fantasy

The Mario series from Nintendo has consistently produced games that are refreshing and innovative, not to mention extremely addictive and fun to play. First there was the original Super Mario Brothers and Super Matio Brothers 3 for the NES, to Super Mario World for the SNES, and now Super Mario 64 for the N64. The game is 5 years old now, but it's still just as fun to play as ever. The graphics and sound make excellent use of the N64's capabilities to create a 3D world that was just jaw-dropping in 1996 and is still pretty awesome today.

As others have said, the basic story of the game is classic Mario: Bowser has kidnapped the Princess, and Mario must rescue her. To do this, he must collect a minimum of 70 stars from the 15 worlds in the game. These worlds are accessed by jumping through paintings and other objects scattered throughout the Mushroom Castle, plus there are 15 stars contained within the castle itself. Although you only need 70 stars to finish the game, there are a total of 120 stars available for collection, and you won't be satisfied until you have collected each one. The 15 worlds have varying levels of difficulty, but each and every world has some easy stars and some that are very difficult. It took me about 100 hours total to collect all 120 stars and rescue the Princess the first time. Each level has a different theme. Some are on mountains, some are in water-filled caves, and there is one set inside a giant clock. My personal favorite is the haunted house level.

The gameplay in Mario 64 is exceptional. Mario has many different types of moves, ranging from tiptoeing around sleeping enemies, to a great long jump, to a very difficult-to-master wall jump. You must master all the moves if you expect to get all 120 stars. Also, there are three special hats scattered throughout the game that allow Mario to fly, walk underwater, and become invisible. Again, all are vital for 120 stars.

After you finally win, you might expect that you will never want to take on such a huge task again. But, such is not the case. Even though you have all 120 stars, you can go back to levels you have beaten and play them over and over, as much as you want. You'll be tempted to do just that. The experience of playing through the incredible world of the Mushroom Castle is such that you will be coming back for many repeat visits.

This is a great classic game that basically revolutionized Nintendo 64 but there is only one problem. It is WAY too easy to beat. But I guess since it's an old game I can see why.

Basically the "mission" is to recover all the 120 stars and save the Princess from the evil "Bowser." It's really easy and you can beat the game in about a month. Even though I have plenty of Nintendo games, I still go back to this game once in awhile because it's a classic favorite. Many current Nintendo games can't compete against it. If only this game was a bit more challenging!! I think all new Nintendo 64 buyers should get this as there first game because you can explore alot with controls and skills that'll help you out in more challenging games.

Any fans of Mario, or Nintendo genre would like this game. As far as kids, there isn't much violence in this game. No blood, or gorey actions. The price is pretty ok, and the game's plot is pretty ok. There are many courses and places to explore so if you are a slow player it'll take some time. After you complete the game, you'll still be going back to it. Seeing that my brothers and I already beat it over 10 times, we're finally getting tired of it!

This game is one of the first games ever to be made for Nintendo 64. Personally, playing the game has been great fun in many ways. In this game, many new things are brought into the world of Mario. Some of these are: metal mario, invisible cap, and the flying cap. In terms of how long the game is, 100% through, this could take about +50 hours!!! Overall, if you have a Nintendo 64, you must get this game... you won't regret it.