Super Mario 64

 Nintendo 64
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 1818 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,635 out of 1818
  2. Mixed: 117 out of 1818
  3. Negative: 66 out of 1818
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  1. Takanome
    Jan 4, 2021
    6
    The Game was just a pain in the ass, the Control and the Camera were terrible and the graphics are also bad and even the 2D Mario’s look and feal much better.
  2. Graymann
    Aug 19, 2020
    7
    It's kind of annoying to control, but I kind of enjoy some of the quests and levels.
  3. BellamySacir
    Nov 8, 2020
    7
    Played it as a child and replayed it when I was older, never completed it though because it just wasn't really my cup of tea, there are a lot of other Jump'n Runs I prefer!
  4. ElRagnarLocro
    Mar 30, 2022
    7
    No tuve el placer de jugarlo en su momento, y lo hice más de grande, y por eso mi opinión puede ser un poco contraria a la aclamación que este juego recibe. Para los estándares de esta generación (y de las anteriores) la jugabilidad de Mario 64 se queda muy por detrás. El movimiento es impreciso, tosco, y la cámara bastante mala, Aún así, la música y los niveles están más que a la altura yNo tuve el placer de jugarlo en su momento, y lo hice más de grande, y por eso mi opinión puede ser un poco contraria a la aclamación que este juego recibe. Para los estándares de esta generación (y de las anteriores) la jugabilidad de Mario 64 se queda muy por detrás. El movimiento es impreciso, tosco, y la cámara bastante mala, Aún así, la música y los niveles están más que a la altura y no tengo dudas que marcaron un antes y un después para el género.
    Nota Final: 7    … Expand
  5. Untitled94
    Oct 21, 2017
    7
    This was an important game, because for the time it was revolutionary, but now, it's kind of dated. It still has fun moments, and there is a certain charm to it, but I feel like Crash Bandicoot and Sonic Adventure have aged a bit better than this game. Also, I prefer the DS version.
  6. RealMetacritic
    Oct 15, 2020
    5
    Super Mario 64 is supposed to be a really good game, we all know that by now. But what if this game isn't as good as your nostalgia goggles would make you think? To start, the controls feel loose and the physics feel sloppy, which is frustrating paired with how the levels are designed. The level design would work better in a Tony Hawk game than in a platformer. The music in the endlessSuper Mario 64 is supposed to be a really good game, we all know that by now. But what if this game isn't as good as your nostalgia goggles would make you think? To start, the controls feel loose and the physics feel sloppy, which is frustrating paired with how the levels are designed. The level design would work better in a Tony Hawk game than in a platformer. The music in the endless stairs is completely unnecessary, some kid probably peed themself listening to it. Its not just that, there are so many weird and unsettling things in this game. Overall, this game is just kind of mediocre if i'm being honest.… Expand
  7. hank_chill
    May 29, 2018
    6
    this game is very overrated it has bad character models horrible camera weird controls also after every star you collect you go back to the hub world that is a lazy way of stretching out a short game
  8. MaxShibe
    Sep 7, 2019
    6
    This Game is overrated. I mean, it can be fun, but it aged rather poorly, the camera is probably the worse i have ever seen in a 3D platformer, the Gameplay is pretty stiff and clunky, and it can get pretty repetitive. I'd recommend later Mario Games that improved on the formula rather than this one.
  9. EpicNate6
    May 24, 2014
    5
    I know this game was revolutionary, but whenever I pick it up and play it- it always ends in frustration about one of the many things that this game hasn't aged well in. Some of these bad things are: that the camera is clunky, Mario cannot turn around without running in a circle, the music (while great) gets old very quickly, and also the fact that there are so many stars per level- I getI know this game was revolutionary, but whenever I pick it up and play it- it always ends in frustration about one of the many things that this game hasn't aged well in. Some of these bad things are: that the camera is clunky, Mario cannot turn around without running in a circle, the music (while great) gets old very quickly, and also the fact that there are so many stars per level- I get tired of going back to the same boring level over and over again to get stars. In conclusion, while the game was an 8.5/10 in 1996, now the game is extremely dated and frustrating because of it.… Expand
  10. Enricky
    Oct 16, 2016
    5
    gráfico ok (pra época) história nada de mais isso é mario!! nao tem nada haver com mario, eu daria a ele um titulo de spin off e bom... a JOGABILIDADE É HORRIVEL os pulos nao sao nem um pouco precisos é dificil controlar o mario em plataformas finas (não encontrei palavra melhor) e esse é o maior problema desse jogo e de muitos do N64 a e a camera tambem é muito ruim menos um ponto.
  11. Meta1234
    Apr 20, 2018
    7
    This game was a milestone due to its 3D environment.

    The level design was unique back in the times and the controls with the N64 stick were precise.

    Still the game felt a little empty. No story as usual and the sound effects were a bit cheap. The same boss used over and over again.

    7 out of 10.
  12. sarge233
    Apr 21, 2018
    5
    It's no better then ok It's the best game in the Mario games but its NOT A good game its just ok
    5/10 from me.
  13. sonicheroes123
    Aug 22, 2014
    7
    this game is good but could be better it has solid controls and level design a great hubworld with 3 new powerups the wing cap, the vanish cap and the metal cap and if you download project 64 and a rom of the game you can have ALL 3 AT ONCE!!!
  14. SuperGamerGuy88
    Nov 1, 2017
    6
    The game is fun! but the control is absolute TRASH! If you want to play super mario 64 please do your self a favor and play the remake, it has more content and better controls.
  15. DobryiBrock
    Jan 29, 2014
    5
    I just can't understand why people ike this game.Absolutely awful,just awful graphic(it is all because of the platform),easy to die because of bad camera view.Characters looks absolutely awful,no one looks as in original game,especially Bowser.5,8 out of ten because it is QUITE playable
  16. JoeS.
    Feb 21, 2008
    5
    An okay game, but ultimately boring if you're not a die hard Mario fan. The enemies are as goofy as always, the levels are small to moderate in size with little to look at except green and brown walls, and ultimately you're just doing the same thing over and over again as you try to grab stars. I am totally lost as to why people call this the best game of all time. I stopped An okay game, but ultimately boring if you're not a die hard Mario fan. The enemies are as goofy as always, the levels are small to moderate in size with little to look at except green and brown walls, and ultimately you're just doing the same thing over and over again as you try to grab stars. I am totally lost as to why people call this the best game of all time. I stopped playing after half an hour and have never played it since.… Expand
  17. WarioI.
    Jun 1, 2002
    7
    I'm wishing this game could be a 2-4 player because mario games are cool with 4 player game like mario party 1 - 3.
  18. BeauQ.
    Mar 28, 2006
    7
    A classic game after all these years.
  19. Beeshu
    Dec 19, 2022
    7
    Super Mario 64 is a solid platformer with great character movement and fun levels. There is some repetitiveness at times, some levels are very uninspired and some challenges are incredibly frustrating to complete, but overall, you can't go wrong with Super Mario.
  20. sebastianali
    Sep 25, 2020
    6
    Mario 64 is one of the most revolutionary 3d platformers at the time (at least according to what is claimed), but it aged extremely poorly compared to titles that came out more or less at the same time as Jumping Flash or Crash Bandicoot, having these better graphics and controls, as well as in my opinion, a much more enjoyable gameplay.
    Mario 64 has many of the problems that N64 games    Mario 64 is one of the most revolutionary 3d platformers at the time (at least according to what is claimed), but it aged extremely poorly compared to titles that came out more or less at the same time as Jumping Flash or Crash Bandicoot, having these better graphics and controls, as well as in my opinion, a much more enjoyable gameplay.
    Mario 64 has many of the problems that N64 games have (for reasons I will never understand), including poor camera control, slippery controls, momentum jumps, graphics ok for the time but outdated and every star collected or every time you die means returning to the castle, which does not make sense, these negative things only lengthen and make the game more difficult artificially. A good game for the time, but that has not aged quite well, being the 2d Mario titles much more enjoyable and with a more original pixelart work.    … Expand
  21. edxtan
    Apr 17, 2022
    7
    Each world in Super Mario 64 rewards your exploration with fun challenges. Constantly returning to the hub world and restarting levels adds tedium, but also helps you familiarize yourself with the environment before solving each puzzle.
  22. ND-Bringer
    Jun 13, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. YOU WILL DIE...SO MANY TIMES! Super Mario's transition to 3-D was a bit of a mixed bag. This time, Mario has to explore the magic realms within Bowser's art gallery in order to save the Princess. While Peach's Castle may be well known as a splendid hub area, it feels pretty empty to me. While it may have fun, hidden levels to explore, there's also a lot of extra space full of nothing outside in the garden. At the time it may have been revolutionary, but what's so revolutionary about a green & blue void? Sure, the concept art may be magical, I still remember sketching 64 themed art back in the day. But the game itself isn't all that great. It has an audience, I understand that. But it's not really replaying at the end of the day. The majority of the levels are infuriating hard & while its important for a game to have a necessary level of difficulty...many of these are full of a ton of cheap deaths! Whether it's falling into the void below, getting eaten by a fish, or being subjected to instant death sand...64 really knows how to be ruthless with its challenges. And while a nice challenge is important for personal growth, 64 fails to execute that with its gimmicky levels. Take a look back at some big open-world games. While each level's line of challenges are all tied together, the moment you get a Star, your then immediately taken out of it. How irritating is it to collect the damn red coins over & over again? VERY! The challenges themselves aren't all that wondrous. With every course being littered with tiny platforms & slippery terrain, Mario will end up falling to his doom over & over & over again. Close your eyes after play through, you can still hear Mario's groaning sound effects. I ask myself why did they put so much effort into the death animations? I mean, they're really well done, but maybe some that focus could put into designing some more bearable levels. Each level feels like a chore to explore with the constant backtracking players are forced o suffer through. Game overs are a bit meaningless because the you're just sent back to the start of the hub area like many other levels. I get It that the realm of adventure you get to explore can leave an impact on you, but there's no reason what's so ever to replay levels after completion. You can earn high scores, but good luck finding anyone who's going to compete for the best time on those death trap slide levels. And let's not forget the million dollar question, why aren't there check points in the levels? It would save a lot of time if I didn't have to climb the mountain every minute of my life, hoping that dopey penguin shields me properly in Snow Man's Land. Seriously, this is the world’s very first mission & its atrocity of an obstacle., especially since the platform is slippery to begin with! The level loses its charm with cheap obstacles like this. It becomes a big mental challenge when the player thinks too one's self if the game is even worth playing if there's no real reward to go with it. Square Eyed Jak, taught me a lot about how a game is worth playing, if the experience fails to feel energizing. I can't get a rush through dashing through the level since I'm constantly safety jumping & stopping with every turn, because I DO NOT want to spend the rest of my life falling in to the nightmare-like voids of hell. As for things I did enjoy, it feels good to get the Metal Cap. You can get a lot of new stars this way, & it feel nice to run through a level that was previously a string of deadly traps. I really think the DS version is better. Sure, Galaxy walks all over it on the WII, but its a decent improvement over the original. You can play as multiple characters, there's a few new levels are available, & you can even play a nice spread of mini & multiplayer games. While in the original 64, you'll be asking yourself if the Winged Cap is trying to kill you all day. Theres just a ton of irritating mechanics that make this game take longer than usual to even complete. Sometimes that stalker Lakitu's camera can work against you & there more than enough ways to get your hat stolen. Seriously, if Mario's hat is so powerful, why is it so easy to die anyway in this game? I like the theme, I respect the fans, I just hate the game. It's not the worst, but it's pretty painful to even simply complete. I was originally going to attempt to 100% this game, at the moment though, I don't feel like it. What's the point of 100 percenting game if there's no nice reward to go with it? Yoshi gives you a hundred 1-ups, but who in there right mind wants to play through death trap levels over & over again. Not that it matters, since all players have probably gone through the Bowser in the Sky levels 20 times minimum already. But this game was a start, if we didn't have 64 we wouldn't have Galaxy. This game is like a crazy elder with a lot of wild tales to tell. It may be crazy to listen to him, but if you're lucky, you may have a good time. You just need motivation… Expand
  23. MaddoxWhite
    Apr 24, 2021
    7
    Anyone who says this game isn't dated is lying to themselves. It's still really fun, and the levels and stuff hold it up, but the controls really have aged, man.
  24. JoshWah
    Apr 27, 2021
    7
    Revolutionary but also weirdly designed which makes it frustrating to play sometimes
  25. calvinbrine
    Oct 1, 2021
    7
    great game for it's time(the first 3d platformer) but it aged horribly. I have mad respect for it and wish I could love it, but it's not good enough for today's standards, so I have to give it a bad review.
    Also odyssey does the concept of open world mario way better structurally speaking.

    there's still some fun to be had though
  26. AGuy27
    Aug 19, 2021
    6
    The game has a terrible camera and bad controls, but it did innovate the 3D Mario genre and allowed for much better games. Not much use playing it nowadays, unfortunately. Some levels have great design, some... uh... don't.
  27. NotJordi
    Dec 20, 2021
    6
    This game peaks in speedruning, and in my opinion, it's the best speedrun game of all time.

    Also Mario's movement is great, and is satisfying to master, but there are some cons.

    for one the map design is horrible, and hard to be enjoyable to play casually.

    As I said this game peaks in speedrunning, but lacks in it's casual play.
  28. ronkers
    May 23, 2022
    6
    although this is one of the most revolutionary games of all time i could not help but feel pissed off due to the camera mechanics throughout my entire playthrough, some of the maps such as that **** pyramid one are just not fun, the music is amazing and the visuals are charming but it really isnt the greatest game of all time like everyone else thinks. the beginning was fantastic but as ialthough this is one of the most revolutionary games of all time i could not help but feel pissed off due to the camera mechanics throughout my entire playthrough, some of the maps such as that **** pyramid one are just not fun, the music is amazing and the visuals are charming but it really isnt the greatest game of all time like everyone else thinks. the beginning was fantastic but as i reached the midway of the game the map designs just got worse and worse to the point where i just could not care anymore about finishing this game. this was a pain in the ass to play but i definitely appreciate it for what it has done for video games… Expand
  29. Diaboliste
    Jun 7, 2022
    6
    Honestly yes these games are a revolution but I can't get used to the horrible control and the disgusting camera and some stars who have to start over 15 times to win because you have to make no mistakes in the air because you're not going up it goes up and down it goes down you don't have to go down to be able to go up 2 millimeters so I don't really like games
    he's harder than mario    Honestly yes these games are a revolution but I can't get used to the horrible control and the disgusting camera and some stars who have to start over 15 times to win because you have to make no mistakes in the air because you're not going up it goes up and down it goes down you don't have to go down to be able to go up 2 millimeters so I don't really like games
    he's harder than mario sunshine in my opinion    … Expand
  30. quittit1
    Jul 5, 2022
    7
    Okay buddy I’m going to get to the church now but if you want me I will be home in church
  31. Porkster
    Feb 1, 2023
    7
    This game is indeed great, but to be honest the controls make the game really unfun to play, wall jumping is stupidly painful and some stars are placed in stupid ways. This game definitely didn't age well at all... But ofc it has a banger soundtrack and Bob-Omb Battlefield is still a fantastic level. The Bowser fights in this game are cringe tho
  32. PanchaMiguela
    Mar 3, 2023
    6
    It is old, it is rough, Mario is weird to control if you aren't used to it, I think level design could have been better with some changes. I think SM64 was more experimenting how Mario would work in 3D than a game, it was intended to be the blueprint of what was to come. Still love it because nostalgia but I can understand it is not for everyone. Although props for the speedrunningIt is old, it is rough, Mario is weird to control if you aren't used to it, I think level design could have been better with some changes. I think SM64 was more experimenting how Mario would work in 3D than a game, it was intended to be the blueprint of what was to come. Still love it because nostalgia but I can understand it is not for everyone. Although props for the speedrunning community and the modding community, probably are the two pillars that still make this game relevant to this day beyond nostalgia.… Expand
  33. Radpandabear
    Apr 9, 2023
    6
    Honestly wasn’t a terrible game, but playing it now, it did not live up to the hype. I bet when it was released it was amazing and I know the speed running community has kept this game alive, but playing this game casually really isnt the best. The movement feels clunky, shifting sand land, that one star on top of the snowman, and wet dry land can all burn, I was tearing my hair out tryingHonestly wasn’t a terrible game, but playing it now, it did not live up to the hype. I bet when it was released it was amazing and I know the speed running community has kept this game alive, but playing this game casually really isnt the best. The movement feels clunky, shifting sand land, that one star on top of the snowman, and wet dry land can all burn, I was tearing my hair out trying to beat them 100%. Positives: Towards the end of the game I truly felt like I developed some skills, seeing yoshi on top of the castle was nice and I really enjoyed the mini bosses found throughout the worlds. A decent game, but not all that.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best N64 Game of 1996
1
#1 Most Discussed N64 Game of 1996
1
#1 Most Shared N64 Game of 1996

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Nintendorks
    80
    The distribution of power stars in the levels is horrendous. I think 7 stars in one level is more than enough, don't you think? I understand that there are memory constraints, but there either could have been less stars overall, or 1 (maybe 2) more level(s). Definately a problem.
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  2. Electric Playground
    100
    It has quickly grown to become the standard by which almost all other games are measured.
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  3. Gaming Maxx
    99
    This is definitely a game no game collection should be without...Seriously!
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