Rainbow Ride takes place high up in the sky and has Mario flying on magic carpets and swinging air ships. There is a giant mansion in the sky complete with a fire place and table. This course is very difficult as a single misstep will send Mario to his death.
Bowser In The Sky is linear like its predecessors and also has a red coins star. It is the longest and hardest of the Bowser levels and at the top is a pipe that leads Mario to his final confrontation with the Koopa King. To defeat Bowser this time Mario must launch him into three bombs instead of just one. After Bowser is hit two times the land next to the bombs falls away leaving the arena in the shape of a star. This makes the last throw to kill Bowser more difficult as it must be done from farther away. When Bowser is destroyed you are awarded with a giant star and the ending credits.
Items
Mario 64 excluded many of the franchise's classic items, such as the super mushroom and fire flower, in favor of special hats that give Mario unique abilities for a limited time. These caps included the metal cap that made him invulnerable and able to walk on the ocean floor, the vanish cap that let him go through certain barriers, and the wing cap that let him fly. However, some classic Mario items do make a return. These include the 1-up mushroom, Koopa shell, and collectible coins, though coins and Koopa Shells now work differently. Koopa shells are now rare and can be used to surf across the ground and destroy enemies. Coins are now used to restore health instead of increase score and can now be yellow, red, or blue (worth 1, 2, and 5 health respectively). Also in each level, 8 red coins can be collected to obtain a star.
Shigeru Miyamoto began work on a 3D iteration of the Mario franchise after working on Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. For a time he considered developing it for the Super Nintendo, but later decided to develop it for the Nintendo 64 due to the limitations of the SNES's hardware. The team spent many of the first months developing the camera and how the gameplay would work. Originally the game levels were to be linear, but it was later decided that they should be open, free-roaming environments. However, the concept of linear levels can still be seen in final game in the Bowser levels, which require Mario to traverse a set path of obstacles to reach Bowser's lair. The development team prioritized making Mario's movements feel fluid and natural. Before any levels were created, they tested his movements in a simple grid level which featured a golden bunny named "MIPS". This character later made an appearance in the final game. When the levels were finally designed, they incorporated more puzzles than was typically associated with Mario games. This is probably because The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was in development at the same time, but as it was not released until years later, some of its puzzle ideas were put into Mario 64.
Music for Super Mario 64 was composed by Koji Kondo, longtime Mario composer. For Mario 64 he used familiar themes from previous games as well as some entirely new pieces. The voice cast included Charles Marinet as the voice of Mario, Isaac Marshall as the voice of Bowser, and then senior editor of Nintendo Power Leslie Swan as the voice of Princess Peach. Mario 64 is often cited as the first game to feature Charles Marinet's voice, but this is untrue as the first game was actually Mario's Game Gallery .
Super Mario 64 was critically acclaimed and commercially very successful. It was the top selling Nintendo 64 game and is the second highest selling Wii Virtual Console game. As of the end of 2007, it has sold 11.8 million copies world wide. The game is often praised as having revolutionized the 3D platformer and for pioneering many of the key gameplay concepts used in modern platforming games. Super Mario 64 it still today one of the highest rated games ever.
Mario is seen for the first time in 3D on the Nintendo 64. Super Mario 64 not only boasts surpassing 11.8 million copies sold, but it is also one of the best-selling video games in the USA. It is constantly praised as one of the greatest games of all time.
Overview
Inarguably the Nintendo 64's most anticipated launch title, Super Mario 64 was released on September 29, 1996. It has sold around 11
Title Screen
Plot
Not surprisingly, Super Mario 64's plot remains true to the franchise's standard "save the
Peach's invitation
Gameplay
Super Mario 64 is split into 15 levels, each of which can be accessed by leaping into paintings scattered throughout the Princess's Castle, as well as 3 Bowser levels. The standard levels of Super Mario 64 are open and encourage free-roaming by the player. Each level contain seven stars scattered across it and the player can obtain them by accomplishing certain goals. Examples of these tasks include defeating a boss, obtaining a certain number of special coins, or reaching a goal within a set time limit. A specific number of stars is required to unlock later doors in the castle and thus gain access to new levels. Subsequent Mario games like Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy used similar level structure models.Controls
The analog control stick is used to move Mario in a certain direction, and combinations of the A, B, and Z buttons make him use one of his many abilities. The C-buttons and R button are used to control the Camera. Pressing the left and right C-buttons moves the camera left and right, while the up and down C-buttons move in and out. R locks the camera position directly behind Mario in what is called the Mario-Cam. The start button pauses and allows players to see the current objectives and exit the current stage.Move List
- Walking - Press the analog stick gently in the desired direction.
- Running - Press the analog stick all the way in the desired direction.
- Wall Hug - Hold the analog stick at the same angle as the wall to slide along it.
- Jump - Press A to jump.
- Double Jump - Press A to jump and then again after returning to the ground to jump higher than the first jump.
- Triple Jump - Same as double jump but with a third jump added after returning to the ground. This last jump is the highest and Mario will do a flip at the apex.
- Wall Jump - Jump toward a wall and then jump again to leap off the wall.
- Reverse Back Flip - Press the analog stick in one direction and then in the opposite direction while pressing A.
- Crouch - Press Z and Mario will duck.
Backflip - Crouching Slide - Run with the analog stick and then press Z.
- Crawl - Press Z and press the analog stick in a direction to crawl.
- Back Flip - Hold Z and press A.
- Butt Stomp - Jump with A and then press Z for Mario to slam the ground with his bottom.
- Long Jump - While Running press Z and then A to do a flying leap.
- Punch - Press B.
- Combo Punch - Tap B three times in a row to throw two punches and a kick.
- Jump Kick - Press A to jump and then B to kick.
- Dive Attack - While running press B to dive at enemies.
- Jump Dive Attack - While running press A to jump and then B to Dive through the air.
- Leg Sweep - Hold Z and then press B to do a leg sweep.
- Sliding Kick - While Running press Z and then B to do a sliding kick.
- Grab - Press B next to an object.
- Throw - While holding something press B to throw it.
- Spin - You can spin Bowser by his tail and throw him. To do this grab his tail with B, rotate the control stick to spin him, and then press B again to release him.
Swim - Grapple - Jump and hold A while beneath any grating or mesh to grab it. Move the analog stick to swing an any direction.
- Swim - While in water tap A to swim and use the analog stick to choose direction.
- Kick Swim - While in the water hold A to kick swim and use the analog to choose direction.
- Climb Up - While hanging from a ledge press A to climb up.
- Drop Down - While hanging from a ledge press down on the analog stick.
- Climb Poles - Press A to jump at a pole and grab it automatically. Then press up or down to ascend or descend the pole and left or right to circle the pole.
- Hand Stand - While on a pole press up until reaching the top. At the top press up to do a hand stand on the pole and then A to jump off it.
- Flying - While wearing the Winged Cap triple jump or launch out of a cannon to start flying and use the control stick to steer. Z will cause Mario to butt stomp out of flying.
Levels
Bob-omb's Battlefield
Bob-omb's Battlefield
Bob-omb's Battlefield is comprised of green grassy fields, deep ravines, a high spiraling mountain plateau, and a floating island in the sky. It is ruled by the Bomb King, found atop the mountain, and his army of bob-ombs. Five cannons littered across the level make for easy traveling, but beware Wan Wan, a giant Chain-Comp chained to a pole in the center.
Whomp's Fortress
Whomp's Fortress is a huge floating island with a tower in the center and many smaller floating islands all around. This level is easy to fall from, and can be difficult to navigate for beginners. A tower appears after Mario defeats the evil Button King, a giant wall that tries to crush its opponents. Some enemies to watch out for are the sleeping piranha plants and mini button minions. Also a friendly owl will take Mario for a ride, if you can find him.
Jolly Roger Bay
Jolly Roger Bay
Jolly Roger Bay is an aquatic level with a deep underwater cave hiding buried treasure, sunken ships, and giant electric eels. Clams hide coins which help replenish Mario's health and prevent him from drowning. Use the metal cap to walk along the bottom of the ocean and find the turtle shell to rocket through the water.
Cool, Cool Mountain
Cool, Cool Mountain is a giant spiraling ice mountain. Mario can slide down the mountain side or go in the ski lodge chimney and race a giant penguin. Watch out for the baby penguin. Mario will want to help it back to its mother and while he's at it find the snowman head a new body.
Bowser In The Dark World
The first Bowser level
Bowser In The Dark World is the first of three Bowser levels. This level is linear and has only one path to Bowser's lair. It is possible to get only one star in this level by collecting 8 red coins. Once you get to the top you must enter the green pipe and fight Bowser for the Key to the Basement. To defeat Bowser you must grab him by the tail and throw him into one of the bombs surrounding the arena.
Big Boo's Haunt
Big Boo's Haunt is a level hidden inside a boo in the castle courtyard. It is a giant haunted house with many ghosts and secret rooms. Mario will have to fight Big Boos for their stars throughout the mansion, such as on a giant merry go round in the basement. Go around the back of the mansion for a secret door. Also the large eyeballs get dizzy if Mario run circles around them.
Hazy Maze Cave
Hazy Maze Cave
Hazy Maze Cave is a set of underground caverns. There are rolling boulders to dodge, fiery pits to jump, and tunnels filled with poison. Deep within this complex is a tranquil lake with a friendly dinosaur creature called Nessie who will help Mario navigate to a star, as well as the secret green P switch that unlocks green boxes. After obtaining it Mario will be able to use the metal cap to turn into Metal Mario.
Lethal Lava Land
Lethal Lava Land is an ocean of lava with platforms and set pieces jutting up out of it. Mario must leap from platform to platform and avoid falling in the lava. This can be difficult, as many of the enemies try to bump Mario off, and some of the platforms move. In the center is a volcano that conceals a giant inner chamber.
Shifting Sand Land
Shifting Sand Land
Shifting Sand Land is a giant desert with a huge pyramid in the center. It has many deadly sand traps and powerful sand whirlwinds which will throw Mario through the air. The pyramid is filled with obstacles and two giant stone hands with eyes wait in the dark to crush Mario. There is also a giant vulture flying through the sky who is holding onto a star and can steal Mario's hat.
Dire, Dire Docks
Dire Dire Docks is a water level with a huge whirlpool and a docked submarine. There is also a giant shark that Mario should avoid. Once the second Bowser stage has been completed the submarine will mysteriously disappear.
Bowser In The Fire Sea
The second Bowser level
Bowser In The Fire Sea is much like Lethal Lava Lands in that it is a giant lava ocean. The level extends vertically up out of the lava so that a misstep will send Mario falling into a fiery pit. Like the first Bowser level, Bowser In The Fire Sea is linear and it too has a red coins star. At the top is spirally portal that will lead to Mario's second encounter with Bowser, who holds the key for the upstairs. This battle sees Bowser with a few new tricks, but ultimately the same strategy of throwing him into a bomb works here.
Snowman's Land
Snowman's Land is a snow level with a huge snowman in the center. Mario can scale the snowman but should watch that he isn't blown off by the snowman's powerful breath. Mario will lose his hat if he is. The lake is frigid and will slowly damage Mario, but a skilled player can jump on the flower hatted snowmen to fly over it. There is also a runway that throws snow dunes that Mario must jump over and an ice maze in the mini igloo.
Wet-Dry World
Wet-Dry World
Wet-Dry world is a very vertical level. Mario can scale the cliffs and floating platforms to adjust the water level using switches. Also, depending on whether you enter at the bottom of the painting or jump in at the top will affect the water level at the start. There is a hidden town with a bell tower though an underwater tunnel. This level requires Mario to move the water up and down to get to different stars.
Tall, Tall Mountain
Tall, Tall Mountain is all about scaling a large mountain surrounded by an abyss. There are many places where if Mario fall he will be taken back to the bottom or killed. There is a mischievous monkey that can steal Mario's hat and a sliding challenge much like the earlier snow lodge sledding course. Some of the most difficult tasks have Mario jumping across huge toadstools growing from the abyss around the mountain.
Tiny-Huge Island
Tiny-Huge Island
This level allows Mario to change his size from little to huge. Depending on your size you can affect the environment in different ways. The level has a grassy mountain in the center which can be difficult to scale. The wind is dangerous in this level and can cause Mario to fall to his doom. A giant Wiggler, an easy-to-anger centipede like creature with boots, lives at the top of the mountain.
Tick Tock Clock
Tick Tock Clock is a level consisting of the inside of a clock. The level requires Mario to ascend a hexagonal structure dodging swinging pendulums and riding conveyor belts and clock hands. Depending on what time it is on the clock when you enter the level, the level's obstacles change speed. Certain speeds will make certain stars easier to obtain.
Rainbow Ride
Rainbow Ride
Rainbow Ride takes place high up in the sky and has Mario flying on magic carpets and swinging air ships. There is a giant mansion in the sky complete with a fire place and table. This course is very difficult as a single misstep will send Mario to his death.
Bowser In The Sky
Bowser In The Sky is linear like its predecessors and also has a red coins star. It is the longest and hardest of the Bowser levels and at the top is a pipe that leads Mario to his final confrontation with the Koopa King. To defeat Bowser this time Mario must launch him into three bombs instead of just one. After Bowser is hit two times the land next to the bombs falls away leaving the arena in the shape of a star. This makes the last throw to kill Bowser more difficult as it must be done from farther away. When Bowser is destroyed you are awarded with a giant star and the ending credits.
Items
Mario 64 excluded many of the franchise's classic items, such as the super mushroom and fire flower, in favor of special hats that give Mario unique abilities for a limited time. These caps included the metal cap that made him invulnerable and able to walk on the ocean floor, the vanish cap that let him go through certain barriers, and the wing cap that let him fly. However, some classic Mario items do make a return. These include the 1-up mushroom, Koopa shell, and collectible coins, though coins and Koopa Shells now work differently. Koopa shells are now rare and can be used to surf across the ground and destroy enemies. Coins are now used to restore health instead of increase score and can now be yellow, red, or blue (worth 1, 2, and 5 health respectively). Also in each level, 8 red coins can be collected to obtain a star.
Development
Super Mario 64 CG artwork
Audio
Music for Super Mario 64 was composed by Koji Kondo, longtime Mario composer. For Mario 64 he used familiar themes from previous games as well as some entirely new pieces. The voice cast included Charles Marinet as the voice of Mario, Isaac Marshall as the voice of Bowser, and then senior editor of Nintendo Power Leslie Swan as the voice of Princess Peach. Mario 64 is often cited as the first game to feature Charles Marinet's voice, but this is untrue as the first game was actually Mario's Game Gallery .
Reception
Super Mario 64 was critically acclaimed and commercially very successful. It was the top selling Nintendo 64 game and is the second highest selling Wii Virtual Console game. As of the end of 2007, it has sold 11.8 million copies world wide. The game is often praised as having revolutionized the 3D platformer and for pioneering many of the key gameplay concepts used in modern platforming games. Super Mario 64 it still today one of the highest rated games ever.
Trivia
Yoshi on the Castle roof top
- The fastest recorded completion time for Mario 64 is 17 minutes and 31 seconds. This run makes use of various glitches in the game that make the game completable with just 16 stars.
- Collecting all 120 stars in the game grants access to the castle roof, where players can meet Yoshi, who gives Mario 99 lives and says a friendly message. Also changes Bowser's final message to Mario upon his defeat.
- In the castle's courtyard, a blurry sign reads "L is Real 2041'. This led many people to believe Luigi is in the game, but he still has yet to be found. The DS port of Mario 64 has Luigi as a playable character.
| Game Name | Super Mario 64 |
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| Original US Release |
Sept. 29, 1996
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