I should have expected a fun Mario game, not a masterpiece - it's great, but not as good as it may have been two decades ago, and that's okay. The reason I didn't love it like I hoped I would is because of the ridiculously high bar set by it's unjustified reputation. It has charm but so does every other Mario game I've played. It's just not special enough to warrant such a coveted reputation. More variety would have been welcome, as would rewards for collecting stars - the lack of a sense of progression is caused by the nonlinear journey and lack of rewards, which in turn means difficulty doesn't scale well and there is little motivation to collect all 150 stars (although I did anyway). The levels are creative and even iconic, but there isn't much variety in terms of gameplay as many of the challenges are almost identical. The more time you spend in each level the more apparent the limitations of the technology behind the game become - they aren't really that big and some are quite empty. Conceptually, the idea of finding stars in each level (and in the hub world) is something I like, so it's a shame finding them is often tedious due to the nature in which you find them - collect 100 coins, collect 8 red coins, go to a location shown on the map. What makes SM64 a great game is it's well designed large levels, which are all unique, atmospheric and charming. It's still a great game, but nostalgia and the fact that it revolutionised 3D gaming blind people to it's obvious flaws. People need to accept that what may once have been the best game in existence is no longer amazing. Games age, and there's nothing wrong with that. Super Mario 64 was a milestone in the progression of video games, but although it must have been impressive back in 1996, that doesn't mean it's still just as good today. Of course, what it did to revolutionise 3D gaming cannot be denied, but that in itself does not define the quality of this game. It's a very good game, and it is fun, but it's been overshadowed by so many games after it. With such a prestigious reputation, I couldn't help but feel slightly underwhelmed when playing it. Super Mario 64 is often hailed as one of the best games of all time. Despite this, SM 64 DS is undoubtedly, one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had since I started playing video games. Also, some sections of the game feel like they have appeared before, and many of the boss battles are pretty repetitive. The touch screen controls designed for the DS were extremely hard for me to get the hang of properly. The aforementioned intricate world designs allow for multiple replays of the game to feel extremely satisfying, and I found myself just playing through worlds over and over again. The ability to play as 3 additional characters over the 64 version, as well as various mini-games only add to the games enjoyability. The game's worlds are so well designed, that finding each individual star in itself feels like an adventure, and when you get that star, it feels so rewarding. Personally, 64 DS is one of my favorite video games of all time. Along with Ocarina of Time, many view it to have set the standard for all 3D open-world games to come subsequently. The game's worlds are so well designed, that finding each Super Mario 64 DS is a DS port of the original Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64, considered by many to be one of the greatest video games of all time. Super Mario 64 DS is a DS port of the original Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64, considered by many to be one of the greatest video games of all time.
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