by Truthseeker » Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:37 pm
Playing Super Mario 64 on the virtual console. This is the first time I've ever played this game.
I adore the level design. For being one of the earliest 3D platformers, all the concepts are amazingly well-developed.
On the other hand, the controls are terrible. Mario slides around like a greased pig, making it frustrating to perform the precise maneuvers demanded by the level design. I understand that this is meant to recapture the sense of momentum from the 2D games, but 2D Mario never had to worry about walking across narrow ledges or lining up a jump from pole to pole perfectly. Add to that a couple time-wasting interface problems like the fact that the game kicks you into the hub world every time you die and an unwieldy camera, and I think this is a game that has aged too poorly to retain a status as a great game for all time. I'm sure it was a great game for its own time.
It's still a good game, though. It's just far surpassed by the Mario Galaxy games.
Brokan MokO Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek . . . to be understood, as to understand.