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tako_yaki's Super Mario 64 (N64)
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| [February 21, 2008 01:17:08 AM]
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GAMEPLAY
Again, getting back into the game is hard, because I forgot how hard it is to control the camera angles sometimes. It's actually really tricky, and I get frustrated with it easily because the little camera guy doesn't go where I want him to. Aside from that the game is pretty good. I'll admit that I tend to get motion sickness--not good, I know--and Mario 64 doesn't really help because the camera angle changes so often, but it's easy to deal with. That is probably the worst part of the game, in my opinion, because the rest of the game isn't hindered by the revolving camera angles. One thing about Super Mario 64 is the amount of different rooms that can be unlocked. Also, there are dozens of secrets that I have yet to unlock. For once, a level that I have mentioned before, where you can control the different water levels in order to get to where you need to go, I have no idea how to get to the other half of the map. I have seen it done before, but still don't comprehend how to get over the caged exit and into the under ground tunnel that leads to a separate map. Thank goodness that the stars in that map are not mandatory, and can be made up for in different worlds, but it still frustrates me that I can't get to it. However, I am very impressed in the amount of thinking I need to do in the game. Some of the worlds really are brain teasers.
The story itself, as lovable as Mario is, is fairly simple. The same old damsel in distress. However, the way the game goes about it is interesting. The camera guy is--more or less--broadcasting his adventure. It's an interesting idea. Regardless, even with an overused story line I believe Mario 64 makes up for it's freedom of movement, interesting level and worlds, and the classic characters you are reintroduced too. Furthermore, because the story doesn't progress if you don't want it to, the game gives you ample times to goof off. Which is what I look forward to every game. Shell riding, flying around with the winged cap, getting shot out of canons. It's endless amount of fun.
DESIGN
In this game, I believe that I am most impressed with the level design. There are loads of puzzles mixed into a 3D world, and dozens of places to explore. The best thing is, the clever idea to use paintings a portals into the worlds, and making sure that every world is a little different from the rest. There is only one over-arching conflict in the game, and that is to unlock as many doors and paintings as you can in order to get enough stars to reach the final Bowser battle and save Peach. I say: "It gets a little repetitive." But the up-side to all of this is the fact that the worlds are interesting to explore, so it balances out the lack of conflicts.
I have noted before that the control over the camera angles frustrates me to the point of pain. But I deal with it. It's an interesting idea, because usually it's an auto-cam that changes angles on it's own, but sometimes it's hard to control when you want to look in one direction and it goes flying off in another. In this case, I keep forgetting that I have to hold down the directional button to keep the camera where I want it. Other than that, the idea of a small camera man following the character around is interesting and cute at the same time. I can't say that the enemies get harder and harder as you go through the levels, because you either jump on them or punch them in order to kill them. It is amusing that Mario actually recoils when he's hit by an enemy, but annoying when all the enemy has to do is touch him. They need to put armor on him or something. Of course, there is a metal cap, that gives him a chrome suit to where in certain levels, but that's only sometimes. Furthermore, I find it interesting that Mario can put on different caps in order to perform different actions. He has a winged cap to help him fly, an invisible cap to make him invisible and help him walk through walls, and a metal cap to keep the air in so you can walk through water and poison gas and make you momentarily invincible to attacks. But I think these caps spoil you, because I'm always looking for one to use now.
I also think that the design of the Bowser battles are somewhat repetitive. All you have to so it toss him onto one of the bombs that line his battle arena, but the motion of swinging the large Koopa King by the tail has become a universal motion. I was surprised, however, that in the final Bowser battle the arena starts to fall apart. It certainly presented a new challenge to me and I remember re-doing the battle over and over again before I finally beat it. However, just because you beat the final Bowser doesn't mean you've finished the game. The great design of Mario is that you can go back and redo whatever level you want, even if you've already gotten that star. In a time continuum the games exists in a flat plane, not a line. There is a beginning and an end, but no past present and future. Go back to your favorite level as much as you want. Fight Bowser as many times as you want. Now that's freedom.
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| [February 20, 2008 09:41:33 PM]
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SUMMARY
The notorious Koopa King, Bowser, had kidnapped Princess Peach once again, and has sealed her at the top of her own castle. Mario had been summoned to have tea with the princess, but upon coming to the castle he learns of Peach's absence and immediately goes off to try and save her. It's a classic game with a 3-D twist, and Mario is forced to collect stars as a means of unlocking the doors that would eventually lead him to the top of the castle. But Bowser has one-uped him in the sense that he has sealed all the stars away in the various paintings, secret walls, and chambers within the castle. Now Mario has to go into the various painting worlds, collecting stars, and eventually gathering enough to unlock the doors that would lead him to the Princess and ultimately defeat the Koopa King.
GAMEPLAY
Playing Super Mario 64 takes me way back, and fills me with a nostalgic feeling. I will not compare it to the platformer of Super Mario World, or Super Mario Brothers, because Mario 64 is a vast improvement from the days of flame flowers and size-enhancing mushrooms. In fact, Super Mario 64 has very little of the elements seen in its SNES brothers. The game is still cute though, Mario looks as adorable in 3D as he does in 2D, and because there are so many installments in the Mario series, picking up Mario 64 is like meeting an old friend who's been improved beyond his years. I must say, I miss playing this game, even though it was hard for me to remember how to play. I was disappointed to find out that after not touching the game for a couple years, I have lost my edge. However, I believe that it is probably because I was comparing it to the other 3D games on the current market. Or Mario 64 could just be a hard game to get back into, once you've put it down.
Narrative wise, there is none. There is Toad, who pops up every once in a while, to help move the story along, but I liked the game because it puts a lot of emphasis on personal exploration. Also, the idea for painting worlds was vastly interesting to me. Even though levels of the castle was opened by the number of stars that you collect, most of the paintings on that level are open game. There really is no order. You can go to the Whomp Whomp Castle before Frappy's Snowland, or vice versa. The point of it all is to get stars, and since a star is a star, it doesn't really matter where you get it from. I like this aspect of the game. The worlds themselves offer up many interesting geographical locations. There are snow worlds, deserts and pyramids, floating castles and pirate ships. I'm always able to keep myself entertained, if not frustrated with some of the puzzles that I am forced to complete, but it's always satisfying to obtain a new star. I was actually surprised, when I revisited one of the water worlds, at the sheer complexity of the puzzles you have to figure out. What with playing with the water levels in sequence to help you get to where you need to be. The countless worlds are amazing.
I remember having a lot of time talking with the people around me, even when it's a single player game. It's easy to take turns too. After the completion of one level you can hand the controller over to a friend, and wait for them to complete a level. I used to do this all the time, and it gave me time to take a break, and I yet I wasn't missing out on the action. Mario is a lovable character and everyone wants to cheer him on, naturally. I even remember, cringing for him when he falls off high places or suffocate from staying under water for too long.
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tako_yaki's Super Mario 64 (N64)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 20 February, 2008
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