Super Mario 64 DS Review
Introduction
What can you say about Mario 64 that hasnt been said before? This Revolutionary title has paved the way for so many games behind it and not even one of them has come close to beating and even coming close to the Perfection that is Mario 64. This time around however the battle has changed some, but its the battlefield thats different. That Battlefield is the Nintendo DS. While Mario 64 DS is now another launch game on a different console, while Mario 64 DS is technically the same as the Mario 64 we all know from the Nintendo 64, it is indeed a very different beast.
Yoshi, Luigi, Wario and not forgetting Mario set off on this adventure with 30 more stars and tons of mini-game fun.
Lets a Go!
Graphics
I dont want to get into comparing graphics between consoles and handheld, doing so is just stupid and I wont make you any dumber for reading it. Mario 64 DS graphics are definitely betters its N64 cousin, while in screen shots its may not look it on the DS’s screen and in motion they are miles and miles in front. The character models are all new even Mario’s. Mario also has far more polygon’s then before and even so some of enemies. All the Coins, Stars and even some enemies have all been redrawn to be better accommodated on the DS screen. Also all the HUD and Menu’s have been redone with the Stars and coins on the bottom screen at all times and the level specific items on the top screen. The only problem I had really was that some of the textures while not looking worse they do appear to be a bit muddy, this is probably due to the fact the Nintendo DS has no Texture filtering.
The Presentation of this game is second to none, there no games on the DS (at the moment) that matches it in clean, crisp interface. None of the N64’s Original menu’s remain they have all been redone as well. It makes the game feel fresh.
Sound
From the moment the DS Logo disappears from the screen you are in Mario heaven, the DS pumps out sound never seen on a Handheld before, the tunes and sound effects are excellent and of high quality, playing with both the built speakers and headphone are excellent. The Built-in Speakers give off a faux-surround sound mode and quite a few of the new puzzle this as a puzzle mechanism; the headphones also give off this excellently. While all the Nintendo 64 sounds are there, with the inclusion on Yoshi, Wario and Luigi all there voices were recorded fresh from Charles Martinent as well as the intro from Peach being re-recorded.
Gameplay
You know how Mario 64 DS works everyone (nearly) has at least played it once, I dont need to go and explain that. I will however explain how the hell you control the game with no analog stick. This is the main and probably only thing wrong with the game, it is wrong, BUT it isnt even close to unplayable or useless. Nintendo have though up 3 ingenious ways to play Mario 64 DS. The first one is using the D-Pad, not the best method considering the use of the Analog stick of the N64. Now your probably thinking how does one run or move slow with only a on of off D-pad, well thats simple you hold down Y to run and if you want to just creep youll have to just tap so they only move inch by inch. The other two are pretty much the same but only difference is which of the stylus or the thumb pad you use. Both of the methods are not bad with the touch pad being the easiest out of the two. However if you have a smaller hand then me I think you might have a few problems and your thumb may not reach if you hold the DS normally. Dont fret however you will find and adapt your own method as you play the game more and more.
The Included Mini-Games and VS Mode while condemned by other sites and magazines are quite brilliant and add tons of value to an already great package. The VS Mode only requires one game card and only takes about 20 second to transplant to game data to the other 2-3 DS’s. There is absolutely no lag when playing within a decent range. The mini games also range from bad to good, bad being the Yoshis Loves Me Loves Me Not which will only ever play once compared to any of the other mini games on offer.
Value/Lastability
Mario 64 was no way a short a game, and Mario 64 DS extends that by including a further 30 stars, most of these new stars would only ever work on the DS as they use the touch screen or the surround sound features of the DS. Also lots of the levels have been cleaned up or tweaked slightly to accommodate the new characters. Some of the Stars you must claim have been altered as well. For example on Tall Tall Mountain the Star you must get by wall jumping must be done by Mario so you’ll have to either get Mario or wear his cap. There is nothing wrong with the VS mode except I would have thought it would have had more substance to it. The Mini-Games could be seen as just dragging out the game however I think the opposite, they add to the total package.
Overall
If you buying a DS your probably buying this game, I wouldnt recommend if you sat through Mario 64 doing everything possible covering every square inch of the virtual world. However if you not in that boat then definitely get this game, while the Mario 64 DS core remains the best its ever been, the added VS Mode and Mini-Games make it a near damn perfect package. The only thing thats missing is an Analog Control stick. However thats more of a problem with the DS then it is with the game.
