Pros: Inventive gameplay and awesome graphics.
Cons: The controls take time to get used to.
The bottom line: The game may be old, but it still remains one of the best titles in the Mario series today.
Classical gameplay tends to die within time. There was racing games with their constant pop ups, there was sports games that were as exciting as a new trash can, and there was RPG games with characters as boring as their linear stories. Times have changed, and one title that was always a 2D platformer title took the leap into 3D like many other genres. Now that Mario's in his best adventure yet, with the most realistic graphics, story, and innovative gameplay, you should be happy that video games have come out of their 2D shells only to become as lifelike as you and me.

In the new Mario story, the giant reptile Bowser, is up to his old tricks. Kidnapping Princess Toadstool after she cordially invited Mario to an afternoon cake was a bad idea. For Mario, that lizard king has taken things too far! Through paintings that act as portals throughout Toadstool's castle, Mario will leap into danger as he explores the spooky realms of ghost lands, soars the skies in a world of floating objects, belly slides the slopes down icy cliffs, and even wrestles the molten magma in Bowser's own heated terrain. Are you ready for the next evolution of Mario? Take a leap into 3D and find out!

Since Super Mario 64 is a 3D game, the idea is that Mario's chubby body is as rounded as the hand you use to type. As any of Mario's previous incarnations, the worlds Mario will explore are colorful, bright with life, and are a fantasy within a fantasy. Each breathtaking stroll through each excellent area makes this Mario's best adventure yet. You'll watch as Mario can grow wings and fly through the blue heavens in 3D, splash around watery streams, and meet the same old monsters from the 2D days that look so much better than ever before!

The gameplay is unlike any of Mario's other games, I've got to tell you. Mario is now able to pull off a new set of stunts, such as jumping on a wall, and relaying to a higher spot all thanks to the Nintendo 64's own analog controller. With the new Nintendo 64 analog controller, he even punches, kicks, and back flips -- amazing! To go along with all that, Mario can now also slide down hills, fly like never before, and even swim with the fishies in an immense and vivid land. Though, the hard part about the game is first getting used to the controls completely. If you're a new time Nintendo 64 user, the analog controls are very tricky, and take maybe an hour or so to even apply full mental capabilities towards. From trying to jump, run, swim, and every other move you'll do with Mario, there are a number of buttons on the controller that will confuse just about anyone. But within time, Mario will be doing moon walks around the enemies if you're patient enough.

The game's story bases itself on meeting interesting characters like a penguin mother who lost her baby, and it's up to you to find him. Or, sometimes you may have to collect a number of objects in order to complete certain areas. Whatever the case is, there's hours upon hours of gameplay and fun in Super Mario 64. Straying form the regular story, Mario also has the occasional mini-game and boss to fight. Much of Super Mario 64 has Mario collecting coins to build up his life. One mini-game, for example, Mario can race the clock to collect as many coins as he can down a loopy slide. If you're able to achieve victory, you'll improve your game's status. A lot of the game's bosses take careful strategy to defeat. Certain bosses have a weakness. Finding this weakness out, and using Mario's new array of movements all have to come together in order to make the battle one to win.

In the game's audio section, Mario now has a voice. You'll listen to Mario as he comments when he gets hurt or even excited. Even though the voice acting isn't a big part of the game, the nice thing is to finally have Mario speaking. The in-game music is completely like the earlier Mario games: serene and cheerful, and at other times, moody and exhilarating. In the new Mario game, you'll get to hear it all. The sound effects of water splashing to Mario's own footsteps as he pads along a world of snow, sky, and fire is all there.

The Nintendo 64 may be a dead system, but the memory of one the console's best games still lives on to this day as a classic. If you've never owned a Nintendo 64, and may still have a slight of thought of getting one, now's your chance to get the best game on the system! For a fun time with the best Mario game yet, Super Mario 64 is one exciting exploration of a good time!

This review is part of Yarrick's own "A Look Back on the Nintendo 64 Write-off"! If you're bored or something (which is why you're probably reading my awful review), then view some of these other participant reviews as well. Because, these people too have also something boring (just kidding) to read about. Here they are:

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