Super Mario 64 was one of the first games I had ever played. As a kid, it was one of my favorite games and, despite having never owned a Nintendo 64, I played the game at the houses of friends/family and I played it at any chance that I could get. Now that I finally own a copy of the game (thank you, Virtual Console), I can finally dig into the game and realize how fantastic it truly is. But what makes it so fantastic? Well, let's take a look.

Graphics:
Super Mario 64 was Mario's first 3D adventure and let me tell you, it's truly a visual marvel. Even to this day, the colors are vibrant, the detail is superb, and the character models look great. Obviously, Mario games are not known for photo-realistic visuals, but when playing the game, I still feel like I'm in a totally real world filled with bob-ombs shooting cannons, bullies trying to bombard me into lava and quick-sand that keeps trying to stop me from getting stars. Even after 18 years, Super Mario 64 is still visually stunning.

Sound:
Super Mario 64 has some of Nintendo's best music to date. From the File Select song to the Dire, Dire Docks song to the end credits music, Super Mario 64 has outstanding music. Even besides those ones, there is a treasure trove of phenomenal music to be found in Super Mario 64. And although voice acting is mostly restricting to grunts and screams, those grunts are delivered very well. Also, there are a few moments where Mario actually speaks, and it sounds pretty solid.

Addictiveness:
Super Mario 64 is an extremely addictive game. With 120 power stars to collect and plenty of areas to explore, Super Mario 64 will keep you coming back for more. And considering that you don't need to collect the stars in any order with any real seriousness, the game begs multiple playthroughs. Playing through it multiple times allows you to try to explore different areas and get different stars in any different order. This allows you to experience the game in many different ways and try to go for everything without having to do it all in one playthrough.

Story:
From a story standpoint, Super Mario 64 is exactly what you would expect out of a Mario game. Princess Peach wants Mario to come to the castle to eat some delicious cake, but when he makes it to the castle, he finds that Bowser kidnapped the princess and that the castle has little power at this point because Bowser stole the power stars and trapped everyone inside the castle. Now, it's up to Mario to collect the power stars, save Princess Peach, kick Bowser's butt, have his cake and eat it too. Considering that this is a Mario game, I can cut them some slack for making the story so simple. After all, this is what Nintendo lives for: simple stories but fun gameplay to make up for it.

Depth:
Super Mario 64, despite lacking a deep storyline, has some extreme depth in terms of gameplay. There's 120 power stars to collect and they can be collected in various different ways. With so many stars to collect, levels to explore and bosses to defeat, Super Mario 64 will have you coming back for multiple playthroughs. Even if you beat the game and collect all of the stars, it's still worth going back to see if you can collect the stars in different ways while collect them in different orders.

Difficulty:
Super Mario 64 is not the most difficult game ever, but it certainly has it's moments. Don't be surprised if you spend hours trying to collect one star. And don't get me started on those 100-coin stars. Those things can be extremely difficult to collect, especially in levels like Lethal Lava Land. The 100-coin stars aren't game-breakingly difficult, but they certainly won't do anything to help. Once you get the first key, the game's difficult really picks up. And please, don't remind me of Wet-Dry World.

Verdict:
Super Mario 64 is one of the greatest games that I've ever played. It's visually superb, features some great music, is very addictive and has plenty of depth for a gameplay. Even though the storyline is simple, it's still exactly what you would expect from a Mario game.  The game can also be quite difficult at times, so play at your own risk. If you can get past these extremely minor flaws, Super Mario 64 is an absolute wonder to behold and, to this date, it's still one of the greatest and most revolutionary experiences in all of gaming.

Final rating: 10 out of 10.

FreedomFighters716 : excellent review! The game is a masterpiece. This review does this game justice.

Good job on the review, I used to play this game a lot as a kid and at one point was even half way obsessed over it. However it really is one of the best games out there its only competition for that would be other Mario games such as galaxy and 3d world

gamerforlifeforever2 : Thank you very much!
Yargishner : Thanks! And I agree. Galaxy and 3D World are both fantastic games.

I must say this review was a joy to read. Full of good info and opinions. I wasn't a fan of Nintendo 64 but I am a fan of your reviews. I can tell you really love the game and enjoyed playing it. And it comes out when you write. And this is what I love about vizz where can you get all these different reviews from game boy to Nintendo 64 to Sega. And they bring them all together on one site.

rebelyell : Wow! Thanks a ton! I agree that Vizzed is a great site and there are definitely a lot of great reviews on here. Can't wait to write more!

You are welcome , And thank you for taking the time to write a review. And I can't wait to read more.