Let's get this out of the way. Super Mario 64 has a couple weaknesses. One, the demands of a 3D open world game necessitated a different approach to camera control. Because this was literally the very first N64 game, it's readily apparent Nintendo had not worked out how to properly utilize the N64 controller for that purpose. Had the C-stick come out a generation earlier, this wouldn't be an issue. That said, there are only a few places where the camera actively works against you; the tendency toward it undermining the player is exaggerated. Second, a couple of the levels feel a tad empty, such as in Dire Dire Docks and Wet-Dry World, a consequence of large levels being sparsely populated. Third, some of the moves, such as the long jump, wall jump, and everything about piloting the Wing Cap, are not immediately intuitive, which can be frustrating, because all three are essential.
Now, what I love about this game. One, the story's minimalism. The game consists of four or five speaking characters who share between them a half-page's worth of dialogue, at most. The story is pure Save the Princess with minimal exposition. This saves the game from twisting around itself trying to build a story around a game (and a series) that sits all the way on the gameplay side of gameplay versus story. And, in the end, it's better for it. More effort is placed into gameplay, and here, the player is given more freedom than in any other Mario game. This isn't a game where you go through the motions on a linear track; you're dumped into a 3D playground, and there are very few times when the game railroads you. There are multiple ways to get a lot of the Stars and you don't always have to get them in order. The music's very good, and while the graphics are primitive, they still make a good use of the N64's color palette.
A Classic
Let's get this out of the way. Super Mario 64 has a couple weaknesses. One, the demands of a 3D open world game necessitated a different approach to camera control. Because this was literally the very first N64 game, it's readily apparent Nintendo had not worked out how to properly utilize the N64 controller for that purpose. Had the C-stick come out a generation earlier, this wouldn't be an issue. That said, there are only a few places where the camera actively works against you; the tendency toward it undermining the player is exaggerated. Second, a couple of the levels feel a tad empty, such as in Dire Dire Docks and Wet-Dry World, a consequence of large levels being sparsely populated. Third, some of the moves, such as the long jump, wall jump, and everything about piloting the Wing Cap, are not immediately intuitive, which can be frustrating, because all three are essential.
Now, what I love about this game. One, the story's minimalism. The game consists of four or five speaking characters who share between them a half-page's worth of dialogue, at most. The story is pure Save the Princess with minimal exposition. This saves the game from twisting around itself trying to build a story around a game (and a series) that sits all the way on the gameplay side of gameplay versus story. And, in the end, it's better for it. More effort is placed into gameplay, and here, the player is given more freedom than in any other Mario game. This isn't a game where you go through the motions on a linear track; you're dumped into a 3D playground, and there are very few times when the game railroads you. There are multiple ways to get a lot of the Stars and you don't always have to get them in order. The music's very good, and while the graphics are primitive, they still make a good use of the N64's color palette.