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[Drizzlehell]

This is the only game my mum loved watching me play it. She loved those penguins and the music of the level!

Dude, that snow level is just the best. It's the only one so far that I replayed several times in a row to get all stars before I moved on to the next one.

 

[ManaByte]

It's hard to describe what it was like to see SM64 in person for the first time in 1996. It was simply magic.

 

[nial]

And it's still the most interesting of the bunch, for some reason.

 

[Shake Your Rump]

I’ll assume you also haven't played the best Mario game: Super Mario Galaxy. Do it next.

 

[bender]

Hate it when people bash this game for "aging poorly" or whatever. Mario's moveset is outstanding to this day, crazy what the devs pulled off in 1996. Git gut.

I was in the same boat as the OP when I played Mario on the Switch collection. Beyond getting used to the camera and some of the item perspectives being a little odd, saying it merely holds up is a disservice. The only bummer is not getting to experience it at its' time as I'm sure it was mind bending.

 

[twinspectre]

The Greatest 3D platformer ever made

 

[ReBurn]

It's a great game

Yeah. One of N64's best.

 

[Solarstrike]

 

[Deerock71]

It still controls better than any other 3D platformer.

Grizzly Adams DID have a beard!

 

[-Zelda-]

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

It’s one of those games that get better with time for me.
Playing it in the Switch All-Stars collection was the best time I ever had with the game.
Doing Tick Tock Clock with a drifting left stick is not for the faint of heart, I tell you! But I still managed.

 

[StueyDuck]

I have squandered my childhood by not playing this when I was a kid.

It's a video games' video game. One of the most video game-y video games I've ever played.

The kind of game that makes you appreciate being a gamer.

Wait till you get to the actually good Zelda games.

OoT/MM are just a treat, us humans were not and still aren't worthy

 

[Drizzlehell]

I’ll assume you also haven't played the best Mario game: Super Mario Galaxy. Do it next.

I'm gonna play them in order so Sunshine will be next.

I'm also planning to play through all the Zeldas too.

 

[Evil Calvin]

Played it on the Switch last year for the 1st time. I hated what I played. The camera, controls were shit. it kept making an annoying noise everytime you moved the camera. Of course the N64 graphics are pretty bad in retrospect but gameplay was just ok.

 

[Drizzlehell]

I left the game running and left the room for a few minutes, only to come back to Mario sleeping on the ground and mumbling about spaghetti.

This game is the best.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Hell of a game, enjoy!

 

[calistan]

I’ll assume you also haven't played the best Mario game: Super Mario Galaxy. Do it next.

I never liked Galaxy anywhere near as much as Mario 64. There's something cheap about the way Mario is frequently obscured by scenery, and just shows up as a shadow. Like they couldn't design a camera system that worked as well as the one in Mario 64.

 

[AJUMP23]

One of the best games of all time.

 

[AV]

Didn't even grow up with it and it's still the one that if I start playing, I won't stop.

 

[dreamstation]

Loved it when it came out. Don't think I could play and appreciate it nowadays though so will keep it in the nostalgia bank.

 

[amigastar]

Loved it when it came out. Don't think I could play and appreciate it nowadays though so will keep it in the nostalgia bank.

If i would be you i would play the DS version on 3DS, perfect combination.

 

[AGRacing]

People who didn’t live through it can never understand what a ridiculous leap it felt like. And without YouTube tips, videos, etc to spoil it all it was incredible exploring it on your own. I felt a real sense of wonder digging through that world.

 

[Chuck Berry]

I still refuse to play it. I totally understand how revolutionary it was and respect that to the fullest. I was even there day one. I was just a PC kid at the time and didn’t think it was anything special and blew it off (despite already knowing SMW was pretty much the best game ever).

I’ve never come around. And I love Galaxy and Odyssey.

 

[Flutta]

Still the best 3D mario. Arguably the best mario of all time.

Yup. Also first 3D game i ever played. I will never forget that feeling of how amazed i was by it, it was pure joy and wonder. Ahhh miss those days

 

[calistan]

I still refuse to play it. I totally understand how revolutionary it was and respect that to the fullest. I was even there day one. I was just a PC kid at the time and didn’t think it was anything special and blew it off (despite already knowing SMW was pretty much the best game ever).

I’ve never come around. And I love Galaxy and Odyssey.

You won't play it out of principle?

 

[Bulletzen72]

I still refuse to play it. I totally understand how revolutionary it was and respect that to the fullest. I was even there day one. I was just a PC kid at the time and didn’t think it was anything special and blew it off (despite already knowing SMW was pretty much the best game ever).

I’ve never come around. And I love Galaxy and Odyssey.

Ah! That's a shame. I was a big PC gamer at the time too (1996). Quake just came out and it was my fucking jam! Tomb Raider also came out that year and I thought it was a bit shit, so I was indifferent about 3D platformers. I got the N64 as a gift that year with Mario 64 and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Mario 64 fucking blew me away! After the initial controller issues I was completely hooked. Don't sleep on it. It's a lovely game.
Edit - 1996 was a fantastic year for games!

 

[ManaByte]

I still refuse to play it. I totally understand how revolutionary it was and respect that to the fullest. I was even there day one. I was just a PC kid at the time and didn’t think it was anything special and blew it off (despite already knowing SMW was pretty much the best game ever).

I’ve never come around. And I love Galaxy and Odyssey.

 

[Danknugz]

first time i played mario64 was at a toys r us kiosk, and i was on acid, i'm not even joking. distinctly remember how crazy the grass looked and the texture interpolation when it zoomed in, fully 3d and not blocky/pixelated, like f-zero

 

[Jsisto]

Probably the most revolutionary game of all time. The only thing that’s “aged poorly” is the camera, and even that was groundbreaking at the time. I’ll never forget my brother and I getting home from toys r and having our minds completely blown. Then fighting over the controller for weeks.

 

[Drizzlehell]

People who didn’t live through it can never understand what a ridiculous leap it felt like. And without YouTube tips, videos, etc to spoil it all it was incredible exploring it on your own. I felt a real sense of wonder digging through that world.

I mean, it's not hard for me to imagine. I went from Commodore 64 to playing Quake on PC and watching my friend play MGS on PS1. Those were the game that used to blow my mind as a kid.

 

[Chuck Berry]

You won't play it out of principle?

I’ve tried

I’ve never gotten beyond tossing around the king Bob omb. I watched a friend play through it growing up so I get it, it just never clicked.

Same with Ocarina. I think that sucks too but I love the NES games, Link to the Past, WW, Twilight, Breath, Tears etc

 

[Drizzlehell]

Played it on the Switch last year for the 1st time. I hated what I played. The camera, controls were shit. it kept making an annoying noise everytime you moved the camera. Of course the N64 graphics are pretty bad in retrospect but gameplay was just ok.

 

[buenoblue]

It's a masterpiece. I wish Nintendo made games on cutting edge hardware again.

 

[Polygonal_Sprite]

Considering they were basically making up the tools and rules for 3D gaming as they went it’s an astonishing game that still holds up 25+ years later.

 

[SmokedMeat]

I have squandered my childhood by not playing this when I was a kid.

It's a video games' video game. One of the most video game-y video games I've ever played.

The kind of game that makes you appreciate being a gamer.

Dude!! Enjoy!!

Yeah, Nintendo is a straight up old school videogame company. Pure gameplay. No bullshit.

 

[diffusionx]

I think that Super Mario 64 is one of the most incredible achievements in videogame history, maybe the most incredible one. Nintendo was essentially building the plane while they were flying it, designing this massive 3D game while they were developing the hardware with very little to go by. It's amazing it came out as well as it did and 27 years later it's still a great, fun game to play.

 

[T-0800]

Incredible game that was only challenged by Astrobot on PSVR.

 

[LaughingStock]

It's still my favorite 3D Mario.

 

[VeganElduderino]

I wish I could play Mario 64 again, for the 1st time!

 

[ResilientBanana]

I envy you, I’ve beat it maybe 10 times

 

[NikuNashi]

OP, imagine playing it on release in 1996. Can't describe how important and amazing that experience was. I got it day 1 and it was a game changer.

 

[Jinzo Prime]

Just a reminder, the best way to play Super Mario 64 today is probably the PC port, if you don't mind fucking about with MYSYS2.

 

[ManaByte]

Incredible game that was only challenged by Astrobot on PSVR.

Astrobot is a great game, but it didn’t forever change gaming and represent a true inflection point in the medium the way SM64 did.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Nintendo achieved so much with N64 and Mario 64. Clear 3D with home console hardware, 3D camera, real 3D game, new controller for 3D, 3D platforming mechanics, audio etc.

It is still an absolute master class in game design and a thoroughly enjoyable and addictive game experience in current day gaming too.

 

[Georges Chiellins]

Hate it when people bash this game for "aging poorly" or whatever. Mario's moveset is outstanding to this day, crazy what the devs pulled off in 1996. Git gut.

It did age poorly.
My mind was blown back then. But I wouldn't want to play that again today.

 

[Drizzlehell]

It did age poorly.
My mind was blown back then. But I wouldn't want to play that again today.

"It did age poorly" - posted in a thread made by a guy who never played it before and still found it to be an incredibly fun experience that's more rewarding than most video games releasing today.

 

[Riky]

It's one of the greatest games ever made, also the perfect way to launch a console as it was clearly leagues ahead of anything else at the time.
It's also timeless and hasn't aged at all.

 

[BlueAlpaca]

I didn't think it aged well when I replayed it - it needs a 60fps remake with a modern camera system (and no goddamn WOOT sound).

 

[sinnergy]

It did age poorly.
My mind was blown back then. But I wouldn't want to play that again today.

I think I am going to play it, after this comment

 

[mcjmetroid]

In a lot of ways it hasn't been surpassed. I loved Odyssey but it's still missing something.