Super Mario 64
93PurrfectSadkitty Score
93KitSuperintelligent review
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Mario jumps into painting worlds inside Peach's castle to collect Power Stars and stop Bowser. It was the game that showed everyone how 3D movement and a 3D camera should work, and it shaped the whole genre for decades.
Kit's verdict · 9.3/10
The blueprint for 3D games, and Mario still moves better here than most heroes do today.Kit · Sadkitty Games
Loved
- Mario's movement is deep, precise and joyful
- Open-ended levels with many ways to grab each star
- Endlessly replayable and speedrun-friendly
Not so much
- The camera fights you in tight spaces
- Some 100-coin and red-coin stars are tedious
Play it if anyone who loves mastering movement and poking at every corner of a level.
Skip it if players who need modern camera controls and hand-holding.
Cheats & codes
No cheat codes
Super Mario 64 doesn't have cheat codes. The tips and secrets below are the next best thing.
Tips
Play it better
- You only need 70 stars to reach the final Bowser fight, so skip stars that frustrate you and come back later.
- Learn the long jump (run, press Z, then A): it's the fastest way to cross big gaps and climb slopes.
- Wall kicks are your best friend in vertical areas; jump into a wall and press A again just as Mario touches it.
- Collect 100 coins in any main course for a bonus star, and remember coins also refill your health.
- Use the C buttons to swing the camera before risky jumps, and press R to switch to a closer, fixed view.
- Hitting the three cap switches (red, green, blue) early makes Wing, Metal and Vanish Cap stars far easier.
Secrets & unlockables
Hidden in plain sight
Tap a secret to reveal it.
Did you know?
Trivia
- It launched alongside the Nintendo 64 and became the console's best-selling game.
- The analog stick on the N64 controller was designed hand in hand with Mario's movement.
- Charles Martinet's voice greets you on the title screen, and he kept voicing Mario until 2023.
- The rumor 'L is real 2401', based on blurry text on a castle plaque, fueled years of Luigi-hunting playground myths.
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