Super Mario 64 DS

"Yoshi please wake up! I don't think Mario is coming via the cannon in the front yard of the castle. Why don't you go get him instead."

What do you do when you want a new Nintendo system to succeed from the start? Try releasing a Mario game! It can't fail, not with Mario's history. Mario games from the NES era were all in 2D, and the basic gameplay was simple. Mario had to jump on the enemies heads in order to defeat them. Mario can also use fireballs, hammers, and the tail from his raccoon suit to defeat the many enemies of the Koopa tribe. In order to acquire those weapons, Mario needed to find power ups. That is the other aspect of 2D Mario games, the power ups. Mario starts out very small, but by using a mushroom, he can grow bigger. In addition finding a flower will give you fire power. Finding a raccoon suit, frog suit, and hammer suit will allow Mario to use different weapons and techniques. A star will allow Mario to become invincible.

There was a lot of charm from all of the 2D Mario games, but could Mario work in 3D? That was the question everyone had in 1996 when the N64 was released. Fortunately, Super Mario 64 was a mega hit, and has even gotten released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2006. When the Nintendo DS was released in 2004, Nintendo wanted a Mario game right along side it. New Super Mario Bros. wasn't ready for release, so Nintendo decided to revive Super Mario 64 for the DS. The game is as good as you remember it, but be advised; it isn't simply a port.

The original Super Mario Bros. saved the video game industry. That awesome Grand Theft Auto game that you are playing right now wouldn't even exist if Super Mario Bros. hadn't been created. After the video game market crashed in the mid 1980's, it was in fact Super Mario Bros. that helped revive the video game industry. It's safe to say that Mario is the most popular video game mascot in history. Since then, Mario has gone on to star in many adventures. He's even played a damsel in distress (Luigi's Mansion), a doctor (Dr. Mario), and a villain (Donkey Kong Jr.), but his classic adventures involving Bowser are the best. That is why Nintendo was smart to bring the world of Mario into 3D. If the DS can handle 3D games, then why not bring the game that started 3D gaming onto the system.

The basic premise to any Super Mario Bros. game is to save the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser. Bowser in Super Mario 64 kidnapped Princess Peach Toadstool, but this time it is a bit different. This time it starts out with Peach inviting Mario to her castle for a cake. Mario arrives at her castle, but discovers that Peach is missing. As Mario enters the castle, a menacing voices says that Peach isn't there, and to GO HOME! That was Bowser of course saying that, and of course, Mario isn't going anywhere.

However, the story in the DS version is a tad different. In Super Mario 64 DS, Mario arrives at Peach's castle for the cake and Luigi and Wario tag along. All three enter the castle. A little while passes, and Yoshi is awoken by Lakitu and is informed not only of Peach's kidnapping but Mario and the gang have also been captured. Yoshi needs to rescue everyone in order to save Peach. That's right, in this DS remake of Super Mario 64 you will eventually control all four characters instead of just Mario.

So that is how the game starts. What do you do next? Well, there is only one door open, so that is where you should go. After you open the door and jump threw the painting, you will land in Bob-omb battlefield. Here you must ascend the mountain to get to the boss, King Bob-omb. If you beat him, you win a star. And that is where the object to the game occurs. You need to collect stars in order to restore the power to the castle, and save the Princess. As you collect more and more stars, you will unlock more worlds our heroes to explore. You need to explore every world several times to collect the stars. In all, you need to collect 80 out of the 150 to beat the game, so start looking. Yes, there are 30 more stars in this game, and you need 80 to unlock Bowser's final star door.

To collect these stars, you need to enter every world several times, as I said before. Sometimes to collect a star, it is as simple as beating a boss, or climbing a mountain. Other times you need to race against another character, or collect 8 red coins. That at least shows that the game does offer a nice variety. A lot of people think that the game is a bit hard, but I don't think so. Yes there is a lot of challenge, but realistically you can collect about 50 to 60 stars before you even enter any of the tough later levels. Super Mario Sunshine was way harder. In that game you must beat the first six parts of the level in order to face Shadow Mario. In Super Mario 64 DS, you can do whatever you want, and skip certain parts of the stages if you want. To get right to the point, Super Mario 64 DS isn't too hard to play although the controls are a bit harder with the D-pad.

The controls are what is the big difference in this game. You can use the D-pad to move around. While it is harder without the N64 analog stick it isn't impossible. All of the action takes place on the top screen, while the touch screen on the bottom has a map of the world that you are in and shows you where the star is located. You can also use the stylus to control your character, but this is much harder to do and only recommended when goofing off in Peach's castle.

Each character is different as expected. Mario of course is the same as he was in Super Mario 64. Yoshi has the ability to eat enemies and turn them into eggs to use as weapons as well as use his flutter kick. Yoshi is however, very weak and can only take 3 to 4 hits. Luigi and Wario are similar to Mario, but Luigi can run on water for short periods of time and can hover in the air, while Wario is all about brute force.

The graphics are what amazed me about this game. What's so great about the graphics? Well, when Super Mario 64 came out in 1996, the world had never seen a game that looked this good ever before. While most games back then had blocky characters, Mario looked brilliant. Also each environment is wonderful. From the plush and colorful Bob-omb Battlefield, to the dark and dingy bowels of Bowser's underworld, each environment you visit will leave you speechless. Super Mario 64 DS is even more impressive with better character models and less blocky textures. The trade mark blurriness is still there somewhat.

The music is also a big part in the Mario series. However, most of the music is totally new. I like this; new game, new music. Some of the tunes are very memorable, including the boss theme. I still think that the music from the NES Mario games were better, but Super Mario 64 DS still has fantastic music regardless. The best part is how the underworld theme has been remixed with the original Super Mario Bros. World 1-2 music. Nice touch!

The game is just busting with replay value. As I said before, you only need 80 stars in order to beat the game. However, collecting all 150 stars will unlock a secret message in your final battle with Bowser. The best reward might be the glory and pride from collecting all 150 stars, which isn't an easy task. The game doesn't take that long to complete if you go for just 80 stars, but collecting all 150 will take a long, long time. There are also new mini games added in as well. You can unlock them by capturing rabbits around the castle to find the keys to Peach's rec room.

In conclusion, I think that Super Mario 64 DS is a fantastic game, but it goes even farther than that. The game has the ability to grow onto you. So why should you buy this game? First of all this is the game that I believe made the N64 a true hit and now it is posed to do the same with the DS. But that really isn't the reason. Buy it because it is one of best games ever created. Buy it because it is a game anyone in the house can enjoy. Buy it because this game is the reason the N64 was so successful. Super Mario 64 is a fantastic game, one that will stand the test of time along side The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Since Super Mario 64 DS is so similar, my guess is that it will also stand the test of time. Now if only they would do a 3D Mario game with the Koopa kids.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/29/07