Super Mario 64 is one of the greatest games of all time. It redefined a series, justified a console, and revolutionized gaming as we know it. So one would think that by updating such an astounding game, Nintendo could do no wrong… but as the saying goes, "if it's not broken, don't fix it".
Let's start off with the biggest problem: the controls. Mario 64 was such a joy to play because of the analog stick and simple, easy to pick up controls. The DS lacks an analog stick so you are left to control Yoshi (yes, Yoshi- more on that later) using the D-pad or the simulated analog control via the touch screen. Really, either way works fine but it takes a while to get used to and it's nowhere near as accurate as a real analog stick. On the plus side, everything else controls just fine… the touch screen controls the friendly camera and the action/shoulder buttons take care of the rest.
So what about everything else, gameplay wise? It's well intact… after getting over the shoddy movement controls you will realize that this game has more than its predecessor. All of the levels are perfectly ported to the DS but with minor changes here and there. But there are now new areas in the castle to explore, 30 more stars (for a total of 150), and 30 DS exclusive mini-games. Oh, and the game stars Yoshi rather than Mario… weird concept, but Yoshi can pick up hats for Mario, Wario, or Luigi to transform into the said characters and use their unique powers to go about the adventure. Due to the minor changes in the levels, you will have to use different methods to complete each mission. It seems strange, but it's better than playing the same old way… sometimes.
The game will last a good amount of time, even if you have mastered the original game. Besides the single player mission, there are 30 mini-games and a multiplayer game for up to 4 players using single card download play. The mini-games are a worthy addition; they do a great job of showing the possibilities with the DS and are surprisingly fun to play. If anything, the mini-games are the biggest reason to complete the main adventure.
On the audio and video department, everything has been overhauled. The amount of detail in this game overshadows that of the original and the sound quality is superb for a handheld. The game looks and sounds great but could have definitely used a bit more polish.
Looking at this as the headlining DS launch title is a bit of a disappointment… the game is not bad by any means. It's just that one would expect more of an innovative game from Nintendo's first effort on their new, self described innovative handheld.
Final words: A bit hard to control, but an otherwise worthy update. Don't expect the same impact that the original Super Mario 64 had though.
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