MARIO 64

How it was?

Believe the hype. Super Mario 64 is every bit as good as you've heard. The graphics alone make this game a must play. The graphics truly are the most beautiful thing ever produced on a home console. Every rock, wall, and enemy are totally solid with no overlapping (thanks to the N64's Z-Buffering).





But the graphics alone do not make this game, it is the gameplay that truly shines through. And what a variety of gameplay there is. Goombas, Koopa Troopa's Bob-Omb's -- they're all back in 3-D and looking better than ever. Mario will have to get around these baddies as well as some new ones -- even a "coin" that changes into a frog as you get closer to it. Although the game is still pretty much a platform game, navigating each platform has never been so much fun. 2-D side scrollers are now out of business, thanks to Mario 64.

The story is pretty much the same old Mario plot -- rescue the Princess from the stain-glass prison that Bowser has entrapped here in. You start the game outside Bowser's castle, and as you enter you are presented with various doors with numbers on them representing the number of stars you will need to enter that room, and thus continue on to the next level and eventually meet Bowser. You gain stars by finding them in the levels or performing a task in that level (like racing bringing a baby penguin back to its mother). In Mario 64, you will meet Bowser 3 times, with the last meeting requiring at least 70 stars. But with only 70 stars, you've actually only completed half the game. There are 120 stars in the game, giving the average game player at least 80 hours of game play. Some people might find them quicker, but many of them are very well hidden and most of them still elude me, and I've had the game for almost two months.

This cheesy old Mario story line is enhanced by the great graphics and great sound. Some of the water and fire level soundtracks are especially catching. They compliment the game very well, as do Mario's audible hollers and yells as he jumps, punches, kicks, and hangs on to ledges.

Now that I've built this game up to epic proportions, let's turn to the downside. There is quite a bit of object and character pop-up. This is probably the most noticeable and the most disappointing aspect of the game. I didn't expect it to happen since the N64 is so powerful, but it does happen quite frequently, especially in the later levels. Along with pop-up, on-screen slow-down is another

minor problem. While not as prevalent as pop-up, it is still there on occasion, and can be distracting. Also, the sound, while sometimes catchy, does become rather monotonous after extended periods of playing.

But all of these down sides are minor when you look at what an amazing game Mario 64 is. From the moment I popped the game in, I knew I had purchased a masterpiece. Words cannot describe the feeling you get when playing in a true 3-D world. I was free to run, jump, climb any tree, and yes, make Mario dive head first (in true Olympic form) into the various lakes and pools throughout each beautiful level. I have never had more fun playing a video game! After you play this game, you'll forget about all the delays surrounding its launch. The video game world will never be the same!

SCORE: 9.9

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Rated 4.9/5 based on 15 reviews