MARIO 64 Nintendo Nintendo 64 3D Platform -- by Mark L. Johnson		I remember that day, a few months back in Japan, when one of my co-workers mentioned that they had purchased a Nintendo 64 for the office (one of the perks of Software Development). The demo machines had been in the local stores with hordes of kids around them for over a month, there was a dedicated kids show sponsored by Nintendo which had been asking MARIO 64 trivia questions, and the local Lawson's was still taking pre-orders. However, this time I could finally try it out, and that was my lunchtime activity for the next couple of weeks. Being a general video gamer myself, I knew I would eventually knuckle down and grab one when I came back to North America. So I reserved a unit at the local TRU store and picked it up when I found out that they were selling early, due to an eager chain in the US who broke the official release date. First off, if one would fit MARIO 64 into a style catagory it would have to be the jumping games, if not a new one of its own. This game does a great job of giving you control of a three dimensional environment (thanks to their "revolutionary" analog, claw shaped controller). And simply put, MARIO was never like this. Once again, the plot is standard MARIO fare. Bowser has trapped Princess Toadstool in her own castle with the use of the Power Stars. Mario's job is to get enough Power Stars to meet up with and defeat Bowser. I must admit I miss Luigi, but Mario does not have any two player features (but surprisingly, second controllers have sold rather well). This time the castle is a "safe" area, with the different worlds accessible by jumping through paintings and other secret spots. Each world has 6 power stars, although you can only collect one per visit. Each level gives you hints as to where the stars might be obtained or what should be done. You can return to the castle at any time to try other levels if you get tired of the current choice. You will be running through misty mazes, punching up Bullies, racing Koopas and penguins, shooting out of cannons, swiming through sunken ships, hanging off mountain ledges, and even hotfooting through lava before you are done. At the start Mario has only a few choices, but as the user gets used to the game and obtains some stars this quickly opens up. After 8 stars you can fight Bowser for the first time and gain access to more of the castle. Another 30, and you can visit the second floor. In total there are 120 stars to collect, but only a portion of that is necessary to "finish" the game (get them all and you get a special treat). Graphically, MARIO 64 is beautiful. Although most shapes are made up of few polygons, the texture wrapping and frame rate make up for it. Mario is definitely the star of the show, with the plumber always looking smooth and detailed in everything you can put him though. The game levels range from snowy mountains to shifting sands, each with its own special feel and design. Gameplay is also excellent, as players soon get used to the new controller and quickly graduate from simple running and jumping to performing triple jumps, wall bouncing and backflips. Mario also does not "die" as often as he used to; with his new abilities like being able to grab the edge before plummeting down that bottomless pit. The cartridge contains a battery backup that stores 4 games, so you do not need a backup cartidge. Sound effects are nice, with Mario "umphing" and issuing words of encouragement. But I find the voice of the princess in particular to be poorly acted; especially since this was not included in the original Japanese version. As an aside, I have been debating with some friends as to whether Mario says "Let's a-go" or "Pickle" at the start of some levels (check it out for yourself). Although a couple of the remixes of original tunes were nice, I found the music to be generally weak. This game seems smaller than SUPER MARIO WORLD (which, when looking back is still a good game). The design team decided to build only 15 large levels (plus a few bonus ones) to which you must return multiple times in order to get the other stars. This does not mean that MARIO 64 is a short game. It has definitely filled my free hours for the past month and some of the later levels can be very tough. But MARIO is for all ages; I have seen coworkers, university students, young kids, and even their parents all queue for time with the system. So, is MARIO 64 a great game? Yes. Is MARIO 64 the best game of all time? Probably not, but I would say that if you own a Nintendo 64 you must buy this game. Should you buy a Nintendo 64 just for MARIO? That's between you, your interests, and your pocketbook. My humble opinion would be that many good games will undoubtedly come out for the system and this will not be another 3D0 or Jaguar. But it will probably be a tall order for third parties to match Nintendo's game formula winners soon. Nintendo definitely has another winner with its initial punch into the next generation arena. And don't be surprised this Christmas season to find kids faking an Italian accent and yelling "Here we go!"