G: This may be the most important game to have come out for the N64, a console that has great longevity. It demonstrated the capabilities of the new technology in a 3D pseudo-sandbox platformer game. And as with anything Nintendo, it sated the rabid fans of the SMB series with epic play and controls. There will be much banter and praise of various SMB titles throughout our project, so what I think needs to be emphasized with this title: It ushered in a new genre of platformer, one of the 3D realm. Even if you are not a fan of Mario and his ilk, one must recognize the importance this game for the development of modern titles.

Nintendo Legend: The game that ushered in three-dimensional gaming as viable, legitimate, and soon to be widespread and expounded upon. Need any more really be said? Yes, just this: For many, Super Mario 64 represents their once-in-a-lifetime moment of true gaming magic: Future gamers may never realize how powerful the feeling was to, after a decade or longer of playing games in three dimensions, to control Mario in an actual, fully three-dimensional environment. It was like waking from a “flying” dream… only to discover that you actually could fly in real life now. It was the moment millions had been waiting for and, thank goodness, it delivered.

Gun Sage: Much like SMB and SMW, this was the first game to come with most people’s NINTENDO 64!!! OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!! Not mine. Both it and Pilotwings 64 had to be bought separately AND they were the only N64 game available for about 3 months or so, which was very odd. All the same, it gave me plenty of time to play and meditate on this title. I will say that it’s easily the second hardest Mario game ever, with Super Mario Sunshine being the first. The challenge shouldn’t sway you, though, as most of it comes from trying to get the tougher stars…of course, some of the tougher stars are collected in even some of the earliest stages, so there’s that. And yes, it was the first Mario to go 3D, but it was also the first game, at least for many of us, to play with analog sensitivity and be able to move in true 360 degrees, not just 8 directions. Even dicking around outside the castle could kill countless minutes or hours and it was FUN. Nevermind that if you ever got pissed with the little shit-scrubbing Italian stereotype, you could always drown him. And yes, it was the first Mario game where you could drown, which I also thought was interesting. Good times. “Glub glub, Mario. Guess next time you’ll wall jump when I want you to wall jump, eh?!”

SRD: Next to Super Mario Bros, Super Mario 64 is the most significant run-and-jump platform ever published. It took us from two dimensions into three, which, at the time, was mind blowing. If heads could explode, they would have when we all saw the demos of Super Mario 64.

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