Collection essentials #399: Super Mario 64 (N64)

Normally I go through my list of games on a system in alphabetical order, but I really felt that this had to be the first Nintendo 64 game to post about. This was the big launch title for the console and I would argue that it was its most significant game. Super Mario 64 was a game-changer for the entire industry, and without it at launch I think the Nintendo 64 would have done far worse.

It’s no surprise that Nintendo wanted Mario to launch with their new console, since doing so had worked out so well in the past. However, with the Nintendo 64 being a 3D console, the developers had to consider how they wanted to design this new Mario game. Would it be like the previous 2D platformers, only with a new 3D coat of paint? No, Super Mario 64 would be a completely different thing entirely. 

At the start of the game, Mario gets an invitation to Princess Peach’s castle to have cake. On a side note, this wasn’t the first game where the princess was named “Peach” outside Japan, but this game definitely marks the beginning of when that became the norm rather than “Toadstool”. Upon getting to the castle, Mario finds out that Bowser has kidnapped her and taken over the castle! In order to gain access to the whole castle and confront Bowser, Mario must collect as many “Power Stars” as he can. Some are found in the castle, but others are hidden in levels that can generally be accessed by jumping into paintings that show a depiction of the level. The castle serves as a sort of “hub world” that Mario can freely explore, and Mario must find entry points to various levels within it. 

Levels don’t work like they do in previous Mario games. This isn’t a case where you’ll simply be looking for the end of a stage and trying to get there. Upon entering a level, you must select which star you wish to obtain (each one has a title related to the objective), and circumstances in the level may vary a bit depending on your selection. Oftentimes you’ll be able to find and obtain a different star than the one you selected, but not always. Levels are large, three-dimensional and fairly open-ended most of the time. Acquiring a star can entail all kinds of activities, ranging from beating a boss, to helping other characters, to winning a race, to reaching a tricky spot, and more. This game was not the first 3D platformer, but it really pioneered this more open-ended gameplay. There’s a lot of variety and creativity in the level design, and Mario will traverse different environments such as a desert, a lava world, a couple ice worlds, a haunted house, and more. 

The genius of Super Mario 64 that made it such a splash is the controls. First, the camera. With 3D video games, the perspective of the player was suddenly a lot more important and tricky to get right. Super Mario 64 was the game that introduced a camera that could freely be controlled by the player, pressing the four “C buttons” on the face of the controller. It was a huge success and prevented a lot of potential frustration with the player not being able to see what they want to see. 

Mario has a huge variety of moves which makes movement dynamic and fun. He can jump three times consecutively and get more height each time, he can do a backflip from a crouch, he can do a “wall jump” to get more height coming off a wall, he can do a running low-arch jump to cover a lot of distance, and he can do a backwards jump out of a run which gets him pretty high up too. The game is less dependent on power-ups, and Mario generally fights by punching enemies, jumping on their heads or ground-pounding them. Power-ups do exist, but they have to be unlocked in the middle of the game and are temporary, often serving to get specific stars in certain levels. The most notable power-up is the wing cap, which lets Mario fly, which is super cool. 

Mario has a lot of voice clips in this game, which gives him more personality. He’s voiced by Charles Martinet, who voiced the character for over 30 years. Martinet had done some occasional Mario voice work a few years before Super Mario 64, but this was the first time that his voice was prominently featured in a major Mario title, and the sound of it quickly became strongly associated with the character. 

You may notice there are two cartridges in my photo. One of them is a Japanese copy. In the second year of the console, Nintendo introduced the “Rumble Pak” which caused the player’s controller to vibrate as a response to certain in-game happenings. They decided to release an updated version of Super Mario 64 with support for the Rumble Pak. For some reason this version remained a Japan exclusive. I don’t quite consider this version to be an essential, but I figured I’d show it off.

As you can imagine, I loved Super Mario 64 as a kid. I think I remember my first time playing it, at a kiosk in public somewhere, and I got to mess around in the “Whomp’s Fortress” level not really knowing what I was doing. In the next few years I cherished every chance I had to play at the houses of friends and family. When my family finally got a Nintendo 64 at the end of 1999, Super Mario 64 wasn’t one of the very first games we had. But thankfully I got it for my birthday a short time later the following February. The cartridge shown in the photo is the very same cartridge I got for my 10th birthday. The box, as you may notice, is a mismatch, since it’s for the “Player’s Choice” rerelease. That’s slightly annoying, but as of right now I don’t feel motivated to fix it.

It’s impossible to overstate the importance and impact on Super Mario 64. It was the best-selling game on the console, and it probably influenced every three-dimension game of the generation that came after it in some way. It’s a true quintessential essential, and any Nintendo 64 collection that doesn’t have it feels like blasphemy.