super mario 64 review
Super Mario 641996. After ten years of almost undivided reign over the 2D platform universe, Mario is tackling a new challenge, entering the 3D era as the spearhead of the all-new console from Nintendo, the N64. Faced with Sony, which is gaining ground with its Playstation, "Big N" must make a move to make people forget the delay with which the one who must succeed the legendary Super Nintendo has finally arrived in the hearts of fans of the brand. Bet won for Super Mario 64 which will establish itself as a reference model for all future 3D platform games.
If the principle of Super Mario 64 could not be simpler at the outset, it is because his interest has been concentrated on all the other elements that make up this exceptional cartridge. Indeed, the scenario is anything but new: invited to enjoy a delicious cake in the company of the princess, Mario goes to his castle, where he does not find it. Welcomed by a sinister message, the plumber learns that Bowser has kidnapped Peach and dispersed all the stars of power which protected the castle through fifteen levels accessible via tables acting as magic portals. The quest therefore consists of recovering the stars necessary to unlock each of the castle doors in order to progress in the game, before the inevitable confrontation with Bowser at the top of his giant fortress based in the heavens. In its entirety, the software has no less than 120 stars hidden in all of the levels, and even if these are not all essential to complete the adventure, the diversity of challenges immediately prompts the player to search the adventure in every corner.
The magic of Mario 64 operates as soon as you turn on the console: the title screen immediately displays two major surprises: Mario speaks and his face is in 3D! Being able to manipulate it in all directions reveals the immense technological progress made between the 16-bit generation (Super Nintendo) and 64-bit (Nintendo 64). Once in the game, the freedom of movement offered to us is striking. Rediscover your eyes from twelve years ago and admire this perfect animation, these graphics where the coarse pixels have disappeared (although today, we can find the polygons of this young 3D quite sketchy ...). The impression of relief is very real, the soundscape leaves us hidden and the plumber's animations find in 3D a new means of expression. The crossing of the outer courtyard of the castle is also there to allow us to familiarize ourselves with this incredibly exhilarating range of movements, signposts being there to assist us in our beginnings. A kind of very well thought out tutorial which takes into account the fact that at the time players were not yet familiar with the 3D platform. But even if the genre was still in its infancy, the effectiveness of the gameplay in Super Mario 64 was nonetheless very real, a real gem in terms of precision, ergonomics and gaming pleasure.
A success which is explained precisely by the complementarity of the movements achievable by our plumber, able to jump in all directions, chaining back somersaults, long jumps, high jumps, double or triple jumps, and to make the pear tree from the top of the trees. Not easy to master at first, this incredible gestural freedom is truly the strong point of Super Mario 64. It is therefore literally conquered and fascinated that we push the door of the castle where a cavernous voice warns us while a Toad in panic trembles like a leaf at the foot of the grand staircase. But it does not matter, since we have already left in the first level of the game to find that the intrusion of 3D will force us to completely review our reflexes of players. The habits linked to the classic 2D platform schema are immediately erased in favor of new areas with totally different functioning, but which we understand quite easily because Mario 64 is a game that shines with its formidable accessibility, which few softs will eventually match.
Concretely, each level of the game contains six stars to be recovered independently of each other and in any order. At the entrance of the world, the name of the first of the six stars sought appears, its title containing a clue supposed to put us on the way. Because if the configuration of the worlds does not really change according to the chosen mission, the index in question must be enough to point us in a different direction each time. After having obtained the precious star at the end of a perilous course, one can then launch out in search of the next star and thus discover new portions of levels hidden until then. The strength of Super Mario 64 is to offer a set of sufficiently large and diverse levels, with progressive difficulty, the last stars being particularly difficult to obtain in levels where the decor is in perpetual motion. The fifteen environments imagined for the software are based on certainly classic themes (ice, lava, desert ...) but conducive to constantly changing situations, the puzzles to solve to reach the stars are never repetitive. The exploration of the levels can also count on the quality of the soundtrack, certain music being absolutely magnificent, in particular the underwater theme which is among the most enchanting ever heard on cartridge and which is not unlike that of the first Donkey Kong Country.
Are all these qualities enough to make Super Mario 64 the worthy heir of its elders? Difficult to pass after a Super Mario Bros or a Super Mario World, and yet this episode N64 reaches largely the height of its ambitions by offering us an unforgettable and revolutionary gaming experience for the time. Despite everything, we cannot help but express some regrets. First of all, on the risk-taking side, Super Mario 64 does not get too wet. The enemies and the general universe are all well-known (goombas, koopas, parts, switches, etc.), so there are very few innovations at this level. That said, the recovery of the characteristic elements of 2D does not ultimately shock that much. Better still, it almost imposed itself. Super Mario 64 remains above all the first game developed by Nintendo in 3D, but also the first to exploit the amazing controller of the N64, with its analog joystick, its C arrows and its trigger ideal for FPS. And ergonomically speaking, Mario 64 is once again irreproachable as the apparent complexity of the pad is quickly erased by an impeccable grip. We can hardly find the title a bit easy to finish, even if certain passages require millimeter precision and very good control of camera angles. Super Mario 64 remains in the end one of the few games that can be redone hundreds of times without the slightest weariness, and it is a sign that never fails. It is not for nothing that it will remain one of the most famous games of its time and that it will even be brought up to date in 2004 on the occasion of the release of the remake on DS.
The notes
Graphics 18/20
The visual rendering is very colorful, 3D is masterfully managed, each character and each setting is rewarded with an extra soul that makes the whole very alive. While maintaining its childish standards, Mario 64 is extremely immersive: for the first time in the history of the saga, we really have the feeling of being immersed in a real environment, which gives a crazy charm to the adventure in its entirety.
Gameplay 19/20
The playability of Mario 64 is wonderfully balanced, everything obeys the finger and the eye and has been thought out in every detail. The management of the camera is entirely manual and requires a certain time of adaptation, but controlling Mario is a real pleasure. We can for example precisely measure the speed of its movements according to the inclination of the joystick, and everything is in keeping ... a real masterpiece!
Lifespan 16/20
With its 120 stars spread over 15 different worlds, Super Mario 64 offers a very honest lifespan and a truly progressive challenge. While it is not difficult to complete the adventure in a straight line, getting all the stars is far from obvious, especially in the last two worlds of the game (clock and rainbow) where the traps do not not forgive. An ideal compromise that we will also find in later episodes. The secrets are so numerous that we enjoy restarting the game many times with always as much fun.
Soundtrack 17/20
The sound effects are memorable and the themes are catchy and always stick very well to the overall atmosphere. Not all of them are mythical, although a good part of them is in danger of falling into posterity, the friend Koji Kondo having really missed out on the musical themes of this title. We will also appreciate and savor some very effective remixes from the first parts of the series.
Scenario/
It would be slightly inappropriate to penalize such an exceptional game on this point where the saga has never particularly shone but which fortunately has no impact on the quality of the game. Joker therefore.
Super Mario 64 clearly stands out as a timeless classic in video games. Suffering almost no major defect, polished to perfection and enjoying optimal playability, he knew how to lay the foundations of the 3D platform game with flying colors. Contributing largely to the success of the launch of the console, it still deserves its status as a reference today and is one of the few titles that we repeat with as much happiness. Despite its age, Super Mario 64 has retained all of its ability to leave the player speechless in front of its technical arguments and its enormous playful potential, and this is its strength.
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