Super Mario 64 DS

"Thank you so much for a-playing my game... again"

Super Mario 64 set the standard for 3D platforming on the N64. It allowed a new freedom to console gaming that was unknown in the 2D worlds of the Super Nintendo. Now Super Mario 64 is revived on Nintendo's dual screen system as one of the first true 3D handheld games, breaking away from the confines of 2D gaming once more in a much more portable way.

It's likely that at some point in time you've played or at least seen Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64, but for those unfamiliar with the game, this is the founding father of 3D platforming. The setup of Super Mario 64 has become fairly standard in the genre, and as such this is very familiar ground for any fans of platforming action. There is a central hub world, in this case Princess Peach's castle, that is used to access each individual level. Each level is divided up into several objectives. Completing an object earns a star, which in turn open doors in the hub world, exposing more levels. Every level has different objectives unique to the environment, though there are some common to all levels such as "collect one hundred coins" and "find the red coins". Some of the goals, which have become a Mario staple, put Mario in a floating world made of a series of moving platforms. These can be quite challenging and fun, but later challenges are extremely frustrating. These challenges usually precede the boss Battles. Get used to fighting Bowser, because Super Mario 64 doesn't mix up the boss fights at all. These battles are all based on the idea that Mario must somehow grasp Bowser's tail, swing him around, and toss him off the course or into bombs surrounding the rink. The boss fights are actually pretty fun, but they are never very hard. Even the final show down is a real pushover. For the most part Super Mario 64 is a fairly easy game. The first few levels can be beat on the first try, but later levels are very challenging. Some of the last levels are so incredibly difficult that they simply aren't any fun at all. A lot of this frustration is due to taking Mario underwater. Diving underwater is a common event in Super Mario 64, and unfortunately these are some of the more frustrating parts of any level. Underwater navigation is frustrating. It's too hard to control Mario underwater, and the pressure of running out of air is aggravating. Underwater levels are all too common in the platform genre and despite being horrendously frustrating; they still get put in. On a positive note, Mario's land dwelling adventures are fun and challenging. The worlds are big, and take a lot of exploration to understand. A considerable amount of time can even be spent just exploring the hub world.

The differences between the DS and Nintendo 64 versions become apparent right in the beginning, as Yoshi is the only playable character. Eventually Mario, Luigi, and Wario will join the ranks as their portraits are found and secret level completed. Each character has a unique ability that only they can perform, taking the place or Mario's various hats. This can be rather annoying as different level objectives now requires specific characters to complete certain tasks, and the only way to switch characters is in a room located near the front of the castle. It's very tedious to have to trek back through the expansive castle just to switch characters. Luckily the game doesn't require character switches too often due to conveniently located hats throughout each level that will transform the current character into the appropriate character's hat. Super Mario 64 DS is loaded with goals to accomplish, and the many various levels will keep players busy for several hours. There are a total of one hundred and fifty stars to collect, that's thirty more than the original game. Even with the extra stars, if you've already played through the Nintendo 64 Super Mario, understand that this is essentially the same game. One new feature to the DS version is that each character has nine rabbits hidden throughout the hub world that, when found, open up a mini game.

The mini games are possibly the best part of Super Mario 64 DS. Some of these, such as Luigi's casino card games, are rubbish, but there are some real gems here. All of the mini games use unique touch screen control; for example launching bombs by pulling back a sling with the stylus, or drawing trampolines to bounce Mario around the screen. These games add some serious replay value to the package, and it's actually quite fun to compete for the high score. Unfortunately the high score list doesn't allow name input, thus demeaning bragging rights. All of the games can be played with three other players for some pretty intense multiplayer madness. Mini games aren't the only multiplayer offering in Super Mario 64 DS, and up to four players can jump into an all-new game mode as one of their favorite Mario characters. In the battle mode, players race to collect stars that appear randomly about the stage. Characters will drop stars if they are jumped on, giving the option of chasing down stars or chasing down the person with the stars. This mode has some merit to it, but with only four stages, the fun wears thin quickly. It's a nice addition, though it's definitely not the main attraction. The mini games make for a better multiplayer experience.

In the transition to a handheld device, the controls for Mario 64 DS received the short end of the stick. The controls are what really put the game behind its console counterpart. Shifting from joystick to directional pad cuts down greatly on precision. This isn't a problem in the more open areas, but becomes extremely frustrating in more narrow, precise platforming situations. This really stilts the difficulty of Super Mairo 64 DS, as the beginning levels require little precision, while the later levels require very precise navigation. It's frustrating to repeatedly fall off a ledge just because the digital pad doesn't offer the freedom of an analog stick. Tapping the edge of the touch screen flips the camera left or right, which works but I feel uncomfortable rubbing my thumb on the bare screen. Touching the screen may not be the most intuitive way to control the camera, but it is effective enough. This control setup is the standard for playing Super Mario 64 DS, but alternatively the stylus or thumb strap can be used on the touch screen as a sort of simulated joystick. While this may sound like a good idea, it doesn't pan out so nicely. The “stick” slides around the screen, basically making the joystick the size of an entire screen. This makes it hard to judge how far forward to push to achieve the correct speed. Without any physical object giving feedback to player input, it becomes awkward and unintuitive to control via stylus of thumb strap input. One aspect of Super Mario 64's controls that has always bothered me is the lack of a double jump. The double jump makes leaping from platform to platform much easier and fun. Even without the double jump, Mario has a few good tricks up his sleeve. Wall jumping, a necessary feature in the game, is both intuitive and satisfying. Mario can also do back flips, butt stomps, and high jumps, all of which are easy to pull off and necessary to be successful.

Super Mario 64 DS may have seen a downgrade in controls, but the visuals have received a fairly significant overhaul. The models have been given a polygonal boost from their N64 predecessors, giving them slightly less blocky features. This doesn't totally eliminate the character's sharp polygonal features though, but there is definitely a clear improvement over the old models from the console version. The animation is also very well done, both smooth and varied. Levels are vast and open with a lot of intricate things happening at once, and yet the frame-rate remains solid throughout the entire adventure. All of the environments are very unique from level to level. Mario will run and jump his way through everything from a snow themed level, to a desert, to environments almost entirely underwater. Texturing is vibrant and authentically Mario, but can look rough and lacking detail up close. It's nothing too serious though, and overall Mario 64 DS is a pretty impressive looking DS game.

Mario 64 DS sports the same classic soundtrack from the original game in all of its glory. The voice recordings on the other hand are awful; they are tinny and scratchy. Princess Peach speaks at the beginning and end of the game and, as is usually the case with Nintendo games, the voice acting for her is awful. The recording is fine, but her voice is dull and completely off character. Sound effects are pretty standard, but sound fine none-the-less. When characters wear other hats their voices stay the same. For example when Yoshi wears Mario's hat he still makes the classic grunts and squeals, which can be pretty hilarious. The game sounds great even coming through the DS's tiny speakers.

Closing Comments
Super Mario 64 DS is a faithful recreation of the Nintendo 64 game. The boost in polygon count and overall visual presentation is a welcome addition, but the control scheme is not geared for the accuracy that the game requires. And eight direction digital pad just isn't suited for a full 3D environment, and the touch screen option is downright horrendous. The addition of Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario is neat, but using them to replace the hats from the original game is both frustrating and annoying. There is a lot to do in this title, and the addition of some truly addicting mini games only adds to the replay value. However, there is no getting around that this is just a port of an old game. Whether or not this is a viable purchase really comes down to whether or not you can bring yourself to play through the title again. If you've never played the game, now is as good a time as any to jump in. However, if you have played the game, Super Mario 64 DS doesn't add anything significant. This is, at its core, the exact same game that appeared on the Nintendo 64 years ago. However, having a handheld version of the classic platformer is just too awesome to pass up.

Points
+ Challenging platformer
+ Addicting mini games
+ Handheld Mario 64
+ Upgraded visuals
-- No significant additions to an old game
-- Tedious to switch characters
-- Difficult precision movement

Score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/07