by Wolf Bird » Mon Feb 15, '16, 4:09 am
I've been playing Super Mario 64 DS on my 3DS. Now, I did not have an N64 growing up (had a Playstation) so I do not have much nostalgia for this game. I probably played it a bit on a neighbor's N64, but that's about it. Playing it now, I still can't decide if I like it or not. I 100% recognize what a big deal it was back then, its place in gaming history, and I will not call it a "bad game." But playing it now, it feels extremely clunky at best. The camera is just awful and seems to be my enemy far more than the actual enemies. The controls feel imprecise as judging depth is extremely difficult, though the former may be because it may be designed for an analog stick and the 3DS circle pad is digital. But in a lot of ways, it reminds how far 3D platforming has come and I think newer platforms like the Mario Galaxy games, Ratchet & Clank and Sly Cooper outshine it mechanically. Though they of course benefitted from the legacy of Mario 64. I'm just not sure it has aged well and from a modern standpoint, playing it feels very difficult, coming from someone who has no nostalgia for it. I'll probably stick with it a little longer, but it may soon hit a make or break point and I decide whether to see it through to the end (at least to defeating Bowser) or putting it down.
Edit: Gave up on it for now. Some of the mechanics are outdated enough that it's more frustrating than fun, and fun is what I want out of my non-research gaming. I just don't have the nostalgia nor muscle memory to compensate for some of the archaic mechanics/issues that newer platformers have solved. Still not going to say it's bad because it's not a bad game by any means. I'm just not sure time has been as kind to it as the 2D Mario games the preceded it. I also realize, with thought, that probably the main reason I still find the original Spyro games playable is because I do have nostalgia and muscle memory, but from an objective standpoint, those games also have their fair share of outdated/archaic mechanics and issues.
Last edited by
Wolf Bird on Mon Feb 15, '16, 4:09 am, edited 2 times in total.
Next Pokemon game(s): Pearl
Last finished Pokémon game: Shield
Other games: Skyrim Special Edition (Switch), Spyro Reignited Trilogy (Switch & PS4), Okami (Switch & PS4)
Other gaming goals: completing a Living Pokedex (minus some event Pokes) and going through at least 1 game per generation