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| +++ N64 Nostalgia: Volume I - Super Mario 64 +++ | ||
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| Wu-banga |
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Registered Member #49
Joined: Tue Dec 06 2005, 01:37AMPosts: 1561 |
 I n t r o d u c t i o n 2006 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Nintendo 64. Throughout its lifespan, the system experienced many ups and down, but one thing can be said for certain about the system: it brought us some truly memorable games. Over the next few weeks,, I'll be bringing you a series of threads. The purpose of these threads is to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the system by reflecting on and remembering those great games. It was truly a great time to be a gamer, and anyone who owned a Nintendo 64 and had the pleasure of playing these games will most likely attest to this. And now, onto the game! ----------------------------------------------- Super Mario 64   T h e . G a m e Super Mario 64 marked the portly plumber's first foray into the third dimension. As such, he could run, jump, kick, and punch like never before, offering an unparalled Mario experience at the time, while still remaining true to the feel and setting established by the games which preceeded it. Simply exploring this game and getting a feel for Mario's new moves proved to be a unique and enjoyable experience in itself. The actual story of the game, however, did not delve too far away from the traditional Mario plots. Once more Bowser, the king of the Koopas, has kidnapped Princess Peach, and once again its up to you, as Mario, to save her. However, instead of Mario travelling from world to world, he travelled from painting to painting, each having been brought to life by the power of the castle's stars and each containing a seperate and distinct level. The purpose of each level was to retrieve the stolen power stars from Bowser's minions. Collecting enough would allow you to move from door to door, world to world, until finally you had enough to face Bowser himself. It was elegantly simple, yet still extremely fun and rewarding. The game itself was gorgeous, producing lush 3-D worlds unlike any ever seen before in a video game. Each level was larger than the next, and provided a sense of freedom and discovery that gamers had never quite experienced before and brought to life by the power of Nintendo's new machine. While rather clunky looking and dated by today's standards, at the time Super Mario 64 was quite the graphical feat, and showed to the world just a taste of what the Nintendo 64 was capable of producing. Gameplay was very tight and responsive, thanks in most part to the N64's revolutionary analog control stick and controller, which in most part was designed for this game specifically. Gamers could make Mario go faster or slower depending on how hard or lightly they pushed the control stick, which allowed a greater deal of control for the character and would be put to the rest quite often during the game (such as sneaking by sleeping pirahna plants by tip-toeing lightly). The game also featured a camera system that, while unresponsive at times and would occasionally get stuck in places, still proved to be ahead of its time. The music for the game was also equally as amazing, with varied and familiar themes with a classic Mario touch that fit each level with perfection. Some themes, like the Dire Dire Docks and Rainbow Ride music, would become instant and memorable classics that gamers still enjoy hearing today. Instrucion manual showing many of Mario's new moves  I m p a c t . a n d . L e g a c y As the very first Nintendo 64 game, and arguably the first "true" 3-D game, it goes without saying that Super Mario 64 is one of the most revolutionary games of all-time. It ushered in a new area of gaming, and set the standard for many games to come, both in its genre and beyond. Considering the game had been in the planning stages for almost 5 years, little else could be expected. Most notable about Super Mario 64 is the aforementioned sense of freedom that the game provided. Levels were bigger and better than anything ever seen before, and being able to explore so much of it proved to be one of the game's most enduring legacies. It inspired developers to make games that allowed players to try and go as far as they possible could in an area, and all free-roaming games today certainly owe that aspect of their gameplay to Super Mario 64. No longer were games confined to being linear, and this element of the game captured people's imaginations like no other. The game's camera system would also end up being one of its biggest innovations. You weren't required to simply see Mario from one certain angle anymore; now, you could move the camera all around to see things from any angle, even Mario's own point-of-view. This camera system would become the basis for many 3-D games today. Super Mario 64 also set the standard high for all 3-D platformers that came after it. The critical acclaim met with this game upon release meant that any who tried to challenge its crown would have to truly come up with something special, or look inferior in comparison. There are still many gamers who consider Super Mario 64 to be the greatest game ever created in this genre, and no advancements in technology can change that in their minds. The game would later go on to be re-released as a launch title for Nintendo's latest handheld system, the Nintendo DS, in the form of Super Mario 64 DS. It added 30 new stars and 3 new characters, and while most do not consider it to hold the same type of magic as the original game, it can still be argued that Super Mario 64 DS is a better, more complete version of the game. The game will also be featured for download on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console. An early image of Super Mario 64  "Super Mario 64 is one of the greatest achievements in the gaming world. It brought the 2-D plumber into a 3-D world, complete with ridiculously high jumps, punch and kick attacks, and extremely large bosses. One of my favorite parts about this game is how long it takes to get all 120 stars. Some are cleverly hidden, others are just out in plain view, giving the game a real contrast in difficult. " I m a g e . a n d . M e d i a       I think we can all remember the clever way Mario used to get from enviroment to enviroment. Jumping through paintings. It brings a very unique feel to a game that can never be duplicated unless Nintendo decides to make a sequal. Water-filled spider levels, wintery, snow-filled grounds, a haunted mansion, and a fiery lava-filled level with a volcano are just a few of the amazing peices to this game. Small things such as clever little puzzles and a bunny-rabbit chase through a dungeon are what help this game stay memorable. F i n a l . O p i n i o n Being the first game ever released for the Nintendo 64, Super Mario 64 was the first game I ever owned. I still remember the day like it was yesterday, the day the nintendo 64 along with super mario 64 came out. The mall was packed, and their where lines that ended outside and around the corner from the actual store. But it didn't matter. Me and my dad made our way to Sears little videogamestore, that barely ANYONE knew about. They had a few Nintendo 64s in stock along with Super Mario 64. Not a single soul was at that store. We talked to the owner of the store about the console and game, eventually inspiring us to buy it. I think most of us who played the game when it was first released can remember that sense of magic and wonderment we all shared. Super Mario 64 was a game unlike any other, set in a complete new type of world with a completely new type of gaming style. We all were a bit floored with what we were witnessing, because we were witnessing history in motion. Gaming had experienced a revolution, one like we may never see again, and Super Mario 64 was the game that led the way into a new frontier. I hold this game very near and dear to my heart. I chose it to be the first game I looked at not only because it was the first Nintendo 64 game, but because it is my favorite Nintendo 64 game. Indeed, I consider this to be the greatest game ever released; not only for this system, but for any system. This is in large part to the legacy this game endures, and the revolution in video gaming that it ushured in. There are so many games today that owe something in part to Super Mario 64, and the game's beautiful look, excellent gameplay, and memorable music all add up to make a near-perfect game in my mind. Super Mario 64 has given me so many good memories, ones that will last a lifetime. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way either. Truly this is a game for the ages. Wikipedia for Super Mario 64: -[link]- ------------------------------- Thank you for viewing Volume I of N64 Nostalgia. Be on the lookout shortly for Volume II: Star Fox 64. If you would like to contribute your opinion of this upcoming game for inclusion, please PM me letting me know you're interested. Thanks. Edited Sat Jul 22 2006, 06:58PM |
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| .4ngryToasters |
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you would
Registered Member #149
Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 01:08AMPosts: 2039 |
Well done Wu. Man, has it really been ten years already? I actually still have my N64 (it's not set up because I was too lazy to hook it back up when I got home from college) and it hasn't had a problem with it since I bought. They truly were made to last the ages. Mario 64 still is by far my favorite 3D platformer game (I wish nintendo would make more games as solid as they used to, but now it seems they always have to throw some sort of gimmick in there, when solid gameplay is all they really need). Now I'm going to have to set up my N64 when I get home and kick bowser's ass a few more times... |
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| emerican |
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Registered Member #164
Joined: Tue Mar 07 2006, 12:07PMPosts: 3146 |
Probably one of the greatest games of all time. Thanks for bringing it up, wu. My first ever console (got it in '99, i was 7). So many great memorys. I can remember staying up till 10 (when i was 7, that was LATE) playing, and then waking up at 4 to play some more, and then playing before and after school. After a very long 1 week, i had beaten Super Mario 64. It was the only game i owned. What would i do now? I would beat it again. After beating it the second time, my mom went out and bought me Beetle Adventure Racing. This was probably one of my all time favorite games. You may not have heard of it, but it was really fun. Everyday one of my friends would come over and we would play for hours. Not your typical racing game, you ride volkswagon beetles around, which is very fun. My N64 is up in my bedroom next to my gamecube. It is hooked up and ready for whenever i feel like going back to the good old days. 7 years later, the N64 is still my favorite console. EDIT: You better be doing oceraina of time as well. That was another great game. How about the madden series? It started out on the N64 and look where it is now. NFL Blitz? I was fuckin awesome at that game. Edited Fri Jul 21 2006, 02:20PM |
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| Wu-banga |
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Registered Member #49
Joined: Tue Dec 06 2005, 01:37AM Posts: 1561 |
well Blitz is one of my favorites too, its just about finding enough info so i can write about them. man i can remember playing blitz hours. 2 of my friends where brothers and the older one (ron) always beat dennis. you should have SEEN the fights they got into. it was hilarious. they've been grounded over that game 1,000,000 times. dennis would always get mad because he would lose and they would throw controllers and shit. Blitz FTW 
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| emerican |
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Registered Member #164
Joined: Tue Mar 07 2006, 12:07PM Posts: 3146 |
lol yeah i threw too many controllers. broke the tv once. yeah i only lost at that game ONCE. ever. and im not kidding. i even substituted for my friend with 3 minutes left in the game, and he was down by 21, and i came back to win in OT. My friend was so pissed he threw the cartirge out the window. which i later went out and took, and he never found out i got it. |
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| DarkNarf |
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Surf Owner/Operator
Registered Member #29
Joined: Tue Nov 29 2005, 01:47AMPosts: 409 |
i can get all 120 stars in that game in about 30 minutes. maybe a lil longer if i didn't glitch some of the stars Edited Fri Jul 21 2006, 07:45PM | ||
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| kd. |
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♥ (✿◠‿◠) ♥
Registered Member #75
Joined: Sat Dec 17 2005, 08:51PMPosts: 3128 |
2 words - Project 64. (google it).
For the lazy people - -[link]-
Props to my friend, NEO (xfire - privateneo04) for making this in GMOD today, RIGHT as I was reading this thread.
Edited Fri Jul 21 2006, 09:59PM
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| emerican |
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Registered Member #164
Joined: Tue Mar 07 2006, 12:07PM Posts: 3146 |
i cant find where to download mario. link? | ||
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| kd. |
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♥ (✿◠‿◠) ♥
Registered Member #75
Joined: Sat Dec 17 2005, 08:51PM Posts: 3128 |
-[link]- | ||
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| emerican |
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Registered Member #164
Joined: Tue Mar 07 2006, 12:07PM Posts: 3146 |
thanks | ||
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