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zimmi88's Super Mario 64 (N64)
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| [February 21, 2008 03:57:35 AM]
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This entry is spoiler-free!
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GAMEPLAY
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Upon playing a second session of Super Mario 64, I realized that there was one critical aspect of the game I had forgotten to mention, in terms of its open-world feel. Another great aspect of Super Mario 64 is that not only are the level designs open-ended, but the player’s choice and order of levels is left much more to the player’s discretion than in previous games. I came to appreciate this as I would find challenges that seemed tedious or too difficult, as I could simply choose to go to another world and go after another star, instead. At first, you must go after a specific star on the first level, but beyond that, the world slowly opens up to the player as the game progresses. After collecting the first star, the player could choose to play the level again for another star, or move on to a newly-unlocked level.
Beyond this, though, I must mention a couple of gripes I have with the game thus far. Yes, the game is good, but it is by no means perfect. The biggest problem I have faced thus far playing the game is the clunky controls. This observation probably comes from having played many modern platformers, but the controls could have used some polishing. At times, I find it very difficult to get Mario to walk in a straight line, especially over narrow ledges. I’ve gotten better at this, but it still seems Mario sometimes moves weirdly in a way I can’t control. But beyond Mario’s movement controls is the camera controls. Instead of fluid camera controls, like most modern games, Super Mario 64 features a camera that moves to a static angle on each movement of the control stick. Being used to the ability to manipulate the camera to whatever angle I choose in modern games, this gets to be frustrating. There are even some times when the camera is controlled by the computer that it decided to place itself at the most inopportune angle, like around a corner from where Mario and his enemies are at. But, it must be remembered that Super Mario 64 is not a modern platformer by any means and, for the time it was released, the controls were impressive.
DESIGN
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What must be remembered about the design behind Super Mario 64 is that what made it such an impressive seller at the time was the innovation it featured in its Core Gameplay Mechanic and Level Design. These are the key aspects of Super Mario 64 that makes it a truly great game.
For its Core Gameplay Mechanic, the main mechanic is the simple fact that you can control Mario through a three-dimensional space. A few games had attempted this before, but were usually limited in control. Super Mario 64 was the first game to get 3D platforming right.
But to show off this new Core Gameplay Mechanic, there needed to be a suitable space for the user to move through. This is where the beauty in the level and world design comes in. The levels in Super Mario 64 are much larger than previously imagined and are not really restricted. Sure, the levels are designed to guide the player towards the goal, but the player is by no means obligated to follow the breadcrumbs.
These wide open worlds, combined with the ability of the player to pick and choose which challenges they would like to face in what order and three-dimensional movement all contribute to one key design innovation: player freedom. The beauty in the design of Super Mario 64 is the emphasis towards giving the player freedom to move about in this created world in whatever order they choose. The player could choose to follow the breadcrumbs left by the design team. On the other hand, the player could simply choose to explore the vast worlds created by the design team. The player has the freedom to choose what they want to do, an innovation previously unexplored in the industry as a whole.
Because of the innovative design in Super Mario 64, many games today are much more open to player choice and movement. This is a trend that continues to grow as designers seek the creation of photorealistic worlds that interact and change with the player’s input.
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| [February 20, 2008 09:00:40 PM]
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This entry is spoiler-free!
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SUMMARY
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Super Mario 64, one of the first games released on the Nintendo 64, is widely considered as one of the most influential games in video game history. In Super Mario 64, you play Mario who, as usual, is tasked with rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser. In Super Mario 64, the Mario franchise moved from 2D to 3D, with the ability to move Mario around and about in open game play worlds.
GAMEPLAY
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It should come as no surprise at this point – for those that have read my previous game logs – that Super Mario 64 was played using the Wii Virtual Console. A GameCube Controller was used to play the game, which better represents the N64 Controller than the Virtual Console Controller. As usual, Nintendo doesn’t alter the games released on Virtual Console, so playing the game using the Virtual Console is fully representative of the experience one would get from playing it on the N64.
With that out of the way, I must confess that I never got the chance to play Super Mario 64 when I was younger for the plain and simple reason I never owned an N64. I blame this on my parents, whom believed PC gaming was comparable to owning a console. Regardless, though, as one who keeps his ears tuned in on the industry news, I recognized before playing that Super Mario 64 has been highly regarded for years as one of the most influential games in video game history, being probably the first game to truly get the concept of 3D platforming right.
I will say right away that I have enjoyed playing Super Mario 64 thus far. As a future game designer, however, the question extends beyond whether the game was enjoyable to why the game was fun or not. There are many answers to this question, but the real answer to why Super Mario 64 is fun is its innovative design in level and game play.
Compared to previous Mario titles, Super Mario 64 is a much more open-ended experience. This is attributed to the game’s Core Gameplay Mechanic: the ability to move, run, and jump through a three-dimensional space. When playing the game, I felt I had the ability to explore around the level and it felt like a more complete world as a whole. Yet, what I found interesting is that, as I would play, the path would kind of guide me towards the level’s goal. Even beyond this, though, the game does lay out for you the goal of the level through character dialogue and the level select screen, so you’re fairly certain what you are supposed to be doing as you explore.
As with the other Mario games I have discussed previously, there also exists a certain charm and aesthetic when playing Super Mario 64. The colors are bright and saturated, and the characters are cartoonish in their portrayal. As with other Mario games, this creates a more carefree experience when playing.
Anyway, that’s all I have to say for now. More on Super Mario 64 later.
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zimmi88's Super Mario 64 (N64)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 20 February, 2008
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