Retro Review: Super Mario 64

1996 marked the year that Mario (successfully) transitioned from a 2D sidescroller into a 3D platforming adventure. At the time, the game was regarded as revolutionary. We now look back at Super Mario 64 in full detail, to see if it really deserved the positive reviews it once received.

The game starts off as any other Mario game, the princess is captured by Bowser and Mario needs to rescue her. Rescuing the princess is not as easy as storming into the castle & finding her. Bowser has stolen the castle's "Power Stars" & hid it across many worlds. The worlds can be accessed throughout giant portraits throughout the castle. As more stars are collected, more areas become unlocked. Each world produces 7 stars, but they are earned differently, by completeing different tasks.

Mario's actions were expanded for the 3D game. Before the only way to attack an enemy was to bounce on its head. In SM64, Mario can now slide, kick & punch in addition to his normal attack. The game also expanded on Mario's jumps. Now Mario is able to Triple Jump, Back Flip & Wall Jump to continue his adventure.

The audio & visuals for this game, by today's standards, would make most gamers cry. But in the time it came out, it was spectacular. The combination of 3D & 2D produced a great environment. All the worlds were completely different, each one having its own flair & taste. The music was also done beautifully. Wherever you went, it felt like the music fit. When Mario is in an underwater stage, slow, soothing music plays. When Mario is in a ghost level, errie music fills the stage.

Overall, this game deserves to be one of the greatest titles ever to hit any console. The game could be played over & over again without any feeling of streching out the fun. Over a decade later, the game still deserves a 10 out of 10.

-Jesse